HOLLYWOOD—The horror genre in my opinion comes in waves. It’s not something very prominent in Hollywood, but it should be in my opinion because who doesn’t like a good thrill here and there? There is something I’ve discovered about the horror genre while I viewed the movie “The Exorcist” for the very first time. Horror is a tale better told from the supernatural aspect. Why do you ask? Well it’s much more plausible.
Speaking from the mouth of a film critic and historian, the very first horror picture arrived in the early 1900s, in “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.” It was black and white and was a bit more omnipresent than anything. Fast-forward a few years later and we have “Nosferatu” which gave audiences a very first glimpse of Dracula, who was reincarnated multiple times over the years. The 1940s and 1950s ushered in the B Monster movies, which were a treat to watch because they were so over the top.
The 1960s and 1970s defined the genre as a whole in my opinion. Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” ushered in the idea of the psycho killer, but did so in a way where blood and guts weren’t at the forefront, and the narrative was strong, a crucial element. In the 1970s flicks like “The Exorcist,” “Jaws” and “Alien” tapped into our greatest fears, by playing mind tricks.
However, there were two films in particular that I think were turning points: “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Halloween.” Why? Well they ushered in violence to a higher potential. The story about Leatherface and his cannibalistic clans send chills down the spine because of its raw, grimy footage which appeared so real. John Carpenter’s “Halloween” ushered in Norman Bates 2.0 with a knife-wielding serial killer and took the idea of suspense to notorious levels.
The 1980s killed the genre completely. The slasher film came to the forefront and it was all about mimicking previous things done before with the hope that audiences will stampede the multiplex, which was not so much the case. We want plausibility, not stupidity. The 80s ushered in a generic formula in horror that has somewhat speared over into the current microscope of horror today: it’s okay to be dumb. Guess what? It’s not. The audience doesn’t want to see one-note, pointless flicks with a psychopath on the loose just to be on the loose.
We want smart characterization, but more importantly we want plot, we want a narrative. While the 80s killed the genre, there was a birth of hope in 1996 with the release of “Scream” which took the genre and flipped it on its head. That just ushered in a ton of other knock-offs. By the time the new century came around, the ghostly, supernatural element came back to the forefront with flicks like “The Ring” and “The Grudge,” but also made way for the remake saga.
This literally dominated the entire first decade of the new century. If we can’t come up with an original idea, let’s just take a classic and redo it. Get it, redo it. That’s the problem; no one wants to see the same movie all over again, with different people. If you plan to remake a movie give it a fresh thought, idea and interesting characters.
I’ll be honest, the last two horror films that were of decent fare came out in 2013, “The Purge” and “The Conjuring.” I mean “The Purge” had one of the neatest concepts ever, and it didn’t’ hurt to have such an unexpected outcome as audiences expected. As for “The Conjuring” it struck us right at the core. Home is a great place, but it can also be quite scary. you never know what transpired at the home you recently moved into. Take those things and throw a bit of the unexplainable into the mix and the audience will be scared straight. So where are we in the horror genre? We’re at a turning point, and I honestly believe the whole slasher craze is completely done and finished. It has been butchered to death and the audience is no longer a fan in my opinion. We’re too smart for that.
There are some things we haven’t quite explored. We’ve gone M.I.A. with the whole concept surrounding what else is out there besides planet Earth. The “Alien” franchise is the only picture to this date to tap into that fear; the same applies for the harsh realities of Mother Nature and the wilderness. “Jaws” was the first film to make it frightening to go into the water. When was the last time we saw such a picture of that magnitude? I guess what I’m saying to all the writers, directors, producers and movie honcho executives out there is that simplicity is the key to any good horror. Not duplication, but originality. Does that even exist anymore?
