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The problem with modern horror, particularly horror and thriller films developed by Hollywood, is a pretty obvious one. Atmosphere and cerebral fear have been scrapped in favor of intense visual scares and what I call "fearbytes".
A fearbyte is a short section of a film, probably 5-15 seconds that is as chock full of "scary" imagery and loud noises as possible. The fearbyte scares the pants off the viewer and as soon as it is over, it is forgotten as the viewer clutches their chest and smiles. It's a surprise. It's a GOTCHA! moment and the problem with the fearbyte is it doesn't stick. When it's over it's done and when the film ends you go out, have a beer, and forget about the movie for the rest of the night. Maybe you laugh and say "That was real crazy when the monster jumped out of the closet, scared the shit out of me." but you're doing exactly that. You're laughing. It didn't make you think and it left no lasting impression of fear on you. A romantic movie might leave you filled with emotions of longing and hopeful romance if you're single or might provide a spark for passion if you're not. A sad film might leave you depressed about the human condition or the plight of the individual struggle. But these are lasting emotions, catalysts for deeper though about ones life and place in the world, and the modern horror film fails to leave this impression.
Fearbytes do, however, make for very appealing trailers. An intense trailer full of fearbytes means you get people to sit in the theater. Imagine making a trailer for Onibaba that would appeal to a modern audience. Or Audition. Or Hitchcock's "Rope". Compare that to something like Insidious or Drag Me To Hell.
I can't remember the last time a horror film, particularly a western horror film, made me feel real physical tension as I wondered what would happen next. I can't remember the last film that made me think about the role of fear in human emotion, the meaning of death, or the darker elements of human nature that are often represented symbolically by monsters, killers, and other various haunting events.
A good horror film is paced with subtlety and tension and it leaves you thinking and wary of any little noise that occurs in the dark. It reminds you that the world isn't as nice or as safe as we sometimes think and of our own mortality. Or perhaps it shows us an uglier side of ourselves that we have avoided confronting for some time. Fearbytes are entertaining but they don't produce films worth talking about. In fact, a horror movie need not have an incredibly terrifying climax at all. While most do, it is sometimes the case that our own imaginations can invent horrors much worse than could ever be portrayed on a screen.
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This was the movie that made me realize horror was in trouble:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450278/
So terrible. Had these fearbytes and nothing else.
Slasher movies have their place and are kinda something to laugh and jump at but a horror movie should have something more. You said it very well in the OP.
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And those "fearbytes" are REALLY predictable, which sort of detracts a lot of the horror from them >_>
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On August 27 2011 00:31 ComaDose wrote:This was the movie that made me realize horror was in trouble: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450278/So terrible. Had these fearbytes and nothing else. Slasher movies have their place and are kinda something to laugh and jump at but a horror movie should have something more. You said it very well in the OP.
idk if i'd consider hostel real horror because it's really an exploitation/torture porn film which i guess is a subgenre of horror but shit like that and Saw have gained so much popularity that anyone trying to produce a really good artful horror film just isn't gonna get the budget they need when hollywood can crank out another piece of shit like hostel or the strangers
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United States16961 Posts
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I think the reason why modern horror just sucks is lack of original ideas. Everything we see today has already been done before, and done better. Also many new horror films are so focused on the visuals and effects, instead of the actual horror.
"fearbytes" can be used pretty well, but it has to work together with the atmosphere, there are quite a few very good old horror movies that have mastered this.
I wouldnt consider movies like Hostel or Saw to be horror, just gore.
What i hate the most are jump scare scenes. The movie builds tension and then just wastes it on fucking nothing. wtf is up with that. Yea, you shocked me, but i wasnt scared.
Movies about ghosts, vampires or psychotic killers arent scary anymore. Or movies about insane children. New ideas please.
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Well you're arguing that horror should also focus more on the psychological/cerebral aspect than the merely instinctive/visual aspect. But a) when does that really cross the line and b) how exactly do you manage to create a good horror film (obviously not forcing you to list everything, I just want to hear some vague suggestions) without resorting to the same standard mummy-in-the-closet surprise tricks?
The issue is that in modern times, it's much harder to get people to believe the world is different from what they believe it to be, simply due to the overabundance of 'hard' information fooling people into believing that their viewpoint is solid and no religion (if they're against religion), policy, or scare tactic can fool them. It's not like in the old times, where religion had a much greater clout simply because there were less 'hard facts' flying around (I do quotes because there's still a lot of good information out there, but a lot of what people pick up is shit).
So if we don't assume something that's just gory/scary/surprising like The Grudge, and (ignoring the whole 'oh God society is corrupt and is going to fail' for the reasons shown in the above paragraph') we approach a more quiet, 'icky and slimy' path, isn't that still also appealing to the masses in a more basic sense by drawing out the tension? I think it's not only the fact that these instinctive horrors are easier to command, but also the fact that evocative cerebral horrors are much harder to pull out of a writer's ass that we see the trend that we do today.
At least games are always trying to be creative :3 have you played Eternal Darkness/Amnesia: The Dark Descent/Fatal Frame series?
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The last horror movie that I can recall had a real sustained sense of dread in it was The Ring, and that was a remake of a foreign horror movie (albeit better than the original, but still).
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Heres the best horror movie that you havent seen, (hopefully.)
RottenTomatoes Link
and video...
+ Show Spoiler +
But I don't agree that every horror film needs to have subtlety and tension. They can be loud and upfront.
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Completely accurate, and completely agreed.
See, I'm playing through Amnesia: The Dark Descent right now, and this game is spoiling me. It's better as a medium for horror than all the recent "horror" films combined. It paces itself really well, it's atmospheric and tense, and most of the fear you feel is a product of your mind and imagination.
You know. Like a horror game. Unlike Dead Space 2, which is getting rave reviews everywhere and whose horror element consists of musical stings bringing monsters to life.
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On August 27 2011 00:50 WniO wrote:Heres the best horror movie that you havent seen, (hopefully.) RottenTomatoes Linkand video... + Show Spoiler +http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zZz1wtfC7o&feature=related But I don't agree that every horror film needs to have subtlety and tension. They can be loud and upfront.
We're arguing about definitions here, but i wouldnt call "The Loved Ones" a horror movie at all. To me a horror movie is a movie where you feel scared not only for the characters, but for yourself. That's really the best way i can describe it. And in movies like Hostel, Saw, and this one, you dont really feel scared for yourself.
Ah well, really good movie regardless! :D
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On August 27 2011 00:31 Ghostcom wrote:
And those "fearbytes" are REALLY predictable, which sort of detracts a lot of the horror from them >_>
yeah when i see em coming i can prep myself and the "fearbyte" becomes even less effective at giving me 'horror'.
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On August 27 2011 00:25 DoctorHelvetica wrote:
A good horror film is paced with subtlety and tension and it leaves you thinking and wary of any little noise that occurs in the dark.
I think this what most modern films lack. There very little if any subtlety in the so called horror films of today.
If anyone has a recomendation of a film in the last 10 years that has had this i would be greatly intrested.
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@deadlyfish, but wouldnt you agree that horror is just a genre so it can range in type of films dramatically. (alien -> texas chainsaw -> childsplay -> shining -> the loved ones) all of those are really really different, but are still horror, at least imo.
as for the movie i posted its NOT in the same category as hostel/saw. if you really pay attention its more in tuned of funnygames... since yeah INCREDIBLY violent things happen but rarely does it show up close. but god does that kid have the most depressing scream ever, i get chills every time.
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Totally agree, modern horror is lacking in a number of important ways. My girlfriend did her thesis on the design of horror film posters (coolest thing every!) and an important aspect way how older horror preyed on primal fears, in relation to sense of self, individuality and sexuality, where as modern films seem to play on the fact that unsurprisingly not many people would like to be sown together end-to-end :/
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On August 27 2011 01:12 Darkdeath3 wrote:Show nested quote +On August 27 2011 00:25 DoctorHelvetica wrote:
A good horror film is paced with subtlety and tension and it leaves you thinking and wary of any little noise that occurs in the dark. I think this what most modern films lack. There very little if any subtlety in the so called horror films of today. If anyone has a recomendation of a film in the last 10 years that has had this i would be greatly intrested.
thriller with great pacing - "The Chaser"
it's a korean movie tho
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On August 27 2011 01:12 WniO wrote:
@deadlyfish, but wouldnt you agree that horror is just a genre so it can range in type of films dramatically. (alien -> texas chainsaw -> childsplay -> shining -> the loved ones) all of those are really really different, but are still horror, at least imo.
as for the movie i posted its NOT in the same category as hostel/saw. if you really pay attention its more in tuned of funnygames... since yeah INCREDIBLY violent things happen but rarely does it show up close. but god does that kid have the most depressing scream ever, i get chills every time.
Well it's just what I would consider horror, there are many definitions. And The Loved Ones is definitely way more tastefully done than Saw or Hostel which are just gore flicks.
The reason i dont consider these types of movies horror movies is because of what is needed to make it a good movie. If you're making a movie like The Loved Ones, you dont NEED to scare people (you can gross them out instead for example), but if you make a movie like Alien then if you arent scaring people the movie has failed.
It's just a matter of opinion though, both Alien and The Loved Ones are great movies for sure.
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the last horror-movie that draged me in was "blair with project" and this is a long time ago. And it wasn`t exactly a hollywood production. Speaking of which - "Event horizon" was pretty cool too. It had the fearbites and the well done audiovisual setting produced a mood, that kept me caught up in it for the whole movie.
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You should revive your Horror thread, it had a lot of good horror stories that really touch on what you're talking about here. I'd think about that shit constantly.
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On August 27 2011 01:45 shindigs wrote:
You should revive your Horror thread, it had a lot of good horror stories that really touch on what you're talking about here. I'd think about that shit constantly.
i might redo the OP sometime today or tomorrow its really convoluted rn
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