Have the classics lost their effectiveness?

[_____V_____]

So, the other day, my cousins came over to visit and were rummaging through my collection. Both are fairly new to horror films and asked me for recs on the scariest horror films I have ever seen.

I gave them the DVDs of The Exorcist, The Evil Dead, Alien, The Changeling, and some others.

They returned them some days later and said they weren't the least bit scared of any of them.

Exorcist - slow, and effects looked fake.

Evil Dead - Very cheesy effects and not the least bit scary.

Alien - Had some "tingly & jumpy" moments but slow as well.

The Changeling - Not scary at all.

What was more worrying was that they thought the more recent lot of Rec & Rec 2, Silent Hill, Paranormal Activity 1 & 2, etc. were more scarier than the above.

Glad I didn't give them any of the vintage ones - House on Haunted Hill, Dracula, etc. God knows what their reactions would have been like.

I sat down to think over this. Maybe the classics DO look dated, or might have lost their charm. Sure, they had audiences screaming in their days but today's generation doesn't relate to the horror they portray. Or maybe there is a better explanation for this.

Thing is, I still sit down to watch Alien for the umpteenth time and still get sucked into that claustrophobic atmosphere which Ridley Scott's masterpiece creates. I have lost count by now - well over a hundred times - the times I have seen the film, and still the sequences and the climax give me goosebumps.

*sigh* Maybe I am getting old...

[leezuki]

horror has changed alot from when i was a kid, i still love the old horror .when i say to my cousins to watch exorcist and dawn of the dead they all say how can you call this horror and they just lough. i think when i watched this it was hard for the day but times have changed now (makes me feel old lol).but graphics back then in movies were better no cgi , and a better storyline. i think alot of it is because it's all been made now, all remakes and cgi are just killing alot of the movies off, some movies are good to be remade dont get me wrong, but back the it was all made from just what they had lying around for the efects, which is why i respect old school horror alot more.

[hammerfan]

Unfortunately, younger people have become "jaded" and no longer see the classics as, say, you, me, newb, or neverending see them. I'm the same with Alien. I don't care how many times I watch it, I get sucked right in to the atmosphere. I can say the same for a few movies. And I feel that's also the reason that it's been quite a while since I've seen a horror movie that has affected me that way. Today's movies are too focused on how much gore they can show, and the hell with atmosphere. I'm all about atmosphere, I don't need a lot of blood and guts, or a creepy monster (although "monster" movies are my favorite of the genre) to scare me or make me jump, or whatever.

[roshiq]

Originally Posted by _____V_____

So, the other day, my cousins came over to visit and were rummaging through my collection. Both are fairly new to horror films and asked me for recs on the scariest horror films I have ever seen.

I gave them the DVDs of The Exorcist, The Evil Dead, Alien, The Changeling, and some others.

They returned them some days later and said they weren't the least bit scared of any of them.

Exorcist - slow, and effects looked fake.

Evil Dead - Very cheesy effects and not the least bit scary.

Alien - Had some "tingly & jumpy" moments but slow as well.

The Changeling - Not scary at all.

What was more worrying was that they thought the more recent lot of Rec & Rec 2, Silent Hill, Paranormal Activity 1 & 2, etc. were more scarier than the above.

Glad I didn't give them any of the vintage ones - House on Haunted Hill, Dracula, etc. God knows what their reactions would have been like.

That's a very common reaction for today's viewers who occasionally likes to watch horror films or new to the genre.

Agree with HF. The thing is sometimes or often I think this growing new breed of "horror movie fans" carry a preconceived idea about "old", "dated" or classic horror films like these films going to be slow and as they're old they would have pretty cheesy effects & tomato sauce look like bloods etc. etc. And thus they goes & check out a classic horror while already making some pretty negative viewpoints of that film before starts even watching it. Horror films means only about "Horror" to them & that "Horror" comes with plenty of jump scares & over the top gore, tortures & sufferings all over. A good story with good characterization & atmosphere doesn't add that much value as they're very much immature as a film viewer, IMO. I've known people who only likes to watch only those films that can make into US or UK top 10 lists or if they see a there's a big colorful article or segment about the films in the newspapers, magazines or in a TV show. Most people in our so called "DVD Stores/shops" I see they only want to rent, buy or know about the newly released films whether horror or not. I guess today some people likes/wants to get so much up to date & "modern" that they don't even like to hear about some good old stuffs.

I never give real gems of the genre to any of my "occasional genre fan" friends or cousins as I can guess or know what will be there response after seeing it and I couldn't take them as a rational human being and thus will lead us to a fight for sure!:D

This is frustrating but what I sometimes think can work for them is to give them some ideas about "How to watch & enjoy a Classic Film" tutorial. First of all, they need to respect & honor the film, its dvd disc/VHS & even thankful to you for the chance that you gave them to see that true classic. Then you can tell them about the success & influence the film still have on today's genre films. The best is to make them watch it with you. Then you can determine the factors or moments they find weak and clarify the viewpoints that differs from us. It's long, lengthy & boring process but as we know sometimes we need to take the matters into our own hands...:D

[TheWickerFan]

There are films that have aged badly and lost their effectiveness, but I didn't think the examples V gave fell victim to this.

I agree with Roshiq, you have to expect this kind of reaction from someone new to horror. I don't think it's exclusive to young people either.

[The Villain]

I'm 24 and i prefer the classics over the modern day horror movies. I would rather watch Nosferatu, Dracula (1931), the original Wolf Man, The original Frankenstein, Creature From The Black Lagoon and The Phantom of The Opera as well as Horror from the 50's, 60's and 70's over recent ones.

Even though i do still enjoy modern day horror there is just something so amazing and rich about the classics that i just love. There was so much respect and love for the genre then. It was like art. As for being scared, i haven't been scared of a horror movie since i was a kid so that doesn't really matter to me.

I think that most people just can't appreciate good movies anymore.

[ManchestrMorgue]

It is an interesting question. Certainly, special effects have advanced to the point where movie effects certainly look a lot more realistic now than they did 30 or more years ago. So I can see why young people or people new to horror would look at older films and feel that the effects are unrealistic compared to some more modern films.

However, if you grew up with a certain era of film, these films could continue to have a more profound effect on you than if you were watching them for the first time.

I remember some of the films that really gave me nightmares when I was young - when I watch them now I still get a sense of what I felt back then (although not as strong obviously). I think this is because they are awakening feelings from my childhood, rather than their intrinsic scariness as seen as an adult. But fears are often about things that have affected us in our childhoods.

It is also a bit about expectations. If all you know are movies with "modern day" special effects, then that is what you expect. Those of us who grew up with older films don't have that same expectation. And that isn't necessarily a statement about age - if you grew up watching movies of bygone eras, then your expectations would be different than someone of the same age who only watched contemporary films.

Also, I think it depends on what attitude you carry with you when you watch the film. If you expect that it is going to be an old film with crappy effects, you probably won't be scared. But if you watch with the expectation of being engrossed and "losing yourself" in the film, it is likely to have a different emotional effect.

[Straker]

Kids are supposed to say they weren't scared after watching a horror movie, so they wont always provide reliable feedback. That said, the problem when kids are watching older movies is its just very hard for them to relate to the characters or scenario. The truth is, most kids arent all that smart. They typically want and need things laid out and packaged in a specific way.

I couldn't and didn't watch classic horror as a child 'cause the bottom line was I really didnt give a shit about what was going on and there was no way I was going to sit through 90 minuites of a black and white movie, regardless of how good it was. I still remember watching those movies listed as a kid and with the exception of The Evil Dead I hated them all.

I don't think its so much that kids cant appreciate good movies these days, its more that generally speaking they need things packaged in a certain way to appreciate them at all. Take The Evil Dead for example, I loved that movie when I first watched it at around 8 years old, maybe younger, and I love it to this day but what I took out of it when I was 8 was alot different to what I take out of it now.

The most important factor in watching any movie is having the desire to be taken along for the ride.

[neverending]

Have the classics lost their effectiveness? I'd have to qualify it by saying it depends on who's watching them.

I think for a certain segment of the "younger" crowd, they perceive the world in a different way than generations past. They have been raised with such sensory overload that the sustained attention neccessary to watch a film with a slower pace is just a capability they don't have. I'm not saying it's true for everyone- just a lot of people. Half the people I know under the age of 30 are on some kind of theraputic drugs.

When you expect media to come at you in five second bursts, then a slow paced film just can't hold your attention. Character development? What the hell is that? We just want to see "kills."

[Despare]

Originally Posted by neverending

Have the classics lost their effectiveness? I'd have to qualify it by saying it depends on who's watching them.

I think for a certain segment of the "younger" crowd, they perceive the world in a different way than generations past. They have been raised with such sensory overload that the sustained attention neccessary to watch a film with a slower pace is just a capability they don't have. I'm not saying it's true for everyone- just a lot of people. Half the people I know under the age of 30 are on some kind of theraputic drugs.

When you expect media to come at you in five second bursts, then a slow paced film just can't hold your attention. Character development? What the hell is that? We just want to see "kills."

Yep, some of those older flicks would be terrifying if the audience would actually be actively thinking about the characters and the situations instead of analyzing how "realistic" everything looks. That's why some younger people still "get it" while many don't.