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View Full Version : Have the classics lost their effectiveness?


_____V_____
08-29-2011, 10:51 AM
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
08-29-2011, 11:06 AM
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
08-29-2011, 11:06 AM
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
08-29-2011, 12:00 PM
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

http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g348/sanjidhdc/CWOTorturescene1.jpg

TheWickerFan
08-29-2011, 12:35 PM
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
08-29-2011, 02:19 PM
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
08-30-2011, 01:11 AM
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
08-30-2011, 07:16 AM
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
08-31-2011, 08:40 AM
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
08-31-2011, 08:46 AM
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.

crashN2awall
09-15-2011, 05:59 PM
One think you have to think about is not just how much horror movies have changed and evolved, but also people in general as well. When a lot of the classics where made, they where breaking ground in a huge way. I remember hearing stories about the exorcist, and how people where running out of the theatre crying and getting sick. Like anything, after the first time it gets easier to except. Now a days, we are almost over-exposed to horror movies. Growing up, these where movies I had to sneak to see. Now its nothing for your 10 year old brother or cousin to be watching all kinds of blood and gore right on cable TV. Considering horror has become so much more mainstream, and the audiences have grown younger and younger, its generally going to take much more to move (scare) people. This is probably a horrible metaphor, but I would kind of compare it to drugs. Ideally you start off small and end up going big. That's how I see this generation when it comes to horror films (not speaking individually.)

Jonn
09-22-2011, 08:37 PM
A film like Exorcist still stand up. But alot of that has to do with weather or not a person is religious/spiritual.

Never found Alien a scary film though it was a great film.

Something like Paranormal Activity has a classic feel so I would think people who like that would like something like Exorcist or Rosemary's Baby.

trevor1369
10-11-2011, 08:53 PM
Horror is something that changes from person to person. It depends what scares you. We all know plenty of people who hated Paranormal Activity. It just depends.

I love the 60's - 80's horror. There is something there that you just don't get now.

ZombieDrone
10-11-2011, 10:50 PM
I think it's a matter of taste and what you're used to. I'll admit that I'm not a huge fan of modern horror and much of what many people love in modern horror, I don't get and vice versa. For example, I once watched SAW, which is considered by a lot of people today to be scary...I was bored with it. Whereas at university, I once was able to attend a lecture where they were screening Nosferatu and you could hear some of the students laughing, which annoyed me.

I think the environment's different today and it changed largely with the slasher boom and the cannibal films. These were films where gore was suddenly pushed to the forefront and a lot of horror these days seems very gore-focused, which isn't my thing.

I'm someone who's more into atmosphere, so films like Suspiria, The Beyond, Don't Look Now or Night Of The Living Dead (all different but each very atmospheric) are what I prefer

Anthropophagus
10-12-2011, 01:51 AM
I find that the younger audience have a very low attention span than they did in my day.There is simply too much choice for them to focus on one thing.

Take MTV for example,it is bombarded with hundreds and thousands of images and sound and all lasting about five minutes.

As for FX,i personally don't get that part.I watch horror for the sheer love of the genre,blood guts and gore is great but not the main reason i watch them.
But today's crowd seems to think that is what horror is,and also that the actors have to be young and sexy to be considered a part in horror,that part is what kills horror in my opinion.

Look at the real great horrors of old,none had young sexy teens in them,sure one or two but most were played by a more mature actor,which gave the movie more credibility.I don't watch a horror to see some blonde tart taking her kit off.If i want that there are many other choice of movies i could find.

And lastly,horror for me works best alone not with a crowd.The idea of being scared comes from the anticipation and atmosphere the movies generates,this can not be done with a crowd,were people are talking or eating their over sized buckets of popcorn.

Watch them alone with ALL lights out,now thats horror.

Chief Brody
10-12-2011, 10:08 AM
I remember when i first watched Psycho on tv when i was about 12 - and it all seemed very tame compared with the horrors i was able to rent from the video shop - Evil dead type films, etc.

Then years later when i watched Psycho again as an adult, i was captivated by the story, and it scared the hell out of me.

So i think a lot of it is if you have the patience to get into the story. Older films had a lot of story - where as the modern films for the MTV generation are all about super fast pacing and flashing images and gore.

Sentinel65
09-24-2012, 12:43 PM
As a teen I can say that older horror movies most do not have the same effect they used to have on the people of that time. Horror movies that used to be shocking in the '40s are considered extremely tame nowadays. It is the fact that newer generations can't relate, but mainly I think it is that the envelope has been pushed way past that. With gorefests like Human Centipede and the like, how could Frankenstein hitting a person over the head be scary? Not that Human Centipede is all that scary, just more of envelope pushing controversy. I still receive great enjoyment from movies like Nosferatu, Dracula, The Exorcist, and I know other teens that have. They can be suspenseful and very entertaining, I just do not find good amount of them "scary". As an example I loved Halloween, and was filled with suspense and enjoyment as I watched it, but I don't fear that Michael Myers is going to come stab me to death. Hope I explained that without making it seem like I didn't like oldies, I usually prefer '80s movies.Tried to explain that as best as I could.

MichaelMyers
09-24-2012, 01:45 PM
Interesting, if somewhat depressing thread. I agree with the problem as stated by various posters already: young people identify gore with "scary" (and filmmakers can give it to them: is the MPAA still relevant?). As they become more de-sensitized to the depiction of violent death, appreciation of its more suspenseful expressions declines.

To make another, slightly clunky analogy: those who like horror today like the kill scenes best. This is like rushing through sex to get to the end. The process building up to it should be enjoyed just as much. Not to get all autobiographical. :cool:

FreddyMyers
09-24-2012, 02:04 PM
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 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

http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g348/sanjidhdc/CWOTorturescene1.jpg

Couldn't agree more. I think most of the members of this website are fairly seasoned with horror. Most of us know the genre and what movies are most influential to the genre. That makes us already enjoy the classics even if we've never seen them. Also i think that we are just plain better at watching movies than most. We know how to watch them and what to look for. Whether it be camera work, atmosphere, score, supporting actors, etc. We know what to look for and can appreciate what we're seeing more so than just a casual horror fan who want the cheap mindless scare.

Posher778
09-25-2012, 06:49 AM
There are ineffective old movies and ineffective new movies in the same way that there are still effective new movies and effective old movies. The genre isn't dead anymore, thank God.

realdealblues
09-25-2012, 07:33 AM
I'll go with a more arcane answer. Most people especially these days don't think, and have little imagination. It takes a certain amount of intelligence and cognition to watch a film that doesn't give you every answer and has lots of talking without all the special effects of today's cinema. A good 50% of the people in my local area would only be able to watch "The Dukes Of Hazzard" if I stayed around afterwards to explain it to them.

I remember interviews with John Carpenter talking about how it was scarier to him not to show everything. Hitchcock didn't need to show the knife stab Janet Leigh in Psycho because he let peoples' own imaginations take over. Now if you don't show the knife hack in and get stuck in a bone with an artery squirting across the camera nobody wants to see it.

When I was growing up as a little kid I lived in a small town in the country that had 4 or 5 TV Stations that might come in on a good day. I had a sandbox and had to use my imagination. I read books. Went out into the woods with friends and had to come up with games to play. I fixed my bike chain when it fell off because it didn't fix itself. I would see something like Mr. Wizard and want to know how things worked and why. I had to research at a library and then physically try things out in order to figure them out. There was no internet where you could get your answer in 10 seconds from google.

Now with Technology, everyone wants instant gratification. They don't need to imagine anything because they're using an Ipad to watch cartoons at age 2. They don't call or stop by somewhere just to say hello. They facebook or text. They don't even e-mail anymore. The majority of people want nothing more than to go home, kick back, eat, watch tv, and go to sleep because they have to get up early and go to work tomorrow. They don't want to think about the TV show they watch, they want mindless entertainment because using your brain takes energy and who wants to use up any more of that? We work more, and make less and have kids, bills, more bills, tests, self image, the cute boy or girl next to you, more bills to think about. We just want to shut the brain off.

This isn't meant to be an anti-technology rant or anything of the like. It's just that times, people, society have changed. The only people I know that can watch a classic movie and enjoy it are those with imagination. Those with intelligence who can use their brain for more than just day to day routines. Those who experience things because they want to know what it feels like, rather than just read about it on their tablet or smart phone.

hammerfan
09-25-2012, 07:39 AM
I'll go with a more arcane answer. Most people especially these days don't think, and have little imagination. It takes a certain amount of intelligence and cognition to watch a film that doesn't give you every answer and has lots of talking without all the special effects of today's cinema. A good 50% of the people in my local area would only be able to watch "The Dukes Of Hazzard" if I stayed around afterwards to explain it to them.

I remember interviews with John Carpenter talking about how it was scarier to him not to show everything. Hitchcock didn't need to show the knife stab Janet Leigh in Psycho because he let peoples' own imaginations take over. Now if you don't show the knife hack in and get stuck in a bone with an artery squirting across the camera nobody wants to see it.

When I was growing up as a little kid I lived in a small town in the country that had 4 or 5 TV Stations that might come in on a good day. I had a sandbox and had to use my imagination. I read books. Went out into the woods with friends and had to come up with games to play. I fixed my bike chain when it fell off because it didn't fix itself. I would see something like Mr. Wizard and want to know how things worked and why. I had to research at a library and then physically try things out in order to figure them out. There was no internet where you could get your answer in 10 seconds from google.

Now with Technology, everyone wants instant gratification. They don't need to imagine anything because they're using an Ipad to watch cartoons at age 2. They don't call or stop by somewhere just to say hello. They facebook or text. They don't even e-mail anymore. The majority of people want nothing more than to go home, kick back, eat, watch tv, and go to sleep because they have to get up early and go to work tomorrow. They don't want to think about the TV show they watch, they want mindless entertainment because using your brain takes energy and who wants to use up any more of that? We work more, and make less and have kids, bills, more bills, tests, self image, the cute boy or girl next to you, more bills to think about. We just want to shut the brain off.

This isn't meant to be an anti-technology rant or anything of the like. It's just that times, people, society have changed. The only people I know that can watch a classic movie and enjoy it are those with imagination. Those with intelligence who can use their brain for more than just day to day routines. Those who experience things because they want to know what it feels like, rather than just read about it on their tablet or smart phone.

Very well said. And I couldn't agree more. That's why I really don't like most of the horror movies that are made these days. I don't want to see all the gore, I want the scares. I also don't see the need for all the nudity. And - in my opinion - it's the reason I'm one of the few people that liked Blair Witch Project. I thought it was brilliant that they didn't show the villain.

Sentinel65
09-25-2012, 10:55 AM
I agree that implied things can be just as scary, if not scarier, than the showing of a whole event. Especially when it comes to villains in certain movies. For example in Insidious I found it creepier when I wasn't sure what Face of Fire looked like, and just saw quick bits of him. When I actually saw him in detail I just thought he looked stupid. There doesn't need to be some graphically disgusting villain for it to be scary. H.P. Lovecraft says my point very well "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."

chrisii2012
09-27-2012, 02:22 PM
I wouldnt say they have. I still find the original friday the 13th and halloween more scarier and intense than the remakes

wizard of gore
09-27-2012, 10:16 PM
"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."

Yeah its like the old movies where you would just see a silhouette of someone holding up a knife,then a scream,then a trickle of blood.
these days you see every detail..leaves nothing to the imagination.

neverending
09-28-2012, 12:43 AM
I'll go with a more arcane answer. Most people especially these days don't think, and have little imagination. It takes a certain amount of intelligence and cognition to watch a film that doesn't give you every answer and has lots of talking without all the special effects of today's cinema. A good 50% of the people in my local area would only be able to watch "The Dukes Of Hazzard" if I stayed around afterwards to explain it to them.

I remember interviews with John Carpenter talking about how it was scarier to him not to show everything. Hitchcock didn't need to show the knife stab Janet Leigh in Psycho because he let peoples' own imaginations take over. Now if you don't show the knife hack in and get stuck in a bone with an artery squirting across the camera nobody wants to see it.

When I was growing up as a little kid I lived in a small town in the country that had 4 or 5 TV Stations that might come in on a good day. I had a sandbox and had to use my imagination. I read books. Went out into the woods with friends and had to come up with games to play. I fixed my bike chain when it fell off because it didn't fix itself. I would see something like Mr. Wizard and want to know how things worked and why. I had to research at a library and then physically try things out in order to figure them out. There was no internet where you could get your answer in 10 seconds from google.

Now with Technology, everyone wants instant gratification. They don't need to imagine anything because they're using an Ipad to watch cartoons at age 2. They don't call or stop by somewhere just to say hello. They facebook or text. They don't even e-mail anymore. The majority of people want nothing more than to go home, kick back, eat, watch tv, and go to sleep because they have to get up early and go to work tomorrow. They don't want to think about the TV show they watch, they want mindless entertainment because using your brain takes energy and who wants to use up any more of that? We work more, and make less and have kids, bills, more bills, tests, self image, the cute boy or girl next to you, more bills to think about. We just want to shut the brain off.

This isn't meant to be an anti-technology rant or anything of the like. It's just that times, people, society have changed. The only people I know that can watch a classic movie and enjoy it are those with imagination. Those with intelligence who can use their brain for more than just day to day routines. Those who experience things because they want to know what it feels like, rather than just read about it on their tablet or smart phone.


Pretty much the same experience for me, except there were only 3 stations when I was young, and then after a while "National Educational Television" was created.
This is pretty much what I was trying to say in my early response in this thread, except to add I think a lot of people are incapable of the span of attention required to watch an older film, because of the frenetic, fractured, multi-tasked life many lead.

roshiq
09-28-2012, 01:03 AM
Hands down for realdealblues! :cool: