Things you are tired of in the horror genre.

[rlaugh0095]

#1 on my list is every movie by the paranormal activity guys. Every movie is about a family that get's hunted by demons.
*spoiler alert.

[Anthropophagus]

I am tired of seeing young sexy teens.Horror is more than looking at hot bodies,if i want that sort of thing i will watch a porno.

[MichaelMyers]

re-makes...

[Angra]

Zombies
Vampires
Werewolves

But most of all..

FREAKIN' HAND-HELD CAMERAS!!! :mad: :mad: :mad:

[The Villain]

Every horror movie trying to force comedy into a movie that would be fine without it.

[Kandarian Demon]

Found footage
Torture porn

[MichaelMyers]

Cgi.......

[Giganticface]

Cgi.......

Yes. This. ^^

Ruins everything.

[Ferox13]

Yes. This. ^^

Ruins everything.

I thought it was well used in LOTR series and District 9 (among others).
I agree over use of CGI or BAdly done CGI is pretty tiresome unless the title of the movie has some combination of shark/octopus/crocodile in the title.

[Giganticface]

I thought it was well used in LOTR series and District 9 (among others).
I agree over use of CGI or BAdly done CGI is pretty tiresome unless the title of the movie has some combination of shark/octopus/crocodile in the title.

Good point about District 9. The CGI in that movie was amazing. It was also pretty good in The Host.

Yeah, I don't have too much problem with CGI in fun fantasies (not GoT or Black Death style, raw fantasies), and super hero movies, although I'm not huge fans of those types of movies anyway. In horror movies, it almost always just makes it less scary, for me at least.

[_____V_____]

That's because there's a lot more budget to be played with, for a studio-backed mega-blockbuster, than there is for a horror film.

Most contemporary horror films are independently funded, unlike a chosen few such as Prometheus which get plenty of studio-backing (and studio-honchos intrusion, but that's a separate topic). They are then selected/bought by a studio to release it.

Usually the makers have to do with the budget they have in hand, that's why modern CGI isn't that effective as it should be. Call me nostalgic but I still prefer props/make-up over CGI, any day.

[Noodlefox]

I appreciate CGI when it's used to its best effect, but far to often it's just thrown in because they can and it's the newest toy and it really doesn't help anything... If you can't do it right I would rather it just not be used at all.

The only other problem I have with CGI is there are times it looks to... pretty... Even when they're trying to create something horrifying the very nature of CGI, I guess, makes it look far to appealing and "cool" and the whole point of what was being created in the first place gets lost.

Practical effects may not be state of the art, but they're so unreal looking that they do a far better job. Some of the most terrifying imagery I've ever seen in horror films have been done with claymation.

The only other thing that really annoys me in horror is the over sexualization of female victims where it doesn't belong (if sex is part of the point of what's happening it's fine, but if we're showing ten minutes of boobs before a woman is stabbed because... boobs then it's just grating).

And finally the overuse of gore to try and distract from the fact that nothing else is going on. I enjoy a dismembered body as much as the next person, but if that is literally all your movie has going for it then there's a serious problem, and far to often I feel like it's believed if you throw buckets of blood around that's all you need to make the film scary.

[Ferox13]

^What do you think of Brain Dead?

[hammerfan]

Gratuitous sex and nudity. Don't need it, just get on with the story already!

[Angra]

Gratuitous sex and nudity. Don't need it, just get on with the story already!

Couldn't agree more.

And that goes for all genres. Except porn, of course.

[Noodlefox]

^What do you think of Brain Dead?

Asking me? Give me two hours and I'll let you know (never seen it, watching it now).

Okay so I realized there are two movies to which you could be referring; a 1990 film about a neurosurgeon going off his rocker and a 1992...3? New Zealand film about zombies neither of which I had seen before. So I watched the 1990 film since it was readily available on Netflix, sounded awesome and I wasn't disappointed. That was a piece of art as far as I'm concerned. Just wow.

As far as the zombie film goes I'll pick that one up tomorrow from the video rental place next to my work.

[Ferox13]

I am talking about the Peter Jackson Movie film - as it really defines a film with an 'overuse of gore', yet it is a fantastic movie. I think you have to judge things on a film to film basis.

The nudity in Re-Animator and more so in tons of Troma Movies and exploitation classics are Blood Sucking Freaking is totally gratuitous yet I really enjoy them.
The very nature of the Exploitation Genre revolves around Sex and Violence (ok sex and violence long with giant afros, kung fu and nazi uniforms).

I guess I'm not explicitly talking about the horror genre but when it comes to horror/exploitation the lines blur.

[CaraBloodyCara]

Gratuitous sex and nudity. Don't need it, just get on with the story already!

This used to not bother me as much as it does now. The nudity is a movie-to-movie basis kind of thing, but if there's just tons of graphic sex scenes that have no actual importance pertaining to the story, I get pretty annoyed. I'm no prude but sex (mostly) isn't scary.

And in the same vein...less graphic, long, intense rape scenes would be cool. I'm a little disconcerted by how many I've seen in recent history.

[StoneGhost]

The 'they-think-it's-safe' trope that gets tagged onto the end of every single film now. You know, where you think the monster/lunatic/ghost/whatever has been bested and in the last few seconds of the film...or, more likely, halfway through the ending credits, you get some little teaser that whatever it is isn't defeated (big gasp! not.) In some instances, it follows...like the close-up of the car's grill moving at the end of 'Christine'. THAT makes sense and is gratifying - in a film about a demonic car that repairs itself, you EXPECT it to do that at the end!

But FFS, does it have to be every film?

[The Villain]

The 'they-think-it's-safe' trope that gets tagged onto the end of every single film now. You know, where you think the monster/lunatic/ghost/whatever has been bested and in the last few seconds of the film...or, more likely, halfway through the ending credits, you get some little teaser that whatever it is isn't defeated (big gasp! not.) In some instances, it follows...like the close-up of the car's grill moving at the end of 'Christine'. THAT makes sense and is gratifying - in a film about a demonic car that repairs itself, you EXPECT it to do that at the end!

But FFS, does it have to be every film?

A running theme in horror is evil never dies but yeah they've exhausted the hell out of that trick

[AlexSivier]

I appreciate CGI when it's used to its best effect, but far to often it's just thrown in because they can and it's the newest toy and it really doesn't help anything... If you can't do it right I would rather it just not be used at all.


CGI is not the problem. The problem is that it gives filmmakers too much power to SHOW the horro. A hidden monster is far scarier than one in plain sight no matter how grotesque it is. That's why the original alien is a classic, and the newer ones are just crap

[HorrorJ]

Torture porn
Excessive nudity/sex
"Dumb" victims
Movies that have too many sequels

[Gustav Weil]

I'm tired of cardboard, identikit actors in leading roles in horror movies.
Where is the next Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, etc??

[shiningm]

How do you all feel about horror moving away from one of it's biggest tropes which is that in horror, amongst other genres, the main character(s) never die(s). With a lot of recent horror films we're beginning to see that happen more often.

[TokyoTenshi]

There are a few things that I'm tired of in horror genre.

1. Overused CGI. CGI can be a big help or a big flaw in movie. I'm fine with CGI that helps a movie but sometimes it's way overused to the point of being ridiculous. Sometimes it's too obvious and done so bad that it ruins the movie for me.

2. Remakes. Many remakes are very disappointing and shouldn't even be made but there are some that I think are quite good.

3. Neverending sequels or reviving well known franchise just for the sake of reviving it or leeching off its fame. For example - Hellraiser Revelations and Children of the Corn remake. Oh I was also HIGHLY disappointed with Evil Dead remake!

4. Cliche. Like cliche characters - dumb blond, jock, the snobby popular kids that dies, the nerd, typical stoners etc. Cliche scenario.

5. Excessive nudity or unnecessary sex and scenes that have absolutely nothing to do with the film.

6. Film color correction. Urgh this annoys me to no end. I know that 'darkness' is associated with horror but come on! How come you don't turn on the lights like... ever in a movie? That's why I love classic movies, because they don't have the color correction therefore it looks natural and I think it's scarier that way.. but color correcting it until it's too dark that you can't even see a damn thing? They just rely on jumpscares and sound effect.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

[Bob Gray]

There are a few things that I'm tired of in horror genre.

1. Overused CGI. CGI can be a big help or a big flaw in movie. I'm fine with CGI that helps a movie but sometimes it's way overused to the point of being ridiculous. Sometimes it's too obvious and done so bad that it ruins the movie for me.

2. Remakes. Many remakes are very disappointing and shouldn't even be made but there are some that I think are quite good.

3. Neverending sequels or reviving well known franchise just for the sake of reviving it or leeching off its fame. For example - Hellraiser Revelations and Children of the Corn remake. Oh I was also HIGHLY disappointed with Evil Dead remake!

4. Cliche. Like cliche characters - dumb blond, jock, the snobby popular kids that dies, the nerd, typical stoners etc. Cliche scenario.

5. Excessive nudity or unnecessary sex and scenes that have absolutely nothing to do with the film.

6. Film color correction. Urgh this annoys me to no end. I know that 'darkness' is associated with horror but come on! How come you don't turn on the lights like... ever in a movie? That's why I love classic movies, because they don't have the color correction therefore it looks natural and I think it's scarier that way.. but color correcting it until it's too dark that you can't even see a damn thing? They just rely on jumpscares and sound effect.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

I agree with most of these points except I really enjoyed the new take on Evil Dead. Cliche characters are probably my biggest beef with horror movies these days, I want to see the stoner who is actually intelligent (like many stoners are) and maybe he/she doesn't save the day (because I'm not a huge fan of happy endings) but they at least hold their own for awhile.

[CreedNoir]

Shock and cheap thrills.

I'm looking for something that is truly dreadful, but at the same rate tells a good story.

[TokyoTenshi]

I agree with most of these points except I really enjoyed the new take on Evil Dead. Cliche characters are probably my biggest beef with horror movies these days, I want to see the stoner who is actually intelligent (like many stoners are) and maybe he/she doesn't save the day (because I'm not a huge fan of happy endings) but they at least hold their own for awhile.

Evil Dead remake to me was just pure gore with no character development. It felt like a drag.

I think I've seen a few movies with not-so-dumb-and-annoying stoner but all I can remember are Detention of the Dead (I think Justin Chon did a great job as a stoner!) and Idle Hands.

I've also seen like a couple of movies where the nobody save the day but darn it can't remember any. Only horror movies with depressing ending that I could think of are 2007's The Mist and Cabin in the Woods.

[Bob Gray]

Evil Dead remake to me was just pure gore with no character development. It felt like a drag.

I think I've seen a few movies with not-so-dumb-and-annoying stoner but all I can remember are Detention of the Dead (I think Justin Chon did a great job as a stoner!) and Idle Hands.

I've also seen like a couple of movies where the nobody save the day but darn it can't remember any. Only horror movies with depressing ending that I could think of are 2007's The Mist and Cabin in the Woods.

You are certainly welcomed to feel that way about the Evil Dead remake, personally though, I never felt that the original had any character development and neither was a drag for me. I thoroughly enjoy both versions.

Never saw Detention of the Dead, have to check that one out. I can't remember anything about Idle Hands other than it had Devon Sawa, Seth Green, and that dude from The Mighty.

A lot of people hated the ending of The Mist but I liked it way better than the original story's ending, I've seen Cabin in the Woods once and can't remember a damn thing about it.

[Haifisch]

There have been a lot of good points raised here. I can agree that there is too much CGI in horror films today. I might have been more invested in Strangers, for example, if the flea market version of Slenderman didn't look like something out of a video game.
My main issue is with cheap, lazy sequels. I had really high hopes for the newest Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and when I saw the film it was obvious that the director did not care about the material. Then you've got sequels where they'll try to make it darker, or funnier, or add some supernatural twist to the story where it doesn't belong. Rest Stop 2 is a perfect example of the latter, where they make a sequel to this realistic and disturbing horror film, only this time it's about ghosts.

[Haifisch]

I just realized, when I said "Strangers" I meant Intruders.
Which is another thing I'm getting tired of - generic titles that all sound the same. Particularly those with titles that have already been taken. I recently saw The Cottage, and when I recommend it to people I need to specify that it's a British slasher film and not the Arquette thriller. And then there's the fact that Disney just stole the title from Frozen. I wish people who make these movies could think of more creative titles that will catch people's attention, names like The Rats in the Walls or John Dies at the End.

[Regansvomit]

Seeing beautiful people regardless of their age. I want to see normal looking people that I can relate to. I want them to come across as intelligent.

Films are too predictable and too filtered now. I want the religious and political world to be in an uproar when a new film is released.

We need less music. When there is silence aside from the ambience of the seen, the viewer can use their own imagination better.

[LongingLoner]

Seeing beautiful people regardless of their age. I want to see normal looking people that I can relate to. I want them to come across as intelligent.

Films are too predictable and too filtered now. I want the religious and political world to be in an uproar when a new film is released.

We need less music. When there is silence aside from the ambience of the seen, the viewer can use their own imagination better.

I will second this. Put an average looking middle-class family in a film say surrounding a house, building, or even the forest, and use scores lightly ! Add more silence to the suspense scenes .

[Ferox13]

Seeing beautiful people regardless of their age. I want to see normal looking people that I can relate to. I want them to come across as intelligent.
.

You need to hang out with better looking people.

[Ice Pik]

Torture porn
Excessive nudity/sex
"Dumb" victims
Movies that have too many sequels

Kinda hit the nail on the head.

Rob Zombie's films are like that. I like the story on the Halloween remake but half way through the movie I was sitting there going another nude scene.
I think like 90% of my favorite horror films have no nudity.

but i guess if there wasn't dumb victims there would be no horror films.
horror film - holy shit there's a monster in that room, let me get a better look
Real life - Holy shit there's a monster in that room, I'm getting the hell out of here!

[ImmortalSlasher]

re-makes...

Yeah, 99% of them aren't good at all.

[Ferox13]

Kinda hit the nail on the head.

Rob Zombie's films are like that. I like the story on the Halloween remake but half way through the movie I was sitting there going another nude scene.
I think like 90% of my favorite horror films have no nudity.

but i guess if there wasn't dumb victims there would be no horror films.
horror film - holy shit there's a monster in that room, let me get a better look
Real life - Holy shit there's a monster in that room, I'm getting the hell out of here!

Ok. first off what is 'Torture porn' ? Do you mean insex or some other BDSM stuff? Is this bad?

I can't see how you can't think RZ's first 2 film are outstanding. He created a bunch of amazing characters and dialogue that we will be quoting for years.
I do think his films have faults but with regard to the 2 I mention they their weak points are neglect able to the over all product.

[Kandarian Demon]

but i guess if there wasn't dumb victims there would be no horror films.
horror film - holy shit there's a monster in that room, let me get a better look
Real life - Holy shit there's a monster in that room, I'm getting the hell out of here!

Actually, I can tell you from personal experience that that's not true :D

Maaany years ago, when I was a teenager, I was heading for the bathroom... and when I began to open the door, I heard a loud growl . My mother heard it too... her reaction was to grab a huge kitchen knife and open the bathroom door...

Of course, there were no monsters in there... it was a piece of plastic stuck under the door that was scraping against the stone floor :D :D :D

Your house/home is something you need to protect... it's where you sleep, where you're supposed to be safe. It's where all your possessions are. You probably have a job nearby. You can't just leave it all behind. In the case of "haunted house" movies, I think it's a natural instinct to say "there's something on my house, I need to protect it!".

[Ice Pik]

I think House of a 1,000 corpse was good, Devils rejects was ehhh, The first Halloween was good if it wasn't for all of the nude and just pointless scenes, the second one was kinda like ummm...wtf happened? and Lords of Salem was a waste of time.

Ehhh idk. his movies start good and grab you but half way through it seems like it's just fillers. He can build the suspense and bring the plot to life just can't execute it.


American Haunting (which I watched earlier) made me think of the my comment after I posted. Little girl appears out of no where and grabs the soccer ball and the other girl runs after her as she vanishing and reappearing.

Also I was in my house one time when I was like 13 by myself and all of a sudden dresser handles started chingling and a door shut, I grabbed a knife and ran to the front door and stood in the door way. If a monster comes out at me, I want a back up plan...lol.
You're right though, I go investigate every noise I hear now even in times when I'm like if there was someone with a knife I would of died coming around that corner.

[MichaelMyers]

Also I was in my house one time when I was like 13 by myself and all of a sudden dresser handles started chingling and a door shut, I grabbed a knife and ran to the front door and stood in the door way. If a monster comes out at me, I want a back up plan...lol.
You're right though, I go investigate every noise I hear now even in times when I'm like if there was someone with a knife I would of died coming around that corner.

Well what about this: you are sitting in a room and hear a strange noise coming from directly OUTside your house. Do you investigate.

[LongingLoner]

Ok. first off what is 'Torture porn' ? Do you mean insex or some other BDSM stuff? Is this bad?

I can't see how you can't think RZ's first 2 film are outstanding. He created a bunch of amazing characters and dialogue that we will be quoting for years.
I do think his films have faults but with regard to the 2 I mention they their weak points are neglect able to the over all product.

Torture porn....Saw(cliche) , Movies with constant scenes similar to the revenge scenes in I Spit On Your Grave and containing no worthy story.

[Ice Pik]

Yea, That's most of them. I've had my kids bikes stolen a lot so I always try to catch someone who's doing it. 3 weeks ago someone stole my 4 yr old's plastic basketball goal from the yard. I had his sitting next to a normal one so when I play he can too.

[Kandarian Demon]

Well what about this: you are sitting in a room and hear a strange noise coming from directly OUTside your house. Do you investigate.

I think it would depend on the circumstances what you would do in that situation. You don't get the police to come just by saying "I heard a noise"... and you can't just ignore it either if you think you might be threatened. So what do you do... you try to figure out where the sound is coming from. What I WOULDN'T do would be to open the door, leave the house with the door wide open and yell "HELLO!"... as it's been seen countless times in horror movies.

Edit: One night someone was messing with the lock in the door of my apartment, and although I did have my phone in my hand, ready to dial the police, I banged on the door and yelled "I've called the police!"... in case the guy thought I wasn't home and I could scare him off like that... which I did. It turned out to be a neighbour who had mistaken my door for his own, but he did panic and run out of the building, losing his key on the floor on his way out so he couldn't get back in LOL!

[MichaelMyers]

I think it would depend on the circumstances what you would do in that situation. You don't get the police to come just by saying "I heard a noise"... and you can't just ignore it either if you think you might be threatened. So what do you do... you try to figure out where the sound is coming from. What I WOULDN'T do would be to open the door, leave the house with the door wide open and yell "HELLO!"... as it's been seen countless times in horror movies.



Yes, no sense in being bold and foolhardy. Sneak outside and feel the rush of the beast or ghoul lying in wait in the bush. We can all use some excitement in our lives!

My solution is I have filled a deep moat outside my castle with live gators.

[Anthropophagus]

Trashy crap mashups like Sharknado,or Octoshark,the double headed shark versus the three headed goldfish,Squid shark.........you get my drift.They are all childishly brain numbingly cheap and have no place in horror or any other medium for that matter.

They have no merit whatsoever,they are not funny or `worth a night in with a few tinnies`.To the producers of such crap..............Stop making them and fecking grow up.

[staceybethh]

Yes, no sense in being bold and foolhardy. Sneak outside and feel the rush of the beast or ghoul lying in wait in the bush. We can all use some excitement in our lives!

My solution is I have filled a deep moat outside my castle with live gators.

If I have to do any investigating of an unknown noise I'll just have to walk out with my machete. Turn the tables on 'em haha

[Ice Pik]

I heard some noise in my old apartment one time while taking a shower, I got out and grabbed my pistol (which at the time I was out of bullets) and started cocking it really loud and went searching around. There was nothing but after all said and done I stood there like wtf would I really do with an unloaded gun?

[Kandarian Demon]

I heard some noise in my old apartment one time while taking a shower, I got out and grabbed my pistol (which at the time I was out of bullets) and started cocking it really loud and went searching around. There was nothing but after all said and done I stood there like wtf would I really do with an unloaded gun?

Yeah... you don't get time to think, you just react...

[Ferox13]

Trashy crap mashups like Sharknado,or Octoshark,the double headed shark versus the three headed goldfish,Squid shark.........you get my drift.They are all childishly brain numbingly cheap and have no place in horror or any other medium for that matter.

They have no merit whatsoever,they are not funny or `worth a night in with a few tinnies`.To the producers of such crap..............Stop making them and fecking grow up.

I enjoy some of these films - Megapiranha was especially fun..You could use 'childishly brain numbingly cheap' to discribe a bunch of 'cult' classics like Robot Monster, All of Ed Woods stuff, The Giant Claw, The Killer SHrews - do you hate these too.

[Anthropophagus]

I think when they where made it was all about lack of money but with real ambition,Ed Wood was a dreadful director we know that but he had heart.

The latest craze on these mashups are just dumb,plain and simple.It is simply an excuse to churn out some gibberish in hope that someone will watch them.I dont.

And as long as i have at least one ounce of a brain cell in my head i never will.

[Sicknero]

I think when they where made it was all about lack of money but with real ambition,Ed Wood was a dreadful director we know that but he had heart.

The latest craze on these mashups are just dumb,plain and simple.It is simply an excuse to churn out some gibberish in hope that someone will watch them.I dont.

And as long as i have at least one ounce of a brain cell in my head i never will.

Dumb, plain and simple is exactly what some of us like sometimes and a lot of people do watch them. And they're just a huge piss take as well, nobody is forced to watch them.

[Anthropophagus]

Dumb, plain and simple is exactly what some of us like sometimes and a lot of people do watch them. And they're just a huge piss take as well, nobody is forced to watch them.

Yes i know that,the same as nobody forces me to watch the X-Factor or watch those fecking Kardasians and all the other bollocks on tv,but some people do.I would rather eat my own face.

If i want childish crap i will put Sesame street on.

[Berserker]

Shakey camera movies. As mentioned already, stuff like found footage, and entire movies being filmed through someone's camera lens. It's not that it's entirely that bad; it has its charms. But there's just too much of it out there, and frankly, I don't find convulsing images you can't see and incessant screaming all that scary. It's just really annoying.
Worse part of those types of movies though, is that it's really limited when it comes to the realism factor. If I was being munched to death by a zombie, I probably would have stopped filming long ago.

Singing kids. A lot of horror movies often have some background music that has kids singing softly in a creepy, depressing manner. Again, nothing wrong with this, but it's been done to death. I suppose when it fits the bill, I can't complain, if kids, or childhood is a root theme...but eh. Shut up, you damn kids.

Blind death scenes. I hate it when a screen cuts off right as a death blow is about to land, and we're treated to a picture of the moon as the victim screams away in agony. Especially in slasher movies.

Rich people. Why is everyone in horror movies always so rich? Budding, struggling college students always have huge, fancy apartments with the latest technology. That's not how it works in real life.

[Bastion1023]

Sudden volume blasts to get a pointless jump scare.

Overused violence and gore that does not propel the story.

Defining monsters and bad guys too well makes them not scary anymore.

Quick cuts and shaky cameras. I am watching a movie, I want to see it.

Mashup monsters like the current rage on sci-fi/syfy.

[anicat]

Mashup monsters like the current rage on sci-fi/syfy.
Not to bum ya out, but have you seen the latest? Sequel to "Sharknado", I guess: "Avalanche Shark" OMG this a sign we are all doomed, the Apocalypse is nigh. Shoot me now. :eek: :p

[Sicknero]

Not to bum ya out, but have you seen the latest? Sequel to "Sharknado", I guess: "Avalanche Shark" OMG this a sign we are all doomed, the Apocalypse is nigh. Shoot me now. :eek: :p

Looks great, thanks for the heads up :D

[Ferox13]

Overused violence and gore that does not propel the story.

Burns Evil Dead and Brain Dead DVDs.

[Kandarian Demon]

Burns Evil Dead and Brain Dead DVDs.

I would say that both Evil Dead and Brain Dead have stories, and that the gore is an important ingredient. You can definitely have ridiculous amounts of gore and still tell a good story.

[Jack C]

Remakes
Handheld cameras
The spooky girl from The Grudge being the default ghost for every unimaginative filmmaker out there
Empty, unlikable characters but hey look at all the CGI - isn't this a cool movie?!?!

[Kandarian Demon]

[LIST]
The spooky girl from The Grudge being the default ghost for every unimaginative filmmaker out there


YES!! I totally agree with this. The Grudge was a great movie, I loved it, still do... BUT I am SOOO sick and tired of seeing that same ghost in every single paranormal horror movie, and for the most part I don't even think it's scary. The Grudge worked because of the story, that ghost was scary IN that movie because of the story... but on it's own, a longhaired girl in a nightgown is just not scary.

[Berserker]

I also agree with this, and I get tired of that cue being taken. Too often now you have disheveled schoolgirls having a seizure in horror movies. Evil Dead had it, it's starting to lose its appeal.

[Geordie9]

im tired of unworthy remakes of classic films!!

[slaughterhouse753]

Remakes...

[Sicknero]

I see remakes like I do cover versions in music ... some are great, some are lousy. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Barker's going to do with Hellraiser.

Me, I'm tired of superlatives in marketing ... "This is the most frightening/shocking/unexpected/scary/disturbing/ etc etc blah f'ing blah movie you will ever see!"

[shadyJ]

Once in a blue moon a remake can surpass the original. Some examples in horror:
The Blob, The Fly, The Thing, Dracula, Piranha. But, of course, there are about a dozen failures for every success.

[Kandarian Demon]

I don't mind remakes, some of them are good, and some even better than the originals... what I have a problem with is that almost every single horror movie these days is a remake.

But, to be fair, it's getting pretty hard to come up with a completely original story line. The horror universe has pretty much been explored in any thinkable way, and so any attempt of making an original horror movie will be met with complaints about how it's ripping off the Exorcist or how it's a weak immitation of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre... and definitely the usual "in the OLD days, they knew how make REAL horror movies!". So what do they do instead? They remake the old classics, since there is no competing with them anyway. Us horror fans are hard critics, and maybe in a way, we're actually getting what we asked for.

[TheFext]

I'm tired of Haunted House movies in modern horror. It's been done waaaaay to many times since like 2005. Good slashers are basiclly gone by now. I can't name one slasher that I consider a modern day classic since like 2009.

Also as many have said CGI

[ChronoGrl]

I see remakes like I do cover versions in music ... some a great, some are lousy. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Barker's going to do with Hellraiser.

Good metaphor. Totally agree.

As for me, I'm a little burned out on the zombie genre.

[Sicknero]

Music ... sure there's some fantastic music in horror movies and it often adds a lot to a film, but I've seen a couple of movies lately where the impact of some potentially nasty and disturbing sequences has been ruined by OTT music and sfx.

[horrorwimp]

I'm tired of Haunted House movies in modern horror. It's been done waaaaay to many times since like 2005. Good slashers are basiclly gone by now. I can't name one slasher that I consider a modern day classic since like 2009.

Also as many have said CGI

While I agree that Haunted Houses have been played out, I think the problem isn't so much the location, but more of the fact that people think the location is enough to carry an entire film and make it scary.

So many movies think placing a horror story in a quintessentially scary location is enough to make a horror film, but often the place becomes the only thing scary about it. When place/atmosphere is used right, a movie can really scare the shit out of me.

I guess i'd like to see more well-thought out location-horror as opposed to the shitty ones we've been getting for the past decade.

[Sicknero]

That's a really good point, and I guess it applies to a lot of things as well as location.

Perhaps the problem with unoriginal films these days is not so much the unoriginality itself but the tendency to rely on some plot component to be enough in itself to carry a film. Thus a film can still be great regardless of how unoriginal the story, if it's "done right".

[horrorwimp]

That's a really good point, and I guess it applies to a lot of things as well as location.

Perhaps the problem with unoriginal films these days is not so much the unoriginality itself but the tendency to rely on some plot component to be enough in itself to carry a film. Thus a film can still be great regardless of how unoriginal the story, if it's "done right".

I agree, I feel like dismissing horror plot components simply because they've been overdone kind of disrespects the genre itself. Things like slashers, haunted houses, and fear have become horror mainstays for a reason. The only problem is how they're used... It would be great to have a cliché done right, but too many people use only the clichés.

Locations are usually exploited even more so, since their size and layout usually give filmmakers a lot more leg room to be narratively lazy.

[Kandarian Demon]

I'm tired of Haunted House movies in modern horror. It's been done waaaaay to many times since like 2005. Good slashers are basiclly gone by now. I can't name one slasher that I consider a modern day classic since like 2009.

Hmm, I think the haunted house genre is very neglected... but I do agree with you about slasher movies. I think maybe the torture porn genre is what really killed the slasher.

Imagine what Halloween would have been like if there had to be guts flying in every direction every minute, and they had to make space for long torture scenes. There would be no time left to tell the story, to get to know the characters or to build up the tension... you know, all the stuff that they don't give a damn about anymore when they make movies. I think it would be very difficult to do a modern slasher.

[ferretchucker]

This doesn't so much apply to horror as general supernatural themed things, but it's this need recently to make up new terms for monsters e.g. "lycans" in Underworld. If it's a werewolf, call it a werewolf. Same goes for The Walking Dead, which uses just about every term for zombies but zombies. I feel like it's a lazy attempt to try and carve their own notch in the mythos.

In fact, an extension of this is the lack of real zombies. Now they're always "infected" with something. This is one of the reasons I think Romero's films worked so well - they say who cares why they're zombies, just RUN FROM THE FUCKING ZOMBIES!

Then again...he calls them the living dead. Fuck.

[horrorwimp]

In fact, an extension of this is the lack of real zombies. Now they're always "infected" with something. This is one of the reasons I think Romero's films worked so well - they say who cares why they're zombies, just RUN FROM THE FUCKING ZOMBIES!

Then again...he calls them the living dead. Fuck.

Hahaha this is so true! However, I think the rise of "infected" zombies stems from the real world fears of chemical warfare/industrialization/climate/etc. and humans' tendency to fear and mythologize things they don't really understand. While chemical warfare and plague are still real threats, I think zombie films inspired by these fears are just an expression of society's overall hysteria. It's interesting, but it sucks because all the films start using the same generic theme and message. Zombies have become a metaphor for humanity over and over and over again... It's not bad, just most of the films haven't been very good :/

[Alucard the Risen]

Remakes and found-footage, give it a damned rest...

[Alucard the Risen]

Seeing beautiful people regardless of their age. I want to see normal looking people that I can relate to. I want them to come across as intelligent.

Films are too predictable and too filtered now. I want the religious and political world to be in an uproar when a new film is released.

We need less music. When there is silence aside from the ambience of the seen, the viewer can use their own imagination better.

I agree on the part about raising hell, all that bible-thumping rage makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, ;)

[Alucard the Risen]

Shakey camera movies. As mentioned already, stuff like found footage, and entire movies being filmed through someone's camera lens. It's not that it's entirely that bad; it has its charms. But there's just too much of it out there, and frankly, I don't find convulsing images you can't see and incessant screaming all that scary. It's just really annoying.
Worse part of those types of movies though, is that it's really limited when it comes to the realism factor. If I was being munched to death by a zombie, I probably would have stopped filming long ago.

Singing kids. A lot of horror movies often have some background music that has kids singing softly in a creepy, depressing manner. Again, nothing wrong with this, but it's been done to death. I suppose when it fits the bill, I can't complain, if kids, or childhood is a root theme...but eh. Shut up, you damn kids.

Blind death scenes. I hate it when a screen cuts off right as a death blow is about to land, and we're treated to a picture of the moon as the victim screams away in agony. Especially in slasher movies.

Rich people. Why is everyone in horror movies always so rich? Budding, struggling college students always have huge, fancy apartments with the latest technology. That's not how it works in real life.

As for shaking cameras, still haven't found one worse than The Amittyville Haunting...

[Sicknero]

Hahaha this is so true! However, I think the rise of "infected" zombies stems from the real world fears of chemical warfare/industrialization/climate/etc. and humans' tendency to fear and mythologize things they don't really understand. While chemical warfare and plague are still real threats, I think zombie films inspired by these fears are just an expression of society's overall hysteria. It's interesting, but it sucks because all the films start using the same generic theme and message. Zombies have become a metaphor for humanity over and over and over again... It's not bad, just most of the films haven't been very good :/

I think all cinema, in fact all fiction, is a metaphor for various aspects of the human experience. That's the whole point of it after all.

The other point ... personally I enjoy it when a story tries to go beyond "feck that's horrible let's run away" and comes up with theories about why zombies/werewolves/vampires/cannibals/assorted monsters/slashers etc etc exist. Obviously it isn't always done well, but I like a thinking movie myself.

I've been on a horror binge this month, and you know what I'm really glad to see the back of? That ridiculous metallic "Schhhhwing!" sound effect that seemed to be the stock sound effect for stabbing/slashing for years.

[Kandarian Demon]

I've been on a horror binge this month, and you know what I'm really glad to see the back of? That ridiculous metallic "Schhhhwing!" sound effect that seemed to be the stock sound effect for stabbing/slashing for years.

Hahaha, I had forgotten about that, but it's true :D

Another thing I'm tired of: annoying, drunk, rude, dumb teenagers/young people in pretty much every horror movie. Yes, I know... it's a classic element of horror, but variety would be nice!

[Alucard the Risen]

I can't really say much about "torture porn", as I've only seen the first movie in the Saw series, and haven't seen anything else that really fits that description.

[Sicknero]

I can't really say much about "torture porn", as I've only seen the first movie in the Saw series, and haven't seen anything else that really fits that description.

Forget the phrase lol.

Goodness knows where it came from but it covers such a wide variety of sub-genres that it's pretty much meaningless anyway.

[Ferox13]

Media Construct much lik 'Video Nasty'.

Torture Porn is a silly term.

[Alucard the Risen]

Haha, I'm looking for who actually coined that phrase into popular use.

[Sicknero]

It's odd that Saw always gets held up as an example of TP, I mean if that series is known for anything it's surely the stories as much as the gore? I never really understand that.

[metternich1815]

I was actually surprised by the gore (or lack thereof) in the first Saw film. I have seen many movies with significantly more gore than Saw. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I find the first Saw film to be quite brilliant. Easily in my top ten or fifteen best horror movies of the last decade.

[ferretchucker]

It's odd that Saw always gets held up as an example of TP but, if that series is known for anything it's surely the stories as much as the gore? I never really understand that.

I think it descended quickly. Though the twists kept coming thick and fast, I got the impression that from 3 onwards, with brief respite at the end of the series, the films became a vehicle for brutal torture scenes. Though the twists were present, they were often so convoluted and pseudo-shocking that I didn't feel like much effort was being put in. I mean, it doesn't really take much effort to write the story, then go "and then...it was HIM all along" and shove in a 3 minute rapid sequence that "explains" it all.

That being said, I DO think the first two were great contributions to the post-millenial horror scene. Well thought out psychological thrillers with a great concept.

[ChronoGrl]

Music ... sure there's some fantastic music in horror movies and it often adds a lot to a film, but I've seen a couple of movies lately where the impact of some potentially nasty and disturbing sequences has been ruined by OTT music and sfx.

YES. My mind is a bit mushy right now so I'm scrambling for examples of this - What comes to mind for you?

[shadyJ]

YES. My mind is a bit mushy right now so I'm scrambling for examples of this - What comes to mind for you?

I think Sinister with Ethan Hawke overused music for some scenes. It drained tension by drawing attention to the music instead of the overall scene.

[Elvis_Christ]

Sinister and Insidious basically is a giant example of everything I hate about modern horror films.

Slick hollow and tacky cheap jump scares with some of the most fucking ridiculous looking villains in the history of horror.

I really don't get why they get so much praise when they are just poorly executed messes.

[Sicknero]

YES. My mind is a bit mushy right now so I'm scrambling for examples of this - What comes to mind for you?

I think I'd just watched Snuff 102 when I posted that (Argentinian art-housey thing with more of a plot than I expected but pretensions to "asking important questions").

It has some very convincing faux-snuff scenes which they obviously put some time and effort into, yet along with most of them went a soundtrack so loud that you couldn't even hear the screaming. With just the "real world" sound those scenes would have been genuinely disturbing and unsettling - the music just ruined it I thought.

I think I agree about Sinister, not a bad film imo despite lots of plot holes lol. But yes music is over-relied on there.

In contrast I watched 7 Days last night - not strictly horror though a bit gruesome in places - which has no score whatsoever throughout and shows how feelings really don't need to be manipulated by music in a good film.

[Ferox13]

Sinister and Insidious basically is a giant example of everything I hate about modern horror films.

Slick hollow and tacky cheap jump scares with some of the most fucking ridiculous looking villains in the history of horror.

I really don't get why they get so much praise when they are just poorly executed messes.

How can you not like the villian in SInister.

http://gunshyassassin.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/immortal-wallpaper06.jpg

[Elvis_Christ]

Yeah you'd think I'd be down with a movie with a killer Panda in it right!

[MichaelMyers]

A good survey, but I was slightly offended by the question concerning neurosis.

[Kandarian Demon]

A good survey, but I was slightly offended by the question concerning neurosis.

Same here, to be honest.

[ChronoGrl]

I think Sinister with Ethan Hawke overused music for some scenes. It drained tension by drawing attention to the music instead of the overall scene.

HA! Yes. My hubby was trying to fall asleep but the music kept him awake... Didn't get in the way of my enjoyment but I can see where the complaints would come from.

Not horror, but I've heard the same complaints of Black Swan and Punch Drunk Love, two examples where I thought that the intoxicating music helped to set the tone, but again I can see someone finding it overpowering.


Sinister and Insidious basically is a giant example of everything I hate about modern horror films.

Slick hollow and tacky cheap jump scares with some of the most fucking ridiculous looking villains in the history of horror.

I really don't get why they get so much praise when they are just poorly executed messes.

Hmm - I thought that you actually liked Sinister (with the exception of the super-cheap jump scare at the very end which was SO unnecessary)... I actually thought that it successfully built tension and truly did unnerve me. I thought that I was in the minority, though - Of those two, folks seem to continue to praise Insidious which, honestly, I find the more disappointingly uneven of the two - I thought that the first third of the movie was a successfully creepy film about a haunting... But when the mood shifted, it lost me.

Because I thought that Sinister and [the first third of] Insidious successfully built a mood of disease, I didn't find the scares cheap; I was thoroughly unnerved and thought that the jumps they got from me were earned.

As for the Big Bads in both of those films, I do agree that they were executed poorly, Insidious especially, though I would argue that Sinister did it sparingly enough not for it to be a problem for me.

And now I want to watch both of those again...


I think I'd just watched Snuff 102 when I posted that (Argentinian art-housey thing with more of a plot than I expected but pretensions to "asking important questions").

It has some very convincing faux-snuff scenes which they obviously put some time and effort into, yet along with most of them went a soundtrack so loud that you couldn't even hear the screaming. With just the "real world" sound those scenes would have been genuinely disturbing and unsettling - the music just ruined it I thought.

I think I agree about Sinister, not a bad film imo despite lots of plot holes lol. But yes music is over-relied on there.

In contrast I watched 7 Days last night - not strictly horror though a bit gruesome in places - which has no score whatsoever throughout and shows how feelings really don't need to be manipulated by music in a good film.


Haven't seen those, but I think I've experienced something similar when watching Giallo - YES, before folks jump on me, I realize that's part of the genre, but I'm not a huge fan of the genre, so it's not too surprising that I find the music annoying...

[Alucard the Risen]

I did, too. I see no connecting tissue between neurosis and horror films, when so casually and thoughtlessly thrown out there as he did.

[Kandarian Demon]

Hmm, to be honest, a good score is extremely important to me - maybe because I'm very sensitive to "scary music". Music and sounds can trigger my imagination in a way that no image will ever be able to.

What I usually don't like is rock/pop soundtracks - although they do fit in at times. But for the most part, they totally ruin the mood of the movie. Why try to get me in a party mood when I'm supposed to be scared?

[Elvis_Christ]

Hmm - I thought that you actually liked Sinister (with the exception of the super-cheap jump scare at the very end which was SO unnecessary)...

I didn't mind it upon my first viewing but watching it again I've started to pick holes in it. I'm just finding the majority of recent horror quite bland or horribly uneven.

[Ferox13]

Yeah you'd think I'd be down with a movie with a killer Panda in it right!

DAmn my visual gag didn't work:

http://www.themonolith.com/wp-content/uploads/Immortal.jpg

http://wallpaper.metalship.org/images/immortal9.jpg

[Sicknero]

Hmm, to be honest, a good score is extremely important to me - maybe because I'm very sensitive to "scary music". Music and sounds can trigger my imagination in a way that no image will ever be able to.

What I usually don't like is rock/pop soundtracks - although they do fit in at times. But for the most part, they totally ruin the mood of the movie. Why try to get me in a party mood when I'm supposed to be scared?

I do enjoy a good film score ... especially in older movies for some reason. I just think a film should perhaps stand on it's own without the music as well. I'm not entirely sure tbh, gonna have to give this some thought lol.

On the other hand I do enjoy a good rock and roll soundtrack - I think the incongruity of such music with seeing someone hacked up/beaten/killed can be highly effective.

I guess like anything it depends on how it's done exactly and it can be overused like anything else.

[zombiegummiebear]

I think it's about time to see a horror movie where the main character doesn't run up the fucking stairs. Break a window. Bust a lamp in someone's face. And if you hide under the bed you deserve to die.

[MichaelMyers]

I think it's about time to see a horror movie where the main character doesn't run up the fucking stairs. Break a window. Bust a lamp in someone's face. And if you hide under the bed you deserve to die.

Yes, stand your ground needs to be applied to horror films going forward.:cool:

[The Villain]

I think it's about time to see a horror movie where the main character doesn't run up the fucking stairs. Break a window. Bust a lamp in someone's face. And if you hide under the bed you deserve to die.

Do horror movie's still utilize those cliches? I thought we wouldve gotten past that by now

[zombiegummiebear]

Do horror movie's still utilize those cliches? I thought we wouldve gotten past that by now

Pretty sure this happened in The Purgue correct me if I'm wrong.

[The Villain]

Pretty sure this happened in The Purgue correct me if I'm wrong.

No you're right, i think they did all of those in that movie. A good example of why that movie sucked.

[Kandarian Demon]

I think it's about time to see a horror movie where the main character doesn't run up the fucking stairs. Break a window. Bust a lamp in someone's face. And if you hide under the bed you deserve to die.

Hmm... I kind of see the logic in running upstairs. Ok, so maybe "logic" is the wrong word, but I think I get why someone would do that. I don't think it's an unrealistic reaction from someone who is acting in panic.

[neverending]

I was talking on FB about this the other day. Windows. It's like windows are made of solid stone or something. Bad guys rarely break a window to get inside and good guys rarely break a window to get out. It's weirding me out.

[Kandarian Demon]

I was talking on FB about this the other day. Windows. It's like windows are made of solid stone or something. Bad guys rarely break a window to get inside and good guys rarely break a window to get out. It's weirding me out.

Haha, yes... that one annoys me too!

Another thing I don't get is, why would you stop your car on a dark forest road, leave the car and chase after the "boogeyman" that you just saw? I get why someone would try to defend their own home by going after "the monster"... but if you're in a car in the middle of nowhere?!

[zombiegummiebear]

Hmm... I kind of see the logic in running upstairs. Ok, so maybe "logic" is the wrong word, but I think I get why someone would do that. I don't think it's an unrealistic reaction from someone who is acting in panic.

Well considering, it would be nice to see someone really think on their feet. Like run in the basement or pretend to and trip the killer down the stairs then run the hell out the back door. Also if someone is outside or even inside I think we all know by now it's better to leave your house unlocked. Why lock the door when it may be your only exit? I mean yeah it makes people feel safe but, let's get real.

I agree with the window thing. Let's not forget recently somehow every last person has no cell phone service. And cops never believe anyone until shit hits the fan.

[Alucard the Risen]

What about all the brain-dead morons in horror? The ones who see the killer, just stand there screaming until the killer's just about in their face before they think "Oh shit, he's gonna kill me! Maybe I should try and run?"

[urgeok2]

inane dialogue.

without decent dialogue (writing) you can't invest in the characters.
If you cant invest in the characters you don't care if they live or die.
If you don't care if they live or die there is no suspense - no horror.



The problem with horror since the 70's is this: most available horror films are made by indie guys.
Most indie guys are dullard metalheads that watch nothing but horror films.
They have no idea how to create anything, they just regurgitate the same old shit they've seen a thousand times over and over again.

They write the same way they speak so everything is an attempt to sound bad-ass .. through excessive swearing and name calling - like 'douche-bag' , etc
(Just like on the forums and social media)

They cast their metalhead friends in the films .. so you see cops with tattoos on their frigging heads with a 5 word vocabulary..

They're all self proclaimed Satanists so everything is anti church - every other film .. trying to be soooooo subversive and hard core. boring as hell.


I guess that's a long winded way of saying - i'm sick of seeing horror films made by people who don't understand anything about film and just want to keep remaking the same tired crap over and over again because it's all they know.


as far as commercial films go ..

I'm sick of seeing jump outs .. red herrings, false alarms as a cheap way to build tension.

I've never once seen a cat locked in a closet on the top shelf.
And if it was - it would carefully jump down once it was able to measure it's distance to the floor.

Unless you're making a movie that's mocking bad horror films .. if you have a cat jump out of a closet - you should have your camera taken away from you and made to go back to work at McDonalds on the deep fryer.

[hammerfan]

inane dialogue.

without decent dialogue (writing) you can't invest in the characters.
If you cant invest in the characters you don't care if they live or die.
If you don't care if they live or die there is no suspense - no horror.



The problem with horror since the 70's is this: most available horror films are made by indie guys.
Most indie guys are dullard metalheads that watch nothing but horror films.
They have no idea how to create anything, they just regurgitate the same old shit they've seen a thousand times over and over again.

They write the same way they speak so everything is an attempt to sound bad-ass .. through excessive swearing and name calling - like 'douche-bag' , etc
(Just like on the forums and social media)

They cast their metalhead friends in the films .. so you see cops with tattoos on their frigging heads with a 5 word vocabulary..

They're all self proclaimed Satanists so everything is anti church - every other film .. trying to be soooooo subversive and hard core. boring as hell.


I guess that's a long winded way of saying - i'm sick of seeing horror films made by people who don't understand anything about film and just want to keep remaking the same tired crap over and over again because it's all they know.


as far as commercial films go ..

I'm sick of seeing jump outs .. red herrings, false alarms as a cheap way to build tension.

I've never once seen a cat locked in a closet on the top shelf.
And if it was - it would carefully jump down once it was able to measure it's distance to the floor.

Unless you're making a movie that's mocking bad horror films .. if you have a cat jump out of a closet - you should have your camera taken away from you and made to go back to work at McDonalds on the deep fryer.

:shocked:

[scarybrenda]

I'm sick of horror for the sake of horror. What about a plot and a story line? Blood smearing must be very easy. I'm always on the hunt for something above the norm in horror. It's rare.

[NightOfTheLiving_Sam]

I'm tired of seeing torture porn: I'd rather see a horror movie with a good plot and great character development. Torture porn has never went well with me, I always tend to stay away from those kind of horror movies.

[The Mothman]

"creepy" little Kids
CGI in B movies
Snappily dressed vampires

[Delbert Grady]

Every victim says the same thing, "Why are you doing this?!?!?!"
and "What do you want from me?!?!"

I guess it's a legit line if you were in a bad situation, but I'm just sick of hearing it.
When I make my horror movie I'm gonna have my victim say "This is gonna be the most painful thing I've ever felt, wont it?"

Also pounding on doors with open palms. Using a closed fist would be much more effective.

But I love Horror and I can deal with all of it.

[Baron Von Marlon]

I hate it when the killer(s)/monster(s) kill a couple having sex, or some female taking a shower, and they don't show any nudity.
Especially when the movie's quite bloody and gory.
It's rated R anyway, so how about showing a nice pair of Babylons.

[Ferox13]

I'm tired of seeing torture porn: I'd rather see a horror movie with a good plot and great character development. Torture porn has never went well with me, I always tend to stay away from those kind of horror movies.

I am tired of people who call themselves horror fans use the term 'Torture Porn'..

[rayzor]

The trend that seems popular nowadays is P.O.V/camera footage. The Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity was enough for me. Then there are all these copycats which totally turn me off to movies. But then again, it's only my preference.

[Whych_Doctor<3]

Personally, I'm sick of seeing the remakes, leave the originals BE! They will never ever be as good as the originals!
Friday 13th for example, I didn't like the way they portrayed him to keep that girl (even though she looked like his mum) Jason's character was a cold hearted killer so he would of just sliced and diced her!
As for the new nightmare on elm street.... well... it wasn't Robert Englund so it was bound to be a bit shite ::wink::

[Kandarian Demon]

As for the new nightmare on elm street.... well... it wasn't Robert Englund so it was bound to be a bit shite ::wink::

There's only one Freddy... having someone else playing him was a terrible mistake, and I'm honestly surprised that that wasn't obvious to everyone.

[Only God Forgives]

I agree with CGI and it's overuse.

The Hunter ( none horror film ) is about a man who tracks what is thought to be the extinct Tasmanian Tiger... There is a very brief scene where you see a CGI Tiger and although it's obviously fake, it's not the crux of the film.. up until that point the film relied on good story telling with some nice twists... I think horror could do with learning some restraint when it comes to CGI...The one thing that really annoyed me in the early 00's was CGI gunfire... where you got a fake flame coming from the barrel of the gun and everyone's gun sounded the same.

Nudity in horror is boring, I forget which one it is but one of the wrong turn films where the naked girl gets an arrow through the breast ? I can't remember anything else about that film as it went down hill shortly after that scene.

Bath room mirror scenes annoy me... We've all seen it.. our main character looks in the mirror with nothing in the background, opens the cabinet , takes their meds and closes the panel to where they are greeted by some lunatic with an axe or some such. There have been various attempts at recreating that scene in other locations but when you've seen one, you've seen them all and it makes the film very predictable.

I also believe that what you don't see is a lot more powerful than what you do eventually see...Films that introduce the monster/ creep early doors leave very little to the imagination.

[Kandarian Demon]

I also believe that what you don't see is a lot more powerful than what you do eventually see...Films that introduce the monster/ creep early doors leave very little to the imagination.

Personally, I like seeing "the monster" - but I think the problem is that we get to look at it too closely, if that makes any sense. Often the monsters aren't particularly convincing, and when that was the case in "the good old days", they simply didn't allow us to see the monster in more than quick sequences, blurry shots, or maybe a close-up of the eyes or something similar.

Nowadays we have plenty of time to study the monster and realise that it's just a long-haired girl in bad makeup (just to make an example).

[Only God Forgives]

Personally, I like seeing "the monster" - but I think the problem is that we get to look at it too closely, if that makes any sense. Often the monsters aren't particularly convincing, and when that was the case in "the good old days", they simply didn't allow us to see the monster in more than quick sequences, blurry shots, or maybe a close-up of the eyes or something similar.

Nowadays we have plenty of time to study the monster and realise that it's just a long-haired girl in bad makeup (just to make an example).

Yeah I can appreciate that.. The Walking dead for example is some of the best zombie make up I've ever seen and you get to see plenty of it. So it's not always a bad thing.

[Joe E Ville]

Re-fakes or the fashionable term reimagining, found footage, cannibal cabins, evil children, people that act in a seriously unreasonable way (hear something odd? Then get to running, don't look). Someone make a realistic horror film where cast does what normal people would do. Wait, then it would be a 5 min movie. Some friends and I have already done that.

[The Bloofer Lady]

That wouldn't be" HELL NO: The Sensible Horror film" would it?

[Joe E Ville]

Bloofer

I honestly don't remember the title it was made late 80's maybe early 90's just outside of Regina, SK up here in Canada. Pretty much summarized as this:
2 guys find a book, suggests unnatural events on a farm, they go to the farm in question, walk around a creepy place, hear a noise, then run like hell.

I'm interested in seeing Hell No. Thank you very much for mentioning it.

Back to the thread: another thing beaten like a baby seal in horror films is the claim that it is based on actual events.

[The Bloofer Lady]

Bloofer

I honestly don't remember the title it was made late 80's maybe early 90's just outside of Regina, SK up here in Canada. Pretty much summarized as this:
2 guys find a book, suggests unnatural events on a farm, they go to the farm in question, walk around a creepy place, hear a noise, then run like hell.

I'm interested in seeing Hell No. Thank you very much for mentioning it.

Back to the thread: another thing beaten like a baby seal in horror films is the claim that it is based on actual events.

Thanks for answering considering that was a real stab in the dark on my part. I've seen it on you tube and either the director or writer's first name is Joe so when you mentioned your movie...

[Joe E Ville]

No problem, I'm glad you brought it to my attention. Love being exposed to stuff I didn't know existed. Thanks Bloofer.

Anyone else just tired of vampires? Don't get me wrong, is still love Cushing/Lee & Lugosi. But beyond that. Ok. I admit El Santo & the Vampire Women is great, but sheesh, Twilight was the stake to the heart of that genre.

[Ferox13]

^Of recent stuff I thought Byzantium was really enjoyable. Let the Right One In was excellent too (remake wasn't too bad either) Unfortunately, I missed the Jim Jarmusch vamp film in the cinema, I would like to see that. Stakeland was fun too.

There are other good Vamp films you didn't mention like Near Dark/Fright night/From Dusk Till Dawn/Shadow of the Vampire/Thirst (the Korean film) among others.

[JohnyHorror]

I am tired of exorcism. After watching The Conjuring it seems that it is not possible to make a scary movie about ghosts and exorcism. I prefer weird Japanese Ring-like movies.

[Joe E Ville]

Ferox, I need to see Byzantium. I don't dislike vampire stuff, just have yet to come across something scary. Maybe Guilermo with Strain may redeem the genre for me. I did like let the right one in but only the original. Slow pace but built the characterization. It made me care about what happened to the kids. I get jaded though with originals vs remakes. I never like someone else's vision of an original idea. Not usually. I just can't think of a remake off hand that I prefer.

Exorcisms and ghosts. The industry goes in waves. Vampires, ghosts and found footage, exorcism. And on and on. For some reason older say 70's exorcism movies seem scarier than newer stuff despite all being pretty derivative. Antichriso still bothers me despite being an obvious appear to cash in on the exorcist. 80s film I believe.

JPN films for me are successful because of the cultural difference in the story telling process.

[Ferox13]

Antichriso still bothers me despite being an obvious appear to cash in on the exorcist. 80s film I believe.

That fillm is such a guilty pleasure of mine.

Byzantium isn't scarey and isn't meant to be but it is a good film.

[Joe E Ville]

Ferox, I'm going to try to watch Byzantium this weekend if possible. I'm all for a solid story, better if is is scary, but there's been a shortage of really honest to goodness scary films lately.

Glad one other person even knows about Antichristo. The whole black mass goat scene is the kind of thing I expected to see in Lords of Salem.

Here's something else I'm tired off. Home invasions by teenagers. Also I have to say again killer kids: Ils, Eden Lake, Come out and Play, Vinyan....

Groups of young adults in trouble and somehow only one woman survives. Apparently women are much more capable of surviving. I can say with full certainty though that my girlfriend is much smarter than I am. And she's leggy so she can sprint that much faster.

Oooh, one more: movies which are blatant attempts to cash in on horror inspired trends: World War Z. As in zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Ferox13]

Here's something else I'm tired off. Home invasions by teenagers. Also I have to say again killer kids: Ils, Eden Lake, Come out and Play, Vinyan....

Jaysus, you're not slagging of Eden Lake are you..lol.
I love killer kids films - Have you seen Who Can Kill a Child?. Also the more recent British seasonal uplifter, The Children is great. How can you not love these pint size terrors.

Never heard of Come out and Play though...

[roshiq]

Never heard of Come out and Play though...

It's the remake (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2341664/) of Who Can Kill a Child?.

Not good.

[Joe E Ville]

Roshique
Good point with it being a remake. It should have been called Who Can Kill My Time?

How's this for an addition:
Running zombies or really bad CGI zombies ie I Am Legend (although not really zombies or vampires, whatever), World War Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Throw in people in horror movies that apparently have never seen a horror film and are grossly unaware or what is going on.

[The Bloofer Lady]

^Of recent stuff I thought Byzantium was really enjoyable. Let the Right One In was excellent too (remake wasn't too bad either) Unfortunately, I missed the Jim Jarmusch vamp film in the cinema, I would like to see that. Stakeland was fun too.

There are other good Vamp films you didn't mention like Near Dark/Fright night/From Dusk Till Dawn/Shadow of the Vampire/Thirst (the Korean film) among others.

Love FRIGHT NIGHT 1985. My middle name is Mrs.Jerry Dandridge.(tee hee)

[The Bloofer Lady]

May have been brought up before. I love found footage films and the like but am very tired of the "bass or white noise" and distorted picture as a sort of a heralding that things are going south very soon.

[The Villain]

Just watched You're Next so something i'm tired of is Home Invasion movies in general. They're all the same

[Joe E Ville]

For the record, I enjoyed Eden Lake. Especially the twist at the end. No spoilers folks. It's just films go on rampages with sub genres. When one seems promising or generates interes or money, then there becomes a glut. I also liked Vinyan for the same reason I like Eden Lake. I think the movie F. kind of killed the killer kid thing for me. Come Out And Play didn't help.

Also let it be known I love From Dusk Till Dawn, the first one anyway. And holding out making any comments on the TV series until I've seen more than one episode.

Bloofer is right about the lame convention in found footage for suggesting "here comes trouble"

[Ferox13]

It's the remake (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2341664/) of Who Can Kill a Child?.

Not good.

I knew there was a remake - didn't know they retitled it. Heard it was shit.

[Joe E Ville]

Calling the movie shit would be a disservice to all really crappy movies. Just google the director Makinov. Some dude with a bag on his head. Tempting to be a subversive director who is actually a Brit attempting to cash in on the badass Slavic mystique. Sorry but the guys name is Jonny Clooney from Bristol. He took a poor 1970's film and remade it into an even worse film. Maybe that's why he wears the bag on his head.

I think he's trying to grasp some of the appeal of films such as the Seasoning House, a Serbian Film, and the fantastic Neprijatelj. Not so far as his film but in his persona. He fails on all levels. I'm sure he loves the genre, that doesn't make him a great director by default. No more thanh any of us on the forum.

[Joe E Ville]

Attempting to be subversive... Sorry,

Going to watch the Other (the film, not the horror punk band although they are great) and perhaps Sick Boy with hope I can redeem the killer child sub genre for myself.

[The Bloofer Lady]

Though I fall for it every time, sick of people waking up from a terrifying nightmare and turning to their spouse in bed and said spouse turns around with a demon face or some such and they wake up again from that nightmare! Sometimes its even stretched to waking up three times.

[Joe E Ville]

Nice one. The nightmare within a nightmare. Sure some of these cliché's are effective but tread new ground directors. Please.

How about hillbilly cannabals. Why not flip it. Have. Bunch of beautiful people lost in the woods, come across a hillbilly cabin, and as things unfold suggesting the hillbillies are not whT they appear, it turn out the beautiful people are cannibals.

[Ferox13]

Nice one. The nightmare within a nightmare. Sure some of these cliché's are effective but tread new ground directors. Please.

How about hillbilly cannabals. Why not flip it. Have. Bunch of beautiful people lost in the woods, come across a hillbilly cabin, and as things unfold suggesting the hillbillies are not whT they appear, it turn out the beautiful people are cannibals.

That was sort of done recently but I can't for the life of me think of the name. Basically the Hillbillies pick on a serial killer in their local bar.

[newb]

That was sort of done recently but I can't for the life of me think of the name. Basically the Hillbillies pick on a serial killer in their local bar.

No One Lives ?

[Joe E Ville]

That was the one I was thinking of Newb. I've not seen it though. Ferox, have you seen it?

[Baron Von Marlon]

No One Lives was pretty good from what I remember.

I also remember a home invasion movie where they flipped it.
It was about two psycho brothers who hide from the cops in a house and take the family hostage. But the family turns out to be crazier than the brothers.
Don't remember if it was good.

Killers (1996)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0256858/

Another thing that pisses me off more lately are the abrupt endings.
It's lazy. It's like the writer can't come up with a good ending and says
"Fuck it, let them decide how it ends."

[Vodstok]

The victims being mostly assholes. Where's the sacrifice? There is no horror in watching a dick get his comeuppance. But like in the Ring and The Hills Have Eyes, the victims didn't deserve what they got. That is fucking terrifying.

[shadyJ]

The victims being mostly assholes. Where's the sacrifice? There is no horror in watching a dick get his comeuppance. But like in the Ring and The Hills Have Eyes, the victims didn't deserve what they got. That is fucking terrifying.

+1 on this. It's so glaring and transparent when a movie sets up a jerk for the slaughter just for some easy audience gratification. It not only severely lessens the horror, it telegraphs the character's fate so there is no suspense. What's worse, it demonstrates the writer/director's willingness to pander to the audience thereby draining the rest of the movie of tension. The moment you know the film makers are only out to make a crowd-pleaser is the moment you can predict everything that is going to happen to all the characters, and from then on you are just marking off checkboxes in a list of cliches.

[Baron Von Marlon]

+1 on this. It's so glaring and transparent when a movie sets up a jerk for the slaughter just for some easy audience gratification. It not only severely lessens the horror, it telegraphs the character's fate so there is no suspense. What's worse, it demonstrates the writer/director's willingness to pander to the audience thereby draining the rest of the movie of tension. The moment you know the film makers are only out to make a crowd-pleaser is the moment you can predict everything that is going to happen to all the characters, and from then on you are just marking off checkboxes in a list of cliches.

I think this also applies to letting one or two of the nicest/smartest people survive after the evil has been defeated.
So they'll live happily ever after (or until the sequel) and it leaves the audience with a feeling of relief and hope.
A lot of time it would be so much better and fitting for a movie that everybody dies/the world ends/evil wins/...
Seven might be a good example.

[Ferox13]

No One Lives ?

That's the one - it wasn't bad but obviously not good enough to remember the name.

[Baron Von Marlon]

Daytime vampires.
Twilight, Vampire Diaries, Vampire Academy,...

[Joe E Ville]

Baron. Good one. Mind you if I remember correctly in Stokers Dracula the good ol' Count would walk about anytime.

Back to morons getting killed in films. The only thing I like about the first Hostel film is the good guy gets greased early on. Enough with the Disney endings. Not horror, but as far as interesting endings go, Los Ultimos Dias is rather good. Gives us hope yet depressing as well.

How about people killed in same old dull ways. Or people schmecken then getting killed.

Last survivor movies. It was fine in the 70's.

[Baron Von Marlon]

Baron. Good one. Mind you if I remember correctly in Stokers Dracula the good ol' Count would walk about anytime.

Now that you mention it, you're right.
I don't mind Dracula (or some other über vampire) strolling around during the day. As long as they maintain a low-profile attitude.
But lately there's this whole bunch of teenage vampires walking around during the daytime like it ain't no thing. I think that Twilight dude even went to high school (even though he was over a 100).

Might be a similar thing going on with werewolves.
There was always the element of a full moon. Now you got Hulk like situations.

How about people killed in same old dull ways. True. Now matter how bad a movie is, I always give extra credit for an original kill.

[Joe E Ville]

Baron, I heard Del Toro came up with Strain in response to the whole Twilight nonsense. When you are more afraid of vampire pimple juice than the vampires being menacing, something has to be done. Werewolves as well. I watched Wer and had high hope but alas...

We need a list of best/most inventive kills.

[Baron Von Marlon]

Baron, I heard Del Toro came up with Strain in response to the whole Twilight nonsense. When you are more afraid of vampire pimple juice than the vampires being menacing, something has to be done. Werewolves as well. I watched Wer and had high hope but alas...

We need a list of best/most inventive kills.

Thanks for the tip on Strain.

That kill list is a great idea.

[Joe E Ville]

The Strain is a good read. Not sure if it is still going to be a tv series or series of films. Are some teasers on YouTube.

Will start a kill list thread right now.

[Baron Von Marlon]

Not really something I'm tired of but I can't happen to notice how few times a victim soils himself after death.
I think the only time I remember was in The Sopranos when a guy hangs himself and you see pee leaking down his leg.
Silly, I know but I tend to overthink stuff.