Are horror films still fun?
 

Well, are they?

Some are certainly still entertaining. Some are interesting. Many are gruelling. And a few are even scarey. But do you have fun when you watch modern horror films or is it merely an exercise in survival?

The question came to me last night while I was watching the remake of DAWN OF THE DEAD again. It's actually a pretty well-made film. But I realized about half-way through I wasn't having any fun watching it again.

Well, I don't know. I think that today's filmmakers--generally--have forgotten how to make things fun. And how to have fun making things, which is a big part of the trick. By and large, most Hollywood product is very cookie-cutter, very mechanically produced, and I think the only fun people are having while they make it is when they buy a swimming pool with the money. In other words, the "fun" isn't in the process itself.

Occasionally I'll see something that I think is fun. "House of 1,000 Corpses," while perhaps not the perfect movie, seems to be having fun doing what it is doing.

I just remember walking out of the theatre after AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON and laughing having had a great time. It's certainly not the same feeling I had after seeing many newer films.

Re: Are horror films still fun?
 

My personal view is simple....


I have fun if I'm watching a good film, doesn't have to be Taxi Driver or Psycho as long as it's well made and enjoyable I have fun watching it.

With the exception of depressing films which can still be enjoyable because of the fact I'm watching a good film but they aren't that much fun to watch...

perfect examples-Million DB and Requiem for A Dream, two of the best movies I've ever seen which I did enjoy because they're great films but didn't exactly have that much fun watching because of the harsh images in the latter stages of both films.

I have fun watching many different kinds of films. I think I am blessed because to be honest, I am fairly easily entertained. There certainly are some films I enjoy much more than others . And it is true that horror has lost a little something through the years. People have often accused me of being prejudiced against new films and certainly of remakes. But I don't hold all films up to the same standard.

I for one have enjoyed the Dawn of the Dead remake everytime I have watched it......not in the same way I enjoyed the original of course. And nothing can compare to the first time I watched The Texas Chainsaw Massacre for instance.....but that wasn't fun....that was pure terror....:D

Re: Re: Are horror films still fun?
 

Excellent film. And you're right - harsh.

See Devils Rejects

I laughed out loud at some parts in the film.

Loved it.

Haven't seen it, but I definitely will. Thanks.

I also think that today directors are being picked to make horror films and it's just a job to them.

Carpenter,Romero,Argento ect. ect. came up with the ideas and pitched,wrote and directed the film they wanted to make and made them with passion because it was something they believed in. Not saying that the directors picked for recent horror films go in not trying but they don't try as hard as someone who who's passionate about what they're doing, like I said before it's just a job to them.

Two examples- Rob Zombie and Uwe Boll

That's an excellent point. Was it Boll's HOUSE OF THE DEAD?

Who in the hell did they even make that film for? Not even why or how; who?

I think it's fun when you go to a horror flick at the theater with friends.
Blade3 was FUN,what the movie was about....well,I will have to re-rent it to find out.

That is very true. There is a completely different kind of energy to a horror film made by an actual fan of the genre than to one made by someone that has no love or real understanding of horror. Even when the film isn't that great, it just feels different when it is made by someone that loves what he/she is doing.

You must have had fun :-)

horror has been a suffering genre since the 70's
When a good one comes along - be thankful.

I wouldn't say suffering...the 80's were pretty good.

I'd definitely say they're suffering now though.

still enjoy watching horror movies...it does not even have to be good...and many of them are really bad.....but still I wanna watch....you can call it a obsession if you like......

nothing could ever be as fun as an 80's horror flic. however every now and then one comes along. FvJ, dead end, and cabin fever for example. those were all pretty fun. wrong turn was kind of fun too. but most of the time they are either too serious or too hollywood. a damn shame really.

The 80's....

Those Subspecies movies were great and alot of movies from Full Moon(I think that' the co.?) were falling on the floor funny.

Fright Night has been, and will likely always be my fav. horror movie for one basic reason-it's fun. I've seen it at least 100 times, and I never get tired of it.
I'm a huge fan of anything out of the 80's...there's just a certain quality about the horror films from that era that today's horror films can't touch.
I realize that most of them (from the 80's) are definately campy,etc... ;) But they're "classics" for a reason. You can never really grow tired of them....they're still enjoyable :)

I too loved the horror films from the 1980's and agree that alot of todays horror films just don't compare.
Sure I still watch the newer ones as they come out and I buy alot of them, but my horror film collection mostly consists of The older horror films from the 70's and 80's because I can watch these over and over again, they never seem to get old to me.:)

i think fun horror met it's demise because of three major 90's films. silence of the lambs (very psychological and serious), scream (features a hot young cast and tries to keep you guessing who the killer is), and the sixth sense (spooky with a major twist ending). if you look at any recent mainstream horror movie 19 time out of 20 it'll fall into one of these categories. and we're not far from adding "japanese remake" as a fourth catagory.

i personally saw the 80s as the death of good horror movies.
(and yes there are always exceptions)


as i mentioned in another thread long ago - the 80s saw the beginings of the widespread home video phenomenon ...

the market was hungry for product - paving the way for these no name studios to crawl out of the woodwork with direct to video shit ... and a large part of that was horror ..

catering to the teen market that was happy with any piece of shit as long as there were a pair of tits on display they could giggle and beat off to in the privacy of their own homes when mom and dad went out to one of their wife swapping parties.

there was no real incentive to make good films ... people were renting anything they could get their hands on... as long as the cover looked cool.

This wasnt happening in the 70's where most films were made to be shown in theatres.

There were exceptions there too - experimental films ... shock and 'art films' ... but for the most part horror films were made by big studios with big directors and big stars. And they were way fucking better than any shit full moon or their contemporaries pumped out.

If you like the stuff - fine ... people do tend to identify more with the films they grew up on ... and i got into them myself for a spell
but in retrospect - looking back now - i find them mostly unwatchble due to the lack of budget, talent, and creativity.

i think horror is starting to creep back now .. in part because of CGI which allows for cheaper better looking effects (not many self professed 'true horror fans' like it though) and in part because of films like Xmen, Spiderman, Harry Potter and LOTR which brought fantasy and creatures back to the mainstream (profitable)

another factor is - ironically - due to home video which threatened to kill the theatre market but instead renewed interest in cinema - so adults are slowly getting back into the theatres - and - thank god - not all of them want to see The Bridges of Madison County and the Horse Whisperer.

I am surprised at how many movies I do like.
I liked Silence of the Lambs,I liked The scream movies-I liked the knock-off scream movies.I like the 80's,the 70's the 60's and the low budget"see the strings holding the monsters" movies. I like just about All the new ones coming out.
I like to laugh at the bad ones and lose myself in the good ones.
If I am going to "waste my time"(lol,that thread was funny) I might as well go all out.

THe 70's & 80's horror was good because more films came out and they wern't affraid to try something different.

I cannot imagine anyone making movies such as:

The Stuff (mutant yogurt)

Basket Case (deformed half brother with no lower body and lives in a basket)

Evil Dead (with that ending now...)

No one said that they was all good movies, but would anyone direct them now? Probably not outside Asian Cinema.

I wouldn't include Rob Zombie in that category. He's passionate about the genre and I look foward to seeing what he does next. He's in the same sort of vein as Tarrantino..... i.e not really doing anything new but making great films that show a great knowledge and passion for the genre.

Agree with crippler, and add that I don't think horror films should be fun - rent comedy/party movies if you want laughs, and action movies for thrills and spills.

The uncompromising work of Jorg Buttgereit, Eric Stanze and the August Underground team is stuff to watch.

I find this to be a genuinly interesting point of view. I'd be fascinated to learn what you think a horror film should be and why? What do audiences bring to them and what do they take away?

Does this happen to you? You pour your attention into a film and everything else disappears. Occasional interruptions from others who want to talk through the movie are tolerated but more often found irritating.

My point being that with every kind of film I start to watch, this is my general attitude. In the case of the horror genre, a good film hooks me completely. And at the end, it always tends to leave something to ponder about.

Fun being something that is a source of enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure, I would agree with EXT3MIST.

Horror films shouldn't be fun. I get the impression that many of you watch horror films to pass the time. To amuse yourselves with thrills and scares. That's well and good, but what do you think about the film when it's over?

A good horror film transcends beyond mere entertainment. Its creator has an artistic vision that he pours elegantly into the film with his skill and creativity. To a great extent, I suppose it greatly depends on the receiving end.

If you're really just after thrills, then you're not difficult to please. Any average to good horror film will do. But the true essence of a good horror film can only be realized by a recepient who is open to its message. And that is when the enjoyment arises.

No doubt horror films are still fun.

A well-made film like Dawn of the Dead, as Lamoreux mentioned, can hold my attention to the end. It can be enjoyable. Sometimes, there are some that seem to hold some promise...only to disappoint at the end. And the rest? I stop watching at most, halfway.

Most of the time, I only ever watch these once...and keep hoping and hoping for little gems to come out. In time, they do.

i think horror films can be fun ...
like a rollercoaster ride ... there are ups and downs ... one mood heightens the effectiveness of the other ..


there is a place in my cinematic world for pure horror and the other variations as well ...

There are still some fun horrors out there 2day.

Examples:

Land of the Dead
Dead End
May
FvJ
Saw

Then there are some cheesy, stupid horror/sci-fi flicks but are still fun (Centipede [2005] comes to mind.)

I too loved the 80's! I mean, the 80's was all about fun. From NOES to Friday the 13th to the 2nd and fourth Halloween flicks and so on. Great era for fun horror flicks!

I'm still having fun.

Precisely the reason why films like The Blair Witch Project are so important - these days it seems to take an unconventional approach to the genre to truly grab the viewer's attention.

Films breaking the mould like this are not for everyone of course, as we have seen.

However from this reviewer's persepective, suspending the weight of disbelief (and minimising distractions) long enough to allow such a film to seep into your bones brings great reward when the 90 minutes are over - this probably could not be called fun, but perhaps... exhiliration... the product of fear and adrenaline generated by a plausable situation turned horrific by the unknown (and, crucially, by the end of the film: the unexplained).

The problem is they are not subtle anymore, the comedy is either there or it isn't

If i want to watch a comedy, that is what i watch, but if i want a dark moody horror I don't expect humor.

Devils rejects was brilliant! Picked up where house did but way differnt perspective. One part actually made my stomach turn :D Gotta give TWO thumbs up to Rob Zombie great film!

For me, there's a huge differnce between a "fun" horror movie and a "good" horror movie.

Some "good" horror movies are, for example: The Shining, Session 9, or Night of the Living Dead. For the most part, they take themselves seriously and deliver some genuine chills, plus leave you with something to think about.


Examples of "fun" horror movies: House on Haunted Hill ('99), Creepshow, Freddy vs Jason. They dont nessesarily have any redeeming quality [Ex. good acting], and they may not exactly frighten you. But for whatever reason, they're definatly very enjoyable.

I have examples of each in my Top 10 List:


1.The Shining [1980] - GOOD
2.Pit and the Pendulum [1961] - MIX
3.Theatre of Blood [1973] - FUN
4.The Abominable Dr. Phibes [1971] - MIX
5.Silence of the Lambs [1991] - GOOD
6. Dog Soldiers [2002] - MIX
7. House by the Cemetery [1981] - GOOD
8. Night of the Living Dead [1969] - GOOD
9. The Amityville Horror [1979] - GOOD
10. Last Man on Earth [1964] - GOOD

Honorable Mentions:

Texas Chainsaw Massacre [1974] - GOOD
Day of the Dead [1985] - GOOD
Session 9 [2001] - GOOD
The Fly [1986] - FUN
Dracula [1931] - MIX


As you can see, many of my personal favourites fall inbetween, and that thers plaent of room for "fun" on my list.

I think this is dead-on. I just finished reading a book about the history of horror films and one of the points it made is how all the "classic" horror films (like Dracula, Psycho, Halloween, etc.) were unconventional. Of course, nowadays, we think they are the "standards" - but when they came out they were startling and new. I though it was really interesting to read about how audiences totally freaked out at films like the 1931 Dracula or Psycho. Whether its "fun" I don't exactly know.

Yep, you have to wonder how much fun the people that lost it so completely during the first showings of The Exorcist were actually having. :p It is so rare to see something different and truly effective that audiences just aren't responding. We've seen it all before, absolutely nothing is really shocking anymore.

I still have a lot of fun with horror films, but it is very rare when a horror film has an actual effect on me. Meaning they don't stick with me anymore. There is nothing that will stay with me quite like Night of the Living Dead or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, for example, because when I saw them for the first time, I had never seen anything like them before.

I think a good horror movie makes people get up and leave during it. How the government tries to do something about it because some kid blames a crime he commited on a movie that he saw.

Im in the process of writing my first script and if I do it correctly how I want it done its going to piss a lot of people off and make people sick :D WHOEVER creates any sort of controversy is music, movies #1 in my book !

There's a great line by John Landis - something to the effect that a really good horror movie makes you want to shout - "hey, you can't show that?!?!?!"

some horror movies are still fun. but i like the old a little better. you know the ones that make you jump. i like to turn every light in the house off and watch a good horror film. some films these days dont give me that jump i am looking for in some.
sara jane