# Classic Horror should be reborn!



## the Master (Jan 16, 2014)

Hello Fiends,

Are any of you sick and tired of blood, gore, guts, etc? Do you miss the good old times when movies like Dracula, The Old Dark House, Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Nosferatu, the Mummy, the Wolfman and other like them came out? I personally think it's about time that people get just as creative as they were back in the 30's 20's and 40's. I'm not talking about remakes - you will never be able to replace Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. I'm talking about new characters just as creative as the Wolfman, Mr. Hide, Frankenstein's Monster, Dracula, Creature from the Black Lagoon, etc! 

You want to know why horror films began with supernatural entities instead of killers? Because they were trying to escape from the depressing real life of this world. What's the fun in people getting gutted and tortured? It's disturbing to be quite honest - not scary! 

I purpose that people should start creating characters that will be just as iconic as Dracula or the Wolfman. Yes, those were originally stories, but turning them into a film really helped them become famous. Why not film a movie about a creature that lives in the sewers and comes out on the streets at night? What about an Invasion of Pumpkins that have vines for arms? How about a vulture/bat thing that is spotted flying in the sky at night by scared people? Even a moron can come up with brilliant ideas like this. 

I say, the Gore Age should go down in it's crypt and the classic horror age should rise back up out of it's grave! Who is with me?!


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## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

I love the classics!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

I love the classics and I'm not a fan of gore, but there are iconic characters from that genre, such as Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, and Jason. SciFi/horror icons include those lovely creatures from the alien series, which certainly had its gore moments, and Predator, who would occasionally rip out a person's spine.

The sewer drain dwellers have certainly been done in many cheesy scifi/horror flicks (alligators being a favorite), the remake of The Blob, and C.H.U.D. (underground dwellers, but at least one came up out of a sewer). Closest we come to an invasion of deranged vegetables is Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, which is unabashed cheese at its best. There was also a leech-like sewer creature featured in an episode of The X-Files.

Every genre of horror has its fans, so it's not likely the gore films will ever entirely disappear. They have shock value which appeals to some folks. I agree that some of it comes across as gore for the sake of gore, which I don't care for myself. Gore, like profanity, is best used sparingly, but as long as there's an audience for it, you'll see those flicks made.


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## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

Sometimes I've thought that a director should try using black-and-white in a modern horror film, and take some lessons from the black-and-white classics. Gore tends to work best in color (obviously) but if you think of the B&L era in Hollywood you'll know what I mean. Cinematographers had to be very creative with the use of light and shadow, contrast and highlighting to add drama and impact to a scene. The 1963 movie "The Haunting" is an excellent example of this. The changes in contrast in some of the scenes (like Eleanor hearing the disembodied voices in the bedroom at night) changes the scene from one that's merely creepy to something that stands your hair on end.
I wish humans had the ability to turn color vision on and off at will. Just think of the possibilities.


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## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

Nosferatu is black and white and "chilling"


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## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

Hairazor said:


> Nosferatu is black and white and "chilling"


Exactly!
...I rest my case


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

I can tolerate some gore, if it's integral to the story. Too often it's just done for the shock value. Though in Sam Rami's case, it's so over the top, it's funny. I think a modern classic is Trick R Treat, which has a wonderful story, with some gore, but it didn't go to far. 

I love the classic Universal monster movies, but times have changed and I don't think they would play as well for the modern generations. Well done B&W movies often have a richer feel with the contrast of light and shadow. Some modern movies are done in B&W for this purpose, while others are B&W just for budget reasons. I can't think of any modern horror movie done in B&W that were big successes.


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## the Master (Jan 16, 2014)

Spooky1 said:


> I can tolerate some gore, if it's integral to the story. Too often it's just done for the shock value. Though in Sam Rami's case, it's so over the top, it's funny. I think a modern classic is Trick R Treat, which has a wonderful story, with some gore, but it didn't go to far.
> 
> I love the classic Universal monster movies, but times have changed and I don't think they would play as well for the modern generations. Well done B&W movies often have a richer feel with the contrast of light and shadow. Some modern movies are done in B&W for this purpose, while others are B&W just for budget reasons. I can't think of any modern horror movie done in B&W that were big successes.


I didnt mean the old horror should come back in b&w. What I really meant was that creative and interesting plots should happen just like in the golden age of horror. If the golden age continued, they would want color and they would want fantastic effects!


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## the Master (Jan 16, 2014)

RoxyBlue said:


> I love the classics and I'm not a fan of gore, but there are iconic characters from that genre, such as Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, and Jason. SciFi/horror icons include those lovely creatures from the alien series, which certainly had its gore moments, and Predator, who would occasionally rip out a person's spine.
> 
> The sewer drain dwellers have certainly been done in many cheesy scifi/horror flicks (alligators being a favorite), the remake of The Blob, and C.H.U.D. (underground dwellers, but at least one came up out of a sewer). Closest we come to an invasion of deranged vegetables is Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, which is unabashed cheese at its best. There was also a leech-like sewer creature featured in an episode of The X-Files.
> 
> Every genre of horror has its fans, so it's not likely the gore films will ever entirely disappear. They have shock value which appeals to some folks. I agree that some of it comes across as gore for the sake of gore, which I don't care for myself. Gore, like profanity, is best used sparingly, but as long as there's an audience for it, you'll see those flicks made.


I agree, I love the first two halloweens and some other movies like that, but lets face it, they go overboard with gore now a' days. There is just too much, I wouldn't have a problem if they kept the gore to the level it began with. Halloween was scary yet there was only a little bit of blood! It is alright if there is just a little blood in my opinion, it does add a little chill!


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## The-Hog-Flu (Oct 21, 2013)

I gotta admit, I may be the odd man out here but I love me some gore. With that being said, I love all of the genres and "eras" of horror. Perhaps the only exception would be torture porn. Not that I'm disgusted by it, I just find most of it dull and usually without a credible story. There are exceptions to that as well. Martyrs was a brutal film that would fall into the torture porn bracket, but it was a great movie. Although hard to watch at times, it was an example of going "too far" for the sake of telling a good story....not going too far for the sake of "going too far". But yeah, the classics where awesome. The problem is that most of those ideas were done over and over, to the point where film makers had to keep uping the ante as moviegoers became board with rehashed ideas and stories. Ultimatly it morphed into today's modern horror.


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## the Master (Jan 16, 2014)

AUOTE=The-Hog-Flu;783835]I gotta admit, I may be the odd man out here but I love me some gore. With that being said, I love all of the genres and "eras" of horror. Perhaps the only exception would be torture porn. Not that I'm disgusted by it, I just find most of it dull and usually without a credible story. There are exceptions to that as well. Martyrs was a brutal film that would fall into the torture porn bracket, but it was a great movie. Although hard to watch at times, it was an example of going "too far" for the sake of telling a good story....not going too far for the sake of "going too far". But yeah, the classics where awesome. The problem is that most of those ideas were done over and over, to the point where film makers had to keep uping the ante as moviegoers became board with rehashed ideas and stories. Ultimatly it morphed into today's modern horror.[/QUOTE]

Although I disagree with you, I respect you for giving your honest opinion. :jol:

The most gore I'll ever watch is the Walking Dead. That's a great show!


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## ghoststory (Dec 30, 2013)

The classic monsters will come back at some point: they always do. The only issue will be what a studio can use to market about the film. Usually they will get named actors to play those parts, so they can (in theory) guarantee a higher domestic gross. However, those films are becoming more and more expensive as they try to create more convincing CGI effects and action sequences (which, I'm sorry to say are here to stay; very few movies are going to go back to practical in-camera effects). 

Torture porn is far cheaper to make along with slasher flicks because all you need is a lot of blood and people (preferably young women) running from the "monster." Plus, while those movies may do okay here in the US, foreign sales will still do well. It's all economics. 

Ultimately, though, it comes down to the story. 

If it's a good story then you can get away a lot, even the artistic choices of making a black and white movie- or a silent movie for that matter...But good luck getting that sold (readers won't even bother to read large blocks of action); MOST modern audiences won't watch that.


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## Death's Door (Mar 22, 2006)

I think every movie/genre has its time. I agree with Roxy that there were iconic characters that came out of movies that are now classics and had gore in it. It's it own genre and as long as you have directors making these films, pushing the gore factor, people going to see it, they are going to be made. They are apart of the horror scene. I'm not into gore too much but I loved "Tucker & Dale vs. Evil", which was a comedy/gore. I also agree with Spooky about the gore and storyline having a connection. Two movies that come to mind that I haven't seen yet or have the nerve to see are "The Human Centipede" and "Cannibal Holocaust" because of the shock/gore level. Sometimes you just don't want to eyes or your mind to be exposed. 

I love to see originality but that are few and far movies being made anymore. I sometimes get mad when I hear about a movie getting shelved because the companies don't think it would fly and yet we are constantly seeing the same kind of movie over and over again because of profit. 

I like to add that black and white movies can be like the black and white photos that people do now instead of color. Sometimes it works and you capture that moment/setting and it looks great....sometimes you need to see it in color. It's all effects.

I, too, love the old black and whites and am very happy to be able to view them every Saturday night when they play on Svengoolie on the MeTV station. I'm glad that there is a tv station that shows them and highlights tidbits about the movie and actors that play in it.


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## ghoststory (Dec 30, 2013)

Death's Door said:


> I love to see originality but that are few and far movies being made anymore. I sometimes get mad when I hear about a movie getting shelved because the companies don't think it would fly and yet we are constantly seeing the same kind of movie over and over again because of profit.


Trust me, I know the feeling. However with the internet and crowd-funding, we actually have more power to see what we want to see and get films made that normally would have slipped through the cracks. The studios will make anything, as long as they see there's a profit in it.


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## austenandrews (Aug 22, 2010)

I'd say the closest thing to an old-school classic horror icon we've had in awhile is Hannibal Lecter. He's got a massive pop-culture presence and while he can get bloody, he's more terrifying when he's just talking to you. You might also make an argument for a character like Samara.

What really makes the classic monsters classic, if you ask me, is essentially branding. That sounds shallow but hear me out. They represent a popular aesthetic from a certain time and place; we always lump the Universal monsters together with similar ones from the same decades. Enjoying one of them conjures up our enjoyment of the others. Collectively they create a subgenre, a brand, a comfort zone where we know the rules and have already screened out movies that aren't good enough or don't conform.

Something like _Black Lagoon_ doesn't even fit with the others, really, but we've grown accustomed to accepting it anyway. It's the same reason we lump Freddy Krueger with Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees, even though he's nothing like them. Or why the Terminator often goes in the same bucket with the Predator, the xenomorphs and Carpenter's Thing. What connects them is more than just shared tropes. It's also a shared audience. It's nostalgia and community.

So if you want to classic-style monster icons, individual old-school movies won't do it. You'll need a group of them to be hits in the same decade or so. It's doable - we've been in a (mostly) bloodless ghost-horror renaissance for many years now. I would never have predicted that fifteen years ago. Figure out how to make them cheaply and there might just be a monster renaissance in our future.


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