# Anyone else here HATE horror movies?



## Spartan005

This probably sounds really weird, but even though I'm obsessed with Halloween, I hate horror movies. I think they're insanely stupid, they have terrible acting and pretty much every one is just an excuse to watch people die. 

The new Halloween for instance was terrible. There was not plot, just ridiculous amounts of violence that IMO were waay too realistic. Does anyone actually like seeing people being beaten to death in like a 2 minute long scene? And they're all so obvious... you always know who's going to die. Now thats not to say that there aren't some I like. The first Scream had its moments... at least it was clever. Saw had a pretty good plot to it, even though some of the acting was cringe-worthy. Never saw the shining but I heard it was good too. 

Sorry just had to rant. Anyone else?


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## Mobile Mayhem

I don't care for them either, but my wife loves them!!


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## HalloweenZombie

I hated the new Halloween movie. The old one rules though. I'm not thrilled with the slasher flicks in general. I like the supernatural type of horror movies a lot though.


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## GothicCandle

i think traditional horror movies are yes, very stupid. The movies I like that are in the "horror/suspense" genre are ones like the "sixth sense", "the others", and I even like the "final destination" series as well as that mini series "Rose Red". I own that one halloween "H20" and never watch it. I don't even remember it at all. Thought it was stupid the first time. I saw freddy V.S Jason in the theater. I thought it was in one word, dumb.


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## Otaku

I was surfing around the channels last night, and saw at least 3 flicks with virtually the same description - sorority girls go to (you name the place) on a dare and are killed one-by-one by a (you name the villian). And they were all called horror movies. Sad...


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## Johnny Thunder

Uhm............wow.

Just...........wow.


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## Eldritch_Horror

I watch horror movies... But they don't scare me. The best I can hope for is to get a little creeped out. Heck, my nightmares don't even scare me anymore.


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## Scary Godmother

I don't like them either! I love halloween, but hate horror movies, they scare the crap out of me, I don't even like to watch the commercials. Ever since I saw the original Friday the 13th when I was a teenager, I think it damaged me! I could not watch anymore after that. I also don't like going to haunted houses, hayrides, mazes, etc., I know it is all fake, but it still makes me jump too much. I just like decorating my yard with the graveyard, etc, no gore and nothing that will scare the tots away.:jol:


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## DeadDudeintheHouse

Spartan005 said:


> This probably sounds really weird, but even though I'm obsessed with Halloween, I hate horror movies. I think they're insanely stupid, they have terrible acting and pretty much every one is just an excuse to watch people die.
> 
> The new Halloween for instance was terrible. There was not plot, just ridiculous amounts of violence that IMO were waay too realistic. Does anyone actually like seeing people being beaten to death in like a 2 minute long scene? And they're all so obvious... you always know who's going to die. Now thats not to say that there aren't some I like. The first Scream had its moments... at least it was clever. Saw had a pretty good plot to it, even though some of the acting was cringe-worthy. Never saw the shining but I heard it was good too.
> 
> Sorry just had to rant. Anyone else?


You know - I kind of have a theory. I don't think anyone hates Horror movies. I think what they hate is violence in movies. Am I right? That watching people die can be offensive and watching people victimized by violence and murder and unnatural or untimely death is hard for some people to take, or just considered in poor taste.

So by that token, you probably don't like the Action movie genre much either. Right? Like those hostage-terrorist movies where the villain will corner someone on a plane or in an office building with a gun to their forehead and on a cellphone, taunt the hero by warning to shoot the innocent-person unless the hero does something they want them to. So then they do it, and the bastard shoots the innocent-person in the head anyway. Or, like political conspiracy movies where a man in a suit goes to someone's house and twists their head around then kicks their watching dog to death. Or police corruption movies where during a drug bust or something, a cop will stab an informant to death. Or mob movies where people are machine-gunned to death. Like the infamous... was it toward the end(?)... scene in The Godfather: Part II where everyone's getting murdered viciously at the same time in different places.

Well, I'm very sensitive (strangely enough) to violence in movies. As a kid, I always hated action movies, was bored and highly offended by them. But still, I was intrigued by them. I wasn't a huge horror fan then. I was really into reading scary stories and coming up with my own. But I grew to love horror movies the more I saw of them. The more I learned what was really important - a mood, a tone, a pacing, a sense of unease or dislocation. Atmosphere. Tension. And, most of all, good-natured fun. It's hard to see how many of these horror movies are fun. Especially when you get to the Exploitaton-horror subgenre and you're talking about cannibal movies and torture movies and rape movies and sexual mutilations and such. That's stuff isn't really fun. But if you watch the right combination of horror movies as your introduction to the horror genre, you can sit-through anything. I'm still sensitive to action movies and the notion that heroes always win and bad guys always lose. But when it comes to horror, nothing shocks me or much-freaks me out anymore.


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## Spartan005

well you're kind of right except I actually love action movies. Die Hard, Pirates, Star Wars etc. The thing is in those movies there may be a moment of two of violence (actual violence like a hostage situation... not a sword fight or something) but its there to contribute to the plot or add another conflict etc. While the plot in horror movies are just there to get to the violence. 

and I never saw the godfather but after hearing all of the good things about Goodfellas, I watched it the other night and thought it was a terrible movie.

And this is off topic but why the hell did Joe Pesci win the Oscar for best supporting actor? All he did is act like himself!


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## DeadDudeintheHouse

Spartan005 said:


> well you're kind of right except I actually love action movies. Die Hard, Pirates, Star Wars, etc. The thing is in those movies there may be a moment of two of violence (actual violence like a hostage situation... not a sword fight or something) but it's there to contribute to the plot or add another conflict, etc. While the plot in horror movies are just there to get to the violence.


I don't watch many action movies, so I'm no expert. But I can say one thing strongly differentiates the two genres: plot variety. Almost every action movie focuses on a disaster, a large group of people in peril. In that way, and then when you factor in the music and camerawork, etc., all action movies feel the same. And they all fall into the trap of feeling like they have to do certain things to fit into the genre. Now, in my thing back there I described dramas as well as action films, war films and westerns fit the profile as well. The reason for that is, naturally, that gangster plots require action scenes too.

But horror films... they actually have a huge slate of things that makes them different from one another. I mean, for instance: sub-genres. Just to list them makes the head spin a little. Monsters, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, slashers, serial killers, zombies, aliens, Satan / occult, bugs, witches, killer animals, mutants, exploitation, cannibals, gothic, psychological, supernatural, demonic possession, diseases, sci-fi/horror, horror-comedy, period films, silent cinema, German expressionism, anthologies & made-for-TV, franchises, direct-to-video, book adaptations... And all the different directors' styles. All the different national cultural influences. Low budget or studio fare. The film companies that left their mark on all types of cinema.

It's kind of overwhelming, in an exhilirating way.

As for the violence, well... it seems pretty clear to me that action films are far more violent than horror films. Action films certainly have higher body-counts. One of the reasons horror films are so potent is that they make people feel they've experienced something horrific and violent. But what you're most likely reacting to is the chase, the threat of death, tension, vigorous pacing, the intensity of the fight for survival... These things combined can make people think a film is more violent than it in fact is. Because when you really strip the film of all the terror elements, there isn't much violence at all. And barely any blood shed onscreen. Plus, and I say this to everyone, look at where horror began. Horror had many decades of success in cinema before showing blood or violence by the bucketfuls we always hear about in sitcom dialogue.

As for the plots, they typically involve very basic, simple, elemental things. But that doesn't mean plot isn't important. Plot is mixed with the arts and imagery of cinema. Thereby making it a far more cinematic medium and satisfying genre for those looking for a balance between substance and style. A lot of the meaning is right there in the imagery and the main portion of the plot is told physically, rather than verbally. I guess you're looking for something more mainstream. It's often considered bad for mainstream films to be artistic. Which is why action films shoot more for realism than stylization and surrealism, art, fantasy, etc.

I much prefer stylized stories than movies that look like the crew just got to the location 2 minutes before turning on the camera and shake it while people climb up buildings or jump from helicopters. Though I will admit, that sort of high-octane thing gives the viewer a rush, I feel you can't really count on every action movie to give you the same thrills. The horror film also lends itself to be enjoyed and appreciated on repeat viewings. Action films are more of a one-off in the theater, go and have your world rocket and go-home. What you experience in most action films are easily disposed of scenes and people, and images you forget pretty much right after you've seen them. The best horror movies were really made to be remembered.


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## Ms. Wicked

It's impossible to paint all horror or scary movies with the same brush.

It's a diverse category with many genres: The classic Universal monster movies; scary movies such as _The Haunting, House on Haunted Hill_; "B" cult movies such as _Night of the Living Dead, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, to Godzilla_, etc.; the slasher movies that began in the 70's with _Halloween _and _Friday the 13th_... to eerie suspense such as _The Shining or Silence of the Lambs _and more modern twists such as _The Blair Witch Project _and remakes of classics. What about _The Exorcist _or _The Omen_?

Most of these can be found in the "Horror" sections, but they all have a different vibe. Therefore people may like some styles but not others.

I personally enjoy most types of horror and scary movies, with the exception of zombie movies because personally they scare me.

On any given Friday the 13th, I have a Friday the 13th celebration at home - I'll make party food and we choose one of the movies to watch.

In the spirit of the season upon us, today while out running errands, I picked up _The Craft_, which I've never seen and I have no idea if it's good or rubbish. We'll find out tonight. 

_I don't know what the hell's out there, but it's weird and it's pissed off!_


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## DeadDudeintheHouse

I used to think The Craft was a masterpiece. Now, I think it's just a very well-acted movie that flows in a way that has begun to strike me as heavy-handed. Which is usually what gets through to me. I usually really like heavy-handed. If you have the chance to read this before seeing the movie, remember to interpret the witchcraft they use as an addictive substance, like drugs or alcohol and the power those things can have over young people. Because online reviews have incorrectly tagged The Craft as a Carrie-ripoff. A "revenge" film about the outcasts "getting back at" the popular kids who hurt them, and that as that it's just cheap, single-minded, teen trash. That is absolutely not what the film is or is about. It's about how people turn their back on true friendship because of addiction and peer pressure.


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## Spooky1

I'm more of a classic horror guy. I'm not into the slasher/gore stuff. Although toss in a little humor (Evil Dead/ Army of Darkness) and I'm loving it.


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## waldiddy

Considering that most movies are bad, it's not really a surprise that most horror films are bad, too, right? 

But, there have been some real gems in the past 10 years ... just off the top of my head, The Others and Burton's Sleepy Hollow. My wife found 'Fellowship of the Ring' to be pretty scary. I heard that last year's Descent was excellent as well.

I agree w/ most of you - that violence and gore alone aren't what makes a good horror story. It's got to have an interesting psychological element to it, something meatier than what you get from most films.


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## Haunted Bayou

I don't think it is strange that you wouldn't like horror films just because you like Halloween. There are no rules to personal taste. Especially, these days when a lot of horror movies are bloodbaths and boobies.

In regards to "The Craft"...I love that movie. It was a good story. I don't think it unusual that people outgrow movies that they once really liked. There are movies I loved as a teenager that I wouldn't watch today. There are some movies I liked as a young adult that I don't look at the same way now.
I am almost pissed off that The Exorcist doesn't scare me any more. I should be glad because the book scared the crap out of me. Then the movie finished me off as a young teenager.

I love the horror genre and have since I was a kid but the older I get the more difficult it is to be satisfied by them. "Suspending disbelief" just gets more difficult as I age, which I think happens to most people. I like a movie if it has a good story (The Craft). It doesn't have to be "keep the lights on" scary but it is getting harder to come up with new material.

I agree with Ms.Wicked.. not all movies are created equal. Some of my favorites are old B&W like Psycho and The Wolfman.


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## Night Owl

I don't mind gore, just so it's mindless gore. When the movie gets you emotionally involved and then throws in some blood and guts of those characters you've invested your time into... I hate that.


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## Spartan005

DeadDudeintheHouse said:


> I don't watch many action movies, so I'm no expert. But I can say one thing strongly differentiates the two genres: plot variety. Almost every action movie focuses on a disaster, a large group of people in peril. In that way, and then when you factor in the music and camerawork, etc., all action movies feel the same. And they all fall into the trap of feeling like they have to do certain things to fit into the genre. Now, in my thing back there I described dramas as well as action films, war films and westerns fit the profile as well. The reason for that is, naturally, that gangster plots require action scenes too.
> 
> But horror films... they actually have a huge slate of things that makes them different from one another. I mean, for instance: sub-genres. Just to list them makes the head spin a little. Monsters, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, slashers, serial killers, zombies, aliens, Satan / occult, bugs, witches, killer animals, mutants, exploitation, cannibals, gothic, psychological, supernatural, demonic possession, diseases, sci-fi/horror, horror-comedy, period films, silent cinema, German expressionism, anthologies & made-for-TV, franchises, direct-to-video, book adaptations... And all the different directors' styles. All the different national cultural influences. Low budget or studio fare. The film companies that left their mark on all types of cinema.
> 
> It's kind of overwhelming, in an exhilirating way.
> 
> As for the violence, well... it seems pretty clear to me that action films are far more violent than horror films. Action films certainly have higher body-counts. One of the reasons horror films are so potent is that they make people feel they've experienced something horrific and violent. But what you're most likely reacting to is the chase, the threat of death, tension, vigorous pacing, the intensity of the fight for survival... These things combined can make people think a film is more violent than it in fact is. Because when you really strip the film of all the terror elements, there isn't much violence at all. And barely any blood shed onscreen. Plus, and I say this to everyone, look at where horror began. Horror had many decades of success in cinema before showing blood or violence by the bucketfuls we always hear about in sitcom dialogue.
> 
> As for the plots, they typically involve very basic, simple, elemental things. But that doesn't mean plot isn't important. Plot is mixed with the arts and imagery of cinema. Thereby making it a far more cinematic medium and satisfying genre for those looking for a balance between substance and style. A lot of the meaning is right there in the imagery and the main portion of the plot is told physically, rather than verbally. I guess you're looking for something more mainstream. It's often considered bad for mainstream films to be artistic. Which is why action films shoot more for realism than stylization and surrealism, art, fantasy, etc.
> 
> I much prefer stylized stories than movies that look like the crew just got to the location 2 minutes before turning on the camera and shake it while people climb up buildings or jump from helicopters. Though I will admit, that sort of high-octane thing gives the viewer a rush, I feel you can't really count on every action movie to give you the same thrills. The horror film also lends itself to be enjoyed and appreciated on repeat viewings. Action films are more of a one-off in the theater, go and have your world rocket and go-home. What you experience in most action films are easily disposed of scenes and people, and images you forget pretty much right after you've seen them. The best horror movies were really made to be remembered.


Okay, I probably should have specified that I'm referring to the slasher flicks rather than movies like Silence of the Lambs (which I never really reffered to as a horror movie, but whatever)

Here's what I really have to disagree with you on is that horror movies are intended for repeated viewings while action movies are not. Now maybe we're both a bit biased for not liking a particular genre, but even with the horror movies that I remotely liked such as Scream and Saw.... I still couldn't stand to watch them again. Maybe its just because these types of movies in general are so depressing, but thats what's so great about action movies. I could watch several action scenes over multiple times without getting bored because there's always something new that you don't see the first time around. As with horror movies the death scenes are usually the part that people remember the most, so on the second viewing you know exactly what's going to happen.

And as for your point about horror movie sub genres... well action movies have a lot too. The first three that I named on my last post were all completely different - Pirates, Star Wars and Die Hard. And you could keep going on, think about all of these different types of action movies too: Jurassic Park, The Dark Knight, Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, Transformers etc. etc.

I don't really understand how you think all action movies feel the same either. The ones I listed anyway are all completely different. And as for you saying that they all revolve around a large group of people in peril... well think about it! Thats the same concept around horror movies! Horror movies have to do something to fit into the genre as well, and thats killing people. And if not than its just some type of cheap scare like in The Grudge. And just because generally speaking more people die in action movies doesn't mean that they're more violent than horror movies at all. Think about it... what's worse, a shoot out where a dozen people get shot and die or a torture scene like one in hostel, where one person is slowly murdered?

I'm probably never going to get you to like action movies and you're probably never going to get me to like horror movies, but I just wanted to get those points across. I'm just curious though, what are your favorite horror movies... and if you can name any action ones that you've seen what were they?


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## DeadDudeintheHouse

waldiddy said:


> But, there have been some real gems in the past 10 years ... just off the top of my head, The Others and Burton's Sleepy Hollow.


You know something? I watched both of those exact movies with someone in a row one night. Weird you should mention them together like that.



waldiddy said:


> Considering that most movies are bad, it's not really a surprise that most horror films are bad, too, right?


I don't know. Most is a very strong word. If 55% or 60% counts as "most," probably yeah. But there are different levels of badness in the horror genre, as opposed to almost _all_ other genres (except for comedy). But I still think most suggests a landslide. And 55-60% is not a landslide in my opinion, just a see-saw teetering more in one direction than the other.



waldiddy said:


> I agree w/ most of you - that violence and gore alone aren't what makes a good horror story.


Well of course, because those are visual elements. They're made to enhance the mood or to make the audience feel there is a serious threat. A story is more about why people do things.



Haunted Bayou said:


> I don't think it is strange that you wouldn't like horror films just because you like Halloween. There are no rules to personal taste. Especially, these days when a lot of horror movies are bloodbaths and boobies.


Actually, the 1980's had a lot more nudity in horror than this current decade. Talk to any American filmmakers trying to make horror films, the vast majority of actresses in any big casting city in this country won't do nudity. This of course was quite different in the 1980's. But, in the 80's, they also had a lot of stunt or body-double nudity. Which they don't do, I think, as much of anymore. Certainly when you have Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie, and Halle Berry willing to do such blatant nudity in films and win big awards and nominations for their parts... it's a toss up.


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## Revenant

I like horror movies in general, particularly in the subgenres of ghosts, monsters, and zombies. And some I can't stand, either because 1-I find them yawningly stupid, contrived, and totally lacking in imagination, or 2-because I find them offensive.

I'm not generally a fan of slasher flicks unless the emphasis is on characterization and suspense as opposed to splatter movies. Halloween was a slasher flick that oddly enough had damned near no blood in it; however it had a very sinister and scary boogeyman as the villain and a very likable and ordinary Survivor Girl.

Movies that focus on nothing but cruelty and sadism just irritate me. People raved and fawned over Hostel and I thought it was a piece of ****. Extremity does not automatically equal quality and it wasn't remotely original. Going for the squirm is good for a scene but in my opinion it shows lack of imagination if that becomes the entire basis for half of a movie. True, it came at a time when the horror genre had largely become a bit stale and dull but I didn't see that one as revitalizing it. To me it was just another snuff film like the Guinea Pig movies. Those things bum me out more than entertain. And granted I never saw the sequel because everything I heard was that it was all the same except that he wanted you to identify with the killers this time. No thanks. 

I think what irritates me the most about horror movies is characters that don't act like real people at all. People who do totally stupid things or react to situations in ways that make no sense whatsoever just so they can set up the next scene. This is why I couldn't figure out why Cabin Fever was hailed as this masterpiece that totally breathed new life back into horror. 

Granted, this is all personal preference. For all I bitch about cheeseball cliche horror flicks for some reason I just loves me some zombie movies. Even bad ones (though I get irritated with one thing that NO ONE ever addresses... the smell. Come across a 2-lb roadkill rabbit and from 10 feet the stench is so bad you have to cross the street. But a 6-foot, 180-lb mound of rotted human carrion comes shambling up behind someone and they don't even know he's there until they see it's shadow or reflection in front of them. Stupid. But god help me I still love 'em).

I guess every subgenre of movies has its debatable ones that people either love or hate based on what sort of stuff they like. Like Halloween, where some like the scare, some like the cute kiddy fun and whimsy, some like the rich gothic detailing, and some just like the traditional imagery.


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## ithurt

I always thought that people watched slasher/horror films because they were silly. I am not a huge fan but some times it is a blast to take in one. I also like info-mercials late at night to, so what do I know.
hostel was boring I would of loved it when I was a kid, breasticles every where!

the others, burton,the six sense I always think of as thrillers instead for some reason.

anyway cool thread, I was feeling sort of out of place here because I never realy liked these films. I assumed every one here did.


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## RavenLunatic

*Just leaving a brief reply to this thread. I don't have a problem with most horror movies. But I'm not particularly fond of what i refer to as whorer movies. I do find humor in them sometimes. but they're usually just full of nudity and people running upstairs or into rooms with no way out. I guess it's the stupidity that bugs me. I mean if I wanted to see stupidity and nudity, couldn't i just watch porn? Despite being a perv, porn isn't really my thing either. why watch it when you can do it, right? I'm also not fond of blood for the sake of blood. I'm much more creeped out by the unseen than a torture scene. that doesn't mean I don't like some movies that fall into the torture category. i do somewhat like the saw movies. perhaps it's the mental aspect of them. what would you be willing to do to survive or save your loved ones? *


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## Spooky1

I just hate when characters actions make no sense (no matter to type of movie). Evil monster is outside, so I'm in such a panic I run outside? Aliens from space are intelligent enough to cross millions of miles of space, but they land on earth and start killing and eating everyone they come across? I was watching a little bit of "30 Days of Night", and though I liked the premise, it seemed stupid that the vampires went on this instant killing frenzy and wiped out most on the humans (food) instantly, and they were messy about it. If blood is your food source why waste some much of it? To me it would have been scarier for them to pick the people off a little slower. Hell, they had 30 days to work with, why deplete the food stock so quickly. This may just be me, being a Biologist. I want animal behavior to make some sense.

I do prefer "monster" horror movies over ones with human protagonists. Cruel and sadistic people really exist, and I get no entertainment from seeing what some people are actually capable of doing. Monsters on the otherhand are all about the imagination.


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## Don of the Dead

Spartan005 said:


> This probably sounds really weird, but even though I'm obsessed with Halloween, I hate horror movies. I think they're insanely stupid, they have terrible acting and pretty much every one is just an excuse to watch people die.
> 
> The new Halloween for instance was terrible. There was not plot, just ridiculous amounts of violence that IMO were waay too realistic. Does anyone actually like seeing people being beaten to death in like a 2 minute long scene? And they're all so obvious... you always know who's going to die. Now thats not to say that there aren't some I like. The first Scream had its moments... at least it was clever. Saw had a pretty good plot to it, even though some of the acting was cringe-worthy. Never saw the shining but I heard it was good too.
> 
> Sorry just had to rant. Anyone else?


Here is someone else who hates Horror films...








Do you want to be in the same group as Osama?


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## Haunted Bayou

You may have slashed this thread with that one. DOH!


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## Offwhiteknight

Um, I guess I'm in the same boat as Osama...or is that Obama? 

Because I really don't like most of the films classified as horror films. Let's me honest, most of them are actually slasher films. Taken to an extreme like the SAW films or Hostel, they become torture porn. I don't need to see that.

The problem is the genuine horror is difficult to create. And even when you do, it can be subjective. I thought The Blair Witch Project was masterful at creating genuine suspense and horror. Gave me nightmares and even though I own the DVD, I haven't watched since that one day in the theatre. I'm afraid it'll give me nightmares again. My wife feels the same way.

Conversely, there were people that were made ill by the camera work and those that simply didn't understand the film and those that just didn't think it was scary.

Look, most classic horror films are really intended more as social commentary than anything else. Perhaps that's why modern horror films just don't get it? Guys like Rob Zombie love the monster and ignore the social commentary. Hell, you love the monster and you create a film that the average person can't relate to because your hero is actually also the villain in many ways.

Ultimately, I agree. Most horror films aren't worth the celluloid they are projected on.


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## kevin242

I like monster movies, zombies are my favorite especially Return of the Living Dead. I'm not really a big fan of Jason/Mike Myers types or inbred ******* murderers like Chainsaw Massacre, Wrong Turn, 1000 Corpses or Hills Have Eyes because I think there are really people like that out there...
I usually don't care for vampires either, too snooty and romanticized, I did like the ones from 30 Days of Night because they were fast and tore your throat out right in public.
For me, horror movies are like research for my haunt. I like scary, even a bit of gore but nothing too over the top.


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## DeadDudeintheHouse

Revenant said:


> I like horror movies in general, particularly in the subgenres of ghosts, monsters, and zombies. And some I can't stand, either because 1-I find them yawningly stupid, contrived, and totally lacking in imagination, or 2-because I find them offensive. I'm not generally a fan of slasher flicks unless the emphasis is on characterization and suspense as opposed to splatter movies. Halloween was a slasher flick that oddly enough had damned near no blood in it; however it had a very sinister and scary boogeyman as the villain and a very likable and ordinary Survivor Girl.


I like some slasher films. I don't like it when people lump them all together, but maybe they deserve it. They're some of the most fun. I mean, a great story and interesting characters is really nice, but not every horror movie should be a depressing and boring slog like The Exorcist. I watch it every year or so because it's The Exorcist, but c'mon- it's not the most fun movie ever made.



Revenant said:


> Movies that focus on nothing but cruelty and sadism just irritate me. People raved and fawned over Hostel and I thought it was a piece of ****. Extremity does not automatically equal quality and it wasn't remotely original. Going for the squirm is good for a scene but in my opinion it shows lack of imagination if that becomes the entire basis for half of a movie. True, it came at a time when the horror genre had largely become a bit stale and dull but I didn't see that one as revitalizing it.


A time in the genre we're still smack-dab in the middle of.

I know what you mean about 'cruelty and sadism'. It worked very well in Wes Craven's The Last House on the Left. And my personal opinion is, after that, there's really not any reason to do it again. Unless there's a sound reason to. I honestly think Hostel had a truly brilliant premise. But it leaves a lot of room to interpret. First of all, Roth is Jewish. So there's clearly an element of the Holocaust to it. But if you know anything about young people going abroad, you hear a lot about naive kids being kidnapped and sold into sex-slavery and massage parlors and brothels, you name it. Which they call human trafficking. So I feel that that is in there to. But I don't think the film is a "wake-up call" to travelers and tourists. What I think it is is a punishment film about conformity. Even the people who hated this movie hated the characters. See what I mean? Most people hate it because they thought the characters didn't deserve to be tortured. But these are very hard-hearted times we're living in. And you have to hate these 3 guys, they are complete jerks. And even the cliched "nice guy" you expect to survive the movie conforms to using the prostitutes, picking fights with the guys in the club, and using homophobic slurs. So heck, I think it's a _great_ parable about acting like a jerk. It wasn't _that_ hard for me to watch these guys being tortured. But the problem with the torture genre is that none of the other movies have as much thought as Hostel had going into it.



Revenant said:


> I think what irritates me the most about horror movies is characters that don't act like real people at all. People who do totally stupid things or react to situations in ways that make no sense whatsoever just so they can set up the next scene. This is why I couldn't figure out why Cabin Fever was hailed as this masterpiece that totally breathed new life back into horror.


I have no idea what anyone saw in Cabin Fever. But if you look around, you'll see that not that many people are willing to call it a masterpiece anymore. They just go, "I liked it" and that's pretty much the end of it.



Revenant said:


> Granted, this is all personal preference. For all I bitch about cheeseball cliche horror flicks for some reason I just loves me some zombie movies. Even bad ones (though I get irritated with one thing that NO ONE ever addresses... the smell. Come across a 2-lb roadkill rabbit and from 10 feet the stench is so bad you have to cross the street. But a 6-foot, 180-lb mound of rotted human carrion comes shambling up behind someone and they don't even know he's there until they see it's shadow or reflection in front of them. Stupid. But god help me I still love 'em).


That's so amazing, _I never thought of that for a second_. Of course, in Lucio Fulci's Zombie, he pretty much fixed that problem. Either all the characters knew the zombies were coming or the ones that snuck up on them were freshly killed.



Revenant said:


> I guess every subgenre of movies has its debatable ones that people either love or hate based on what sort of stuff they like.


I nearly wholesale can't stand the ghost-horror subgenre. You could cover a year's worth of waffles with the sap that flows from just one of those movies. My respect for Poltergeist is starting to grow a bit now, but only now that I have the DVD and notice how much of the movie is taken over by the big special effects. I like that balance. It makes me buy into the family-drama angle a bit more.



Offwhiteknight said:


> Um, I guess I'm in the same boat as Osama...or is that Obama?


Was that supposed to be funny?  *I'm* voting for Obama. And I'm _damn_ proud of that decision. Sorry but some jokes are way beyond in-poor-taste.



Offwhiteknight said:


> Look, most classic horror films are really intended more as social commentary than anything else. Perhaps that's why modern horror films just don't get it? Guys like Rob Zombie love the monster and ignore the social commentary. Hell, you love the monster and you create a film that the average person can't relate to because your hero is actually also the villain in many ways.


A-ha!! Now here's where you're cooking. That is an _excellent_ point. And it's pretty much what I'm saying about today's horror. Of course, I think most horror films serve a purpose. There are a lot of hardcore-fans of the genre who will watch any horror film they can get their hands on and they find a way to enjoy even the _really_ bad films. I wouldn't want to take anything away from them.  I still feel like some of the worst horror films can deliver more than the worst films of any other genre.


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## spideranne

I like scary movies, which aren't always horror movies and some horror movies I don't find scary and so don't like them. And I have to admit that I don't get to see a lot of them, my husband hates them so we tend to pick other alternatives at the movies or video store that we'll both enjoy. What I usually end up doing is watching them when they come on TV. If the TV version is scary then I know I'll like it and will watch the full version. If the TV version has nothing to offer because they had to take everything out - then it's not worth it.


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## Fiend4Halloween

Horror movie fan here, LOVE the violence, plots...well they help, but how much of a plot does one need when being hacked to death with a machete, or to be even more creative, a .....chainsaw! Sure, the "B" movies are cheesy, but sometimes in my opinion, half of the fun is how corny the acting is, kinda like porn, nice to look at, cheesy storylines, but who cares!!!


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## Dr Morbius

The comparison of horror movies to porn is an interesting one. They both offer gratuitous entertainment...in different ways, one would hope! Although there are some movies that either come close or just downright combine the two, I think it's a fair comparison. I see as much point in complaining about the story lines in most slasher type horror movies as I see complaining about the story lines a porn film. It gets ridiculous at times.


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## Alice

I too hate horror films. Love Halloween love haunted houses but hate the movies. They scare the poo out of me. I've actually had to leave part way through some movies because I was so scared. I know its weird but I can't help it.


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## Fiend4Halloween

Dr Morbius said:


> The comparison of horror movies to porn is an interesting one. They both offer gratuitous entertainment...in different ways, one would hope! Although there are some movies that either come close or just downright combine the two, I think it's a fair comparison. I see as much point in complaining about the story lines in most slasher type horror movies as I see complaining about the story lines a porn film. It gets ridiculous at times.


 Thank you sir. =) :voorhees:


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## AzKittie74

I dig'em, all of them, the stupid big boobed blonde running up the stairs, the silly acting the gore the crappy make-up. I am addicted to them. I don't particularly like the new stuff to much like SAW and Black Christmas to name a couple but I will still watch haha, I can't seem to pull myself away from them no matter how stupid. I have gotten my best prop ideas from some lame scary movies! So in my book they are all worth watching.


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## Don of the Dead

Offwhiteknight said:


> Um, I guess I'm in the same boat as Osama...or is that Obama? .


Obama
Osama

The only diffrence? a little "bs"


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## Cauldron

I haven't read all this thread so I apologise if this has already been said, but if anyones trying to get into horror with what we have around at the moment they're going to have a difficult time of it, because the films we have coming up at the moment and within the past couple of years have been awful.
unoriginal, not that frightening and an over reliance on gore.
I love horror, but I despair at where we seem to be going at the moment.


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## Don of the Dead

Cauldron said:


> I haven't read all this thread so I apologise if this has already been said, but if anyones trying to get into horror with what we have around at the moment they're going to have a difficult time of it, because the films we have coming up at the moment and within the past couple of years have been awful.
> unoriginal, not that frightening and an over reliance on gore.
> I love horror, but I despair at where we seem to be going at the moment.


There has been some GREAT stuff come out the last few years.
Feast
The Descent
The Devils Rejects
Inside
Midnight Meat Train
Saw
Shaun of the Dead


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## Cauldron

Don of the Dead said:


> There has been some GREAT stuff come out the last few years.
> Feast
> The Descent
> The Devils Rejects
> Inside
> Midnight Meat Train
> Saw
> Shaun of the Dead


granted but it doesn't make up for the amount of sheer rubbish we've had either


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## tonguesandwich

I love horror movies and rubbish! I like bad movies as long as the FX is good. Could care less about the story unless the ending doesn't fit the characters..... then it just sucks.


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## DeadDudeintheHouse

Don of the Dead said:


> There has been some GREAT stuff come out the last few years.
> Feast
> The Descent
> The Devils Rejects
> Inside
> Midnight Meat Train
> Saw
> Shaun of the Dead


I haven't seen Shaun of the Dead or Feast, and the worm's starting to turn on The Descent, but those films are "great" by you (in your estimation)? Ouch. I sincerely have to say, "ouch."


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## Don of the Dead

DeadDudeintheHouse said:


> I haven't seen Shaun of the Dead or Feast, and the worm's starting to turn on The Descent, but those films are "great" by you (in your estimation)? Ouch. I sincerely have to say, "ouch."


I would love to be "blessed" with your idea of good horror.


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## DeadDudeintheHouse

Don of the Dead said:


> I would love to be "blessed" with your idea of good horror.


It ain't from this current decade, that's for sure (short of Ginger Snaps and a few precious Asian films).


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## Devils Chariot

Revenant said:


> ...though I get irritated with one thing that NO ONE ever addresses... the smell. Come across a 2-lb roadkill rabbit and from 10 feet the stench is so bad you have to cross the street. But a 6-foot, 180-lb mound of rotted human carrion comes shambling up behind someone and they don't even know he's there until they see it's shadow or reflection in front of them. Stupid. But god help me I still love 'em)..


I never thought about it, I guessed I thought they would smell like dirt.


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## Sinister

I had a long post that I was going to write, but then thinking it over, I decided to leave it alone. Suffice it to say, a lot of what it contained would be more than enough to have my ass kicked off this board once and for all. That being said, I will walk away from this one...shaking my head...muttering to myself...


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## Joiseygal

I love horror movies! The only problem with horror movies is that they feel that they have to have part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and so on and so on! When they have a good horror flick don't screw with it by having the movie go on until eternity!


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## Sinister

Joiseygal said:


> I love horror movies! The only problem with horror movies is that they feel that they have to have part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and so on and so on! When they have a good horror flick don't screw with it by having the movie go on until eternity!


I agree with you 200%. Sadly, what it all comes down to at the end of the day is money. If any Horror flick made serious bank at the box office, it _WILL_ spawn a sequel...or two...or three...


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