Slick, shiny predictable product! Today's horror, most if not all, is just product. How many horror remakes have you seen come out in theatres in the past year? All of wich seem to be gorier or more "suspenseful" rehashes of the original.

If you are older then ten and have seen a horror movie before, there is little that these movies offer other than mindless murder cheaps scares and scenes that attempt to be disturbing. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy mindless as much as the next twenty year old, but these remakes are getting ridiculous. Horror was once intriguing as well as scary and was fueled by creativity and a love for the macbre and supernatural, not the money. Today's horror movies are just refined parodies of themselves and, for the most part bring nothing of their own to the table except the oppurtunity to lure a younger greener audience tp view a polished reproduction of a older and usually better movie experience.

Does anybody have anything truly original and horrifying to offer? Rob zombie is remaking Halloween and what I thought for a brief second would be interesting was quickly ruined when, seeing the trailer before Grindhouse, I realized that it was just going to be some gorey twisted re-envisioning of Michael Myers that would make him more like Leatherface than the faceless, soulessly evil killer that he originally was. It's different and I am sure plenty will flock to see it, but why?

This sucks. I have not cared to see a horror movie (parodies such as Grindhouse excluded) in years, And would rather just rewatch the original horror movies I love than lend my money and patronage to this shiny new garbage.

Watch what you want, like what you want, but don;t ask me if I saw or liked the new Omen, Halloween, or Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

modern stuff just don't scare u like they used too. all the movies that scared me as a kid were the 80's slasher's. it seems like movies today go for who has the most gore. u can be the bloodiest movie on the list but that doesn't mean ur gonna scare ppl. u gotta have stuff that make u jump. quit followin the classic make u jump stuff and get creative. like no more jumpin from around a corner, or dead body behind a closed door. that's old and ppl know to expect that stuff in scary movies. time for somethin new ppl.

Argento's The Third Mother is coming out, that is probably the first horror film that I am highly anticipating, something I have not done for a horror film in a long time.

What we have in the horror industry is plain ol' GREED. Let's see make a PG-13 horror movie and make money. Have a cast of television stars. Make movies that are not your own vision. There is a BIG difference of remaking to retelling. Right now I have no opinion on Rob's retelling of Halloween. But I have to say based on his other movies...he does have talent.

Getting back to the dismal industry. There has always been ups & downs for horror movies. Sometimes you have to weed out the bad.

While I agree with most views posted already, I feel that those in charge of making Horror movies seem to think that TORTURE is the big new thing.

You have movies like Saw and Hostle that I guess are popular with people, but of what age group? Teens? I can't imagine anyone who grew up with 80's Horror enjoying these new types of movies.

While the acting in the 80's might have been bad (Horror movies), at least the stories being told were easy to understand and kept you entertained. Today, the Horror films have even worse acting and try to make up for the garbage story with pretty special effects. Whatever. Not to mention you don't have any new ideas, just a bunch of remakes. I guess the only new idea Hollywood could think of is the Torture angle.

At least Science Fiction films are still sticking to what works with movies like "Terminator" and "Matrix".

I agree. Every horror/scifi/thriller movie I watch, I always can pick the killer, know who will be killed, mostly what order the killing will happen, and pretty much step by step what will happen. I want a movie that I can't get untill the end. One with that big suprise you didn't see coming. The kind you have to watch again to soak it all in. One that desn't fallow the "rules."
Has anyone see The Prestige? now I can say that one did get me. Not a horror but good thriller.

Annie nailed it! PG13 and profit is the problem.Movies are just not aimed at adults anymore. PG13 has become a major crisis, or to be less dramatic, pain in the ass!
I am actually looking forward to Zombies take on Halloween. At least we know his taste and style. He is no PG13 poser.

i think one of the most ANNOYING things about Modern Horror is the fact that they cant find anything new. All the ideas have been done before, or they are taking great classics and redoing them and turning them into pieces of shit. Everybody is praising "Disturbia" when its just Rear Window. A wonderful Hitchock Classic that they had to ruin. I really dont understand what is up with Hollywood today but they need to get some better stories rather then ruining perfectly good ones.

I agree with all of these posts. Modern day horror (if you can call it that) is completely visual. Special effects are more important than a well developed story that makes your skin crawl and your soul tremble.

Those flicks that don't over do it on the s/e's try to make up for it with these cheesy endings that are supposed to have a "twist". But to the trained horror fan, the endings are far from surprising. They tend to be predictable and disappointing. And we all know the "twist" is really just a "set up" for the lame sequel that is to follow.

I hope things will change, but I think that Annie is right. Its all about the money...not the quality. And that's too bad

Yeah, it's not what's wrong with modern horror but what's wrong with modern horror filmmakers. A lot of things still scare the shit out of me, but most people making movies don't touch on those things.

Movies are created based on what poeple and by people i meen teenages want to see and teenages today want to see gore. They want to see things that just make u go wtf. IDK wat movies u are refeing to as to gorey but movies like hostle and saw are great movies yes they have alot of gore but real life murders also have alot of gore. The best part about these movies is that your next door niehbor could be hang people in there living rooms with the intestenes and if u never see in the house how are u gonna know. People have to think of things like these movies show other wise how would these movies be able to show them. Gore is the basic part of every horror movie. blood and guts is very disturbing and that is what teenagers today want don't see the movie if u don't like gore but in todays world everyone ask more and i for one love gore. But not al gore he could use some cencoring hes like al boar

I have to agree, most of the horror movies that I have seen in the last couple of years are not scary, not original, and frankly, boring.
I have to say that the best movies with more original plots I've seen are The Grudge, Final Destination( although the sequels are carbon copies of the original) and Rest Stop.

I loved Argento's Inferno and I was actually starting to think that he retired or died, but that's because i'm clueless as to what's outside my bubble. It's col that he's going to have his daughter in it, too, things kind of coming full circle.

I completely agree with the PG-13 angle. I see it all the time and not with just horror. They do it with a lot of 'adult themed' movies and it is very irritating. They did it to The Punisher, which was clearly a mistake, and they did it to Ghost Rider which is understandable but still unnecessary. I see little kids and I mean young like six and belown in R rated movies constantly. Now I don't agree but it happens and that's the parents choice, though I think people who do that are irresponsible and idiotic. And know it's not okay or justifiable you can wait till they're at least old enough to undrstand the point, if any, of the horrorific violence. Any way they take somethiing that is clearly not designed for a younger audience and than cut it so they can stamp PG-13 on it, so they can scrounge up some more money at the box office.

Oh, and I am not trying to knock Rob Zombie I watched and like both House of 1,000 Corpses, and The Devil Rejects for what they are(The Devil's Rejects is better). I'm just saying they are adapting it to his style and not much else, essentially so they can attract a younger audience to see it for the first time and getting the old fans to come and see it again$$$. I don't think it's going to be much more than a gorier take on the original, but it would be nice to be wrong.

Hitchcock is amazing and I thought the exact same thing when I saw the trailer for Disturbia. North by Northwest is my favorite, for now.

Another thing that's wrong with horror is that most movies don't use a really creepy, suspenseful score to go along with the action. They use the latest pop-punk crap by MTV TRL flavors of the month. Halloween, F13, Carrie, Tourist Trap, NOES, and the early horrors relied on either classical or original composed electronic scores that set the mood for the movie. Now when someone gets chased, you hear Sum 41 or techno rave stuff in the background. That is not scary people!

With all these complaints, it's no wonder those who want good horror have turned to other countries to get their fix (although the long-haired ghost girls from Asia have worn thin too).

I just hate the current trend of remaking movies and turning them into either super gory pablum, when the original wasn't, or turning it into a watered-down PG-13 piece of crap, when the original wasn't, so that the text-messaging teenagers will flock to this offal under the deluded misconception that it's "SO SCARY!"

I think this is because people have become desensitized from the overload of gore in horror movies.

Also many modern horror movies are about serial or sadistic killers rather than true monsters like Frankenstein, Wolfman, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I like my buckets of gore like many others. However, I also like those movies that build with plot and good characterizations such as "Rosemary's Baby" and the original "Stepford Wives".

Styles come and go. I've seen it happen many times and it will continue to happen.

Sooner or later, when people are so glutted on mindless plots that feature mostly buckets of gore, when the writers run out of ingenius new ways to maim and torture their characters, you'll see a turnaround and the style will go back to more cerebral, psychological horror.

Modern horror puts to much focus on gore, special effects, twists. Which of course are all important, but what is more important is atmosphere, realism (as far as felling that the place in the movie is somewhere close), and simplicity. When audiences are not easily shocked because stuff we see on the news is scarier then the movies we rent, then that's where I feel old movies are better they don't have that high quality feel about them which i think sets the mood for creepiness, just in my opinion the houses were spookier then, the scenery, the characters, just everything.

My main problem with them is that if they have to keep remaking classic horror movies, at least they could stop making a mess out of them.

Even the best of them such as "The Omen" or "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" are fine but can't touch the originals so why do they keep bothering?

I'm also tired of these invisible ghosts that everyone runs around screaming about, people landing in bathtubs from another dimension covered in slime and babbling and pictures that I just can't make sense out of but everyone around me is raving about.

Does this make sense to anyone else?

The stupid remakes shows the generation that lacks imagination and originality. They'd rather make a few bucks off someone else's idea then take the time to think up thier own.

I think all of today's movies lack originality. Seems we've had summers full of remakes the past few years.
I also agree with another poster on the torture angle. Horror is not about another individuals suffering...in graphic detail. I think it's desensitizing in a way...and that scares me...I feel the same about rape in a lot of these films...I can tell when it's coming.
That's why I love the horror of the 60's-80's. I grew up on the original Night of the Living Dead...the Fog...Swamp Thing and Evil Dead. It's not all about what you see...something to be said for leaving it to one's imagination...makes it even scarier!

I have to agree with that! Most remakes don't need to be. I will admit it would be nice to see updated versions of some movies but not movies that are already perfect ie: TCM, The Omen, Dawn of the Dead. You do need to keep an open mind and sift through the garbage and find the diamonds! A lot of them are coming from overseas! I found Wolf Creek to be a pretty good original throwback to the gritty slashers of the late 70's early 80's and of course Asian Cinema is putting out some really great stuff - Grudge, Ringu, Phone, Infection, 3 Extremes, Marebito and I absolutely adored A Tale of Two Sisters. There is the french Haute Tension (High Tension), that was pretty darned original if you ask me. Let's face it, you really have to weed through trash and look at a lot of indy horror and once in a while ie: (Love Object, Mad Cowgirl, Dead Creatures, Zombie Honeymoon) you will find hope in the imaginations of budding young filmmakers!

Uh Oh! Don't get me started on rape! Sexploitation in much more graphic detail came from the 70's! Not to mention Last House on the Left, I Spit on Your Grave! Again that stuff is really tamed down nowadays! At least in the nudity department! Again all the horror coming down the pike is like everyone is saying PG-13!

A Tale Of Two Sisters is one of the best horror movies of the past ten years, maybe even more than that. What a creepy little film.

You all have great answers, but maybe we should narrow it down more:

What drives remakes, rehashes, stupid torture movies with no feeling, etc..

Money

What's wrong with horror is that the big studios are making most of the horror that we see, and they make it because they want profit.

Indie horror filmmakers say this is a great time because equipment is cheap and we can go out and film whatever we want, but with cheap equipment comes a bunch of cheap, shitty product. Even if a good low budget film comes out, it usually gets caught up in the wave of shit being produced.

Gone are the days when Hooper, Craven, Raimi, Romero, etc.. can take a 16mm camera and make a smart, horrifying movie that's one of a kind and with a gritty, realistic feel. It's still possible for these movies to come out, but a lot of people are trying to make slick movies for some reason.

Creep factor is way high on that movie, I actually think it is the best that Asian cinema has to offer up until now and probably not enough people have seen it! It far surpasses The Grudge on scary!

I recall the rape scenes in the Hills Have Eyes and Last House on the Left...and I also recall the boobs galore from the 80s...
Just saying I could do without the torture and the rape...period...

It's all about the allmighty dollar bill! The large studios do not care about product. They are making the movies and my gut tell me that even when they have a good script, talented director that they are the ones injecting how it is to be done! I seriously doubt any of them that are backed by big studios have full creative liscense! The studios are calling the shots and as everyone said they are marketing to teens and twentysomethings and the studios believe that their target audience doesn't have the brains to tell the difference between what's actually good and creative and original to what is simply watered down, slick CGI!

Full frontal on a lot of the shlock cinema! Imagine what kids would think today about all that stuff that we grew up on!

The thing is, maybe the majority of teens and twenty-somethings don't have the brains to comprehend more than slick cgi and torture. I'd like to think that's not true, but almost everyone I run across has a terrible taste in movies and only likes ones that are new and cool with lots of cgi effects and popular people. I hate my peer group.

The worst part about that is that what I said is true! They seriously believe the youth and young adults in our country simply have no brains! Well guess what? They are giving them the greenbacks! They come out of the U.S. version of Pulse with cute little Kristen Bell after they've given up the cash, squealing and Oh My God, that was so scary! Tell all your friends! blah blah blah! They're putting up with it and buying into it! I think if some big studio was calling my generation stupid! I'd stop giving them the money until they could come up with a better product!

That's why I refuse to go to the theater to see any of this shit! I'll catch on DVD! (copied) lol! No seriously that is why people like me and possibly me are happy to sift through all the independent garbage. Just so we can find that possible Raimi, Romero, Carpenter again! And they are out there!

They sure are... maybe right here...

Nah, my work is nowhere near there's now. But maybe with practice I'll get better. I emmulate Bunuel and Bergman more than those guys though.

Those are great directors to emmulate however, I'm not sure your generation is ready for the likes of you then! Gone are the days of loving Robert Altman and people like Bergman! You are really going to have to sell the shit out of yourself! Keep at it though and don't cave to some bigwig sitting in a plush leather chair, gazing at ya with that empty look on his face while he's tabulating the non-money he's going to make unless he changes your movie!

That's why I'll probably be a starving filmmaker

maybe but think positive! Besides what's wrong with being a starving filmmaker? Better than not making your films at all if that's what you want to do and doing it your way! That's what is important! Your vision!

Now now, don't fret astralpictures! There's always ramen noodles, right?

I hear ya bro.

Oh man, I lived on Ramen noodles and Spaghettios when I lived in LA. Noooo thanks.

How about a bacon cheeseburger or a chicken sandwich instead?

Now you're talkin business my friend.

I have the same problem. Everybody seems to like whatever slick garbage is being shoved down thier throats this week or they cling to the AFI top 100 because they don't have any taste or knowledge of film.

In High School I used to catch matinees with my dad almost every Sunday, even if it was to go see something we knew would probably suck. Now, every once and awhile he'll call and see if there's anything good out. The last Sunday matinee I went to was The Departed and that was after a six month break.

But I am looking forward to Spider-Man 3 and 28 Weeks Later. Who doesn't love zombies?

This all started with films that were good, but people call "great". Cinema such as Friday the 13th, Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street. While these were all good films, they started the "gore movement" that so many movies are doing today. It's all about topping the last gore flick instead of going for the scare. That's why I can't place those movies anywhere near the top of the list when naming horror movies. The old classics had these beat every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Movies like Frankenstein, Dracula and The Wolfman were 10 times scarier at first viewing than most new films are, it's just that the new films set up the scare with sound and gore. They go for the immediate scare instead of building a plot. A quiet scene followed by something jumping out of the shadows, or someone peering around in the dark to have a cat jump out. Simply lame devices to get a cheap thrill.

The Hollywood system is set up to generate a lot of derivative crap. Someone comes along and does something amazing and original and unique, and if it makes money the studios will try to cash in on it by churning out a lot of copycat films, unoriginal imitations of the original.

The concerns of art have to be balanced with the concerns of money. Artists have to eat. But when money becomes the prime motivation, the art suffers.

YES I SAW THE PRESTIGE AND I DID NOT SEE THAT ONE COMING! THATS THE KIND OF MOVIE I LOVE! ONE THAT KEEPS YOU GUESSING ALL THE WAY THROUGH, ALSO THE ILLUSIONIST IS A GOOD ONE TO CHECK OUT!!!

UC! Nice to see you here man. I agree, the cat jumping out type of scare is so lame. Some people see films like Frankenstein after watching all of this torture stuff and get so desensitized that they don't appreciate an actual good movie.

I agree that today's horror movies are not what they used to be. It is gorror not horror. How many times do you have to see someone get ripped open and gush blood in a movie today? I think some of the older movies used psychological motives to scare people, like When a Stranger Calls (the original) but today its all about the blood and guts. My kids think the older movies are cheesy but they were scary, I think that todays movies are just gross. The older ones played on your mind and your fears, if only the horror directors could make movies like that again, but no there is too much money in gorror!

Going back to what I said earlier about money controlling modern horror, it makes me think that what's really wrong with modern horror is us, the audience. Maybe not our small minority here, but the majority of film-going people still put down good money to see these crap-fests of over-simplified torture and action. As long as we (the collective "we" as an audience) keep buying tickets, studios will keep putting out shit and filmmakers will keep making it, because they have to eat too (and drive BMWs to the spa).

One thing that is really different is that now they cast well-known and good-looking actors and actresses from these TV teen soaps. I actually prefer watching unknowns or actors and actresses that aren't "perfect looking" in horror movies because I can relate to the characters more.

Months ago, I watched "Cursed" and the whole time, I was saying to myself "I'm not watching a story about a girl and her brother trying not to turn into werewolves, I'm watching Christina Ricci not trying to turn into a werewolf, and hey, it's Pacey from Dawson's Creek acting like a jerk. I guess Hollywood thinks if they don't use well-knowns, nobody will go see the movie. But Halloween, F13, and NOES used unknowns, and look how well those movies did. Horror movies are horror movies, no matter who stars in them. Indie horror is going strong, and there are no famous faces there.

To many jump cuts!