Since when did horror films become shock films?
BOO!
Once upon a time, a long time ago, horror films were actually spooky. They gave you chills down your spine.
Now, we have shock films. Where you total the number of gore and multiply it by the number of screams and you get the shock factor of a film. Of course, this doesn’t pertain to films that are meant to be shock films such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but films that were supposed to be scary only they turn out to be shock films.
Japan, Thailand and Korea are well known for their horror films. These films are thoroughly eerie and often explore new concepts. The only thing is, they’ve practically exhausted all avenues.
Let’s see; there’s One Missed Call for films on calls from beyond and how that missed call isn’t all that it seems.
Then, there’s the video spectre, the wig, the photograph/camera, the internet - practically any new phenomenon that hits mankind has been haunted. Good hauntings are such as The Skeleton Key which doesn’t come across as a conventional horror film but is chilly to the bone.
Awful films on the other hand, resorts to the usual shows and mirrors trick. But hey, we’ve seen this, heard about that and bought the video. As an audience, we’re starving for something new.
I guess that’s hard to come by considering every known horror trick is overused.
Which brings us to a few tricks that made audiences gasps when it first came out.
1) The Exorcist
Realism in events
The rumours that circulated after the film was released (?)
2) The Prince of Darkness
The eerie black crow came to signify bad things
The disgusting way the noodles turned to worms
3) A Nightmare on Elm Street
Kids. Anyone who watched while a kid remembers Freddy.
And besides - how hard it can be to get out of a dream is something that even adults relate to.
4) Dark Water (The original version)
The scene when the child holds the mother’s hand in the elevator.
And that other scene in the elevator.
5) The Blair Witch Project
Relied completely on rumours – and that worked perfectly. The film succeeded in creating anticipation all throughout the film – though the ending didn’t cut it for me.
6) What Lies Beneath
Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford are two veterans actors but they pull it off in this tale of marital unbliss. The similarity between Michelle Pfeiffer and that other girl nailed it.
7) The Skeleton Key
Good storyline, good pacing and brilliant actress.
When the ghost(s) appears – the audience is captured (at exactly the time and in the same way Kate Hudson’s character is caught in the web). Brilliant screenwriting.
That’s just some memorable scenes. Now, where did the good scary times go? Or did shock suddenly overtook all sense of horror?
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
I dont watch horror much at all, because it scares me and I dont like being scared by shock at all, so I have to say i see a great deal of truth in your statements here. I prefer a more psychological thriller that holds close to real events, just as you outline, although I havent seen half of these either... I did enjoy Premonition recently though.
Lilla ...
Horrorphile