First things first, I am not a horror fan. I have not seen every horror film, and based on the few I’ve seen in recent years, I am unlikely to watch more. Am I alone in the observation that the old movies were better?
Hitchcock’s Psycho, quite possibly the mother of modern horror, still ranks first in most lists. (Referring to it as a “mother” was unintentional but fitting.) Has every horror movie since Psycho been a loose copy?
The pace has changed. The last time I watched Psycho with teenagers, they wanted to fast-forward through the driving scenes. I was asked, “How long do we have to watch her drive?” My answer was, “Until she gets there.” Perhaps this part of the typical classic no longer provides the suspense it once did for an audience that seems to have more free time.
Some will argue with me, but the older horror movies had more complex storylines. Take any adaptation of a Stephen King novel as an example.
Somewhere along the line, disgust became confused with fear. Graphic scenes of blood and guts have their place in horror, of course, but they aren’t scary. Is the point of a horror movie to frighten the audience or nauseate them?
CGI is amazing, but its unbelievability also seems to make horror films less effective.
There is a possibility that the audience has evolved without me. When Halloween rolls around, I’ll be watching something made before 2000 until someone convinces me otherwise. Suggestions?
