User blog comment:Nommehzombies/Horror Films?/@comment-6682237-20130224042547

The biggest problem I have with modern horror is that too many film makers are trying to turn them into series. We saw the release of a fourth Paranormal Activity movie, and if Wikipedia is anything to go by, they are planning a fifth movie. To me, that just isn't right. It's true that some story lines are capable of spanning an entire series, but you rarely see those kinds of story lines in modern horror.

There's also the fact that many modern horror movies go off of the idea that "Gory is Scary." I want to say this trend took off heavily after the Saw films came out, but it may have started earlier. I'm not really sure. This is not to say, however, that Gorror is bad. The thing is, gorror is intended to make the viewer go "Wow, that is some really disturbing imagery. Pretty F'd up if you ask me," rather than, "Oh my god, that is so terrifying." Going back to the Saw films, the draw that they had was all the messed up ways people could die and, to some extent, a statement towards how far a person would go to survive.

Jump Scares seem to be taking off as well, though that may be more in video games than actual films. I don't mean to say that Jump Scares are bad, just overused. A Jump Scare is something that should be used sparingly. I feel it's better for the viewer to fill in the blanks. A person's mind is capable of providing darker thoughts and images than anything the creator can show them. I would like to say the method of "Show don't Tell" would be better, but in the case of film it might be better to say "Imply don't Show."

Admittedly, my perception of horror movies might be a little skewed after watching B-movie after B-movie - I don't know why I torture myself like that - but the point still stands. Modern Horror has decreased in quality. It might rise again to create classics that last through the ages, but only if we teach future filmmakers that Gorror isn't necessary, Jump Scares aren't everything, and film is about putting your vision on the big screen, not dragging out a series unnecessarily.

That being said, I personally like the original Scream movie, but that's more because it was partially a parody of slasher films. I also like the original Night of the Living Dead, as well as Marble Hornets, though that may be more like a television series than a movie.

Alright, long rant over, on with the comments.