Is it me or does it seem like horror films are dominating movie theaters lately? Really I think they’ve been dominating for the past 80 years, but they never seem to stay in theaters long enough for people to see them. I’d say there are more bad horror flicks than good, and usually the good ones churn out so many bad sequels that it diminishes the original work. And no, I’m not just talking about the recent onslaught of gore porn that’s been “torturing” us every Halloween. That’d require an entirely different essay. Really though, why have there been 12 Friday the 13th movies (including Jason X and Freddy vs. Jason) and soon-to-be 9 A Nightmare on Elm Street’s? Big up to new Freddy Krueger Jackie Earle Haley . The guy’s been in everything since costarring in Little Children back in 2006, which was his first after a 13 year hiatus from acting. Anyone remember Kelly Leak from The Bad News Bears?
Anyway, my point is that the recent downturn in the economy has drastically affected Hollywood to the point that producers have shut down numerous projects that would have been green-lit 10 years ago based off of a big star and intriguing script. Producers are now opting to make the “fly-by-nightclubs” of the movie world—the horror film.
It’s funny how history repeats itself. During the Golden Age of Hollywood (1930-1950), Universal found itself struggling to make money as a result of the Great Depression. With nothing to lose, it took a chance by filming and releasing Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1931. After the success of the film, Universal produced Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Wolfman, and other horror classics. “Universal was attracted to the horror because of the low costs of production. Screenplays were cheap to develop…film stars…never commanded the salaries of the luminaries of comedy or the western,” and “the horror genre could make efficient use…of existing studio sets and thus save thousands of dollars in basic production costs (Weaver, Tamborini, 55 & 56). It’s been nearly 80 years since Universal introduced audiences to the horror genre, but the same basic ideas are being applied to the genre today. Check out James B. Weaver, III, and Ron Tamborini’s Horror Films: Current Research on Audience Preferences and Reactions for more information on the horror genre.
Paranormal Activity, featuring a first time director and no name stars, has already earned over $40 million dollars domestically after being produced for the ridiculously low $11 thousand. Hollywood producers employ the same methods not out of necessity for lack of money, but because it’s good business.
The most successful horror films of 2009 so far, which include My Bloody Valentine, the Friday the 13th remake (proving franchises can just start over after running out of ideas), Drag Me To Hell, and The Final Destination all feature no-name casts and budgets that didn’t exceed $40 million. Faithful fans of the Friday the 13th and Final Destination franchises were lured back to theaters, while others may have been enticed by the recent return of 3-D.
A loyal fan base and 3-D vision still doesn’t explain why so many fans pour into theaters in hopes of experiencing a few frights for two hours. Obviously, viewers like the idea of being scared without actually being in danger. Also, today's fans have come to embrace crazed killers and beings in horror for the same reason American audiences embrace gangster movies—the antihero. Fans want to see the new traps Jigsaw has set for his victims, how inventive Freddy will be in killing a fresh batch of teenagers (shout out to the girl Freddy turned into a cockroach), and they want to see how Michael Myers will cheat death again (already shot, blown up, electrocuted, etc.) These killers were rejected by the world around them. Freddy was burned by neighbors, lifeguards let Jason Voorhees drown, Michael Myers was sent to a mental institution, and I guess Jigsaw felt underappreciated (I haven’t seen all of the 4th Saw movie yet). Horror film antiheroes, much like gangsters in gangster films, represent triumph through adversity and rebelling against the system that tried to restrain them.
Maybe I’m reaching too far, but I’ve got to tie this together some way. I’ve read other hypothesis which argued the exact opposite. Scholars have said that the characters I mentioned represent the oppressors of today, while the victims who try to fight them off represent the rebellion. Tell that to the students at Carrie’s senior prom.
Here’s a few of my must see horror movies:
Communism anyone?
So what if it rips off The Goonies
Better than the original
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This essay is great. Your personality really comes out. You even get a little sassy. I like it, and I appreciate the casual, conversational tone. It fits the topic.
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