EVIL DEAD 2 is now featured on Turner Classic Movies… What does this say about the current state of horror? by DARK SIDE
I'll swallow your soul!!!!
You couldn’t get this movie for money or love on VHS between 1987 and the early 1990’s. If you caught it on late night cable, you got lucky. I went through serious moolah at SunCoast to get it. Seriously, I paid $30 for a tape of it just so I could VIEW IT FOR THE FIRST TIME. Now it’s considered a “Turner’s Classic.”
Here’s what I believe this means for horror… It’s an amazing film and was controversial no less than 18 years ago. Now it’s considered so tame, TCM is showing it unedited as we speak. Remember when this film had to be released unrated because it couldn’t get an R? The first “Evil Dead” got an rating of X. Now it’s considered TCM material. I don’t know how to feel about that.
“Evil Dead 2″ is considered “Spook-A-Blast.” Basically a “Three Stooges” version of a horror film which Sam Raimi has perfected over the years. He uses the same techniques in his “Spider-man” films to give it comic book feel. Next he has “Drag Me to Hell” which definitely qualifies as “Spook-A-Blast,” but will it look dated and passe in this modern age?
What’s the next step in horror? Zombies aren’t dominating the genre anymore. Torture porn is on it’s way out. The handheld video camera genre of horror films are still around and while I’m still fascinated by them, many people seem tired of that already. The only genre films that seems to be making $$$ are the *shudder* remakes.
I haven’t seen anything better than French Horror films lately. They’ve pushed the limits better than anything America could muster in the past 10 years. Thailand, Spain, Sweden are also still doing well. Japan’s done. America… not looking so great.
I suppose I’ll make a prediction: If “Drag Me to Hell” fails to bring back Spook-A-Blast, I’m guessing the only revolutionary work we’ll see in horror will be in clever indie films, French films and French directors crossing the pond in an attempt to revolutionize American horror.
So sayeth Dark Side.
Anyone else have an any predictions on the future of horror? Will Bollywood step up? Keen on werewolves? Out with it!
CLICK TO VISIT COOP'S PARANORMAL/HORROR SITE...
Click on the hilarious-looking lamb (he still makes me laugh) to access a great directory of the best independent movie blogs on the web!
Seems to me that horror suffers more from cyclicality than any other genre. Every ten years or so, horror leaps to forfront of the theatrical conscience for a brief shining moment before receding quietly back into the shadows. It seems to me that the time is right for a revival of cinematic werewolves. They seem to have endured the longest drought — not being decently portrayed since “The Howling” series petered out. “Cursed” with Chritina Ricci was dreadful and the “Underworld” movies, while flashy, are too Ann Rice meets Def Lepard for my taste. Let’s get back to bad ass, back woods, ill-tempered shape shifters; lycanthropes who exist to terrorize the masses rather than whiney cross-dressing goths who bitch, lament and wax poetic about how vampires get all the great women. Anyway, that’s what I think.
Right on! I love me a good werewolf movie and the subgenre has definitely been lacking lately. Ever see an interesting one called “Bad Moon” by Eric Red? It’s unique in that the family dog is the hero and main character of the movie as the only member of the family to realize the visiting uncle is actually (dum, dum dummmmmm!!!!) a werewolf.
Hmm… I see a “Bad Moon” renting.