What Happened to Horror?

This blog post contains spoilers for 'Scary Movie 3' (2003) and 'The Ring' (2002) The 'Scary Movie' franchise has divided opinions on comedy for over 20 years, beginning with the release of 'Scary Movie' way back in 2000 when we were first introduced to ditsy Cindy, the protagonist of the film, and also the following four sequels. While some people express scorn at their favourite horror films being mocked and portrayed in a silly way, some love the idea of adding a touch of comedy to lighten the mood around the seriousness of horror films and thrillers. This is especially apparent in the 'Scary Movie' franchise as almost every moment is silly or cringe-worthy, with critics either tearing it apart or deciding it's fun to watch when you're bored enough.  While I wouldn't necessarily call 'Scary Movie 3' (2003) a remake of 'The Ring' (2002), the spoof film does quite a good job in emulating both the costume design and se

This blog post contains spoilers for 'IT' (1990) and 'IT' (2017) It can be difficult to convince any horror fans that any kind of remake could ever be better than the original, often fans will put their favourite cult classics on a pedestal and demand all remakes be banned immediately. The 'IT' series reboot was controversial among fans of the series, the fact it was adapted from a Stephen King novel only added to this controversy as this added even more loyal fans having their say on why it was a horrible idea.  However, I went into the 2017 remake with an open mind. While I admit there have been several remakes of other classics that terrified me in more ways than cheap jump scares (looking at you 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' circa 2010), I couldn't help but enjoy the new 'IT' film. I struggled to even compare the two films in my head as I watched as I felt as though I was watching a totally different franchise, perhaps this was due to the s

This blog post contains spoilers for 'Scream' (1996) When the film 'Scream' hit cinemas in 1996, it introduced a new genre of horror that hadn't been explored before; the kind that actually poked some fun at the genre itself. 'Scream' took a satirical angle of the slasher genre, exploring refreshing self-awareness and what is now known as the 'rules of horror.' The rules are discussed by the characters in comedic fashion, based entirely off tropes created by slashers of horror-past such as 'Nightmare on Elm Street', 'Friday the 13th' and 'Halloween'.  'Scream' is famous for the false protagonist trope, which added to the originality of the film itself but also made it so much more fun for the viewers. If the girl in the actual poster for the film, A-list actress Drew Barrymore, can die within the first ten minutes of the film, then how was any character going to be safe? 'Scream' challenged the seasoned horror-

This blog post contains spoilers for 'Child's Play' (1988) and 'Child's Play' (2019). When the first 'Child's Play' hit the screens in 1988; we were first introduced to Chucky; the little killing machine in the shape of a lovable doll. The child protagonist Andy Barclay receives the doll as a gift, who eventually reveals himself as a serial killer named Charles Lee Ray trapped in the body of the doll and hoping to take over the body of Andy to continue his spree. The original film took a fairly stoic stance on the killings, Chucky was rarely actually observed moving or running around, or even killing for that matter. The chilling energy he exuded was mostly through suggestion, perhaps adding to the scare factor and effectiveness of the film as a whole. The lack of animation of Chucky for most of the runtime made the viewer wonder if it really was Chucky committing these crimes, or had young Andy Barclay just gone on a mad killing spree himself.  Of c

    This blog post contains spoilers for 'Halloween' (1978) and 'Halloween' (2018) The phrase the 'boogie man' may make you think of a number of different things, such as imaginary childhood fears of an unknown threat in the wardrobe or shadowy figures lurking in the dark. However; for many, the 'boogie man' conjures the image of Michael Myers; the slow-walking serial killer that takes centre stage in many, many films of the 'Halloween' franchise.  In this instance, I'm only going to be discussing the effects of the original 1978 film 'Halloween' and how it compares to the 2018 sequel of the same name. I am choosing to ignore the previous eight (Yes, eight ) sequels as quite frankly so did the 2018 film, and for good reason.  The 2018 film picks up 40 years after the original, a cinematic choice to 'tidy up' the storyline as a new horizon was created for the characters and to stamp out any confusion created by previous storyli