I LOVE October. It's
a great time to be a movie fan, to say the least. Why? It's
Halloween, first and foremost.
Yes, I know I can't
go trick or treating anymore, but it's Saw month! Not only that,
we get a ton of different horror movies on DVD. If you're a
horror fan, October is the month for you. It's perfect. With all
that being said, it's kind of a lonely month. You see, I don't
have a lot of friends who understand my obsession with horror
films. In fact, they think I'm nuts for watching horror movies.
I actually wrote a column back in May on this website about how
it's so hard to find anyone to see a horror movie with me.
Horror fans are considered dirty, crazy, and weird. It's like
high school all over again. And it's no different this year. To
be truthful, I don't get it.
| Let's face it: It's only
a movie. It's not real life. After the movie is over, we
go back to our everyday life. I think people feel guilty
watching horror movies. It's like, "What? You like
watching people get tortured and killed?" It's not about
that. We don't get off on the violence in horror movies.
We like to be entertained with a strong narrative.
That's first and foremost. And, truthfully, it's fun to
be scared in a safe environment. We can yell, scream,
cry and get it out of our system, and we know it's only
a movie. It's the same with comedy. We like to laugh at
people doing stupid things, and then we walk out of the
movie, and we have dinner. Are we wrong for laughing at
them? No. It's only a movie. |
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What's also bizarre
is that we've seen worse from non-horror films. But if it's done
in a horror film, it's considered excessive and over-the-top.
Why is it OK to have violence in certain movies, but not in
others? I mean, look, I love Martin Scorsese, but his films are
bloody, graphic, and really intense. Yet, when Martin Scorsese
shows violence, he's considered a genius. But if it's done in a
horror film, it's torture porn or whatever you want to call it.
Why? I mentioned earlier how it's like High School in many ways,
and it's very true. The horror community is looked down on. It's
almost like there's Hollywood, and then there's the horror
community. I've read so many different interviews with so many
different actors, and they refuse to acknowledge that they got
their start in the horror genre. In fact, I just watched an old
movie with Brad Pitt from 1989 called Cutting Class. Honestly, I
thought it was pretty good! It had some very campy moments that
had me laughing out loud. If you went up to Brad Pitt and
mentioned Cutting Class, he would probably ignore you. Again,
I've never met Brad Pitt, so I could be wrong, but I don't think
it's high on his list. What's the big deal? It's only a horror
movie! It's not like you were in a porno or something. It's a
movie, and everybody's gotta start somewhere.
Personally, I've had the pleasure of interviewing many horror
directors and actors, and they're some of the nicest people in
the entire world. I'm serious. They're humble, dedicated, and
passionate. They also love movies. Have you ever been to a
horror convention? They sign every autograph and talk to every
fan. They appreciate the fans. You don't see A-list actors at
conventions talking to the fans, do you? You usually have to
deal with 500 agents and bodyguards, and you're lucky to get
within 100 feet of them. And if you do get a chance to talk to
them and possibly get an autograph, you better hurry up, because
you'll be lucky to get thirty seconds with them. Yes, that's the
world of Hollywood. Now, I understand it's a business and people
need their privacy, but you gotta give back to the people who
have helped you. The horror community knows all about that,
which is why horror fans are so dedicated. It's a two-way
street, and everybody wins. What's not to love about that,
right? It's all about giving back. You need to have that fan
interaction, so that the fans feel important and worthwhile. If
not, why are we spending money at the movies? If it's all for
you, why should we bother? We need to feel like we're a part of
the process. It sounds simplistic, but it's true. Why do you
think the Saw fans are so dedicated and passionate? They know
that the directors listen to them on the House of Jigsaw message
board. I don't know too many mainstream Hollywood directors who
do that, do you? No. They make their movie and if you don't like
it, too bad!
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I have a
couple of interesting examples for you that I'm sure
a lot of horror fans can relate to. I remember last
year when I went to Saw 3 with my friend, and my
friend's dad said, "Why are you paying money to see
that shit?" Again, has he seen any of the Saw films?
No. That's the maddening part about it. I don't mind
if someone says, "Well, that movie is not for me."
Again, I know horror films are not for everyone.
That being said, don't criticize us, because we
enjoy horror movies. That's elitist. And that drives
me up a wall. If you do want to criticize a horror
movie, at least watch the movie! That's a novel
idea, isn't it? I also remember when I went to my
Aunt's house, and my Uncle gave me a dirty look.
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Why? Because I
was wearing a Saw 2 t-shirt. I'll just say this: If looks
could kill, I'd be dead right now. I hate judgment, by god!
If people want to enjoy films by Kevin Smith, that's their
right. Personally, I'm not a big Kevin Smith fan, but I
don't yell at his fans. It's all a matter of opinion. But at
least I'll watch his movies and form my own opinion. I'll be
honest. I'd rather hear someone say, "Honestly, Tony, I
haven't seen the Saw films or the Hostel films. They're just
not for me." I would respect that. What I don't respect is
someone saying, "Saw sucks!" Umm, have you seen any of the
Saw films? "No! I just know they suck." Yeah, that's real
wise, isn't it? The moral of the story is this: If you
haven't seen the film, don't comment on it or form an
opinion on it. If you don't want to see it, that's fine as
well. Just be honest and use your brain, ya know?
What's the point of this long-winded rant? Well, I'm not
sure. I just want horror fans to know that they're not
alone, and there's nothing to be ashamed of. I want you to
enjoy October and see tons of horror films. I don't care if
you get weird looks from your friends, or if people think
you're bizarre. I'm not going to let them ruin my October.
Will horror ever get the respect that it deserves? Probably
not. But that's OK. Nothing can stop the horror genre. It's
survived a lot, and it always seems to bounce back. Where
will horror be in five years? That's a valid question. We've
seen a lot in the past couple of years with the Saw films
and the Hostel films. It's going to be hard to top that
level of violence. Plus, they're great stories. I just
wonder if we will one day see a straight up NC-17 horror
film in theaters. It seems impossible at the moment, because
it's a huge financial risk, but we shall see. Will
mainstream critics ever understand the horror genre? I doubt
it. They just focus on the gore and the blood, which is a
shame. Honestly, horror films have a lot more to offer than
that. You don't need to look any further than George Romero.
He's always had a lot of going on underneath the surface
with his movies. It's the same with the Saw films. There's a
message there about appreciating your life. It's the same
with Eli Roth and the Hostel films. There's always more than
meets the eye, and horror fans understand that. As long as
we know that, that's all that matters.
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