Horror films often push the envelope when it comes to subject matter. Horrible things must be dealt with if they are going to horrify; it only makes sense. Last House on the Left is the first American film to portray graphically brutal rape. There are countless films about family members killing family members. Even a parent attempting to kill their child—a la The Omen—has been done. Horror movies have been blamed for years for desensitizing the youth and making murder, torture, and other unpleasantries look cool or appealing. Is there anything that is off limits, something so awful and damaging that it cannot be put on screen? Is there a subject matter that won’t be broached because it would be in to poor of taste? If so, what? While you are pondering this question, pop in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)—I hear it is the 35th anniversary of the film—and pay attention as an overweight, handicapped, arguably developmentally disable or emotionally disabled young man gets slaughtered. Also pay attention to the fact that you are glad he is finally dead. Happy Turkey Day you sick, sick people.

What is horror? Aside from the way it is marketed and what IMDB tells us, how do we define a horror film? Do the films simply have to frighten us or at least have the purpose of frightening to be horror? In that case Braindead a.k.a. Dead Alive shouldn’t be considered horror, though it is generally accepted as such. What do we do with the Evil Dead trilogy? They are more about slapstick comedy (especially the last two) than scares, yet they are usually found in the horror section of the video store. Netflix has Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness categorized as horror. Can any movie that deals with the supernatural that has a serious tone be considered horror? As utterly horrifying as it is, Ghost (yes the one with Patrick Swayze (R.I.P.), I cannot believe I am referencing this) is not a horror flick. I know that the line that is supposed to be toed is that categories don’t matter. While there is some validity to this argument, I cannot totally abide by it because I run a HORROR site.  Read more... (506 words, estimated 2:01 mins reading time)

Word is that The Exorcist is becoming a miniseries. Click here to read more.

Even more than usual, there is a spate of apocalyptic films coming out this month. 2012, The Collapse (An indie documentary predicting the end of the world as we continue to exploit the Earth), and The Road are all being released to theaters this month. 2012, which was released just this past Friday, brought in $60+ million and scathing reviews. It has enough explosions and CGI to engross the most ardent of ADHDers, but what is the social commentary that it is providing.  Read more... (345 words, 1 image, estimated 1:23 mins reading time)

There is a little-known Australian flick that came out several years ago, though I have only come across it recently. Alexandra’s Project offers a horrific insight into the nightmarish possibilities of suburban domesticity. Its raw, unflinching, and unapologetic crassness play on some of the worst fears that the insecure creatures known as married men have. This film takes the rotten core of a troubled relationship and exposes it to the person oblivious of problems within the marriage, the husband. It is a warning to men that the person you are taking for granted might be capable of far more than you have given her credit for. While you are fantasizing about other women and thinking about how great your life could be without the responsibility of a wife and kids, she may be plotting an absolutely devastating and destructive revenge.  Read more... (550 words, 1 image, estimated 2:12 mins reading time)

Fast zombies or slow zombies? While Romero has created the modern zombie (though the word zombie is never used in Night of the Living Dead) there has obviously been some deviation from the archetype in the last several years. 28 Days Later helped to introduce the world to the fast-moving zombie. There is just one problem with that—there were no zombies in 28 Days Later. They were humans infected with a Rage Virus. They were able to move fast because not only weren’t they dead, but they were filled with uncontrollable anger. Zombies by definition do not emote. Nonetheless, from that point on, however, zombies became very quick and agile.  Read more... (414 words, 1 image, estimated 1:39 mins reading time)

With vampires being the latest creature to find rejuvenated popularity in horror, one must wonder what the next trend will be. I propose that the latest film in the Twilight Saga will be a nice segue into newfound popularity of the werewolf. Not since the mid-eighties with Michael J. Fox dancing on top of his buddy’s van in Teen Wolf have the opportunities for the lycanthropes been so good. Sure, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans attempted this very feat, and the werewolf has never really disappeared from the genre, it will take a blockbuster like The Twilight Saga: New Moon to really reintroduce the hairy ones back into pop culture.  Read more... (283 words, 1 image, estimated 1:08 mins reading time)

THE FACELESS THING – Mr. THING, by a random integer generator you have been chosen as the winner. Please contact me with your shipping information. Enjoy the series, and thank you for taking part in the giveaway. I hope to hear more from you.
And to everyone else, thank you for making the giveaway a success. I truly enjoyed the comments. I hope to see you back at Mr. E’s Horror Weblog. There is always something new to discuss in the world of horror, and there will always be more giveaways.
E

It has been thirty-five years since The Texas Chainsaw Massacre left its indelible mark on the horror oeuvre. Tobe Hooper’s only (arguably) great contribution to the genre hasn’t lost any of its potency. The overt sadism in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is enough to make Eli Roth blush. Sequels have come and gone, and a remake was made, but no one has been able to match the formula of gore, thrill, and sheer terror of the original. A groundbreaking film in many aspects, the purity of its violence has paved the way for films like Hostel, Saw, and any of the recent films with overt or gratuitous violence and gore. The Mockumentary aspect of the film has laid the groundwork for The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity, and innumerable lesser films. Keep in mind that some people actually believed that it was based on actual accounts of the events depicted in the film. Of course, the film has only a slight connection to real events. Just like The Silence of the Lambs and Psycho, Wisconsin’s Ed Gein was a small inspiration for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  Read more... (556 words, 1 image, estimated 2:13 mins reading time)