Horrible, Horrifying, Hilarious Horror
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.
If we look at films like House on the Edge of The Park or Last House on the Left, these films scare by simply displaying realistic human depravity. Last House on the Left especially exploits society’s fear of rape. I love Wes Craven and all, but LHotL is sort of a cheap shot at horror. It doesn’t really have style or substance; it is just unseemly. It is universally considered a horror movie. Another movie that came out the same year that also deals with rape and the absolute depths of depravity, A Clockwork Orange, isn’t generally accepted as horror. Yet another film that came out in 1971, displaying graphic rape and murder, Straw Dogs, is not a horror film. What is the difference between Last House on the Left and Straw Dogs that puts them in different categories? Is the fact that the rape in A Clockwork Orange is committed to the jaunty “Singin’ In The Rain” reason enough to exclude it from the genre? Is it that the latter two films are generally considered great films that is keeping them out of the genre?
I wonder about the categorization of so many films. Why are movies like Jacob’s Ladder and Deliverance generally not considered horror, yet the Scream trilogy is? The fact that the Scream movies are parodies of horror, by definition, makes them not horror. Maybe none of this matters. Maybe, as long as we know where to look in the video store, it doesn’t mean a thing. I only ask this because I have referenced some works like Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet. They are not considered horror films, yet I find them horrifying. Maybe I’m just looking for an excuse as to why I am not a horror purist.
As always, I want to know what you think? All of the questions posed are sincerely directed at you and not rhetorical. Let me know your thoughts.
E
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November 20th, 2009 at 00:45
You make some really good points, but I have to say that I would categorize some comedy/parody films as horror because they have horror elements such as gruesome murders along with supernatural elements. I’ve only see part of one of the “Evil Dead” movies, but they have supernatural characters and gore, along with the laughs, so I would call it a horror-comedy. “Scream” has all the elements of the classic slasher films, but in the end, the killers are real and there’s nothing supernatural. Perhaps it should be a crime-comedy instead of a horror film. “Halloween” (I’m thinking of the original; couldn’t stand the new version) had the seemingly-supernatural element of Michael Myers surviving all kinds of assaults; same with Jason in the “Friday the 13th” films, so I could consider those true horror. I have never seen the “Saw” films, but they strike me as just really cruel crime/torture stories. Horrible and horrifying, perhaps, but not really a horror film. I don’t think that we’re going to get away from movies being classified by studios and some reviewers. They know that slapping a label on it will help market the film to a built-in audience.
November 20th, 2009 at 00:51
Dang, I just posted a really long response, except I got a 404 page not found error. In a nutshell, what I said was that just because what happens to people in a film is horrible or horrifying doesn’t make it a “horror” film, but marketing departments like labels. Also, I think that after the slasher films of the late ’70s and ’80s, many of which gave the “monster” (Michael Myers, Jason) seemingly supernatural abilities, some people began to equate anything with really gruesome murder sprees as horror films. I don’t feel like the current crop of torture porn really qualifies as horror.
November 20th, 2009 at 04:11
I agree –but it’s not just the horror label—it’s all labels and ratings–last night I saw the movie “Spread”–my 13 year old son thinks Ashton Kutcher is funny–listed under romantic comedy—so I got it–luckily I watched it without my son!!
It’s porn—-not romantic—not funny—lots of nudity –and boring sex—lots & lots —of very not sexy sex—and inside and out of Anne Heche. Should not be listed as a “romantic comedy”. The only good part of the movie is actually very cool during the end credits they show a giant frog eating a dead mouse—who new? Back to your subject –I had nightmares for weeks after Jacob’s ladder—and I’m sure most men feel the same way about Deliverance!
I think we need a category for “disturbing” like “American History X” the curb scene —was very disturbing.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:57
Maybe some films are put into the horror genre because Hollywood thinks they are a ‘this could never happen’ story. Giant worms with teeth? Never gonna happen, so that’s a horror film. Evil leprechauns? Nope. Horror. Lots of rape? Happens daily, so it’s not a horror film. Then end. I’m being facetious, of course. You got me, though.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:59
I’m gonna go with none of this really matters. Blue Velvet and a lot of films categorized as drama/thrillers really are horrifying. I’m certain all these categories are created for marketing purposes. It seems perfectly reasonable to me to write about anything freaky, scary, gory, or terrifying in a horror blog. Who cares how the movie studio labels it, I say keep doin’ what your doin’.
November 20th, 2009 at 17:01
How about something like Silence of the Lambs? I will NEVER get the scene of the guy being fed his own brain out of my head. I tend to use a fairly broad brush in defining horror, I guess. Anything that frightens, causes my skin to crawl, makes me nervous after dark….that’s horror!