What about Todays Monster/Horror/Sci-Fi....

[Creepy_lil_Boy]

I was thinking about this question last night to myself so here it is. What do today's horror/monster/sci-fi films have (dont have) that the good ol films of yesterday have? Personally I think alot of today's films well..the acting generally sucks and the plot is always the same now, Collage kids hear a rumor of something...they turn into Mystery inc and try to discover it some die other run to the cops....then die. The Films of the golden era were full of so much more then ....were gunna make this for money. What does everyone think?

[Jim Bertges]

To my mind, most modern "horror" films are intent on showing us the monstrous side of humanity, where our classic films more often showed us the humanity inside the monstrous.

[hammett1]

To my mind, most modern "horror" films are intent on showing us the monstrous side of humanity, where our classic films more often showed us the humanity inside the monstrous.

Jim, I agree with you 100% on your observation.  With today's horror films one does not get the sense of any "humanity".  With the classic horror films one has a sense of pathos and can empathize with the plight of the monster. 

David

[Creepy_lil_Boy]

Okay..I do agree with that but the classics bring you into a world that really does not exist while these new films are very real..mass murderers...psychopaths..ect. I do agree with what is being said though.

[BaronLatos35]

A great obseravtion Jim, I agree completely.

Today's movies also reflect todays culture. Most moviegoers today would either laugh, ignore, become bored ect at a horror movie that wasn't loaded with CG and lots of blood/gore.

I remember seeing Dark Knight and a bunch of teenagers burst out laughing when Two Face was revealed. Granted it wasn't the best, but the point is it takes alot more to shock/scare todays youth. The same thing happened when we saw Zombie's Halloween (which I enjoyed). My sister is 10 years younger than me and she loves all the Saws/Hostels/Asian Horror she can get her hands on.

I'll take atmosphere and story over blood and guts anyday.

[Creepy_lil_Boy]

I'll take atmosphere and story over blood and guts anyday.

Thats what im trying to get at

[mike c]

but the point is it takes alot more to shock/scare todays youth.

YES sir... Which is why they should stop trying so damned hard to 'shock', and just focus on creating and telling a good story.
You get the viewer (any age) involved with the character and storyline, they'll accept with nary a snicker the most laughable effects; this is why some of the older films remain effective and others don't.
But the outright attempt-for-its-own-sake shock thing is very ineffective, and GOOD writers/producers/directors have known this since radio; to wit, there is no way they can match on the air or the screen what we can imagine, using any amount of money or time, so they hook us with story and finesse.
Yes they have to pay off eventually, and the success rate varies, as we all know. But if the current crop of horror film makers wants to grab an audience, they need to stop trying so hard to scare and be inventive and impossibly clever and just go back to the lost art of coming up with a good tale, well told.
Do that, and you can add as much or as little blood and gore as you want, and it'll still be effective.


Mike C.

[Creepy_lil_Boy]

Thats very tru mike, story and themeing of w/e can capture so much and hold emotion thus scare the viewer  cause there is that sense of danger