Six Horror Trends That Should Vanish

Every few years, the horror genre undergoes a resurgence. Usually a film will come around that changes the rules and reinvents the way horror films are made. Then, the copy cat flood gates open. Every film released for a decade after will copy the gimmick and run it into the ground. The thing that made the first film groundbreaking soon becomes a fad, then a trend, then just damn annoying.

Here are six trends of recent horror films that need to scare themselves away in a hurry.

1. Found Footage Films


I'll admit that I liked Paranormal Activity the first time I saw it. Though it was repetitive, I liked the new take on the classic haunted house film. A lot of the effects were so simple, yet very effective. (The digital effects added once the film was purchased by a studio were another story...) Before the credits could even roll at the end of the film, a hundred other "found footage" movies began flooding the market. From the moment this film made money, other filmmakers took well tread stories and filmed them with shaky POV. Some have tried to pass themselves off as a documentary, but the concept is the same. Handle held cameras and bad zooming make the horror so much more "real." 

Why it Should Go:

It's been overdone. As of now, there are 3 (or is it 4? I lose count) Paranormal Activity films and a host of knock offs. The gimmick doesn't add to our enjoyment of the film, it distracts us. The shaking camera gives the audience a headache, and the long static shots just get boring. Not to mention, most of the reasons that are given for why the characters are filming in the first place are very contrived. Getting from point A to B in a narrative is a lot more difficult to pull off when someone is supposed to be running and filming at the same time.

2. The Jump Scare

You know this one. It's where the character is creeped out, thinking they see or hear something. So, they slowly walk towards the door that's ajar or the window to the back yard. Everything is quiet except for the low hum of the soundtrack when suddenly BAM! The cat jumps out, or the sink spits water, or a rat runs by, or anything at all that's not scary.

Why it Should Go:

For starters, it's over used. As in every horror film released in the past ten years has used this. Hell, maybe even the past 20 years. The biggest reason it should go, however, is because it's just effing lazy. Seriously, I just paid 10 bucks to get into the theater (or a dollar at redbox...ahem) and the only way you can scare me is by having a cat jump out? Come on. That's not real tension. That is the lowest common denominator in terror.

3. Trapped in the _____

Being trapped in a confined space with a ghost/killer/young child can be a great setup for a good horror film. It can also be a really lame premise for a ridiculously contrived movie. Be it an elevator, ATM booth, or store, spending too much time in one set can lose an audience fast. You start adding a number of characters, and you've got a lot of logistical (and narrative) problems piling up.



Why it Should Go:

The biggest problems with these types of films are the questions they pose to the audience. Why are all these people trapped here to begin with? Why don't they break a window? How come they can't all three run in different directions or tackle the guy in the coat? Why the hell am I still watching this? Usually, there aren't any decent answers to these questions. Just a bunch of dumb characters who probably deserve whatever fate becomes of them.

4. The Remake

If you've even glanced at this site, you know that we love horror films from the 1970's and 80's. They were daring and original. Or at least cheesy and entertaining. Hollywood has noticed audiences' love for those films, too. And they have remade damn near every one of them. Year after year, we are forced to sit through a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, or Halloween. While it's easy to blame Michael Bay for most of these disasters (his production company has helmed most of them lately)..... Yeah, let's just blame him. You suck, Michael Bay.

Why it Should Go:

I'm not against the idea of a remake. If someone can take old material and bring new life to it, then so be it. There are great remakes: The Thing, The Fly, even Savini's Night of the Living Dead. Unfortunately, for every good reboot, you get five terrible, uninspired pieces of garbage. While it's hard to defend the sequels to the original films, the first ones were driven by spirit and the desire to do something outside of the mainstream. All of these recent remakes come from the studios that own the rights to them and are being made simply to make money. The young rebellious directors who blazed their own trails with the originals have been discarded in favor of committee scripted music videos with pretty people in bright even lighting. They lack any sense of unique vision; relying solely on the gimmicks. Audiences will gladly watch new villains and franchises, if just given the chance.

5. Exorcism Films

In 1971, William Peter Blatty released his book, The Excorcist. Two years later, it was turned into what has been called "the scariest movie of all time." The film featured a young innocent girl who had been possessed by the devil. Her mother hires a priest, with demons of his own, to combat the evil. In the film, the daughter inflicts pain and violence upon herself, curses, and performs unnatural feats of strength.

The film was an instant success, causing several controversies and scaring the shit out of people at the same time. Of course, the inevitable sequels followed; though they never did as well as the first. For a number of years there were no other films released on the subject. Lately, however, there has been an explosion of them. Two new Exorcist sequels, The Last Exorcism, The Devil Inside, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Rite, etc have all popped up in the past ten years.

Why it Should Go:

Have you seen the Exorcist? Then why do you need to see any other exorcism film? The latter movies do nothing more than repeat they style of the Exorcist while retaining none of the substance. The characters in these films are one dimensional rather than the deeply troubled humans in the original. These recent additions rely on shock and jumps rather than anything psychological. If only the power of the box office could compel them to stop.

6. The Zombie Film

I'm not gonna lie. This one pains me to write. I love a good zombie film. Who doesn't? The problem is that there haven't really been any good zombie films released in a number of years. Even Romero's latest films have been lackluster.

Why it Should Go:

The genre is simply played out. In the 40 years since the original Night of the Living Dead, nearly every scenario involving people running from zombies has been done. We've seen them in the streets, in apartments, in hotels, on islands, yada, yada, yada. The parody films have been done. Hell, there's even a television show (which I still love.) Because they have been so successful in the past, studios are willing to snap up any piece of shit filmed by a guy with a decent camera, Party City makeup, and a couple of dumb ass friends.Each month, there are more and more low budget versions of these things that add nothing to the genre.  There just doesn't seem to be any new ground to cover. It's time to let the dead rest for a while.

Posted in: atm,devil,devil inside,exorcist,Horror,paranormal activity,remake,trends,woman in black,Zombies