"SUCKING THE LIFE OUT OF HORROR"
Dawn of the Dead.  The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  House of Wax.  Thirteen Ghosts.  The Toolbox Murders.  The House on Haunted Hill. What do all these films have in common? The answer is that they’re all either remakes or about to become remakes of classic horror films.  Why is that?  Well, unfortunately, the answer is that Hollywood has become so desperate for ideas that they resort to remaking films that they know are going to make money.  And it’s quite annoying, because there are so many talented writers and directors out there who have such unique ideas for films, but they are constantly being rejected by Hollywood because their ideas are not sure-fire ways of raking in the dough.      If you’ll notice, all of these remakes are horror films.       Horror is a genre that is usually resented or not taken seriously by Hollywood big shots because they just don’t understand the genre.  They believe that horror films are just stupid movies with no plot that teens worldwide will flock to theatres to see.  According to Hollywood, the only ingredients needed for a horror film are 1) A “hot, up-and-coming star” who previously lended their “acting talents” in some stupid sitcom or WB show, and 2) Cheap thrills like killers jumping out from behind objects, accompanied by loud noises.  A true horror fan knows that this is just not right.  The reason horror films are so great to watch is because so many strong emotions are connected to them, the main one being fear.  To further illustrate the point, listen to the great late Italian director Lucio Fulci (Zombie, House by the Cemetary, the Beyond): “Fear is the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind.”  It couldn’t be said any better or more accurately.      Not every new horror film coming out is a remake.  This year it appears we’re getting at least a few gems in a pile of maggot-ridden trash.  For instance, there’s Hellboy, which is a great comic character that from the previews has been perfectly translated to the screen, complements of Guillermo Del Toro, one of the greatest directors of all time.       Then there’s always Van Helsing, which has the opportunity to suck, but just as much a chance to rock.  These are fresh, original ideas that seem like they will do tremendous in theatres, so this just proves that not everyone in Hollywood is as mindless as a zombie from “Dawn of the Dead”. The only real problem with Hollywood horror films is that they are made for the sole purpose of money.  Films are not created to express feeling and emotion anymore.  They are not qualified as pieces of art anymore.  They are just “blockbusters” that will give these already-filthy-rich slobs (a.k.a. people involved with the film) more money, so they can add a 12th story to their mansion in California.       Oh well, there’s always studios like Troma, who, although their films will never be released in theatres, they are still in it just for the fun and art of creating a film.