tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post3161841877014954162..comments2023-09-15T04:27:57.129-04:00Comments on Commentarama: What's Wrong With Slasher Flicks?AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-84636336711540813232010-11-12T03:57:33.839-05:002010-11-12T03:57:33.839-05:00I agree.I agree.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-12834567249998538032010-10-31T12:59:14.309-04:002010-10-31T12:59:14.309-04:00Janet, I see your point, but I don't share it....Janet, I see your point, but I don't share it. I think that very few glorify murder. Some glorify crime, like the heist films, but the only ones that glorify killing are the slasher films, and they revel in it.<br /><br />I do agree that few films show real world consequences. That's an issue I've thought about from time to time. On the one hand, it would not help the plots of most films, but on the other hand, you could argue that it makes violence seem more attractive. But I've seen no evidence that this ever spills over into the real world.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-68534666138157723352010-10-31T12:35:20.129-04:002010-10-31T12:35:20.129-04:00DUQ, I saw that the other night and, interestingly...DUQ, I saw that the other night and, interestingly, the person I saw it with (who had not read my article) declared halfway through: "whoever made this film is a sadist." I kid you not. This one was really sick. Not a moment of the film made sense (e.g. how did he put so many complex traps in the house in such a short period of time), and nothing he did in torturing the people was necessary. Also, as you saw, almost every aspect of the film seemed to combine something sexual with the violence. This was the director's sex-torture fantasy.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-68553446842568965222010-10-31T12:31:31.381-04:002010-10-31T12:31:31.381-04:00Individualist, I agree about The Final, it was dum...Individualist, I agree about <i>The Final</i>, it was dumb and I don't doubt that the director would say "this is just like Columbine." But of course, it was nothing of the sort, not even close. All it really turned out to be was the director's sadism fantasy. In fact, if I was the director's shrink, I would consider upping his dosage and slapping a warning label on his forehead. That film has ZERO artistic merit, ZERO creativity, and ZERO credibility. I honestly thought about writing to Chiller and telling them that they should be ashamed for showing that film.<br /><br />I think the reason you see the <i>Nightmare On Elm Street</i> films as different is that (1) they were made before slasher films became sadistic and before it became all about gore, and (2) because it had a really neat concept with interesting twists and turns throughout the movie. It was much more like a horror film with gore in it, than a slasher film that is only about the gore.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-24894890490438428692010-10-31T03:36:06.230-04:002010-10-31T03:36:06.230-04:00I usually agree with you Andrew, but I can't a...I usually agree with you Andrew, but I can't agree showing a human being killed is anything other than depraved. Life is precious and celebrating the destruction of life is depraved and I feel most movies today celebrate killing. They never show the true consequences, the hurt families, the loss, or the tragedy. They sympathize with the killers and only show them being upset at being caught, never remorseful and understanding of what they have taken. I believe "slasher movies" are merely the most extreme form of what goes on in so many other movies.Janetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-92090003903391697802010-10-31T02:03:55.872-04:002010-10-31T02:03:55.872-04:00I just watched a film called "The Collector&q...I just watched a film called "The Collector" and everything you say here was true in that piece of filth. It was sadistic, needlessly brutal and it lacked any redeeming qualities. It was hypersexual too, but it wasn't just sex it was sexualized violence. Anyone involved in that film should be ashamed.DUQnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-12087237929001550612010-10-30T19:09:55.160-04:002010-10-30T19:09:55.160-04:00I generally don't like the Blood and Gore film...I generally don't like the Blood and Gore films. Have not seen Saw andonly say the first Friday the 13th movie, none of the sequels. I did see the Final and to me that real thing wrong was that it tried way to hard to say hey "this is what the Colombine Kids" were thinking but it was so unreal that one could not even accept it. So it was just dumb!<br /><br />The only Slasher movies that I really loved were the Nightmare on Elmstreet films, somehow Freddie never seemed pointless or stupid and there was a good story behind it. Until after then 5th sequel of course when the story became lame because it had jumped the shark.Individualisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11005025873042230314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-76007425004762982482010-10-30T18:10:32.487-04:002010-10-30T18:10:32.487-04:00Janet, Thanks for the comment! I see your point, ...Janet, Thanks for the comment! I see your point, but I'm not sure I fully agree. As I note, I don't think the morality changes based on the gruesomeness of the image, but I also don't think the mere fact of seeing a murder on screen is depraved. For example, Shakespeare has a great many murders in his plays, yet they aren't considered depraved by anyone. I think the real question is how they handle it: (1) what's the purpose of the killing, (2) do they glorify it, (3) is the intent to attract viewers to "enjoy" the killing or is it just part of a larger story. To me the problem with slasher films is the last one of these, that the intent is to let people enjoy the violence -- I don't think there is any other purpose to modern slasher films. They have essentially gone from trying to scare you with the danger to trying to attract you with the sadism. That's why they've become contests to see how sadistic the killings can get and how "cool" the images can be. There is no story to these films -- in other words, they are basically simulated killings with hints of a plot to hide behind.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-90665954758419894832010-10-30T03:11:39.584-04:002010-10-30T03:11:39.584-04:00I would go farther. I say there is depravity in wa...I would go farther. I say there is depravity in wanting to see a human being killed no matter how they are killed. Making it graphic just shows greater depravity. I do not understand why people want to see "slasher movies". What is so atractive about seeing one of the most precious things on Earth destroyed? I do not understand this and I wish someone could explain to me why they enjoy watching this? Does this not show a sickness of the soul? If stories are to teach lessons, what lesson is there in a "slasher movie"? If stories are to live through others and experience that we will not do ourselves, why would anyone want to see through the eyes of such a creature as a horrific mass murderer? I do agree with what you have written, but I think there is also a more fundamental depravity that we must aknowledge. Ask your audience what do they get out of watching these movies? Thank you for your time.Janetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-79884903324617718842010-10-29T13:56:03.798-04:002010-10-29T13:56:03.798-04:00Lawhawk, I couldn't agree more. The early sla...Lawhawk, I couldn't agree more. The early slasher films were about killers hiding in dark corners and getting you when you weren't looking. There was gore, but it was minimal and they had some plot.<br /><br />But these days, it's like "let's see how much blood and sadism we can toss at the screen." It's getting to the point that it's very disturbing, and not just the material on screen, but that someone thought this was something that should be put on the screen!AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-79561768211542621762010-10-29T13:37:11.139-04:002010-10-29T13:37:11.139-04:00Andrew: I've mentioned before that there'...Andrew: I've mentioned before that there's a reason I went to law school instead of medical school. I'm having trouble watching shows like CSI and its progeny, and even NCIS because of the graphic portrayals of blood and guts. Needless to say, slasher films go way beyond that. So, I agree with you, in spades. Some of the very old ones had at least a semblance of a plot (early dead teen movies like <i>Nightmare on Elm Street</i> and <i>Friday the Thirteenth</i>), but in short order the eviscerations and violations became the point rather than the vehicle. Yuck!LawHawkRFDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17800255923675295515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-87021582560222730222010-10-29T12:59:30.614-04:002010-10-29T12:59:30.614-04:00Ed, I've turned off a couple for the same reas...Ed, I've turned off a couple for the same reason, or just because they were utterly pointless.<br /><br /><i>Autopsies Gone Wild</i> would probably sell a million copies!AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-22760295280985991112010-10-29T12:52:49.763-04:002010-10-29T12:52:49.763-04:00Also, I love the idea of "Autopies Gone Wild&...Also, I love the idea of "Autopies Gone Wild"! LoL!Ednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-54789256990583133932010-10-29T12:51:34.205-04:002010-10-29T12:51:34.205-04:00I have to say I like slashers, but I see your poin...I have to say I like slashers, but I see your point about the sadism. There have been some that I turned off because they were just too sick. I do totally agree with your description of horror movies though!Ednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-28627793012313361152010-10-29T11:53:16.599-04:002010-10-29T11:53:16.599-04:00Patti, Washington is the ultimate slasher -- attac...Patti, Washington is the ultimate slasher -- attacking the public mercilessly.<br /><br />I've been on a horror movie bender all month and I'm looking to finish strong this weekend as well. :-)AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-22514822467011435152010-10-29T11:46:21.513-04:002010-10-29T11:46:21.513-04:00i'm planning on having a netflix weekend of ho...i'm planning on having a netflix weekend of horror films in honor of halloween. at this point, nothing scares me as much as washington. bring it!Notawonkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15388997298014397980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-90524347186111901962010-10-29T11:02:35.806-04:002010-10-29T11:02:35.806-04:00T_Rav, I've seen most of them and I think the ...T_Rav, I've seen most of them and I think the words "idiotic," "disgusting," and "gratuitous" are the right words. There is very little commend slasher flicks, they have almost no replayability, and few of them are at all scary. They are good the first time through at shocking you -- either at the gross images they produce or in the standard "jumps out at your suddenly" sort of way, but that's about it.<br /><br />In fact, I can't think of a slasher that actually scared me off the top of my head. Nor can I think of one that I like to re-watch and which doesn't seem ridiculous in hindsight.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-702491930669514032010-10-29T10:53:36.135-04:002010-10-29T10:53:36.135-04:00Thanks USArtguy! I do love horror movies, I just ...Thanks USArtguy! I do love horror movies, I just can't stand the slasher flicks -- for the reasons in the article. They've reached a left that is both boring and depraved all at once.<br /><br />I think that true horror movies let you explore your fears and think about the world in ways we normally don't think about. But slasher flicks are just about your visual tolerance. Huge difference. Sadly, slasher flicks are much, much, much easier to write and direct and they tend to make a good enough amount of money that people keep turning them out.<br /><br />I love <i>The Birds</i>, by the way, but then I'm a huge Hitchcock fan. He truly understood his audiences and how to manipulate them. I liked <i>Psycho</i> a lot as well, but while it may be considered the first "slasher" it really was a lot more than that.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-26474702432185417892010-10-29T09:55:09.622-04:002010-10-29T09:55:09.622-04:00While the blood and gore doesn't bother me too...While the blood and gore doesn't bother me too much, I don't care for slasher films either. It just gets gratuitous after a while.<br /><br />This may be why I've never cared about seeing the Friday the 13th films. The first movie or two--yeah, I'd say those are scary. But the rest? Not so much. I happened to catch a bit of one of the sequels on AMC last night--I have no idea which one, something like Friday the 13th, Part XXXVIII: Jason vs. Godzilla--where some guy bit into the guy's heart and absorbed his soul. Or something. I don't know, except that it was disgusting, and more idiotic than horrifying. Obviously, a lot of slasher films have the potential to be scary, but it's really not worth it.T_Ravnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-82925358285591965992010-10-29T09:36:27.707-04:002010-10-29T09:36:27.707-04:00Well said. I have always referred to these kind of...Well said. I have always referred to these kind of movies as "slash trash". For some reason, my 13 year old daughter likes Horror movies and I keep refusing to let her see most of them (usually they're rated 'R' anyway). She has seen a few newer ones while a sleep-overs and such. She'll name a movie and I'll ask "when did you see that?". I'll ask her if it was good. Interestingly, she'll Invariably say it was just OK. Her favorite horror movie so far? Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.USArtguyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06062334713741697082noreply@blogger.com