I love horror movies but recently there hasn't been any good ones. What I am going to ask is: What is your opinion on horror movies that try cheap tricks such as excessive gore to scare you. In my opinion, if it is a good movie then it would not be necessary but useful. However, in a bad horror movie the gore is the scare.

I agree. Its like they run out of ways to scare you or creep you out, so they have constant heads being chopped off just so you'll be disgusted. They think that the gore makes the movie scary but it doesnt.

I feel that the scariest movies don't need to show you extreme gore. What you don't see is the scariest. On the other hand, I LOVE campy movies like "Motel Hell" or "Cabin Fever" that use excessive gore for laughs. I suppose the one movie that used excessive gore for unnecessary (and "unfun") purposes was "Hannibal." Seeing the top of character's head sliced off, and watching him sit there for an extended period is just hateful.

If anyone's feeling like a bad horror movie with insane gore at this time of year, try either Cradle of Fear or Entrails from a virgin. Far from nice, but really entertaining.

I agree, whats with all the gore? It is just gross, not scary! Bring out the mosters!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've always been fascinated with gore. Maybe its just the way I was raised, but I've loved the campy, the b-rated, all that jazz. Dead Alive, for example, its not scary, its just violently extreme. I think that part of my fascination is that the emotions take a backseat, you feel no compassion, and its great just to watch a movie where death is so frequent, and you don't have to care.

Also, gore can be fun. You got to admit (or you don't, whatever) that Fulci's eye gag was pretty neato. Movies that are intensly violent feel good to watch.

Dead Alive (or Braindead as it was known in my country) is a fine example of gore being used successfully. It is the main reason for watching the movie - the humour is a nice addition.

It is a film that has a certain novelty value although Peter Jackson incorporates a genuinely moving love story and characters you could empathise with.

If you want to talk about horrible propositions being delivered without the gore, I would suggest Texas Chainsaw Massacre holds the trophy. It is a fine movie and one that gave Hollywood a well deserved kick up the arse.

It depends whether you like being scared or repulsed. I view the two aesthetics as equal. They are both 'not for the faint-hearted' to quote a well-worn cliche.

the most recent movie i have seen with excessive gore would probably have to be the hills have eyes..i actually thought this was a fairly good movie though

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the most recent movie i have seen with excessive gore would probably have to be the hills have eyes..i actually thought this was a fairly good movie though

I don't think the gore was that excessive, it was just a crappy movie. (sorry to disagree with you) Then again, almost every horror movie these days is pumped full of either gore or stuff jumping out at you.

Call me old fashioned, but I'm a fan of movies like The Shining and The Exorcist that could have at least a few shreds of depth to them. The last new horror movie I remember kind of liking was Saw, and that was from what, two years ago?

I also liked The Shining, The Exorcist, and Saw...and those horror movies use the creepiness factor instead of gore and violence.

Some horror movies though employ a good balance of creepiness and gore. Dawn Of The Dead (2004) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) are a couple of good examples. Check them out.

To me I have to see the monster up close. Even if it's one of those 30 second cheap shots.

Martian Leader.

the dumbest way with the gore to scare you was the slither movie. It was more like what where they thinking

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Originally posted by Mike's Psuedo-Psychotic Pseudonym:
I love horror movies but recently there hasn't been any good ones. What I am going to ask is: What is your opinion on horror movies that try cheap tricks such as excessive gore to scare you. In my opinion, if it is a good movie then it would not be necessary but useful. However, in a bad horror movie the gore is the scare.

Well, it's all part of growing up. There was a trend for gore but really, there are important entertaining movies about true cruelty containing as much gore as the obvious shock movies; 'Jei tai Yang 731' I was looking after kids a while back and some unexpected gore was on TV. I heard a few sharp intakes of breath and my immediate reaction was to laugh and get them talking about how much ketchup they used for the blood; however, I was watching an old B&W 'Twilight Zone' with those same children and they were terrified of the acting and story, much more than an obvious gore attempt to shock. It's the idea which brings fear and the modern day acting is too crap to frighten a mouse on acid. There should be special film theatres for adults where they show films which are not available anywhere else; that way we could see frightening movies. But more to the point, blood and guts is always better than computer animated monsters.

I feel like the gore is pretty much just for the initial shock factor which doesn't seem as effective to me as a psychologically scary movie. If something can scare you on an actually creepy intellectual level it'll last with you a lot longer than any instantaneous "ew" factor from simple gore. I guess that's why I prefer the more intense plot based horror movies over the sudden noises with lots of blood type of horror movies. It's harder to make that type of film though particularly with how desensatized people seem like they are today. So I guess kudos to any film maker who can do it successfully.

I actually catigorize them differently. There is scary, and there is gory. Most often they don't really go together. Scary movies are intense and suspensful, gore movies are just gross (and kinda funny if you have a sick sense of humor like I do XD) Gore is just a cheap trick to cover up a not-so-scary plot

There is also an uneasy feeling some film give you, like in "Last house on the Left" the rape scene was intense, its great when they use understated yet talented actors for realistic horror/thriller flicks

Unlike the Hostel flicks where it's pure "torture porn" some films get it right and know exactly how to unsettle the viewer, like the first time you watch "The Exorcist" or the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre"

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deppseapirate
Slacker
Posted 03 February 2009 12:22 PM Hide Post
I feel like the gore is pretty much just for the initial shock factor which doesn't seem as effective to me as a psychologically scary movie. If something can scare you on an actually creepy intellectual level it'll last with you a lot longer than any instantaneous "ew" factor from simple gore. I guess that's why I prefer the more intense plot based horror movies over the sudden noises with lots of blood type of horror movies. It's harder to make that type of film though particularly with how desensatized people seem like they are today. So I guess kudos to any film maker who can do it successfully.

Thank you for your articulation on this "gross out" theme because I have often been "grossed out" by a number of movies and felt that such movies were so awful. Your distinction is quite helpful to me in getting a handle of how to approach horror movies and other "scary" movies.