Original Horror All but Dead
January Releases Reminder That Sequels and Remakes Have Taken Over
Jan 2, 2009
Though horror movies are still cheap to make, meaning they do not need to gross much in order to turn a profit, original genre offerings had a rough go of it in 2008.
Numerous films with good buzz and/or excellent notices from horror fans never got a proper theatrical release. These include All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, Trick r' Treat, Midnight Meat Train, Splinter and The Burrowers.
Unfortunately it appears that 2009 will feature more of the same. Genre vet Eric Red, screenwriter of Near Dark and The Hitcher, was not too happy when he learned that his latest effort, 100 Feet, would premiere on the Sci Fi Channel.
"A Sci-Fi Channel release down the line is great, it's a fine network, but this film deserves a commercial shot in the theaters," Red told ShockTillYouDrop.com. "It's doubly disappointing because the film played well in its several theatrical screenings and the audiences were very responsive."
Looking ahead, all but one of the major horror releases in January are sequels or remakes. The exception is The Unborn, but it comes from prolific filmmakers David Goyer and Michael Bay.
The rest of the month consists of My Bloody Valentine (remake), Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (sequel) and The Uninvited (remake).
February brings us what may be the most anticipated horror movie of the year, Friday the 13th. Depending on who you ask it is either a remake or "reimagining."
Based on the sheer number of horror movies being released in theaters, on the surface it would seem that the genre is thriving. However, considering the sorry state of the original horror movie, fans should be concerned about the state of modern horror.
It is easy to understand why Red is upset, but his story is hardly unusual. We can expect more movies to make their debuts on cable, DVD or the Internet. Splinter played on HDNet before hitting DVD, and Midnight Meat Train was initially available on FearNet.
Meanwhile, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane and Trick r' Treat have been repeatedly delayed and may eventually be dumped straight to DVD.
Unless it is a remake or sequel, horror fans better get used to seeing the latest fright flicks at home. Whether it is on cable or DVD, that is where most of them will make their debut.
On the plus side, good horror is still being made. It might be a little harder to find, but that is better than the alternative.
