Best Horror Directors: Rob Zombie, Eli Roth
The New Blood of Controversial Horror Cinema
Aug 19, 2008
The horror genre has long been a division of movies with many loyal fans, as well as an abundance of nay-sayers. Despite the media uproar over several recent horror pictures, the art of horror movie-making has made a turn for the better behind the creative, and often disturbing minds of a elite group of fresh directors. They have gone away from the “family-friendly, horror-suspense film” that became so trendy in the late 90's and into the turn of the century. These distinct directors each have a style all their own, that has in a short span already been cloned unsuccessfully. But their dark, sinister, and ruthless brand of horror is bringing the “hardcore” back into horror movies, something it has been lacking since the 70's in the haydays of horror icons Tobe Hooper and John Carpenter.
- Rob Zombie – Rob Zombie was an accomplished musician long before bursting onto the horror scene a few years back with the shocking House of 1,000 Corpses, a shocking, absorbing, bloodbath shot in the spirit of 70's faves. Zombie followed his cult hit up with the sequel, The Devil's Rejects, which was a more thoughtful film, with a much stronger story line, but had the same gritty horror feel as the original. This movie earned Zombie acclaim from such respected critics as Roger Ebert, who gave the film three out of a possible four stars. (wikipedia.org) Next, Zombie earned the opportunity to remake John Carpenter's 1978 classic Halloween. Zombie took the original story and zombiefied it, making it much more graphic, and also tracing Michael Myers beginnings, creating a more simpathetic feeling for the mass murderer. Hopefully, Zombie has many more original films up his sleeve, giving true horror movie fans something to look forward to.
- Eli Roth – Eli Roth has developed a large cult following since the release of his first breakout film, Cabin Fever. Unlike several “new-age” horror directors such as M. Night Shymalan, who leaves everything to the imagination, often leaving the audience disappointed in the climax of his films, Roth steadily builds tension, and delivers the goods. The oohs and ahhs that have been missing from horror films as of late. Although his films have been duped as “torture-porn,” due to the gratuitous amounts of blood and nudity, Roth's movies have consistently made profit, and satisfied his fans, without compromising his form of art. With horror hits like Hostel, Hostel II, and Cabin Fever already in his portfolio, horror fans can only hope Roth continues bringing the blood, guts, and breasts for years to come.
