Im annoyed with all this watering down of the horror

[Dragoro]

Vampires are now lovable creatures. Uh huh what?  Zombies are now humorous? (idiotic zombie film coming out starring woody harrelson (why am I know surprised)). Brooks putting out WWZ and then putting out a funny about zombies. We went from cheap horror of stuff like friday the 13th, nightmare on elm street, to another joke of underworld and hell boy, to what now? The only decent movie I know of in recent years is the Unborn, and thats only if ya use your imagination to add in what the director took out.

In my opinion, at least with the established authors that can make their own way, they need to start plowin the path for others and start putting out truly original stuff and truly horrifying stuff. King did it for himself, and a ton followed in his footsteps. Someone needs to do it again, not that I can say who. Wish it was me that could, but I think its going to be someone that already knows that they can, and just needs a nudge to do it. Here's hoping someone gives them that nudge.

[Ed]

I agree about vampires - they've become too soft and cultured. It's a bit like starting out with a butchered cow and ending up with an innocuous and flavourless McDonald's patty to present to the general public with a clown's grin. Don't worry folks - no animals were hurt during the making of this burger

Have to admit I liked Shaun of the Dead, though. I think there's a place for all things in the genre, but the problem with it is the definition of horror is something that elicits that feeling in the person watching/reading/listening to it, and in many cases that's been lost, so even if it's labeled as horror, by definition it no longer is horror. There's also a crossover into things not regarded as horror. One that springs to mind is I watched the tail end of a Cohen Brothers film at the weekend, and in that you see Brad Pitt grinning out of a wardrobe one second and then shot in the forehead the next. Later in the film you see a guy hacked to death with an axe by John Malkovich. Both scenes more horrific than any episode of Buffy.

So I suppose though things that are outwardly horror aren't, other things that aren't labeled as horror, are, so there's a kind of absurd and ironic balance there

[Pharosian]

You don't say what you think constitutes good horror, but I think a lot of the blame goes to the improvement in special effects. As Hollywood became better and better at depicting gore fests in a realistic manner, the emphasis on story was lost. And while visuals are certainly important, they can become a distraction. Hitchcock was a master at keeping an audience on the edge of their seats without resorting to gore.

So on the one hand, you've got escalating special effects to make sicker visuals, and on the other hand, you've got an attempt to bring more people (women) into the theaters because let's face it, the number of people who really enjoy hard-core horror is a small percentage compared to those who enjoy a good summer blockbuster or Christmas feelgood movie. If the producers can get a couple to watch a movie instead of just the guy, they've made twice the cash. And if they can get women to drag their men to movies the men would never have considered in the first place, they make even more.

The first attempt fails to deliver "good horror" because story is sacrificed for the sake of blood and guts, and the second attempt fails to deliver "good horror" because horror is sacrificed for the sake of making ugly characters (or those with ugly motives and urges) palatable to John and Suzy Public.

As an aside, I wonder if horror is a genre that is going to get as much attention [read budget] in wartime. That may be another reason you haven't seen as much good work in the last few years?

[David_E_Greske]

All right.  This seems like a time to do a little selfless promotion.  All those watered down vampire stories got you thirsty for something with a little more bite?  My newest novel Blood River (available for preorder at amazon.com) will satisfy your hunger.  The vampire between the pages of Blood River is not the warm cuddly type.  I've kept some of the traditional lore of the undead, but added a few new things as well.

available for preorder at Amazon.com  Release date is November 2, 2009 

[Geoff_N]

I review horror, including a fair number of vampire, for new publishers such as Bloody Books, LL-Publications and Murky Depths. Sam Stone wrote Killing Kiss last year - a runaway success for Murky Depths partly because of Sam's cleavage at Fantasy Con and NewCon last year but also because her vampire was lovable. So I guess you'd hate that one. Tipping the scales in the other direction of horror with no holds barred are Joseph d'Lacey's Meat, and his The Garbage Man. From a writer's POV there's excellent Show in both books. Personally, I prefer the psychological horrors of Bill Hussey in both his recent horror, The Absence, and last year's Through a Glass Darkly. Both drip with excellent setting and characterisation (both published by Bloody Books).

Back to vampires, the most unusual one I've read recently (sent to me for review last week and I've yet to finish) is The Great White Hope by Mark Jackman. Starts like a 'normal' vampire politics, but then around 20 pages in I was gripped by the vampire killer. The opposite of Buffy. This chap is a Middlesbrough doorman / bouncer with a fist that kills, but he's no idea he'd killed vampires - he thought they were 'Them lot' (a colloquism for gays). It's absolutely hilarious. No holds barred on the violence or the humour. I can criticise some of the writing but will definitely be recommending it when my review is published in the next week or so.

There's room for a spectrum of vampire and horror stories.

Geoff

[delboy]

Sam Stone?

One of the great songs. I wonder if that was her given name, or if she was simply a huge John Prine fan? Maybe her parents were, I think it's an old enough song.

Derek

[Dragoro]

Well for a recent good horror book, Children of Chaos by Gifune, and Scars on the face of God by Bauer come to mind. But for every good horror, theres like 30 released that are like watered down or silly ones.

[Ed]

That's a big part of the reason why I started writing in the first place - I read too many disappointing novels and thought I could do better.

[Grillmeat]

Ed said:

That's a big part of the reason why I started writing in the first place - I read too many disappointing novels and thought I could do better.

I wish I could say I had such noble ideas........
The truth is, I started writing because I got tired of not be able to sleep at night...........better to keep someone else up at night with funny thoughts and strange ideas..................

[Ed]

Turns out I couldn't, BTW, but I'm working on it

[delboy]

I don't read enough contemporary horror (or watch enough contemporary horror films) to be able to make a considered judgement on whether horror is being watered down or not. I know there's a whole section on Paranormal Romances in many bookshops these days which (no doubt) features the vampires of which you talk. But simply by not reading these books my own experience of horror fiction remains undiluted. Also, I think what one person finds terrifying and/or thought provoking, another glosses over. So, for some, horror may even be at an all time high. I know the teenagers in my family think the modern slew of films (Saw, etc)  is far better than any of the old ones I get them to watch.

Del

[Rev. Austin]

I know the teenagers in my family think the modern slew of films (Saw, etc)  is far better than any of the old ones I get them to watch.

Del

Bah!  Kids today, they don't know how wrong they are!

edit: that sounds like I'm taking the piss haha but I've lost count of the number of "healthy debates" I've had with younger friends about exactly this sort of thing.

[KatYares]

My biggest problem with modern horror, be it novels or movies, is the lack of story.  Sure, the jump shots are there, along with the guts and gore, but where are the elements that involve the brain?  The type of thing that leaves you questioning the possibilities long after you've closed the book or left the movie theater?

The new breed of vampires - sort of sappy, but have to admit, I've written an entire screenplay based on a vampire that wants to remain the family man he was before he got bit.

Kat

[Dragoro]

My biggest problem with modern horror, be it novels or movies, is the lack of story.  Sure, the jump shots are there, along with the guts and gore, but where are the elements that involve the brain?  The type of thing that leaves you questioning the possibilities long after you've closed the book or left the movie theater?

The new breed of vampires - sort of sappy, but have to admit, I've written an entire screenplay based on a vampire that wants to remain the family man he was before he got bit.

Kat

Definitely agree, I went and seen Holloween 2 the other week, and that movie was nothing but cut scenes of killing, no story what so ever. Cant count the times I almost walked out of it.

[NoxInflux]

Not watered down: MARTYRS

Nox Influx