I have been a horror fan my entire life and spent most of that time studying the history, impact, and symbolism of the genre. The last few years have damaged the popularity of the genre due to a rut Hollywood refuses to get out of. It is time horror fans stand up and scream that they are ready for Hollywood to listen. This is our bill of rights.
Right One: The Right to New
We have the right to new content that we have never seen before. No longer will we stand for successful horror movies being remade or popular series being rebooted. We love the originals because they stood out from the rest. It is impossible to reproduce the success that many of these movies have gained over the years.
We do not want to see what might have happened if Jason Voorhees had started attacking people in the modern day. We want to see new types of killers who are ready to prey on the lives of young people stuck in the woods. We do not want rehashes of the same story, like “The Thing.” We want new and fresh ideas we have never seen before.
Right Two: Use the Books Correctly
We have the right to see movies that are based on books we love. If you are going to buy the rights to make a movie out of one such book, make sure it follows what happens in the book. While some minor changes to characters or occurrences are fine, the main storyline of the book should be kept true. There is a reason why we loved the book in the first place. Don’t ruin it for everyone.
We know movies should be made off of original work like “World War Z” by Max Brooks. What we don’t like is when everything that made the book original — like how it was done in a documentary-style after a zombie apocalypse — is changed. Don’t take the name and plop it onto a generic zombie story with name actors. Do not desiccate the name.
Right Three: Sequels Should Stay True
We have the right to see horror movie sequels that are true to the original. If a sequel is made, it should stick to the original storyline and stay true to the original idea of the first movie. Remember what it was that made the first movie in the series so special and give us more of that. Find the soul of the movie and use that, but do not exploit it.
“Paranormal Activity 3″ sticks with the same type of storyline as the first movie, but is not staying true to it. The first movie was magical due to the fact the creators had to come up with scares that would work on a shoestring budget. The second two movies have “Hollywood-ized” the series and lost what made the first movie so special.
These are three simple demands we want followed in the future. We have already made our grievances clear in the past through articles, blogs, and forum posts. We have also continued to make our point clear through not going out in droves to the latest rehashed horror movies the studios keep shoveling out. Hopefully soon they will finally get the message.
More from this Contributor:
Self-Imposed Censorship Keeps Current Horror from Universal Monsters Cult Status
‘Grave Encounters’ Does the Right Thing on Many Levels
How ‘Bad Kids Go to Hell’ Breaks the Hollywood Horror Mold
Heading to the movies? Get an instant mobile coupon to use at select theaters for free popcorn!