As a member of Generation X who grew up with horror movies in the 1980s, I have been a fan of the genre for decades now. And while I have studied film as an art form a bit, I find that professional movie critics tend to approach horror movies in a manner that is somewhat dissatisfying. Some view them as little more than exploitative trash. Those that are willing to take them seriously are usually obsessed with finding them to be a metaphor for some type of trauma or social problem. At other times a critic might imagine what a fan might think apart from the art criticism, but it seems to be coming from a distance, as though appealing to a hypothetical stereotypical fan.
While I think all of those approaches have an element of truth in them, my takes are going to be coming from the point of view of a dedicated fan. For example, what makes a great slasher movie? Most of the time, fans don’t watch such a movie for the great acting or tight, dramatic storylines. Instead, fans expect these movies to follow a formula and do it well: build suspense, have a scary killer stalking the cast, and of course creative and shocking kill scenes (and it doesn’t hurt to have some scantily clad actors as well). Is it a bit trashy and exploitative? Of course: that’s part of the appeal.
So as I guide readers on this journey through horror movies old and new, I will strive to be first and foremost a fan, and only secondarily a critic. After all, the fun of watching horror movies is to try to recapture that thrill of staying up late as a teenager and watching something a bit transgressive. If your parents thought these movies were wholesome entertainment, you wouldn’t be trading stories with your peers about the wild things you watched on cable last night. So I hope you join me on this website, an Old School Horror Hangout.
