Upcoming Horror

- By Folklore

There are quite a few horror films expected to be popular this year, but once again that all depends if you enjoy the safe, PG-13 horror that is saturating the market and has done for many years now. I seem to discuss this endlessly nowadays with other hardcore horror fans and the general feeling is the lack of originality and the dilution of source material. I’m not saying some directors aren’t bringing anything original to the table, far from it. What I’m saying is it seems the majority of original films come from indie filmmakers and it’s these type of films and directors that don’t get a chance of a theatre release and have to find their voice via VOD or Blu-Ray. One of the most debated horror films of the last decade ‘The Witch‘ recently hit cinemas packing some serious hype. Not since ‘The Blair Witch Project’ have I seen a horror film get the same attention and divide fans and critics alike. Filmmaking like any other medium of art is subjective, so the debate weather it’s any good or not is irrelevant, I love a good debate.

The most surprising thing to me was it actually gaining a wide cinema release. This film cost a reported $3.5million only, but managed to get an awful lot of attention and trailered in front of every big blockbuster advertised throughout Feb. I take my hat off to the filmmakers & company for pulling that sort of promotion off. ‘The Witch’ wasn’t a gore-fest, so didn’t have to worry in regards to gaining a decent certificate to get arses on seats, so it was a win win all the way. This goes for the vast majority of the so-called horror films being released as the production companies aim & objectives are for a watered down audience. It’s easy to churn out sequel after sequel of another Paranormal Activity or similar and keep it within the boundaries of PG-13, getting tones of teens hitting the theatres around seasonal times and bank holidays, thus guaranteeing a profit.

Although completely different in tone, but could have been marketed as easily as ‘The Witch’ was Rob Zombie’s 2012 film ‘The Lords of Salem‘. It staggers me that it wasn’t given a UK theatre release. Many may argue that Zombie’s film was far more graphic than ‘The Witch’ and the other teen-flicks released now and at the time, but ask yourself was it really? It was certified 18 in the UK, which means it contains graphic violence, language and sexual content, so nobody under the valid age of 18 should be permitted to see it. but did it really deserve NO theatre release? I’m not getting into the logistics of whether it wasn’t granted a release for controversial reasons, ownership rights or whatever, but it just seems to me it’s easier to not grant certain films a release by labelling it too graphic, but the same board will release ’50 Shades of Grey’ that clearly promotes S&M and promote it to high heaven costing millions and even promoting through TV spots and pop videos pre-watershed?! (I know I’m starting to sound like a Mary Whitehouse advocate), but there doesn’t seem to be an even playing field here and it probably doesn’t effect other film genres as much, but the horror genre always gets sliced & diced.

My point is as a true horror fan it’s hard nowadays to get overly excited when looking forward as were flooded with remakes, reboots and unoriginal horror. That’s why film festivals are so important. Here in the UK we have the utterly fabulous ‘GrimmFest’ which showcases wonderfully talented filmmakers and truly unique films that sometimes don’t find their way to the biggest screens. Looking ahead I’ve earmarked a few that I personally have got my eye on. Fede Alvarez’s ‘Don’t Breathe’, Gore Verbinski’s ‘A Cure For Wellness’ and of course Rob Zombie’s ’31’. These 3 do pack decent budgets and hefty cast lists, so I wouldn’t necessarily class them as indie and I’d expect them not to have any difficulties finding the big screen, but there has been wrangles once again regarding a certificate for Zombie’s release, which he’s no doubt frustrated with.

By the years end I’d expect audiences to have flooded to see The Conjuring 2 and The Grudge/The Ring mash-up, but as I lifelong horror fan it’s very rare I actually get to watch a true horror film in the theatre anymore, apart from festivals or cult screenings. We’re probably even more isolated now than we’ve ever been. We’ve been segregated and ushered into a dark corner and ignored. On one hand I’m fine with being an outsider and it all adds to the genres appeal, but on the other hand I can’t help feel bitterness at the unfair treatment we suffer. I feel especially for the indie-horror directors that are producing by far better and more original pieces than the tripe that gets released at theatres on a monthly basis that has cost quadruple the budget. It’s an injustice and totally contradictory.

Hopefully ‘The Witch’ is the start of indie-horror finally breaking through and given the same platform and window the big boys get.