Horror vs. Splattergore

I gotta get this off my chest...

It bugs the living hell out of me that people go around talking about movies like Saw, Saw II, ad nauseum, like they are horror movies. They are just blood and guts with no real horror factor because, well, it just isn't there. The Saw series in particular has no horror value given the incredibly improbable traps, etc...

This isn't to say that splattergore has no place in my library. I like a great deal of it. It just isn't horror. Horror should make you consider regretting renting this flick. Horror should make you scream in fright. Horror should not force you to close your eyes in disgust. Some of the best horror movies have no or little blood and rarely show violence, they imply it. Actually one of the best horror movies ever made came out in the early 60's. It was called Spider-baby, you should check it out, Lon Chaney Jr. Boris Karloff and an early appearance of Sid Haig.

Phew, I feel better. Thanks for reading, hope I didn't piss anyone off.

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Horror vs. Splattergore

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Aug 21, 2008
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oops.
by: Crypticpsych

Missed where you said it had a place in your library. Guess I don't disagree much after all.

Aug 21, 2008
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I slightly disagree
by: Crypticpsych

In that I like the underlying psychology of Jigsaw in the Saw movies. BUT, I do agree, that these are not strictly horror movies. Which is what makes it interesting that you mentioned Turistas, Timbodi. Check out Horror Czar's review of Turistas. In it, he terms Turistas a "shock-horror" movie. I agree with that characterization. The movie is attempting to shock you with extreme visuals, not necessarily scare you like straight horror. This is why I believe there are genres within horror. Shock-horror, b-movie, splatter, ghost story....each tries to scare, gross out, creep out, WHATEVER....in it's own particular way. And of course, people may not like one or the other styles, but that's what makes horror great: There's many varieties....like a Baskin-Robbins...

Aug 21, 2008
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:)
by: timbodi

I completely agree. That's why I usually stay away from those when I'm looking for a good horror movie. I've never actually seen "Saw" or "Hostel," though I probably should just for the variety. But I just watched "Turistas" and I wrote a mini-review about it like I do for every movie I see and the first thing I said was "this was not a horror movie." I admit these movies are fun, like you said, but they're plain mindless entertainment - like watching "Not Another Teen Movie" if you like comedies - and I really don't think of them as actual "horror." Good call.

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