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Modern Day & Future Slasher Movies - Throwbacks, Remakes And The Paradox!

One of my favorite sub-genres in horror is by far the slasher genre and the era that ran from the late 70's all the way through the 80's. Good or bad, fans got to witness the birth of horror movie icons the likes that we may never see again. Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees become legends in this buness and to fans around the world because of the mple "stalk and slash" mentality. These films weren't particularly cerebral by any means, they were just good old fashioned killers, gore and ring body counts.

What was it about these films that made them stick with audiences so much? These characters become anti-heros and spawned so many sequels that fans to this day still seem to want more. While the premise of the movies stayed largely the same it didn't stop rabid horror fans from going to the box office. Even to this day when we utter the word Freddy, Myers or Jason it immediately garners the attentions of fans everywhere. Stories about these slasher icons double, sometimes triple the amount of views of other films. What is it they we horror fans can't seem to get enough of?

Then comes modern day remakes which is an entirely different subject but one that I bring up because of the sheer love of these particular franchies. Fans seem to forgive bad entires in favor of still wanting to see more. The problem lies with todays filmmakers and we, the horror fans, have to take part of the blame too. As much as we complain and moan about remakes we still pay our hard earned money to view them on opening night. Good or bad, the films themselves are talked about over and over again down to every last detail. Do you see that happen with other horror movies? Not to the degree of our beloved slashers, not even close.



So why aren't studios pushing out slasher films every other week? Why aren't the capitalizing even more off of the sub-genre? We were promised a follow up to FRIDAY THE 13th (The Remake) shortly after the film came out only to see the plans fizzle later on.

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET also received a milar fate, it was quote "green-lit" for a sequel to the remake yet talks aren't even on the table at this point. Why do you think that is? The films themselves, while many say they didn't care for them, brought in plenty of profit to earn sequels. So if the money is there, what is Hollywood waiting on?



I believe the reason we are seeing a cautious move towards slasher films today is because of a paradox with the films themselves. Fans seem to want the exact same thing they wanted in the late 70's and 80's however when they are given a milar movie it feels like too much of the same. Why remake something if you're not going to break walls that have been built? And when filmmakers stray to much from the mple "stalk and slash" mentality fans start miss the mplicity of the stories many of us grew up with. It is a no win tuation.



New slasher icons have tried their hardest to comete with yesteryear. Names like Victor Crowley and Chromeskull are just a few that took the mentality of the slasher genre however they receive mixed reviews. Is it posble that what we remember is so good in our minds that nothing will ever live up to the quote "glory days"? And if that is the case, what does the future hold for my beloved sub-genre.



Rob Zombies re-imagining of the HALLOWEEN series is a perfect example of taking something that had been done to death and inserting many layers to the story all while trying to pay homage to the source material. While the films themselves did well enough at the box office the studio (THE WEINSTEIN'S) are looking to take the series back to a mpler, less story driven level. Is that what fans really want? Was 8 films with the same formula not enough? It's as if we are asking for the imposble. What will be interesting to see is if we do get a mpler plot for "HALLOWEEN 3D' if it truly will be the movie that slasher fans have been wanting.



Time will tell what will happen to the likes of these films. Will we once again experience the "glory days" by either remaking or favorite slasher franchises or will we get lucky and bear witness to the birth of a new icon? Whatever happens I just hope that fans (including myself) can get passed the fact that the past is the past and it's time to let new ideas and new techniques in to telling slasher stories. We've witness damn near every way to see someone butchered on film. What will that breakthrough film be and will we as fans accept it or will we be to stubborn to realize it if it happens?

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Food for thoughts Bidites. We would love to hear your take on the slasher genre and where you think it needs to go. Sound off by posting your comments below. Hollywood loves new ideas, you never know, maybe something you write will resonate with the higher ups and maybe the next generation will get to have the fun that we all were lucky enough to live through.

The Slasher Sub-genre stands out because of its versatility. The fact that each Icon stands out in each way and to each fan which makes them into a diehard fan. even I have been trying to create stories for my own slasher because in truth slasher flicks are easy to produce. just put a mask on a person and give a reason why he hates every pretty much the same formula.

I'm not really a big fan of most slasher remakes mply because it wasn't made too far away nce the last installment of the franchises. Freddy and Jason's were in the same decade for crying out loud. Michael's was too, but he had more of a reimagining rather than a remake. And I always prefer a reimagining

over a remake.

Jason's remake could have ealy been named Friday The 13th part 11 if a few details were changed. Freddy's could've been Nightmare On Elm Street: Freddy Returns. If they weren't remakes and just another installment, people wouldn't be so hard on them. The remakes were definitely better then the previous installments, but because they are remakes, they get compared to the originals and are bound to fail. When Robert Englund was asked what he thought about the ANOES remake, he said he wanted it to be different. Maybe change up freddy a bit, change his clothes, SOMETHING!!! But in the end..... It was just another Nightmare On Elm Street.

The great thing about a scary story, is how much they can change over the years. How everyone who tells it puts their own unique twist on it. And that's not just with scary stories, all great stories are reiterated and reimagined. I think what the problem is, is that for years now, we've just been telling the same stories over, and over, AND OVER again. Everything is TOO predictable because we know what's going to happen. It's time for a change, and we all need to be more open to it.

I was actually thinking about this very topic the other day. I believe what makes these slashers so loved compared to some of the newer age slashers, like Chucky, Ghostface, and Billy Jigsaw, is that they've mply been around longer. They have as well been able to create a strong and bigger fan base.

To be very blunt and lets face it. If Halloween, the original, had been released in 2011 rather than 1978, then the movie would probably never be as popular as it is now. Reason, the world we live in today wants to see more blood, more sex, and more twisted images than they can find on the internet. Now I know I'm probably going to get a wave of people saying I'm wrong or retarded, but if you really think about it. If you have never seen Halloween, not knowing what it's about, and going to the theaters to see it today. Would you say the movie is up to par compared to the other movies we see today?

While I wasn't around for the original releases I still have come to love these films. I completely agree that many of these remakes can be condered just another installment in which ever franchise you choose. I myself wish for nothing more than a great new slasher. I just think that hollywood has not been able to produce one yet(ghostface is the closest IMO). We need some creative writer to come in and create a character that is truly iconic and has potential in the field. I don't think back in the glory days they were taking polls and studies to see what people like to see on the screen, it was just a few unique people creating characters we could all relate to in some way or another(as bad as that sounds).

here a video i made talking about a

Cool Extra Story Mode For Mortal Kombat 9/MK9 that has to do whit all 4 Horror Legands

http://youtu.be/o1hnJu-UJO4