I’ve been trying to find a way to kick off this site. A post that would serve as an introduction and an explanation as to why anyone would launch something as thankless as a horror fiction review blog.
Horror film sites are a dime a dozen. They have advertisers lining up to give free swag, buy impressions and grant behind the scenes access to anyone who will help push their latest product. I could have created YetAnotherHorrorMovieBlog.com* and have done quite well with it.
So why “horror in print”?
Guts and Gore was originally going to be a horror movie review site, right up until I started watching the DVDs and realized that I could write a blanket review easily covering half of the horror movie output each year:
I’ve heard the opinion that audiences are getting stupider, and it’s hard to build a case against that argument with “2012” leading the box office. But I consider it a failure of leadership. If audiences are stupider it’s because film producers are complete morons:
Sony acquires the movie rights for RISK board game
Hasbro and Univeral partner for movie based on Monopoly, Battleship
Coming Soon to a Theater Near You!
The creative bankruptcy of Hollywood is nothing new, critics have been crying about it for decades. The difference is that the audience is starting to notice and are collectively questioning the value of a night at the movies. Technology is helping slow the exodus but better screens, luxury seating and the “3D bump” won’t last forever. There’s only so much that can be done on the exhibition side; the real problem is one of content.
What do Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, The Haunting of Hill House, The Shining, Silence of the Lambs and Jaws all have in common?
Before they became high-water marks in film history they all began life as novels.
Once upon a time producers read books and then optioned those books to make movies.
And the aforementioned films were also produced using top tier stars and directors with the intent of making a “good movie” not merely a “good horror movie”. They were meant to entertain, horrify, make a profit and stand on their own as works of art.
Okay, okay, you’re starting to black out from shock. Stay with me here.
The defense you’ll hear from Hollywood is that with the massive investment required to produce a film these days they are forced to rely on high concept brand recognition; toys, videogames, comics, and apparently old board games. “New” is considered untested, difficult and risky.
I’ll spare you my assertion that it does not cost $100+ million dollars to make a “blockbuster” movie, that something at the core of the Hollywood production machine is fundamentally broken, or that vague 1980s familiarity does not constitute “brand value”.
Horror lit is the home of high concept!
What I would like to point out, and one of the overall philosophies of this site, is that horror lit is the home of high concept.
“Patient Zero” is like Mission Impossible with zombies. “Queen Victoria, Demon Hunter” is…well, it’s insane…but it’s high concept no matter how you define it!
Horror films are also the last vestige of value for money filmmaking. At a time when even a crappy, generic romantic comedy costs $40 – $60 million dollars to produce you can still create a mainstream competitive horror film for under $15 million dollars. Hell, you can even do it for under $1 million.
Let’s not kid ourselves, you can option a lesser known horror novel for cheaper than the catering budget on most movies.
And a successful original horror film has endless merchandising opportunities that extend the revenue lifespan, opportunities that simply don’t exist for romantic comedies, board game licenses and CG disaster movies.
What I’m trying to say is that there’s plenty of opportunity to make great horror films that make money but the endless sequels, licenses and rip-offs are dragging down everyone’s potential.
It’s time to go back to fully developed stories, well-executed plots and deeper characterization. It’s time to start optioning horror novels for movies and actually completing them (We’re still waiting on World War Z – Way to strike while the iron is hot, Brad!).
So, if I may address Hollywood producers and young aspiring filmmakers directly – in your search for source material, step out of the toy aisle and put down the game controller. You can do better.
This site exists because almost all of mainstream entertainment starts with the written word. If I can do anything to restore the ties between great horror fiction and great horror films then I will have succeeded in my goal for gutsandgore.com.
*BTW – as of this writing that domain is available, if anyone wants it
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