What constitutes "Horror"?

So, what makes a "Horror" movie a Horror movie, in your own words?

Does it have to be a straight forward Horror, or can it include elements of other genres, and still qualify?

I'm an old school traditionalist, and while I have a love/hate relationship with most, (using my new coined phrase) "genre benders", I don't feel as if they belong in the genre, infact, any genre at all.

What say you?

its really tough to say. Is Army of Darkness a horror movie? Is Henry a Horror Movie? How about Bubba Ho-tep or Se7en? Arguments could be made both ways. I am not to concerned about how a movie is labeled. only that it entertains and hopefully has a scare or two 🙂

Saw is a great example. Is it horror? is it Thriller? Is it Drama? or is it just HARDCORE!!!

I don't mind mixing genres, i usually see one film as mostly one genre with elements of others in. Nothing at all wrong with that.

There will be films where I just see it as horror though.

I consider a lot of movies horror films that many people probably wouldn't.

My definition of horror is simply if a movie is made to scare or disturb you in an extreme way, it's horror. That's why I feel movies like Irreversible, Audition and Salo are horror films.

As far as mixing genres, there's a fine line when it comes to doing so. Movies like the Scary Movie franchise combine some elements of both comedy and horror but end up being classified as a comedy, while movies like Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness combine comedic and horror elements and end up still being classified as horror. It just depends on what sideof the spectrum they're on.

a great example is faces of death, most people say its a horror, i think its a documentary myself.

I would call it horror documentary 😛

My definition of horror is simply if a movie is made to scare or disturb you in an extreme way, it's horror

good postin' 👆

Well For Example😖cream.
It was hillarious and still a bit frightening at the same time.

I like horror / Sci-fi
with horror being the primary driving factor of the story and sci fi just being the setting
A few faves I have in this particular area :
The Thing
Event Horizon
Alien

Originally posted by Cinemaddiction
I'm an old school traditionalist,

Yeah? Well thats not good enough. Define your terms. "Old School" dont mean poopy.

You discount anything that has a hint of another genre in it - (except Romeros Sci fi related Zombie movies as we already established) I'm guessing Carpenters THING isnt a horror movie in your eyes either - in fact all "creature features" arent horror because they are Sci Fi based? Unless the creature is supernatural in origin (vampire/wear-wolf) in which case it's allowed to call itself Horror under the CA rules - unless it's also funny, like American werewolf in London or Evil Dead II, in which case they are gender bending and count as comedy....

I'm guessing that under your (still mysteriously absent) rules of horror you must have about 4 films that count as horror - you could market them as "they box set of every horror film ever made" and clean up on ebay.

PS: Good to have you back posting regularly, where you been b!tch?

its kind of like the famous quote about pornography. "i dont know what it is but i know it when i see it"

Originally posted by Mr Zero
Yeah? Well thats not good enough. Define your terms. "Old School" dont mean poopy.

You discount anything that has a hint of another genre in it - (except Romeros Sci fi related Zombie movies as we already established) I'm guessing Carpenters THING isnt a horror movie in your eyes either - in fact all "creature features" arent horror because they are Sci Fi based? Unless the creature is supernatural in origin (vampire/wear-wolf) in which case it's allowed to call itself Horror under the CA rules - unless it's also funny, like American werewolf in London or Evil Dead II, in which case they are gender bending and count as comedy....

I'm guessing that under your (still mysteriously absent) rules of horror you must have about 4 films that count as horror - you could market them as "they box set of every horror film ever made" and clean up on ebay.

PS: Good to have you back posting regularly, where you been b!tch?

Dearest misanthropic, and aptly nicknamed, Mr. Zero.

Old school, you know, "traditionally speaking" and all, means straight forward. Blood, guts, decapitations, etc? As I said in the best directors thread, I enjoy the hybrid movies for the most part. "The Thing" is an aforementioned hybrid. Most people will consider it Horror, I do. Ask before you make assumptions.

As for my "rules". What rules? I've got guidelines by which I decide what I consider Horror. It shouldn't effect you? If people don't agree with them, I couldn't care less. Movies, as well as their genres, are subjective, and thus not worth debating. Some movies, on the other hand, are cut and dry.

I seem to be everyones favorite little hang-up at some point or another on these boards. 😆

Alright, I'm off to the casino. Tomorrows my birthday, and you're not going to ruin it, you bad, bad man. 😠

basically to bring fear to the person that is watching the movie.

Originally posted by Cinemaddiction
"The Thing" is an aforementioned hybrid. Most people will consider it Horror, I do. Movies, as well as their genres, are subjective, and thus not worth debating. Some movies, on the other hand, are cut and dry.

So The Fly isnt a Horror movie because its sci fi, but the Thing IS a horror movie evn tho its sci fi. You dont have criteria, you just have a subjective biased viewpoint on what is allowed into the horror club and what isnt.

And movie genres are all subjective ?- you might have pointed that out in post one when you tried to start this discussion... I say Annie Hall is the finest horror movie ever made and woody allen the finest horror director.

You KNOW your BSing now right?

have a great B-day CD - win some $$$ at the tables. I made $100 off a $1 stake in Blackhawk this summer beat that byeatch.

I dont like sci fi to be honest, yet I really like Alien and The Thing because the horror aspects of these films are so great. I like horror Campy original much like "SAW"!! Sry to be pumping this movie so much but I really cant wait to see it.

Originally posted by Mr Zero
So The Fly isnt a Horror movie because its sci fi, but the Thing IS a horror movie evn tho its sci fi. You dont have criteria, you just have a subjective biased viewpoint on what is allowed into the horror club and what isnt.

And movie genres are all subjective ?- you might have pointed that out in post one when you tried to start this discussion... I say Annie Hall is the finest horror movie ever made and woody allen the finest horror director.

You KNOW your BSing now right?

have a great B-day CD - win some $$$ at the tables. I made $100 off a $1 stake in Blackhawk this summer beat that byeatch.

The classic versions of both movies were Sci Fi. These new editions present a Sci Fi subplot, but the horror element carries the story, like NOTLD. It's hard to view said movie as Sci Fi when theres buckets of blood, jaws cum chest cavities exposed,and the like. Forget the fact that the thing they are dealing with is an alien, and just a beast, it's easy to lose focus. In retrospect, it's another one of those mutts.

If it's for the sake of an end all, be all categorization, "The Thing" would fall under Horror, and "The Fly" under Sci Fi. Just..for the sake of the non-anal retentive, straight forward, movie watchers, and where they'd find it at a video store. That's all I am trying to say.

You'll find "Ghost" in Romance, but "The Sixth Sense" is in Horror? Why? There's no BS'ing here, as I feel most genres are subjective when you maintain some sensibility. If not the genres, then the movies in them.

(Walked into Mystic Lake w/ $40, left with $220. Swizzle sticks. 😱 )

Originally posted by Cinemaddiction
(Walked into Mystic Lake w/ $40, left with $220. Swizzle sticks. 😱 ) [/B]

Damn you gave a lot of HJz cine

Kerplunk..