THE MAKING OF CULT CLASSIC HORROR
The Film school generation – a group of filmmakers who grew up on and formally studied horror began to inject B-movie horror devices into their mainstream work. B grade horror movies today are iconic in itself and this is very evident in American Horror story season 9 – ‘ 1984’, which has that typical 80’s horror classic theme going for it. Growing up on Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm street to movies like ‘Get out’ has been quite a drastic shift. However I’ll still be reminiscing those ‘Cult Classics’ for a long long time.
Steven Spielberg’s Jaws in 1975 made creature horror big business – igniting not only a Shark cycle but the the whole summer blockbuster style of production and marketing. Brian De Palma’s Carrie in 1976 set the stage for a Teen Horror cycle by turning Stephen King’s first novel into a big box office and Oscar Nominations for the leads. 1979’s Alien by Ridley Scott successfully remixed horror and science fiction as did John Carpenter’s remake of The Thing in 1982 which was a neither a box office or critical success but has stood the test of time to be one of most terrifying special effects films ever made.
Spielberg would return to horror with 1982’s Poltergeist working with Tobe Hooper to create a masterful ghost story which was released only a week away from Spielberg’s other 1982 hit: E.T.
And then there’s 1980s The Shining which in true Kubrick fashion, defies any category or imitation. Again, not a critical hit -it won Kubrick a Razzie Nomination for worst director – and only a mild box office success in its time The Shining would go on to become an absolute must watch for any student of horror.
Not only did Cult Classics inspire new horror movie themes and styles but infact it inspired looks for Music big time! Micheal Jackson’s thriller for example blew the charts in 1982 with its class B-Grade horror movie theme. This was the song playing at every Halloween party in the 80’s.
PSYCHOLOGY, SEX, AND GORE
From the 1960s on we begin to see a massive explosion of styles and cycles into the horror genre as it gained both in popularity, Prestige and freedom once the restrictive censorship of the Production Code was abandoned in 1964.
No discussion of the horror film could be even self respecting without the mention of the Maestro himself: Alfred Hitchcock. Honing his precise abilities to play an audience like a musical instrument, it was 1960’s Psycho that shocked audiences into believing horror could be more than B-Film Fare. From B- Grade movies to Slasher movies, it seemed to become lesser about monsters and ghost but rather about sex and Gore.
Speaking of sex and Gore, what if you transformed promiscuity into song and dance. A bold statement that exhibits the creative expression of a Transvestite scientist, Dr. Frank-N-Furter played by Tim Curry. Stuck with a flat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. As their innocence is lost, Brad and Janet meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rocking biker (Meat Loaf) and a creepy butler (Richard O’Brien). Through elaborate dances and rock songs, Frank-N-Furter unveils his latest creation: a muscular man named “Rocky.”
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Teenage Horror Cult classics we can never Forget
A couple of Cult classic movies from our Childhood we just cannot forget from those sleepless Nights
Prom Night
Prom Night had grossed $15 million in the United States, and was Canada’s highest-earning horror film of 1980. Critical reaction to the film varied, with some, such as Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, dismissing it for its depictions of violence against women, while others alternately praised the film for its more muted violent content. Why we can’t forget this one is not just the horror but also for the first time this seemed to resonate with real life events, things that could happen to you or to anyone. Prom Night has accrued a substantial cult following, not only for its horror content but also for its disco-heavy soundtrack, which was released by RCA Records in Japan in 1980. Some film scholars have cited Prom Night as one of the most influential slasher films of the period.
Carrie
Another Prom movie…ya’ll love freaking out Teenagers. Carrie is actually one one my favorite ones on the list. It’s something about Carrie’s deep backstory, her disturbed mother and how she is bullied that you really feel for her. This is a very unique and complex horror movie where there is no good or evil and the lines are blurred. The disturbing visuals and striking red tones that really hit hard while watching this masterpiece.
Jaws
Jaws was the first major motion picture to be shot on the ocean.Jaws was the prototypical summer blockbuster, regarded as a watershed moment in motion picture history, and it won several awards for its music and editing. It blew people’s minds! Nobody had ever seen something like this before. Man was I afraid of the ocean and still am! It was the highest-grossing film until the release of Star Wars in 1977. Both films were pivotal in establishing the modern Hollywood business model,
Child’s play
This one still haunts me to this day! And I’m sure a lot of you can say the same. I’ve seen this brilliant horror movie over twenty times so far and it is still great. “Child’s Play” is wonderfully original-a great concept(the soul of a serial killer in the puppet)and villain(Chucky!)are perhaps the keys to it all. Plenty of jumpscares ( good ones!),pretty good acting and lots of violence.The direction and editing are so tight and carefully done. Now I can see why this movie was such a huge success in 1988.Managing to be both frightening and classy,this is a nerve-wracking experience.I actually found “Child’s Play” to be a very scary film. That extra touch of dark humor and chucky’s foul moth nature does seem to be entertaining . All in all, I wholeheartedly recommend it to any open-minded viewer, who likes to watch horror movies.The hammer in the head scene still gives me goosebump
Scream
What’s your favorite scary movie? What comes to mind? A classic dialogue from the cult classic- ‘Scream’.follows the character of Sidney Prescott (Campbell), a high school student in the fictional town of Woodsboro, California, who becomes the target of a mysterious killer in a Halloween costume known as Ghostface. The film combines dark comedy and “whodunit” mystery with the violence of the slasher genre- a very typical outline for a 90’s Slasher Film. This is a Go- To sequel for those sleepovers at your friends place.
