The Horror Movie genre has itself become one of the walking dead lately.
Seen a really interesting, inventive horror movie recently? That's right, nobody else has either.
The genre has degenerated into formula slasher junk, remakes of tired franchise series, and comic-horror spoofs.
How many more tedious revisits to vampire or zombie characters do we have to be subjected to?
How far back do we have to go to find a horror movie with any kind of fresh concept? 28 Days Later? The Ring? Blair Witch Project?
What was the last imaginative creature feature to come out? The Host? Jeepers Creepers? Mimic?
The last slasher film with any glimmer of an actual thought was The Strangers. But not in a good way. In that movie, the attackers are anonymous, practically faceless strangers. Why did they do it? "Because we could," one of them answers. They drive away unknown in an old pickup. There are no consequences.
The Strangers is amoral and nihilistic. It represents a final dead-end road of sadism for its own sake. If the Horror Movie is to survive, it needs to get off that road and find new ways to portray the elemental fears of modern human existence.
Otherwise, the genre will become its own last, mutilated victim.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
24 Versus Obama Smackdown
This season of the TV series "24" is a pretty obvious commentary on the Obama terrorism policies.
Jack Bauer represents the "whatever it takes" approach to stop terrorist plots.
The Obama crowd's "by the book" legalistic softness is represented by Larry Moss, the clueless FBI head agent, and by a moralistic Senator who wants to put Jack Bauer on trial.
Guess who blocks the terrorists at every turn? That's right, it's Jack, with his no-holds-barred tactics.
Who screws up at every turn? FBI dummy Larry, whose own team is infiltrated by a mole. The pansy Senator's own chief aide is a part of the terrorist plot.
Not too hard to read between the lines there. "24" has got it right.
To stop mass casualties, who you gonna call? Obama's pointy-head lawyers? Didn't think so.
Better keep Jack Bauer on speed dial. Enough said.
Jack Bauer represents the "whatever it takes" approach to stop terrorist plots.
The Obama crowd's "by the book" legalistic softness is represented by Larry Moss, the clueless FBI head agent, and by a moralistic Senator who wants to put Jack Bauer on trial.
Guess who blocks the terrorists at every turn? That's right, it's Jack, with his no-holds-barred tactics.
Who screws up at every turn? FBI dummy Larry, whose own team is infiltrated by a mole. The pansy Senator's own chief aide is a part of the terrorist plot.
Not too hard to read between the lines there. "24" has got it right.
To stop mass casualties, who you gonna call? Obama's pointy-head lawyers? Didn't think so.
Better keep Jack Bauer on speed dial. Enough said.
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