Ultimately horror film fans want frights - what is the point of horror films that don't at least try to scare you? Yes there are horror-comedies where the emphasis is more on humour and provoking laughter, but a truly skilful horror-comedy frightens the audience as well as making them laugh. Think of American Werewolf in London and Evil Dead 2 - they were funny and scary in equal measures. All of the great horror movies are very frightening, this is why they are great. And critics usually give good reviews to movies that scare them because this is the fundamental point of horror movies. The movies below feature horror-comedies and straight horror films which are both unfunny and as scary as an episode of Peppa Pig. Please add your own unscary films below if you can make it through the agony...
10. Jason X (2001)
Unbelievably the 10th instalment of the Friday 13th franchise - which was never very scary right from the first instalment (unlikeable teens get slaughtered. Oh the terrifying agony!), Jason X tries to blow some life into this turgidly boring franchise by putting him in Space where he kills.. a bunch of young people. The kill scenes are devoid of tension and dread, the plot has been done to death and there is a lack of characterisation. People spout really stupid comedy lines when they are being killed or dying. This is definitely not an endearing trait of the movie and it vexes the viewer's patience quite heavily. The franchise at this point is more stupid than ever and invites ridicule from viewer and critic alike. Apparently better received in Britain than the States, it is a big dumb movie with absolutely no fear factor. The type of horror movie that is all too often made these days. It is weird that there are a lot of women in the movie compared to men - all the more fodder for Jason to kill because in slasher film diktat it is more fun and profitable to kill women instead of men. Yes, all of the clichés of the slasher movie abound, making this film totally scare-less. We might as well be in 1981. As the two guys in the videostore in television series The League of Gentlemen say: 'Seen it! Seen it! Seen it!' - it's nothing we haven't watched 100 times before and therefore produces no fear or terror in the viewer only mortal agony.
My first film watched was Carrie aged 2 on my dad's knee. Educated at The University of St Andrews and Trinity College Dublin. Fan of Arthouse, Exploitation, Horror, Euro Trash, Giallo, New French Extremism. Weaned at the bosom of a Russ Meyer starlet. The bleaker, artier or sleazier the better!
Ultimately horror film fans want frights - what is the point of horror films that don't at least try to scare you? Yes there are horror-comedies where the emphasis is more on humour and provoking laughter, but a truly skilful horror-comedy frightens the audience as well as making them laugh. Think of American Werewolf in London and Evil Dead 2 - they were funny and scary in equal measures. All of the great horror movies are very frightening, this is why they are great. And critics usually give good reviews to movies that scare them because this is the fundamental point of horror movies. The movies below feature horror-comedies and straight horror films which are both unfunny and as scary as an episode of Peppa Pig. Please add your own unscary films below if you can make it through the agony... 