8. Don't Mistake Gore For Scares
In trying to make a horror film, several movies have created subgenres that are utter failures as anything resembling fear, entertainment, or valuable in any way. The first of these is movies that revel in gore. Gore is shocking, no doubt about it, and it's becoming even more extreme as special effects continue to improve. It's very disconcerting to see someone get helplessly dismembered but it's more of a sensory assault than it is a lasting scare. This isn't sophisticated horror, and most of your audience will rebel. Excessive gore really does bring the whole genre down to its lowest common denominator. Look, if you love to see blood, guts, severed body parts, people being disfigured, injured, and killed, there's a corner of the internet, a third world prison, or hell with your name on it. Get your head checked, and then see if you can join the rest of us at Starbucks trying to lead productive lives.
Movies That Got It Wrong: Hostel The Saw Franchise House of 1000 Corpses