Is it too much to hope for in a multiplex horror movie that it'll deal with adult themes, have a few memorable lines and won't be shot like a music video? Yes, it is, so the most you can ever hope for is a visceral thrill. If nothing else, the so-called torture porn fad delivered that, but far more profitable (and hence attractive to studios) was the trend for PG-13 horror pictures. When The Sixth Sense made $672 million worldwide, making it one of the highest grossing horror films of all time, studios interpreted its success as a sign that non-restrictive ratings were key in developing the next blockbuster. They were seemingly proved correct when, a few years later, Gore Verbinskis remake of The Ring made nearly $250 million worldwide. As studios rushed to find material that wouldnt tax the average adolescent overmuch, the trend initiated by these films quickly became monotonous, if not downright cynical. If Rupert Wainwrights remake of The Fog proved anything, it was that the PG-13 crowd would pay to see anything, even if it was slapped together in 11 months. Torture porn movies such as Saw were eventually overtaken by the Paranormal Activity and Insidious franchises at the box office, but PG-13 horror is still with us, rearing its ugly head with the recent Poltergeist remake and the forthcoming Rings movie. For 10 reasons why PG-13 horror doesnt work, read on.
Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'
