Every generation of horror has different things that define and seem to rule that time period. In the '30s you had the classic monsters, with the '80s came slashers and in the '90s the hot phrase was "meta". For those unaware, meta-horror (in this case) refers to horror films that are particularly self-aware, governed by film-making that is extremely conscious of what genre it belongs to. Sometimes this simply means that the filmmakers will give a quick wink or a nod to previous horror classics, and at others there's a full blown discussion by the actual characters in the film regarding the fact that they're completely aware that they're acting out a horror film. Its worth noting however that there is a difference between meta-horror and a parody: for instance, the Scary Movie franchise - whilst having many references to past and current horror films - is not really in the spirit of the films that are going to be looked at today. After all, spoof is inherently self-referential; that is its entire agenda. This list will be taking a look at the greatest self-referential horror films that the sub-genre has to offer, from Wes Craven reinventing the horror genre to a couple of films that laugh in the face of zombie movie tropes. Inevitably, there are some minor spoilers ahead.
Jesse Gumbarge is editor and chief blogger at JarvisCity.com - He loves old-school horror films and starting pointless debates. You can reach out at: JesseGumbarge@JarvisCity.com
