The second part of this element is the John Carpenter (Halloween) question. Carpenter always said that part of his filmmaking philosophy was that showing explicit violence onscreen actually might be unnecessary in horror. He argued that our minds can do much worse on their own. We dont have to see someones limbs cut off to be able to envision it happening and have a reaction to that. This, then, might be one of the most important questions for modern horror audiences to answer, especially in the wake of the torture porn fad of films in the last decade. Where do we land on it, and where should we land? Is Evil Dead true to the spirit of horror filmmaking, or is it missing the point entirely? Evil Dead is certainly an improvement on the original film, but it is far from a perfect movie. The amalgamation of elements present in the film makes it rich fodder for discussion amid horror fans. Really, it prompts us as the audience to ask what we think makes a truly great horror film. Is it enough to have impressive levels of jump scares and violence, even if the characters onscreen are poorly drawn and dont truly engage us? Or do we need something more? Personally, I say the latter. Horror and terror only truly get under your skin when you can identify with the characters who are suffering from it. Otherwise, you might be justifiably impressed by the filmmaking, but it isnt a truly great expression of horror itself without the balance between characterization and action. In some ways, it is a retreat from the gory, vicious, and exploitative trend of torture-porn films but it is also a step up from the jump-scare-a-minute horror of franchises like Paranormal Activity. Even with its particular flaws, Evil Dead is exciting because it tries to be something fresh and viscerally terrifying while still paying homage to the classic form of horror filmmaking that inspired it. What do you think? Was Evil Dead 2013 great, terrible, or something in between? And what is it that makes a truly great horror movie? Sound off in the comments below!