Things that go bump in the night are the least of your worries...
The Story:
Chronicling the history of cinematic American horror, this fast paced documentary chronicles one of the greatest genres of film history: The Horror Film! : ) Using clips of dozens of horror films, each decade is represented by the best (or worst!) of the period. In between these clips, we get the customary talking heads from some of horror's greatest minds explaining why it was important, what these movies reflected in society, etc.
So you either love horror, or you hate it.
Therein lies your reaction to this documentary.
I love horror films, but feel that about where this documentary ends, 2009ish... is where my enjoyment of horror began to diminish.
The pendulum has swung so far in the direction of "what can we show the audience that they've never seen?" that suspense, terror and excitement gave way to gruesome, graphic torture.
Yeah, Saw and Hostel, I'm looking at you.
So yes, when you long for the good old days of kinder gentler serial killers like Freddy and Jason...
; )
You know that something has gone seriously wrong.
It is a fascinating walk down memory lane from the Universal Monsters to the gruesome shock cinema of the last decade.
It is interesting to hear John Carpenter and Joe Dante or George Romero tell you what they were thinking when they made these films and how horror was often used as a social commentary of the times.
Not every film falls in line with that way of thinking, but it is a visible pattern that repeats often enough in the genre to give you pause.
Available for streaming on Netflix as of this writing.
Final Grade: B
Would I Own It: Hard to say. Probably not, just because I'm the only horror fan in the house.... for now! ;)
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