the return of horror

Watching Shaun of the Dead made me think of the state of the horror movie industry these days. It seemed like the 1980's were an awesome time for horror movies. Heck, we even had films like Friday the 13th, Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street producing half a dozen (or more) successful sequels. These days, we're lucky to see one sequel to a horror film, and the excitement around the is noticeably weak. I wonder why that is...

Perhaps it is the fact that regular action and drama films have begun to incorporate gore and horror aspects into their scripts, so we've become desensitized. Another theory is that may of the big horror writers have ceased to produce new works of fiction to base new movies on. People like Wes Craven, Stephen King and Clive Barker had their heyday in the 1980's film industry and few have made waves since.

Just as I am pondering these possibilities, I was presented with an opportunity to talk about a The Mist by Stephen King. After a long wait, we are being treated to a new film that has the potential to bring the horror and psychological drama genre back to the mainstream. The trailers look promising, and while King has produced some rather forgettable TV series in the not too distant past, I can't forget that this is the same fantastic writer who brought me favorites like The Shining and Kujo.

Kujo is one of my all time favorites, and what I really like about it is that I can watch it with my kids. It's rated R for its fear, language, and a little bit of gore but it's something that my kids can handle. Sure, that may seem cruel, but I have no problem teaching my kids to fear strange animals and be wary of large dogs. Since we live near the forest, I think it is important for our kids to learn about the dangers of rabies. And yes, we've shown them Old Yeller, but it doesn't seem to drive the fear home like a good Stephen King film can.

So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this new King movie will be a phenomenal return to the hey dey of horror. We've already seen a return to the musical styles and fashion of the 1980's, so why not the horror film industry?