Why Meta-Horror Movies Are the Only Horror Films Worth Making, Now
by Eli Henry
Let me begin by saying if you're reading this and you disliked both Wes Craven's "Scream" or this summer's "Cabin in the Woods", you will completely disagree with everything I have to say here, and you should just exit out now. This also applies for those who haven't seen either of those movies, as SPOILERS abound. If you did enjoy them, by all means, read on.
Cabin in the Woods is the most fun I've had at a movie. It was incredibly enjoyable, and if you appreciate b-horror movies as I do (Evil Dead, Cabin Fever, etc.), you'll love it even more. Full of quick-references and funny dialogue poking fun at a great number of horror movies, even ones I didn't expect, like Clive Barker's "Hellraiser", "Ju-On" (The Grudge), and even the "Left 4 Dead" video game characters had a quick cameo. But not just horror film-buffs will enjoy this movie, purposely littered with well-known horror cliches.
To the contrary, has anyone reading this seen Paranormal Activity? Or better yet, Saw? We are running out of good horror movie ideas. Insidious was one of the better recent horror movies, and even that borrowed heavily from Poltergeist. I think part of the reason for this lack of trying is that it's harder to come up with original material nowadays. Most combinations of the horror movie formula have been used, so now we're ending up with repeat slashers, remade horror movies, torture horror, and movies that aren't explicit remakes, but draw heavily from other movies.
What I'm saying is: The general horror movie formula is failing, due to overuse. But every once in a while, a movie like Cabin in the Woods or Scream comes along and gives us all a breath of fresh air. That air is satire. Scream did this really well, by often mentioning the slasher movie "rules" (basically a list of cliches such as "I'll be right back" that mean you're doomed), and even the movie's killers are motivated by classic horror movies ("Movies don't create psychos. Movies make psychos more creative!"), all the while containing many comedic elements. Cabin in the Woods does something similar, yet definitely in a category of its own. Cabin in the Woods takes the, well, "cabin in the woods" horror movie cliche, and turns it on its head from the minute it starts. Almost the entire movie is full of humor, both horror movie-related and not, and it makes it all the more enjoyable, and ultimately the most fun I've ever had in a movie.
Of course, the know-it-all, meta-horror style movies will also get stale eventually, but when they do, let's hope someone's come up with some original ideas.
What I'm saying is: The general horror movie formula is failing, due to overuse. But every once in a while, a movie like Cabin in the Woods or Scream comes along and gives us all a breath of fresh air. That air is satire. Scream did this really well, by often mentioning the slasher movie "rules" (basically a list of cliches such as "I'll be right back" that mean you're doomed), and even the movie's killers are motivated by classic horror movies ("Movies don't create psychos. Movies make psychos more creative!"), all the while containing many comedic elements. Cabin in the Woods does something similar, yet definitely in a category of its own. Cabin in the Woods takes the, well, "cabin in the woods" horror movie cliche, and turns it on its head from the minute it starts. Almost the entire movie is full of humor, both horror movie-related and not, and it makes it all the more enjoyable, and ultimately the most fun I've ever had in a movie.
Of course, the know-it-all, meta-horror style movies will also get stale eventually, but when they do, let's hope someone's come up with some original ideas.
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