It seems I'm in another one of those moods where everything horror the studios are putting out just pisses me off to no end. This isn't a rant against remakes, because in actuality I've liked more remakes then I hated. No, this is a rant about remaking, remakes and creating stupid semi-sequels and prequels that majority of fans don't want, but at the same time will go see because it's all we have (myself included).
What lit my fire this time around are the hype articles being written by every site from Bloody-disgusting.com to Variety.com. You know what I'm talking about, stuff like " First Ghostbusters Set Photos Are Here!!!!" or " Halloween Will Return in 2016!!!!" always with the damn exclamation points (that pisses me off also, but that is a different article). These articles don't help or serve a purpose, other than hits, and just contribute to the downfall of studio horror. Notice I said studio horror? Well there is a reason for that. There is a whole lot a awesome horror on the independent scene and that is where you're going to get the cool original story. But what about my Icons?
Sometimes I want to see Freddy, Jason, Michael or Leatherface just kill someone in an new semi-original story. Yet when they redo one of the big four it always turns into a shite show, barring RZ's Halloween and the TCM films. Maybe because those four, just like the Universal Monsters, have run their course. Maybe we need to look to the Independent scene and put some of that studio power behind a new idea.
Take Adam Green for example. Green came up with an amazing slasher in Victor Crowley and managed to put out three films under the Hatchet title. He did this on small budgets, with no major studio backing and guess what? They were down right amazing films worthy to stand next to any F13 film or Halloween film. Had any major studio had the balls to back it, there is no doubt in my mind that it would have been a hugely successful franchise and gone on to do more than two sequels. But that's the business. I get no one wants to take a risk, they want a sure thing, but sometimes you need to just take that leap and see what happens.
Green isn't the only one, though, putting out awesome stuff. Take the team of Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett (You're Next, VHS), they put out the coolest movie of 2014 called The Guest. The Guest can't be tagged to one genre though, it's like a horror, action, thriller that is just balls out fun. It's another one of those films that should have been scooped up and put into every theater in the US. The Guest has franchise written all over it (If you haven't seen it do so a.s.a.p. 10/10).
Then there is the team of Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton (SAW Sequels) who came up with the coolest trap using slasher to ever hit the scene. The Collector and The Collection feature a serial killer called 'The Collector' who just kills in a brutally awesome fashion. Again this should be a huge franchise with major studio backing. The 'Collector' character alone is worthy of a Horror Hall of Fame plaque. Dunstan and Melton should be focusing on him and not a Halloween reset film to take us back to the original storyline. But, yet again, I understand that those bills need to be paid and only a fool turns away work. I am happy for them on a professional level, but that little rebel in me wants them to say "screw Michael, let's focus on the Collector".
The Dunstan case kinda proves my point about big studios in general. The studios know Dunstan can write and direct a solid horror film, but rather than let him focus on an original project they squander his talent on yet another "reboot" of a franchise that needs to sit for at least a decade or more.
After all that rambling my thing is this: Studios, stop rushing to reboot and remake everything that was awesome in the 80's. Fans, If we want new horror characters, and this is hard, stop supporting the old ones. Journalists, stop hyping these films or at least stop with the "!!!!" headlines. And finally, Studios, Give Green, Wingard and Dunstan a chance to do an original project with a big studio backing and, who knows, they just might surprise you with your next major horror franchise.
P.S.
But if the studios are hell bent on remakes, reboots and resets of everything then just follow the AA mantra of 'Keep it simple, stupid". Like Jason kills naked girls at a camp or Michael stalks babysitters on Halloween. They are slashers, they need no backstory or motivation, they just do and what they do is kill.
Now you can complain in the comment section below.