Reframing the genre

Before "Scream" debuted in 1996, the modern slasher/horror genre was stuck in a rut. Many of the franchises that built the genre felt stale and long in the tooth. Then came this new entry that paid homage to the genre, acknowledged the typical construct of the genre, and flipped that construct to head in a new direction.

"Scream" touched off a new wave of horror, with a new style. One of the hallmarks is witty banter, and a deviation from the standard rules of the genre. But that was 15 years ago, and today the horror genre is in another rut, this time a darker, more depraved rut.

There are some that would argue that the horror genre — slasher films in particular — are contributing to the decline of society. In some ways the modern abuse of the genre bares that out, but I've always enjoyed a good slasher film. They provide escape and, when done well, can be an enjoyable time.

But over the past few years I've been disappointed with the trend. There seems to be a disturbing over emphasis on dehumanizing levels of violence and gore. The prime example of this new trend would be the "Saw" franchise. I saw the first one and it put me off. I didn't think it was scary, just gross. Sadly, many don't seem to know the difference.

Additionally, there have been countless re-boots and re-imaginings of classic staples of the genre ("Friday the 13th," "A Nightmare on Elm Street," "The Hills Have Eyes," and "Halloween" just to name a few). In each case, the re-imagining has been more violent and disturbing than its predecessor in keeping with the new trend. In fact, I'd argue (and have done so in movie review columns) that it's made the genre somewhat unwatchable.

In reviewing "The Hills Have Eyes" re-make I wrote, "One thing the film does well is create an overwhelming sense of disgust in the viewers. Much like the beleaguered members of the Carter family, you can hardly believe that such depraved and brutal acts are actually playing out on screen. The acts are so distastefully constructed fear and tension are replaced with revulsion. The problem is, those aren’t the same things. When done well, horror movies can be gripping and engrossing. Sadly, it seems that most modern filmmakers are content to throw as much graphic violence and gore into a film as possible and call it riveting. In the process, the line is being pushed farther and farther." Things haven't gotten better in the intervening period.

Obviously Kevin Williamson — who wrote "Scream," touching off a new wave of horror — feels the same. With "Scream 4," he offers a retro take on the genre and a scathing criticism of where some of the recent entries have taken it. That was one of the aspects of the film I liked the best.

"Scream" came along at a time when the horror genre needed a change. Fifteen years later, "Scream 4" is arriving with the genre facing a similar challenge. In a way, the film felt like a blast from the past — in a good way. For this horror fan, the hope is it will touch off a new wave of films that reign in some of the darker tendencies of the genre in the past few years.