There are only two teams you can be on for Halloween when it comes to movies; team Classic, or team CGI.
Today, horror films are all about visualization with computer generated imaging. What you see, what you hear, and the way a tale is rolled out for you.
Thinking is no longer necessary, just sit back, enjoy the ride, and enjoy the 3D axe swooping towards your neck from the theater screen.
A long time ago, the reason a film was ‘scary’ or ‘unnerving’ was by the fact that you were left with silent suspension during the movie at the worst times. Like when you just started to love Mr. Handsome, and he might have just died but you can’t quite be sure (or when you really need to use the restroom).
Old classics were pro at leaving you to torturously imagine what was happening and what the screams behind doorways meant, and making sure all the scenes never seemed to add up the way they should.
Some people out there are horror film-aholics.
They know every scene from some of Hollywood’s black and white classics to today’s best CGI frights.
But which set is better? Are the classics – which brought us into the horror we enjoy in the first place, which taught us what terror is all about?
Or have the last handful of decades, the invention of CGI, and a better knowledge of film creation really beat our classics out of the Box Office?
Let’s talk pros and cons.
Old Classics:
Old films always allowed the audience to use their imagination.
However, many of them are bad quality by current standards.
There are cheesy moments, and sometimes the acting isn’t up to par.
Although, not having CGI or great effects allowed films to get creative, and horror films from the past were terrifying because of this limitation. It made the story real. It made it constricting. And limitations made you afraid. Some examples of popular black and white classics are most notably:
Nosferatu (1922)
Dracula (1931)
Frankenstein (1931)
The Haunting (1963)
New Horror Films:
Film has been studied and perfected for decades, which really added texture to movies in general, not just the horror genre.
Imagery was suddenly exotic, exciting, right in your face. Angles were utilized, and acting had become a more examined art form for the screen (separating from theater all together).
On the downside though, there have been so many films created today that none of the new ones feel fresh or original.
Films take years to produce nowadays, and they cost millions of dollars to create. The CGI is still a sweet bonus however. Some examples of new age horror films:
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Paranormal Activity (2007)
The Others (2001)
The Exorcist of Emily Rose (2005)
The Rite (2011)
The reality here is that both teams have their pros and cons, and deciding if one is better than the other is probably impossible. Instead of comparing between the two, watch both type this holiday.