Home Campus & Community Oh The Horror! Horror Movies New and Old

Oh The Horror! Horror Movies New and Old

by Galaxie Vail

Halloween, that perfect time to gorge yourself on treats while watching terrible- or awesome- horror movies. With the new “Halloween” movie coming out, the question of remakes versus classics has begun to take root again. Some people like to watch the newer, jumpscare-filled, remade horror movies, while others prefer the psychological thrillers and suspense that only the classics can provide.

Both classics and remakes have their upsides and downsides. The newer movies and remakes tend to focus more on the gore and violence, as well as the sinister side of the supernatural. Jumpscares are an important part of these movies, with the plot sometimes taking a backseat in order to surprise the audience. For example, “The Conjuring” series has some plot but relies heavily on jumpscares to make the movie scary. Some remakes are just that: a supposedly better version of the classics, while other remakes are designed as a sequel of the original movie. While some of the newer movies do have their own unique storyline, after a while they tend to have the same plot just with different characters.

The older movies tend to focus more on suspenseful music and long pauses to accentuate the suspense, but do not focus on the jumpscare factor that is present in newer movies. For example, the 1960 film “Psycho” used a buildup of tension and a blast of music at the climax to frighten audiences in its time. Now though, the movie is known more as the godfather of all horror movies than an actual horror movie. While there are jumpscares in the classic horror movies, they are not a prevalent part of the plot. “Nightmare On Elm Street” has some jumpscares, but the story of Freddy Krueger and his victims were more important.

Senior pre-nursing major Haley Cash said, “I like older movies because they focus more on the demonic aspect rather than the gore. Instead of blood and guts, the older movies focus more on the supernatural.” Cash also says she prefers to watch “The Conjuring” around Halloween, though she does prefer the classics. Cash says she still respects remakes of the classics as long as they don’t change the original plot too much.

On the other hand, senior secondary mathematics education major Michael Dreixel likes both new and old horror movies. “Each have their own aspects that are noteworthy. Old movies have the original storylines that newer movies don’t have, but lack the special effects that make new movies look so realistic,” Dreixel said. His favorite movie to watch is “Child’s Play”.

Whether you enjoy rewatching the classics or would rather see the newest horror movie out, Halloween is the prime time to get a group of friends together and marathon horror movies until you can’t sleep with the lights off.

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