Bryan Creason

Entertainment Editor

    American movies are easily some of the best of all time. Hits like Citizen Kane, The Wizard of Oz, and others have wowed audiences for generations. The horror genre has had many hits as well, with films such as Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Exorcist, to name just a few. Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Chucky; all of these names are synonymous with horror, and for good reason: They and their movies are terrifying. However, the quality of horror films has been sinking recently. Here’s why.

    Remakes are one thing draining the life out of the Horror genre. Hits like the original Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Friday the 13th have all been remade in recent years, and all have been panned by critics. Halloween and Friday the 13th both scored around a 25% approval rating on IMDB and Elm Street scoring a 13% approval rating.

    Hollywood’s policy of milking their successful films is another reason the Horror genre is dying. While examples of Hollywood’s milking can be seen in every genre of film, the biggest example for Horror is the SAW series. Starting off as a relatively low-budget film, SAW was a financial success, scoring a 103-million dollar box office with only a 1-million dollar budget. The SAW series continued, each topping the previous one in the box office until SAW IV, which saw about a 30-million dollar decrease in the box office. This trend would follow the SAW series for two of its remaining movies, until the final film. Even though the film was a financial success, the folks at IMDB giving it a 3 out 10.

    Up-and-coming horror directors are having trouble breathing life back into the dying genre, though not for lack of trying. For example, Eli Roth, director of films such as Hostel and Cabin Fever, faced a hurt reputation after Hostel: Part II failed to wow moviegoers. Even classic-horror directors such as George A. Romero and John Carpenter can’t seem to revitalize the genre. Romero’s 2008 film, Diary of the Dead, is a great example, making a mere 5-million for its 2-million dollar budget.

    All in all, I feel that the American Horror Cinema is breathing its labored last breaths. Gone are the times of quality scares from directors such as George Romero, John Carpenter, and Wes Craven. A moment of silence, if you will, for America’s horror genre. May it rest in peace.