After interviewing Simon Barrett, a Columbia native, whose film “V/H/S” played at true false on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I have extremely mixed feelings about the future of the horror genre.
When “Paranormal Activity” crashed onto the scene in 2007 it started a wave in horror films of using documentary shooting to amp up the tension as many viewers have accepted the wobbly frame and reverberated audio as signs of simplistic authenticity. In the industry of “found-footage” horror, lessening showy effects makes the audience feel like the events are closer to reality. I guess people just aren’t scared by 50 foot insect women from Mars anymore.
These new films, which share a common ancestor in the “Blair Witch Project”, have had successes and failure but most still manage to deliver that sucker punch that makes you wish you’d gotten a small popcorn instead of the jumbo. They’re f***ing scary. The realism and normalcy draw you in and at the same time make you relax into the cushions, before reminding you to please move back to the edge of your seat
If you’re familiar with “Paranormal Activity” and its two ‘sequels’ then you know how simple the set had to be and there were only two stars, and amateurs to boot. That is why the film was completed on a budget of just $15,000. James Cameron wishes he could be that frugal when he created another planet and race of aliens.
So it’s no wonder the rising genre has an abundance of small, or indie, film students and upstart studios doing these films. After the “Saw” era during which America was fascinated by the abomination of Jigsaw and his tortures, “Activity”‘s success (grossed almost $200,000,00 since its release) came as kind of surprise.
“V/H/S” is another horror film featuring plausible settings and super heightened gross factor at the end. After 20 viewers left the theater of the RagTag on Thursday, I’m less than optimistic about the ticket I purchased.
little Peaces 