"Death of Horror"... Yeah Right

The Dudes of Horror usually keep their opinions to their own site. Usually. But sometimes we step outside of our crypts and post on less reputable sites, like the one at EW: Guy at EW Tries to Jerk Us Around

The offending article was actually posted in the New York Times (links to it are provided on the EW page.)

For those who are interested, my original reply is below in unedited form. Comments are welcome.

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What should have been posted here:

Frankly, I think this article is alarmist for the sake of getting more genre fans off their butts and into theater seats. Someone at Lionsgate is probably thanking their buddy Josh at EW for making sure there's a better turnout for the next round of movies later in the year. And let's not forget that Lionsgate is involved with the "8 Films To Die For" festival which is going to have another go at it this year.

Theatrical releases are much more important to studio execs than they are to horror fans. The fact of the matter is that there are more films available for you to watch on DVD than you'll ever have time for. How many "grindhouse" genre films have you seen with major releases in the past ten years? Zero. Alright, one- if you include the recent "Death Proof." Meanwhile, fans of grindhouse cinema have been treated to a steady diet of films on DVD- even from the major retail outlets.

The studios know there is a "built-in" audience for horror. Until blood stops pumping in the veins of our thrill-seeking youth, films at least marketed as horror will continue to pad the bottom lines of those studio budgets. That's what I feel this article is truly trying to gauge: dear horror fan, which two of the thousands of relevant screenplays should we run with for next year to ensure that more of you bite?

If horror films were banned from theaters tomorrow, it'd be the best thing in the world for fans. They'd be forced to either explore more of the "back catalogue" of the genre and/or take matters into their own hands by producing fresh movies with fresh ideas.

Either way you look at it horror isn't going anywhere, people.