If you know me (or follow my blog around October...my busiest month) its pretty obvious I love horror movies. There is just something about getting scared that just feels invigorating and refreshing. Only when you experience terror do you really feel alive. And that's what horror movies do for me is they make me feel alive. The main problem with horror films though is predictability. While some film cultures embrace original ideas (Korea and Japan), for some reason we tend to stay stuck to four kinds of horror films:
1st: The original idea-that is to say a horror film that hasn't been done before. A film that stretches the boundaries that have already been set or take an element of the horror film genre and totally turn it on its head. These tend to be rare over in the US but it's still around enough in other cultures to warrant it being on the list
2nd: The slasher film-these CAN be original (Santa's Slay, Pumpkinhead, and pretty much any GOOD B movie horror film) but they tend to be pretty predictable and stereotypical nowadays. Basically one person or a group of people kill a bunch of stupid teens. In the 2000s we saw this kind of evolve somewhat into self-slasher with the torture genre but the ends are the same even if the means aren't.
3rd: The supernatural-pretty self explanatory and done to death nowadays but pretty much any non living or creature of some sort killing a bunch of stupid teens.
and 4th: the remake/sequel-It may not be an actual category in terms of being something different but sequels and remakes run rampant in Hollywood nowadays when it comes to horror films. Not a Halloween goes by without another Saw, Friday the 13th, Halloween or remake of an old 80s horror film. It's sad and most of them tend to suck but every now and again a remake can do good. What did this have to do with anything? Well read that last line: Every now and again a remake CAN be GOOD. Well that's what I have for you all now.
Just like with Friday the 13th last year and Texas Chainsaw before it, Michael Bay is producing a new horror film based on an old established series. This time it's none other than Nightmare on Elm Street. Now before you Freddy fans go burn down his house for remaking a great horror series or for the atrocity that is not having Robert Englund play Freddy hear me out. This version actually looks good! Yes it's a stereotypical slasher film and a direct remake of the first film but there is SOMETHING about it that makes it stand out. That thing is-
Jackie Earl Haley....
It's no surprise that I love JEH. If you listen to the latest LAMBcast I say that he was one of the best things about Shutter Island. JEH has a knack for being really good really dark Any fan of Little Children or Watchmen can tell you JEH is great at playing sociopath's and complete madmen that are impossible not to love. And the remake of Nightmare is no different. He looks to be brilliant as the great Freddy (although still not as good as Englund that would be blasphemy)
Without further stalling here is the trailer:
So looks cool huh? It's very stylistic and the acting seems better than most of the other films. Granted they could all be mute and let JEH talk but they seem at least smarter than the majority of the people in the previous films. I gotta say I love the pacing of this film. I know I haven't seen it yet but judging from the preview it's not just hack and slash for two hours but a developing story.
And of course burn victim Rorschach in a Where's Waldo sweater (listen to him say no it's the exact same voice as Rorschach) is great.
All in all I'm looking forward to this April release of a horror film classic. But what do I know. Leave me a comment down below and tell me what you think. Until then I am Travis McCollum and this has been Trailer Talk Thursday.
If you have any suggestions or trailers don't hesitate to send them to tjmac510@hotmail.com
