I know I am tired of seeing viewer submitted reviews saying, “This is the worst movie ever!!!”
Understandably with every product that is created and released, there will be people who are not an admirer and will want to complain about the product and the person who developed it. This happens all across the board, with every job and every service: authors, chefs, doctors, police officers, politicians, teachers, etc. Not everyone will agree with you and your methods. When it comes to the world of horror films, though, the criticizers are more condemning and condescending. It appears that they are being vindictive towards a movie for no reason at all, bitching for the sake of bitching. And often times, they aren’t even educated in what they are bitching about!
Producing an independent horror film is hard work, more difficult sometimes than you can even imagine. With Hollywood backed, big budgeted movies the director and executive producer have the luxury of hiring a plethora of production assistants, production managers, department supervisors, and lower level producers to ensure that principal photography runs as smoothly as can be. This is almost never the case when it comes to making an independent horror film. It’s commonplace for the director to be in charge of every aspect of the film, literally putting in dozens of hours and spending thousands of dollars of their own money towards making their film the best it can be. It’s almost like being a one man army, unless the director is lucky enough to have a professional, equally as dedicated supporting crew.
This is why, as a reviewer, I try to never rate a film under a 3 out of 10. Because I understand all the time, effort, and money that was pooled into the movie. I like to give credit where credit is due. While I’m kind of at the bottom of the horror film world hierarchy, I do feel that I’m qualified to judge movies based on what I see, not what I expect to see. I have my Bachelor’s Degree with honors in Media & Film, I’ve worked on a little over a dozen independent horror films, I’ve been writing about said pictures for four years now, and I’m a lifelong fan of the genre. So, every time I see a viewer submitted review saying, “This is the worst movie ever,” it really grates on my nerves.
Rating an independent horror film 1 out of 10 stars or giving your review a title like, “This is the worst film ever,” is a kiss of death for the director who pieced that project together. Without an A-list star, noteworthy studio backing, or costly publicist, the only chance that a new title will circulate around home media outlets and DVD chains is by word of mouth. Word of mouth (and sites like HorrorSociety.com!) cost nothing and help to get the word out to horror fans. Every 1 star review you post on Amazon, Redbox, IMDB, etc is a nail in the coffin to that movie, because you have now lowered the chance that the movie will appeal to a non-frequent horror fan, which in return lowers the chance that the production will make its budget back. It’s just not right to damage a person’s work like that…unless we’re talking about 1313: Cougar Cult…
Please think before you publish.
So, if you’re one of those home viewers contemplating formatting a 1 star review or designating a film, “the worst film ever,” please read some of these complaints followed by an explanation of why your gripes may have occurred. And, I know there are some truly horrible films that have been made. These explanations were not made to defend those films, these were made to defend the movies that are decent to great and are not receiving a fair shake because of cyber trolls.
1. These actors are horrible! Yeah, I’ll admit, horror films don’t always have the best actors representing the script. Maybe the actor just has the look the director and writer envisioned. Maybe the actor was so supportive behind-the-scenes that the director threw him a bone and put him in the movie. Maybe the starting actor dropped out and a new guy had to be chosen at a moment’s notice. There’s many reasons as to why a less than average actor may appear in a horror film, but sometimes it boils down to the fact that the actor is kind-hearted and really believes in the story. A lot of directors, myself included, would rather work with an adequate actor who is easy to work with than hire a fantastic actor who is a pain in the ass. It’s also not as easy to act on cue as you may think, so until you’ve spent 14 hours filming with a camera fixated on your face and recording your every moment, you probably shouldn’t knock it. And when it comes to nudity, that’s a whole other story. Directors are just happy to get an actress – regardless of talent level – on board who is willing enough to take her top off for your enjoyment.
2. It looks like they used a home video camera! Well, they probably did, or they used a camera that wasn’t top of the line. Or they wanted a different style or mood represented by their film quality. When it comes down to budgeting an independent film, you’re working with a shoe string budget and hard decisions need to be made. You can either rent or buy a Red camera for a couple hundred or a thousand bucks, or you can you buy a 2x old generation canon camera. It may not look the prettiest, but it will allow you to spruce up other parts of your film with the money you saved. It’s a give and take kind of thing. Also, a lot of films, especially in horror, are trying to recapture the style of the 1970s and 1980s and the quality of the 1990s b-movies. This may be the reason why the picture isn’t bright or why it looks extremely outdated. Before you know criticize the camera work, check to see the inspiration behind the film.
3. It looks like they made this with no money at all! They probably didn’t. Again, most independent horror films are made for $100,000 or less, which doesn’t allow a lot of room for glitz and glamor. It’s kind of like a common sense thing. If you find a movie on Redbox that you’ve never heard of before and it has no recognizable name talent attached, it’s a good sign that the movie was not backed by Hollywood and has a much smaller budget. If it wasn’t released in theaters, it’s a good sign that the movie has a smaller budget. You can’t expect Johnny Depp to blow up cars full of zombies in an independent horror film produced on $50,000. Just as you can’t expect to get the taste of Italy in a Celeste frozen pizza.
4. Those effects looked sooo fake! Special effects are an equal combination of science and art. The prop and desired effect cannot work properly without both parts being in place. Special effects are costly, too. There are two scenarios that happen when making a b-horror movie: an effects artist is hired and given a shoe string budget, or more often the effects artist is brought on board and working for free. This means that the artist has to work tirelessly to create the most practical effect they can manage as cheap as possible while still maintaining their integrity as a professional creator. It’s not an easy task to do. Props can become damaged. They could have to do another take and put the prop back together. In some cases, especially horror-comedies, the special effects are supposed to look hokey and fake. As we learned in The Exorcist, pea soup is a fantastic substitute for vomit.
5. That could never happen in real life! You picked up a title called “Mutant Panda vs. Cyber Sloth” and you’re shocked that the plot isn’t plausible in real life. Seriously?
6. That was scene sooo unrealistic! Oh, tell me more about the time you were chased half naked through the woods by a transvestite clown wearing a big mask swinging a chainsaw at your head. Was there a book that dictates the only normal reaction to such horror? Please let me know where I can find the manual and fill me in on how you were able to memorize it so quickly.
6. This is being vulgar and bloody for the sake of being vulgar and bloody! You chose to pick up a horror movie. You deal with the consequences of its vulgarity. If you read a synopsis that says, “A young boy is kidnapped and held hostage for years after witnessing the rape of his mother. Years later he breaks free in the woods of Pennsylvania and starts his own murder-rape spree,” and if you choose to watch the movie in spite of that, it’s your fault. If you don’t want to see bloodshed, torture, boobs, and lots of cursing, then maybe horror is not the genre for you. I’ll be happy to direct you to “Happy Beary Yum-Yum and the Gum Drop Princess.”
8. It’s not worth buying! Sure, I’ll admit this, there are some titles that are not worth the $19.99 plus shipping and handling. Luckily, VOD outlets have lowered the cost of movie rentals and have made them more accessible to you. Basically, they’re cheaper on your credit card and save you gas by watching in the comforts of your own home. Amazon has Instant Video streaming for $3.99 and Redbox rentals are just $1.07 per night. These options are more cost effective and should be considered the next time you want to take a walk down horror’s “Mandy Lane.”
Nice! It was if you just wrote the article as a response to a review of our new movie American Guinea Pig over at JoBlo.com LOL All the other reviews have been congratulations and such but this one published last week was a one star and went down the line almost exactly what you mentioned. Sort of funny… except that review that is. LOL
It was actually in response to a film I recently watched. Every single review was “oh this is a pos” “worst film ever” but in reality the film was NOT that bad.
I completely agree with you. What these spoiled children don’t understand is horror as a genre has always been 98% low or now budget films. Very few were ever really high budgeted. I recall these two podcast film reviewers blasting Night of the Living Dead. They said they hated it because it was in black and white. They thought the acting was stupid, and there wasn’t enough gore to keep them interested because they thought that anything done before 1978 was old and stupid and not worth anyone’s time. This was these podcaster’s words. I’ve heard crap like this over and over. Horror fans are either stuck in the 80s now or simply so spoiled they don’t have a clue what good horror is. Like you, Mike, I’ve studied all eras of horror. I know what is good horror and what sucks eggs. Honestly, it takes a lot to hit the sucks eggs category with me. Shit, I even thought Troll 2 had its charms…So, let’s keep showing these kids what real horror is…
Anyone who hates Night of the Living Dead gets their horror card membership taken away!
This was a great read, very well written. I see the points and they are valid I guess to a point. As a blogger, critic whatever people call it who does review a ton of indie films I talk from the other side of this coin. I understand how hard making a film is, that is why I am not making one. I do not have that talent, so I expect the ones who do or trying to have that talent to give me something that at least showcases they gave it a good try. I been a horror fan since I was 5 years old when I begged my mom to let me see the Exorcist and Jaws later in the 70’s. Today’s bloggers or fans think a film that old school refers to as a classic is flawed. To call The Exorcist a slow burn but praising Ti West is idiotic. I read a million good reviews for House of Bad, so I reached out to the PR people and got a copy. This is what people are praising, disjointed, horribly acted fluff. Indie always kicks out films that I feel really hit it out the park, Wrath of the Crows, Blood Punch, Hi-8, Bad vs Worse, Bring me the Head of the Machine Gun Woman and others. When i give a film a 1 out of 10, it is me trying my hardest to get into a film that really had no business being made. Hype is a huge part of what we do, we are supposed to build films up. Serbian Film, Bunny Game, Dead Hooker, Absentia and etc. those films were small films that bloggers like me built up and watch them take off when mainstream discovered them. It is give and take, when a director or star gives us a film we watch it and give our take. If i spent money and made a film and it sucked, I would not want a 4.5..I would want the 1.Help me realize my mistakes and short comings and work on them. Why lie to them, oh your film did not suck that bad? Who does that benefit when their next film is just as bad? Today’s bloggers I do not understand nor try to, I barely understand myself but I realize what impact my word has. Does it suck, sure. I hate being negative but whose fault is it, mine for being honest and giving you detailed analysis on what I hated and making valid points that you respect or being like others and lie to them and make them think they are special This is what blogging is about, I would rather have Roger Ebert honest and tell people he hated me, than his clones tell me it was a good effort when I know in my heart it is not and I am being jerked off.
As I was explaining to one of the other writers who work for HS, I may not have clarified the “4.5” part of my post. Basically, there are 1 star films that should NEVER have been made. Personally, I’ve seen two of those films and opted not to review them instead of ripping people’s hard work to shreds. The “4.5” is part of my rating system and it falls into the category of films that are just barely scraping by on content and quality. Those are usually the films that people rip to shreds for no reason at all, just for the point of being highly critical and cursing. Those are the films that I try to prop up a little more. Giving credit where it’s due, I say.
As a lifelong horror fan, I’m pretty sick of, “But what did you expect, it’s horror!” being used as a cheap excuse for exploitation and misogyny. Psychosexual themes are valid in horror. Nudity thrown in just so menchildren can all squeal, “OOOOH BOOOOOBIES!!!” is pathetic. You want to increase the audience for these films? Stop making them so damn stupid. You may not have money for effects, name actors, much of a crew, etc., but a good script doesn’t cost extra. And not treating half your potential viewers like total shit would probably help, too.
Most excellent, realistic and truthful article about horror films. I must chuckle in good humor though at the 100,000.00 or less budget statement. Both of my films were made for a mere 6K each. Thank goodness for great resources.
I invite any hater to jump on board and try to make a movie for 6K. Chances are… they’ll jump ship.
Very good read, enjoyed it.
thanks, lee!
Admit it, you just signed up to slam me, but had to say something nice so the only posts you made weren’t just to me, refuting what I said. SAD!
once again, you’re literally spending your days trolling website articles. i think that says more about you than anything i type.
You know posting something takes about a minute, right? Not really days…I know writing a poorly written essay defending stupid shlock might take YOU days to do, which is why you think writing takes a long time…but really, if you’re just not a retard you can just bang it right out!
I disagree with the vulgarity and nudity comment. Horror movies work just fine without them.
I had to chuckle at the Johnny Depp comment — I guess you haven’t seen Yoga Hosers
And this is why horror movies tend to suck a lot…because horror nerds are the least descerning viewers on earth. Have some kids go camping, get a few women topless and throw around a little blood, and that’s all you need. You suck.
well you showed me! my feelings are DESTROYED. seriously.
At first, I was watching this horror movie and it was really bad, but then the woman took off her top and I was like, “okay, I’ll give it a good review now.”