Dreaming Nightmares: Horror Theory, Horror Blood Part 3

Dreaming Nightmares: Horror Theory, Horror Blood Part 3

by Jacob Malewitz

Curiosity kills …

And curiosity tends to keep horror films selling tickets. Being that I’ve reviewed many horror films in my writing career, it becomes plain to me what sells. Audiences like blood and sex, sure, but they also like the psychological horrors of films like Psycho. Then again, blood wins over many fans—as does madness—and this was done with justice in the Evil Dead series of films (even thought Army of Darkness was more of a comedy).

I recently purchased the complete set of the After Dark Horrorfest films. These eight new releases, which I am just delving into, tend to combine the psychological horror (these are real people) with the slasher horror (whoops, they just died). Stephen King mastered it, but never quite so much in the horror film.