Topic: Unexplored/Potential 'True Story' based Horror

We have discussed at length in these forums the social/economic/political themes contained within horror films, which are themes I have always been interested in outside of horror. I always like to be informed of current affairs and greatly enjoy history which I studies at GCSE and A-level (I could tell you anything, and i mean anything about the Nazis. Hitler is a monster infinitely more terrifying than the stuff fictional filmmakers can ever come up with). In fact while all my uni course-mates are out clubbing in the centre of Cardiff Im often very alone in watching Newsnight at half 10. Call me a boring guy but there u go. I thought id flip the discussion around and ask.......

Which unexplored 'true story' would like a horror movie to explore in,ideally a serious and reflective approach or use a influence as for example TCM did with Ed Gein. What broader current social issues do you think a original horror film should explore/comment on. Tell me your thoughts guys.

Last edited by Vasquez (2012-07-05 12:47:41)

Re: Unexplored/Potential 'True Story' based Horror

Good topic. I've been spending some time in Madrid, and the city is rife with the homeless. It's a subject which I think has been dealt with before in horror, although I'm drawing a bit of a blank at the moment - They Live and (to a lesser extent) Hobo with a Shotgun explore the idea a bit, and I often think of zombies as shambling homeless people. But I think more can be done with it.

Homelessness is a scary idea in itself. The thought that there are so many people outside with nowhere to go, while you're inside with shelter, warmth, food - I think something could be done with that. Like if every homeless person suddenly decided they didn't want to spend another night out in the cold. It could touch upon their situation, how they got to that stage, and the lack of help they had before, from the government and their fellow man.

Also, I've seen Cardiff on a Sunday morning - I don't think you're missing anything smile

Re: Unexplored/Potential 'True Story' based Horror

Without realising it many horrors especially from the late 60s early 70s were political and had social commentary and subtexts involved. It was americas way of dealing with a lot of turmoil and change going on in the US at the time. Nightmare on elm street was thought of after Craven read a story in the paper of a young boy who died in his sleep. He'd been keeping himself awake with coffee via a coffee maker that he's hooked up in secret in his room and had been hiding his sleeping tablets for fear of falling asleep. Craven used this as the basis of his story. Wolf creek used the stories of backpackers disapearing in the outback and Ed Gein is used in various films as an "inspiration" of sorts. The best "true story" horror/thriller I've seen in a while is The Girl Next Door. It was the most harrowing thing I've seen in a long time and it will stay with me forever, it made it all the more terrifying that this woman and her children actually did this for pleasure in real life. It's a change hearing "real life killers that inspire films" than the usual "Films inspire real life killers".

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Re: Unexplored/Potential 'True Story' based Horror

Well, this has kinda been touched on, but not sure if it has in a more direct approach. 

This would take place in the States (cuz I'm not able to comment on other places), and the influence for it is that law enforcement, and more importantly prosecutors (District Attorneys and Federal Prosecutors), are getting cut, or not growing in numbers to keep up with crime, and new expectations, thus not having the ability to actually prosecute crimes.  Law Enforcement Officers are being cut as well, and necessary follow up for criminal cases (interviews / search warrants / subpoenas are just a few examples) are not getting done...therefore maximizing the issue.  Throw on that, juries that need miraculous evidence (like DNA) which may not even be present, and it is getting difficult to prosecute cases and get bad guys behind bars...especially if the defendant has a bit if cash to defend himself.

So...in this movie, killers, and bad people, would be out on the street killing, and doin bad things, because of an inadequate, and outdated system, that makes it increasingly more difficult to put, and keep, bad guys behind bars for a relatively acceptable length of time.

Now...this is IMHO.  I know there are many here that would feel the exact opposite, and that many people are behind bars that shouldn't be and blah blah blah...but this is my opinion, derived from what I see regularly.  It is actually fairly difficult to convict a very guilty person. 

This idea that "The State" has unlimited resources to go after people is laughable to me...when you get a couple prosecutors working a major homicide case, with no prep time, because they have to handle their other 300 + cases almost right up to the date the trial begins.  Meanwhile, the cops overtime is cut, so they are there on their own time, trying to get follow up done.  Yeah that's - The Sates unlimited resources at work for you.

So...I think the movie should have a post apocalyptic feel to it, and gangs troll the street and create havoc and murder, as citizens fight for themselves, cuz the "system" to protect people crumbled. 

Just my thoughts on it.

Re: Unexplored/Potential 'True Story' based Horror

I think that more horror movies should be produced as a response to the horrors of war in relation to more recent conflicts. We do have Nazi zombie movies but these are generally part of the exploitation/comedy genre. There are also asian movies like R-point and other examples. It would be cool if there was a horror movie about the Afghan Soviet war.

Re: Unexplored/Potential 'True Story' based Horror

Certain wars are just too fresh I think. Things like the recent Iraq and Afghan war is too raw to make into a movie, especially a horror. I think too many people would object. The biggest real life horrors of the last decade or so like the atrocities going on in Syria at the moment and 9/11 and 7/7 bombings are just too sensitive at the moment. Too many people would see it as insensitive. However, things like gun crime, fear in the US and the Capital London has increased since the bombings so I think that could work somewhere along with the budget cuts, deficit and of course the recent "real zombie" drugs.. They all have some potential. I think to handle the issues of war and terrorism in horror it has to be sensitively done without stepping over to exploitation. A serbian film is the most recent middle finger up to an oppressed government. Not once does the film slip into the obsurd and is handled very well while having a subtext and message about the hardships and oppression in communist Serbia.