I'll be honest, it's been awhile. I genuinely don't recall this happening.
I thought the film was kinda dope. I defend Terrifer when it comes up very infrequently, but it had such a slimy grindhouse feel and Art was genuinely scary. It was "bad" but it did what it was trying to do very well I felt.
Ah, the problem is when I think of Tony Todd, I think of Candyman now.
Lmao did they make Todd's character actually death in one of the movies? That's so amazingly cornball.
what about this dude?
no patrick wilson, the dude behind him
Not really. He was just the consistent face between movies that would let the characters know what was going on with a slight supernatural implication.
I love me some grind house movies, and agree with you that Art and the grindhouse feel was spot on. Just wish it had a better plot.
I agree with everything you said; but I think when I say "smaller" I mean in terms of cultural impact. Heyday horror movies had this crazy cultural impact, like they were part of the zeitgeist. Everybody can name Freddy Kruger, Michael Myers, the Alien, etc. I think it was just the nature of critically acclaimed and mainstream horror movies having these iconic designs and characters at the forefront. Whereas nowadays, horror is still culturally important but it's not in this mainstream "new thing" energy, it's not really part of the zeitgeist like it was back then.
A part of me just secretly wishes we could have both I guess. Nothing is stopping us in particular, and in some cases we do. I just find a simple "reptile brain" pleasure in being able to point at a character and think "yeah, that's dope".
I agree. And I think there are some examples in here which showcase it. Babadook, etc.
yeah, there was nothing to be frightened of in the 1940s.
I'd have to argue that the medium was always rich in non-gimmicky genuinely good storytelling; character icons was just one thread of a larger canvas
Trump?I was rewatching the new Halloween movie recently due to the news for Halloween Kills, and I couldn't help but think how awesome it must have been to watch the original 70's version in theaters, and see this humble thing with an interesting villain grow into this massive and crazy thing with such an awesome remake. I would love to see something now, where when I'm in my 50's it continued to grow and feels as important as something like Halloween does. I'm realizing that in a post "Saw" world, we have had basically zero horror icons that seem to be resonating or leading to franchise potential.
I mean look at this list spanning from the 1930's until early 2000:
Once we hit 2004 it kind of just... stops? What do we have now? The faceless ghosts in Paranormal Activity? God forbid... The Annabelle Doll? The Babadook, I guess? There's plenty of amazing movies with fantastic monster designs or characters in them, but nothing rings of "classic" or seems to be breaking into a public conscious the way any from that list seem to have.
- Dracula
- Frankenstein
- Mummy
- Wolf Man
- Godzilla
- Leatherface
- Ash Williams
- Jason Vorhees
- Freddy Kreuger
- Chucky
- Michael Meyers
- Pinhead
- Pennywise
- Hannibal Lecter
- Alien
- Predator
- Terminator
- Sadako
- Ghostface
- Jigsaw
Do we consider Slenderman an "icon" now? He had the potential, but I feel like there's too many foibles with him and the well was soured in a lot of ways.
I would have loved to have Sam from Trick r' Treat become the face of "Halloween" for years to come. And maybe that's still possible with the sequel seemingly still in development.
I can only really think of a single one that might stay in the public conscious, but only time will tell, and that's the Demogorgon from Stranger Things.
Anyone have any thoughts on possible contenders? Maybe what could even spur a new horror icon in today's day and age? I'm thinking the only way to do it now is the way Stranger Things did, by making a mass marketable streaming TV show, I don't know if low budget indie films are going to cut it anymore in spawning these sorts of things.
Don't you dare imply I forgot Sadako when she's right there in my OP list. (If you're unaware, the Japanese version of her is Sadako, America called her Samara in the remake)
I will forever be disappointed that Trick r' Treat didn't become the annual Halloween season franchise instead of Saw, Paranormal Activity, or The Conjuring.I would have loved to have Sam from Trick r' Treat become the face of "Halloween" for years to come. And maybe that's still possible with the sequel seemingly still in development.
I had the wonderful pleasure of being able to attend Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights in 2018 where they had a suped-up high budget haunted house dedicated to Trick r' Treat, and I don't think I've ever felt more enlightened by just how wonderful that entire films "vibe" is than going through that house. It was such a treat (pun intended).
I would be somewhat inclined to agree with you in regards to It Follows, but what would you specifically use to visualize it? Most people tend to go with that singular scene of when it's the very tall man reaching through the doorway from the hall, but regardless, it's hard to market a face on that one.
I would say the Babadook or the It follows monster are pretty iconic.
what about this dude?
no patrick wilson, the dude behind him
