NPR: "For centuries, the autumn months have been associated with pagan (and Christian) celebrations of harvest and the hereafter — the Celtic tradition of Halloween, the remembrance of All Saints' Day, the Aztecs' Day of the Dead. In today's more secularized consumer society, fall is marked by the release of scary movies.
Claude Levi-Strauss wrote that myths provide a way for societies to resolve the tensions that are liveliest in the culture at a given moment. Myths and stories get passed on from one generation to the next, playing this role for each age. Horror films, too, are allegories for the social tensions and anxieties of their day: As collective nightmares, they help us unravel perceived threats to society."
Fight For Paradise Review: This reality show is nothing new but there are so many uncomfortable moments that will definitely give you the ick.
Bros Review: The series, as the title suggests, is about two adult men who want to behave like children and we are not here for that.
Going Home With Tyler Cameron Review: This is a simple, no-nonsense but cliched watch, with Cameron's boyish charms taking centre stage.
I wish more directors saw this article and realized the deeper meaning behind films. I mean this article absolutely awesome and I think everyone should read it. It could be a little more in depth but it gets the point across. A good horror film has a deeper meaning that will screw with your mind when you think about it down the road. Many new film makers miss this thus the horror genre has suffered.
This is a very interesting article and makes some good points...and some that I think are a bit of a stretch. I don't see Saw as an Allegory for the alleged abuses in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay. I think it's based off an person's fear of being tortured and the possibility of it happening to anyone. Unfortunately there are real serial killers out there who torture people in equally gruesome ways as those depicted on screen. Torture films draws from those real life examples.
I do agree that the best horror films (or films in general) will hold varying meanings and depths in them. That's why I don't like the Torture films, because they are nothing but shock factor films, without any great meaning behind them.