FANGORIA® - Celebrating 30 Years of Horror 1979-2009 - Horror Movies, Music, Comics, Books, and more. Dedicated to the Preservation of All Things Horror...

Winning horror is winning horror. As fans we must try our hardest to keep our noses out the air. After all we are talking about squirting blood and severed heads here! Appreciate remakes (as long as they are true to the original) and try, try, try not to over nit pick the new efforts. If they are bad, so be it. If new works have promise or (hopefully) a new style or "edge", then praise them, and always build on raw new themes and ideas.

All the 10 reasons are my exact feelings. 90% of the horror fans in the internet act like that. complaining about recent american films while praising any old/foreign film .I definitely disagree with them, and I think that the best horror films are modern and american.

I know, right? The worst part is having to read these lists...all they ever do is point out the most tedious details and stereotypes...

The real problem, like always, is a lot of complaining and not a lot of doing. We the fans of horror have to rise to the occasion with new ideas, fresh ideas, the more low budget the better because without budget that magical old friend - imagination - comes back into play and you have to do with what's available. My love for these films were reborn in the last couple of years and I have to say that after watching the classics again I know that you are out there and just like metal in music every now and then a saviour makes his or her appearance to lead us from the darkness ( or should I rather say to it...)

Personally I think your dead on Hellstorm. I even fall into some if not more than some of those categories.
My pet peeve among horror fans lately are those who piss and moan over CGI. Granted there have been some bad examples of it, but there have also been some extraordinary examples of its use. Everything must evolve, and horror movies need to as well. I for the life of me can't understand why people go and see a movie like Cloverfield, or The Mist, and complain about CGI. How exactly are you supposed to film a giant monster tossing the Statue of Liberty's head across NYC, or have giant tentacles coming out of the mist to snag a cocky boxboy? It cant be done without it - unless you want to go back to guys in rubber monster suits ala Godzilla.

What is "refined" about Evil Dead?

And I agree that this is a good natured and humorous look at horror fans (maybe not all). But what makes it funny is that its true. And I think people that take offense to it are people who see something in themselves on that list that they don't like. I don't know that this list pertains to a newer generation of horror fans or just a certain faction in general, but I thought it was great and I've seen the attitudes listed here many times on the very boards here at Fango amonst other places.

Great List!

Okay, I'm man enough to take my lumps when I've earned them, and I admit that it's a gross exaggeration to suggest that ALL horror fans are represented by EVERYTHING on this list. With that, it appears that a number of commenters recognize: a) that more than a few horror fans resemble much of this list, and b) the good-natured humor I intended when I wrote this list.

I am in agreement with those who find no humor in this list.
In many ways, I find it somewhat offensive.
I do not agree with anything on the list, and I don't find it difficult at all to be a horror fan. I pride myself on it, and I am sure to let everyone I know that I am just that - a horror fan.

I have been around for several decades.
I've been a horror fan since I can remember.
I do feel, like Wintermute, that maybe the list is designed for the newer generation of horror fans, not those of us who've spent several decades watching the transformations horror has gone through.

I am in agreement with those who find no humor in this list.
In many ways, I find it somewhat offensive.
I do not agree with anything on the list, and I don't find it difficult at all to be a horror fan. I pride myself on it, and I am sure to let everyone I know that I am just that - a horror fan.

I have been around for several decades.
I've been a horror fan since I can remember.
I do feel, like Wintermute, that maybe the list is designed for the newer generation of horror fans, not those of us who've spent several decades watching the transformations horror has gone through.

Just for clarification, these aren't the comments of a "non-horror fan," just a frustrated fan. While I'm glad that some people enjoyed my list, I have a question for the people who didn't - Is the problem that I was way off-base or too close to home?

To be perfectly honest, this seems more directed at the current generation of horror fans, ie the ones who don't know that the 80's versions of The Fly didn't come first, or haven't had much exposure to any of the original versions of the remakes floating about today (or maybe they've seen one or two "classics"). Most of us that grew up with horror have for the most part rolled with the punches pretty well as far as I'm concerned, but there are a few jaded people I personally know that fit this list almost to a "t."

this is so funny because its so true , horror movies these days focus more on the sex then it does on the kill..borrrriiinnggg

I, also, find no humour or wit in this list. And I don't think it's hard being a horror fan.

Your list is a year late, but not late enough...

No offense John, but f*ck refinement. There's nothing refined about butcher knives, chainsaws, machetes or the devil. If there is, then maybe it's time I hang up the tools. This article was great at pointing out how hypocritical some of us horror fans can be. And why did everyone turn on Scream? When that film came out, it was destined to be an instant classic, but now it's like it was a straight to video release you find at the local truck stop or something. Definitely have to agree with Ms. Thorpe on this.

The horror community is always going to be a divided iconoclastic one. The genre is so so varied, and what floats one viewers boat may not float the next. Surely thats what makes the horror 'community' so interesting.

Maybe I'm not finding any humor in this but it reads more like a dig at horror fans from a non-horror fan than a mere explanation of what it's like to be a Horror fan.

I don't think I fall into any one of these 10 catagories.

I agree with most on that list especially number #5, but a point should be made in relations to the timeline and availability of media now, as oppose to 25+ years ago in relation to content. From the 1920's to the mid 80's (specifically 1984) and the creation of the video nasties list (if your a child of the 80's you know im talking about.) Movies didnt have to compete with the 24/7 hq content that exists now in the way of video games, internet, or other forms of interactive media. Remember in all genres, you have to cut you hands on the hard coal to find the diamonds. Also you dont have to re-invent the wheel (in movie terms) just drive the car full of teenagers in a different direction. Thank you

I agree with you as well. Many fans lack perspective and tend to think negative criticism is the only thing worth relating to others. I also agree with GayHorrorGeek (hey, me too!) about Scream. I remember how lauded it was when it came out (especially considering the seeiming dirth of good horror in the early 90s), and it now seems that just because most people like Scream, people have to hate it. Unfortunately, independent thinking loses out against the herd mentality far too often in horror fandom and most other things.

I LOVE this blog...so true.

This is what I've been trying to say for ages!! I completely understand. It's almost as if, no matter what you do (in regards to being a horror fan), you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

Horror Fans need to grow up. They need to be refined. The best horror films are refined. The exorcist, Rosemary's baby, Jaws, Evil Dead, Argento, Halloween, NOES, TCM are all refined, the rest (the non-refined ones) are, generally, made trash and straight commercialism. Eat it up america. Eat it up.

I thought of another one: You like a horror film, respect what it has brought to the genre, then begin to hate it when the inevitable "backlash" starts. My favorite example: Scream. It's even more blatantly obvious when an original review likes/praises a movie, then later (perhaps years) talks about how it "sucks" and bemoans the lack of "balls to the wall" horror. (I'm so friggin' sick of that cliche). I also can't stand it when people hate a remake of another film (typically foreign), stating it sucks, but have NO IDEA why it sucks. IT JUST DOES. This drives me crazy

Thank you! Finally, someone has commented on what I've been feeling about he horror "community." We're all a bunch of hypocrites who love to complain.