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By George Robbins

Nowadays, there are a ton of horror movies out there in the world and there continues to be new ones cropping up all of the time. Horror movies change constantly due to the fact that trends are always different in different societies as time goes on. This is why so many horror movies seen in the United States are so different from horror movies in other countries. What some people think are horrifying ventures are different types of experiences for entirely different groups of people. This is why culture is such a huge part of what makes a horror movie as terrifying as it is and it is what draws people in to watch these things. Hence the reason we often see the same traits and tropes pop up in media.

There are obviously some differences between horror movies that we see coming out of various countries, but there are also some similarities. There are most certainly things that everyone around the world finds horrifying, but some places just find some things scarier than others. One of the most universally understood forms of horror is one that focuses heavily on body horror. This type of horror is something that very easily becomes a subject of ridicule and this is not always fair because they can sometimes turn out to be great films. Body horror films see the people in the movies being torn apart or some other creature defying what we would define as a humanoid appearance for the sake of horror.

Body horror is very pervasive and can easily be seen skulking about in other sub-genres in the horror genre itself. We can say that slasher films have some element of body horror to them because we see bodies being taken apart and terrible things are then done to them. One fine example of this type of horror is seen dramatically in the movie ‘The Thing‘ and it is there as a way to simply amplify the suspense in the film. The truth is that the movie did not sell well and it actually kind of bombed critically, but this is not the end-all be-all for that film. In fact, as time went on, people got used to seeing that type of horror in that film and came to appreciate it for what it was.

Films with body horror are often seen this way no matter how much time has gone on and it usually takes time before the masses start liking them to some extent. The issue stems from the fact that people have to get past the horror aspect of the film before they can enjoy it. People still live based upon instinct and so when they see a horror movie, they instinctively may not like it because of the response their body has to it. Over time though, knowing what will happen in said film and knowing that it has a good plot can change that view and people start viewing it in a better light. This is what happened with ‘The Thing’ and now it has easily become a cult classic the likes of which people will always sing praises about when discussed. In fact, it helped pave the way for some films because it helped show that, although body horror is not seen in a great light, you could still make a good film with it.

Although criticisms may never fade surrounding those films, horror movie buffs will continue to love those films and they will become loved by more and more people as time goes on. These praises and spread of information about these films make them popular among a certain group and that group usually ends up being pretty widespread. It is due to this phenomenon that movies end up getting the title of “cult classic” as they eventually ended up creating a fanbase that is nothing but in love with the movie. This isn’t a concept that is exclusive to horror movies, but many horror movies are cult classics because of the general public’s reaction to them. Cult classics yet again vary wildly by culture, but the way that they end up coming about is pretty much the same no matter where you go in the world.

Cult classic films are a response to people generally not enjoying a film upon its release because they felt like they didn’t really enjoy it all that much. What we enjoy from a movie can vary drastically depending upon the genre that the movie belongs to which is why horror movies often fit this description. That feeling that horror movies produce where you feel fear creates a response in our bodies telling us to feel a certain way about the film. When a movie has a good story, many people can acknowledge that fact and therefore, a large group of people can react similarly to that movie. This is why the highest critically rated films out there are movies that the general public can all watch and say that they enjoyed whereas, it is a different story for horror films.

Horror movies fit that unique dynamic where everyone reacts differently to the movie and the story being told in the movie. Most of the time, people react in a negative way to the things they see on screen because given a similar situation they really don’t know what they would do. Many people say what they would do, but there is really no way of knowing unless someone is actually in a similar situation. People who can get past this fact are often the ones to find the good things in horror movies and they can often enjoy the plot of the films. Then, of course, there are the people that just genuinely enjoy horror movies in their entirety and like the adrenaline boost they give while watching them. This is actually kind of the case for all those who saw Paul W.S. Anderson‘s ‘Event Horizon.’

Paul W.S. Anderson is a name that we are all very aware of by this point for his role in the creation of video game movies such as ‘Mortal Kombat’ and ‘Resident Evil.’ He was also responsible for the movie ‘Death Race’ as well as other films in the same vein and he is now working on the ‘Monster Hunter‘ movie. Everyone knows that these movies were received poorly, at least critically, but they have most certainly become films that we will never forget. No matter how much time goes on, his legacy as a director will not be forgotten even if his films don’t win any awards. Among the films that he has made though is one that no one will ever forget and that is the movie ‘Event Horizon.’ This horror film is unlike most of what we had ever seen before and helped inspire science fiction horror moving forward.

‘Event Horizon’ took many different ideas from many other types of horror films and them its own in more ways than one. It can kind of be said that the movie took the fear of the unknown and made it into a feature length film while turning some things on their heads. For instance, in a horror movie, the group doesn’t usually turn away at first when things don’t feel right. In this movie, the first thing they try to do after arriving at their location is run because they know something is off. The movie sees the crew of a spaceship trying to survive the hell that found its way onto another ship which suddenly reappeared after an experimental warp for faster-than-light travel. What we ended up with from the film was a cult classic body horror film which just created an air of depression and uneasiness which is what made it so popular.

Obviously, when a movie becomes really popular, talk starts coming up about a possible sequel being made for the film. For ‘Event Horizon,’ this took longer than most films as it is a cult classic and not a film which was immediately beloved upon release. When asked if he would return for a sequel to his now beloved sci-fi horror film, Anderson replied that he is not interested in being part of an ‘Event Horizon’ sequel. In fact, he is concerned that a sequel would ruin feelings surrounding the original movie which is more than likely true as the way the original movie ends is perfect for the story it tells. A sequel would not fit the purpose of the original movie and it would more than likely ruin the aesthetic of the original film.