Screenwriting : Horror Doesn’t Have To Be Gruesome To Be Good by Imo Wimana Chadband

Hi Imo,

There are so many "horror films" that aren't gory, that it's scary! Great films like Rosemary's Baby, The Others, Repulsion, REC, The Ring, Blair Witch Project, etc. etc. have very little gore. And then there are, of course, the hardcore gore films, where the audience expects blood, blood, and more blood! Heh-heh..

Filmsite.org, one of my favorite film sites, has a lot of the sub-genres of horror (and all genres) listed. It's a nice reference, and is in itself idea-inspiring, too. Here's the link if you're interested:

https://www.filmsite.org/subgenres2.html

Best fortunes in your creative endeavors, Imo!

I agree Imo Wimana Chadband, What makes a movie scary to me is realism that I can associate with, not the gore . Thanks for the link Bill Costantini

If you want a good gore-less scare, watch the original Cape Fear.

Stephen Floyd ,Yes, sir! I forgot about that one.

you should read my script The Titron Madness to see what you think in regards to scare/gore balance. The Thing is also worth watching too. But is a horror without gore a thriller? (just throwing that out there)

Pete, I think they rise to the level of psychological horror, such as Diabolique, Funny Games, Rosemary’s Baby and the like.

You certainly don't need gore to be a horror movie and without the gore it doesn't make it a thriller either. Thrillers strive for the tension of situations rather than the kills. Suggested violence or violence that happens just off camera can have a larger impact on an audience because you're allowing their own imaginations to fill in the blank.

Gore isn't what makes horror, it simply makes you disgusted. Gore is the easiest lamest way to make "a so called horror movie". Horror movies are supposed to make you shit in your pants, not to make you vomit.

I won't watch gore, I see no point to a scene that makes you turn away from the screen. To me true horror sits in making the audience too scared to look away. The best weapon to create good horror is the audiences own mind. There's little suspense in horror these days. Suspense builds anxiety, anxiety creates fear.

The writer of IT: Chapter Two said the gore is "pushed to the brink." Steven King gave his approval, too, and the film opens in September. I saw the trailer on the big screen, and, while there is no blood in the trailer....that old lady is freeeeeeaking scary! But one of the actresses, Jessica Chastain, said there is more blood in one scene than there has ever been in any single movie scene. She might be exaggerating a bit, for marketing purposes, but I'm sure that's going to be a great one.

Great gore films are of course bloody - but they are also very suspenseful, too, and the filmmakers (and writers) know how to build up tension. When I saw the first IT film in the theater...that bathroom scene....the suspense build-up was superb, and I never heard so many people scream at one time.

It's also interesting to note that, while many consider Alfred Hitchcock "The Master of Suspense", he is also "The Father of the Slasher Film", and many also consider him "The Father of Gore."

Best fortunes in your creative endeavors, Imo!

I agree with @Imo and Peter Dukes. Gore is not a necessity for horror because there are many ways to create fear. Gore rarely works for me unless it serves the story. Tarrantino manages to get the audience to want to know what happens to a certain character. I wanted to know what happened to the bachelor party in Hostel, then hated Tarrantino for months cos I had nightmares. My fear was because I cared about the story/protags. Fear is a separate feeling to repulsion. I seen many gore films that disgusted me but was not afraid yet some films no gore that terrified me. Horses for courses!

No one died in poltergeist until poltergeist3. The title of this says it all.

Very true. "The Exorcist " had little gore. So did the first conjuring movie. Or the Blair Witch project. - I've written a micro budget horror with 2 brief scenes of a stabbing and blood. That's all, and my partner said it creeps her out. Fear is in the mind, not the blood and guts.

Filming on one of script start in Oct. A crime drama where someone gets beaten. Lots of blood, not a horror. Gore when it is needed not when it is expected.

I don't care for gore, but that said my gothic horror pilot is full of it.