From Fangoria.com:  After watching hundreds (or thousands?) of horror movies over the course of decades, how many horror fans still get scared after watching a horror movie? I’m not talking about merely feeling tension because a character is in danger, but actually feeling frightened by a film.

All too often, it seems that people complain that a horror film was “bad” because it wasn’t “scary”. Without any context, this is essentially meaningless. For example, when was the last time a movie scared them, and what was it?

I feel that this “problem” has less to do with the quality of a film than it does with someone’s having built up a tolerance. Besides being a horror fan, I’m also a fan of very spicy food, and I have an assortment of hot sauces made from habanero and scotch bonnet peppers in my refrigerator at all times. My tolerance of spicy food is significantly higher than average, but my fiancee would argue that just because I don’t feel a dish is spicy, this doesn’t necessarily make it so.

Curiously, when horror films aren’t being accused of being bad because they’re not scary, it’s because they’re “not fun”. This seems to be a by-product of the ’80s, when so many horror films were glutting the market that the genre largely descended from “fright films” into horror-comedies – intentional or not.

I’m not talking about films that use comic relief to briefly release tension, I’m talking about films where you’re laughing at the film more than you’re laughing with the film – or are scared of the film.

With that, if a horror film isn’t “fun” is it a bad horror film? I don’t remember Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre being a particularly fun film, but does this make it a bad horror film?

I also find it puzzling when people suggest that I’m “immature” when I don’t find a film that emphasizes shadows, noises and even action from off-camera “scary”. It may simply be a by-product of getting older, but I stopped being afraid of the dark – and creaky houses – decades ago, though I hardly feel that this is a sign of my immaturity.

So have at it – are horror films supposed to be scary or fun? Both? Neither?

via Are Horror Films Supposed To Be Scary Or Fun?.

From Shock Til You Drop.com:  British actor Edward Woodward has died at the age of 79.

He is best known to horror fans for his turn as the unfortunate Sergeant Howie in 1973’s The Wicker Man, directed by Robin Hardy. In the film, he was tempted by the gorgeous Britt Ekland and shared the screen with Christopher Lee.

Later, he’d go on to star in the television series The Equalizer and Edgar (Shaun of the Dead) Wright’s Hot Fuzz.

His agent Janet Glass said the veteran of stage and screen had been ill for several months and passed away in hospital surrounded by members of his family.

Woodward is survived by his wife, the English actress Michele Dotrice, and four children.

via Wicker Man’s Woodward Dies at 79 – ShockTillYouDrop.com.

Miko loves MVP!

If Muticia had a sister – it would be Miko Macabre.  Miko’s horror review show Cryptique served as the direct inspiration for Muticia’s Movie Morgue.  Miko Macabre produced a series of fantastic horror review shows through 2007 and 2008 winning the hearts of horror fans from sea to bloody sea.  Sadly, she stopped production over a year ago leaving fanboys panting for more.  Since Miko has ceased production of Cryptique,  MVP has decided to pick up where she left off by bringing a fresh new horror hostess to the drooling horror fanboys across the world.

Muticia’s Movie Morgue is going to be a major component of MVP over the next few years.  This is a once in a lifetime role and requires a woman with the right combination of skills, savvy and sexiness to pull it off.

Check out Miko over at her website – Cryptique.

Miko Macabre\’s Cryptique.