As a horror nut, it's sometimes difficult (read: nigh impossible) to stay complacent with D-grade movie adaptations and countless subpar remakes.The winter of our discontent never comes. It's as if bad horror flicks have ironically stumbled into an idiotic, neverending cinematic zombification - they just won't die, and they just keep comin'.
When I do catch a horror screening, I feel awkward. Knowing I'm sitting in a cesspool of new-age Saw and Hostel fans disturbs me. Parents drag along their kids to bloodbaths; a twisted tale in its own right, possibly more drama-filled and psychologically distracting than the movie I'm watching.
It's no secret that I don't appreciate what "horror" has become: torture porn breaded into bite-sized delectables for a tweenage audience. Even with occasional releases overseas attempting to compensate with lackluster, superviolent atrocities, I still can't get into the scene like I once did.
I never thought I'd say this, but where's Jason Voorhees when you need him, if not solely for some wholesome(ly gruesome) American-born entertainment that doesn't involve pinching toenails off with needlenose pliers?
Crossroads. Where do I go from here?
Videogames. That's where, and I plead that any antiqued (I'm 23, by the way) horror aficianados join up with me.
Ask just about anyone: I'm a sucker for 28 Days Later (not to be confused with its deplorable sequel). It's a glorious glimpse into mankind's dark underbelly - beautifully shot, hauntingly desolate.
Now jump into Valve's Left4Dead, a shooter for the Xbox 360 and PC. You won't find any princesses or fat Italian plumbers here. Instead, this is raw, interactive horror at its best.
You're pitted with three teammates - AI-controlled if you don't have buddies to play with - and the goal is to survive long enough for evacuation.
On your way, you'll meet fast, bloodthirsty infected (NOT zombies. Stop calling them zombies.) that are mostly interested in your outting your innards. 28 Days Later: The Game, anyone?
The game isn't necessarily scary per se, unless you've fine-tuned your understanding of what "fright" really is.
Tension builds as you creep along a dimly lit subway. You flinch as a swath of infected soldiers, friends and family erupt down a distant corridor. That's fear. Though its not explicitly said, a true horror fan can see that these diseased, rotting people, these "things," are us. No different than a movie, other than you're the one pulling the trigger. Awesome.
It takes a bit of imagination, but if you can see the writing on the blood-soaked wall, the fun factor goes through the roof.
When you play with friends, it gets even better. Tired of fighting for survival? Go online and join the horde of enraged dead-esque and vomit on your friends. Yeah, you can do that.
Keeping in the horror vein, L4D knows when to take itself dead-serious. Chances are, you won't be laughing if a giant mutant bashes through a wall in attempt to kill you; that is, unless your buddy is controlling him, in which case, it's hilarious.
However, the infected Source material (pun intended for those nerdy enough to understand) there's some laughs to be had, especially with comical conversations jotted on graffiti'd concrete.
I do wish the lot of you take it upon yourselves to try this visceral gem out, especially if you're a jaded horror flicker like myself.
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1 comment:
The horror genre is hurting. It's sad when an American attempt at quality, "The Strangers," still falls flat. A mix of "realism" and "unanswered questions" already seems tired.
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