Royal Purple

Issue date: 2/6/08 Section: Web Extras

Bremer [Click to enlarge]

If I were a psychologist, I could really break down the concept of fear into some complex analysis of human nature and mental stimuli. But alas, I am no expert on matters of the mind, so I'll simplify fear to this: people either like to be scared or they don't. Look at that, a layman's explanation free of charge.

Many of us, me included, love the blood-pumping, adrenaline-induced high of fear so much that we're willing to pay for it. I suppose it would be more economical just to wane dangerously close to the edge of a cliff than to leave a theater with an empty wallet and sticky shoes. But then again, I don't know where I could find a good tub of buttered popcorn hundreds of feet above sea level.

I've made one or two, or 486, trips to the theater throughout the years and admittedly the majority of the films I see are from the horror genre. What can I say? I'm a creature of habit and not too concerned with variety. It's probably just as well, considering horror movies are lacking in that department, as well as in creative vision. Lately, fresh ideas have run so dry that studios now rely heavily on the re-imagining of told stories in the form of remakes.

New Line Cinema recently announced they are in negotiations to resurrect the "Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise. The original 1983 film, directed by Wes Craven, has become a cult horror classic and has spawned numerous sequels.

There's no doubt audiences are ready for the return of Freddy Krueger with his fedora cap and striped sweater. Isn't it such a cheap shot to cash in on someone else's idea though? The original stands the test of time to this day; horrifyingly gruesome but with a truly frightening psychological element; the idea of sleep as a portal for evil; brilliant.

So why touch something that is so amazing and needs no further interpretation? I believe in giving all films a fair shot but have been disappointed time and time again, most recently with last year's remake of "Halloween." The 1978 version is the epitome of terror for me. "Halloween" is a film that preys on the fear of being watched and delivered the scares with absolutely no use of blood or graphic violence.

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