The Los Angeles Times takes a look at how studios are relying on a bankable genre, horror, in uncertain economic times. There will be at least one scary movie released per month this year. “The Unborn,” and “My Bloody Valentine 3-D” are already out this month, with “The Univited” to follow next weekend. “I think all the studios know that horror sells," director Rob Zombie told the Los Angeles Times. "It’s a genre that never gets any respect or any love, but it’s always a safe bet."
“If horror films reflect the anxieties of a culture,” says the paper, the onslaught of nightmarish movies makes sense in a time when society is bombarded by economic troubles because it allows audiences to release their realities while suspended in watching something far more gruesome unfold on-screen. In addition to the cultural timeliness, horror films are also cheaper to make because they don’t need A-list actors, pricey special effects or big marketing budgets. "
Brad Fuller, the producer of “Friday the 13th,” agrees there has been a deluge of horror films in recent years. "I think when a studio president is looking at a slate of films, instead of just one or two films, they have to spread out the risk,” said Fuller. “Making a movie for $20 million that at least has the potential to make its production budget back in the opening weekend is a worthwhile business, just as making ‘ Batman’ or ‘ Iron Man’ is also."
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