Horrified by the Horror Flicks

Dan Neil’s 800 Words piece on the current wave of “slasher” flicks was so graphic itself that it too was quite scary (“Be Afraid,” Nov. 5).

I’ve been a fan of horror movies since I was a young boy, and the last movie that gave me reason to hide in my popcorn was “Alien,” which some would think almost milquetoast by today’s standards.

But isn’t that the whole point? With little left to the imagination, with each scene more graphic than the last, we become more and more numb, until real life has little or no effect on us.

Yes, we can choose the movies that we see, just like television. But why do we even need choices like those?

Tim Shullberg

Long Beach

What a breath of fresh air to read that someone else in the world shares my opinion that horror films have gone too far and are out of control. As a 30-year-old, I grew up watching horror films. Yet I have no desire to watch them today, let alone watch remakes of the films I saw as a child.

For the life of me, I can’t figure out why everyone is so drawn to them or why I was so pleased with them as a child. Is it because we have an addiction to fear or fear-based media, or do we just like the adrenaline rush of someone on the run, trying to escape some freakish act? We just can’t seem to get enough of real death and torture, so we have to go to the big screen and watch demented movies?!

Also, as a mother I am appalled that there are so many parents who don’t have a clue. I can’t tell you how many times I have been to a movie that is not intended for children, and along come parents with a baby or toddler and they end up shushing them to keep quiet. Give me a break!

Karma McCain

Studio City

Dan Neil always hits the nail on the head. This column sums up how little we’ve developed as a human race. Blood lust may be part of what we are made of, but for Hollywood to push the envelope this far and still pontificate about the need for gun control is pathetic.

In addition to the woman who brought her young son to a matinee of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning,” I would also ask all the producers what in the hell is wrong with them.

Laurie Marie

Beverly Hills