-
Step 1
Cheap scares. A good fake scare can be a nice way to set up or
complement a growing sense of tension within a movie, but too many
directors rely on them to ramp up an already anemic "boo" quotient. So
when a cat jumps into the frame suddenly, or the hero's friend sneaks
up on him or her for no good reason, know you're in for a long movie. -
Step 2
Carrie? Are you there? Carrie?? - One of the mustiest slasher film
clichés is the person looking for his or her friend and constantly
shouting out the friend's name. It makes for a tedious scene, and it
also beggars belief. If your friend didn't answer the first eight
times he or she heard their name, why would the 12th time do the
trick? -
Step 3
Long, lingering close-ups of the deceased. Here, the director is
saying, "I've got nothing up my sleeve, but if you like some gore …"
Some horror fans may lap it up, but discerning viewers will see right
through this shameless attempt at roping us in. -
Step 4
The "Scream" route - For better or worse, the "Scream" trilogy
played upon our common knowledge of horror films in a cheeky,
self-referential way. It takes a smart screenwriter to pull off such a
wink-wink approach, and too many horror directors don't have the savvy
script to pull it off. -
Step 5
Those darn kids - The "Ring" movies and "The Shining" showed how
scary children can be when used effectively in a horror movie. Now,
every other scare-fest features children with pales faces coming to
warn us about something terrible -- like the lousy movie they're stuck
in.
