"... we felt that [Flatdog] was a
little too dark for the market. We could easily see this an a
cult/indie picture, but fortunately this type of horror is just not our
forte."
I thought horror was supposed to be dark!
And as for it being too dark for the market, well, with movies like The Gallows (a "lighter" teen found footage film... Which was terrible, in my estimation) tanking and "darker" movies like Sinister, The Purge films (which are extremely dark, tense and vicious), the recently ended Saw franchise (again, extremely dark) and the Underworld franchise (hell, even the name of that franchise connotes darkness) doing big box office, I don't know how to take that criticism.
As for it being a cult/indie picture, well, I don't know.
"Cult", sure.
"Indie"? I don't know if the budget would allow for that.
But I have to level in with a few comments here about "dark" horror films and their place in the "market"...
First, some of the most successful horror films of all time are extremely dark: Psycho, The Shinning, Alien, The Exorcist... There is nary a light moment to be had in any of these (highly studied, emulated and, in some cases, award-winning A-list pictures).
Furthermore, a lot of the "cult" movies of the past have gone on to become blockbuster franchises and hits. Just look at Terminator, RoboCop... Hell, Nightmare On Elm Street was a cult film. But it went on to become the main cash cow for New Line Cinema (which was dubbed "The House That Freddy Built"). Without Freddy Krueger, would New Line Cinema have been able to make Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit?
Absolutely not!
Later, Nightmare On Elm Street 4 beat out Platoon at the box office. Freddy Vs. Jason was one of the biggest hits in the summer of 2003.
And, later, the Dawn of the Dead remake (a remake of a cult classic) beat out Passion of the Christ at the box office!
So cult films (and their legacies) have staying power at the box office!
With that in mind... Why aren't more people willing to take a chance on this script, and me?
Later, Nightmare On Elm Street 4 beat out Platoon at the box office. Freddy Vs. Jason was one of the biggest hits in the summer of 2003.
And, later, the Dawn of the Dead remake (a remake of a cult classic) beat out Passion of the Christ at the box office!
So cult films (and their legacies) have staying power at the box office!
With that in mind... Why aren't more people willing to take a chance on this script, and me?
I have to ask, if Flatdog is not their forte, then what kind of horror is?
With a quick look at their website, and the films they proudly advertise as having being written by their clients, it looks like they specialize in cult and dark horror.
They list:
Frankenstein's Army - An extremely dark horror film, and one of the best I've seen in recent years. However, this is a very limited release film that hardly anyone saw!
Pet Semetary Two - A sequel no one asked for that (to my knowledge) didn't break any box office records. Also, you want to talk about dark, I recently re-watched this film and actually disliked it for all its nihilistic mean-spirited depravity.
Beyond Re-Animator - Well, here's a sequel to a cult classic (and a dark cult classic at that!). This movie went straight-to-DVD and was a film only fans of the original saw. A film with a limited release and a limited audience... Seems like a cult film to me!
Batman and Batman Returns - I remember reading in the book Burton on Burton (put out by Faber & Faber) that the Warner Bros. studios execs were really tough on Burton in their notes after viewing Batman Returns because it was (wait for it)... "too dark"!
I don't know... It seems kinda hypocritical to me.
What kind of film did they think they were getting after I pitched my script to them?
I thought the tone and mood of the piece was pretty clear... allegorical, straight-laced (no comedy or ironic self-recognition), gory horror.
Horror is suppose to scare you, make you uncomfortable, unsettle you, disturb you, upset you even... Fear is not a pleasant emotion, but it can be a fun one. Though it seems to me the era of the "fun" horror film is done... Just look at the dismal box office returns for Scream 4 in 2011.
With a quick look at their website, and the films they proudly advertise as having being written by their clients, it looks like they specialize in cult and dark horror.
They list:
Frankenstein's Army - An extremely dark horror film, and one of the best I've seen in recent years. However, this is a very limited release film that hardly anyone saw!
Pet Semetary Two - A sequel no one asked for that (to my knowledge) didn't break any box office records. Also, you want to talk about dark, I recently re-watched this film and actually disliked it for all its nihilistic mean-spirited depravity.
Beyond Re-Animator - Well, here's a sequel to a cult classic (and a dark cult classic at that!). This movie went straight-to-DVD and was a film only fans of the original saw. A film with a limited release and a limited audience... Seems like a cult film to me!
Batman and Batman Returns - I remember reading in the book Burton on Burton (put out by Faber & Faber) that the Warner Bros. studios execs were really tough on Burton in their notes after viewing Batman Returns because it was (wait for it)... "too dark"!
I don't know... It seems kinda hypocritical to me.
What kind of film did they think they were getting after I pitched my script to them?
I thought the tone and mood of the piece was pretty clear... allegorical, straight-laced (no comedy or ironic self-recognition), gory horror.
Horror is suppose to scare you, make you uncomfortable, unsettle you, disturb you, upset you even... Fear is not a pleasant emotion, but it can be a fun one. Though it seems to me the era of the "fun" horror film is done... Just look at the dismal box office returns for Scream 4 in 2011.
I know rejection is a part of submitting and putting my work out there and getting "discovered"... But I take it so personally. Especially when I don't think the reasons (and that's if I get a reason) are valid.
I'll keep soldiering on, but I just don't know what the hell I have to do to make my work get across the finish line.
I tried appealing to America's base interests (teenagers and sex), with, what I thought, was a smart script, but everyone seemed to hate it because it was too dark and depressing.
So I think I've pretty much shelved Pillow Queen for the time being.
But horror is where I excel.
And I gotta be honest, I don't know if I can write bullshit like Paranormal Activity, The Conjuring or the nonsensical dreck that was It Follows.
I just have to give it to them dark... Take it or leave it.
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