ILHM's Guide to Expanding Your Horror-o-Scope

As kids or young adults, we all find that one movie that captivates us and draws us to the horror genre. Who didn't start off catching Jaws on TV, or sneaking over to their friend's house to see Jason return from the dead to wreak his bloody vengeance once more? We are all guilty of rewatching the Nightmare series until the VHS tape snaps or the DVD player gives out, but what do you do when Freddy and Jason just aren't cutting it anymore? It's time for new blood, and time for you to get out there and find something different and original that you haven't seen before. Here are some useful tips to expanding your breadth of knowledge and scope of the Horror genre in film, so that you can break away from just being a stereotype and a number, and become a full-fledged horror fanatic:

• Read, Read, Read: Whether it means going down to the library to pick up any horror film literature you can get your hands on or spending countless hours browsing through online horror forums, take the time to read reviews (both good and bad) and see what other fans are talking about. Rue Morgue and Fangoria are also excellent magazines to feed your morbid curiosities, but if that monthly cover charge breaks your bank, look online for bulk lots of back issues. There are just as many films to be found in back catalogues as there are arriving on the shelves each Tuesday.
  
• Browse DVD Collections: Useful DVD sites like www.dvdaf.com allow you to categorize and store virtual copies of your collection online. Once you upload your collection, take the time to browse other collections to find titles that you may have missed.
  
• Search Sub-genres: Are you a bloody gore hound? Do you prefer psychological thrillers? Use search features or browsing tools to bring up complete lists of titles by sub-genre. This will cut down your searches dramatically from just browsing alphabetically.
  
• Search by Director: You loved The Omen, but did Richard Donner make any other horror movies? Track down your favorite directors through DVDAF or IMDB and see if there are any other titles they have worked on that may be of interest.
  
• Purchase Bulk Packs: There are easily hundreds if not thousands of films you have never seen just sitting and waiting for you in those cheap multi-packs. Sure, many of the titles will be terrible, but you haven't 'seen it all' until you've seen it all. Buying multi-packs can bring the cost-per-title down to as little as $0.16/film if you catch them on sale, so take a chance and watch some older films that have fallen into obscurity. If nothing else, you can be the one to tell everyone else NOT to watch certain films, or the one to dig up that lost gem and be the envy of all around you (and by all I mean no one, but you'll still feel pretty sweet).
  
• Try New Sub-Genres: Not a fan of the old black and whites? Tough. If you are looking for something new and different, get out of your norm and try something that specifically doesn't suit your tastes. You may find that it was just a single title that turned you off to the sub-genre, and that there are actually many films that you greatly enjoy that you otherwise would have missed out on. Otherwise, you can solidify your distaste and blame me for wasting more of your time. I'm a man, I can take it.
  
• Keep Updated on Horror News: While searching for reviews, be sure to check out all of the upcoming horror titles, either through the horror mags, or through horror news sites like www.bloody-disgusting.com, www.upcominghorrormovies.com, or www.horrortalk.com. These sites make their living off of reporting the new, the cool, and the unusual, so take advantage of their hard work and leech off of their press releases!
  
• Go Indie, or Go Home: Independent horror films may be hit or miss, but you will typically never find more original and captivating plots. The studios know there is no money to be made in originality, so they shell out plot re-hashes and cheapie teen horror to bring in the almighty teenie bopper dollar. If you want to see the third remake of Prom Night, line up in front of the AMC down the street. If you want to see something the studios wouldn't be caught dead marketing, head down to the New Beverly or other eclectic movie houses, or wait for the Indie DVD releases for something different. Sure, many of the films cant afford the big budget effects and Dawson's Creek actors, but you are more likely to walk away with something new and fresh.
  
• Rent Away: If you cant afford to take a chance on that obscure title everyone has been recommending, why not get a cheap NetFlix account and rent some of those hard to find titles? NetFlix can cost as little as $4.99/mo, which is only one DVD removed from your budget. Even better, dust off the old VCR and rent out of print VHS titles from the mom and pop shop down the street. Many amazing films have yet to be released on DVD, and they are slowly degrading, unloved, just minutes away!
  
• Comprare l'italiano : Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.. You've seen Jaws 1-4, but have you see Jaws 5: The Last Jaws? Leave it to the Italians to rip-off every major US release and cash in on the International dollar. There are hundreds of films that were released in Spain, Italy, and Europe et all that are fantastically bloody (if not stupid) takes on major studio films. Seasoned horror veterans can give you at least five Dawn of the Dead cash-ins out of Italy alone off the top of their heads, so find out what everyone else is talking about when they casually drop names like Fulci, Lenzi, and Mattei.

Just a few more helpful hints to get you watching! It's easy to say you're a horror fan, but even those of us that have hundreds if not thousands of titles on our resumes have only scratched the surface. Live, breath, and eat horror. More to come!