Movies Do You Consider Jaws A Horror Movie?

[weed]

the real thing is actual horror to think about

 

[Takes_Two_To_Tango]

I always thought it was a horror as young kid.

 

[BisexualMMA]

Yeah films like Jaws and The Terminator were considered horror movies when they came out. It is just that horror became largely synonymous with teenagers getting massacred by the time the 90s rolled around and then shitty jump scare stuff in the decades since.

 

[HUGHPHUG]

No and yes, yes and no

 

[AFanNotAFighter]

Horror traditionally meant that a story had supernatural elements in it. Jaws did not.
It was frightening for sure though.

 

[HARRISON_3]

Romcom

 

[El Chimpo]

It was a horror for that little kintner boy that's for sure

 

[jeff7b9]

I feel that both horror and comedy have been gradually ghettoised by Hollywood in the last 20-30 years, they've shifting to working within very limited boundaries of the genres catering to audiences who just want that.

I suspect the issue is such films have a much lower standard to meet, films like Jaws, Alien, The Exorcist, The Shining etc made large amounts of money BUT they did so on the back of being very high quality cinema made by great directors. Modern horror is largely the domain of pretty generic directors without that level of ability, churning out the same jump scare formula that Hollywood knows the audience will continue to watch until the end of time.

Comedy is the same, dumb fratobro "improv" has become totally dominant on modern comedy, I'd say actually if you want a modern equivalent to something like Ghostbusters the MCU is probably closer than any actual comedy films.

Its just changing.

Art is constantly adapting and responding to the world.

The films you reference are a mighty high standard. Jaws, The Shining, Ghostbusters... films that remain strong within the consciousness of pop culture 30-40+ years after their release.
Thats a tough bar to live up to.

Film is going thru what music went thru in the early 2000s-2010s give or take. It is adapting to streaming as a dominant medium.

Sure some films still warrant a trip to the theater but i feel like that is much less the norm than it was in the past, particularly the 1970s-1980s which resulted in a global shared culture and epic hits.

The main issue i see in most modern "art" (film, music, comedy) is that it is trying to succeed in a world dominated by short attention span. People will watch the annoying prank video in hopes that is the one time those idiots get their ass beat, or watch the girl in skimpy clothes do her little tik tok dance so those things "go viral" and that is the result art is seeking.
The audience burn at comedy shows and the "jump scare" happen to fit in the current short attention span rewarding world we live in. It will evolve, for better or maybe worse.

 

[moreorless87]

Its just changing.

Art is constantly adapting and responding to the world.

The films you reference are a mighty high standard. Jaws, The Shining, Ghostbusters... films that remain strong within the consciousness of pop culture 30-40+ years after their release.
Thats a tough bar to live up to.

Film is going thru what music went thru in the early 2000s-2010s give or take. It is adapting to streaming as a dominant medium.

Sure some films still warrant a trip to the theater but i feel like that is much less the norm than it was in the past, particularly the 1970s-1980s which resulted in a global shared culture and epic hits.

The main issue i see in most modern "art" (film, music, comedy) is that it is trying to succeed in a world dominated by short attention span. People will watch the annoying prank video in hopes that is the one time those idiots get their ass beat, or watch the girl in skimpy clothes do her little tik tok dance so those things "go viral" and that is the result art is seeking.
The audience burn at comedy shows and the "jump scare" happen to fit in the current short attention span rewarding world we live in. It will evolve, for better or maybe worse.

You look at horror as a genre back in the day though and it was something the very best directors would work in, people like Kubrick, Ridley Scott, Spielberg, Polanski, Friedkin, Paker, etc and were someone like Carpenter could make a legit name for himself as a strong director within the genre. I just do not see that at all with mainstream horror in the last 20 years, I think its simply become less ambitious cinema aiming at a smaller market which is more easily pleased.

 

[jeff7b9]

You look at horror as a genre back in the day though and it was something the very best directors would work in, people like Kubrick, Ridley Scott, Spielberg, Polanski, Friedkin, Paker, etc and were someone like Carpenter could make a legit name for himself as a strong director within the genre. I just do not see that at all with mainstream horror in the last 20 years, I think its simply become less ambitious cinema aiming at a smaller market which is more easily pleased.

I agree. It has become cheapened and mass produced in the netflix era.

Studios are putting their money into sure thing formulas like the marvel blockbuster stuff.

Someone will come along and shake it up.

The genre is due perhaps overdue for that idea that flips it on its axis and gets people excited.

 

[blaseblase]

Will add "almost horror":
Jurassic Park (book was horror, movie became more a Techno thriller blockbuster)

Predator: very close but was an action thriller (and the in the running for manliness film of all times)

In Jurassic Park the scenes of the T-Rex attacking the cars and the raptors stalking the kids terrified everyone in the 90s. However there are a lot of other scenes in the movie and a lot of friendly dinosaurs, I do agree the overall movie isn't horror. In Jaws however the entire premise is about the shark. There's no other themes. It's definitely horror.

 

[Thrawn33]

In Jurassic Park the scenes of the T-Rex attacking the cars and the raptors stalking the kids terrified everyone in the 90s. However there are a lot of other scenes in the movie and a lot of friendly dinosaurs, I do agree the overall movie isn't horror. In Jaws however the entire premise is about the shark. There's no other themes. It's definitely horror.

Yeah totally agree on Jaws as stated in another post.

 

[HereticBD]

The genre is due perhaps overdue for that idea that flips it on its axis and gets people excited.

It doesn't take much. Studios love horror movies, because they're cheap and are easy to turn a profit with. I think it just got over saturated with the SAW inspired torture porn that went on for years, and the zombie craze, and the Paranormal Activity minimalist boo scare trend. Some flick will eventually come along and get the engine running again.

 

[RichardPriors]

A slasher to be more precise.

 

[moreorless87]

I agree. It has become cheapened and mass produced in the netflix era.

Studios are putting their money into sure thing formulas like the marvel blockbuster stuff.

Someone will come along and shake it up.

The genre is due perhaps overdue for that idea that flips it on its axis and gets people excited.

I think these days the best horror and comedy tends to be stuff which overlaps from another genre were as back in the day I think it was more the reverse.

 

[blaseblase]

You look at horror as a genre back in the day though and it was something the very best directors would work in, people like Kubrick, Ridley Scott, Spielberg, Polanski, Friedkin, Paker, etc and were someone like Carpenter could make a legit name for himself as a strong director within the genre. I just do not see that at all with mainstream horror in the last 20 years, I think its simply become less ambitious cinema aiming at a smaller market which is more easily pleased.

There are a lot of high quality horror films being made these days.

The Babadook
X
Barbarian
Hereditary
A Quiet Place
Mandy
The Witch
The Black Phone

There's also a lot more going on with streaming shows. American Horror Story, Midnight Mass, Haunting of Hill House, etc.

 

[moreorless87]

There are a lot of high quality horror films being made these days.

The Babadook
X
Barbarian
Hereditary
A Quiet Place
Mandy
The Witch
The Black Phone

There's also a lot more going on with streaming shows. American Horror Story, Midnight Mass, Haunting of Hill House, etc.

I think there has been a horror revival coming from the arthouse side over the last decade, could add....

Under the Skin
Berberian Sound Studio
Bliss
Killing of a Sacred Deer
High Life
The Guest
Personal Shopper
Enys Men
etc

Not all of those pure horror but I think they have strong horror elements to them. Its more mainstream Hollywood which has tended to focus on quite narrow jump scare slashers.

 

[Edge Wise]

According to IMDb it's an adventure/thriller/mystery film.

And yet it's responsible for terrifying a lot of people about swimming in the ocean.
There's also a great jump scene when Hooper is swimming in the ocean at night.

And while it does have scary elements in it, I'm not sure I would call it a horror movie.

It's an adventure thriller in my book.

Survival thriller