Why Gore?

One of my favorite genres of film is gore/horror.  You might be wondering why I would pick such a gruesome genre to enjoy, but I can't get enough of it.  Now, there are many reasons as to why a gore film is one of the most artistic film genres, but I don't have the patience to list them all.  Here are some of my top reasons as to why gore is one of my favorite genres in the film industry.

 1.  Genuine pain, anger, and shock are hard to fake.

            - In gore films, an actor must be able to harness these emotions.  However, pain, anger, and shock are very hard to fake because most people have not witnessed them first hand.  Not many actors have gone through horrific situations in their life, so they have to be very good actors in order to make them seem as if they are genuinely feeling the emotion that the movie or drama requires.  Although I do not enjoy bad acting, I like gore because there is more opportunity for an actor to show his or her ability on film.  Unlike romance or family dramas, which even the worst actors can skim through, gore requires the actors to be good in order to produce a high quality gore film.

2. Movie and drama scripts must be good in order to let the actors shine.

            - Almost any "writer" can write a wishy-washy 3rd rate romantic comedy screen play and get it on screen.  It can be riddled with inconsistencies, clichés, and illogical reasoning, and still be able to make millions in the box office.  Why?  People like comedy.  They don't realize how bad a drama is because they've never seen anything better.  One of the most challenging genres of writing is gore.  Characters have to be rounded and have a full range of emotion.  The storyline must be logical.  In gore, there are so many emotions that the characters go through that most dramas and movies will never even touch.  Fear, lust, love, shock, anger, vengeance, bloodlust, and pain are just a few emotions that the characters can go through in just one film or drama.  In the gore drama, a writer can really show off his or her talent.

3. Graphics

            - Unlike romance, family, or even thriller dramas, gore is one of the few genres in which the graphics are extremely important.  The blood, body parts, and all the other special effects have to look genuine.  There are some aspects which are hard to fake, and (with gore) you can really see the quality of work that has been done in order to heighten the quality of the film.

Whenever my friends suggest that we watch a thriller, I usually say that I don't like horror movies.  However, that is not really true.  Truthfully, I enjoy horror movies the best.  The only reason I do not normally watch them is because I'd rather see the ones that are actually quality work instead of the Hollywood versions that are barely held together with duct tape.  If you ever see a quality gore film, I think you will understand my reasoning.  Even though there are very few wonderful films in this genre, it is worth it once you see the glory that is gore.

Tell me, what do you think about this genre? 

Do you love it?  Do you hate it?

What gore films have you enjoyed?

The Walking Dead

Rating: (Not reviewed)

Genre: Post-apocalyptic, Zombie apocalypse, Horror, Drama
Episodes: (Still Airing - AMC)
Cast: Frank Darabont, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Robert Kirkman, Charles H. Eglee

"The Walking Dead tells the story of the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse; it follows a small group of survivors, traveling across the desolate United States in search of a new home away from the shuffling hordes of the undead. The group is led by Rick Grimes, who was a sheriff's deputy in King County, Georgia, before the zombie outbreak. As their situation grows more and more grim, the group's desperation to survive pushes them to the very edge of sanity. At every turn they are faced with unspeakable horrors, both from the undead and the scattered remains of a struggling human populace."

Gumiho / Nine Tailed Fox

Rating: ****

Genre: Romance, Action, Fantasy, Horror, Drama
Episodes: 16
Cast: Han Ye Seul, Jo Hyun Jae, Jun Jin, Kim Tae Hee, Park Joon Suk

"Shi Yeon is a Nine-Tailed Fox living undercover in the human world. By day, Shi Yeon is an employee at a natural history museum. By night, she's a top-ranking woman warrior in the Nine-Tailed Fox clan, charged with preserving the delicate balance between man and fox. But her world is sent spinning when an atrocious serial murder - where the victims have had their internal organs gouged out - is uncovered. Detective Min Woo believes the murders may relate to the organ trafficking trade, and goes undercover in a seedy organ smuggling ring. But Min Woo's cover is blown, and it's only through the intervention Nine-Tailed Fox warrior Mu Young and Shi Yeon that he's able to survive! But he's seen their true identities as Nine-Tailed Foxes…can he be allowed to live?"

This bittersweet drama is a big hit in my book. However, there are a few unrealistic parts in this story. For instance, Shi Yeon (a Gumiho) was supposed to have grown up thinking she was human. However, Gumiho's are supposed to eat human liver, right? How could she have zero inkling that something was off when she was supposed to eat human liver? Another thing I thought was kind of off is that when the Gumiho's die they turn into ash. Gumiho's aren't supposed to be some mystical creature exactly, they are supposed to be the next step in evolution (basically). Unlike vampires, who are dead but continue "living" for thousands or so years, Gumiho's have a more normal life span. Why would they turn into ash after they die? It makes no logical sense at all.. Anyway, other than that it was a good drama.

Elfen Lied

Rating: ***.5
Anime!

Genre: Action, Drama, Ecchi, Horror, Romance, Psychological
Episodes: 13 + 1 OVA

"The Diclonius, a mutated homosapien that is said to be selected by God and will eventually become the destruction of mankind, possess two horns on their heads and have a "sixth sense" which gives them telekinetic abilities. Due to this dangerous power, they have been captured and isolated in laboratories by the government. Lucy, a young and psychotic Diclonius, manages to break free of her confines and brutally murders most of the guards in the laboratory where she is being held, only to be shot in the head as she makes her escape. She survives, falling off a cliff into the ocean and manages to drift along to a beach where two teenagers, Kouta and Yuka, discover her. Having lost her memories, she was named after the only thing that she can now say, "Nyuu," and the two allow her to stay at Kouta"

Although I'm sure that this anime is probably supposed to be for guys to watch (As it has mainly female characters and has a lot of nudity and gore) I actually really like it. As a gore enthusiast I can't help but want to watch it over and over again. Truthfully, though, the opening song brought me to tears a few times after watching the anime. When you first watch the opening credits, it's just a song, but as you watch the anime, you'll see how well the song fits the anime. The reason it is only 3.5 stars is because: (1) there were too many unneeded nude scenes -.-" (2) some of the storyline is just plain bad.