how much gore is too much?

Howdy all.

So in films, horror in particular we see plenty of blood being splashed around, from the extremes of Saw or 30 Days of Night, to the still bloody but more refrained The Mist, and everything in between.
But when does gore stop being useful as an art form, to convey horror, and start being gimmicky and over the top.
Reference a film or work that you think represents both ends of the spectrum.

Needles and eye balls.

And slitting mouths.

All the rest I can handle, dismemberment, amputation, gutting.......without squirming.

Using gore in movies (or video games) does absolutely nothing to convey horror. Blood and gore conveys disgust, and it is often (and more so with each new production that uses this, I feel) used excessively, which makes the whole thing silly and ridiculous.

Horror is best achieved by playing mind-games with the audience - the best horror is evoked by making the audience fear what it can't see, what is alluded at - our mind does the rest, and so much more than some silly blood splatters (often stupid cgi blood these days).

There are scenes in movie history that have gore, but they are horrific because of other things than the blood. Take, for example, the movie ALIEN: The birth-scene (chestburster scene) is so intense not because of the blood and the chestburster emerging from Kane's chest cavity. It is so intense because of John Hurts heart-breaking performance and the other actor's reaction to it.

I love horror movies, intelligent horror movies. I don't mind some blood if the rest (performance, direction etc.) is good, but too many 'horror' movies are silly bloodfests...

Once you've seen some real-life gore vids most horror movies become an exercise in comedy, and quite stupid. The best horror movies have minimal gore, it's the creepiness, suspense or ideas that evoke the squirm-in-your seat reactions.

Originally Posted by boofhead

Once you've seen some real-life gore vids most horror movies become an exercise in comedy, and quite stupid. The best horror movies have minimal gore, it's the creepiness, suspense or ideas that evoke the squirm-in-your seat reactions.

This. Horror movies can never evoke the sense of disgust or portray gore in its realistic form as much as it may try to.

Originally Posted by Space Wolves

This. Horror movies can never evoke the sense of disgust or portray gore in its realistic form as much as it may try to.

That's because all a movie can do is fake sight and fake sound. Real experiences include the smell and taste and the sensation of getting a face full of your buddy's fluids.

On the plus side, you'd be pretty damn traumatized by it.

That's because all a movie can do is fake sight and fake sound. Real experiences include the smell and taste and the sensation of getting a face full of your buddy's fluids.

On the plus side, you'd be pretty damn traumatized by it.

Even real pictures/videos of gore are far more sickening than movies. If I watched Hostel, I wouldn't feel sick. If I watched a film with as much gore as Hostel and I knew it to be raw footage, I would be puking my innards out.

Originally Posted by boofhead

Once you've seen some real-life gore vids most horror movies become an exercise in comedy, and quite stupid. The best horror movies have minimal gore, it's the creepiness, suspense or ideas that evoke the squirm-in-your seat reactions.

This. I was quite naive until a friend of mine insisted on showing me internet videos of people being run down by large vehicles.

For me, it was the Alien Ressurection chest-burster popping out of a head of a another person.
That was too much.

Not because they overdid it, but because it felt like a bad idea from the start that they decided would look just awesome and it was actually ... well, crap.
Gore can look great if it serves a purpose.

(Ex. disemboweled soldier on Omaha Beach in Saving Private Ryan)
Because that stuff happened.

Soft-freshly born chitinous xenomorph baby breaking OPEN sternum and a human skull= has no place in laws of physics.

And I know xenomorphs don't exist but going with the lore of the movie, it's still NONSENSE.

Gore like everything in cinematography is annoying when it has no purpose .

I very much "liked" the gore in Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, The Pacific, and so on.. It adds realism, which makes it easier to become immersed.

Originally Posted by Godfrey I of Leuven

I very much "liked" the gore in Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, The Pacific, and so on.. It adds realism, which makes it easier to become immersed.

Band of Brothers wasn't that bad, but The Pacific was pretty gory...

Anything made by Peter Jackson before he was bitten by the genius bug and made LOTR would serve as a good example of gore taken to such levels it becomes something akin to comical. I think Promethius that was just released found a good middle path actually.

Originally Posted by Påsan

Anything made by Peter Jackson before he was bitten by the genius bug and made LOTR would serve as a good example of gore taken to such levels it becomes something akin to comical. I think Promethius that was just released found a good middle path actually.

Thats the thing though, those early Peter Jacksons films were MENT to be over the top comical splatterhouse films, part of what makes them awesome.

Anyways, Gore has its place and needs to be restricted to the type of theme the film is trying to portray.
The Alien films as mentioned are more about stalking Aliens so gore should be limited to off screen as people are dragged off, while a Zombie film should have a lot of onscreen gore to portray mindless creatures who only intent is to bite and tear you apart.

Edit: also too little or no gore can ruin a movie, the Hunger games being a good example.... for a televised fight to the death its horribly bloodless.

Originally Posted by Grimecraft

Howdy all.

So in films, horror in particular we see plenty of blood being splashed around, from the extremes of Saw or 30 Days of Night, to the still bloody but more refrained The Mist, and everything in between.
But when does gore stop being useful as an art form, to convey horror, and start being gimmicky and over the top.
Reference a film or work that you think represents both ends of the spectrum.

Just fyi Saw isnt even close to extremes when it comes to some other (and lesser known) horror flicks. That said I REALLY prefer The Mist, 1408 (funny both are based on Stephen King stories), What Lies Beneath and The Changeling type horror. Somewhere along the lines we've misplaced gore as meaning horror when it is far from the truth.

Very little of movies like Hostel do much to make the viewer SCARED. The max for gore that works imo are movies like Event Horizon and say The Thing. I dont mind a good old splatter fest movie but to me its nothing more then an action movie with blood flying overhead. I mean really it is hilarious watching the way people die in Final Destination movies but its not like its scary. Hell Paranormal and Rec were FAR more scary then Saw or Hostel etc.

As in real life, the pacific was dirty.

Too much gore is when the gore overtakes the plot or characters.

This is just one example of many,

http://youtu.be/I58Viu4tXas

Basically as the camera enters slow mode the blood is further emphasized. My reasoning is that it grosses me out, if it were quick I probably wouldn't be thinking about someone elses goopy bloody drops.

Now as the scene fades away you see an extra splash of blood as the title of the movie appears.

OKAY? did I need that extra splash to make me think OOooooOooo this must be serious!?

Originally Posted by Armatus

This is just one example of many,

http://youtu.be/I58Viu4tXas

Basically as the camera enters slow mode the blood is further emphasized. My reasoning is that it grosses me out, if it were quick I probably wouldn't be thinking about someone elses goopy bloody drops.

Now as the scene fades away you see an extra splash of blood as the title of the movie appears.

OKAY? did I need that extra splash to make me think OOooooOooo this must be serious!?

That's nothing compared to the finale of Blood and Sand, Gods of the Arena, and Vengeance...Though I imagine the finale of War of the Damned will probably be the bloodiest episode of a tv show ever.

Anyone here ever seen Dexter?

Originally Posted by Gen. Chris

That's nothing compared to the finale of Blood and Sand, Gods of the Arena, and Vengeance...Though I imagine the finale of War of the Damned will probably be the bloodiest episode of a tv show ever.

Anyone here ever seen Dexter?

Dexter really isnt that gory, and you would expect it in that kind of show, whats truly annoying is debra's swearing.