The profiteers of the motion picture industry decided to reboot A Nightmare on Elm Street. Despite the fact that narrative canon really is obsolete at this point, I've decided I will go see it. I like Jackie Earle Haley and I think he'll be good in the role of the iconic killer. Though something has me a little concerned, something that no writer could have predicted—especially a horror writer. How will high definition affect the film and other horror films?
It may be a stupid question that has no relevance at all. HD might not have any effect on the horror genre. But for some reason, I feel like it's counter-intuitive to shoot a horror film in high definition.
The reason the great horror films of our time are so terrifying is because they don't show a lot. It's not the details in the monster that make them scary, it's the opposite—it's what you don't see. But with high definition and 4K resolution cameras, you will see everything.
The one word that I can think of that every horror film needs is grit. There must be a degree of grittiness in order for a horror film to be effective. Dim lighting, shadows, gritty film stock—all of these are essential. But the technologies that everyone is clamoring for completely contradict the need for grit.
Fundamentally, HD seems like the wrong choice for horror. A perfect example of this is The Blair Witch Project. I would attribute more than half of the success of that film to the fact that it was shot on shitty DV cams and 16mm. Even the more recent Paranormal Activity realized that grit is necessary. Most of the film was shot in "night vision" to lessen the effects of a crystal-clear picture.
