A genre of substance
Last night, the Golden Globe for actress in a comedy or musical went home with Demi Moore. For a horror film. The Substance is thought provoking, heartbreaking, perfectly cringe worthy and absolutely -off its rocker by the end- amazing.
While the HFPA has been a bit more willing than the Academy to recognize the genre, it’s a long overdue inclusion for awards consideration. Horror is often looked down upon, considered synonymous with its sub genre, B horror.
While there has been the occasional release that has forced the industry to take note, earning respect (see movies like The Exorcist or Get Out), it’s still a struggle for acknowledgement. When Blumhouse started to take horror by storm, budgets rose and as established actors began slipping into the dark and twisted roles previously occupied by up and comers and genre mainstays, horror became just a little more “legitimate”. Yet the accolades are still few and far between.
It’s time that we give these complex and emotionally charged stories, the crew and the actors bringing them to life on screen, their due. Long have critics ignored the impressively wide range that these actors possess. I mean, Jamie Lee Curtis may be the OG Scream Queen but she has also flourished in comedic and dramatic roles (LOVE True Lies). Hell, Garret Dillahunt played such a vile character in the Last House on the Left remake and slayed with his comedy chops in Raising Hope. Ty Burrell plays a creep you hope gets bitten by a zombie in the Dawn of the Dead remake SO well that it actually turned me off Modern Family during its run but he’s just as brilliant as Phil Dunphy. Yes, some actors who get their start in this genre leave, never to look back….BUT…some stay. For the love of horror, community and the opportunity to tell stories from the emotional and unique viewpoint that horror can offer. But don’t get it twisted…those who stay should not be relegated to a lesser tier of acting.
With Jamie Lee Curtis’s Oscar win for Everything Everywhere All At Once and an Emmy nomination for her unbelievable performance in The Bear, an actor synonymous with horror was finally seen as the multi-dimensional force that she is. And with Demi Moore’s first win for her fantastic performance in this absolutely wild film, the work she has put in is finally being recognized. Will this win mark a shift in the way we perceive and respect horror? I don’t know for certain, but a girl can dream. Hopefully this is a rising trend for the genre mainstays to get their shot at being noticed for stellar work as well as the household names. Either way, it’s a step in the right direction for horror to finally be lauded as a powerful contender for honors.
Don’t count the horror makers out. Take the genre as seriously as we take storytelling. We are social commentary. We are the voice of every generation. And we are here to stay.
The Deemogorgon
P.S. You can go watch OUR new short horror film, “Watch Till The End”, on Channel 29.