FIVE DIRECTORS THAT I WISH WOULD MAKE A HORROR FILM 

   I love that so many film directors are committed to Horror. Directors like Tobe Hooper, John Carpenter and Eli Roth have life long membership cards to the Horror Filmmaker Club. Wouldn't it be great if some other talented story tellers contributed to the genre? Here's a list of personal faves that I'd like to see make a horror film today. I chose them, not because I'm already a fan of their work, but because I've seen examples of horror in their filmography.

 Quentin Tarantino:
   I love "Death Proof". It's an amazing idea for a killer and got me hungry for more. If this is an example of what Quentin would do with Horror, I'd love to see what he'd create if he made a straight up horror film. A lot of QT's films are hybrids of different genres. "Reservoir Dogs" and "Jackie Brown" are examples of what Tarantino's films are like when he tells a story without making it feel like a genre mix-tape.

   The second half of "Death Proof" lives in the world of Fast Car films. I find this half of the film exciting, but enjoy the darker first half of the film more. I'd love to see Quentin tell an entire story in an all horror setting.

 

 Steven Spielberg:
   "Jaws" is terrifying. What makes it magical is how little on-screen terror is actually shown. Most of what makes this film scary is the amount of tension the viewer must endure. This is the gift of a master filmmaker. Steven Spielberg made this film as a young man. He's not since lost his touch. I'd love to see what he'd make today, if his goal was to scare his audience.

 

 Oliver Stone:
   I nominate him because of "Natural Born Killers". There are moments that feel like you're seeing glimpses of other films. I've read Quentin Tarantino's original screenplay of NBK, so I'm aware of how Oliver Stone had changed it. Dark elements of this film and his other surreal crime film, "U-Turn", got me curious about the kind of horror film that could come out of the mind of Oliver Stone.

 

 Harmony Korine:
   I showed "Trash Humpers" to a friend once, and it disturbed him. He told me he had not been so uncomfortable during a film since the original "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre". I asked him what type of genre he would classify this film as and he said: Horror. Before that moment, I did not consider that this could be classified as horror. I've since seen Harmony Korine interviewed and asked if "Trash Humpers" was meant to be a horror film. He said no. If this film gets such a horrified reaction from people, what could this man come up with, if he made a film that was intentionally meant to horrify?

 

 David Lynch:
   I don't get scared watching horror films. I wish this weren't so. I find fear to be an exhilarating feeling to experience during a film. It means a lot to me to be so involved with a story, that I lose myself and am able to feel fear as a result.

   I feel nervous and scared every time I watch the final episode of "Twin Peaks". Spending time in The Black Lodge is beyond creepy. I also find moments in "Lost Highway", "Mulholland Dr.", "Inland Empire" and "Eraserhead" to be nightmarish. It's been a long time since Mr. Lynch has made a feature film. What would it be like if David Lynch's goal was to scare you and keep you scared for an entire film? This man can tap into nightmares and put them on film. I don't think anyone would be able to understand his horror film, but I don't doubt that it would be terrifying!

(Artwork by Isaac Keith Martinez)