For one generation, the iconic cinematic boogeyman comes in the form of Chaney’s The Wolf Man, Lugosi’s Dracula or Karloff’s Frankenstein monster. The impact of those black and white creepers has long been diluted by time and merchandise output. That’s not to say they’re not “cool,” they’re just not that scary anymore. Another generation – and I think we’re all on this ship together for the menagerie I’m about to mention – embraced a leaner, meaner crew made up of Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, Freddy Krueger, Pinhead, Chucky and Ghost Face. And then we have the millennial maniacs which I celebrated in this “10 Best” piece right here.
To some degree or another, most – if not all – of these crazy cats have lost their “scare value,” much like the classic Universal monsters. We can thank oversaturation for that. We can thank merchandise. Over-analysis. And that’s okay – it’s in our nature as horror fans to understand the killer and embrace these boogeymen to make them a little less scary to us, to rob these villains of their power.
With a new Friday the 13th on the way for 2015 and a complete Halloween Blu-ray set arriving this fall to remind us these guys are still relevant and still getting fans talking, I thought I would pose the question to you: Who is still scary to you?
Personally speaking, Leatherface – and his posse of meat eaters – still carries a primal quality that resonates with me and sends my imagination into dark territories. There’s no fantastical elements to him. He doesn’t come at you in your dreams. He hasn’t returned from the grave (cue ominous cackle and lightning strike). He’s just a dude that wants to wear your face after his family has made a nice meal out of you. Regardless of the quality of the film sequels Leatherface has appeared in, the character itself is still deeply terrifying.
How about you? Comment board time! I want to read your thoughts on this below…
