Movies with the depth of the Exorcist or the Shining are hard to make, and therefore represent additional risk. By taking nuances performances out of genre material, the writer makes them easier to produce - and therefore less risky.
Here's what I've been wrestling with: Is it ever appropriate or necessary to rob a story of it's emotional layers to make it's marketing angles more obvious? Is the job of a genre spec script to make the job of a director, producer, or executive as easy as possible, or to give them the opportunity to make a great film?
Clearly, the two are not mutually exclusive. At the same time, today's great horror films are only made by auteurs.
If I'm writing a horror film with the intent to sell, does it behuve me to lay it on thick, and to forego the genuine dread for a more stylized, less subjective approach? I'm thinking yes.
Don't get me wrong! Those delicious subtle nuances that make my stories so interesting for actors can certainly be present in films like Last Light of Day, which I plan to produce and direct myself. At the same time, I think the reason the Stormcrow hasn't sold is that it's not painted with the broad strokes a studio exec can wrap his head around and see through production.
Most horror films today are more about moodiness than terror and dread. For a long, long time, I've mulled over the words of a successful horror producer: "This is great stuff, real horror. I have no idea how to market it."
Buddy, I think I finally heard you. Get ready for the new Stormcrow!
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