The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Horror and sci-fi films are plentiful. Just as you think every avenue has been explored a new idea springs up.
Have we really boldly gone beyond our own imaginings or are there more places we haven't yet conceived?
It seems the last batch of sci fi horror films are just revamped versions of old ideas.
I'd like to hear your twist on this to whether our imaginations have run dry?

The imagination can never run dry. The extent to which Hollywood covers the imagination, however, can.

Are there other areas that have not been covered as yet and if so what?

The recent (sci-film) film that I watched was INCEPTION.

It seemed wonderful, noting that it talked about dreams and the stages of our dreams.

Christopher Nolan did think about this - and I can't blame him; he has been a wonderful director (Dark Knight for example are good films)

Though - the movie - Inception - kind of lacked oommphh or something that would make it more colorful.

The idea of dreams being explored was just fascinating.

Problem is or was - the movie had bad actors (Leo whathisname as lead) and not to mention the movie lasted for 2+ hours.

I'd like someone to do another film that deals on dreams - only without the weird and unexplainable devices and whatnots.

I thought the film was good and agree with you on many levels but the idea of dreams being exploited in various films have been used time and again.

HAH! That part I missed - or maybe I wasn't just paying attention.

Though, this is entirely out of context noting the topic (Sci Fi Films) - I like The Sandman - the graphic novels by Neil Gaiman.

Always a thing to look forward for.

@ BLOODLIFE, I don't have specific examples of things that haven't been covered, because I haven't seen or read or listened to absolutely everything that's out there.

If you want a completely different idea behind everything, that's going to be stretching it, I think. I read a quote somewhere that said something like there are only 3 major themes in everything - birth, death and what's inbetween (I can't find it for the life of me now though).

So generally speaking, it's the subtle twist on things that makes them unique. There might be 100 movies about vampires, but some of them are unique because they have a different perspective, or a different piece of lore behind them, or something like that. Twilight vampire are unique (so far as I know) because they are sparkly. In as much as that idea is abhorrent to me personally, it is how that particular offering to the genre is defined.

Sometimes it's the little things that make something stand out.

places we haven't yet conceived... from a hollywood movie I would think IF they made a movie that a group of people would somehow create a machine that could transport themselves in a spaceship or something TOO out FROM of this multiuniverse and beyond that. I do not think that NO hollywood movie has never made that idea.

While the movie you describe seems to be far more into the sci-fi spectrum than horror, yet I do believe the wonderful sci-fi horror movie "Event Horizon" fits your movie description quite well while also satisfying this forum topic's subject quite nicely, as well.

The problem with coming up with something totally different from everything out there is that the audience can't relate to it, so aspiring authors and directors need to make things that totally new and at the same time something that people have seen before.

I think narrow minded people expect narrow plots, and block busters satisfy that, movies don't need plot, or theme depth people want Black Busters that don't hazard them thinking to hard.

I think it will be the Independent Film makers to challenge that. A few scents in the wind are the works of Brian Micheal Bendis (sic) who writes daring edgy noir comics.

Even narrow minded people seek escapism. I'm surprised that the only new ideas seem to be coming from the game makers which are then turned into film.

thats because they have such a limited audience.

Actually, I don't find it hard to believe a lot of movies are coming from games at all...before that, movies and televeision series were based off of comic strips...aka Superman, Conan the Barbarian, Iron Man...the X-Men...to name a few..;)

It seems to me, that some of our best movies are usually based off of any stretch of the imagination, whether it is a book, a comic/manga, or games...which in today's tech..requires not only animation, but storyline, plot, variable characters and bosses as well as dialogue....howbeit, often a bit hokey and corney at times..but the best movies in horror hardly reach our shores. Japanese anime has a lot to offer in the anime...anyone seen Blood?...I certainly wouldn't mind a movie rendition of D, The Vampire Hunter..unless there's one out I don't know about?..:P

This reminds me of a Marilyn Manson song...

"Everything's been said before, nothing left to say anymore, when its all the same you can ask for it by name...

Babble babble, bitch bitch, rebel rebel, party party, sex sex sex and don't forget the violence, blah blah blah, you got your lovey dovey, sad and lonely, stick your stupid slogan in and everybody sing along"

And to be honest... it is why I even quit reading fiction altogether. Back in psychology and even writing they talk about archetypes. Character basics for patterns of behavior. And these exist in all things... The plots are all relatively the same... the only difference is names, faces, and settings.

Though I admit I have seen some interesting twists...
One of My favorites were the two Russian movies...
"Night Watch" and "Day Watch"

Now... I will say... I have enjoyed some of the remakes... I do not see all of them as being a lack of ideas but maybe as a way to recapture a classical style... Many a new movies are all flash with little substance while some of the remakes... are bringing back stories that were built on substance that made them scary to begin with... I particularly loved the new "Wolfman" Movie... I felt it captured the classical sense of suspense and showed that some of the oldest stories are the best stories.

One problem with Sci Fi Horror as a genre is that it falls far too easily into the whole "Creature Feature" feel where it loses the horror and suspense.

To quote me today..."The limits of imagination are as boundless as the very fabric of the universe inhabited"

That aside unless Hollywood start telling better stories and stop all the annoying CGi and jerky camera work somebody else will take over.
For instance I watched 'Wolfman' with Jack Nicholson, indeed a great caste.
However when you tackle surreal subjects everything else has to be kept very real "nomal" that is why American werewolf I.London was such a classic.(tube scenes)
BUT Oh no, the folk in charge start going CGi mad and make giant stone circle which DO NOT LOOK REAL...and continued doing other silly things instead of getting off the arses and going to the real rocks in Laycock and using clever camera work to make them look larger.I could go on but I am probably wasting my breath...
What is the point of imagination when the execution is so wooden?

i dont think they know what we want to see in a movie anymore.
They'll either pump it full of 3D, dirty jokes/nudity/both, non stop action, try their best to make it really deep and meaningful (failing...usually.. 'Precious' just traumatized people, especially people who have been through that), throw blood at us, etc. And totally skimp out on the actual story. They dont know how to combine things anymore =/ and now we're an audience that expects this sort of thing, we want clever movies that either draws us in with convincing, real (Not overly complicated, but believable) stories and characters, and we want to see them come up with a scenario that involves them finding a way to either succeed or fail in the face of challenge. Once upon a time, perhaps, that didnt matter to us. Back when movies were glamorous entertainment instead of ways to learn how to interact with situations we would probably either inflict or never see...

I don't think Hollywood has reached the extent of the imagination, but they limit what they do and how they do it by budget concerns and how they think audiences will receive certain ideas.

I think Rob Zombie re-hatched the B-rate movie so well. The often gratuitous gore, and right down to the grainy cinematography. I remember the classic B-rate Blood Sucking Freaks, the "Plot" was built around the behavior of the main character, and his victims.

Films today are aimed at marketing. they have slip off covers, and often force sequels. Straight to movie books will eventual start influencing how authors write as well.

Which is why Blade Runner remains such a Cult Juggernaut. Even Avatar caught the wind on a Frontier theme, but they made the tri-fecta for a movie then I would say.

Clash of the Titans was the last 3D camera film i bothered to see. Instead of using the actual cameras they charged the costs of on the tickets, they hired a couple people to cut out the actors and monsters from the film, basically making a 2D diorama, and dashing my faith in them at the same time

dabbler... I also have been enjoying the grittiness of what Grind House has been producing...

But "Avatar" was too much of a mix between "Dances with Wolves," and "Fern Gully."

I did enjoy the "Firefly" Series in its attempt to stay away from the fantasy of many Sci Fi Movies. I thought that was very original... like "The Thing."

The Thing, great film and needs an update.

I can just see it now, they will spend 2 minutes introducing the characters who will be shallow as hell.Then there will be crashes and bangs and 500foot aliens leaning out of the 3 D screen chasing our hero Nicholas Cage(again)

Followed by the inevitable 3D game where the alein dogs chase you along ice caves ad you have to jump over barrels and obstacles.(They make more money on the games than the films so it is bound to be ruined).
The finale will be a 10,000ft alien sinking into the sea as our hero notices a nick on his sequel skin.

I think the Firefly movie was the most original thing to come out of Hollywood in years. for the most part, The imagination of Hollywood as died. Books however, well they are chugging out some pretty good stuff.

well books have always been like that, but i think that most of the more original ideas are coming from smaller publishers and that the big 5 out of NYC really aren't taking chances on a lot of new fresh ideas.

books are personal though, a movie really isnt.
when I say books are personal they all sprout new ideas in everyone.
anyone can turn a classic tale to their own desire with a book, with a movie you really cant.
The mind will always work coming with new ideas for everything, just maybe not in the way we all believe.

Orc, you stated it perfectly!

and as much as id like to think that the well of imagination never runs dry, i do think that the flood of imagination is only a trickle at best now, and that the same ideas seem to be rehashed and rehashed.
~W~

People like old idea's.See,the new generation don't watch TV shows no further back then 5 years old.So,they think if they re-vamped some old ones,they got NEW shows.to tell ya the truth..i think the old stuff was alot more interesting.Better plots and stories.but,the effects are better now-days.I say there IS new ideas yet still to come out in the open.It's just that..right NOW,they rather pay less to re-vamp some old ones.

We have to factor in the Writer Strikes and allow for the "Reality Boom". which is swelling Cable, and satillite TV.

I am waiting for an example of a perfect marriage between effects, plot, and casting.

Robert Rodigez comes pretty close with his films.

A Readaptation of "The Thing".. I'm gonna straddle the fence on that, meat cleaver in hand to hack at a hack job.


I also await more movies from Author Joe R Landsdale.

I think filmographers approach far more authors, and publishers with screen play opts, but perhaps not all authors are keen on going to the silver screen.

There will always be imaginations, but nothing ever original.

with time there will be new things to write about and you can always make something different and new but it probably won't be any good

people like familiarity, predictability, and a happy ending.
When was the last time you were glad to see the main protagonist get hit by a car and sent to the hospital just before he made the breakthrough necessary to save the day, or the last time you were glad to see your favorite character's romantic interest, the one that was warming up to them throughout the whole movie, end up not hooking with them, but with someone else previously unidentified throughout the entire thing.
(They did this in Blazing Saddles and Dumb and Dumber, but you knew it was going to happen. It was the only way the girl could be spoken for without breaking up the duo)

If by using the Imagination, and the result will be a big $$Capital gain, then, Always will be different things created by a twisted mind. Right now I am hook-up with "THE WALKING DEAD". Beautiful made and always with a twist at the end. Zombie, always has been fascinating the mind of Movie producers.

The Hollywwod machine seems to have been only intersted in recycling old ideas..

I think the reasoning of Hollywood to redo ideas, is that they are afraid of making something that would not be successful. In this tough economy especially, they want a sure money maker, not to go out on a limb. Believe me, there are plenty of ideas from artists and authors we haven't heard because the risk of them doing them outweighs everything else. There are many a script that I know have never made it further due to fear of its being successful or not.

i'd like to get in there and make a couple movies. i think it'd be fun and worst case scenario, i make something like Avatar or Clash of the Titans, which still drew a crowd

Good screen play writers cost money, and with those screen player writers advanced material comes, so as mentioned above, resources invested equal material output.

I would like to see "Dragons Egg" by Robert Forward made into a Movie. Or A collective Sci-fi Short movie like Cats Eye was to Stephen King, only with the short works of Phillip K Dick
Especiallly "I Hope We Shall Arrive Soon"

hollywood limits the potential infinity of the universe and the human experience. Most times, it wants to cash in and make money while providing mind numbing, stereotypical portrayal that affects the brain of those who not only watch it but accept what is being portrayed to them.

It's obvious then that with all Hollywoods money they can't buy imagination!
I guess the new stunts and effects are more imaginative but we are a long way off of new ideas.

I think it is just to revamp the old movies for the new generation.

The reason is that they want to cap the screen writers pay, so as long as they cinch on that there will be no motivation for people to pursue screen writers careers, which makes the pools (bull pin) writers the outstanding factor. Note bull pins cater to block busters.

I don't think this is a money issue, imagination can't be bought nor can it always be captured successfully on screen, however anyone that thinks they have a great imaginative idea will find a way to be heard be it through another kind or type of medium.

I should add that that is why so many good books make it to the screen but always manage to lose that certain 'something' when watched. Hence, the book is always better.

I do have to disagree with that wholeheartedly. Books have so much useless information. While movies always cut through the b.s.

I have never read a book that was better than the movie.
I will always be one who enjoys the movie over the book.

since the point of any company is to make money, i cant blame a publishing house for not pushing thru something that they think would not make any....

funny how often they are wrong about such tho.


on another note, i think a story about a giant man eatting twinky has yet to be brought to book or screen!
~W~

The giant man eating twinky would only be a remake of The Blob. On that note (and I know I digress) I think it's great that it's the B-Movies that (with time) become the ones that have the great cult following, Rocky Horror being a good example.

Publishing is expensive, and for an unknown author with a first book things can look bleak, but as we move (slowly) towards a paper free environment and conventional methods of media, the cheaper options will soon be widespread.
Imagine writing up a book online (already being done) with access from phones, ipads etc to access it, this in itself is evocative and has full imaginative skills (especially where marketing is concerned) ... there really is no excuse for lack of imagination where new ideas are concerned and certaily 'money' sholud not hold anyone back if they believe in their idea.

Just before I get started on imagination here, something I dont recall seeing anything similar to on screen is (and yes go ahead and murder me) is "The Host" by Stephanie Meyers *gasp*.

Now, imagination is limitless. Point blank.

As of right now, technology isnt able to match beat-for-beat, the depths of our imagination. BUT, technology is also limitless, so someday (however long that might be) I think the cinema will match our imagination.

Just my views.

I believe "The Terminator" also began as a "B" movie.

I can't speak for others, but I can for myself.

Everytime I think the well has run dry.. I just let my mind roam, awile.. and then, there's the new story I was searching for.. oh, there's idea's out there.. but, it's easier to liberate an older one, than the come up with something new, of your own.

I personally think that if a Writer of a script was to step out and create a compeletly new idea for a movie with different concepts and all that more than half of the movie audiance would not watch such a film. Reason being most people stick to things they know and are afraid to take a chance on something different. The reason those that have seen the old Halloween movies turned and watchs the Remakes is because it was something familiar to them. The reason people watch every Vampire movie that comes out is because it is something familiar to them as well. It would be great to see something that has not been done but I dont think that will really happen there will be something in a movie that is familiar and similar to another movie that has already been created. Though this is merely only my opinion.

But, they did.. Matrix.

But they did, Inception.

So I'm sorry.. I don't agree.. if there's something real good, the audience will find it... heck, even a film I was in [[momentarily]] did well on the local circuit awhile.

[[Unashamed Plug: Expirydate]]

I recommend Event Horizon, it was a really good film. With some bits of horror thrown in the mix.

Also Star Trek : The movie (reboot/ Star Trek:The Alternate Timeline) Wasn't that bad for a reboot. I personally enjoyed it and I was one of the people that made a huge fuss over it before knowing that it was an Alternate timeline based star trek.

See? **Screams**

I named a few.. 'Star Trek'.. !

Yes, fine example. Originality can floroush, still!

[[Doomsayers!!!]]

Our iminagations are endless so yes, there is a lot more that we need to explore. it could take a lifetime and then some to even get to a point. We should explore as much as we can.

I wonder if that's why animation is doing so well at the cinema!
On the whole, there have been some great ideas out there but they just haven't come across too well as a film.

Is true imagination left to books?
I remember reading and plodding through 'The Hobbit' and 'Lord of the Rings' as a youngster and using my imagination to paint a picture of what the writer was writing. I remember thinking 'WOW' great book!
When I saw the book being depicted as a film (many years later) I knew it would never be anything near what my imagination held.
Some films come close but that is really it. They can never capure your own imaginings.

Bloodlife... I agree completely... but in truth it is not really limited to book but to the imagination... I remember reading several comments from even artists over the years, including classical greats who speak of how they are never truly satisfied with theirown work because they can never completely capture what they see in their mind's eye. So in essence... true imagination lays in the mind, and mind alone.

as 'a creative', I have to agree with TheOrc.
what's created can never match the creations wrought in our minds eye.. no film, tv show, or comic.. they can only "come close".

i do agree with bloodlife to a point, still there are some films that have gone beyond my imagination at least.

when i was a kid, i saw the old disney 20000 leagues under the sea, and absolutely loved it. i then found the novel and for me at least it wasnt as good as the movie.

its rare when i find a movie superior to a book, but it can and still does happen occasionally.
~W~

There is rich pickings to be had at the moment.

Look at the world, it is on the brink of a myriad of revolutions and destructions.

I believe they are too scared or unwillingly to explore them for political/social reasons and so Art dies.
Examples~lets not make films about the arabs uprisings in Egypt/lebanon/tunisia...coz they own 1/3rd of the stock market.
~Lets not film abot B.O.A. or U.B.S. screwing the public dare not mention Wikileaks showing the big con...indeed the name? mmm should it actually be the bank of Saudi? that would be popular...NOT!
~Lets not film about yellow stone rising 4 inches every year it will scare the property market.
~Lets not film about Naples and Versuvius heating up and the Mayor canceling tests.
~Lets not film about the wierd climate and massive global die offs from crops...floods...animals...
No, lets FILM Ms Palin or some random saddo who gotta gun from walmart...better still lets make a film about witches and put the directors nephew in the lead role AGAIN!!!!...yes its Mr N.Cage...you know you love him!

Star Track Enterprise series brought us nice sci-fi subjects such as warp speed, quantum boost, mass of consciousness, wormhole passage, etc, etc.

with books what is seen is our own interpretation of that story and as i see there are several books that would be wonderful as movies...but..yet and still it would be through someone elses imagination it would come to life thus never really living up to what we expect ..at least that is my opinion hollywood writers never run out of ideas just money