There are many movies out there that either have disturbing scenes or bloody massacres, but are hard-pressed to be called horror. What are some of these movies of which I speak of? Here’s a few for thought:

1. Ichi the Killer (2001): While not horror, it has disturbing scenes and such, and I’ve heard people say while it’s not horror, only horror fans would like it. Actually, this doesn’t sound far off. Your take?

2. Hard Candy (2005): This is a fantastic movie, with only five cast members in total. One of the best movies I’ve seen. But is it horror? It’s suspense, without doubt, but can we place it in the genre known as horror? I think so, for it’s a great film, and it doesn’t belong in the boring suspense genre.

3. Disturbia (2007): This popular movie is an interesting topic. I always saw it as horror because of how the cop was murdered (in that brutal manner). I was surprised to see that it was listed as “Mystery/Suspense” on IMDb, because to me, it was an obvious horror. Disagree?

4. The Silence of the Lambs (1991): We all know that Hannibal is horror without question, but this original masterpiece (no, I’m not count Manhunter; they spelled Lector’s name wrong) is much harder to place with such certainty. Is it a psychological thriller? Is it horror? Do you care? Who knows, really.

5. Blood and Black Lace (1964): This Giallo oldie has made quite the impression on Italian horror films (affectingly entitled Giallos, which combine murder/mystery with gory deaths), but, after viewing this, it was hard for me to call this horror. Yes, the murders have an air of brutality to them, but I wasn’t sure it was enough to call this horror.

6. Screamers (1995): This is a science fiction masterpiece, with some great gore in it. However, gore does not make it horror, in my opinion. So, can we call this one horror?

7. Battle Royale (2000): This is one of the best movies I’ve ever had the pleasure of viewing, but is it really horror? There’s no doubt that it’s extremely popular with horror fans, as is Ichi the Killer, but despite the lurid subject matter and kids killing kids in violent ways, does it have what it takes to be called horror?

8. Army of Darkness (1992): I’ve yet to view this one yet (a personal bias against the series), but I’ve heard that it ranges from a horror and slapstick comedy (a combination, most likely), to a pure fantasy film. So what is it? Is it one of those movies that fits in any place it needs to? Seems likely.

9. Ravenous (1999): This is an odd movie, combing western with cannibals. If you haven’t seen this, you must check it out. Actually, the only non-horror thing about this is the western setting (but Sy-Fy’s Ghost Town shows that that can sometimes work well). Odd combination, but this is a definite horror.

10. Psycho (1960): Yes, I brought it up. We all know that it influenced many of the slashers of the 1970’s (as did H.G. Lewis movies), and it’s a staple in the horror community, but is it really horror? It’s for you to decide.Now, naturally, there are no right answers to this, as its all objective, but it’s a nice conversation piece. What do you think?