Computer-generated imagery (CGI) has been part of horror movies since the late 80s and early 90s. When it was introduced to filmmaking, it allowed filmmakers to conjure new creatures and new worlds, not to mention newfound scares.
It is a filmmaker's tool. It's like a specialized instrument with the key purpose of driving the story forward. However, there are horror films that fall into the trap of relying too heavily on it.
To be able to make a good horror film, filmmakers should use it sparingly, gracefully, and purposefully. But there are instances when it doesn't work as intended. Here are five horror films ruined by the bad use of CGI.
1. 'A Sound of Thunder'
"A Sound of Thunder" is a 2005 film featuring Edward Burns, Catherine McCormack, and Ben Kingsley. It was directed by Peter Hyams and based on a 1952 short story by Ray Bradbury having the same title. The film follows the story of the Time Safari company, which allows rich tourists to travel back in time to hunt dinosaurs. However, the time tourists accidentally interfere too much with the past, altering the present.
The film received negative reviews, and one of the letdowns of the movie is the bad CGI of the dinosaurs. While the story is fascinating, the bad special effects ruined it.
2. 'Sleepwalkers'
"Sleepwalkers" is a 1992 American horror film written by Stephen King. It was directed by Mick Garris. Brian Krause, Mädchen Amick, and Alice Krige starred in the movie. The film's story follows the last two survivors of a vampiric shapeshifting species, who normally maintain a human form but can transform into human-sized bipedal werecats.
According to Screen Rant, the film has made the mistake of turning vampires into cats instead of bats. Combined with bad special effects, the film got unfavorable reviews.
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3. 'The Lord of Illusions'
"The Lord of Illusion" is a 1995 American horror film featuring Kevin J. O'Connor, Famke Janssen, and Daniel von Bargen. It is written and directed by Clive Barker, based on his own short story "The Last Illusion." The story follows Harry D'Amour, who founded a mystical cult in the process of resurrecting their leader.
The film received mixed reviews. One of the letdowns of "The Lord of Illusions" is the scene when the apparition turns into a "blocky and swirling cube," according to What Culture. The special effect was so bad, and it was even shown three times in the film.
4. 'The Ring Two'
"The Ring Two" is a 2005 American supernatural psychological horror film. The film was a sequel to the 2002 film "The Ring." The film was directed by Hideo Nakata and is set six months after the events of the first film. The cursed videotape of Samara Morgan has been circulating among teenagers in Oregon.
In the film, the filmmaker used CGI deer. According to Screen Rant, it would have been better if the filmmaker had just used real deer because the computed generated deer looked so unreal.
5. 'Deep Rising'
Deep Rising is a 1998 American action horror film directed by Stephen Sommers and featured Treat Williams, Famke Janssen, and Anthony Heald. It follows the story of hijackers who got into the cruise ship to rob the passengers. To their horror, the passengers have been devoured by a sea monster.
The major letdown of this film is the CGI of the monster's tentacles. According to What Culture, the tentacles looked so fake. Had the filmmaker made it better, it would have been a really good film.
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