Reasons that todays slasher films simply don't work..and some solutions
1...The PG-13 rating. Watered down slasher films don't work. They have to be shocking
2...CGI Gore. Similar to number 1, using CGI in a slasher film also doesn't work. Effects need to be practical. Get Tom savini out of retirement if need be
3...Having lead characters who are annoying. In older horror films, you often sympathized with the hero and wanted them to live. Nowadays the characters are so pathetic that you actually can't wait for the killer to off them. The best example was Rob zombies Halloween 2. Laurie was so horrible and mean that by the end I was screaming "Michael, kill her please". Try at least to have characters that we give a damn about.
4. Go back to hiring older actors. Sure people might think that having actors in their mid-20's play teenagers was somewhat ludicrous. By the fact is, many of the actors hired back in the day had actually been to acting school and had TV, theatre and movie credits to their name. So not only did they bring skill and experience, but they understood their roles better. Nowadays they hire real teenagers who are barely out of school with no acting experience (which definitely shows) who are clueless about their roles and just play them as obnoxious kids. Ever notice how most of them are never seen again afterwards.
5. Keep the body count down. OK I might get backlash for this...but in all honesty, I don't feel that killing 15-20 people makes a horror film better. Only 5 people died in the original Halloween (one offscreen)...so a higher body count is barely needed
6. Limit the killers screentime. I get that people want to see more of Michael, Freddy and Jason onscreen as they have become icons. But for these films to work, I just feel it is better to have the killer hide in the shadows so the audience isn't sure whether he's there or not. My opinion anyway
Personnel??....thats for a**holes