Paco Plaza on Horror Film Success: "No Need for a Large Budget to Reach a Wide Audience"
A notable trend in the film industry sees certain genres achieving significant success without requiring hundreds of millions of dollars in production budgets. While action films often incur costs exceeding $150-200 million, horror films manage to operate with a fraction of that, yet attract enormous audiences and generate substantial revenue.
But why does horror consistently follow this pattern? How can horror films offer compelling content that fans crave without needing even a fraction of a blockbuster action movie's budget? At the Celsius 232 festival, we spoke with Spanish director Paco Plaza, renowned for the "Rec" series and more recently for films like "Sister Death," "The Grandmother," and "Veronica," to gather his insights on this phenomenon.
"Absolutely, and we have a prime example this year with *Talk to Me*, for instance, a very low-budget film that became a hit because it taps into something profound in society. In this specific case, I'm thinking of toxic relationships, and I believe you never know when a film will strike a chord. It's true that horror films don't require extensive resources to yield excellent results. We have many examples, from *The Blair Witch Project* to *Evil Dead*, and even *Duel*, Steven Spielberg's debut feature. There's no need for a big-budget film to reach a broad audience, as it relies more on the concept and addresses a subject that is important to society at the time of the film's release."
In this interview, Plaza also discussed his directorial process and his close connection with Hideo Kojima. You can watch the subtitled interview below to learn more.
Fresh materials — Gaming
Blizzard Employee Fired for Instant-Kill Cheat in World of Warcraft
In the realm of World of Warcraft, Blizzard employees are known as "Game Masters." These individuals possess access to in-game cheats and can monitor servers, guilds, and more to ensure fair play and enjoyment for all players. However, with great power comes great responsibility, and one Blizza
Super Mario Sunshine and Virtual Boy Classics Arrive on Nintendo Switch Online
Nintendo Switch Online is set to receive a significant boost next month with the addition of Super Mario Sunshine to its Classics section. Alongside this beloved platformer, two new, previously unreleased Virtual Boy titles will also become available. Super Mario Sunshine will launch on Aug
New York School Suspends AI Teacher Robot Project Amid Manufacturer's Sex Robot Ties
A New York school district has halted its plan to acquire and utilize an AI-powered teacher robot following an outcry from parents. The Salamanca City Central School District had intended to introduce "Sally," a $60,000 humanoid robot from the brand Realbotix, as a classroom assistant. However
Mike Flanagan Joins Warhammer 40,000 Project Alongside Henry Cavill
Amazon is maintaining absolute secrecy surrounding its upcoming Warhammer 40,000 series project. This ambitious venture will be produced by, and star, the renowned Henry Cavill. Cavill is a well-known and deeply dedicated fan of Games Workshop's sprawling, perpetual war universe, and has for y
Batman: Caped Crusader - Season 2 Review
I've always appreciated it when creators bring a fresh perspective to well-known characters and stories. Take the subject of this review as an example. We've seen Batman in his traditional and modern Gotham City setting, but also in the feudal Japan-inspired anime Batman Ninja, the Victorian a
Zangief Phone Stand: A Must-Have for Street Fighter Fans
Are you in the market for a new phone stand that screams "true gamer" and is guaranteed to turn heads? 52Toys has crafted the perfect item for you. This isn't just any phone accessory; it's a Zangief figurine, reimagined from his appearance in Street Fighter 6, captured in the middle of a