Audience Quote by Reece Shearsmith
“Audiences are very sophisticated and they know the nuts and bolts of the genre - certainly with horror more than others I think. But they attract lots of people, they're much derided as a genre but people go and see them and they're not all dumb. There's some very clever horror films. Stephen King gets a lot of flack for not being a proper writer because he's a horror writer, but I think he writes some brilliant books. I think it's wrong to just bin it before looking at it.”
About This Quote
The quote argues that horror audiences are discerning, that the genre contains intelligent works, and that dismissing it outright is unfair.
In simple terms: Horror is often underrated but can be sophisticated.
Key Takeaway
Avoid genre bias.
Themes
Genre perception
Audience sophistication
Literary merit
Cultural bias
Mood
defensive
thoughtful
Type
Opinion
Cultural commentary
When to use this quote
- Film criticism
- Book reviews
- Genre studies
Key Concepts
Horror
Critical evaluation
Practical Applications
- Reassessing genre value
- Promoting nuanced criticism
Questions to Reflect On
- What criteria should we use to judge a genre's worth?
- How does audience knowledge affect genre reputation?
