The daily mining through Google Alerts turns up the occasional odd tidbit of horror bloggery. In this case, however, I found in the inbox an article posted here concerning an advertisement for The Unborn viewed during a break in The Daily Show. In the piece, writer Melissa Ford poses one of the fundamental questions of horror: when is it too much? Specifically, Ford points to the issue of stillborn children as one of such emotional gravity that screenwriters for horror films should avoid it altogether.

With all due respect to Ms. Ford, that will hopefully never happen. The article is from a site dedicated to women's issues, and, with all due deference to context, this piece is not from the point of view of a real genre fan, though she does give some viewing credentials such as Poltergeist and Psycho. Just wanted to state for the record, I realize this article was not meant for me as a reader, but, as a screenwriter of horror myself, I felt the urge to respond.

never happen. The article is from a site dedicated to women's issues, and, with all due deference to context, this piece is not from the point of view of a real genre fan, though she does give some viewing credentials such as Poltergeist and Psycho. Just wanted to state for the record, I realize this article was not meant for me as a reader, but, as a screenwriter of horror myself, I felt the urge to respond.

First and foremost, nothing in horror is off limits. Nothing. Once horror writers begin to compromise, as so many do, it's just an exercise in genre conventions, and not a true exploration of fear. And that's fine. I love a good monster movie if done well as much as a serious exploration of terror, like The Descent or 28 Days Later. Despite The Unborn's use of a child which has died in the womb as its premise, it is such a wholly silly and, frankly, dumb film that it doesn't really earn the right to upset those who have dealt with that type of loss. Criticize the ad campaign, if you will, or send letters to The Daily Show for airing the ad during what some may feel is an inappropriate time, but do not tell a writer not to write about a certain subject.

Horror is and must be the genre that is more willing than any other to tackle taboos and drag them screaming into the light. Most films in the genre are not so ambitious or successful at this, but they should never be denied the right to try. Something like Inside, truly a frightening and exceedingly violent film, boils down to one idea: what if some crazy person decided they wanted my baby and would do anything to get it - including cut it out of me? Surely this is a difficult film to view, but does that mean the fear it addresses doesn't exist? Pretending that pain and fear are not real, or suggesting that such things should remain hidden, is the worst sort of censorship. Horror should hurt, it should be painful and frightening. Don't like it? Don't see the movie. Freaked out by the ads? Ask yourself why. Perhaps dealing with such a painful and emotional issue in the context of a fictional thrill ride may lead to some degree of acceptance and, ultimately, healing. Sure, you're not going to get that resonance with The Unborn, but a film like Inside or Rosemary's Baby addresses real fear and paranoia, which makes it just a little easier to deal with for many.

I appreciate the sentiment Ms. Ford expresses, but as a horror fan and a writer, I could never condone any request to tone down material, or to accept that a particular subject is hands-off. That is cowardice, not respect.