What does the genre of horror mean to you? I know some people who consider movies with gore in its own category of genre while others insist they are to be included as horror.
I would include movies with gore into the horror category because in my opinion, you can't have a proper horror movie without blood and violence in it. The more uncomfortable it makes you the better it is.
Don't forget the suspense. Blood, gore and suspense make a great horror movie. The last best horror movie I watched was Aliens. I know it's considered Sci-Fi but it had all of the horror elements.
I love a good psychological thriller, and if you throw in a bit of blood and gore - all the better. I guess horrors do come in all sorts of different packages, but anything that makes my heart beat faster and the hair on the back of my neck stand constitutes a good horror in my book.
I am not a huge fan of horror movies but I love the creativity behind movies of this genre. It takes a really smart person to come up with a horror movie plot.
I agree that good horror movies should have some violence in it but not the gratuitous kind. The same rule applies for gore. It should add to the plot, not detract from it.
Even though I am not into horror movies in general, I find whatever has been discussed here to be very intriguing. I am even contemplating watching a horror movie soon.
To me a horror movie doesn't necessarily need to have violence in it, but it does need to be about whatever scares you, which can be one of a myriad of things.