It's an obvious fact in the horror genre of films that are the most appealing cover loop holes in the script, or hide an actor's inadequacy in reference to their acting, by putting emphasis on visuals. Horror films within the last few years have slowly created these blemish-masking techniques into two main fields readily accepted by mental and sexual frustrated audiences: visceral death and steamy sex.

For example, in 2005's House of Wax, director Jaume Collet-Serra ingeniously saved ears worldwide from Hilton's monotone line deliveries by...giving her a sex scene in a tent and reaaally small shorts. She could then be educating film viewers on the positive aspects of the Holocaust and it wouldn't matter as long as eyes bulged and heart beats raced.

Director Deon Taylor's recent release Chain Letter embraces the flip side by using gruesome, spine tingling, Mortal Combat-style deaths to cover up his writer's flaws and welcome horror fans into the Halloween season with style. For example, in a key scene a stereotypical White jock lambasts his lack of college football scholarships while fatiguing after a 1 minute run on the treadmill and displaying the bench press skills of a quadriplegic. How to hide this? Hmm...break his arms and rip his face off (in a see-saw motion, of course). With no mouth, horror-loving audiences with the memories of gold fish forget he could ever talk in the first place. Problem solved.

Again in the Chain Letter movie, the quintessential nerdy, PC-loving brother of a sexy cheerleader buys a gun for self defense only to rely on the security of confusing soliloquies and solitary confinement in his room...with a huge glass wall and skylight and no gun in sight. How to mask the oversight of giving omitting character survival skills without fooling viewers into thinking he's Bear Grills? Harpoon him and reel that fish in. No-brainer for everyone involved, right?

While few great movies have succeeded at pulling off both masking techniques successfully, I couldn't imaging any audience that craves guts, gore, and elevating body counts not wanting to kick start their Halloween season with Chain Letter. There's even a boob or two for the die hard trick o' treaters.

Happy Halloween!