'Horror movies used to be so scary I'd be frightened for weeks - this is what's ruining the genre today'

OPINION -- Twenty years ago, I watched a movie so frightening I couldn't sleep for days.My sister and I lived in constant fear that the girl from The Ring would crawl out of our TV in the middle of the night, so much so we'd cover our TVs with a towel in the hopes she'd think again about messing with us.It sounds ridiculous now, yes. But as an avid horror flick fan, that memory is an example of what a good scary movie can do; it sticks with you and gets under your skin for years.We used to reenact the crawling scene to frighten each other, be too afraid to turn out the lights at night and even now the thought of Samara sends chills down my spine.Part of that thrill came from the simplicity of it all.In The Ring (2002), there's a cursed video tape. If you watch it you get a call saying you have seven days to live, and after that Samara will clamber out your TV, dripping wet, and it's game over.What's so completely brilliant about The Ring – which you can stream on Stan – is that while there is use of computer-generated imagery (CGI), it's subtle enough you can't notice. That's exactly what it should feel like.It's my opinion that these days, so many horror movies rely heavily on CGI to impart terror. I think it's the main catalyst as to why so many modern horror films don't hit the mark like they used to, and there's few I even find memorable at all.READ MORE: I went to see the horror movie that has left audiences vomiting during screenings - here's what I thoughtPerhaps our use of technology has made us desensitised to feeling frightened, and newer movies think they should use CGI to keep up.The movie IT (2017) is one of the highest-grossing horror films of all time. While it was brilliant, the CGI usage – particularly at the end of the Chapter 2, with a very animated Pennywise in his final form – pulled me out of any fear I felt immediately.I'm not saying CGI has no place in horror, but often the simple scares are the unforgettable ones.On the other hand, The Strangers – the 2008 movie starring Liv Tyler – is one of the best horror movies of all time.If you haven't had the pleasure of watching, here's the plot. A couple, alone in a house, get a knock on the door. "Is Tamara home" a young girls asks, and they say she has the wrong house.What follows is a night of sheer terror, more chilling knocks, breaking glass, scraping and smashing as a trio of masked freaks terrorise the couple for no reason other than "they were home."READ MORE: It's topping the box office in the United States - but viewers are leaving cinemas to vomit during film showingsOne scene was particularly chilling. As Tyler's character Kristen stands in the kitchen, there's complete silence both on-screen and from the cinema audience.Unbeknownst to her, a man wearing a sack on his head is stood lurking in the background, silently observing her from afar.It's so gobsmackingly simple, but that to me is horror perfection - and scared me more than any magical clowns or cartoon-looking demons could ever.Done in the right way, CGI can achieve so much - and in many supernatural movies, it can be necessary to tell the story.When executed, CGI can transform a movie into a cinematic masterpiece. But often, I don't think it's needed to build suspense.As technology progresses, I often wonder what effects will be whipped out on-screen to terrify audiences.But I hope there are some that still keep it simple, and know that it's our own imagination that can be more chilling than anything that can be created digitally.FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.