I’m sure most movie fans out there have heard of The Rat Pack (Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra and Co.), The Brat Pack (Molly Ringwald and other stars of John Hughes movies in the 80’s), and most recently, The Frat Pack (the group of comedic actors that includes Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell, and Luke and Owen Wilson). All of these titles came about because certain groups of actors repeatedly starred together in similar films, and also because they were typically friends in real life too. Well now prepare yourself for the newest Pack… The Splat Pack.

I’m not sure who coined this term, but it’s easily the most ill-conceived of the bunch. The Splat Pack is not actually a group of actors, but rather filmmakers… young horror directors to be exact. Suggested members include James Wan (Saw), Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever), Alexandre Aja (High Tension, The Hills Have Eyes), Rob Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects) and Neil Marshall (The Descent, Dog Soldiers). Whoever thinks these guys should be grouped together into some unofficial club is obviously looking for an easy way to package an industry trend. They come from all walks of life and have pretty different styles… not to mention the fact that I don’t think they are all best friends either. Seriously, what gives? If Saw was responsible for kickstarting this latest wave of nu-horror, then haven’t half of The Splat Pack been directing horror movies for years before Saw even came out? I don’t get it. Anyway, Time Magazine has a feature on The Splat Pack this week, so prepare to start hearing the term used even more!

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