What do you think the main difference is between a 1996 R rated horror movie and a 2013 R rated horror movie?

First of all, the violence is very much graphic these days, and the old fake blood has been replaced with very realistic looking substances. There is much more adult language also. The special effects have improved greatly over the years also. Those are the major points I think.

Just my opinion and observations - the horror movies in the 90's tended to have less realistic violence (catchup for blood), but did have much more nudity. This, more than the violence, got them their R ratings.

Today's special affects are much more realistic, making the violence that much more potentially disturbing. Though some may disagree, there seems to be less gratuitous nudity.

i agree with the others.

96 had pretty bad effects compared to now, but they made do with what they had. they didn't swear too much but did have some nudity and sex in some movies, sometimes completely random and like WTF

but i think the older movies were more scarier. some of the new crop is scary, but the older movies didn't have much to work with, so they were extra scary

'13 has much better special effects if you like CGI (which I do). '96 usually did not use computer for such effects as moving dolls (stop motion) or monsters (masks).

17 YEARS