This thread just came to my attention. A film of mine that's been in production limbo for what feels like forever falls under the dead kid category. I have most of it shot and made a '60 Second Film' version/trailer for some contest and included it at the beginning of another friend's film release since I was his editor. His film was released and reviewed by someone I'm not best friends with, but have always been on good terms with. At the end of the review, he stated the trailer for my film was 'total crap'. I was aghast. Everyone who had seen it thought it was well done, creepy, atmospheric, etc. even if it was bizzarre and rather ugly. I wrote to him to ask why he stated that. His reply was simple. He thought it was really well done, etc., but felt I had broken the unwritten rule of horror. 'What's that ?' I asked. I not only SHOWED a dead child in it, but I broke an even worse taboo by showing the child getting killed. Natuarally I thought he was joking. Apparently not. He said he simply could not give me a good review based upon that premise. I thanked him for his honesty and have since gone back to putting my original vision for those scenes back in. The original scenes are easily10 times more graphic. A slow motion scene of the little girl getting shot in the head, rivers of blood, skull and brains everywhere. I toned it down for the trailer. Knowing it bothers people that much makes me want to keep it now even more. Never compromise your artistic vision (unless you get a lot of money to LOL).
CK
PS You can see the '60 Second Film' at :
Sins of The Mother / Going, Going... trailer