The Horror Thread

[AntManBee]

Inspired by the current discussion in the regular movie thread, here's the horror off-shoot. I don't know how many people here bother about horror movies, but let's try. Any favourites movies or sub-genres or eras?

[Enforcer]

Oh, man. I'm a horror flick freak. I'm sure I've missed my share of classics and I don't always catch the newer releases, but I'm a big fan.

I'm more of a not-too-distant-future, cautionary tale type, myself(possibly the most ignored genre these days).


But I do have to admit to having enjoyed 28 Days Later. Likely the only horror movie I've seen in the last 15 years.

The new Amityville Horror looks like it could be interesting.

[AntManBee]

Originally Posted by Larry Nagel

Oh, man. I'm a horror flick freak. I'm sure I've missed my share of classics and I don't always catch the newer releases, but I'm a big fan.

Any movies in particular you like?

[Enforcer]

I don't know that I have a favorite era, but I have a few favorites.

The Exorcist: Maybe the age I was when I saw it first has something to do with it, but it scared the f**k out of me. I still get a little weirded out by that demonic voice coming out of the little girl's body.

The Shining: The isolationist aspect got me the most. With horror flicks, the device I need in order for it to work is the sense that there can be no escape or comfort from the reality of the horror. In The Shining, that's accomplished by holding the characters captive in a gigantic hotel out in the middle of nowhere, snowed in and with no way to get out and find help.

[AntManBee]

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

The new Amityville Horror looks like it could be interesting.

I don't know too much about that one yet, but I'm usually suspicious of re-makes. For instance, I refuse(d) to see the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" remake. The original is probably my favourite horror movie ever, very effective, gritty and genuinely scary. A friend of mine (who also loves the original) warned me of the new one that the sleaziness of Hooper's film was pretty much gone. That's too bad since that faded, non-glamourous everyday kids going on a trip feel does a lot.

[AntManBee]

Originally Posted by Larry Nagel

The Exorcist: Maybe the age I was when I saw it first has something to do with it, but it scared the f**k out of me. I still get a little weirded out by that demonic voice coming out of the little girl's body.

The creepiest scene for me was actually in the director's cut where she comes climbing backwards down the stairs.

Oh, in addition to my last post: One remake that I liked better than the original was the American version of The Ring.

[Jesse]

Dario Argento Suspiria

Primarily for the first 20 minute sequence, & the intensely claustrophobic scene when the new arrival at the dance academy is gazing out the window, sensing...

Herk Harvey: Carnival Of Souls

Roman Polanski: The Tenant

I am embarrased to admit I've probably seen this 7-8 times, always enjoying the reactions of new viewers.

Tobe Hooper: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Musique concrete soundtrack & gothic imagery on a nothing budget, very savvy use of landscape & place in setting up the hopelessness of the hapless teenagers escaping, and (if claustrophobia is your bugaboo, as it is mine), the final 30 minutes is a monsterous head rush. The extreme close-ups around the dinner table scene remain repellent. I see this every 8 years or so, usually (prefereably) with a jaded Hollywood horror fan.

The franchising of this bad boy has produced some of the silliest grotesquerie out there.

Roman Polanski: Repulsion


I have to add the "Black Hair" episode in the quartet of films by Kobayashi, Kwaidan. The climactic mental melt-down scene intensified brilliantly by Takemitsu's score. I own a whopping 3 DVDs, 2 Japanese, 1 Korean, this is one of them.

[groover]

I enjoy watching horror flicks as an uplifting escape from the evening news. Nuclear terrorism is really scary, horror flicks are fun!

One of my all-time favorites is "Horror Hotel". No fancy special effects, just great atmosphere and pacing. Perfect Halloween viewing!

[Enforcer]

I liked The Ring, although I doubt I'll pay to see the sequel.

I thought The Devil's Backbone was a good film. Not that scary, but a really fine movie.

Yeah, I have no desire to see the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The first one kicked ass!

I was always cheering for old grandpa. Poor old fucker just didn't have what he used to, but he gave it his all!!

I guess other than the Exorcist, my fave was Evil Dead. So far over the top, it was simply so bad it was great!!

Originally Posted by AntMan

The creepiest scene for me was actually in the director's cut where she comes climbing backwards down the stairs.

That scene fucked me up for weeks!!!!

[Enforcer]

Man, of course Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Can't believe I forgot that one. I saw the remake. Can't compare at all, although Jessica Biel made it less painful to watch.

The Evil Dead is a favorite, especially since I am kind of connected to local guys Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi through friends.

Polanksi's Repulsion is great.

The Evil Dead is a favorite, especially since I am kind of connected to local guys Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi through friends.

I hated the sequels though.

[AntManBee]

Jesse, with the exception of "The Tenant", you're spot on! And I agree, the soundtrack for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is brilliant. I wish there was a soundtrack album released.

Has anyone seen the overlooked "Deranged"? Like "The Massacre" it's from 1974 and like that one, and the plot was inspired by the Ed Gein murders. It's not as intense as "The Massacre", but interesting as a footnote at least and not without creepy scenes (including some Leatherface gear).

[Slurpy]

Originally Posted by Larry Nagel

The Shining: The isolationist aspect got me the most. With horror flicks, the device I need in order for it to work is the sense that there can be no escape or comfort from the reality of the horror. In The Shining, that's accomplished by holding the characters captive in a gigantic hotel out in the middle of nowhere, snowed in and with no way to get out and find help.

I'm not a real horror flick fan (I've only seen a couple) but I agree 100%
with this. I couldn't turn away from watching The Shining when I finally did see it. Interestingly (or not), I had seen very short segments of the latter part of the movie channel surfing over the years and knew it was "The Shining" mostly due to the classic Nicholson scenes but a couple yrs later I turned on the tube and saw this car solitarily driving up along mountain roads with a ominous soundtrack accompaniment...and I sat and watched this for a couple minutes and it struck me..The Shining! I'd never seen but a few minutes of latter scenes but the distant, seclusion of the initial scene just fit so well.

[Brian Olewnick]

TCM has two of the scariest scenes ever--1) when the hitch-hiker slices open his palm in the back of the van and 2) the first appearance of Leatherface. In the latter it's partly him and perhaps mostly the sliding metal door.

Thought the last few minutes of Blair Witch was seriously frightening.

Cat People had, for me, a real scary undercurrent.

The only portion of Shining I found scary (and very much so) was the scene with the kid rding his tricycle down the hall. And it was only the sound of the wheels alternating floor/carpet/floor/carpet that, for some reason, was real creepy.

As a kid, though, I think nothing scared me like Invaders from Mars with those stiff-legged aliens running around in tunnels. Well, that and The Giant Behemoth.

[AntManBee]

As for remakes, how could I possibly forget David Cronenberg's "The Fly"? I have a very big and very soft spot for Cronenberg, probably because I tend to like movies about man messing with technology and then technology goes out of hand and backfires at man, and that's after all one of his pet themes.

[Jesse]

Deranged is fun.

It's actually directed by Bob Clark, who foisted Black Christmas aka, Silent Night, Evil Night, into the drive-in movie circuit. Black Christmas was patently ripped off by Carpenter, in his Halloween. So much so, Clark could have litigated. Clark went on to direct the magnum opus, Porky's.

Deranged has the redoubtable John Saxon in what must have been his 1,000th role in a low budge horror film. Along with John Carradine, it's nearly impossible to view 60's-80's Grade Z horror films (a past hobby), without encountering Saxon in 1/2 of them. Carradine was seriously tranquilized in most of them.

[Sergio Zamora]

I love horror movies, even though 1) I find very few films have the right balance between the 'unknown' and good narrative to build up the tension to the levels of fear, and 2) I'm a big ol' scaredy-cat (I'm a big fan of nightlights and leaving the closet light on).

I'm not a big fan of the satiric horror-comedy because most of the time it's just cop-out and an admission of failure. A major exception, of course, is the *great* Evil Dead 2 (on the other hand, I think 'Evil Dead 1' is genuinely scary) and 'Re-Animator'

I was scared shortless by 'The Ring', and 'Mullholland Dr.'. Mostly everything else as of late that I've seen has been disappointing in terms of the scare factor.

In terms of gore and more in the realm of action-horror, 28 Days Later is awesome. I've also enjoyed some of the other films in the 'fast zombie' trend, such as the remake of Day of the Dead. No, it's not in the same ballpark as the original, but it's very well made.

I do like the old school gothic horror films, but I tend to get impatient with them, which kinda ruins it.

One of the scariest films I've ever seen is a Mexican film called 'Mas Negro Que La Noche'. If I describe the plot, it sounds kinda silly, and I dunno if it would have the same effect as when I last saw it, but I tell ya it's a scary flick which, unfortunately, I have not been able to find on DVD

[AntManBee]

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

when the hitch-hiker slices open his palm in the back of the van

Yeah! That guy looks really out of his mind.

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

Thought the last few minutes of Blair Witch was seriously frightening.

Nice to see that one mentioned at all since it seems to come in for a lot of bashing. Those last BWP scenes somehow has a Massacre mood, as does the short soundtrack.

Originally Posted by Ollie

Thought the last few minutes of Blair Witch was seriously frightening.

I'll agree with that, especially the final scene which for some reason flew right over the heads of most people. People actually booed at the end in the theatre I saw it at. And I read several accounts of people missing the meaning of the final scene.

Douchebags.

As for The Shining, the scenes that creeped me out were the one that just took place in big, empty, quiet rooms with no backing music.

And for some reason the grand ballroom scene still gives me goosebumps. Kubrick was a fucking master!!!

[Enforcer]

28 Days Later is high on my list, too. I saw an Anatomy Of A Scene about the intial scene in the church. I loved the way the film looked, especially the grainy images.

[Brian Olewnick]

Originally Posted by AntManBee

As for remakes, how could I possibly forget David Cronenberg's "The Fly"? I have a very big and very soft spot for Cronenberg, probably because I tend to like movies about man messing with technology and then technology goes out of hand and backfires at man, and that's after all one of his pet themes.

I should have mentioned Cronenberg's "Dead Ringers" too, as well as "The Brood". I'm also a real big fan of his and just checked to see what he's up to. Turns out it's "A History of Violence" (based on a graphic novel I'm unfamiliar with), scheduled for this fall, with Viggo Mortenson, William Hurt, Ed Harris, Maria Bello.

[Slurpy]

Originally Posted by AntManBee

As for remakes, how could I possibly forget David Cronenberg's "The Fly"?

Holy crap! I was forced to watch the original "The Fly" in the auditorium of my school in, like 5th grade, I believe. Seriously, I dont know why they showed us that movie. It scared the piss outta me with that fly w/the man head caught in the web! I really think that's why I DONT watch horror flicks now.

[Jesse]

There are numerous excellent Mexican vampire flicks, released under so many aka's it takes a kind of scholarship to sort 'em out.

[groover]

Speaking of Cronenberg, Videodrome is also one of my favorites. I always prefer my horror films to have a little nudity in them if possible, and this one offers a glimpse of Deborah Harry's lovely charms.

[Enforcer]

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

I'll agree with that, especially the final scene which for some reason flew right over the heads of most people. People actually booed at the end in the theatre I saw it at. And I read several accounts of people missing the meaning of the final scene.

Scott, what did those people think the last scene was about?

Originally Posted by Larry Nagel

28 Days Later is high on my list, too. I saw an Anatomy Of A Scene about the intial scene in the church. I loved the way the film looked, especially the grainy images.

I love all the blurring and shit. Fucked with my head at first cuz I'm thinking "what the fuck is wrong with my tv?!"

[Sergio Zamora]

Originally Posted by Jesse

There are numerous excellent Mexican vampire flicks, released under so many aka's it takes a kind of scholarship to sort 'em out.

Yeah, but those are from the Golden Age of Mexican cinema (40's to early 60s). The film I mentioned is from the late 70s, which makes it all the more admirable