Horror Movie Fans, let's have discussions...

Is that movie even possible to understand if you haven't read the book first?

I liked Jack Nicholson's performance but the film itself was extremely incoherent and felt like they only made half a movie. For example, I thought the whole concept at first was that everything was just a hallucination because Jack was slowly going insane, but then near the end his wife sees the ghosts too, so that pretty much destroyed the whole premise they were trying to set up if the ghosts were real all along.

 

How do you guys feel about King writing the sequel to The Shining (Doctor Sleep), and, do you think, if it's good, that they should transfer it to the screen?

 

No, it's not jump-out-of-your-seat scary, but it's pretty disturbing, and that's what I enjoy in a good horror film.

I couldn't believe they removed the unhappy ending from The Eye! What is so wrong with Hollywood that they can't take an unhappy ending?

I saw rec. It is better than Quarantine. I only mentioned the latter because I thought it'd be more well-known. The Devil's Backbone is a Spanish movie. It's also not so jump-out-of-your-seat scary but pretty disturbing.

 

I just rented 2 Movies at my Great Video Store today.
I go for movies just released for DVD. One was a 60's Jeffrey Hunter movie I
don't recall ever seeing - Man-Trap - {1961} also Starring David Janseen {The Fugitive TV series}.
The other was a Horror I never saw called - I Bury the Living - {1957}
On the back jacket Leonard Matlin {movie critic} said " Edgar Allen Poe would have truly
appreciated this ' crisp little chiller ' howingly haunted with dire happenings and errie effects
bound to,please the spook set."

I am set to play the movie now and explain my critique.

 

Has a nice very tame almost non-horror start,the credits not giving way to
anything much,sounding more like a somber funeral ending with slow tuba
sounds.
Right off ,the very first scene and interaction with dialogue,I feel this movie
was tailor-made for being expolited for European dubbing.Not a good sign.
Good B & W cinematography for a low budget of the late 50's.
However some scene are shot like an average TV Crime series.I've seen a
lot of new release 50's Crime Series,One that was good was - Johnny Staccato- {1959}
with John Cassavetes and one that wasn't was - 87th Precinct - {1961 }.
The first scene is pretty good with a favorite of mine in disguise {Theodore Bikel}
who is still around and I admire his Twilight Zone { Four O'clock } {1962} which is
seldom ever shown.First scene TOO short.
Second scene is near worthless,yet is supposed to set the subtext.Who Cares.
It's shot in some city councilman's office er something.Thankfully short also.
Next scene is from the same place as the first,the office of a Cemetary plots
administrator { Richard Boone }.The place looks straight out of some German
village from the 18 century.Real old world and quaint with thick cement walls and wood
beams everywhere overhead.Kinda neat,since no place like that would be stateside.
There's an effort to make it americanized by placing very American-made steel
file cabinets in plain view.Oh ... a babe makes an appearence,at around the 12 minute mark.
Later folks !

 

Oh ... the Babe.Have no idea'r as to who.Thus far,the movie is as
creepy or frightening as standing too long in line at McD's and finding out
they ran out of ketchup.
Movie,thus far just a flick manages to get around to the business of slight
horror at the 16 minute mark with use of music and nice characterization.
Stock Hollywood steady Cyril Delevanti,no stranger to creepy weird
parts make an appearance.Short-lived and no benefit.
The problem here is too simple.The writing is Crap.In fact if there is any
by Producer/Screenplay Louis Garfinkle,I can't manage it.
I have little idea as to what the movie is about or supposed to be about.
That is a standard weakness/ flaw in all Crappy movies.That has to be set in
stone early on or as quickly as possible and followed-up on.
Later Folks

 

Makes it's move as Horror at the 26 minute mark.Very subtle,almost unnoticeable
except for fancy camera work.The movie seems dependent on alternating between
the cemetary office and compound and back to the city and Talky talk talk
about the problems it faces w/o One bit of any horror associated.
Thus far this movie is a Total 100% bust.
I am reading the reviews at Imdb and some consider this Horror a must.
No way.There is no way a movie 1/3 the way thru can be this lame and be
anything but passable at best.
OK ... here's the Plot.A Funeral Director who uses a big map,and sticks billboard
pins in to set new plots find that his sticking the Pins in results in the death of those
purchasing plots for use.That's it.Far as I can tell.

 

Ok folks ... here's the deal.This movie thus far is SO Pathetic it relies
exclusively on use of the Phone { old rotary phone from the 1920's} to
explain any new Death.Never even bothers to show what happens to
those who die.Just a quickie phone call to a Nervous { that seems to be the Plot }
Funeral Director as if that suffices.This is unbelievable.I think I've seen a few
movies like this where the budget is so lame,they don't even bother with showing
what happens to any victim of the Plot.
Again ... Imdb has Reviewers saying what a gem this Horror entry is.
Especially the ending.
If anything happens now ... It may be too little too late.

 

I'll tell you what's a good movie, and, I consider it to be almost horror, but, it is, w/o a doubt, extra creepy...

Pan's Labyrinth...

 

This is NOT a Horror Movie.It is merely a lame thriller.
Yet Leonard Maltin had the balls to write what he did.This is a classic
example of shilling a genre.Roger Ebert made a livilihood from.
This movie has no FLOW or context.There is virtually NOTHING to compel
the viewer to give a sh!t from one scene to the next.
And as far as that Eerie music,it's standard for most 50's entry,
which I like but is never backed-up.I'm seriously starting to think the
reason many at Imdb like this Film has more to do with that sticking pins
in plot.Like how neat.Just stick a pin in some object as if some Voodoo doll.
This is about the worst Horror Movie I've ever had the displeasure of
wasting my time on.I had high hopes.It NEVER had any Moment.
At least some Horror,no matter how lame,has it's moments.This movie
had NONE.Not one scene even remotely horrific or interesting.
This movie was a HUGE bore from start to finish.
No wonder it was shelved.Only hurt the career of Richard Boone.Who was a
capable actor.
Live and Learn and by all means pay NO attention to Critics.
Leonard Maltin needs to be spanked like a child for his gross negligent
appraisal of this WORTHLESS Entry.

 

for oldies horror flicks, the lawnmower man was horrible, but those several editions of that guy with the nails all over his head, many of them were great, especially the newer ones.

when they held the gold box, and their hands were stabbed, scary, and then the hallucinations from breathing in the fairy dust, and then they all woke up in those coffins in the backyard at the party, that was the best, for that series.

 

Of course I will disagree with you. I BURY THE LIVING is (according to himself) a personal favorite of Stephen King. After reading that in his awesome non-fiction tome DANSE MACABRE way back when it was published, I looked long and hard for the film, eventually finding a cheap VHS copy of it and eventually it came out on all sorts of cheapo DVDs. I'm not saying it's a great movie by any stretch, but I do really enjoy it for its atmosphere and genteel approach. I get why King loves it- its pure 1950's, the era of his youth. I like it because it has its own odd kind of feeling and the soundtrack is bombastic punctuating "thrilling moments". I have the original one-sheet from it too.

 

Del Toro has a knack and love for sentimental horror shows. That is a great movie with creepy moments beyond creepy. DEVIL'S BACKBONE is a lesser effort in this style, but still great. THE ORPHANAGE which Del Toro produced also feels exactly like the others mentioned here.

 

I'm not a fan of this idea. King has gotten really political with his writing, so much so that it carries throughout his books over the last fifteen years or so, with snarky little references and overt preaching. I personally am finding that it kills my boner while OI'm getting a good one as the story unfolds. I wish he would stop and just write pure horror like he once did, even if there was an undercurrent of political leaning. I don't mind subtext, but I hate preaching.

 

The Orphanage is good too...

Has anyone seen Orphan?

 

I don't know...

Maybe I'm just such a big fan of King, that I ignore it, but, I haven't noticed too much political content in his books...

I just hope, right now, that when The Dark Tower is done, that it's everything I'm hoping for in a movie based on such an epic story...

 

Hellraiser...

 

Guess that explains why King doesn't know when he's ahead.TOO prolific.Doesn't know when
to call it quits.Plus his obvious Masochistic bent.Why else would he feel the imbibing urge
to pain his fans so,every other movie { every other King Horror movie sucks }.
I know ... I know ... King has such continental taste & charm.
I used to be amazed at how King fans,usually women,would flock to the bookstore
each and every time a new King Novel came out.I tried to explain there are other writers,far beter.
Edgar Allen Poe being the classic example./It was akin to asking a bear to use toilet paper.
And kindly put the seat down !Most Gals are grossed out by seeing a toilet seat that is erect.
Not King Gals.Must be his writing.

 

o shucks, yea hellraiser, the one where they were at the house party, and they all breathed fairy dust, hallucinated big time, then ended up waking in coffins.

that was trippy horror flick, mind eraser.

 

A few recent ones I liked:

Drag Me To Hell: sort of like a modern day Evil Dead, fun movie

The Ward: good job...again...John Carpenter

Insidious: it uses every predictable scary cliche in the book, but it works

The Strangers: I don't usually like home invasion movies, but the sound production on this one is brilliant

Frailty: more of an intrigue mystery, but still just an under rated movie.

 

Oh, and Piranha 3D wasn't bad if you want to see douchy spring breakers swimming in their own blood.

 

Two other great horror films from Japan:

The Audition

And one of the most bizarre movies I've ever seen, horror or not: Spiral

[video=youtube;6r1_ZoQmqxM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r1_ZoQmqxM[/video]

 

Oh Boy ... this country is in far worse shape than even my alter ego could have
dreamed after spending a night watching a couple horror movies.

********************************
Today's teens are now so easily manipulated things that don't even qualify
as horror are now part & parcel of the once easily classified genre.Of course it was
expected.Almost like the BLOB in it's Big licorice-red bubling way of steam-rolling
an audience.I think that same Blob has been to more danny a few theatre's lately,
maybe a widdle more subtly disguised.
The basis for Horror is Universal Horror.Always was and always should be.
Just like most movies of the 40's kinda sucked { Because of WWII } Horror was
also facing a downturn.Except the original - Wolf Man - {1941}
Horror wasn't negatively impacted till about half way thru the 40's starting
with a worthless entry - I walked with a Zombie - {1943} Director Jacques Tourneur
whose - Cat People - {1942} also sucked.However redeeming himself with
- Curse of the Demon - {1957} a nice talky Brit release starring a favorite actor
of mine Dana Andrews.The movie works because of the dialogue and suspense
or storyline,not any real horror.But the last scene is worth the wait.
What I am trying to impress is that Good horror also needs suspense.Witch is why
there are tons of Schlock Horror,which are unwatchable.But then there's an entire
sheeple industry out there wanting little more than what Cow {steer} can expect when
head of the line at the slaughterhouse.

 

I'm interested in - Drag Me to Hell - {2009} just saw the trailer at Imdb and a like
what I see.Just bought a DVD 20 Horror Film pack at Wal*Mart for $7.50.
Movies of the movies I've never seen.A few are worth a try like - Cursed - {2005}
By Movie Maven Wes Craven.Plus the - Ghost Stories - serials 4 dvd's worth.
Glossing over one of the Ghost Stories - segment seems interesting.There's
some old timer who lives in an abandoned Theatre with his cats and explains some
strange history and goings on.

 

beetle juice was scary, the part where he turned into the lizard. then the parts where the couple died and didnt know it, and first finding out. then trying to leave their door and almost getting eaten by the sand monster. all scary moments