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

Discussion in 'Music, TV, Movies & other Media' started by Really People?, Sep 6, 2012.

  1. DEFinning

    DEFinning Well-Known Member Donor

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    Interesting posting Phil. I'm not a devotee of the old films, generally, but the remake of Body Snatchers ( that is, the one w/ D. Sutherland, L. Nimoy, etc.) I found terrifically tense; maybe I'll check out the original. If I can inquire of your expertise, there's a movie that's probably well known, which I only caught the end of, as boy, but which I've always wanted to see in full. I'd guess it was from maybe the mid 1950's. The chilling climax is the hero discovering, to his absolute horror, that he's really not a person, but a machine. Ring any bells?
     
  2. Phil

    Phil Well-Known Member

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    That was my favorite episode of The Outer Limits. It shocked me as a child and I saw it once more in my 20s then one more time a few years ago. Robert Culp was the star.
     
  3. DEFinning

    DEFinning Well-Known Member Donor

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    WAIT JUST ONE BRAIN-PICKIN' MINUTE! Now, I'm not over-the- moon about the genre, on the whole, either. It takes more than some contrived suspenseful moments to make a film worth crowing about, for me. Gore is also rather underwhelming (blood & guts, I mean; the same opinion does apply, however, to Al Gore-- how many trees met their end because he didn't insist that his book about global warming be printed on recycled, or on hemp, paper?). But I digress. While I can suspend disbelief w/ the best of them, a film loses me as soon as it violates its own internal logic or contradicts itself, and there has to be some point besides mere frightfulness for a plot that seems utterly divorced from reality.

    But, getting to the reason I'm replying, I agree that, of course there are the occasional gems ( I would say the same about ALL films, in fact). After getting the general flavor of the lists, here, I decided that I wasn't enough of a purist to belong. That is, the most noteworthy movies I'd mention probably wouldn't be considered, by comparison, truly "Horror" films. Oh, sure, when I was a kid, I found The Omen & Damien ( the Omen ll ) pretty terrifying; I can still picture clearly the one scene in which Damien is calling for his step-brother, Mark, out in the snow- covered woods, right after the former has just overheard that his beloved sibling is actually the Anti-Christ-- but my own family dynamic surely plays a part in my reaction. The films I'd now deem worth recommending or discussing, for the most part, would be far from the bull's-eye, if even part of the target, it seemed to me.

    But then I noticed EVENT HORIZON getting several mentions, & my inner sense of dis-homogeny-- honed to a fine point from years of soaking up the Tao of Sesame Street's, "One of these things is not like the others," challenges-- starting tingling. You all consider THAT a horror film? Well then I'm gonna toss in my offerings.

    ROSEMARY'S BABY ( and I absolutely mean the original, if anyone was foolish enough to try a remake) is the epitome of horror. I know there's no debate that it, at least, belongs in this category. Nor could one contest that LET ME IN is a horror film, though, again, I didn't think it would be as impressive to those who like the more graphic forms of horror. But it's a movie I've watched more than once ( rare for me ) & still find bewitching.

    Now, slowly starting to expand towards suspense/action/drama, I'll mention that, purely as a vehicle for creating tension & anxiety, there's a film about spelunking, the I'm sure obvious name of which is not coming to me at the moment ( though some of you out there certainly know it ) that is very well made. Next, a film I thought was better than it was given credit for was REPO MEN ( read: Reap Omen). The only thing that nagged at me-- and here's that internal cogency I earlier referred to-- was the neglecting, in the conceit it used to create the situation the main plot would follow ( the malfunction of a machine which fried Jude Law's heart ) even any MENTION of a liability suit. It just irks me because it wasn't even necessary: suits can drag on a long time, manufacturers go out of business, etc; there were plenty of expedient ways to dispense w/ this issue besides pretending that there was no allowance in the law of that place to cover manufacturer defect liability for injuries. It simply breaks the illusion that you're NOT just watching a contrived story. But I digress. This was by far, by the way, the best film/role I'd ever seen Forest Whitaker in, & prob. for Jude Law, as well.

    OK, this has gone on much longer than I'd anticipated, so I'll wrap up quickly. I'll 2nd the thumbs up I think I read someone else here giving THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE ( & he, also, speculated it might not quite fit the narrow definition of horror). Now, unless either the supernatural or some other fantastical element is a pre-requisite for horror, shouldn't we at least acknowledge ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST as horror-adjacent? And, lastly ( & once again I intend ONLY the original version) I grew up in a time when we didn't expect digital imaging to take over our imagination's duties & PLANET OF THE APES scared the hell out of me, & still stands up to the test of time ( though I don't expect any agreement from those raised on the later iterations).
     
  4. ButterflieKath

    ButterflieKath Newly Registered

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    My all time favorite horror movie is, The Changeling with George C Scott. It will send chills up your spine.
    Here are some others I like:
    Alien
    Aliens
    Rosemary's Baby
    The silence of the Lambs
    Seven
    Psycho
    The Thing 1982
    The Omen
    The Exorcist

    To name a few... lol
     
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  5. Steady Pie

    Steady Pie Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Horror is usually comedy for me. Jump scares aren't scary.

    The only horror movie that terrified me was the original Psycho. Legitimately pissed sitting down for a fortnight after I saw that, too scared to put my back to the door.

    Horror is psychological. Therefore, horror movies should be part psychological thriller. The instant the villain runs into the basement at the end of Psycho is so terrifying because every part of the movie, every side story, links to this moment.
     
    Last edited: May 14, 2020
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  6. ButterflieKath

    ButterflieKath Newly Registered

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    It is psychological, that's what makes it exciting to watch. I good horror movie will leave it to your imagination. A lot of people were afraid to go into the shower after seeing Psycho. Psycho had a nice twist that made you think it was going to be about her running away with the money, but it changed when she ended up at the Bates motel. Those are the kind of movies I really like.
     
  7. Injeun

    Injeun Well-Known Member

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    First movie that scared the crap outta me was, and don't laugh, The Shaggy Dog(I was six). Next one was Psycho. Then Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, which was an episode on the Twilight Zone starring William Shatner. Then The Exorcist. After that, The Shining. Nothing sticks after that, lots of gore, mostly sickening. I don't know if it ranks as a horror film, but Pitch Black with Vin Diesel was pretty awesome.
     
  8. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I had a similar experience after the X-Files episode with the paramecium-man. It didn't scare me at the time, but I avoided toilets (to the extent that was possible) for a few days afterward.
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2020
  9. Booman

    Booman Banned

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    My favorite horror film is the original Phantasm.
     
  10. undertheice

    undertheice Well-Known Member

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    i didn't read through the entire 28 pages of this thread, but from what i did read i didn't notice a particular little gem called "audition". the entire movie is a mind f**k that you don't actually catch onto until nearly the end of the film. there's just something about watching that pretty little asian girl in her rubber apron and gloves gleefully using a cable saw to remove a man's foot or using acupuncture needles in a manner they were never intended for and who could forget the "thing" in the bag, obviously a former victim who she feeds by vomiting into a bowl and "allowing" it to consume the contents. even what may seem the more mundane moments of the film have a meaning that adds to the whole. while i'm a fan of asian horror as a whole, this is the one that sticks with me. i like to watch it on halloween evening as the trick-or-treaters come calling and i always make sure the television can be seen from the front door. yes, my neighbors think i'm "odd".

    a nod to the old school is another of my favorites - the haunting. based faithfully on the book "the haunting of hill house", you never actually "see" anything more ghastly than a door bowing in under the pressure of the something on the other side. it's all about what is unseen and the madness it causes. i'm refering here to the '63 robert wise film and not the '99 special effects abortion. if you need that sort of overstimulation, then there is something in you that just can't be cured. a happy medium may be found in the '73 film with roddy mcdowell entitled "the legend of hell house". it has the proper amount of gore, a la the hammer films, without going overboard and is basically a rip-off of hill house, with science being brought in to save the day and "cure" the house of its evil.

    of course, if you want "real" modern day horror you need look no further that "keeping up with the kardashians", "the bachelorette", or the latest up and comers in the democratic party. but then, that's another matter altogether.
     
  11. Cosmo

    Cosmo Well-Known Member

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    Another matter,for the proper forum.
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2020
  12. Gatewood

    Gatewood Well-Known Member

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    I am not going to wade through more than two dozen pages but I notice that EVIL DEAD does not seem to be a favorite. I just read Bruce Cambell's two memoirs and I think that even the lead actor is a bit puzzled as to why it and his character, Ash, ever became any sort of a cult horror hit. I'm wondering if any modern horror fan considers that series any sort of a favorite.
     
  13. undertheice

    undertheice Well-Known Member

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    what? you don't consider the kardashians, the "real housewives" sagas or the various "instant" dating type shows to be a horrifying commentary on the superficial nature of our current society? the best, most lasting, horror is based on such commentary. look at movies like "godzilla", "them" and "night of the lepus". these were all grounded on our fears of the chemical and radiological damage we were doing to our world. no one can deny the racist undertones inherent in movies like "night of the living dead" and those like "the amityville horror" and "poltergeist" touched upon our fears that the home, that safe family space, is not as secure as the castle we imagine it to be. we recognize these elements in such film because they comment of problems of which we are well aware. we understand the damage mankind may do to his environment and have gone to great lengths to alleviate our impact. we have faced the spectre of racism and similar prejudices and, despite the current trends, have made magnificent strides in eliminating them at a societal level. we have seen that a man/woman's home is not their castle and we are each dealing with that reality in our own way, some merely accepting their subservience and others actively fighting to regain their independence. that we do not see the horror of this "reality" phenomenon merely means that we do not yet understand how this superficiality is as dangerous as all these other hazards. that, in itself, is what i find horrifying.

    as for my democratic party comment... well, this is a "political" forum and you should expect this sort of thing to crop up in the forum's every corner. more to the point is that the democratic party is the political embodiment of this superficial phenomenon and, as such, is far more frightening than any werewolf or ghoul.

    it's funny, but i never really considered the "evil dead" series to be actual horror. those movies are far too over the top to be seen as anything more than comedy.
     
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  14. crank

    crank Well-Known Member

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    Erasorhead
    Cube
    Blair Witch Project (only the first time, on big screen. subsequent viewings were comedy gold)
    The Ring
    Frozen (not THAT Frozen, the other one. low budget, high impact)
    Several notable episodes of Penny Dreadful (tv series)
    Evil Dead (only the first, and only the first time)
     
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2020
  15. crank

    crank Well-Known Member

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    Snap!

    The first film was fantastic. Ridiculously over the top, but truly terrifying when seen under the right conditions. Was somewhat ground-breaking at the time. Pushed a couple of envelopes.
     
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  16. crank

    crank Well-Known Member

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    How could I forget Trilogy of Terror - the Doll Episode!
     
  17. crank

    crank Well-Known Member

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    Last edited: Oct 13, 2020
  18. Cosmo

    Cosmo Well-Known Member

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    I expect it from people that lack self control.
     
  19. UntilNextTime

    UntilNextTime Well-Known Member

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    I've been desensitised to horrors. As the majority of them are B grade or worse. Crappy acting, rubbish storylines really bad SFX. However, there are a few that were/are good. Doom, Resident Evil (all), The Ring, What lies beneath, Cabin in the woods, Friday the 13th(all) Aliens (all)
     
    Last edited: Jul 17, 2022
  20. Lucifer

    Lucifer Well-Known Member

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    That is a good movie, one that not many have seen, further corroborated by Duchovny himself when I met him.
     
  21. UntilNextTime

    UntilNextTime Well-Known Member

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    The original "It"
    HellRaiser
    Mamma
    The Nun
    Grizzly (saw this when I was 7)
     
  22. Aleksander Ulyanov

    Aleksander Ulyanov Well-Known Member

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    Crimson Peak is one of the few horror movies I found really frightening

    Hellboy was genuinely funny throughout, but also frightening
    "Yeh, how big can it be?"
     
    Last edited: Sep 1, 2022
  23. Steady Pie

    Steady Pie Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    For me it's the original Psycho. Scary as all hell, still is.
     
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