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i really should have posted this over the weekend. late notice, but maybe will give you some ideas for next year.
it may surprise you, but i've seen more horror movies than any other genre. as a kid i watched them relentlessly. I'm not up to date on the genre, however, because i think it's been mostly played out and i don't like what digital enhancements have done to the scare factor. still, i'm willing to take recommendations if anyone's got any.
i've categorized these films by various intents. movies generally don't scare me, so the "scare" factor is subjective here. general rule of thumb: dead drowned things scare me (if i am phobic about anything, it's drowning). serial killers, monsters, and cats jumping out of closets do not. these are just some of my favorites. your mileage may vary.
Classics
The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari ~ a nice alternative to Nosferatu (which, i admit, gives me nightmares because the character is so disturbingly distorted). this one is maybe a bit predictable, but worth it for the wonky visuals and creepy factor. great movie to project on a big screen at a party in the background (since it's silent).
The Innocents ~ an adaptation of Turn of the Screw which scared the pants off of me as a child. this is a frustratingly ambiguous movie. definitely for the literary crowd.
Fun and Gore (see also Monsters and Ghost Stories below)
Nightmare on Elm Street ~ for pure campy fun you can't beat the orginal freddy kreuger. this film was genre-setting in the 80s, but unfortunately spawned a really lame franchise. if you've been avoiding it, give it a try.
The Dolls ~ I have to name this one even though i haven't seen it in years and it's probably wretched. but if you dislike dolls or find them creepy, this one will get to you. i also seem to recall (though don't hold me to it) that this one had a pretty good story. either way, it strangely had a profound impact on me when i was younger. i'm sure i would pee myself laughing if i watched it now.
True Horror
Texas Chainsaw Massacre ~ hands down still one of the most disturbing films ever made. if you don't want to turn this movie off halfway through it, you're far too desensitized and need serious therapy. rivaled only by The Last House on the Left, which i refuse to ever watch again and don't actually recommend on any level.
Monsters
Alien ~ a great creature film that really knew how to exploit shadows and sounds. The sequels don't do much for me (three and four were respectable sci-fi, i guess), but the first is a classic.
The Thing ~ john carpenter's best work. this is nerve-wracking as hell if you've never seen it and just a riot if you already have. watch liberally.
American Werewolf in London ~ Landis made magic in this one. still one of the best monster movies out of hollywood ever ~ and the mix of comedy and horror works like gangbusters.
Ghost Stories
The Changeling ~ oft-overlooked, but immensely scary, i think.
What Lies Beneath ~ this movie disturbed me. but then it's about drowning, so there you have it. especially good because it's got a great cast and a solid, albeit somewhat manipulative, story.
The Others ~ predictable, a bit overlong, and i dislike nicole kidman, but definitely a spooky film.
Poltergeist ~ more campy fun. the clown scared me to death as a kid. especially fun for the cultural phenomena that it is. well made, good story. thumbs up.
Notable Intended Omissions
The Exorcist ~ i have no idea why i don't think this movie is scary, but i don't. i like certain things about it, but it doesn't do anything for me.
Friday the 13th ~ this one's grown immensely dated (has not aged well). still love Tom Savini's work, but jason has never really done much for me.
Halloween ~ another franchise gone bad. never really cared for the first one.
Jaws ~ a lot of people cite it as one of their scariest movies. when you root for the shark, it's hard to be afraid. love the movie, don't consider it a "horror" film per se.
did i leave anything else out?
what're your favorites? your scariest?
Caligari may not be the scariest movie, but props
for one of the weirdest worlds in cinema.
it may surprise you, but i've seen more horror movies than any other genre. as a kid i watched them relentlessly. I'm not up to date on the genre, however, because i think it's been mostly played out and i don't like what digital enhancements have done to the scare factor. still, i'm willing to take recommendations if anyone's got any.
i've categorized these films by various intents. movies generally don't scare me, so the "scare" factor is subjective here. general rule of thumb: dead drowned things scare me (if i am phobic about anything, it's drowning). serial killers, monsters, and cats jumping out of closets do not. these are just some of my favorites. your mileage may vary.
Classics
The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari ~ a nice alternative to Nosferatu (which, i admit, gives me nightmares because the character is so disturbingly distorted). this one is maybe a bit predictable, but worth it for the wonky visuals and creepy factor. great movie to project on a big screen at a party in the background (since it's silent).
The Innocents ~ an adaptation of Turn of the Screw which scared the pants off of me as a child. this is a frustratingly ambiguous movie. definitely for the literary crowd.
Fun and Gore (see also Monsters and Ghost Stories below)
Nightmare on Elm Street ~ for pure campy fun you can't beat the orginal freddy kreuger. this film was genre-setting in the 80s, but unfortunately spawned a really lame franchise. if you've been avoiding it, give it a try.
The Dolls ~ I have to name this one even though i haven't seen it in years and it's probably wretched. but if you dislike dolls or find them creepy, this one will get to you. i also seem to recall (though don't hold me to it) that this one had a pretty good story. either way, it strangely had a profound impact on me when i was younger. i'm sure i would pee myself laughing if i watched it now.
True Horror
Texas Chainsaw Massacre ~ hands down still one of the most disturbing films ever made. if you don't want to turn this movie off halfway through it, you're far too desensitized and need serious therapy. rivaled only by The Last House on the Left, which i refuse to ever watch again and don't actually recommend on any level.
Monsters
Alien ~ a great creature film that really knew how to exploit shadows and sounds. The sequels don't do much for me (three and four were respectable sci-fi, i guess), but the first is a classic.
The Thing ~ john carpenter's best work. this is nerve-wracking as hell if you've never seen it and just a riot if you already have. watch liberally.
American Werewolf in London ~ Landis made magic in this one. still one of the best monster movies out of hollywood ever ~ and the mix of comedy and horror works like gangbusters.
Ghost Stories
The Changeling ~ oft-overlooked, but immensely scary, i think.
What Lies Beneath ~ this movie disturbed me. but then it's about drowning, so there you have it. especially good because it's got a great cast and a solid, albeit somewhat manipulative, story.
The Others ~ predictable, a bit overlong, and i dislike nicole kidman, but definitely a spooky film.
Poltergeist ~ more campy fun. the clown scared me to death as a kid. especially fun for the cultural phenomena that it is. well made, good story. thumbs up.
Notable Intended Omissions
The Exorcist ~ i have no idea why i don't think this movie is scary, but i don't. i like certain things about it, but it doesn't do anything for me.
Friday the 13th ~ this one's grown immensely dated (has not aged well). still love Tom Savini's work, but jason has never really done much for me.
Halloween ~ another franchise gone bad. never really cared for the first one.
Jaws ~ a lot of people cite it as one of their scariest movies. when you root for the shark, it's hard to be afraid. love the movie, don't consider it a "horror" film per se.
did i leave anything else out?
what're your favorites? your scariest?
Caligari may not be the scariest movie, but props
for one of the weirdest worlds in cinema.
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From:
no subject
Of the Alien movies I like the third the best (blasphemy!), it's a beautiful-looking ugly film that extends a middle finger to the ending of "Aliens" in the first 5 minutes of the movie and has it's own nihilistic ending.
The Thing - great movie.
The Friday the 13th series is a guilty pleasure of mine. In fact, I've started buying all the movies 'cuz they're so cheap. But yeah, most of them haven't dated so well.
What Lies Beneath sorta turns into a Friday the 13th clone near the end, with Harrison Ford's character (who's believed to be dead), suddenly sitting up Michael Myers-like and stalking his wife mutely.
And I'd like to add another category to your list - The Horror/Comedy. Evil Dead 2 and Shaun of the Dead - very rewatchable.
From:
no subject
i've tried to watch Ghost Story a number of times but i don't think i have ever finished it for some reason (which is why i didn't include it here ~ i may have, but i honestly don't remember!). it seems like a good film, good story, all that. dunno why i feel so blah about it.
i also agree about What Lies Beneath ~ but good golly there's all manner of drowning going on and dead drowned things wandering around the house. ick. ick ick.
: D
From:
no subject
Dead Birds is one I might recommend to you because it's set in the Civil War, and my friend Carrol told me I might like it. Haven't seen it yet, but it's on my list. She said it was creepy.
Rose Red is a good scary miniseries. I liked it because I thought it was an interesting story about a haunted house that changes its geography. I like the idea of having a house that moves around, so that when you leave one room and try to go back, it might not be there. And the ghosts actually really creeped me out, which is hard to do.
I always liked Children of the Corn as a kid. I still do, and cornfields still creep me out. The monster at the end is kind of disappointing, but still a good movie.
Jaws, doesn't scare me either, but I can still watch it over and over.
Another movie I haven'tt seen yet is Death Bed: The Bed that Eats. This is what one review said: This 70s acid freakout of a flick is very much a fairytale gone way wicked, all with an unapologetic jab of wisecrack humor (when the bed eats a damsel, it sounds like it's munching on a bag of Doritos! Brilliant!!).
I just have to see it now. *LOL*
Another favorite of mine, The Fog, the original is way creepier than the remake, but I do like the newer version as well. I think I may be the only one, but hey, it gives more back story and the ghosts are really cool. The original still freaks me out because the ghosts are damn creepy. Plus, I heart Adrienne Barbeau.
Not exactly scary, but Van Helsing is another favorite of mine because I love Stephen Sommers and his versions of the old classic hollywood monsters. And his twist on who Van Helsing really is is very cool. Plus, I love the humor in the script. Carl, the little friar is hysterical.
Van Helsing: That's why you're coming with me.
Carl: The hell be damned that I am.
Van Helsing: You cursed. Not very well, mind you, but you're a monk. You shouldn't curse at all.
Carl: Actually, I'm still just a friar. I can curse all I want, dammit.
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, another childhood favorite of mine. I rewatched it recently and it is a terrible movie, you just have to like it. Elvira is so bouncy and obnoxious, but I love it. The poodle Gonk, is probably one of the best parts of the movie. It's just cute, goofy Halloween fun. Especially when Elvira makes this love potion dish and takes it to the town's Pot Luck supper. Wackiness ensues.
Lost Boys, still my favorite vampire movie with Interview with the Vampire as a close second. I can still recite LB word for word.
Cry Wolf is actually more of a mystery kinda deal once you see the ending, but a pretty good flick nonetheless. I loved the score. Plus, Bon Jovi as a teacher at a prep school? Yes please.
I liked the Others because of the little plot twist, and the three servants were sort of creepy.
The Village and Signs are my favorite M. Night Shyamalan movies. I like him because he's got good plot twists and he's really a modern day Hitchcock because he relies on suspense and mind games rather than lots of special effects. The Aliens in Signs really creep me out because Aliens are something that really scare me.
I could go on and on, but I'll stop now. :)
From:
no subject
i actually saw Dead Birds when it was first screened at SXSW in Austin several years ago. i'd forgotten about it.
the premise is great, the creepy-factor is excellent, and it is genuinely scary in some parts. unfortunately it suffers from a plot that doesn't hold together and gets so convoluted that it winds up just being a frustrating mess. the history angle isn't exploited as well as it could have been ~ it almost seems like it was set in the Civil War simply because it might make the budget easier to manage ~ hahahahaha.
it does, however, have an exploded horse that was well worth the price of admission and some other seriously freaky things. definitely check it out.
Lost Boys is definitely my favorite vampire movie (i like Dracula because i love everyone in the cast ~ 'cept keanu maybe, but Lost Boys is the more original of the two).
and i didn't include Shymalalalalala because i guess i don't think of his movies as belonging to the "horror" genre.
and oh, the memories of Children of the Corn ~ "shut your mouth isaac" has to be one of my all-time favorite movie lines and my brother and i still kid each other about the Corn God and "the blue man!"
: D
From:
New Category
Have you seen the "American Haunting"? And here I thought that it was ALWAYS Donald Sutherland who, by and large, ruins ever flick he gets within 100 yards of. I think his gravitation towards sci-fi and horror roles....well, any role at all really is just Hollywood humoring him. Ill give him props for "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", but ONLY because his hair was so great. Oh, and he makes a good loonie firebug in "Backdraft".
James D'Arcy is on his way to becoming the Bruce Campbell of the 21st century....and he isnt even funny. There he was, full of hot and steamy promise...all shaven and shorn and perfectly scarred, looking wholly consumable in "Master and Commander"......and then what.....total break down of priorities.
I dont have to explain to you about the Exorcist prequel....not even the priestly garb could save him from that atrocity....and now, a pederast school teacher in American Haunting.....and without a scrap of buyable lechery or lip-smacking fervence. Someone needs to sit down with James and explain to him about the "Sutherland Effect" and how he is dangling precariously over the precipice.
From:
Re: New Category
i actually like donald sutherland ~ remember The Great Train Robbery?
dude, we were obsessed. it was like james and podge live on screen (sean connery being the very spitting image of podge, of course).
and don't get me started again about Mr. Pullings and the whole Exorcist debacle.
: D
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
Signs dinna scare me at all (saw it in the theatre) ~ but like i said before, i'm sort of a hard egg. just certain things scare me: dead drowned things, mutilated children, and people/animals twisted in perverse contortions. so something like Jacob's Ladder freaks me out (that creepy hospital stuff ~ yick!), but something like green aliens or axe-murderers doesn't do much for me.
thanks for the recos ~ more to put on my netflix!
: D
From:
no subject
So true. LOL
From:
THE List
Being the self-styled horror movie afficionado that I am, as well as more than partly responsible for the deeper training of our thread's author in all things B-horror.....I present to you the definitve list of horror movies that should have been adored by the masses, but only managed to be pivotal to the elite few.
1. Evil Dead (parts I, II, Army of Darkness and any future renderings of the franchise should we be so blessed)
Evil Dead has everything that a good horror movie needs.....demons, zombies, spraying blood, amputated limbs, irrlevent dialouge, misogny and an unhappy ending. Its one of those movies that is so bad, its good...in fact nothing could have made it better than the worst possible effects, acting and plot line known to modern man.
2. Hellraiser (Part I only)
I like to think I was the vanguard on this one as I hailed it a classic and legendary piece of work long before the masses caught on and the age of Pinhead Worship ensued. This movie introduced the concept of random unnatural consumption to films in order to establish a perpetual state of wonderment about why some dirty homeless man eating a cricket had anything to do with 4 rabid pain-demons hunting down some greedy jack-off and his pain-whore in order to drag them back into the depths of hell, for good this time. Apparently the door OUT of hell wasnt mentioned in the company-wide memo as a top security priority. I firmly believe that Cricket Guy was responsible for this films cult status.
3. Prince of Darkness (insert reptetive John Carpenter movie soundtrack here)
Alice Cooper playing a dirty vagrant who stabs a guy in the chest with HALF OF A BICYCLE. Nuff' said.
4. Night of the Creeps
Everyone loves a good brain-eating slug movie...and this one has it all, complete with naked sorority girls and exploding gibs. This movie is actually entertaining. Its fun to follow and has a good payoff. I especially like it because of the despondent veteran police officer who brings a good helping of innocence lost and depressive lingering to the movie.....not to mention the cheesy Rambo one-liners and the relentless feathered hairdo. I recommend this one for parties and those times when you are trying to explain life lessons to your teenagers.
5. Basket Case (part I only)
Any movie where they can make an armless, legless lump of genetically malformed man-flesh a flawlessly efficient and stealthy killing machine with only a busted laundry basket as a prop has got to be somewhere in the upper stratosphere of legendary horror movie lists. I have a lot to say about this movie, but I suggest you just watch it instead....you can either buy it or can it, but you can never ever deny the magnificence of the 'Potato Dude'
6. C.H.U.D (Cannibalisitc Humanoid Underground Dwellers)
Yes, I am 31 years of age and I STILL remember what it stands for, and so do you...stop denying it. This show is our first valiant attempt at genetically mutated flesh eaters. Cannibals with a twist for the '80's. Its also the reason that none of us will never, ever step onto a manhole in the street at night ever, ever again.
7. The Thing ( insert same repetetive John Carpenter movie soundtrack again here)
I dont consider this movie a B-flick, however it does contain some cleverly hidden references to the B category....things such a guy on skates in an Arctic waystation, and Kurt Russels absurd hat that never blows off in 150 mile per hour winds. Its crowning glory is the head-sliding-off-the-table-to-the-floor-and-turning-into-an-alien-spider-thing scene. This overrides the hat and skates and catapulted this film into the nightmares of small children everywhere for decades since.
From:
Re: THE List
i stand corrected and amended by the master.
: D
From:
Re: THE List
From:
Re: THE List
(scampers to remedy said deficit through the miracle of netflix)
except ~ poop ~ as indicated, it's not available!
silly horror movies.
: D
From:
no subject
As much as I'm "stuck in the eighties" otherwise, I have no love of eighties horror films. Primarily, I guess, because they've been done to death.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
I agree, truly disturbing.
The Others
I saw this in the theater, and whoever handled the sound was a master. That was a big part of the fright factor. Then, when I found out the act that set things in motion, it really made this a haunting movie for me.
The Exorcist
This movie creeps me out so much I've never been able to watch it.
Jaws
It works for me as an action movie, but it's hard for me to sit in a theater four hours from the nearest body of salt water and fear a shark.
did i leave anything else out?
what're your favorites? your scariest?
From:
Correction
did i leave anything else out?what're your favorites? your scariest?From:
no subject
: D
From:
no subject
And Alien is probably my favorite horror movie, but I completely agree (and I thought I was alone in this!) that the second? Not that good.
Men with guns = not so scary. I don't care how many aliens there are; they're slaughtered so easily that the fear is gone. Alien3 tried to bring back the claustrophobia, and to an extent was successful, but not nearly so much as the first.
From:
no subject
enjoyed it, but not scary at all.
From:
no subject
From:
no subject
: D