lookingland (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lookingland) wrote2006-10-31 12:33 pm
lookingland) wrote2006-10-31 12:33 pm
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halloween movie recommendations ~
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.
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