The Horror Thread [Archived] Movie • Page 9

Wow, never thought that film would leave it. That's been a part of Netflix's horror selection for a very long time.

 

Love Let the Right One In

 

I started watching it and then had to stop so I totally forgot about it.

 

It's so good

 

i just wish the CG with Chloe's character were a little better, it's so dated

 

In an attempt to spur some conversation, I'm curious what everyone looks for in a horror film. Scary is subjective obviously. So, if an unknown movie came out, what things would it have to hit for you to make it the best/scariest movie you've ever seen. I'm talking themes, settings, anything that will make a difference for you personally. Who knows, maybe others will have some recommendations based on your answer.

 

Atmosphere/tone/score

 

Buckets of gore

 

I don't really look for any specific thing. Just like movies that try new things (The Witch, Unfriended), do an existing thing very well (Creep, Europa Report), or have a lot of thematic substance (It Follows, Ex Machina).

 

Humor, tone, atmosphere, cinematography. Mainly humor, though. Straightup horror films don't do much for me without an element of humor

 

most of my favorite horror films are surreal (fire walk with me, suspiria, kill list, etc) but i think i'm most interested in horror films/filmmakers that have a good understanding of tone, whether that's through humor or tension or whatever, really.

 

it depends. the thing that i find most satisfying and interesting in horror movies is that they have a slightly dreamy/nightmarish tone. even though they're not my favorite horror flicks, Horns, Proxy, Grace, Teeth, and Rosemary's Baby all have a sense of nightmarish logic that I find alarming in how they brush up against reality but also dip their feet into the surreal, the inability to parse the situation at hand logically, like everything's just a bit fuzzy. Suspiria is another example that I would call one of my favorites, and Eraserhead (although that steps right to surreal). they don't even necessarily have to be "good" films - I would say that Horns and Proxy in particular have major issues - but they end up being very memorable and thought provoking because they made me feel like i lacked control in a really discomforting way.

 

^ great point. That's why I love Cronenberg. EXistenZe and Videodrome had really surreal dream/nightmare like scenes that really fascinated me. Obviously a lot of horror movies do this, but still. Same with Lynch to a degree.

 

As much as I like gore and campiness (Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street remain my two favorite horror franchises), a movie shouldn't rely on gore to be scary. To me, creating an atmosphere of creepiness is the most effective. Quick scares can work if done right and not feel schlocky. Perhaps my favorite recent horror films would be along the lines of Ti West's House of the Devil and The Innkeepers. Then there are classics like The Exorcist, Phantasm, and The Shining. Then there's films not categorized as horror films but after watching them, I felt a genuine uneasiness that made me feel sick inside. Those being Requiem for a Dream, Happiness, and We Need To Talk About Kevin.

 

eh, a movie can be scary due to its gore i think. but it basically has to be body horror i would say, at least for me. Inside is a good example of straight gore horror done right though.

 

love Inside ^

just watched Hush and The Invitation which both came out today, both were pretty decent???

 

I watched You're Next for the first time last night... thought it was really great but not sure how I feel about the ending

 

Gonna check out a couple of oldies but goodies this weekend - The Last Broadcast and Ghost Watch.

 

I watched Phantasm II last night. Really entertaining in a wacky way, though the story didn't make much sense.

It's interesting to watch films for the first time that other people maybe rented growing up or discovered in a way that felt special to them and experience them as an outsider.

 

Phantasm 2 holds a special place in my heart because it was my introduction to the series as a kid. I was about 7 or 8 and it's when it first premiered on Cinemax...it's one of those films you actually still REMEMBER even though I was so young. Same goes for Child's Play, because (again) I was very young and it was the first film to genuinely scare me.

 

3 is actually my favorite Phantasm outside of the first. Not sure if that's a common opinion or not but it's a lot of fun and nice to have Baldwin back as Mike.

 

The Invitation is a tear jerker, y'all -- good month for horror -- excited to watch Flanagan's Hush

 

I watched Hush on Netflix today, thought it was entertaining but not really anything special. I was surprised that the killer took his mask off so soon into the movie. I actually think the movie became less interesting from this point.

 

I was just surprised they never offered any explanation for the killer, that's just what he does I guess?

 

Rewatched The Conjuring because I couldn't remember anything about it. The first 2/3 has some really effective scares. The third act was pretty by the numbers though. Film exorcisms don't seem to vary much.