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Scary Halloween Flicks!


The Notorious B.S.G.
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From the off, I will acknowledge that most people think this is a pile of poo, but I got a kick out of

 

Halloween 3 - The Season of the Witch

 

It's ludicrous, overblown, has no Michael Myers in it, but is very very funny, and has the ricicously catchy song

 

"Three more days to Halloween,

Silver Shamrock"

 

Horror - No

Comedy - Yes

 

Or is it just my deranged sense of humour?? confused13.gif biggrin.gif

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I must confess that I'm not much of a fan of modern horror - not enough is left to the imagination and that can be far more unsettling than anything a special effects man can come up with. Saying that, a few recent films have caught my attention lately including Ghost Ship, Deathwatch and The Ring (I've not been able to get hold of a copy of the Japanese original yet).

 

However, my favourite film of this genre has got to be Robert Wise's originalversion of The Haunting. Practically no special effects, no visible monsters, ghosts or knife wielding psychos (yawn) just a great script, great performances, great sets and lashing and lashings of atmosphere.

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'Suspiria'. Probably the most visually beautiful horror film of all time.

 

'The Thing' (the original, tho John Carpenter's remake is nothing to sneeze at.) Classic!

 

 

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I'm with Slaine on this. The more a movie forces your imagination to scare you, the better. The Haunting is one of the best!! In a dfferent thread, I recommended The Changeling which is much like The Haunting. Just a really good ghost story.
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The fact is that directors at that time did not have the technology, nor the resources (most 'horror' films were considered 'b-movies' and, correspondingly, had lower budgets) so were forced to find alternatives. Hence they understood atmosphere better than a lot of today's directors. This resulted in their films being frightening in a more subtle way - causing the viewer to be unsettled rather than shocked/repulsed by the images on the screen. I think Stephen King summed it up best in an interview I read with him a few years ago. He called it the 'six-foot bug syndrome' and it followed the lines of:

 

If, on screen, you see a six-foot bug you'll be scared but part of your mind will say "Thank God its only six-foot, it could have been eight. If its an eight-foot bug you'll say well it could have been ten. If its ten-foot..." I think you get the picture.

 

Saying that, from all reports I've heard, the new crop of Oriental directors have got the balance right - even if, again according to reports, they're all starting to riff on Ringu.

 

By the way has anyone seen the original Tetsuo? Its not really a scary film but it deserves mention.

Edited by Slaine mac Roth
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QUOTE (Slaine mac Roth @ Oct 30 2004, 07:44 AM)
The fact is that directors at that time did not have the technology, nor the resources (most 'horror' films were considered 'b-movies' and, correspondingly, had lower budgets) so were forced to find alternatives.  Hence they understood atmosphere better than a lot of today's directors.  This resulted in their films being frightening in a more subtle way - causing the viewer to be unsettled rather than shocked/repulsed by the images on the screen.

That reminds me of Hitchcock's definition of suspense: There is a bomb under the table and it explodes -- that is surprise. There is a bomb under the table and it doesn't explode -- that is suspense.

 

"Jaws" worked much the same way because the mechanical shark didn't function properly. Not having a working shark forced Spielberg to use more POV shots and John Williams' tense music to let you know where the fish was. And later in the movie, instead of seeing the shark, you saw the yellow barrels that the shark was supposedly dragging around.

 

What you don't see is often scarier than what you do see.

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QUOTE (madra sneachta @ Oct 29 2004, 04:49 AM)
From the off, I will acknowledge that most people think this is a pile of poo, but I got a kick out of

Halloween 3 - The Season of the Witch

It's ludicrous, overblown, has no Michael Myers in it, but is very very funny, and has the ricicously catchy song

"Three more days to Halloween,
Silver Shamrock"

Horror - No
Comedy - Yes

Or is it just my deranged sense of humour?? confused13.gif  biggrin.gif
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QUOTE (Rivendell @ Nov 1 2004, 06:15 PM)
QUOTE (Quyn @ Nov 1 2004, 03:08 PM)
Thanks to Pyscho -- I had to buy a see-through shower curtain.

icon_really_happy_guy.gif

 

You and me, both!

Reason's like that are why I carry a gun with me at all times.

 

rofl3.gif

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QUOTE (kazzman @ Nov 1 2004, 03:17 PM)
QUOTE (Rivendell @ Nov 1 2004, 06:15 PM)
QUOTE (Quyn @ Nov 1 2004, 03:08 PM)
Thanks to Pyscho -- I had to buy a see-through shower curtain.

icon_really_happy_guy.gif

 

You and me, both!

Reason's like that are why I carry a gun with me at all times.

 

rofl3.gif

In the shower? wacko.gif

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QUOTE (Rivendell @ Nov 1 2004, 06:19 PM)
QUOTE (kazzman @ Nov 1 2004, 03:17 PM)
QUOTE (Rivendell @ Nov 1 2004, 06:15 PM)
QUOTE (Quyn @ Nov 1 2004, 03:08 PM)
Thanks to Pyscho -- I had to buy a see-through shower curtain.

icon_really_happy_guy.gif

 

You and me, both!

Reason's like that are why I carry a gun with me at all times.

 

rofl3.gif

In the shower? wacko.gif

It was in inside joke.

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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v329/JackAubrey/129599.gif

 

Anyone else have any recommendations?

 

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THE DESCENT. I read that when it was playing in the U.K. the ending was very different than the ending that was shown in the States. I've seen both versions and the U.K. one is far superior.

 

THE EXCORCISM OF EMILY ROSE. Watch it alone at night and you should enjoy it if you're into demons smile.gif

 

 

 

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Last night I did the annual horror festival here...

 

watched

 

Demons (Demoni by Argento)

 

Planet Terror

 

Halloween (the classic original)

 

Evil Dead

 

Trick or Treat (the cheesy 80's flick with Skippy from Family Ties along with appearances from Ozzy and Gene Simmons)

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QUOTE (Slaine mac Roth @ Oct 30 2004, 01:44 PM)
By the way has anyone seen the original Tetsuo? Its not really a scary film but it deserves mention.

You say it's not scary? It's the most disturbing movie I've ever seen in my life! It is certainly a great movie but it requires a VERY strong stomach... emphasis on VERY... tongue.gif

 

As for my suggestions: Jacques Tourner's movies are all great, especially Cat People (the original) and I walked with a Zombie.

 

House on Haunted Hill, the original with Vincent Price and Elijah Cook.

 

The Fog by John Carpenter

 

 

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