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Movies: Horror Movie Discussion

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Happy Death Day was fun as hell. It had some plot holes but I thought it was a pretty creative spin on the whole Groundhog Day / Time loop thing.

A good thriller who's the killer should have you second guessing who you think the killer is and I thought this movie did a decent enough job to make it seem like there were a few options as to who the killer could be.

It's not perfect but was a lot of fun. 2017 was a fantastic year for horror.
 
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The Gongshow said:
Happy Death Day was fun as hell. It had some plot holes but I thought it was a pretty creative spin on the whole Groundhog Day / Time loop thing.

A good thriller who's the killer should have you second guessing who you think the killer is and I thought this movie did a decent enough job to make it seem like there were a few options as to who the killer could be.

It's not perfect but was a lot of fun. 2017 was a fantastic year for horror.
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It felt like a master class in 90s teen horror, and I loved every minute of it. Very strong female lead, and an interesting study in character self-discovery/development/whatever - I loved it. 8/10.
 
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My 2017 list

Good:
IT
Annabelle Creation
Happy Death Day
Alien Covenant
Get Out
It Comes At Night

BAD:
The Snowman
Leatherface
Rings
Bye Bye Man
 
I watched Happy Death Day last night. It was somewhat enjoyable, but counting it as horror is rather generous. If you're expecting a horror, you're liable to be very disappointed. It's more of a comedy, but is rarely laugh-out-loud funny. It sort of skirts both genres without really being either, like it's trying to be both Scream and Groundhog Day at the same time. It could've been a bore if it weren't for the female lead's personality. That really saved and made the film, IMO... along with the unexpected ending. Those aren't enough for me to recommend that people see it, but it's definitely a worthwhile evening watch, especially if you've got a bunch of people to watch it with, since that would probably make it more fun and funny than watching it alone.
 
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It's that month of the year that I tend to catch up on horror movies, since they're more enjoyable around Halloween. I know that I'm not alone in that, so it seems appropriate to bump this and get the discussion flowing again. I think that I may finally watch Annabelle and Annabelle: Creation and, maybe, by the time that I'm done, someone will have recommended or reminded me of something else that I need to watch.
 
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Osprey said:
It's that month of the year that I tend to catch up on horror movies, since they're more enjoyable around Halloween. I know that I'm not alone in that, so it seems appropriate to bump this and get the discussion flowing again. I think that I may finally watch Annabelle and Annabelle: Creation and, maybe, by the time that I'm done, someone will have recommended or reminded me of something else that I need to watch.
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I do the same. Just listed a bunch of recent watches in the general movie rating thread.
 
Just watched the original Halloween a few weeks ago. Solid choice for a hierro flick and the musical score is outstanding.
 
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Can I get some recommendations for good horror movies?
I have already seen:
  • The Shining
  • It Follows
  • Get Out
  • The Ring
  • Hereditary
  • A Quiet Place
  • The Witch
  • The Conjuring (only the first one)
  • Insidious (only the first one)
  • Paranormal Activity 3
  • IT (only seen the 2017 remake, not the older one)
  • Don't Breath
  • Jaws
  • Alien
  • The Exorcist
  • Scream
  • Saw
  • Poltergeist
  • The Descent
  • The Cabin in the Woods
  • 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later
I need to definitely check out The Thing as well as a bunch of slasher films (I've seen bits and pieces of Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, etc.).
 
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50 Sheas of Grey said:
Can I get some recommendations for good horror movies?
I have already seen:
  • The Shining
  • It Follows
  • Get Out
  • The Ring
  • Hereditary
  • A Quiet Place
  • The Witch
  • The Conjuring (only the first one)
  • Insidious (only the first one)
  • Paranormal Activity 3
  • IT (only seen the 2017 remake, not the older one)
  • Don't Breath
  • Jaws
  • Alien
  • The Exorcist
  • Scream
  • Saw
  • Poltergeist
  • The Descent
  • The Cabin in the Woods
  • 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later
I need to definitely check out The Thing as well as a bunch of slasher films (I've seen bits and pieces of Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, etc.).
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The Thing is one of my all-time favorite movies. Can't recommend enough. Honestly, you're in good hands with just about anything from John Carpenter (especially pre-2000s).

I'd say dive into the IMDBs of directors and grab whatever is to your tastes — in addition to Carpenter you can't go too wrong with things by Wes Craven, George Romero, David Cronenberg or Tobe Hooper (especially the early stuff in most cases).
 
50 Sheas of Grey said:
Can I get some recommendations for good horror movies?

...
I need to definitely check out The Thing as well as a bunch of slasher films (I've seen bits and pieces of Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, etc.).
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The Thing and the Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th series should keep you busy for quite a while, but if you'd like some newer recommendations so that you can alternate, here are some:

The Conjuring 2 (if you liked the first, the second is nearly as good)
The Babadook (honestly frightening, without cheap scares; more slow moving and "artistic" than most horror)
Tucker and Dale vs Evil (if you liked The Cabin in the Woods and want something else that's half comedy)
Drag Me to Hell (another very good tongue in cheek horror, this one from legend Sam Raimi)
The Visit (if you liked early M. Night Shyamalan films like The Sixth Sense, this is a bit of return to form)
Life (if you feel like a sci-fi horror similar to Alien, this came out last year and is decent)

Some other classics:
Black Christmas (the 1974 version, one of the absolute classics of the genre and inspiration for the whole slasher sub-genre)
The Evil Dead (the 1981 version, the start of a cult franchise)
 
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Osprey said:
The Thing and the Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th series should keep you busy for quite a while, but if you'd like some newer recommendations so that you can alternate, here are some:

The Conjuring 2 (if you liked the first, the second is nearly as good)
The Babadook (honestly frightening, without cheap scares; more slow moving and "artistic" than most horror)
Tucker and Dale vs Evil (if you liked The Cabin in the Woods and want something else that's half comedy)
Drag Me to Hell (another very good half horror/half comedy, this one from legend Sam Raimi)
The Visit (if you liked early M. Night Shyamalan films like The Sixth Sense, this is a bit of return to form)
Life (if you feel like a sci-fi horror similar to Alien, this came out last year and is decent)

Some other classics:
Black Christmas (the 1974 version, one of the absolute classics of the genre and inspiration for the whole slasher sub-genre)
The Evil Dead (the 1981 version, the start of a cult franchise)
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Thanks for the recommendations! I actually have seen the Babadook and Life as well, enjoyed them both for sure. I'll need to check out the rest of those movies, though.
 
50 Sheas of Grey said:
Thanks for the recommendations! I actually have seen the Babadook and Life as well, enjoyed them both for sure. I'll need to check out the rest of those movies, though.
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You're welcome. I noticed that you listed a number of movies that have at least decent sequels (ex. The Conjuring, Poltergeist, The Descent, Alien), but you didn't list those. I wasn't sure if that's because you didn't like the first chapters or not. Don't forget, if you like a movie, to look up if there's a sequel. That's the easiest way to find more movies like the ones that you like. Often, sequels are a big drop off, but, occasionally, they're nearly as good or even better (ex. The Conjuring 2, Evil Dead II, Aliens) and you wouldn't want to miss out.

BTW, if/when you watch The Thing and The Evil Dead, make sure that you watch the early 80s originals, not the versions with the same names from the last decade. The newer ones are decent and worth watching, but you probably don't want to watch them before the classics. Actually, I should note that even the 1982 The Thing is a remake of a 50s film named The Thing From Another World, but that's one of the rare cases where you probably want to watch the remake first and then maybe go watch the much older film, since the remake has become the real classic.
 
Osprey said:
You're welcome. I noticed that you listed a number of movies that have at least decent sequels (ex. The Conjuring, Poltergeist, The Descent, Alien), but you didn't list those. I wasn't sure if that's because you didn't like the first chapters or not. Don't forget, if you like a movie, to look up if there's a sequel. That's the easiest way to find more movies like the ones that you like. Often, sequels are a big drop off, but, occasionally, they're nearly as good or even better (ex. The Conjuring 2, Evil Dead II, Aliens) and you wouldn't want to miss out.

BTW, if/when you watch The Thing and The Evil Dead, make sure that you watch the early 80s originals, not the versions with the same names from the last decade. The newer ones are decent and worth watching, but you probably don't want to watch them before the classics. Actually, I should note that even the 1982 The Thing is a remake of a 50s film named The Thing From Another World, but that's one of the rare cases where you probably want to watch the remake first and then maybe go watch the much older film, since the remake has become the real classic.
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For the first paragraph - I liked them, but not quite enough to go straight to the sequels (I will eventually, but would rather change it up with something different and fresh).

For the second part - yeah I got you. I saw the newest The Evil Dead movie (2013) - it was a bit over the top but still enjoyable. I'll definitely check out the older one, and watch the 1982 The Thing first.

I also forgot to mention - I watched The Invitation (2015) a few months ago, which is a slow burn horror. I was a bit disappointed by it, as it had decent reviews (as far as horror movies go) - but it was still good enough that it wasn't a waste of time.

Also saw The Gift with Jason Bateman, I enjoyed this one a lot more. It leaves a lot open to interpretation at the end, and is an overall unsettling but believable story.
 
Smelling Salt said:
Watched "Terrifier" the other night. Nice 80s throwback. Very ridiculous, so obviously very good haha.
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I looked this up when you recommended it and learned that it's a spin-off of one of the director's earlier movies, All Hallows' Eve. I like watching things in order, so I watched that last night, plus its sequel.

All Hallows' Eve (2013) - This is an anthology film very much like Creepshow and Tales From the Crypt, but with a much noticeably lower budget. A kid receives an unlabeled VHS tape in his Halloween candy and persuades his babysitter to play it. On it are several horror shorts about killer clowns, grotesque demons, mutilation and other fun stuff. Some of it is genuinely creepy, disturbing and boundary pushing. If you're looking to be creeped and grossed out with a Halloween-themed movie, it should do the trick (no pun intended). Just be prepared for how low budget it is, so much so that you might think that it's from the 80s, not 2013.

All Hallows' Eve 2 (2015) - This, too, is an anthology film with an almost too similar premise: a stranger leaves a VHS tape at a woman's door and she pops it in to find a slew of horror shorts. What's different is just about everything else. The budget, production values and acting quality are much higher, so much that it actually almost feels like a movie made in the last 10 years (whereas the original feels 25 years older than it is), but the story is much tamer and less scary and there's much less gore. Whereas the original is creepy and disturbing, but suffers from a super low budget, the sequel is the opposite: polished and better in every objective measure, but isn't nearly as creepy or disturbing. In other words, everything wrong with the first film was fixed, but the one thing that it did pretty well (and that you generally want from horror films) wasn't carried over. I'd say that you could skip this unless you're a completionist and do as I did and make a double feature out of them (they're each less than 90 minutes).
 
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Just in case anyone wants to catch Eyes Without a Face, its on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) Canada, Monday Oct 22, at 2.30 am.
TCM is an amazing channel, showing so many classic movies of all genres, all commercial free and uncut. I have taped many horror movies from the silent era up to the early 80s, from that channel. I just go on their website to see the upcoming schedules, and then set the pvr to watch at a later time.
 
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the squared circle said:
Just in case anyone wants to catch Eyes Without a Face, its on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) Canada, Monday Oct 22, at 2.30 am.
TCM is an amazing channel, showing so many classic movies of all genres, all commercial free and uncut. I have taped many horror movies from the silent era up to the early 80s, from that channel. I just go on their website to see the upcoming schedules, and then set the pvr to watch at a later time.
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It's an all-time great. I endorse this endorsement.
 
Speaking of classics, I watched Carnival of Souls (1962) last night. It's about a young woman who survives a deadly car crash and becomes haunted by visions and drawn to an abandoned carnival. It supposedly has a cult following and inspired numerous filmmakers like David Lynch and George A. Romero. It felt very much like a good Twilight Zone episode. If it had been the length of one, I could've liked it, but it was drawn out to 84 minutes, which made it rather tedious. I hate to criticize it, since it's a classic, but it did really feel like a TV show episode that was stretched out to movie length, unlike, say, your typical Hitchcock movie. Still, it's worth watching if you're interested in the classics.

Also, this is hardly a horror movie, but I watched Student Bodies (1981) a couple of nights ago, which has the distinction of being the first comedy to spoof slasher films. Specifically, it lampoons Black Christmas, Halloween and Friday the 13th the most. It's so utterly and deliberately ridiculous. For example, when stalking victims, the killer's heavy breathing is grossly exaggerated, he gets winded and he talks to himself (like "just my luck, I picked a runner"). Often, when a movie tries so hard to be funny, it isn't, but I found it amusing. Maybe it's because I enjoy 80s comedies the most and/or it's because I enjoyed imagining how amusing it might've been for audiences in 1981.
 
I waited years to watch Carnival of Souls and could never get my hands on it. A couple years ago it showed up on TCM and I ended up being very disappointed. If it comes on again though, I’ll give it another chance.
 
the squared circle said:
I waited years to watch Carnival of Souls and could never get my hands on it. A couple years ago it showed up on TCM and I ended up being very disappointed. If it comes on again though, I’ll give it another chance.
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It's nice to hear that I'm not the only who was disappointed in it. It's funny that you mention having trouble getting your hands on it because, apparently, the US release is in the public domain, since the filmmakers forgot to add a copyright notice (oops!). You can find at least half a dozen uploads of the full movie on YouTube.
 
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