Movies: Horror Movie Discussion

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

I am late to the party on this comment and I have a feeling I might take some flack for this opinion, but me and my GF finally saw The Witch and....I absolutely hated everything about it. I know lots of people raved about it and it seems to get glowing reviews.

I didn't find anything really thrilling or tense about the movie. I didn't like anything about the plot, and found most of the actors annoying. I also found it very boring and the only scene that I really liked was with black Phillip and the main actress speaking at the very end. That was like, a 30 second scene? That and I am still not following the logic behind the girls entire family getting murdered and then being like F it, going to become a floating witch now.

Just not for me I guess.

Also saw As Above So Below, and I wouldn't call that movie very scary or very logical either, but I will say I was thoroughly entertained the entire time watching it. So I give it a thumbs up.

 

[RobBrown4PM]

This movie scared the absolute shit out of me back in the day. With how they played it up to be real, and the lack of the internet and all, it was scary as shit to watch as a kid.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

I am late to the party on this comment and I have a feeling I might take some flack for this opinion, but me and my GF finally saw The Witch and....I absolutely hated everything about it. I know lots of people raved about it and it seems to get glowing reviews.

I didn't find anything really thrilling or tense about the movie. I didn't like anything about the plot, and found most of the actors annoying. I also found it very boring and the only scene that I really liked was with black Phillip and the main actress speaking at the very end. That was like, a 30 second scene? That and I am still not following the logic behind the girls entire family getting murdered and then being like F it, going to become a floating witch now.

Just not for me I guess.

I agree with you - I went into the movie very excited based on the high praise it was receiving. I thought the movie was well shot and the acting was great, it just moved way too slowly and not much ended up happening.

Spoiler

When the younger brother met with the creepy lady in the forest, I thought the movie was going to scare the shit out of me. The only real scary/unsettling scene was when the mom is breast feeding with the crow pecking her tit.

Hereditary is a movie that definitely lives up to the hype, though. I loved that movie.

 

[Shadowtron]

I am late to the party on this comment and I have a feeling I might take some flack for this opinion, but me and my GF finally saw The Witch and....I absolutely hated everything about it. I know lots of people raved about it and it seems to get glowing reviews.

I didn't find anything really thrilling or tense about the movie. I didn't like anything about the plot, and found most of the actors annoying. I also found it very boring and the only scene that I really liked was with black Phillip and the main actress speaking at the very end. That was like, a 30 second scene? That and I am still not following the logic behind the girls entire family getting murdered and then being like F it, going to become a floating witch now.

Just not for me I guess.

Also saw As Above So Below, and I wouldn't call that movie very scary or very logical either, but I will say I was thoroughly entertained the entire time watching it. So I give it a thumbs up.

It's a very polarizing movie. I blame the hype. Same goes for Hereditary (another A24 film). I loved both films though. Mostly because they're my type of horror movies. Slow slow burns that are more character studies than outright screamers.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

It's a very polarizing movie. I blame the hype. Same goes for Hereditary (another A24 film). I loved both films though. Mostly because they're my type of horror movies. Slow slow burns that are more character studies than outright screamers.

I want to see Hereditary, it looked good.

I don't mind slow burns, I guess I wasn't too enamored with the character study aspect of The Witch. I mean I was excited to watch it and wanted to like it, but dang, not a fan at all.

 

[Don'tcry4mejanhrdina]

What was everyone's opinion of Hereditary? The opinions are bipolar.

I thought the acting and the whole atmosphere throughout the movie was great. The ending was a bit of a letdown but it is a horror, you have to suspend your disbelief while watching. Very similar feel to The Witch, which I thought was great.

 

[Don'tcry4mejanhrdina]

I just watched The Wailing for the second time a couple of days ago. Wow, what a great horror movie. It blends so many different genres together and is beautifully shot. Korea really churns out some damn good movies.

 

[Shadowtron]

I want to see Hereditary, it looked good.

I don't mind slow burns, I guess I wasn't too enamored with the character study aspect of The Witch. I mean I was excited to watch it and wanted to like it, but dang, not a fan at all.

Hereditary reminded me a lot of Rosemary's Baby. Heavy movie though. I loved it.

 

[Babe Ruth]

I caught that. The first time, I thought, "hey, that sounds like the THX sound." The next time, I thought, "hey, that is the THX sound." I recall the movie playing it at least three times.

(Osprey), Isn't there a scene where Kane is on a stairwell & they play that tone (?) Maybe when she first realizes dude is in the house (?)

Another late 70s, early 80s horror movie that created a creepy vibe- The Funhouse. Not sure if it's been mentioned yet. (peace)

 

[Osprey]

(Osprey), Isn't there a scene where Kane is on a stairwell & they play that tone (?) Maybe when she first realizes dude is in the house (?)

Yes, I think that that was the second time that it was played. I also have a memory of it playing while she was on the sofa before that and one final time near the end of the film.

 

[Osprey]

I spent much of the week watching six (!) Ring movies: four Japanese (Ringu, Rasen, Ringu 2 and Ringu 0) and two American (The Ring and The Ring Two). The only one that I felt was close to good and comprehensible was the original Japanese film (Ringu). After that, they all felt like the same thing over again, but more boring and incomprehensible. I kept going through them all because I'm a bit of a completionist and was afraid that I'd remain curious, otherwise. Now, I can say that I've seen them all (well, minus last year's Rings, but I think that I can stand skipping that) and can permanently put the series behind me. Do yourself a favor and don't do what I did. Watch Ringu or The Ring (depending on whether you're an original or remake kind of person) and stop there.

Watched "Terrifier" the other night. Nice 80s throwback. Very ridiculous, so obviously very good haha.

I finally watched Terrifier last night. It lived up to your recommendation. It's definitely a throwback to 80s slasher films, like you said. I didn't find it to be "scary" (then again, I'm not scared of clowns; it's probably terrifying, no pun, to those who are), but I don't think that it was trying to be, since it was going for unsettling, outrageous, sadistic and gory, instead, and hit those marks. It's amusing that it's obviously low budget, but no expense was spared on the gore. You've got to love indie horror film priorities. It's also amusing seeing the polarized audience reviews at Rotten Tomatoes. People either love it for being stupid and over the top or hate it for being stupid and over the top.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

Current: Housebound 97% on RottenTomatoes (just a whole lot of fun)
All-time: The Vanishing 100% on RT (the Netherlands original version; avoid like the plague the US remake with Jeff Bridges and Kiefer Sutherland which is beyond terrible)
Vintage: Diabolique (original) 97% on RT; Eyes without a Face 98% on RT; Invasion of the Body Snatchers (original) 98% on RT

If you have never seen any of these, the original version of The Vanishing is definitely the one to see.

YESSSSS.
SOmeone on here has seen the origilan The Vanishing. That movie is chilling as heck. Definitely caught myself looking over my shoulder in a certain mundane situation after that.

Possession with Isabelle Adjani is...not really "scary" but it makes for a really nice pastiche of horror tropes, and the "birth" scene, dear lord, is quite mindbending. I enjoyed it as lighter fare.

Also, Hanzu (sp?) "House" I hear is quite unsettling and fun, haha. I've still been trying to find a full version though.
I get a lot of my recs from @colebrax on Twitter (Wrong Reel podcast), he's usually good for a few good watches, but I diverge with him on a few others.

 

[Tuggy]

Watched Happy Death Day yesterday. I'd put it in the horror/slasher/comedy category. I liked it. It was fun.

Next up for me are Jigsaw and the new Insidious movie.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

The other day I was at the park with my son and some of the kids were on the swings singing "one, two, Freddy's coming for you" I was like wtf? Apparently they've heard the song on youtube,that begs the question, at what age would you allow kids to watch these kinds of movies? I remember watching return of the living dead when I was young and that was fun!

 

[John Price]

Did anyone else hear about Overlord it seems to be a highly acclaimed JJ Abrams historical thriller

 

[Osprey]

The other day I was at the park with my son and some of the kids were on the swings singing "one, two, Freddy's coming for you" I was like wtf? Apparently they've heard the song on youtube,that begs the question, at what age would you allow kids to watch these kinds of movies? I remember watching return of the living dead when I was young and that was fun!

That's funny because I just watched Wes Craven's New Nightmare, in which Freddy haunts and stalks the real life people involved in the 'Nightmare' franchise. An element of the movie is that Heather Langencamp's young son is having nightmares and acting out supposedly because he's seen the Freddy movies in which his mommy starred. A nurse chews her out because she assumes that she's been showing her son horror movies. He even sings the counting song several times throughout the movie, making his mom freak out and ask where he learned the song.

Anyways, I hadn't seen it before (probably because the different name led me to believe that it was a reboot or unofficial entry or something) and found it to be a nice twist on the franchise and horror films in general, as well as an obvious precursor and segue to Craven's Scream franchise a few years later.

 

[Osprey]

I finally watched Annabelle and Annabelle: Creation. If you've forgotten, they're part of The Conjuring franchise.

Annabelle, unfortunately, feels like it was written hastily to capitalize on the success of The Conjuring. It borrows heavily from better horror films without the writers even trying to hide it. It especially feels like an unauthorized remake of Rosemary's Baby at points, not just because of the plot, but also because it's set in the 1960s in an apartment building. Other elements are nearly as shamelessly copied from other horror films, like The Exorcist. Unlike those two films, though, this one mostly relies on jump scares. All of that said, I didn't hate it. I liked the 1960s setting--we need more period horror films, IMO--and that and all of the borrowed elements gave it a classic horror feel. It's more than watchable, just not re-watchable.

Annabelle: Creation, on the other hand, is so much better and one of the best horror films since The Conjuring, IMO. I loved that it's set in the 1950s at a secluded ranch house, where the owner used to make the Annabelle doll, and revolves around a bunch of orphaned girls being taken in. I found the first half of the film so strong and interesting that I would've been perfectly OK if it had stayed a drama and not turned into a horror film. It does have some jump scares and horror cliches, but, unlike the first Annabelle, they're supported by a strong, creepy atmosphere and the direction (by the guy responsible for Lights Out) is more competent. Overall, I really enjoyed it, about as much as I enjoyed The Conjuring. Note that, while you can watch it without having seen the first, the ending is best appreciated if you've seen the first, so I'd still recommend watching them in order.

 

[Osprey]

I watched the first three Paranormal Activity movies this week. Suffice it to say, staring at walls and furniture for hours gives your mind a lot of time to wander. I started to wonder why none of the characters ever realize that the hauntings occur only after video cameras are brought into the house. Obviously, the cameras are the source of the hauntings. They could've saved themselves a lot of torment (and me hours of staring at walls and furniture) by removing them. Instead, they come to be comforted by the presence of the cameras, thinking that they give them control and security, all the while, ironically, the possessed cameras are causing their torment. Perhaps the films are actually brilliant commentaries on society's duplicitous relationship with technology, in which we're simultaneously comforted by it and anxious about it... or they're just the cheap, shallow thrillers that they appear to be on the surface.

 

[Spawn]

I watched the first three Paranormal Activity movies this week. Suffice it to say, staring at walls and furniture for hours gives your mind a lot of time to wander. I started to wonder why none of the characters ever realize that the hauntings occur only after video cameras are brought into the house. Obviously, the cameras are the source of the hauntings. They could've saved themselves a lot of torment (and me hours of staring at walls and furniture) by removing them. Instead, they come to be comforted by the presence of the cameras, thinking that they give them control and security, all the while, ironically, the possessed cameras are causing their torment. Perhaps the films are actually brilliant commentaries on society's duplicitous relationship with technology, in which we're simultaneously comforted by it and anxious about it... or they're just the cheap, shallow thrillers that they appear to be on the surface.

I find something endearing about the first Paranormal Activity movie.

It re-popularized the found footage genre which unfortunately didn't produce many gems, but I think as a stand alone film without all the follow up sequels and dozens of different iterations it's a pretty effective tiny horror film that does a good job of building tension and anxiety on a remarkably small budget without too many dumb tricks.

It might be cheap and shallow, but I don't think the movie pretends to be anything else. There's a place in the horror genre for movies like the first one imo.

 

[Osprey]

It might be cheap and shallow, but I don't think the movie pretends to be anything else. There's a place in the horror genre for movies like the first one imo.

I agree. I wasn't being serious, if that wasn't clear. It's true that you spend most of the time staring at walls and furniture, but the films are surprisingly more watchable than that makes them sound. If they weren't, I wouldn't have bothered with the sequels at all.

I'm not a fan of found footage films, but I found these to be a little more tolerable than most because the cameras are mostly stationary or, at least, steady. There isn't the "shakycam" effect, running while filming and selfie taking that others, like The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield, utilized. I read that even the "handheld" shots in the original weren't actually handheld; they were on tripods or steadying rigs. I applaud the director for that decision, since I hate shakycam shots.

Edit: Ok, I watched the 4th. I think that I'm done with the series and won't bother with the final two.

 

[the squared circle]

Watched An American Werewolf in London last night. Hadn't seen it in probably over 30 years and all I remembered about it was the shower scene
I thought it was great! The comedy wasn't too much, but i can see why its referred to as a comedy/horror.
Not your typical werewolf, which was a change to the norm.

 

[TP]

Watched Eli Roth's history of horror series. Very good stuff.

 

[the squared circle]

Watched Eli Roth's history of horror series. Very good stuff.

Thought last weeks Vampire episode was terrible, but the prior ones were excellent.

 

[RetroBlade]

I'd hope we have some big horror movie fans here and it's getting close to October.

Obviously we'll have a lot of discussion in threads for horror movies like The Conjuring but I'd like to be able to get some people talking about Horror movies in general.

Any horror films people are looking forward to?

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Beach Babes From Beyond
Cannibal Women In the Avocado Jungle Of Death
The Disembodied
Meridian
Specters
Unlucky Charms
Virgin Hunters
Goobers!
Head Of The Family
Pet Shop
The Pit & the Pendulum
William Shatner’s Halloween Frightnight: The Creeps
William Shatner’s Halloween Frightnight: Shrunken Heads
Castle Freak
Dark Angel, The
Devious
Do or Die
Guns
Haunted Hollywood
Intruder
Jack the Ripper
Kiljoy The Demon Clown
Lurking Fear
Malibu Express
Ooga Booga
Parastie Dolls
PM Blitz Massacre
Prehysteria
Puppet Master Axis of Evil
Puppet Master Axis Rising
Puppet Master Axis Termination
Ragdoll
Savage Beach
Subspecies
Subspecies 2
Talisman
Tourist Trap
Vampire Journals
Vault, The
Witchouse
Zombie Decadence

 

[Osprey]

I watched Hereditary last night. Wow, that's the most intense movie that I've seen in a long time. There's not much "horror" through most of the movie and there are basically no jump scares, yet it's very unsettling for two straight hours, far more so than most horror films that resort to all of the cliches to keep you on edge. The director, in his directorial debut, manages to make intense even the many scenes in which nothing is happening. This is one promising horror director.

If I have to compare it, I'd say that it's kind of like The Witch in its unsettling nature that reaches a crescendo at the end and The Babadook in that it's a study of a family coping with loss. I also mention those two because they're a bit slow and artsy. As long as you can handle that, Hereditary is a two-hour gut punch that lives up to the critical acclaim, IMO.