Movies: Horror Movie Discussion

[zombie kopitar]

A few spooky season movies i've recently watched

Orphan- 7.5/10, i like the slow burn style with a good ending so it was down my alley. It is tropey but i think it was overall well acted and i liked the score
Ginger Snaps-7/10, it's an apparent cult classic, i just thought it could have a little better execution and shortened, but the tone was overall pretty solid
The Birds-8.5/10, it was a re-watch from a while back, obviously an iconic movie, i still don't know how i feel about the ending

 

[Osprey]

The House on Sorority Row (1983) - 6/10
Sorority sisters think that they killed their house mother, but then start dying one by one. No matter how many 80s slashers that I watch, I'm always finding ones that I've never seen before and surprised when some aren't half bad, like this one. It's competently made and nicely paced, the acting is decent and it has a twist, like every other early 80s slasher. If it was ever scary, that hasn't aged well, and the kills are quick and not too bloody, so it's not very horrific. It's more like a Scream movie. The very ending is a bit weak, but I liked the twist. It doesn't exactly stand out from other 80s slashers, but it's an average-to-above-average execution of the formula. If you like 80s slashers and are always on the lookout for a decent, undiscovered one, you might check it out.

The Strangers (2008) - 5/10
A couple is terrorized in their home by a trio of masked strangers. It's a low-budget throwback horror that relies on tension and dread instead of violence and gore. I appreciated that, but, for some reason (perhaps the rookie writer/director), I didn't really find it scary and not a lot happens, outside of one or two memorable, tense scenes. I liked that the beginning actually gives the characters some emotional depth, something that you don't see in much horror, though it's mostly set aside once the invasion begins. Liv Tyler is good and makes the film watchable, though she has only two volumes: whisper and scream. Seriously, not once in the whole film does she make a sound at a normal level, a fact that I started to become distracted by. Also, it's yet another 2000s horror with a good character that drives a Volvo. This one gets its windows smashed, its tires slashed and itself set on fire. For this long-time Volvo owner, that is horror.

Inside (2016) - 3/10
This American remake of the French film removes almost all of the blood and gore, eliminating all of the shock value, and completely changes the ending. It does make a few welcome improvements to the story (early on, not the ending) and Rachel Nichols is good in the lead, but I found it boring. Of course, it was bound to be boring compared to the 2007 original. Watch that, instead.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

The House on Sorority Row (1983) - 6/10
Sorority sisters think that they killed their house mother, but then start dying one by one. No matter how many 80s slashers that I watch, I'm always finding ones that I've never seen before and surprised when some aren't half bad, like this one. It's competently made and nicely paced, the acting is decent and it has a twist, like every other early 80s slasher. If it was ever scary, that hasn't aged well, and the kills are quick and not too bloody, so it's not very horrific. It's more like a Scream movie. The very ending is a bit weak, but I liked the twist. It doesn't exactly stand out from other 80s slashers, but it's an average-to-above-average execution of the formula. If you like 80s slashers and are always on the lookout for a decent, undiscovered one, you might check it out.

The Strangers (2008) - 5/10
A couple is terrorized in their home by a trio of masked strangers. It's a low-budget throwback horror that relies on tension and dread instead of violence and gore. I appreciated that, but, for some reason (perhaps the rookie writer/director), I didn't really find it scary and not a lot happens, outside of one or two memorable, tense scenes. I liked that the beginning actually gives the characters some emotional depth, something that you don't see in much horror, though it's mostly set aside once the invasion begins. Liv Tyler is good and makes the film watchable, though she has only two volumes: whisper and scream. Seriously, not once in the whole film does she make a sound at a normal level, a fact that I started to become distracted by. Also, do we have a 2000s horror with a good character that drives a Volvo. This one gets its windows smashed, its tires slashed and itself set on fire. For this long-time Volvo owner, that is horror.

Inside (2016) - 3/10
This American remake of the French film removes almost all of the blood and gore, eliminating all of the shock value, and completely changes the ending. It does make a few welcome improvements to the story (early on, not the ending) and Rachel Nichols is good in the lead, but I found it boring. Of course, it was bound to be compared to the 2007 original. Watch that, instead.

1 - I don't remember this one too well, but I too have it at 6/10 on IMDB so I must have found it relevant or really fun - I need to rewatch.

2 - Super simple story, with a whole lot of scare tactics - and nicely done too (a gold mine for horror classes). I guess 5/10 is pretty fair, I have it at 7 but might be biaised because it's been really useful to me.

3 - I had no idea this thing existed, I'm giggling just to imagine how lame it must be!

 

[Osprey]

2 - Super simple story, with a whole lot of scare tactics - and nicely done too (a gold mine for horror classes). I guess 5/10 is pretty fair, I have it at 7 but might be biaised because it's been really useful to me.

Yeah, I appreciated the simplicity of the plot and scare tactics. Part of the problem, I think, is that I was nagged throughout by the suspicion that I might've seen it; then, when it really ramped up, I realized that I had seen it, which was disappointing. That affected my appreciation some. I could see myself giving it a 6/10 if it were my first time seeing it or if I were to knowingly re-watch it.

3 - I had no idea this thing existed, I'm giggling just to imagine how lame it must be!

That may be because it went straight to VOD. Honestly, it's not so bad considering that fact, but it's lame compared to the original, yes.

Spoiler

Since you probably won't watch it and guessed it, anyways, the ending is a happy one. Sarah kills the woman and gives birth to a healthy baby in the rain. Something that you might appreciate (or find hokey) is that that ending battle takes place on a covered pool... i.e. a pool with a rubber-like tarp stretched tight over it. One of them cuts the tarp with a knife and they both fall through the slit into the water. After a little struggle, Sarah emerges through the slit and gasps for air, while the attacker drowns. It seems pretty symbolic--the covered pool symbolizing a pregnant belly, cutting it being like a C-section, Sarah emerging like a baby being born and the attacker dying in the "womb"--and I'm kind of impressed by that, especially in an otherwise unoriginal remake, but it also seemed kind of silly how obvious it was and the lengths that the ending was changed to achieve it.

 

[Osprey]

Pieces (1982) - 5/10
A kid who hacked up his mom with an axe is now all grown up and has graduated to carving up university girls with a chainsaw. This movie is so trashy and campy. It's in English, but Spanish made, and has awful acting and dialogue and some painfully dubbed audio. Never mind the plot, which doesn't make sense. It's absurd enough that the killer walks around campus with a chainsaw without drawing suspicion, always finds the ladies naked or semi-naked and then is able to kill them with a noisy weapon while they scream, all without anyone hearing in the middle of the day. The movie doesn't seem to take itself too seriously, though, as evidenced by the borrowing of the almost comical heavy breathing of the killer from the comedy Student Bodies. There are also a few darkly funny moments, like when the nurses bring out a gurney for a girl who's nothing but a bloody pile of appendages. Then, the detective asks an anatomy professor if, in his expert opinion, the bloody chainsaw left lying next to the pile could be the murder weapon. The movie does live up to its title with a lot of gore... though, thanks to the low budget and low skill involved, it's more amusing than disgusting. Unfortunately, it seemed pretty obvious who the killer was halfway through and why he was cutting up bodies, so there was no surprise. Overall, it's one awful movie, but kind of enjoyable for its awfulness, a true example of "so bad it's good."

Trick or Treat (1986) - 4/10
Skippy from Family Ties plays a heavy metal record backwards, which summons a rocker from the dead to kill the kids at school who have been bullying him, thus proving that 80s puritans were right all along that heavy metal music really was evil. It's like a clone of Carrie without the blood, mixed with A Nightmare on Elm Street without the scariness. It's pretty tepid as horror films go. There's no blood or gore. People just disappear in a puff of smoke, leaving parts of their clothes behind, like Obi-Wan. It also doesn't have much to do with Halloween, despite the title. There's some heavy metal music, but not enough, especially after the first half hour. I found it a bit boring, but I can guess that I would've liked it in the 80s and more now if I had that nostalgia for it.

The Banana Splits Movie (2019) - 4/10
The characters from the 70s kids show murder their live studio audience when they learn that their show has been cancelled. Ironically, the hardest thing to buy about that plot may be the notion that such a 70s show would still be on the air in 2019. There's also a kid who's obsessed with them and the characters are all animatronics instead of people in costumes. I'm not sure if it was explained why animatronics care that their show is cancelled or if the movie cared. It reminded me of the Child's Play remake in tone and plot and, of course, Wally's Wonderland. There are a few really gruesome kills, so it has that going for it. It also doesn't take itself very seriously, so, if you go along with that and expect nothing more than the absurdity of life-size mascots murdering people, it could offer a little fun. I certainly wasn't bored, but I wouldn't recommend it, either.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Man I love Pieces. Nasty but knowing bit of work there.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Curious about something that was just floating around in my brain. I wrote about this in the Halloween thread (and possibly here or the general movie thread as well) but Halloween is my least favorite of the three big slasher franchises. I have my reasons, but it also occurred to me that it is also the last one I was exposed to. Definitely saw a few Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street movies first. Probably with a gap of a few years too. Not to mention other slashers too --He Knows You're Alone, Sleepaway Camp, April Fool's Day ... all of which I watched with very permissive babysitters before I ever saw my first Halloween.

I'm wondering how much that plays into my perception of Halloween vs. those others.

So my question is this -- is your favorite horror franchise (doesn't have to be slasher) the one you were first exposed to or exposed to early or is it something you grew to love after watching a bunch of other horror?

 

[Osprey]

Your experience is similar to mine. I was exposed to Halloween late, as well, and it doesn't mean as much to me because of that. My favorite franchise would probably be Friday the 13th because that was the one that I associated with horror when I was a kid and wanted to see to feel grown up. It's simply the most nostalgic of the franchises for me. So, yeah, at least with me, your theory seems to hold true.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

First horror film I've seen was Friday 3D. I've been a huge fan of F13 ever since, it does have special meaning to me, but I'd have a hard time saying it's my favorite horror franchise. Kallio's comment in the other thread at first made sense to me (the lows being less crappy in F13), but thinking about it, parts 5, 9 and 10 are pure shit. I think A Nightmare on Elm Street might be the more consistent one, and maybe the best one too. Hellraiser might be my favorite, and its lows are really really low (I doubt Evil Dead counts as a franchise).

Also, I too love Pieces despite it being dumb as f*** (I have it at 6/10 on IMDB).

 

[Satans Hockey]

Anyone watch my heart can't beat unless you tell it to? It was on this list of top horror movies from 2021 on rotten tomatoes...

Best Horror Movies of 2021, Ranked – New Scary Movies to Watch << Rotten Tomatoes – Movie and TV News

Absolutely awful and I have not the slightest clue as to why it's ranked that high on there. The audience score is significantly lower and I definitely get why. Boring, unlikeable characters and ultimately an absolute waste of time.

In case anyone is interested but doesn't wanna waste their time...

Spoiler

It's about a brother and a sister who kill people for their blood to feed their younger brother who is a vampire. Why is he a vampire? They never explain why. He's a whiny unlikeable character who is always weak and sick even after being fed blood. I was hoping at the end when he fed on someone properly that he would transform and grow into a stronger character but it never happened.

 

[shadow1]

Curious about something that was just floating around in my brain. I wrote about this in the Halloween thread (and possibly here or the general movie thread as well) but Halloween is my least favorite of the three big slasher franchises. I have my reasons, but it also occurred to me that it is also the last one I was exposed to. Definitely saw a few Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street movies first. Probably with a gap of a few years too. Not to mention other slashers too --He Knows You're Alone, Sleepaway Camp, April Fool's Day ... all of which I watched with very permissive babysitters before I ever saw my first Halloween.

I'm wondering how much that plays into my perception of Halloween vs. those others.

So my question is this -- is your favorite horror franchise (doesn't have to be slasher) the one you were first exposed to or exposed to early or is it something you grew to love after watching a bunch of other horror?

For me basically yes. My favorite series is the Halloween series and I saw it at an age way younger than I should have. As a kid I wasn't able to recognize how bad a movie like Halloween 5 was, so despite it's flaws I have a lot of nostalgia for it.

That said, I have grown extremely fond of the Friday the 13th series over the years. The last few summers I have rewatched most of the Paramount (1-8) movies. Definitely trashy movies, but I find the (Paramount) movies to be relatively consistent in enjoyment quality. But gun to my head, I'm still choosing the Halloween franchise.

Even though I own the DVD Boxset (and have for at least a decade) and own all of the movies on digital, it wasn't until last year that I finally sat down and watched the later Nightmare on Elm Street movies. (I had seen 1-3 and New Nightmare multiple times and like/love all four of those movies).

I was not a fan. I disliked The Dream Master; it's a fan favorite, but for me it was a chore to get through. The Dream Child was also not good, but I liked the atmosphere and enjoyed it slightly more than part 4. Freddy's Dead was easily one of the worst mainstream movies I've ever seen; it makes Jason Goes to Hell look like The Shining.

That's the long way of saying that I objectively view the Halloween and Nightmare series as being similar in that they both have very high highs, but also very low lows. But the nostalgia factor of Halloween softens its bad points for me.

 

[Osprey]

I must've missed when it was announced, but I just noticed that they're making a trilogy of Exorcist films, the first to come out in 2023, and all three directed by David Gordon Green, the guy who directed all of the new Halloween movies. I heard that the success of the new Halloween movies was likely to lead to a revival of other horror franchises, but I didn't think that it'd be this franchise (I was thinking F13 and Elm Street again), arrive so soon or follow the Halloween model so closely. Like that trilogy, it's going to be a sequel to the original movie, but, unlike Halloween, won't de-canon the previous sequels. I'm skeptical and cynical, but we'll see. I hope that it ends up being more like the three Conjuring movies than the new Halloween trilogy.

 

[Osprey]

Ghoulies (1985) - 2/10
A son of a cult leader summons little demons for some reason. This is so terrible that, halfway through, I just wanted it over with and skipped through most of the second half until the end. The ghoulies are barely in it and barely do anything. I (like probably everyone else) always assumed that this was a Gremlins rip off, but it started production at the same time and was released afterward only because the filmmakers ran out of money and needed to scrape together more to finish it. Yeah, it's that low budget. Low budget can be fun, but this was just really bad.

Ghoulies II (1987) - 4/10
The ghoulies terrorize a rural carnival. This is one of those rare sequels that's better than the original, quite a bit better, in fact... though that has a lot to do with the original being awful. It's still stupid, but at least it's somewhat fun and the carnival setting is interesting. Even though the original wasn't a rip off of Gremlins, this sequel smartly took some cues from it by giving the ghoulies a lot more screen time and making them more evil. They spend most of their time in the horror walk-through attraction, where guests mistake them for animatronics, even when they're torturing their victims, who are also assumed to be part of the show, which was somewhat amusing. Unlike the original, which I had forgotten about, this one brought back some memories and nostalgia of watching it as a kid. It's not a good movie or anything, don't get me wrong, but it's the most watchable and best of the franchise.

Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College (1990) - 3/10
The ghoulies are summoned to a college campus and kill a few co-eds. This one drops most of the horror and goes full comedy. The ghoulies now act like the Three Stooges and even talk, which is cringy. They're also less evil and spend half of their time spying on naked girls. They're even relegated a bit as the story is more about a rivalry between fraternities for which one can pull off the best pranks. Because of that, it feels sort of like a Revenge of the Nerds movie, but with ghoulies thrown in. It's watchable, but really lame.

Ghoulies IV (1994) - 3/10
A police detective has a jewel that a cult leader wants. Someone thought that it was a good idea to re-visit the subject of the original movie... and do it without any ghoulies. That's right... Ghoulies IV has no ghoulies in it, unless you count the inserted clips from the original. It does have two trolls (little people in really bad costumes), like the original, but they're friendly, funny trolls. In fact, come to think of it, this movie has no blood, gore, nudity or even a swear that I can remember, so it might've been made for TV. It all sounds really awful, and it is, but at least it has a few jokes and I found it more watchable than the original, which is to say that at least I didn't fast forward through the second half.

Well, that was a somewhat unpleasant marathon. The second was worth seeing again, but I didn't need to see the rest, especially when I had better horror movies I could've watched the day before Halloween. In fact, I'm realizing that this is probably more of a comedy franchise than a horror franchise. Oh well.

 

[izzy]

I must've missed when it was announced, but I just noticed that they're making a trilogy of Exorcist films, the first to come out in 2023, and all three directed by David Gordon Green, the guy who directed all of the new Halloween movies. I heard that the success of the new Halloween movies was likely to lead to a revival of other horror franchises, but I didn't think that it'd be this franchise (I was thinking F13 and Elm Street again), arrive so soon or follow the Halloween model so closely. Like that trilogy, it's going to be a sequel to the original movie, but, unlike Halloween, won't de-canon the previous sequels. I'm skeptical and cynical, but we'll see. I hope that it ends up being more like the three Conjuring movies than the new Halloween trilogy.

havent seen halloween kills, but 2018 halloween was a surprise

 

[Osprey]

It's that time of year again when I bump this thread so that everyone can re-forget that it exists on November 1st. Yay.

 

[Satans Hockey]

I just watched X today, absolute meh for me. The best scenes were with the gator and I'd rather have seen them do a gator movie cause the effects looked great for that. Have no idea why this movie was rated so high for 2022 horror movies.

 

[Osprey]

I just watched X today, absolute meh for me. The best scenes were with the gator and I'd rather have seen them do a gator movie cause the effects looked great for that. Have no idea why this movie was rated so high for 2022 horror movies.

I wasn't too impressed by it, either. It was decent, but I don't really understand the glowing praise or the fact that a couple of spinoffs are coming out. If you want a gator movie, check out Crawl, which, come to think of it, takes place during a hurricane in Florida.

 

[Satans Hockey]

I wasn't too impressed by it, either. It was decent, but I don't really understand the glowing praise or the fact that a couple of spinoffs are coming out. If you want a gator movie, check out Crawl, which, come to think of it, takes place during a hurricane in Florida.

Not sure I'll bother with the spinoffs unless someone I know really recommends them. I enjoyed Crawl, one of the better animal/monster movies in the past bunch of years.

I did a 31 in 31 horror/Halloween movies last October and I'm trying to do it again this year but probably watch more than 1 some days to balance the days out that I can't so still sorta counts lol if you have any recommendations from 2022 that were worth watching I'll add em to my list cause I haven't really put anything together. Just was browsing best of lists.

Watched hocus pocus 2 as well which was sorta ok, basically exactly what I expected from Disney at this point with anything live action.

 

[Osprey]

... if you have any recommendations from 2022 that were worth watching I'll add em to my list cause I haven't really put anything together. Just was browsing best of lists.

I think that the only 2022 horror movies that I've seen and liked are The Black Phone and Scream. I'd say that those are worth watching, the latter only if you've seen the previous four. I was neutral when it came to Fresh, but that would probably make other people's best of 2022 horror lists. I also liked Beast, but I wouldn't quite call it a horror movie.

Speaking of Disney live action, their new Pinocchio might not technically be horror, but it's the most horrific thing that I've seen this year. I don't recommend it unless you have a really strong stomach.

 

[OzzyFan]

if you have any recommendations from 2022 that were worth watching I'll add em to my list cause I haven't really put anything together. Just was browsing best of lists.

I think that the only 2022 horror movies that I've seen and liked are The Black Phone and Scream. I'd say that those are worth watching, the latter only if you've seen the previous four. I was neutral when it came to Fresh, but that would probably make other people's best of 2022 horror lists. I also liked Beast, but I wouldn't quite call it a horror movie.

I'd add Barbarian and Men as a definitely worth watching from 22'. Would something like Prey (the Predator prequel) count? I'd say there are 8 or so 22' horror films I've seen that are worth a watch, but I'm biased.

 

[Osprey]

I'd add Barbarian and Men as a definitely worth watching from 22'. Would something like Prey (the Predator prequel) count? I'd say there are 8 or so 22' horror films I've seen that are worth a watch, but I'm biased.

I really disliked Men, which is why I didn't recommend it. I haven't seen Barbarian because it's not on streaming yet, but it's on my radar.

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

Prey for the Devil comes out this month! Finally

I wasn't too impressed by it, either. It was decent, but I don't really understand the glowing praise or the fact that a couple of spinoffs are coming out. If you want a gator movie, check out Crawl, which, come to think of it, takes place during a hurricane in Florida.

Same, I keep wondering what is it I’m missing? Because people keep talking like it’s a must see

I loved Crawl, shame it seems to go unnoticed

 

[Juve]

I started Horror fest a little earlier than usual. I finally watched all the Saws and Final Destination. I loved them.

I re-watched Get Out. I didn't enjoy it as much as I did the first time. I also realized how much Peele took from the Skeleton Key.

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

Final Destination is one of the few more recent horror series where I enjoy all the films and don’t find myself skipping them

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Black Christmas (Clark, 1974) – This is probably the original (North)American slasher, and has to be considered as one of the best films of the genre (I'm always saying Halloween II is my favorite slasher, because that last part of the film is just great slasher action, but if I'm being honest, I have to admit that Black Christmas is a better film). Not only that, but it might also be the best film with calls “coming from inside the house”, another horror trope that it, if not initiated, at least put on the map. It has great suspense, a very creepy killer, and an amazing ending. It remains a very dark film the whole way through, despite some nice touch of humor that work because the characters are fleshed out and pretty nicely written despite some very limited screen time (it's not totally clear at first who's the main character, or the final girl). Its female characters are especially interesting, and it gives the film a very unique feminist vibe (and a longevity/credibility that few horror films of the period could sustain): the sorority house is no excuse for nudity and sexualization of the female characters, it's a safe-haven for liberated and autonomous young modern women, that one man infiltrates, which puts them all to great danger. The presence of a man-child inside their house violates their intimacy and their tranquility, objectifying them (the point of view shots are here especially meaningful, but also the suggestive language of the phone calls) – to the point of taking possession of their bodies. It's a film that's so carefully crafted that you'd think Bob Clark was a mastermind: it has a few lines of dialogues dubbed by the killer's voice on other characters in order to add suspicion to them, it's very inventive direction has punctual aesthetic links to its giallo ancestors, and its subplots are contributing to the main themes and discomfort of the film. The previous rape in the neighborhood, the disappearance of the young girl (and the discovery of her body), the abortion storyline – it all points to women losing control of their bodies to men overpowering them (it still feels very relevant to this day). Add to all that a fun allusion to Edgar Allan Poe, and you've got yourself a very clever horror film. 7.5/10