Horror Movies

[MoogleViper]

Well firstly I think most of them are rubbish. They are very predictable and very cliched. And they all follow the same template they just stick in a different setting, victims and villains.

 

But my main point is, are they scary? Haggis rated 30 days of night and said it was scary. Personally I thought it was incredibly dull and not even scary in the slightest.

 

When I was little I used to get really scared from horror films. Like having trouble sleeping for a day or 2. But now none of them scare me. I originally thought it was due to me getting older. But my mum is older than me (obviously) and she says that they aren't as scary as they used to be. And I think she might be right. A few months ago I watched Blair Witch Project. And that did actually scare me. Quite a bit as well. And to say it had barely any blood. No gore or anything gruesome like that. It was still scary. Recent films however are full of gore and loud, unexpected noises to try and make you jump but they aren't scary. The film makers seem to think that making you jump is enough.

 

So my question is (see there is a point to this thread (sort of)) are films as scary as they used to be, is it just me getting older or are we just becoming desensitised to things?

[gaggle64]

Most horror films I can take in my stride, but oddly horror games scare me sideways. The modern films like Saw I wouldn't even rate as "horror", they're just special effects portfolios. I prefer horror films that have clever characters and ideas, or leave you thinking after rather then rely on the shock factor. The Moth Man, or Frankenstein's Monster for example. The Omen was a good one too.

[jayseven]

Firstly; I also agree with you with your opinion of 30 Days of Nights - but I do think the vampires are to some extent 'scary' (not that they scare me) in that they're not they usual "ooh I wish I was a vampire like that" vampire. The 'fear' comes from the less-humanised, and more monster-like evil.

 

But in general! I'm a fan of horror films. From the fairy-tale 'supernatural' monsters like frankenstein, vampires, werewolves, zombies to the more realistic sociopathic mental-cases like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, where you've got nothing fantastical or mysterious - it's just people that are insane.

 

When you're a kid you're more inclined to believe that such creatures are possible, that things like vampires and the boogiman could actually exist. As you get older you demand more concrete-based shocks - the fear of the real world.

 

I don't think it's truly possible to get phobic with movies because our brain ultimately says "look, it's a movie."

 

I <3 horror movies I really haven't seen enough. Could talk more about the current treatment of supernatural phenomena (tv: X-files, Supernatural, buffy to a smaller extent [in that it's much less realistic] movies; japanese horror, etc) buuut I'm hoping we'll get onto that

[killthenet]

I find that films which use suprises and gore to scare rarely make me jump at all. The only ones I can recall are The Thing and to a lesser extent Twin Peaks. I only say to a lesser extent because its not just the 'jump' moments themselves, some parts are so utterly creepy and uncanny that I can't fail but be terrified by them. Take this scene for example.

 

 

Overall though I'm mostly terrified by the themes that horror films can bring up. And I'm not exclusively terrified by horror films, Being John Malkovich scared the shit out of my because it dealt with an incredibly creepy way of becoming immortal, the final third of that film scares me every time.

 

A straight horror film I would recommend to you is Cronos by Guillermo Del Toro.

[Slaggis]

By scary, I do mean "Jumpy" sort of thing. Not "OMFG I CAN'T SLEEP AT ALL" scary. Though as Jay said, those Vampires in it are at least vaguely scary looking, you have to admit.

 

I've never been truly scared by a horror film, bar the ones I watched when I was young such as Halloween etc. Nowadays, it's just getting a bit Jumpy when watching a good one. I love being scared, so consequently I love horror movies. They're probably my favourite genre seeing as if they fail completely then they usually end up being a good laugh.

 

They used to scare the bejesus out of me (literally, anything would). I sat watching the first Jeepers Creepers on my own when it first came out (I was 10) and I had to stand up pressed against the wall watching it. It's a truly terrible film, but I love that effect it had on me when I watched it. The feeling = awesome.

 

I'm one those people that says "Oh wouldn't it be awesome if we were in that kind of situation", however retarded that my sound.

[Dante]

The new horror films arent really scary and boring in plot to me.

The 80's horror movies were the best because of the gore and ideas to making people scaried.

Example that i think of this the nurse scene where she was checking the rooms in the exorcist III.

[Jamba]

This is such a hard thing to talk about because are we talking about scary movies or horror movies? I like a lot of horror movies but I rarely find them scary, I just like the situations it puts people in.

 

Now movies where I was genuinely "behind the sofa" scared... last one was probably parts of Tideland. Ace movie that.

[Strider]

Well firstly I think most of them are rubbish.

 

I'd agree with that. Although i havn't watched many.

 

I do find some films "jumpy" and tense, however i'm not really much of a fan. I watched the first 2 Saw films and i didn't (still don't) know what the fuss was about. I didn't find it particually scary, or that good to be honest.

[Slaggis]

I'd agree with that. Although i havn't watched many.

 

I do find some films "jumpy" and tense, however i'm not really much of a fan. I watched the first 2 Saw films and i didn't (still don't) know what the fuss was about. I didn't find it particually scary, or that good to be honest.

 

Saw isn't really Horror so to speak. Well it is, obviously but not in the classic sense. It's not scary, it's more "Eww!!" etc.

[MoogleViper]

By scary, I do mean "Jumpy" sort of thing. Not "OMFG I CAN'T SLEEP AT ALL" scary. Though as Jay said, those Vampires in it are at least vaguely scary looking, you have to admit.

 

Well I didn't find it jumpy either.

 

And no I don't think they are scary looking at all. They just look like ugly/deformed humans.

 

Saw isn't really Horror so to speak. Well it is, obviously but not in the classic sense. It's not scary, it's more "Eww!!" etc.

 

Yeah I do agree with that. My girlfriend made me watch the Saw films. They are quite good. Not the greatest films in the world but they're ok.

[Paj!]

Some films have jumpy moments, but arent "scary".

 

I was protected from Horror Movies as a child, but not ridiculously. I never has much of an interest in them either. Watched Exorcist when I was around 11, wasn't scary at all, and I was too young to understand the "disturbing" nature of it. Saw Jaws around the same time. Preferred that, as it was more jumpy.

 

I prefer thrillers, as they tend to work better in today's "seen it all" society. Alien is still one of my favourite films, as it's thriller, horror and some action all packed in together, to amazing effect. I like films like Red Eye too. Much scarier to be trapped in your home/on a plane.

 

30 Days Of Night was jus ta bit confuddled. In comic form it works much better. But then I suppose that's true...that's the reason the X-men films didn't use the comics costumes, cause it wouldn't look credible. The vampires just looked really bad.

 

Alien is the best horror creature design to me.

[Jamba]

 

Alien is the best horror creature design to me.

 

I have to give G. del Toro's team some credit:

 

[weeyellowbloke]

Mmmm, love the horror movies. Generally I think you've got three types of horror film. The ones your thinking of are the ones that go for cheap shocks (you know, someone hears a noise, turns around and the violins screech on the soundtrack to make you jump). There does seem to be quite a few of those around at the moment (though not as many as few years ago with the slasher horror boom). Generally I don't find these films too great or scary.

 

Then I think you have the pure gore horror where generally the idea is the more blood the better. Generally quite enjoy these ones, especially things like Romero, The Thing and B-movie pulp horror like Reanimator mainly because, although not exactly scary, they usually have interesting concepts, quite a bit of action and just plain entertaining. What I don't like are things like Hostel and Saw which to me are just gore for the sake of gore with nothing much to back it up.

 

Finally there are the good old psychological horror, with genuinely creepy build up of suspense. These really do freak me out and I love them. Things like The Shining and Ring are fantastic.

 

So generally I think if you want to make a horror scary I reckon less really is more. Leave most of it up to the audience imagination, even in the stupidest film. Take Con Air for example, when Steve Buscemi sits straight faced and says "One girl, I drove through three states wearing her head as a hat".

[nightwolf]

I personally prefer films that have a proper story to them, hannibal and things like that, not completely gory or infact horror/scary, but definately quite creepy.

 

Saw just annoys me most of the time, other gore films/horror I tend to laugh at..

[MoogleViper]

I have to give G. del Toro's team some credit:

 

 

Really? I have the film on DVD and think it's great but that thing just looks ugly.

 

To be honest I don't think I can find things that look scary (except maybe wtftit *shudders*). It's more about the thoughts that it conjures up. That's why I find Blair Witch Project scary and not some gore filled film with barely any storyline.

[Paj!]

I have to give G. del Toro's team some credit:

 

 

FUCK!

 

How could I forget?! (Probably because i've lent it to a friend, so didn't see the Pan's Labyrinth DVD in my pile as I wrote that post)

 

Though it sounds like a complete lie, I remember thinking that it was one of the best creature designs EVER. And genuinely chilling!

[Jamba]

Well I found it scary because it seemed very unnatural and generally unsettling. On top of that it's finger and teeth and nails were all stained with blood making it seem like a monster that really did eat human flesh all the time, something which no other monster has done. On top of which, you have that whole old person flaps of skin... truely creepy.

[Monopolyman]

Horror films suck these days because, to put it quite simply, it's all been done before. I can't really think of an original idea film-makers can use to create a modern horror classic. It also doesn't help that horror movies these days are produced simply to make a quick buck; or the growing negativity of the media making it harder to synthesize with the protagonist.

 

 

Anyway, I agree that some of the scariest films aren't even really horror films. The last film I saw that really creeped me out was this German film called Das Experiment, which is based on the Stansfield experiment from several years ago. It was the decay of humanity and corruption of power which scared me in this film, rather than any cheap shocks.

 

That said, I watched The Exorsist recently, and that girl coming down the stairs made me jump a mile high.

[Cube]

I have to give G. del Toro's team some credit:

 

 

Pan's Labyrinth was a horror film???

[Jamba]

Not as such but it has horror elements and I was posting that as a reply to Paj's comment about monster design.

[Ninty 182]

I've never found a horror film scary. There are moment when like a loud bang can make me jump but that's not being scared.

 

However, suprisingly, the book of The Shining I actually found scary. I felt the hairs on my back stand up and just felt pretty creeped out. The film was a massive let down.

[ReZourceman]

The Blair Witch Project is one of my favourite, if not in fact (and yeah probably) my favourite horror movie. IMO its a master piece.

 

The end scene is the creepiest thing in the world.

[DomJcg]

But you see nothing ._.

[Slaggis]

The Blair Witch Project is one of my favourite, if not in fact (and yeah probably) my favourite horror movie. IMO its a master piece.

 

The end scene is the creepiest thing in the world.

 

The end scene scared the living shit out of me. The rest was a little rubbish, but that last scene, Jeez.

 

Dom, thats a good thing. More films should do that. Come on, not seeing what's there is the scary part. Your imagination takes over, and you think of the worst possible thing - but that thing being individual to each person.

 

--

 

Horror films = Funnest move genre when done right. Isn't being scared just the best feeling? I was with some mates at a party, when we decided to go out for a bit. One of the guys ran down the road ahead of us into the village church yard. I've never screamed so much in my life. Walking into a church, in the pitch black and hearing scratching noises but not being able to see more than 10 feet infront of me. I love the adrenaline rush, but since I was younger, I've never had a horror film give me one.

 

Realistically, are there actually any scary horror movies?

[DomJcg]

The end scene scared the living shit out of me. The rest was a little rubbish, but that last scene, Jeez.

 

Dom, thats a good thing. More films should do that. Come on, not seeing what's there is the scary part. Your imagination takes over, and you think of the worst possible thing - but that thing being individual to each person.

 

--

 

Realistically, are there actually any scary horror movies?

 

All i got was, a brownish skinned man with big teeth/a greyish ghosty

 

oh and the mothman prophecies, i'm always scared by the tall orange glowy man o_o