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Good Horror Movies

Started by Hank Venture, August 19, 2013, 11:37:32 PM

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Quote from: Johnny Townmouse on September 03, 2013, 01:09:23 AM
When the moment comes (the freeze-frame of Brandon Lee as The Crow with Kiss make-up in the swimming pool?) it really is a lol moment. It actually manages to create quite an unnerving tone up to that point.

That moment comes before the 30-minute mark, doesn't it?

I actually thought it was ending quite well, but then the very last moment in the film is a jump scare with Bagulio leaping out and shoving his face into the camera, like an adult scaring a child with a Halloween mask, which just made me sigh. Every time he appears it completely sinks the film.

Hank Venture

Quote from: Shameless Custard on September 03, 2013, 10:37:17 AM
Hank Venture, I don't mean this sarcastically or snidely, but would you might explaining what you found great about The Conjuring?

It was scary, I thought. Decent jump scares, even though I'm not really a fan of that. And they managed to build a scary atmosphere, much more so than other horror movies I've seen. That's it, really.

Johnny Townmouse

Quote from: Default to the negative on September 07, 2013, 09:42:43 AM
That moment comes before the 30-minute mark, doesn't it?

I actually thought it was ending quite well, but then the very last moment in the film is a jump scare with Bagulio leaping out and shoving his face into the camera, like an adult scaring a child with a Halloween mask, which just made me sigh. Every time he appears it completely sinks the film.

Yeah, I think the first act is good. There is something creepy about video, film or audio footage (Ringu, 8mm and Session 9 respectively) and it sets up the tension well. That moment with the Kiss fan in the swimming pool is it. It's a "oh no, it's going to be one of these films" moment.

BlodwynPig

The Navidson Record in House of Leaves shows how "found footage" can be scary as fuck even in literary form.

Lee Van Cleef

It may have been mentioned but I'm not going through the entire thread to find out. One of my favourites, and my favourite Hammer film, is The Plague of Zombies. Really cool slow-burner that feels less kitsch than a lot of hammer efforts.

Oh, and the best Argento is Profondo Rosso, but that's more a violent thriller than horror.

BlodwynPig

That reminds me, I still have Suspiria in the cellophane. *peels cellophane*

Mini

My Little Eye is a good little low-budget horror film. There's a brief appearance from a young Bradley Cooper, but don't let that put you off.

Noodle Lizard

Quote from: Mini on September 08, 2013, 02:32:05 AM
My Little Eye is a good little low-budget horror film.

Oh yeah, that is quite good.  Thanks, that'll give me something to watch tonight[nb]I've been on a binge of rewatching stuff I haven't seen or thought about in ages, what the fuck are you going to do about it?[/nb].

Jawaka

Quote from: Ignatius_S on September 02, 2013, 03:02:58 PM
Nope, I'm afraid I loathed it. The idea that we have a bunch of reprehensible killers, who have tortured and murdered scores of young women and we witness terrorising a small group of people, but who then we're meant to root for, when a sheriff insane with grief begins to err... murders one of them and begins to torture the others, is a concept that escapes me.

Then again, I'm not the target audience for the film I felt it's all meant to be found very amusing. When the character gets run of by the lorry (after experiencing God only knows what horror and sexual violence), a friend said 'Shit, I was really hoping she was going to survive,' I turned to him and replied, 'Paul, it ain't that kind of film.'

I'm a big fan of Geoffrey Lewis and was just shaking my head that he had to appear in something as awful as this. The closing scene set to Free Bird is remarkable.

The only Zombie film I've seen since then was the first party of his Halloween reboot. This was against my better judgement, but wanted to see it because I like Malcolm McDowell. The first time I thought it was rather a stinker, but the odd decent performance (plus, it had Brad Dourif, who I also like) – however, the second time, my impressions weren't as positive and I couldn't finish watching it. Don't think I could bring myself to watch another Zombie film, now.

The Free Bird bit does stand out, I assume you meant in a good way despite hating the film. It's got the feel of a 70's horror/killer movie and I think for that reason alone it's intended to be amusing (Most examples in that style, remake or not usually are I reckon). House of 1000 Corpses is also meant to be amusing, but in a more obvious way. It's kinda campy I suppose, and closer to say.. a 50's horror perhaps? I get what you mean about the plot, I guess it was just about doing something other than the usual revenge style film.

Halloween was alright, I'd probably watch it again if it was on TV but wouldn't go out of my way to do so. Didn't see the remake that came after, not sure if he was involved in that one.

I've since watched The Lords of Salem. Different kind of film, again. Filming style felt like A Clockwork Orange, or maybe even Rosemary's Baby. Lots of imagery, and this things like this http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HY3wNpUCnDk/UHOAb8ykq9I/AAAAAAAANjw/wMy6LBXpdIg/s1600/foto-the-lords-of-salem-9-019.jpg Think it needs another watch to be honest, wasn't really expecting much but it was just a bit dull in places. Lots of bits didn't make sense to me either. Design of things, like in the link above was good.
Spoiler alert
I think it was that that had long fleshy arms which stretched out, why, I don't know.
[close]

Quote from: SteveDave on September 02, 2013, 03:53:36 PM
Was I alone in liking the remake of The Hills Have Eyes?

Mentioned it a couple of pages back, I think it's better than the original. I've still yet to look into whether the copy of the original I have is cut or not, it certainly feels that way. The Hills Have Eyes 2 was on last night, that one isn't so great.

James Christopher

The Tunnel Movie (2011)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1735485/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
I have a real soft spot for found footage horror movies, though I'm aware some people find them infuriating. This one features strange goings on in some abandoned tunnels under Sydney. Some really scary moments for me, though gets a bit silly towards the end. The makers made it available for free download too. http://vodo.net/thetunnel

Let's Scare Jessica To Death (1971)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067341/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1
This is something of a forgotten classic, imo, and one I recommend as often as possible. It's very beautiful and lyrical, and genuinely creepy. Not easy to find though, only on Region 1.

Oh hang on - the whole bloody thing's on Youtube! Nice print too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOWhNcK-4cs

Famous Mortimer

Quote from: James Christopher on September 18, 2013, 01:33:39 PM
The Tunnel Movie (2011)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1735485/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
I have a real soft spot for found footage horror movies, though I'm aware some people find them infuriating. This one features strange goings on in some abandoned tunnels under Sydney. Some really scary moments for me, though gets a bit silly towards the end. The makers made it available for free download too. http://vodo.net/thetunnel
It was a nice idea, I thought, but silly is definitely the word for how it gets towards the end. Watch "Raw Meat" instead, which is a stone-cold classic.

Mildly Diverting

Hope it hasn't already been mentioned, but 'Les Diaboliques' has to be up there as one of the top brown trouser movies ever. And Vera Clouzot's in it. Terror and sexy French lady - what more do you need?

billtheburger

Quote from: Mildly Diverting on September 18, 2013, 02:49:41 PM
Hope it hasn't already been mentioned, but 'Les Diaboliques' has to be up there as one of the top brown trouser movies ever. And Vera Clouzot's in it. Terror and sexy French lady - what more do you need?
To see Vera's clouzot

James Christopher

Quote from: Famous Mortimer
It was a nice idea, I thought, but silly is definitely the word for how it gets towards the end. Watch "Raw Meat" instead, which is a stone-cold classic.

Oh, Death Line / Raw Meat is an absolute classic, no doubt. Was just recommending a couple of titles that I don't often see in such lists! Sherman's later Dead & Buried is one of the better video nasties too. Horrible scene on the beach. Not a patch on Death Line though.

Bad Ambassador

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on September 18, 2013, 02:40:52 PM
It was a nice idea, I thought, but silly is definitely the word for how it gets towards the end. Watch "Raw Meat" instead, which is a stone-cold classic.

Better known as Death Line, but yes. It's an unsung classic.

holyzombiejesus

Funny you should mention Death Line, as I was just listening to the soundtrack last night. The composer, Wil Malone, also recorded a solo LP in 1970 but this looks like far more fun...


Ignatius_S

Quote from: Mildly Diverting on September 18, 2013, 02:49:41 PM
Hope it hasn't already been mentioned, but 'Les Diaboliques' has to be up there as one of the top brown trouser movies ever. And Vera Clouzot's in it. Terror and sexy French lady - what more do you need?

And it even influenced Columbo!

Incidentally, BBC Two once had a series of short (5-10 minute) of programmes, which had a different person talking about a beloved film and a particular scene. In one, Denis Healey picked Les Diaboliques - 'good choice' I thought, but they went on to show the one scene that you really don't want to see if you haven't watched the film before... unless you want it ruined.

futon

John Dies at the End (trailer has minor spoilers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ot7kFjUcrs ) is a fair enough self-consciously pulp effort. The second half of the film doesn't quite live up to the promise of the first half and the intriguing philosophical conundrum at the start (a zombie horror re-posing of Hume's broom[nb]see, for example, http://www.speakeasy.org/~dr_gary/POB/Hume&Broom/Right%20Frame.htm[/nb]) either falls by the wayside or the film's treatment of it is too subtle for me. But on the plus side: great performances from Paul Giamatti and Clancy Brown in supporting roles, some suitably grisly prosthetics, neat editing and exposition and plenty of narrative turns. Yep, not too bad.

Famous Mortimer

Quote from: Bad Ambassador on September 19, 2013, 01:04:41 PM
Better known as Death Line, but yes. It's an unsung classic.
Which caused me problems when I was trying to find it (I think it was Edgar Wright doing an article about 10 unsung horror classics last Halloween that got me interested in seeing it).

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on September 27, 2013, 08:57:13 AM
Which caused me problems when I was trying to find it (I think it was Edgar Wright doing an article about 10 unsung horror classics last Halloween that got me interested in seeing it).

Yeah, I believe they changed it to 'Raw Meat' for American Distribution.

Famous Mortimer

It's one of those films that I was praying had a decent DVD release somewhere, but the only version of it I could find was one of those that lists "scene selection" as its only special feature.

holyzombiejesus

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on September 27, 2013, 10:25:46 AM
It's one of those films that I was praying had a decent DVD release somewhere, but the only version of it I could find was one of those that lists "scene selection" as its only special feature.

No 'Interactive Menu'?

Moribunderast

Been back in a horror phase of late, trawling the 'net for recommendations for good (semi-recent, preferably) films. Yesterday I watched Mexican film, Somos Lo Que Hay, which was interesting, if very grim. It's about a family struggling to continue their rituals after the patriarch passes away. I feel like the film would be better if the subject matter weren't spoiled. Unfortunately there's a bold review excerpt on the front cover:
Spoiler alert
A Cannibal gore-fest!
[close]
which ruined the mystery surrounding the ritual leading up to it's reveal. At times, the film reminded me of Spoorloos/The Vanishing, with a pitch black comedic touch peering out from the serious subject matter. Being that it's a non-English language film, it's already been remade. The remake is titled We Are What We Are and I'll probably give it a go, just because it's directed by the bloke that made Stakeland, which I rather enjoyed.

Today I viewed Jug Face, a charmingly-titled low budget thing by a first-time director. Early on I was thinking "This film reminds me of The Woman", then I realised it stars the lass who played the daughter and the guy who played the father in that film. Apparently the soundtrack was done by the same musician too, yet the film's director/writer appears to have nothing to do with Lucky McKee, which is a bit odd. I really enjoyed this film, though it has it's flaws. Some of the acting is a bit silly and I'm not sure it knew how to end, but the premise itself
Spoiler alert
A town of people who worship a pit that periodically requires sacrifices
[close]
is a fun one and the central performances (from The Woman stars) and soundtrack were both very nice.

I'd probably class both those movies as merely "Good" but Jug Face is the kind of thing I really enjoy.

Somos Lo Que Hay is quite an interesting one, though it's so grim and relentless I haven't wanted to watch it again.  The idea seems to be to depict the horrors in question in a way that's real and human, which it more or less does, and it makes some fairly astute points about problems in Mexican society too.

I watched Pin the other day on Netflix (they have a few gems amid a lot of crap). I liked it, Terry O'Quinn's good.

Trailer for Wolf Creek 2.
I thought the first one was a bit shit, with the exception of whenever John Jarratt was on screen. The protagonists were so underwritten and so dislikable that when they contrasted it with the villain who had a sense of humour and chewed the scenery, you just kinda wanted to root for him instead, and then the rest of the movie lost all tension.
Plus I didn't like how it devolved into that tortureporn either. Just not a real fan of the genre.

This looks far more ludicrous than the original. At least they've still got John Jaratt though, though he's REALLY playing up the Ocka Aussie thing with this, more so than ever. Must be trying to give it more international appeal. A Crocodile Dundee murderporn.


Custard

Watched Halloween III the other night. Now there's a fun, underrated 'orror

Has sod all to do with the other Halloween films, but pretty good

Paaaaul

Quote from: Shameless Custard on October 21, 2013, 09:18:30 PM
Watched Halloween III the other night. Now there's a fun, underrated 'orror

Has sod all to do with the other Halloween films, but pretty good
John Carpenter was fed up of the Halloween films, and Halloween 3 was meant to be the first in a series of unrelated horror films released each year under the Halloween banner.  It tanked so they went back to Mike Myers.  I prefer 3 to the rest of 'em.

Custard

Ah thanks, that's interesting. Didn't know that

I thought they just slapped the Halloween franchise name on it to get more interest!

Mini

I watched Halloween II recently, which beyond one decent kill has nothing going for it.