FAVORITE SCARY MOVIES :)

[cheerchick23]

what's your favorite horror flick?

for whatever reason

it could be because it gave you mind-numbing chills, and you couldn't sleep for weeks....
or because of the beautiful cinematography....
or because of a deeper meaning that left you thinking....
or because it was just so completely terrible that you keeled over laughing !!!



some of my recent favorites....

i love the SAW series, because it's not the typical horror film (i mean, it is in some respects... blood and guts and creepy situations, etc) but the premise is so different than most. it's not a mindless psychopath out to murder random bimbos, or a ghosty presence wreaking havoc in ironically peaceful suburbia.... i love the idea of the slightly twisted but essentially good-natured genius Jigsaw, setting up elaborately horrifying traps and situations meant, in essence, to test--not kill--the victims in order to better their lives in the end. the idea of a "serial killer" who never literally kills. hmm. (and also, the graphics, gore and traps are just classic. horrifically beautiful and visually enticing. these movies might push some over the edge... i'll admit the grossout factor is pretty outstanding... but i just love that stuff haha i know, i'm weird)

the ring was a good jumpy movie, with an awesome storyline and some cool twists way creepy

the strangers.... i love the blunt, un-cliche-ness of this movie. it's hard to say "it's okay, it's only a movie" to this one. the idea of being murdered is scary enough, but most movies cushion it with the assurance of being safe because you haven't wronged a psychopath.... you aren't alone in a dark alley... you aren't possessed by satan..... the strangers is a nice freaky film because it gives the idea that you can be murdered out of pure coincidence. just "because you were home"

the others: love it because of the sheer suspense and confusion! the twist in the end was awesome!!




share your thoughts, fellow TC'ers..... your terrifying, gut wrenching, skin-crawling, night light-seeking, scream wielding thoughts.

 

[disregard]

The Shining

 

[ed111]

I'm not sure if you'd class it as horror, but it's certainly one of the most frightening and disturbing films I've ever seen:

Ghosts... of the Civil Dead (1988)

From IMDB:

"As other reviewers have all said, this film by John Hillcoat, is extremely disturbing and scary portrait of society and prison. The film is located in maximum security modern prison in which all the most dangerous criminals and psychopaths are locked in. There are no "heroic" characters and everyone is bad and rotten inside. They who want to get rid of it, commit a suicide and thus get a peace to their soul. Very pessimistic and provoking cinema, and should be seen by all politicians and "leaders."

The film portrays a society in its collapsing point in which government's attempts to turn things into better fail miserably, and nobody heals in this sick and mean spirited world we live in. There is a need for violence and violation, but nobody knows why. It feels good to kill someone and kick others to pieces. The wicked core of human nature should be exterminated but it is not possible, because the "good" are actually as bad inside as the people behind the bars. The wardens are no better than the inmates and no one is safe in the prison. The theme of Ghosts..is wickedness and total depravity which seems not to have any limits. The sadistic events in the prison in the name of justice only give new reasons for violence and mayhem. The last image of the film tells it all, and is very frightening. A man is now ready to return to society as a healed criminal....or maybe not.

Nick Cave plays here one of the most evil and dangerous devils ever captured on film. He is total psychopath who has no motivations or reasons, only rage, anger and need for blood (even his own.) It is scary to see this kind of characters in film, because we look at the mirror while seeing the film. This really happens and exists and the character of Cave can be seen also as a symbol to be interpreted.

Very frightening "prison" movie and pessimistic nihilism. So don't try to watch if you prefer nice and entertaining movies. Demanding cinema and won't leave the viewer alone very easily."

 

[Accept]

Closetland, Conspiracy, the Hannibal Lector series, and to a lesser extent, based on the ending, Joe. The scary movie genre will often startle, but most will lack the plausible reality able to frighten. Seems likely the Saw series could be added to the list, but they'll have to wait until I can't think of anything better to watch.

 

[Lasting_Pain]

American Psycho is hands down one of the best scariest movies.

 

[kyuuei]

Silent Hill is an old favorite of mine. I was scared, as a kid, of people under the stairs, even though that wasn't exactly a scary movie.

I LOVED the shining!!

I'm going to have to watch the strangers now that this occurred.. but I LOVE scary movies that leave you feeling vulnerable in the end. Because that's what it's all about.

I have high hopes for The Haunting in Connecticut or whatever it is. Quarantine I thought was an okay more realistic approach to the zombie movies.. Dawn of the Dead rocked I thought.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose was a good one as well. I liked the Ring, and I liked the Grudge because they introduced a sort of new way of being creepy and scary.

 

[Lasting_Pain]

Quarantine

Was a horrible movie. Angela Vidal needs to stick to playing Debra Morgan.

 

[Moiety]

I don't generally like horror movies for the same reason I don't generally like action movies - the plot is usually not the main draw.

Plus, either the movie genuinely makes me feel uneasy or it fails completely and has little else to offer. Either way, I don't see the point.

That being said, if a movie like American Psycho qualifies then I love a bunch of scary movies.

 

[BerberElla]

The Shining

Yup, add to that for me:

The Omen (original version)
Nightmare on elm street (lol come on now, who wasn't a little afraid to go to sleep after? )


Right now I honestly can't think of any other movies that scared me enough to be called my favourite scary movie because I was young when I watched the above 3 and films haven't been able to scare me for a long time.

 

[Lasting_Pain]

I don't generally like horror movies for the same reason I don't generally like action movies - the plot is usually not the main draw.

Plus, either the movie genuinely makes me feel uneasy or it fails completely and has little else to offer. Either way, I don't see the point.

That being said, if a movie like American Psycho qualifies then I love a bunch of scary movies.

What, American Psycho isn't a horror flick?

 

[cheerchick23]

ha i rented Quarantine today because i thought eh, what the heck

i'm interested... i'm guessing i'll find it to be a typical jumpy zombie movie. i'll tell ya what i think.

all of you commenting on american psycho are makin me want to watch it!

ohhh man i love scary movies. why do you think we like them so much? (for those of you who do) hmm.

 

[Moiety]

What, American Psycho isn't a horror flick?

Well it isn't overtly about scaring the hell out of you, I'd say. SPOILERS -> There's the chainsaw scene and not much else. And even that I don't know if I'd classify as scary.

 

[Qre:us]

Silent Hill is an old favorite of mine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Hill_(film) <-- this one? Old favourite?
The only memorable scene from that was one where it looked like the remake of Michael Jackson's Thriller video. (hence, turned into a comedy)

(I tried to see if I could find that scene in the movie - and lo and behold, others have had the same thread of thought). Haha.

YouTube - Silent Hill - Triller (COMEDY)

______________________________________________________

Ever since I was a kid, I was a huge fan of slasher films. IMO, the scariest movies are ones where gore is not the only objective, but, getting into the psyche (deep inside), and an amazing tension using music score works incredibly. Not just the unsuspecting, jump factor, but, seeding into the psychology of fear....

Most of them are old (nowadays, it's just about the special effect & jump-factor, no real psychology to the story):

- Dawn of the Dead (if you want gore, you got gore in spades)
- Psycho (classic)
- Rosemary's Baby (this is true psychological horror, not one single scene with 'gore'...and the whole movie is about tension build-up)
- Suspiria (a legend in horror flicks, by an Italian director - this is the perfect example of what a musical score can do for a horror flick, amazing cinematography as well, esp. with the colour contrasts)
- The Haunting
- The Exorcist (of course)
- The Shining, The Omen (as mentioned earlier)
- Jaws, Aracnophobia (not ghosts or ghouls or human killers)
- The Silence of the Lambs
(Hannibal Lector is one of the best characters to have been imagined - apparently he was partly inspired by Albert Fish {mm, delicious}):
Albert Fish - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- The Amityville Horror (apparently based on 'real life')
- slasher genre, aka, fluff horror (Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Dolls[better than Chucky..way better])
- The Thing
- The Fly (quite disgusting)

***
Newer ones:
Ju-on (the japanese [way better] original of The Grudge)
The Others
The Ring (meh, passable)

****
And, rumoured as the oldest horror flick (for those die hard horror cinema fanatics):
- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1921)
..and close second, imo,

Nosferatu (1922) - Dracula enters our silver screen for the first time.

 

[Qre:us]

ha i rented Quarantine today because i thought eh, what the heck

i'm interested... i'm guessing i'll find it to be a typical jumpy zombie movie. i'll tell ya what i think.

Try the original as well, on which Quarantine sleeping was based on. It's a spanish flim, REC.

Nowadays, Hollywood remake of horror films is sorely lacking in quality - they're missing the craft of horror making.

(I should stop: I take horror films quite personally/seriously.)

 

[kyuuei]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Hill_(film) <-- this one?

- Rosemary's Baby (this is true psychological horror, not one single scene with 'gore'...and the whole movie is about tension build-up)

- The Haunting
- The Exorcist (of course)
- Jaws, Aracnophobia (not ghosts or ghouls or human killers)
- The Silence of the Lambs
- The Amityville Horror (apparently based on 'real life')

***
Newer ones:
Ju-on (the japanese [way better] original of The Grudge)
The Others
The Ring (meh, passable)

****
And, rumoured as the oldest horror flick (for those die hard horror cinema fanatics):
- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1921)
..and close second, imo,

Nosferatu (1922) - Dracula enters our silver screen for the first time.

Wonderful list you made there!! I TOTALLY forgot about some of the ones I left up there.. I was freaked out for a good while when Arachnophobia came out. Jaws was a classic scary movie.

I also though Cape Fear (I believe is the name) was a scary one! It was really realistic to me.

I'll have to check out Rosemary's Baby. And I liked The Others.. I thought it was a well done scary thriller.

 

[kiddykat]

As kids, my cousin and I used to go to the restroom and play Bloody Mary after watching the Exorcist. That movie still scares me a bit. My all time favorite scary movie is "Night of the Living Dead."

When I was 8-is, I'd get so SCARED just looking at the zombies..

Now, when I watch it, I fall over laughing at how silly it was.

Oh, Halloween Movies, Freddy Kruger, Chuckee, and for some reason, Fantasia really freaked me out when I was young as well..

 

[Blackmail!]

- The Thing

Very good choice.

I would have picked this one. There's a deeper meaning to this story, and yes, it delves into our most intimate fears. Xenophobia as well as homophobia (Fear of others, and fear of the same), and many more... It deals with identity.
It raises a lot of questions in fact, and I'm still haunted by them, more than two decades after seeing this movie.

But despite this brilliant exception, I'm not a great fan of horror movies.

 

[Blackmail!]

Also, Jacob's ladder (1990) has sometimes been considered as a horror movie. But I don't think so, it's rather a philosophical tale. Anyway, the story is very complex and interesting, especially in the way it is shown and narrated.

Lot of hidden clues.

 

[Qre:us]

Very good choice.

I would have picked this one. There's a deeper meaning to this story, and yes, it delves into our most intimate fears. Xenophobia as well as homophobia (Fear of others, and fear of the same), and many more... It deals with identity.
It raises a lot of questions in fact, and I'm still haunted by them, more than two decades after seeing this movie.

But despite this brilliant exception, I'm not a great fan of horror movies.

I like it for a couple of reasons:
1) It's a really good blend of sci-fi and horror (imo, better than Alien)
2) It's a mystery as well....which of them is "the thing"? (who-done-it)
3) Carpenter's visionary special effects rawks my socks! It's like, if you truly want to make a horror film sell on its special effect, this is the golden standard
4) Quite disgusting scenes (mmmm)
5) Characters are understated and believable, esp. Kurt R's character (he was not portrayed as a 'hero' even though he was the main character - I liked that)
6) Not a single woman in the setting/film
7) the isolation/setting of the film creates just the right undertone
8) I can see your line of thinking regarding the psychology of the movie, the Xenophilia (of course)....never really thought of that way (thanks!)....another layer to this movie! I might dig this up and rewatch again.

***
As an aside: why don't you like horror flicks?

Also, Jacob's ladder (1990)

Never seen it/heard of it....shall now have to check it out!

 

[Blackmail!]

Never seen it/heard of it....shall now have to check it out!

Well, you could be surprised.

To fully understand the movie, you might need to see it twice. Again, lot of hidden clues, symbols and metaphors.