Because it's October...

[booktigger]

Ooh, i do like a good horror film, but finding one is hard. I have loads, cos I keep trying to find one that will scare me and not succeeding!! I do like the Japanese version of the Ring, and I first watched it alone at home, and 10 mins after it ended, my friend rang - that scared me!! Some of the ones mentioned on here, I would love to see, but trying to get hold of decent old horror movies seems really hard.

 

[lookingglass]

Originally Posted by booktigger

Ooh, i do like a good horror film, but finding one is hard. I have loads, cos I keep trying to find one that will scare me and not succeeding!! I do like the Japanese version of the Ring, and I first watched it alone at home, and 10 mins after it ended, my friend rang - that scared me!! Some of the ones mentioned on here, I would love to see, but trying to get hold of decent old horror movies seems really hard.

Behold the wonderful world of Netflicks!
www.netflicks.com

That is how we get our movies at home.

EDIT: Okay, so I just realized you are in the UK. There has to be some sort of Netflicks deal in your country.

 

[booktigger]

WE have similar things in the UK, but i dont want to be tied back into DVD rental again, I dont often have time to watch films these days. I have a site that lets me watch TV shows and movies for free, will have to trawl through that and see if I can find some decent stuff.

 

[lookingglass]

8. The Wolf Man (1941)
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Wol...86?trkid=90529
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034398/

When DH and I were watching this we came to agreement about it. The movie itself isn't scary. The situation is. Even if Larry (Lon Chaney Jr.) is honest about what he is going through people are going to kill him. He becomes totally alone and unable to obtain help of any kind. When the movie ended I almost cried. A father was forced to kill his son.

Is this movie scary? Yes, in a very dark way. Who should see this movie? Everyone. It's a classic for a very good reason.

 

[lookingglass]

9. Peeping Tom (1960)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054167/
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Peeping...69?trkid=90529

It has been said that Peeping Tom is a British version of Psycho, and is a master piece of the UK's horror genera in the 1960's. Because I've studied film and it's many different layers I can say that I agree with this, but only part way. To understand why Peeping Tom is so scary it depends that the audience is aware of so many different things that a modern audience wouldn't get it. One must understand: Fritz Lang's M, Freud's version of the Oedipus complex, the fact that the script was written by a World War II code breaker there for making much of what the actors are saying have double meanings and double intent, and the early forms of Feminism and how they are constructed in a late 1950's Britten. Take that and stir. Now shake it. Now add a monochromatic color scheme that changes half way through the film. Serve.

Must I remind you that it was a Sunday night and I had already had a glass of wine!

Needless to say it was a good film, but it really isn't something that one should rent for a straight forward enjoyment.

BTW: It's scary. Sort of.

 

[lookingglass]

10. Sean of the Dead (2004)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365748/

If you've ever seen Night of the Living Dead or any other George Romero zombie movies you'll love this one. To be honest this is horror comedy at it's finest. I think the best part of the film is where the two main characters break out their record collection to throw at the zombies. Each record is mulled over and discussed before it's tossed. It also has a nice happy ending.

11. Werewolf of London (1935)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027194/
Not as good as the Lon Cheny movies, and also not nearly as scary. It's a comment on the British class structure, and it doesn't work too well. Everyone seems to get away with what ever they want and then we are supposed to feel sad in the end.

 

[lookingglass]

12 Re-Animator (1985)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089885/

I'm all for a movie taking an idea and running with it. Especially a horror movie. I'm okay with the fact that it took The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052646/ and brought it over the top. I'm also okay with the fact that the movie decided to shift bad guys on more than one occasion. I'm also okay with the over the top blood and guts. However, I draw the line at naked zombies. Not just ANY naked zombies. Out of shape naked zombies.

Also, if a movie is going to have a body that carries around it's own head as it's main bad guy THE HEAD CAN'T TALK!!!!!! It is not connected to any air supply system and therefor can't speak.

Not that scary. It was more a frustrating rip off of 1950's monster movies with some bad naked zombies.

 

[lookingglass]

13. Ginger Snaps (2000)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210070/

I'm not going to recommend this movie to any sort of animal lover at all. However, I am going to write a full review of it for my friends, so if anyone wants it feel free to PM me.

 

[lunasmom]

Hmmm...I just read the synapsis and it reminds me of an X-Files episode.

I swear they made an episode very similar to this plot.

 

[lookingglass]

Originally Posted by lunasmom

Hmmm...I just read the synapsis and it reminds me of an X-Files episode.

I swear they made an episode very similar to this plot.

It's a Buffy and X-Files episode mixed together.

 

[laureen227]

Originally Posted by lookingglass

It's a Buffy and X-Files episode mixed together.

i don't think so... i've seen every episode of both of these, & this doesn't sound familiar to me.
now, it could easily become an episode in either series, altho i think it would play better in the Buffy universe.

 

[lookingglass]

Originally Posted by laureen227

i don't think so... i've seen every episode of both of these, & this doesn't sound familiar to me.
now, it could easily become an episode in either series, altho i think it would play better in the Buffy universe.

In all honesty, Buffy did the Werewolf better than Gingersnaps. Oz was such a good figure in that show, and this movie didn't really do that type of monster justice.

 

[lookingglass]

13. Freaks (1932)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022913/

Freaks is one of my all time favorite movies, because it makes me think. Let me give you some background. This film is set in the behind the scenes world of a carnival side show. A little person, Hans, falls in love with a trapeze artist, Cleopatra, who is greedy and down right evil. The only reason she wants to marry him is for his money. At their wedding she breaks down and calls them all freaks. After she tries to poison Hans and he and his friends find out about it. I'll stop there, because the ending scene in this film is one of the most shocking I've ever seen.

This film has had it's share of critics. At the outside it looks like flat out exploitation of people with physical deformities. Once one digs a little deeper it brings out really uncomfortable questions. The central one being, "Who is the real freak?" Is it the man who can roll, light, and smoke his own cigarette with out the benefit of arms and legs? Or, is it the "normal" person who doesn't understand the concept of family and love?

When it comes down to it this is a one of a kind film. It would never be made today. All in all, I'd advise anyone to watch it. It stays with you and is enjoyable on so many different levels.

 

[lookingglass]

We did part of our marathon last night, so movies may come in twos and threes now.

14. Death Proof (2007)-
http://imdb.com/title/tt1028528/

Okay so it wasn't a horror movie, but it was great none the less. I'm a huge Quentin Tarantino fan, and this movie hit all the right spots for me. However, it is very dialog driven. If you've ever seen Reservoir Dogs (1992) and liked the opening scene about Madonna then you should like the way the movie works. Also, the stunt person who assisted Uma Thurman in Kill Bill (2003) does all of her own stunts and is jaw dropping amazing. For a good 20 minutes of the movie she's on the hood of a car as it seems to fly down a highway.

15. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0087800/

Goodness I've seen this movie over 20 times and it's still scary. Now, this is not a film for the people who don't like the monster popping out and giving a good scare, but if you do and you've never seen it what are you waiting for?

16. Scream (1996)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0117571/

The movie that brought back the horror genera from the dead. In the early 1990's Hollywood wouldn't touch the horror film and left it to fun cheese factories like Troma. It took Wes Craven to come back with a brand new look at it. He also uses every single horror movie device possible. The red herring, pop out and scare you monsters, a cheating mother, and finally an intelligent girl that isn't willing to die just because she's broken the rules. If you like horror films this one is good on so many levels. It's also laugh out loud funny.

 

[uesugi]

I actually liked Ginger Snaps quite a lot. The third movie in the series... the one that takes place in a frontier fort in the past was also surprisingly good.

Last night I watched Ingmar Bergman's The Hour of the Wolf. (Not a werewolf movie.

This is Bergman's only "horror" film though it's not really scary, however there are a few odd or uncanny moments here and there that make it worth watching in October. As with most of his movies, it's artsy and a bit avant-garde, so it's not for everyone.

It's the story of a painter troubled with nightmares. He and his wife move to a bleak remote island so he can recover. He shares his nightmares with her and soon she's caught up in his psychosis as well.

 

[lookingglass]

Originally Posted by Uesugi

I actually liked Ginger Snaps quite a lot. The third movie in the series... the one that takes place in a frontier fort in the past was also surprisingly good.

Last night I watched Ingmar Bergman's The Hour of the Wolf. (Not a werewolf movie.

This is Bergman's only "horror" film though it's not really scary, however there are a few odd or uncanny moments here and there that make it worth watching in October. As with most of his movies, it's artsy and a bit avant-garde, so it's not for everyone.

It's the story of a painter troubled with nightmares. He and his wife move to a bleak remote island so he can recover. He shares his nightmares with her and soon she's caught up in his psychosis as well.

Really? You liked Ginger Snaps? Lets put it this way I didn't hate it, but I wasn't all that thrilled about it either.

I'll take a good look at that Bergman picture. I really like him.

 

[uesugi]

I'll probably never watch it again, but I did like the sister relationship and the werewolf/puberty thing, though it was a bit overblown. I was also impressed that a werewolf movie didn't completely suck, since for a while they have been...

Now what do I watch tonight? Still trying to decide.

 

[lookingglass]

17. The Devil's Backbone (2001)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0256009/

Guillermo del Toro is becoming one of the greatest directors of our generation. This is determined on several factors. His films should be Spanish language, they should be of the setting of his choosing, and he needs to have a heavy hand in the way the script works. The Devil's Backbone is amazing, and one can see where he is setting the ground work for future films like Pan's Labyrinth (2006). Now, is this a horror movie? In a way it is. But, it's not the supernatural elements that are scary. In fact, they assist the characters more than they harm. It's a great film. Just trust me on this one.

18. Seventh Victim / Shadows in the Dark (1943)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036341/

This film begs the question. Can one make a low budget film in 18 days with unknown actors and a silly title and have it still be scary? The answer to that question is yes. This film is laying the ground work for other horror classics like Psycho (1960) and Rosemary's Baby (1968). It is the classic "peeling the onion" story. We start out at the edge of the film and keep pulling back and back and back and back. At the end are we going to like what we see? Rent it and check it out.

 

[lookingglass]

19. Dementia 13 (1963)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056983/

I have often said that if you want to see how good a director is going to be you need to go back and see his 1st film, or see his student work. Francis Ford Coppola is no different. One is able to see the budding director work out the kinks in his shooting and his character work. This film is good to see from that perspective, but if you are looking for a scary, "Oh my Gosh I can't wait to see this!" movie, skip it. The only reason that I saw it is because it's part of a box set that includes: Nosferatu, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Night of the Living Dead, House on Haunted Hill, The Last Man on Earth and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. (It's only $18.00 at Best Buy! What a fantastic value!!!)

Today is our marathon. I may be updating though out the day. Tomorrow was start "So bad it's good!". I'm getting really excited about that.

 

[lookingglass]

20. The Exorcist (1973).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070047/

Sweet Fancy Moses this movie is scary. It gives me nightmares every single time I watch it. I'd like to give you the short reasoning behind why I love this movie so much. It's a rational person's horror movie. When Regan gets possessed her mother takes her to a doctor. She exhausts all medical advice before she even entertains the idea that her issue is spiritual. To this day, I can't find a flaw in that. If I had a child I would do the same exact thing. When confronted with the idea that I would need an excorism I'd brush it off. Not until the mother walks in the bed room and junk is flying around would I realize that I was in way over my head.

Now folks this movie is rated R for a reason. It's not a "family" horror movie. Please entertain any and all caution before watching this film with a not so mature audience. I first saw it when I was 12, and made my Mom take me to confession the very next day.

Say tuned. We have a long stack to go.