Horror movie suggestions

[Mad_Jack]

A lot of movies that people consider "the scariest" or "the best" have to be taken in an anthropological context - they were revolutionary at the time they were produced, and if you hadn't seen them before seeing all the things that came after them, copying and building on them, then their impact is greatly lessened by going back and "catching up" as it were.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Yeah, horror movies often exist only properly in a time and place. Sure, we might appreciate the old Lugosi Dracula's atmosphere and performances, but it doesn't terrify us like it did the audiences that saw it when it came out.

One of my favorite examples is this article by Roger Ebert on the premiere of Night of the Living Dead. I love the film dearly, and it is quite horrifying. But it’s easy to forget just how extreme it was compared to other horror films of the time.

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-night-of-the-living-dead-1968

 

[Imaculata]

Blair Witch specifically became dated really quickly. That's because its niche appeal was never intended as a long lasting thing. If you look at it as just a movie alone, you're missing out on half the experience of what it was really all about. It's like having a dessert, and missing the feast before it.

But indeed a lot of these movies had a way bigger impact upon release, because they were still new. People fainted at movies like Jaws and Alien. Specifically with Alien, people left the theater because they could not stand the horror. And the movie Jaws has become so synonymous with sharks, that people still hum the tune whenever sharks are mentioned, even if they've never seen the movie.

But Jaws isn't just a great horror movie based on scare-factor alone. It's a great movie, period. Its cinematography and camerawork is phenomenal, and could be a considered a great teaching tool for aspiring film students. It is the one horror movie that every creature feature since then has looked up to and tried to copy... including Alien.

 

[Jhaelen]

But Jaws isn't just a great horror movie based on scare-factor alone. It's a great movie, period.

Yes, while I still have some doubts about calling it a horror movie, I definitely agree that it's a great movie.

P.S.: I just checked the movie's entry at IMDB. It says:

Genres: Adventure | Drama | Thriller

So, I'm not alone in not considering it a horror movie

 

[Imaculata]

I find that very strange. Are people afraid to call a highly respected movie a horror movie? The line between horror and thriller is very thin. Jaws is most definitely a horror movie. People seem to have no hesitation with calling Piranha a horror film. And yet it is literally copying Jaws.

 

[Eltab]

Much of the effect of Jaws is that it doesn't show you the shark, or the evidence the shark leaves behind, at first. The movie shows you everybody else's reaction to what they find. You absorb the unspoken message that 'something horrible is going on'. (Think about the scene where the searchers find the first girl's remains; the audience sees only her arm and hand. The actors see the whole thing; one of them gets noisily sick to his stomach; the rest are shocked) You aren't getting enough of the clues yourself to put it all together ... yet.

Looked at from 40 years later, the shark is clunky and not very realistic. But watching the movie in those first few months / years, you are so wrapped into the story that you overlook that problem; you expect to see a big shark with a mouth full of sharp teeth, and so you do. Watch Jaws now, having had time to think about the movie and digest all the reviews / commentary / analysis since then, and the clunky parts show up more strongly.
But even if you did top-notch oceanographic research and CGI'ed in a totally realistic shark as part of a remake, you still would not get the mass popular effect that the original had.

 

[Ryujin]

Much of the effect of Jaws is that it doesn't show you the shark, or the evidence the shark leaves behind, at first. The movie shows you everybody else's reaction to what they find. You absorb the unspoken message that 'something horrible is going on'. (Think about the scene where the searchers find the first girl's remains; the audience sees only her arm and hand. The actors see the whole thing; one of them gets noisily sick to his stomach; the rest are shocked) You aren't getting enough of the clues yourself to put it all together ... yet.

Looked at from 40 years later, the shark is clunky and not very realistic. But watching the movie in those first few months / years, you are so wrapped into the story that you overlook that problem; you expect to see a big shark with a mouth full of sharp teeth, and so you do. Watch Jaws now, having had time to think about the movie and digest all the reviews / commentary / analysis since then, and the clunky parts show up more strongly.
But even if you did top-notch oceanographic research and CGI'ed in a totally realistic shark as part of a remake, you still would not get the mass popular effect that the original had.

It's even more amazing when you realize that it's largely a classic by accident. They wanted to have much more of that cludgy shark in the movie. The simple fact is that once they started shooting, the stupid thing didn't work. As a result they had to shoot around it, creating the tension that would not have been achieved if the shark was in every shot they'd wanted.

 

[Tonguez]

Much of the effect of Jaws is that it doesn't show you the shark, or the evidence the shark leaves behind, at first. The movie shows you everybody else's reaction to what they find. You absorb the unspoken message that 'something horrible is going on'. .

yes, thats the main reason I don't bother watching Gore horror like Saw or even zombie flicks, they tend to be boring. Whereas I remember the first time I saw the ancient silent movie Nosferatu, the scene where Orlok pops up on the ship was genuinely frightenng...

 

[Imaculata]

yes, thats the main reason I don't bother watching Gore horror like Saw or even zombie flicks, they tend to be boring. Whereas I remember the first time I saw the ancient silent movie Nosferatu, the scene where Orlok pops up on the ship was genuinely frightenng...

Oddly enough, while Saw has the reputation of being very gory, the first Saw movie isn't very gory at all. It's actually rather tame. But many people who have not seen the movie, still 'think' it is very violent, because that's what a lot of people claim.

I should also point out that Train to Busan, the zombie film that I recommended earlier in this thread, also isn't gory at all. Which is rare for a zombie film.

 

[Zoey141]

The Babadook
The Cabin in the Woods.

And if you're into classics, then you should not miss this: Rosemary's Baby - An absolute classic and my all time favorite - Rosemary's Baby review.

Mia Farrow as Rosemary is FAB! One of the best movies made by Roman Polanski.