Horror for Halloween

[dean_martin]

It's that time of year. Have you come across any new horror films that make the grade or discovered any older gems from the silent era up to the 40s or b-movies from the 50s, 60s, 70s or 80s that make you squirm? With the older ones, camp and cheesy effects seem to come with the territory. Some find them silly/stupid. Others find them amusing. Where do you stand?

Here's a link to a list of "50 Scariest Movies" that showed up on my msn home page:

Parallel Universe on MSN: 50 Scariest Movies of All Time

Any surprises, omissions, etc?

I was surprised Repulsion was so high on the list. I have a copy but haven't watched it yet. Also, a couple of Val Lewton movies from the 40s (like the original Cat People) are mentioned. I have a Val Lewton collection that I need to re-visit.

I hope to set aside a day this month for my personal horrorfest. What would be your horrorfest lineup?

[Feanor]

It's that time of year. Have you come across any new horror films that make the grade or discovered any older gems from the silent era up to the 40s or b-movies from the 50s, 60s, 70s or 80s that make you squirm? With the older ones, camp and cheesy effects seem to come with the territory. Some find them silly/stupid. Others find them amusing. Where do you stand?

Here's a link to a list of "50 Scariest Movies" that showed up on my msn home page:

Parallel Universe on MSN: 50 Scariest Movies of All Time

Any surprises, omissions, etc?

I was surprised Repulsion was so high on the list. I have a copy but haven't watched it yet. Also, a couple of Val Lewton movies from the 40s (like the original Cat People) are mentioned. I have a Val Lewton collection that I need to re-visit.

I hope to set aside a day this month for my personal horrorfest. What would be your horrorfest lineup?

Intriguing list: thanks!

Most I haven't seen, but then I'm somewhat repelled by horror flicks. I have seen Repulsion, though -- back in the day, 1965. (Opps! I date myself.) I wasn't impressed at the time, (as I recall), but might feel differently today.

[RGA]

I liked a lot of the ones listed but I would have probably ranked Exorcist first on the list - and I'm an Atheist. But that movie just creeps me out - it was so well acted across the board that despite the implausible plot - I bought into the what if of the mother - trying frantically to find out what is going on with her daughter. And the cruelty and uncompromising direction to show evil in such a way. One of the great films of all time IMO.

I would have liked to see the movie Scarcrows in the list - a very little seen gem that was low on everything but scares. Many of the movies seem to dated to me.

Ginger Snaps is also a terrific movie I would have liked to see make it. American Werewolf in London and Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1978 (better than the original IMO) should be here.

Poltergeist should have made it as well. And I would make a case for Return of the Living Dead which mixed quite a lot of humor with the horror. The first two Alien films could also be here - though they probably classify them as Sci-Fi - they really are slasher movies in space but instead of serial killers they're aliens.

[Feanor]

...
... American Werewolf in London and Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1978 (better than the original IMO) should be here.

... The first two Alien films could also be here - though they probably classify them as Sci-Fi - they really are slasher movies in space but instead of serial killers they're aliens.

When I first saw American Werewolf I would have said it was the scariest movie I'd seen; it deserves to be on the list for sure. That despite that I, (and my kids), found it a lot less scary when I saw it again a number of years later.

I definitely agree about Alien and Aliens, especially the first. Sci-Fi it is but horror also.

[Kam]

Slightly unrelated, but just noted on the side bar of that list, that Batman: Year One is coming out on bluray/dvd soon. that's pretty freakin' awesome, and by the clips, they are staying close to the frank miller comic. woo hoo, that one's going on the netflix queue!

[TheHills44060]

When I first saw American Werewolf I would have said it was the scariest movie I'd seen; it deserves to be on the list for sure..

For some reason the scariest moment for me when I saw that movie as a kid was when the masked Nazi guys broke into the house and shot the place up. I remember having a few similar nightmares.

[Smokey]

I don't know bout that list. It got some good horror movie selection, and it does few misses too. I would not call The Birds or Cat Poeple (and the remake) a horror flick. Suspence is more like it

I would add Ghost Stories to the mix also.

[Feanor]

For some reason the scariest moment for me when I saw that movie as a kid was when the masked Nazi guys broke into the house and shot the place up. I remember having a few similar nightmares.

Yeah, me too -- and I was in my 30s.

[RGA]

One of the scariest movies on the list was Halloween. But in truth it doesn't hold up well. Even John Carpenter notes this in his excellent running commentary. There is a 5 minute scene or something where Curtis is walking to the house where Michael is waiting inside. Carpenter notes that a 1970s audience was screaming at the screen telling her to run away - don't do in the house. An audience today would be bored from the length of time it was taking her to get to the house.

What is interesting is that there is virtually no blood in Halloween. It arguably started the "slasher" movie genre but it wasn't really a slasher film.

I saw the new movie The Thing and it wasn't that bad - but Ebert is bang on correct - too much creature and gore and sustained shots of it that it loses the scares - it also doesn't help that it looks like CGI cartoon a lot of the time while the 1981 version looked like a dog turning inside out and gallons of juicy blood and puss flying all over the place. The new one has that morphy cartoon (computer graphic) look. Too bad because it has some other slick effects and decent enough acting.

Frankly if you're not going to do real special effects like the old days and your choice is CGI or nothing - choose nothing and have the creature in the dark and use lighting and shadow effects instead. At least then you have a chance to scare the audience instead of making them look at something that is supposed to look real but instead looks like a computer graphic.

This is why I still like the change sequence in American Werewolf in London.

Remember though that this movie was part romance/love story and very much comedy. Jackson gets credit for Thriller but Landis directed it.

The best horror film is the "The Corporation" :-) it's scary because it's true.

THE CORPORATION [1/23] What is a Corporation? - YouTube

[Worf101]

Thanks Deano, I enjoyed that immensely. I liked the list a LOT, I could quibble with a few of the rankings, but overall I think they did a great job. I particularly like the fact that they recoognize the fact that OTHER countries were making good to great scary movies at the same time that we were. I also would've put The Exorcist first. I alos would've added "The Omen" and Goorge Romeo's version of "Salem's Lot" and eliminated some others, but all in all I found this to be an excellent and well thought out list.

Worf

[noddin0ff]

I second adding "The Omen". That one had me freaked out for years as a kid.

[3LB]

is Rocky Horror Picture Show on there (can't get the link to work)

Its really scary toward the end, when you realize that its prolly the worst thing you've ever spent money on in your life and its 90 minutes of your life you'll never get back.

[dean_martin]

is Rocky Horror Picture Show on there (can't get the link to work)

Its really scary toward the end, when you realize that its prolly the worst thing you've ever spent money on in your life and its 90 minutes of your life you'll never get back.

Yeah. The link doesn't work consistently. I tried it after posting and it worked. Tried it again later and it died or something when I clicked "next".

But, it just worked again for me. Must be hit or miss. Sorry.