Scary Movies - Page 2

same here. Stil trying to find a "terrifying" film.

I love horror movies but few actually frighten me. Well done serial killer films which may not even be of the horror genre (Silence of the Lambs probably terrified me more than any movie I've ever seen, horror or otherwise) are my kryptonite. I watched Martyrs last night which I thought was a good movie but.. eh, not "scary". Salo and Eden Lake, next on the docket!

Texas Chainsaw Massacre was probably the only one that really unsettled me. Saw Sleepaway Camp as a child and think that one scarred me for life.

The only horror movies that frighten me are the ones showing the kind of disturbing beahaviours I could do myselft if I lose self-control. It is like confronting you with your inner repressed insanity and making you aware the control you have over it could be fragile.

Horror Express pretty much scared the living shit out of me when i was a kid.

I will agree that The Shining (KUBRICK) was exceptionally well done. It has 'after-glow'.
For those who equate 'scary' with slasher films, I would like to encourage you to read the book before viewing the film. The true horror lays within the mind.

Now this suggestion is not a movie per se (although one was made)
I would like to recommend watching the A&E Bography of one Ed Gein.
WARNING: There are Graphic images in this video.

The documentary is in 6 parts, so have patience.
http://video.google.com/videosearch?...in&hl=en&emb=0

It was this one man's crimes that inspired the following films:
Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Psycho, Silence Of The Lambs


Please turn off all lights and cellphones and other distractions,
and view the documentary.....then...go to bed and just meditate on what you saw.
If this doesn't creep you out, I don't know what will.

No. I don't think I've ever had one scare me yet. I know it's all make believe and I tend to watch looking for mistakes made through out that genre of movie. Ones made off real life stories make me think about how sick people can be but even that I find fascinating, not scary.

The Descent and Martyrs are pretty terrifying.

I understand the purpose of psychological horror. I also understand that the plot of "The Shining" was greatly compressed for the movie (ie I've read that the man in the bunny costume, shown briefly in the movie, plays a much larger role in the book.)

Not having read the book, however, I'll say that there are a few reasons the effect of the movie isn't entirely satisfactory for me. Jack Torrance has cabin fever, okay, and being cooped up in the hotel is driving him crazy, but by the same token, there are clearly supernatural forces at work in the hotel. It's unclear whether the visions Jack is seeing are hallucinations, or real apparitions. Not that it matters much, because in the end it boils down to an axe murderer movie, and the supernatural backstory becomes effectively unnecessary. Also, the shining sense- perhaps the only unambiguously supernatural part of the story- plays a disconcertingly minor role in the movie, another area where I am led to believe the movie differs from the book.

It seems to me that since the appeal of horror movies is visceral thrill, the directorial style should be as natural as possible, whereas Kubrick tends to foreground his directorial terchniques, thereby constantly keeping the viewer at a remove from what ios happening to the people in the movie. Long story short, I don't think Kubrick's style lends itself well to the horror genre.

never watch orphan, its way more funny than scary

I agree with horror films being a visceral thrill as you put it. A great example is the Hellraiser series. Once I rented the first 3 Hellraisers and watched back-to-back. I had to rent 3 Disney films to neutralize my trauma. Where The Shining succeeds, is in its cerebral approach. Kubrick was very deliberate and methodical. Let's also remember that Kubrick was a very visual director. There are layers wthin layers of imagery that can and do have meaning. Kubrick challenges us to think about what we saw. The slow pacing of The Shining is intentional, and yes, it is one great build-up to a climax. Alfred Hitchcock was also using this methodology abundantly so. Both Hitchcock & Kubrick used a visual medium as a feast for the eyes. The pacing of the story-telling is measured and has rhythm. Todays directors, for the most part, use a 'flash-over-substance' approach. The camera cuts are only 1-3 seconds long. It is information overload on the brain; an assualt to the senses that, more often than not, ends up defeating itself and leaving the viewer un-fullfilled. Perhaps 'Terror' and 'Horror' are two different things. Example: JAWS The terror is the fear of the presence of a powerful beast in the water with you. The horror is watching this creature eat you and knowing while it happens, that there is no one going to save you. Maybe the successful ingredient of the horror genre is to play off the fear of death we all have? Another point on The Shining...the soundtrack is dark, brooding and downright creepy. No syrupy themes to comfort us, but guttural sounds and shrieks that provide atmosphere and not overpower the imagery. Maybe give it another chance, maybe in this coming winter just after a fresh snowfall..heh...that's when I watch it...and nice walks in the snow at night alone. Sorry I rambled. What disturbs & frightens is different for all of us ofcourse.

it's been a while since any movie has scared me, i think your right about new directors not understanding what made some of the older movies work. the shining, psycho, and poltergeist are some great movies.

the only kind of stuff i can't watch are shows like MTV Scarred, the one where it shows people limbs bending the wrong way and other nasty falls and accidents from extreme sports. it makes me shudder and i can't even watch half an episode.