Horror and Thriller Genre Discussion -- October 2002

[slade]

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

In celebration of this wonderful holiday we are going to have a thread (this one) devoted entirely to the discussion of the horror and thriller genre.

Discuss anything about it you like. For example, what are some of your favorite movies in this genre, and why? What are some of the worst entries, why? What elements make a movie a thriller/horror movie? Why are people so drawn to this genre? What are some devices that are well used in this genre? What are some that are tired, never done well, and/or ineffective? Who are your favorite/least favorite directors in this genre, why? And so, forth. . . .

Remember, we will be discussing specific movies in a new thread each week all month too. Go here to vote.

[newt]

I love the Hellraiser movies and Clive Barker movies in general. The Hellraiser musical score is great and appropriately morbid. Part 2 is incredibly gorey. Also love Lord of Illusions.

[Prancer]

Donnie Darko

Frailty

Seconds - with Rock Hudson

[newt]

What's the deal with the IT'S ALIVE movies. The first one has a Bernard Herrmann score!

[DVDman70]

I love the Roger Corman movies the most at Halloween time. Elvira is a must see this time of year too (and don't forget to see her newest one Elvira's Haunted Hills! Very funny). I like scary movies...not bloody ones. I do like Slasher type movies, but I just love to have the hair on the back of my neck stand up and cold chills run down my back when watching a movie. The mental horror movies are the best..they make you wonder what's going to happen next.

[orf]

Anything by John Carpenter. His movies, in my opinion, just have great atmosphere. The Thing perfected the dark, cold, lonely Antarctic feel. The Fog's um... foggy atmosphere was great, also. I was never much of a fan of his Halloween movies, but movies like The Thing, They Live, The Fog, Prince Of Darkness are just good horror movies (with the exception of The Thing, which is a great horror movie).
But with halloween just around the corner, my guilty pleasure comes out of the dark: Ultra-gore comedy/horrors. Movies like Bad Taste, the Evil Dead series, and Braindead/Dead Alive are just great.
And finally, the ultimate Halloween movies can be summed up in one name: George A. Romero. Night Of The Living Dead / Dawn Of The Dead / Day Of The Dead are just great movies.

[Uncle Palpatine]

The Universal Monster films are perfect this time of year.

On a Friday night in May - the 1931 Frankenstein doesn't fit. But on a cold, dark October night, it's perfect.

I think the Halloween spirit helps. With all the decorations of monters, vampires, skeletons, witches, etc, they help set the mood for these films. The Universal guys are horror icons, and you love 'em (even thought they're treated as the 'bad guy').

Sad thing is, the 'younger generation' think these films are lame because it's not wall to wall gore and flashy effect shots. I ask - compare the 1931 Frankenstein with the remake by Kenneth Branaugh. That had all the gore and flash. Which do you like better? These characters are some of the most influential film creations ever done. Don't forget them!

Don't get me wrong, I love the modern stuff, too. Some of my viewing essentials this month: NOTLD, ROTLD, Killer Klowns from Outerspace (don't laugh, great Halloween-time flick), the Fog, Evil Dead, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. The final film watched on Halloween is of course - Capenter's Halloween.

[Wubbz]

Every Halloween I watch Poltergist and The Thing- both movies still scare the crap out of me- and make me remeber how terrified I was when I saw them. Other good choices are Nightmare on Elm Street and Rosmary's Baby, which is notable for being terrifying without showing anything. Polanski was at the top of his game on that one.

[slade]

here's a question for you horror fans out there.

I love a good thriller, and like to be scared by a movie, but, I don't get very excited about seeing gore. Yet, much of the Horror genre involves a lot of gore. So, I'm wondering why do you like gore? Why do you suppose others like seeing gore?

Thanks.

[newt]

Originally posted by slade
So, I'm wondering why do you like gore? Why do you suppose others like seeing gore?

Thanks.

For me it's the shock value. I like being shocked in general when watching movies. I like horror, thrillers, sci-fi, fantasy: all things in movies fatastic.

I know the gore isn't real, so it's not a morbid thing. In reality, I panic just cutting myself by accident and I won't watch those Faces of Death shows.:barf:

[Prancer]

Originally posted by slade
don't get very excited about seeing gore......So, I'm wondering why do you like gore? Why do you suppose others like seeing gore?

Thanks.

I think Tipper may disagree. I supposed he was not a good public speaker but that's no reason to not like him.

Oh, :p..........................j/k

If its done right in the film, I like the shock value. I haven't seen Silence of the Lambs recently but I do remember the one scene when the man was hanging and he was bleeding all over, that was goree but it worked well within the film. The story build and finally when you see it, (IN VALLEY GIRL TONE): its like you know, like reeelleee scareee, oh my god!

Usually the gore is not as bad but when done right with story that creates tension...wooohowww. its good, entertaining and thrilling.

[JimboQ]

Gore is good, especially if it's realistic. I enjoy a lot of the Italian
films that have over the top gore effects. In a lot of cases those are the redeeming points of some of the movies.

[Morticia]

But JimboQ, can you explain why gore is good? I think Slade (who's not a gore fan) is trying to figure out what makes the gore appealing to some viewers.

[Soggy Bagel's Revenge!]

Gore?: here we go!

1.) In many cases, gore can be very silly looking and humourous, contributing to an already silly, yet immensely enjoyable horror film. Examples: "Prom Night", the "Friday the 13th" series.

2.) In other cases, the gore can help to bring very well-planned suspense to the next level. Even the most-respected of horror films use a certain ammount of shock effect. "Psycho", for example, has the mummified mother; and "Tenebrae" has the axe-chopping-off-the-arm scene.

Hmmm, I suppose there are other reasons people love gore, but the two listed above are really my primary reasons. I'm not a very big gore fan, but I do feel that it has it's place, and that the horror genre would be drastically different without it.

Thanx,
Brook

[tqpix]

My favorite horror is the A Nightmare on Elm Street series with "The Dream Master" as my favorite installment, followed by the original, then "Dream Warriors".

Here are movies I strongly recommend:

Domestic:

• The Fog
• The Friday the 13th series -- My favorites are "Part 2", "The Final Chapter", "Part VI: Jason Lives", and Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday
• From Beyond
• The original House on Haunted Hill
• The Re-Animator
• The Silence of the Lambs
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Foreign:

• Diabolique -- A french film; stay away from the American remake
• The Eye -- A film from Hong Kong
• The Others -- A Spain/France co-production
• Ringu -- A film from Japan; watch the American remake, The Ring, but avoid the Korean remake, Ring Virus
• Suspiria -- An Italian film.

[ganthc]

This is one of my favorite genres, and has been since I was a kid. I have to agree with a lot of the horror films mentioned above and I would like to add my own:

Candyman
Session 9
The Omen
The Amityville Horror
Jeepers Creepers
Cujo
The Shining
The Changeling

Just to name a few...

Also, gore is an important part of horror because it increases the threat to the victims. What's scary if people are just going to fall over and die versus whether they will die some gruesome and disturbing death. I recommend MGM's DVD of "The Fog." In the special features, they discuss the fact that prior to the gore being added, the audience just wasn't frightened. However, when the hooks were added, it gave the ghosts a more threatening presence. Gore adds a level of danger that wasn't present before. However, I agree that too much gore can ruin a movie.

[JM-KC]

Originally posted by ganthc
Also, gore is an important part of horror because it increases the threat to the victims. What's scary if people are just going to fall over and die versus whether they will die some gruesome and disturbing death. I recommend MGM's DVD of "The Fog." In the special features, they discuss the fact that prior to the gore being added, the audience just wasn't frightened. However, when the hooks were added, it gave the ghosts a more threatening presence. Gore adds a level of danger that wasn't present before. However, I agree that too much gore can ruin a movie.

I'm new so I'm reading a lot of threads for the first time. The subject of gore is a very interesting one. I generally don't like it but your comments (ganthc) are thought-provoking. One thing I might add, though, is that the suggestion of gore (without actually showing it) could have the same effect. For me, the most horrifying scenes in movies are the ones showing people looking at some ghastly visage off camera, or maybe there are shadows on the wall that suggest it, or verbal descriptions that refer to the horror. Then my imagination can go wild -- but if I actually see it, then the horror is made finite and my imagination is neutralized.

Anyway, interesting topic and interesting board. Thanks!

[ganthc]

I am definitely the same way! Psychological thrillers are great. The mind is what gives you the fear. But for most audience goers, there is a need to create danger that is palpable, something that makes you wince. While viewing a death scene from afar or vis-a-vis a shadow can give the audience an idea of what gruesome fate awaits future victims, some people's imaginations are lacking unfortunately. An example would be a movie I just saw tonight called "Wrong Turn" with the delectable Eliza Dushku. When the movie started out, it was not gory, and I was ready to prepare myself for a stupid movie. But then, the stranded youth get stuck in a cabin of horrors, and the fear and tension jump through the roof. Gore was necessary to create that horror, gore was essential in elevating the danger. While just alluding to a gruesome death might have been effective, it might have taken longer to convey, and thus obviate some of the tension that was immediately apparent from the gory horror that was presented to those poor travelers. I agree that gore is not necessary, but when seeing the clips of "The Fog" I had to say that the movie would not have been anywhere as good without the gore.

[JM-KC]

Originally posted by ganthc
While just alluding to a gruesome death might have been effective, it might have taken longer to convey, and thus obviate some of the tension that was immediately apparent from the gory horror that was presented to those poor travelers. I agree that gore is not necessary, but when seeing the clips of "The Fog" I had to say that the movie would not have been anywhere as good without the gore.

Thanks for your post and the interesting ideas. It sounds like we both like a good chiller. I'm enjoying the site very much. Hope to chat again.

[tqpix]

Originally posted by ganthc
...too much gore can ruin a movie.

Near Dark comes to mind. Many people consider it a cult classic, but I was bored watching it. There was a lot of gore in it, but the scare factor was missing--I am not a gore fan; I am a horror fan.