7 Respected Directors Who Did Horror
Hitchcock, Kubrick and co get bloody…
BY Jul 3rd 2009 10:10AMFILED UNDER: Features
User Comments (2)
Shane Meadows has confirmed that his next project will be a horror movie.
While he came close with Dead Man's Shoes, it's his first solid stab at the genre.
And he's definitely not the first director to surprise us by getting into the horror business.
Here are a few helmers who ventured into a genre that got no respect at the time...
Stanley Kubrick
The Reputation: Having built up an impressive roster across various genres, including historical (Spartacus), black comedy (Dr Strangelove) and science fiction (2001), Kubrick had cemented his rep for intelligent, verging on highbrow stylised film.
Originally known for stark realism, he moved via Lolita into more of a surreal feel that would dominate later movies.
The Horror Flick: The Shining (1980)
Adapted from Steven King’s novel, it finds writer Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) and his family headed to the isolated Overlook Hotel for a winter stay, only to have paranormal forces turn Jack into an axe-wielding loon.
The Signature Move: Aside from his now legendary perfectionism (more than a hundred takes on one shot), the film bears out his obsession with long parallel walls.
It also has what Roger Ebert describes as The Kubrick Stare, with a character – in this case Torrance – staring into camera as he goes mad, with his head down and his eyes looking up.
The Critical Response: It was a critical flop but a commercial success.
Among its detractors was King, who said the director was: “A man who thinks too much and feels too little.”
Variety slated it, saying, “With everything to work with, director Stanley Kubrick has teamed with jumpy Jack Nicholson to destroy all that was so terrifying about Stephen King's bestseller.”
Next: Hitchcock
Print Comments (2)
1: ebrown2112 says
Doesn't Scorsese's "Cape Fear" count? I guess it's too early to consider "Shutter Island".
Posted: Jul 3rd 2009 // 2:09PMAlert a moderator
2: RastaFresh says
I guess Scorsese's "Cape Fear" is not included because it's a remake. The original, with Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum, was made in 1962 by J. Lee Thompson. I've seen "Shutter Island" trailer. Seams excellent!
You need to log in or register to post comments