General Horror Discussion

[Jeffbiscuits]

Think REC plays more on trying to give the viewer frights than genuinely trying to scare them. The only actual creepy part of the film is the kid scene in the loft at the end. Other than that it's just Blair Witch on Red Bull. But for jump out your seat moments it's pretty good. Two words. Fireman. Stairwell. Wasn't expecting that bit at all.

[morris]

Originally Posted by Jeffbiscuits

Think REC plays more on trying to give the viewer frights than genuinely trying to scare them.

Could you perhaps explain the difference between being given frights and being made to be scared? Sounds the same to me.

Blair Witch is the most overrated pile of pants of its decade. Rather than being borrowed from it should've been buried in the woods it came from, preferably never found and certainly never exposed to a mass audience.

[Jeffbiscuits]

Don't really know how to word it. Like I can find something scary but it doesn't give me a fright or make me jump. I'm a big horror movie fan but I hate Blair Witch.

[morris]

right, so you mean scary-creepy 'puts the chills up you' vs the literal jump out of the seat, fright. I get you now. I sort of prefer films that have a slow build up of creepy atmosphere rather than many calculated fake scares that might make you jump but are not ultimately terrifying (like in the Scream movies and other typical teen slashers).

Originally Posted by Jeffbiscuits

I'm a big horror movie fan but I hate Blair Witch.

Good to hear. I'm a big horror movie fan too and I think Blair Witch has done nothing but harm for the genre. It made the shaky cam poorly lit film almost standard for low budget horror, but fortunately not everyone follows that blueprint. Ideas and characters still matter a lot, in making a successful horror film that connects with its audience and stands out from the pack.

[Jeffbiscuits]

Do you think any good films have resulted from the Blair Witch bandwagon? I know you disagree but I thought REC was alright. Recently there's been Paranormal Activity which had its moments and the Fourth Kind which I haven't seen yet. But from what I've heard the two main characters aren't particularly likeable which diminishes any sympathy you feel for their situation.

[MrSilly]

REC2 was bloody great fun. Bit of a stretch to refer to it as a horror though, it's a horror in the same way the Resident Evil game sequels are horror, by which I mean not at all.

The worst thing to come from Blair Witch is how it popularised the 'this really happened' style of horror filmmaking. It was lazy in that instance and has only gotten worse, now it appears to be simply thrown in as a cheap, quick way to fabricate some notion of terror. The Last Exorcism is a terrible waste of cinema, but I'll be damned if there weren't some aspects I thought had potential, things that an actual script, good sound design, lighting and all the other aspects we consider factors of good filmmaking could have made it an enjoyable experience. But perceived 'reality' is easier to churn out, so we're stuck with the shit.

[morris]

Originally Posted by Ancient One

Doug Bradley is perfect as the leader of the Cenobites and his voice...

We have such sights to show you...

I always wished there was more of the Cenobites in the original film. Of the sequels I've only seen the second. Are any of the others worth a look? Or only if they come on telly (fat chance)

[morris]

Originally Posted by Jeffbiscuits

Do you think any good films have resulted from the Blair Witch bandwagon? I know you disagree but I thought REC was alright.

I'm trying but can't think of any. REC started out reasonably well but I felt it meandered and took too long to get edgy again. I don't know, maybe I'm impatient with films these days but I don't want to get bored that's the worst thing. And I recall there being too many twiddle your thumbs moments. haven't seen Paranormal Activity, I've heard The Fourth Kind is rubbish (from a reliable source - Welchy).

Silly, yep I pretty much agree with what you said.

[Jonesy]

Interestingly, Stephen King defines horror as thus: 'The genre exists on three more or less separate levels, [with] terror on top, horror below it, and lowest of all, the gag-reflex of revulsion ... I recognise terror as the finest emotion ... and so I will try to terrorise the reader. But if I cannot terrify him/her, I will try to horrify; and if I cannot horrify I will go for gross out.'
Presumably the same applies to film. And certainly you can slip horror films into those categories - terror (The Haunting [original]); horrify (Alien); gross out (Saw [any of them]). I suppose the main question is, is one more worthy of the other, or do each have their place?

[Ancient One]

Well they aren't as good as the first but I would say 3 and 4 are worth a look. The fourth although not great has some great quotes from Pinhead and does explore the background to the puzzle box quite a bit. The 5th has one or two good bits but is feeble and after that they are truly dire.