People seem to be pretty polarized by these types of movies. On the one end, you have campy, slasher flicks that are more "fun" than scary, although they're usually good for a couple jolts as well. Then there is psychological horror, supernatural or religious horror, true stories that happen to be creepy, monster movies, zombie flicks, gothic horror, all the way to horror-SF and dystopian or post-apocalyptic films, which may or may not contain action-film elements. Some films are downright depressing, while others are thrilling and adrenaline-inducing, and you're that much happier that real life isn't like that when it's over. Then some are a little too realistic and leave you wondering...
Just trying to start a discussion because horror films and the people who love them have long fascinated me. And a certain segment of the public at large really seems to enjoy them. I admit to a certain fascination with them myself, though I'm not sure exactly why. I could start listing pop-psychological reasons, but I won't because I want to hear what you think. If you absolutely hate anything scary, then that's a perfectly acceptable position, too - and probably more sane. But in that case... do you like "thrillers"? Where do you draw the line?
Looking forward to a lively discussion, hopefully. I have lots of ideas about the subject and will contribute my own favorites and least favorites in the process, if anyone cares to join me...
8 comments:
Nope, serious "horror" is too much. A few bad guys here and there, OK.
Ahhh... Horror flicks. One of my favorite things to hate. Not entirely of course as one of my favorite "silly" movies is classified as horror for some reason. It's Tremors in case you're wondering. But as a general rule the horror films leave me somewhat paranoid and give me the WRONG kinds of chills or alternately make me wonder how anyone could be so stupid as to leave their nice safe hiding spot in the middle of the rainy pitch black evening to go see what just went "bump" in the night. That being said I have liked a few other movies that have been classified as horror, like the various renditions of Dracula (including From Dusk til Dawn for some unknown reason - Quentin Tarentino's influence maybe?) Frankenstein or other fellows from fiction, the Bone Collector,and I'm drawing a blank now. I am sure there are dozens of others that border on horror that I love but things like Scream, Children of the Corn, Chucky, Freddy and his ilk, etc, etc, etc... well, I just can't watch them. Same goes for most of the psychological ones that are purported to actually have a good plot. If they're too real you can keep them too. I do not like the sensation of my skin crawling thank you very much.
Thats my take on horror films. Feel free to share some of your favorites and I'll gladly chime in if I like them or tell you why I can't stand them if I've seen them. :)
I agree with An Gabhar Ban, I mostly can't stand horror films (and I enjoy Tremors a lot too). Thrillers are usuaklly ok, but anything that makes me jump out. It's the suspense, knowing something creepy/scary is about to happen but not knowing when that I can't stand. Also, my imagination won't let things go, and if I wake up in the middle of the night needing the loo after watching one, I have real trouble persuading myself to get out of bed in the dark in case the monster/baddie from the film is somewhere out there waiting for me. Silly, I know, but at 4am when I'm half-awake/half-asleep it seems like a real possibility. It's even worse here, with the bathroom downstairs as I then I have to make my way upstairs with my back to the front door thinking something's going to burst through it at any moment and devour me *shudder*.
Having said that, there are some horror films that I suffered through so many times as a youngster - Poltergeist, The Lost Boys, for example - that I can watch them now with almost no problems. An American Werewolf in London is similar, though I first watched it only a few years ago, and even though I've seen it a fair few times I still have to close my eyes for the scene when he's running through the forest and comes across himself in a hospital bed with creepy eyes, and also the one where the orignal werewolf attacks. But I know those films so well now that I know exactly when to turn away, so it's not a problem. Freddie I watched when younger too, but I never quite got used to him enough to feel comfortable watching the films.
Raelha I think the same person designed our houses and I have the same problem! That half awake feeling is made even worse when you have to go OUTSIDE and check livestock. I absolutely forbade the watching of horror films when I was younger and had friends over as I was a nervous wreck when I had to go check on the girls (pregnant goats)!
Tremors ftw! :)))
Anyway, I like "slaughter" horrors (Saw series f.e., with a spice of some "Z" categorized, so-bad-that-it-is-good-movie, like Evil Dead trilogy, that I cannot take seriously), a bit of monster movies (Aliens, Predators etc), some zombiez (p/Resident Evil-kind, and the best best best is Zombieland!). Gothic horrors are alway welcome (Great Chtulhu for presedent!), vampires and werewolwes - you know my heart belongs to them. Supernatural and religious stuff can also come, but it has to be cool anyway - I didn't like Drag me to Hell at all! ANd Stephen King the Great has some really amazing moviez, though his books rock much more in most cases, few exceptions. Psycho-thrillers ooooh yeeeaah baby, BUT my first - and if not only, but original - love of mine is the guy called Freddy Krueger. Ge-ni-o-us.
And I can continue reciting. :D
Okay, the freak came in, lets get the party started. :)))))
AGB, ooh, I'm not sure I'd be able to make it outside late at night after watching a horror film. I'm very impressed.
I was once startled by what seemd to be a very large wolf one free-of-scary-films night, trotting past my front door. In fact it was only the neighbour's previously-unseen-by-me, extemely big dog (they have them up here to look after the livestock in the fields and protect them from wolves and the like, so they have to be huge and scary). If I'd watched a horror movie before I may possibly have fainted upon his approach.
And Mandula has given me some new ideas: 28 Days Later I can watch - I saw it at the cinema without realising just how jumpy it was going to be - I'd gone to see Christopher Eccleston and because I'd liked Danny Boyles Shallow Grave. I figure after sitting through it on the big screen, and surviving, watching it on DVD is nothing. (Plus I get to hear Mr E's melifluous voice every time, though I prefer listening to him in Elizabeth.) Ahem, anyway, other Zombie flicks are mostly out ('cept Shaun of the dead :) ) because of the jumpiness factor. Alien I can just about cope with, oh but the Alien-Predator computer game had me nervous after about only a minute of play with nothing happening apart from me in investigating, so I had to give up on that idea - in my defence I was playing with all the lights in the room off.
Stephen King films are also OK, since I've read the books and know what's going to happen. Though yes, the books are miles better and I'm mostly too disappointed with the film to be scared, with the odd exception (to the disappointment) like Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption (not horror anyway), and The Shining.
If horror films are requested by students at work I usually let Miriam (another teacher) show them. She's a huge horror film fan and has learnt not to ask me to the cinema when she goes to see the latest showings.
Oh good, I was waiting for you to get here, Mandula! I sorta wrote this with you in mind :-)
I think we all agree that Tremors is a classic.
I'll post more about the horror genres & films that I like and don't like soon. Busy right now, but wanted to acknowledge Mandi's arrival - hehe. The horror specialist.
Mandula/Dracula. Hungary/Romania. Coincidence? :P
And I'll comment on your posts too, AGB and Raels. :)
Right now I must eat. And no, not brains. Pasta!
The worst experience I had was watching 5 minutes of The Omen, shut my eyes and turned it off. I had a REAL Devil visitation that night (it seemed). I don't believe in the Devil but maybe I did then. The most scared I've ever been because of a stupid movie. Horror movies on a whole and particularly psychological thrillers are not even an option. Some semi horror like Silence of the Lambs make me scared at the time, thinking that people like him exist, but I don't freak out too much. I'll never watch The Shining, The Exorcist, others like that - I'm sensitive to what I watch and often bring what I've watched into my dreamland. I vote NO on horror movies!! Thrillers maybe and depending on the subject. Anyone see The Lovely Bones yet. I liked the book.
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