Favorite horror movies?

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Doc Dan
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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#201

Post by Doc Dan »

Carpenter's The Thing was better than the remake and more faithful to the short story. However, I prefer the first movie overall. It was a far better actual movie with better acting and a better story line. It had humor as well as suspense. I've watched it many times and it never gets old.

I don't know why (I have my suspicions) that Hollywood can't remake a movie. A lot of these people are simply talentless and rely on special effects instead of talent and movie making. That's my opinion. Most movies nowadays simply stink. We say, "Oh, that was a good movie," but when we compare it to a movie from the 1940's and 1950's, for example, it stinks. It is a rare thing to get a good movie, today. I can name a few that stand up, but most don't. That's in any genre.
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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#202

Post by James Y »

Doc Dan wrote:
Sun Mar 26, 2023 11:15 pm
Carpenter's The Thing was better than the remake and more faithful to the short story. However, I prefer the first movie overall. It was a far better actual movie with better acting and a better story line. It had humor as well as suspense. I've watched it many times and it never gets old.

I don't know why (I have my suspicions) that Hollywood can't remake a movie. A lot of these people are simply talentless and rely on special effects instead of talent and movie making. That's my opinion. Most movies nowadays simply stink. We say, "Oh, that was a good movie," but when we compare it to a movie from the 1940's and 1950's, for example, it stinks. It is a rare thing to get a good movie, today. I can name a few that stand up, but most don't. That's in any genre.

I definitely agree that The Thing From Another World is a great movie, but I still like John Carpenter's version the best. We all have our preferences. I didn't care for the prequel that came out in 2011.

I just don't think there's a lot of real talent in Hollyweird anymore. There are no real "stars" anymore. Or great directors. Or screenwriters with fresh, creative ideas. Or even decent, let alone great, soundtrack composers. Virtually every Hollyweird movie now is generic and forgettable. All the remakes, reboots, franchises, CGI, etc., are simply lazy, uninspired filmmaking, if you can call it filmmaking. If there are talented filmmakers in Hellywood (misspelling intentional), their projects are not being greenlit by the studios. There are a few good independent films here and there, and occasional good stuff from other countries (but not from Mainland China).

The thing about '40s and '50s movies is that most of the better Hollywood actors from that era started out as stage actors. So most of their acting styles were very theatrical, and it shows. Melodramatic, but not realistic. If you watch movies like The Bad Seed and Night of the Hunter (movies I really like, BTW), they're basically like watching stage productions on film. IIRC, that was exactly the case with The Bad Seed.

For the most part, I'm not a big fan of pre-1950s movies myself. Except for the 1933 King Kong. There were some sci-fi and suspense films from the '50s that I really like. OK, several. With a couple exceptions, I started liking movies (from multiple genres) from the 1950s on up. I think (with some exceptions) that Hollyweird movies really began to decline sometime in the 1990s, and it's been downhill ever since.

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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#203

Post by Ankerson »

I tend to think these days the studios just have a list of actors that make the most money and they just pick one and fit them into a movie.

Good example of that is the Rock, but there have been plenty of others.

I think they tend to get over exposed.

I do agree though that it has gone down hill since the 1990's for sure, though a lot of the 80's movies also were bad too.

A lot of monkey see monkey do.

So basically the same movie is just made over and over and over and over and over and over.
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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#204

Post by James Y »

Ankerson wrote:
Wed Mar 29, 2023 8:33 am
I tend to think these days the studios just have a list of actors that make the most money and they just pick one and fit them into a movie.

Good example of that is the Rock, but there have been plenty of others.

I think they tend to get over exposed.

I do agree though that it has gone down hill since the 1990's for sure, though a lot of the 80's movies also were bad too.

Oh yeah, there were lots of bad movies in every decade. But as far as overall levels, post-'90s have been the worst. And I'm mostly talking about mainstream Hollywood.

It's ironic about Dwayne Johnson, and the few other actors that seem to be Hollyweird's go-to actors. Nowadays, almost anyone can be a "celebrity," if they have an IG or a Tik Tok, or a "reality TV" series. Now, "everyone" is a celebrity or a "star." If you throw a crumpled-up piece of paper at any crowd, it'll probably hit 3 or 4 "celebrities" before it hits the ground. Yet Hollyweird only has the tiniest pool of "stars" (of which Dwayne Johnson is the most overused) to choose from to oversaturate their productions.

Being a "star" means nothing nowadays.

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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#205

Post by Ankerson »

James Y wrote:
Wed Mar 29, 2023 8:51 am
Ankerson wrote:
Wed Mar 29, 2023 8:33 am
I tend to think these days the studios just have a list of actors that make the most money and they just pick one and fit them into a movie.

Good example of that is the Rock, but there have been plenty of others.

I think they tend to get over exposed.

I do agree though that it has gone down hill since the 1990's for sure, though a lot of the 80's movies also were bad too.

Oh yeah, there were lots of bad movies in every decade. But as far as overall levels, post-'90s have been the worst. And I'm mostly talking about mainstream Hollywood.

It's ironic about Dwayne Johnson, and the few other actors that seem to be Hollyweird's go-to actors. Nowadays, almost anyone can be a "celebrity," if they have an IG or a Tik Tok, or a "reality TV" series. Now, "everyone" is a celebrity or a "star." If you throw a crumpled-up piece of paper at any crowd, it'll probably hit 3 or 4 "celebrities" before it hits the ground. Yet Hollyweird only has the tiniest pool of "stars" (of which Dwayne Johnson is the most overused) to choose from to oversaturate their productions.

Being a "star" means nothing nowadays.

Jim

Jim,

Yeah don't get me started on that IG, Tik Tok etc garbage.... LOL

Reality TV, OMG... :eye-roll

All of it is just like anything else these days, one person does it and there are 50 to a Million videos about it 10 mins after.

Or if one says something then it must be true or whatever so everyone says it now.

Pathetic.. :eye-roll


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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#206

Post by Doc Dan »

I saw where Universal is going to remake The Mole People.
I Pray Heaven to Bestow The Best of Blessing on THIS HOUSE, and on ALL that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof! (John Adams regarding the White House)

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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#207

Post by James Y »

Doc Dan wrote:
Wed Mar 29, 2023 11:43 pm
I saw where Universal is going to remake The Mole People.

I thought that Universal was doing a whole classic monster universe franchise of remakes. Like the Marvel Universe, except with the classic old-school movie monsters. Wasn't the Anthony Hopkins Wolfman remake supposed to have been a part of that? I thought they also did a Mummy remake with Tom Cruise a few years back(?) that was a part of that.

Either way, any Mole People remake would be one for me to miss. Today's Hollywood movies just don't have the impact that movies had in the past.

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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#208

Post by James Y »

Marebito (2004, Trailer)

I had nearly forgotten about this Japanese horror film. I saw it back in the early 2000s. Not a big-budget film by a long shot, but IMO, it was very good, and unique (and a bit twisted). It drew some inspiration from the science fiction writings of Richard Sharpe Shaver from the 1940s.

https://youtu.be/P4we_G0JxEw

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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#209

Post by Doc Dan »

James Y wrote:
Thu Mar 30, 2023 1:28 pm
Doc Dan wrote:
Wed Mar 29, 2023 11:43 pm
I saw where Universal is going to remake The Mole People.

I thought that Universal was doing a whole classic monster universe franchise of remakes. Like the Marvel Universe, except with the classic old-school movie monsters. Wasn't the Anthony Hopkins Wolfman remake supposed to have been a part of that? I thought they also did a Mummy remake with Tom Cruise a few years back(?) that was a part of that.

Either way, any Mole People remake would be one for me to miss. Today's Hollywood movies just don't have the impact that movies had in the past.

Jim
The Wolfman remake was pretty good, actually. I don’t know what that Tom Cruise mummy thing was.
I Pray Heaven to Bestow The Best of Blessing on THIS HOUSE, and on ALL that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof! (John Adams regarding the White House)

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Live pure, speak true, right wrong, follow the King--
Else, wherefore born?" (Tennyson)



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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#210

Post by James Y »

The Night Flier (1997, Trailer)

In an earlier post, I had forgotten to mention this movie among the movies I liked that were based on Stephen King stories.

https://youtu.be/Do6BqbQRIv8

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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#211

Post by Ankerson »

James Y wrote:
Sat Apr 08, 2023 8:46 am
The Night Flier (1997, Trailer)

In an earlier post, I had forgotten to mention this movie among the movies I liked that were based on Stephen King stories.

https://youtu.be/Do6BqbQRIv8

Jim

Jim,

Yes, one of the better ones really, interesting story and twist.

Jim
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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#212

Post by James Y »

The Uninvited (1944, original trailer)

I haven't seen this since I saw it several times on TV in 1972. But I remember enough about it that I still consider it among the best haunted house movies ever made. I never considered it scary or even creepy, but I liked the story.

https://youtu.be/siqSUaML-Ig

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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#213

Post by clovisc »

Enys Men is a great new folk horror film.
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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#214

Post by James Y »

clovisc wrote:
Sun May 07, 2023 1:32 am
Enys Men is a great new folk horror film.

Thanks for the suggestion, clovisc. I hadn't heard if it before, and it looks very interesting.

https://youtu.be/f7Pwf94_XLY

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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#215

Post by Ankerson »

Doc Dan wrote:
Thu Mar 30, 2023 10:00 pm
James Y wrote:
Thu Mar 30, 2023 1:28 pm
Doc Dan wrote:
Wed Mar 29, 2023 11:43 pm
I saw where Universal is going to remake The Mole People.

I thought that Universal was doing a whole classic monster universe franchise of remakes. Like the Marvel Universe, except with the classic old-school movie monsters. Wasn't the Anthony Hopkins Wolfman remake supposed to have been a part of that? I thought they also did a Mummy remake with Tom Cruise a few years back(?) that was a part of that.

Either way, any Mole People remake would be one for me to miss. Today's Hollywood movies just don't have the impact that movies had in the past.

Jim
The Wolfman remake was pretty good, actually. I don’t know what that Tom Cruise mummy thing was.


Yeah the Mummy Movie with Tom Cruise in it was a waste. :eye-roll

Not even sure what the purpose of that movie was.
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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#216

Post by James Y »

I've mentioned John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) as being my favorite horror AND science fiction movie of all time. There were times I thought my favorite horror movie was Suspiria (1977), but I always end up coming back to and favoring The Thing, by a long shot. Only one movie, Your Name (Kimi No Na Wa, 2016) runs neck-and-neck with The Thing as my all-time favorite movie of any genre.

John Carpenter obviously had a love for the original movie, The Thing From Another World (1951). In Carpenter's Halloween (1978), there are scenes from the original movie playing on a TV set while Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) is babysitting the two kids. He had probably been wanting to make his own version of The Thing for many years. John Carpenter's version is much closer to the original story from the 1938 novella, Who Goes There? that The Thing movies were based on.

I was 19 when John Carpenter's The Thing was released. The first time I ever heard of it was seeing the teaser trailer in a theater. The teaser trailer gave no indication of how great a movie it is. But I liked John Carpenter's movies, so I went and saw it. Little did I know that 41 years later, it would still be a candidate for my favorite movie of all time.

Original Rare "Ice Block" Teaser Trailer:

https://youtu.be/VnGBL-qrmvE

Official Trailer:

https://youtu.be/ySvzHdtCiWE

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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#217

Post by James Y »

The Technicolor Nightmares of Suspiria

Suspiria is definitely among my top 5 or 6 horror films. I'm talking about the original 1977 movie being discussed in this video.

I've heard that there was a remake in 2018, which I refuse to watch. I've heard that it's very different from the original, but then why not just make an original movie altogether? Why the obsessive need to remake good movies?

https://youtu.be/VrcqxqsJSD4

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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#218

Post by James Y »

The Exorcist: Believer (2023; official trailer)

This is a new, modern-day follow-up to the original 1973 movie, The Exorcist. Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair even reprise their roles as the original mother and daughter main characters from the original.

Sadly, from the trailer, there is no indication that this new movie will be a worthy follow-up to the original. It appears laden with quick-cut editing, cheap "jump scares" (which are lazy, boring, and way overdone in modern Hollywood horror films), and probably CGI effects.

The original 1973 movie, which was directed by William Friedkin, was, and always will be, one of the classic movies in cinematic history. It didn't need to rely on quick-cut edits and overdone "jump scares." The original relied on a foreboding atmosphere, great story, memorable and relatable characters, and great acting. All of which require a much higher level of skill and filmmaking craftsmanship. All of the special effects in the original were practical effects, which are far more realistic and effective at conveying true horror than any modern CGI.

All in all, just from seeing the trailer, The Exorcist: Believer looks to be a pretty average, modern-day horror film of the "cheap jump scare" variety (which is most of them nowadays). Sad. I hope I'm wrong about that, but the only thing I'm afraid of is that I'm not.

https://youtu.be/PIxpPMyGcpU

Jim
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Re: Favorite horror movies?

#219

Post by James Y »

James Y wrote:
Fri Jul 28, 2023 4:38 pm
The Exorcist: Believer (2023; official trailer)

This is a new, modern-day follow-up to the original 1973 movie, The Exorcist. Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair even reprise their roles as the original mother and daughter main characters from the original.

Sadly, from the trailer, there is no indication that this new movie will be a worthy follow-up to the original. It appears laden with quick-cut editing, cheap "jump scares" (which are lazy, boring, and way overdone in modern Hollywood horror films), and probably CGI effects.

The original 1973 movie, which was directed by William Friedkin, was, and always will be, one of the classic movies in cinematic history. It didn't need to rely on quick-cut edits and overdone "jump scares." The original relied on a foreboding atmosphere, great story, memorable and relatable characters, and great acting. All of which require a much higher level of skill and filmmaking craftsmanship. All of the special effects in the original were practical effects, which are far more realistic and effective at conveying true horror than any modern CGI.

All in all, just from seeing the trailer, The Exorcist: Believer looks to be a pretty average, modern-day horror film of the "cheap jump scare" variety (which is most of them nowadays). Sad. I hope I'm wrong about that, but the only thing I'm afraid of is that I'm not.

https://youtu.be/PIxpPMyGcpU

Jim

It looks like my prediction of The Exorcist: Believer NOT being a worthy follow-up to the 1973 original was spot on. All the reviews I've seen of it have said that it's a terrible movie, and the director is being called one of the worst directors. I won't even bother to see it. Hollywood doesn't care anymore; they haven't in a long time.

IMO, the only well-made Exorcist sequel was The Exorcist III (1990). That was actually a good movie, and a worthy part of the franchise.

Jim
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