Suggest some titles for the annual Halloween Horrorthon! (1 Viewer)

Every year for the month of October, I go crazy with the horror flicks – as any right minded film fan tends to do. However I’m old school – I almost always go with flicks from the 30’s - Dracula and Frankenstein and the like - to the eighties slasher flicks. I almost never watch new horror movies, this fad of torture porn holds no appeal to me and I try and avoid remakes.


But this year I thought I’d try and reverse the trend. Aside from my annual viewings on the 31st of Halloween and Great Pumpkin, I’m going to try and stick exclusively to movies from the Aughts.


The problem is - since I’m not in the scene, I have zero idea what’s good and what to avoid. So I’ll turn to you guys. Can you suggest some modern flicks that don’t suck (and perhaps mention of movies that I must avoid at all costs)?

I'm pretty much the same as you (I guess) in that I prefer older stuff up to the slashers.But here are some newer films I liked:


From the Nuthin' Nineties:


THE SIXTH SENSE

MISERY

THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE

EXORCIST III

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE

HALLOWEEN H20: TWENTY YEARS LATER


From the Zeroes:


HIGH TENSION (aka Haute Tension)

THE OTHERS

28 DAYS LATER

28 WEEKS LATER

THE DEVIL'S REJECTS

SAW (I know you don't care for these, but the first one was really good)

Wes Craven was on a hot streak in the 1990's- Wes Craven's New Nightmare, Scream and Scream 2 are all excellent.


Like Joe, I think Saw is a pretty decent little thriller and not quite as violent as its reputation suggests (though it does get graphic). I actually think Saw II is better but that movie definitely gets into the more graphic horror that you don't care for. I loved The Devil's Rejects but I think that's another movie that is very graphic and in your face.

I recently saw THE BURROWERS and I can't say enough good things about that flick. It's a period piece, it takes place in the old west, and this dude's girl has just been kidnapped by Indians, or so they think. Well, it ain't Indians, but more like these creatures that reminded me of, no, I mustn't say anymore. But I will say Lovecraft would have loved this flick. The best part is a majority of the creature effects are practical with only a scant showing of CGI beasties.


Did I mention Clancy Brown is in it? The Kurgin from HIGHLANDER. There's quite a few "Oh, shit!" moments in this flick that'll make your head spin. I will give only part of one away. One of the characters accidentally steps into a bear trap and in his desperate plight to escape before something even worse happens, he breaks his fingernail clean off. I literally winced and clenched my fists.


Seek it out, Tony


SEEK. IT. OUT!


Wal-Mart has it for $5.00!

Actually, Saw was one of the ones on the list that I was going to rent this month. While I may not be thrilled by the Torture Porn concept, I will admit that I'm totally judging a book by it's cover. So I'll give the first one a fair shot and see what I think. The Burrowers sounds like an interesting flick - I'll have to see if Scarecrow has it on their shelves and check it out.

Okay, let me start by saying the running time stated on the back is wrong. It says the movie is 124 minutes, which is 2 hours and 4 minutes long. When I first read that, I thought, how unusual, typically horror flicks clock in around the 90-minute mark, At least, 90 minutes, I should say. But the truth was revealed when I put the disc, the flick is actually 94 minutes.

Now, first and foremost I’m a monster movie fan, even before horror movies entered my life, I was a die hard science fiction monster movie fan. Still am, and that good old fashion monster movie, I hate to say, is hard to come by these days. I remember being excited about SPLINTER, and then I saw it on pay-per-view and was extremely disappointed. Great monster, but I hated the characters, the story, and how the monster was shot. So, you can see why I latched onto this flick when it was first mentioned many years back. And, from what I heard about its basic plot, I was clearly excited all over again. Thank God, this time, the movie did not disappoint.

Putting a monster movie in the old west is certainly something you don’t generally see, and seeing as how my life is currently based in the country this angle alone was something to get excited about. Everything about this movie is just purely awesome. All the characters were likable, yes, even General, or Captain, or whatever his rank was, Henry Victor. Well, maybe, not all the time, but he wasn’t as much of a douche bag as you typically see in horror movies these days.

My hats off to director J.T. Petty for constructing basically a slow burn tale, where you get nicely rounded characters and a nicely paced story right up front before the monsters make themselves known. I also like those tales where the characters think they’re dealing with one thing, then, as events unfold, they slowly realize it ain’t anything like that at all, but something infinitely worse.

I was only familiar with three of the actors in this movie: Doug Hutchison, who played the General. I remember him from the X-Files, those two episodes that chronicled that Toomes character; the guy who could stretch his limbs and slip into places no normal person could go; Karl Geary, who played Fergus Coffey, I’ve only seen him in J.T. Petty’s superior MIMIC sequel, MIMIC: SENTINAL; and, the infamous Clancy Brown, the dude who played the Kurgin in HIGHLANDER.

Now, on to the creatures themselves, excellent and creepy. Very Lovecraftian, I might add. I wonder if J.T. Petty had ever read Lovecraft’s THE LURKING FEAR, the story and the creatures certainly reminded me of it. The way they hunt and feed creeped me right the fuck out, too. To be paralyzed, then buried alive until you’ve rotted enough for their liking, then eaten alive?! Dear God!

I’ve read some reviews that said the CGI is crap. That it’s on par with a SyFy channel movie. My opinion on using CGI in low budget flicks goes like this, if you don’t have enough money to render the monster photo realistic, in form and function, then what CGI you decide to use must be “hidden.” And, when I say, “hidden,” I mean quick glimpses, seen at night, use a lot of shade and shadows. Interestingly, that’s pretty much what J.T. Petty did. The only CGI monsters he displayed were in the nighttime finale, and, even though, I could pick them out like a sore thumb, they looked nothing like those daylight roaming video game renditions SyFy likes to shove into their lame ass flicks.

And the story had some nice unexpected, “Oh, shit!” moments as well, which I just can’t go into for fear I might spoil something for someone, who might be reading this, and who hasn’t seen it yet. The one “Oh, shit!” moment I can reveal is the moment Coffey gets his foot stuck in a bear trap, and in a desperate course to free himself, he breaks a fingernail clean off. When that happened, I literally winced and clenched my fists.

From reel one it’s no surprise you in for a downbeat ending. Let’s just say it didn’t get as downbeat as it could have, but it certainly went in that direction, as it should have done, and I liked it even more because of that.

So, in closing, I and just about everyone else in this thread heartily recommend THE BURROWERS for your horrific viewing enjoyment. Now, if you’re reading this, and still haven’t seen it yet, what the hell are you waiting for?! Go buy it!

Originally Posted by Tony J Case

While I may not be thrilled by the Torture Porn concept, I will admit that I'm totally judging a book by it's cover.

Click to expand...

[SOAP BOX]I hate the term 'torture porn' because it's become an easy way for someone to ghettoize any violent horror movie of the last decade. While there are some movies out there that live up (or, rather, down) to the torture porn name, there are some movies (like the two Hostel movies) that have more going on than just showing someone get cut up but they have unfairly been labeled as torture porn.[/SOAP BOX]


All that being said, I think the Saw movies have been so successful because there's more to them than just the violence. The coolest thing about them is the twists and turns and how they all inteconnect rather than seeing someone lose a limb.

I agree with Travis regarding the SAW series. But you can rent the first and see if the idea works for you or not. If you find yourself at all intrigued by the plot, you can then move onto SAW II.


I'll also add CLOVERFIELD and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY to my list of recommendations, though they played best in a theater.


By the way, you might have more responses to this if you re-posted your thread in the MOVIES section (where the Halloween Challenge is taking place).

Here are a few great horror movies I recommend, and there made for tv, but still good ! Trilogy Of Terror, Dont Be afraid Of The Dark, Devil Dog Hound Of Hell. They are all on dvd.

I hear good things about Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. I bought it this year and looking forward to it. the Blu ray is dirt cheap.

One's I'd recommend if you haven't seen em...


Dark City. One of the few Blu rays with 7.1 sound.


Pumpkinhead. Just get it!!

Blair Witch Project.

The Changeling. 1980 with George C. Scott. A real chiller with Scott putting in his normal best.

I'll try to post a few more later when I can look at my collection from more recent times.

Yeah, I was seriously disappointed by DEAD BIRDS, which, yes, is within the same vein, but more of a Twlight Zone-esque tale than the monster movie THE BURROWERS is. Will be posting again. I've got some more suggestions.

Some horror movies I enjoyed from the last ten years:


Session 9

Dawn of the Dead (remake)

Frailty

Silent Hill

The Others

Dog Soldiers

28 Days Later

Drag Me to Hell

The Mist

The Ring (remake)

Saw

Feast

Jeepers Creepers

Trick 'r Treat

Midnight Meat Train

Paranormal Activity

^^^

Session 9 is extremely creepy. Love that image of an old style wheel chair sitting down a deserted hallway. good stuff! And all those creepy recordings. I couldn't get enough of that. I need to replace my old VHS of that one.

Walmart has 30 Days of Night for $10, bluray. Anybody seen it? I was tempted...but....


Glad someone else didn't like Dead Birds. I was getting some flack for that last year. I just thought it was okay at time. I think I've been getting tired of the creepy little ghost thing from japan. I like the original Shutter (that's a good one) and LOVE the original Dark Water. The Ring remake is good, original not so much... But that idea just got very old.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radioman970
Walmart has 30 Days of Night for $10, bluray. Anybody seen it? I was tempted...but....

Glad someone else didn't like Dead Birds. I was getting some flack for that last year. I just thought it was okay at time.

Click to expand...

Before I formally get into my suggestions for, Tony, let me just say, James, like THE BURROWERS, I heartily recommend 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, too! The vampires in that movie are simply predators from the start. No subtle seductions to get at your blood, they simply ambush you and tear your throat out with the many piranha-like teeth they have in their mouths. And, their eyes are too small for their faces, giving them a really creepy look. Aside from that the, and like THE BURROWERS, the cinematography is mouthwatering. I like movies where you can tell the shots were thought out ahead of time and a lot of thought went into conveying their impact, be it blatant or subtle, and there are a lot of both in this flick.


The movie also has the most realistic beheading I have ever seen in a movie. You can tell it was done through a very effective combination of practical and CGI enhancement. This poor dude is changing into a vamp and, before you can say, "Hey, will someone chop his head off, already!" the guy is decapitated right in camera!


Even the principals on the commentary take note of it. And, like THE BURROWERS it's got an ending that will make you hurt. I recommend this, to Tony, to you, James, and to whomever is reading this.


Check out the vamp on the back cover. He's the creepiest one, and the most psycho, of them all, if you don't count the vamp in charge. And, these vamps have their own creepy language.





Now, concerning DEAD BIRDS . . . I loved the setup and I loved the "punch line" at the end, what didn't work for me was the story in between, which was mostly about a bunch of disparate people creeping around in a house and arguing with one another.


Now, Tony, might I suggest these gems for your viewing pleasure. THE ROOST, like THE BURROWERS, (why does everything come back to that flick?), is a slow burn of a movie. Four friends driving at night, on their way to another friend's wedding, are sidelined by a bat that flies into the windshield. It's essentially another tale about vampires, but done in a much more creepy and Stephen King-esque way. Almost plausible, dare I say. Most of the action takes place in a huge barn as the kids try and figure out how to live another two minutes. The one drawback of the flick is the interruption of a horror host that completely pulls you out of the flick at a most crucial point. I recommend fast forwarding past him.






Next, might I suggest Lucky McKee's THE WOODS. Another period piece, it takes place in the 60s, I believe, and is about this chick who is put into this school for troubled girls. The teachers are messed up, as in they're. "of the woods," let's just say. Bruce Campbell has a small part as the girl's father. Her mother, however, is a real bitch. The effects are top notch, and the whole flick has a very dream-like vibe to it, as the girl tries to figure out why some of them are disappearing, and why, every morning when they wake, there are bits of leaves and bark in their hair, and in their beds, and on their person.






And, last but not least, may I suggest Clive Barker's THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN. Unlike THE BURROWERS and THE ROOST, this flick is pretty much in your face once it gets revved up. Gory as all hell. The short story takes place in London, I think, but the movie takes place in New York, and I seem to think the main character in the story, Leon, is a reporter, and in the movie he's a photographer eager to get his big break. If I'm wrong about the short story, somebody, please, speak up. It's been a while since I read it. Leon, and serial killer, Mahogany, collide in very bloody fashion, and the ending, as well, as the final confrontation on the subway between the two, are showstoppers. This is strict Clive Barker eye-candy at its best. The only change in the story I didn't like was the deletion of a briefly glimpsed Lovecraftian monstrosity at the end of the short story. And, I believe the "forefathers," as they were called in the story, were more human than the monstrous things seen at the end, which did not bother me in the least, however. And, there are a couple of "Oh, shit" moments in this one, too.

Great post SSWF! They have plenty of 30 Days of Nights right now so hopefully mid-month when I go back I can grab one. The cover reminds me of the 28 Days/Weeks later cover. That's really why I was avoiding it. I like the Blade flicks so hoping it's as good.

I literally had to "burrow" my way down in the WM bin to find a Burrowers. haha The box was a little mashed but I got it anyway. Looking forward to that. I also found a Wrong Turn 2: Dead End and hid it behind some stuff. I'll probably miss out on it though. I read it was pretty good, and has that head banger singer in it, Rollins. I like him. Not his music so much, but he was funny on Letterman.

I thought The Woods was just okay. I really liked the look of the film and the lead girl. She was excellent. I don't want to spoil things, but there's a certain Italian film that is similar to The Woods only much much better, in fact it's an absolute classic.


Roost looks like Pitch Black. That's one of my recommendations.
Diary of the Dead. Decent Romero. And for something even better try to find The Dead Set. I'd recommend looking on amazon.co.uk

Wolf Creek. This one will leave you thinking. Very unnerving at times.
Panic Room. Jodie Foster trying to protect her daughter. This left me exhausted first time. It's great! The Superbit version can be found at Big Lots and Walmart for dirrt cheap. HIghly recommended.
Gothika. A Complete surprise. I liked it a lot.

Ravenous. Talk about crazy...! A must for fans of period stuff. The whole cast is great.
The Craft. Approaches incredible. Awesome cast of young witches. Harry Potter? Ha! Mere child!

Slither. Don't eat during. Just saying...

Heavenly Creatures. Not a horror film really, but the whole movie is a slow build that will get you in the right mood for horror films.

Jack Ketchum's books to movies. I've only seen The Girl Next Door, but it was truly a terrifying experience. Domestic horror beyond just about anything.
The Last Supper. Another that's not really horror, but it's a nice bit of black comedy that works well in October. Watch over a plate of spaghetti, you'll thank me for it.
Young Poisoner's Handbook. If you can find it. Classic black comedy.
The Parents. Another black comedy that got a DVD release finally. It's paired with a subpar flick called Fear, Ally Sheedy. Worth the price for Parents. A shame Randy Quaid is having so many problems, he was great in that.

I didn't care for Trilogy of Terror. One of last year's disappointments. Black is good but it just didn't grab me.

Here's my own personal tale of what I went through once my local Wal-Mart decided to simply dump all their 5 buck flicks into a bin! It's posted on Fangoria's forum, but I'll reproduce here so you won't have to do any clicking. (And, yes, mine was a little worked over, too):

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


[SIZE= 12px]Well, this thread had a happy ending after all. I went down today with the firm intention of digging this movie out of that bin, but deep down not really thinking I would find it.

I entered the store, grabbed a cart, and sashayed on over to the home video department where I found an old lady and her middle aged friend digging through the bin. I pulled the cart up next to it and said, "If you want you can use my cart to put the DVDs in." And then I told them I was here looking for a particular flick that I was told was buried within. Unexpectedly, they started helping me, and in no time we had that cart filled to almost overflowing with dvds.

I quickly ran up to the front and got another cart, and in no time we had that one filled, too, and just before I was getting ready to call it quits, thinking THE BURROWERS were indeed buried deep, deep, down, one of the women pulls it forth and shows it to me.

Shocked was the expression I had on my face. Didn't think I was ever gonna find it. During the course of our "digging," the women expressed to me how stupid this whole bin setup was. I concurred. Even the guy that moseyed on over to have a casual look at what we were doing got pulled into the discourse, and he, too, agreed it was a bad setup.

Well, after procurring the flick, a woman who worked there, walked by and the old lady asked her, in a friendly irate tone, "Whose responsible for this?" And then she and her friend began to express their distaste over the bin setup. The woman immediately asked if she would like to talk to manager, and she called two of them over on her walkie.

When they appeared all three of us told them how innane this dumping of dvds into this bin was, and he actually agreed it was a bad idea, but it was what the bigwigs at the top wanted. He then said he would pass our concerns on to them.

It was all rather friendly, no attitude involved, thank God. Anyhow, being happier than a clam, I dumped the movies back in, took the carts back up front, and bought the flick.

Won't be seeing it for a few days, still got two more CRITTERS flicks to get through.[/SIZE]


Quote:

Originally Posted by Radioman970

I literally had to "burrow" my way down in the WM bin to find a Burrowers. haha The box was a little mashed but I got it anyway. Looking forward to that.

Click to expand...

Almost everybody knows it's bad. But they are doing a little better. Many of the better fivers are on a display shelf now. Not Burrowers, at least not at my store.

Btw, they released those Critters in a 4 movie set. About $10 at DD. It's backorders, so I wait for it along with There's nothing out there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radioman970

Click to expand...

Got it already. Sweet collection!

So 30 Days of Nights is on the "See" list? Really? I didn't hear all that much about it, but what little I did was not favorable. I might have to give it a spin anyway.


So I started out with what I thought was a sure thing - boy was I ever wrong! I picked up the new Romero Zombie flick Survival of the Dead on a whim, banking on the brand name. Now, I'm actually pretty hard to piss off, I liked Land of the Dead and I thought Diary of the Dead was pretty good for an experiment (and finally a Blair-Witch Cinema Verte that didn't make me sick to my stomach) but this one, I couldn't get behind. The CGI was really bad (what happened to the practical effects, George? Surely the price of Kayo Syrup hasn't gone up that much!), the comedy was really out of place, the Zombie threat wasn't that potent and I couldn't stand any of the characters. In short, every bullet point of the movie was a complete misfire.


I'm a very sad zombie fan. Still, if that's the low point of the month, I'm off to a good start!