Don't they make scary movies anymore??? (1 Viewer)

[Jack Briggs]

The object of a well-made horror film is not necessarily to "scare" the viewer, but to disturb him or her (and to provoke and to make one think -- which is the point of any serious film). Cheap thrills are not what good filmmaking is about. Yet, by showing restraint and intelligence, director Robert Wise made a profoundly disturbing film in 1963's The Haunting.

This obsession with "being scared" is more symptomatic of the modern view by many of film being about sheer sensation and little else.

 

[Julie K]

True, but not the case with me when I watch movies. I am more than willing, eager even, to suspend my disbelief in order to enjoy a movie.

The reason that BW failed with me was primarily due to the characters and my complete lack of interest in them.

 

[Jason Seaver]

I get a little leery whenever someone says that you have to do X to make a good movie of any sort. Especially in terms of horror, where doing something well one way is almost an innoculation; it becomes part of the culture and the next time someone tries it, it's not unknown enough to be as frightening.

I think good characters are nice to have, but not really necessary. Good characterization will get you suspense, but horror comes from not just a lack of understanding of the situations, but the suspicion that one not be able to comprehend it.

The last really good American horror movie I saw was The Blair Witch Project, where I didn't really think much of the characters but did think the filmmakers nailed the feeling of being lost in the woods and not understanding what is happening. The last time I remember feeling really scared at a movie was watching Ju-On: The Grudge; however, I can't imagine that the American remake will be as frightening. In part because having recognizable actors will re-inforce the fictionality of it, and in part because, again, the Japanese original has sort of innoculated me toward it.

 

[WillG]

I think that is what killed it for me. The feeling of being lost in the woods is fine, but when I couldn't have really cared much for the fate of the characters, it loses me.

 

[Jason Seaver]

The thing is that, to a certain extent, once you have good characterization, it becomes specifically about those characters. That's fine for suspense, but it removes the universality of the horror.

 

[RobertR]

I think it's because the 14 to 24 year old demographic is what's been driving the movie business for over 25 years, especially with this genre.

 

[WillG]

I guess it's just a question of balance. I think the universality is important. We need to be able to understand the situation in an elemental way, Being lost in the woods, being trapped on a spaceship with a deadly predator, a killer lurking undeknownst to the protagonists etc. But I think you need the other elements just as much for a horror film to be optimally effective. If you don't care about the fate of the characters, how can you fully be invested in te horror of the film?


True, but a good filmmaker should know that it does not have to be that way. If I reacall the last, most successful scary film was "The Ring" and that did not revolve around teens.

 

[Alex Spindler]

This is a good point. The characters in The Thing are pretty thinly drawn (although not carboard cliches either), but that does nothing to damage the excellent film they are built around.

 

[Tony Whalen]

I was only scared by three people. The kid whose dad drove a van that looked like a (bad) shuttlecraft. The guy who did his shopping in his uniform (and thought about getting his ears done!) and MOSTLY by the woman who insists on being addressed by her "rank", and wears the (bad) uniform and (bad) phaser everywhere.

I'm a trek fan, but DAMN. Scary folks!!!

Sorry...back on topic.

Gotta agree with a number of the posters in here. Building tension and maintaining it is a more subtle craft than going for the outright BOO. Alex, you were right about Panic Room. I didn't LOVE that flick, but the tension was great.

Is character important? To a degree. I mean, that new Texas Chainsaw... I didn't give a crap about any of the people. The big-breasted girl and her boyfriend. Their sidekick, the stoner/geek-guy. Cliche?

The thing about The Thing is that yes, the characters were THIN, but not totally cliche. Although Wilford Brimley still makes me think of a walrus.

 

[Robert Ringwald]

Honestly, the BLAIR WITCH PROJECT scared the crap out of me... outside of the theater.

During the movie I was deeply creeped out, but this could be because I saw it in a theater with just my mom and 2 other people.. Those 2 were sitting behind us.

I'd seen tons of horror films at that point, but it was just creepy how it used the unknown, and the fears we all have of the darkness to scare the crap out of you. The whole time I was thinking of TCM, and how it was filmed...

When the movie ended I just sat and watched the credits, amazed at how creepy it was. Then I went home and saw 'curse of the blair witch' on sci fi. That's enough to creep anyone out...

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES is a show I still have trouble watching... something about the theme music, and the voice-over... it's just too much.

 

[Justin_S]

I actually really liked and identified with the characters in Blair Witch. Even if I hadn't though, the film still would've scared the hell out of me. To this day I still have trouble bringing myself to watch the film at times. In my opinion, it is the film that has best used the fear of the unknown to this date.

 

[WillG]

Characters don't necessairly have to be 3 Dimensional and fully fleshed out. But we definately need to feel respect for them. I think the Thing did that well. Not cliched, certainly not dumb character, but they still come off as everyday guys. For me, it's when I have no respect for at lease some of the characters that a horror film (or any film for that matter) loses my interest.

 

[Xavier]

I agree with Robert. Blair Witch scared the living crap out of me as well. We had only heard a few things about this film before walking into it. It was playing only at one theater in Houston at the time, and up to that point the word around the campfire was that it was similar to Faces of Death but involved witches.

So being the brave souls that we were, we stood in line for about an hour... about 1/3 into the movie we realized this was no Faces of Death but something far scarier. This was the actual footage of some missing college students.

There were people running out of the theater, crying, curled up in their seats. It was definitely one for the books.

That night any noise I heard rattled my bones to the core. I slept with the lights on and the tv volume near full blast. It wasn't till weeks later when the film got its widespread release that the audience knew it was fake. Later viewings at other theaters with friends were ruined by people laughing and making mockeries of key scenes. The thrill had left.

No movie had ever really scared me before this, sans In the Mouth of Madness, TCM, NOTLD, but those were more of a self created fear. Where I subjected myself and my thoughts into those worlds. With Blair Witch, I felt like I had no control. Perhaps preparation is the key.

-X

 

[Herm C]

Nice topic. Here's how I would rate some of the films discussed.

Jeepers Creepers 8/10
The Ring (US remake) 5/10
Ringu 9/10
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) 10/10
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) 10/10
Signs 4/10
28 Days Later 8/10
Dawn of the Dead (2004) 7/10
Dawn of the Dead (1979) 8/10

And nothing scares me anymore too, although sometimes a good jump scene will move me.

 

[Mikel_Cooperman]

That is a tough question because as adults you really dont get scared in movies so much as you get caught up in the mood and atmosphere.A good script doesnt hurt which are few and far between these days.
I remember Poltergeist affecting me when I first saw it as a did a movie called The Entity The "78" version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Burnt Offerings and The Thing. All just creepy well done movies.
Not too many scary movies are made anymore. Film makers take the easy way out going the slasher route. Two recent films that I do think were quite good were, The Others and The Ring.

Do you think teens these days really want to see a good Horror movie where the plot builds slowly and without the typical jump and scare tricks every 10 minutes?

 

[chris winters]

I would second, the ring(american version), stir of echos, and blair witch as modern classics. Movies like dawn of the dead(new one) excite me and capture my imagination, but dont scare me per say. The ring acually scared me at times, as did blair witch. At 31, I can still get plenty scared, but the difference is I can recover faster. When I was younger when I got a scare, I coule dwell on it night after night for days, but now Im usually ok an hour after the movie ended. Back to reality I guess. Might have the occasional flashback, as if Im alone and the tv is on, and the phone rings. I wonder how many people got crank calls the last few years saying "7 days". That would freak me out if I got one. When I was a kid The exorcist, which I still wont revisit, and texas chainsaw massacre which I have watched many times scared me. As did many other 70's classics. The shlasher films of the 80s didnt get me as much, as they seemed sillier and less literal somehow. The thing was solid, although Its more in the dawn of the dead category, then a movie that actually scaried me. I hated the stomach exploding seen from alien. I thought some of THE OTHERS was scary as well. I rememebr the woman with the twisted spine from pet cemetary got to me when that came out.

 

[Robert Ringwald]

The creepy thing was that I knew the blair witch project was totally fake when I saw it, but it still creeped me out.

 

[Justin_S]

I knew it was fake going in and it still scared me shitless. Its the only movie that has ever terrified me to the extent of not being able to sleep, and sometimes when I do sleep, I have nightmares about the film. Its so great when a movie can scare you that much.

 

[Matt Stone]

The first time I saw Blair Witch, I was pretty disturbed. I'm not sure how so many people though it was real, though. I agree it looked real, but I saw it a few months before release and knew it was fake then. Regardless...I've tried to watch it since then, and for some reason it just doesn't do anything for me anymore (aside from give me migraine )

 

[Blu]

What about the theory of substituting SFX/Gore for actual scariness?

One of the things that really ruined TCM remake for me was showing too much of leatherface. especially without the mask
It just ruined it. I'm not opposed to gore/sfx AT ALL. It just isn't a substitute for actual scary moments.