See This Horror Movie! pre-challenge thread (1 Viewer)

[Garrett Lundy]

Post 1 scary/halloween movie that you believe more people should watch this october. Because Night Of The Seagulls should never be infliced upon anyone.



Bram Stoker's Dracula

(1992 / Francis Ford Coppola)

Its been 15 years since this one came out. There are people now drinking in bars who were not yet in grade school when this movie came out. I feel that enough time has passed that this overlooked gem of cinema has to be pimped here today.

BSD has 5 major selling points that I think make this a film more people should see this year:

1. Score by Wojciech Kilar. If a more perfect gothic horror score exists I haven't heard it.

2. Sadie Frost, Monica Bellucci, Michaela Bercu, Florina Kendrick, and a very moist Winona Ryder.

3. Gary Oldman & Anthony Hopkins. Best performances of their careers. Especially Hopkins... I wanna be just like VanHellsing when I become a grandpa.

4. Awesome visual masterpiece: Not by delivering a super slick, shiny modernization of the classic, but instead going in the opposite direction; the whole visual style of the film tries to look like the worlds most elaborate stage theater, circa 1890's. (Matte paintings, unusual close framing, just "doesn't look quite right" sets, windowframes within frames, blacking-out everything but the characters in certain scenes, etc etc etc).

The movie contains more details than any movie I'm aware of.....
*Dracula's castle so designed to resemble a skeleton sitting on a throne.
*Castle interior filled with rats on ceilings, torchiere's shaped like arms, alchemy liquids that drip up towards the ceiling, mysterious star-filled abyss beloy the stairway, a mostly empty mausoleum of a building sparsely filled with elaborate baroque furniture 500 years out of place. The kind of thing maybe 1/500 people notice, the effort is nice.
*Dracula's elaborate kabuki inspired hairstyle & robe not only sticks in your head, makes his shadow apear bat-like.
*Suit of armour straight out of a heavy metal album cover.
*Best ..... staking .....ever.
*Dracula doesn't walk into your room. he floats into your room.

5. The part near the end with the rats.... awesome awesome awesome.

 

[Ruz-El]

Great idea! I have no idea what to contribute If I can get that re-release of Dracula in time, I'll definitely check it out.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I hate "BRAM STOKER"S...... I mean, FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA'S... DRACULA". I'd never watch it again.

On the other hand, I am looking forward to the BBC version of DRACULA which has just come out on DVD, and which I hear is supposed to be very good.

 

[Malcolm R]

Love Coppola's take on the story, but am also looking forward to the BBC version which I never knew existed until a few days ago.

My suggestion:

MIMIC (1997)
Dir: Guillermo del Toro

From IMDB:

I'm not a huge fan of big bug films, but I thought this was a plot that was more interesting than most, with some great creatures and very spooky atmospheric style. The ending is rather weak after a great 3/4 of the film, but I still enjoy it. Sadly, I think the only DVD available is non-anamorphic. There are also DTV sequels. I watched MIMIC 2 but hated it so much I never bothered with MIMIC 3.

 

[Scott-S]

I am going to go out on a limb and recommend a sci-fi movie that some might feel isn't really a horror movie. I think it is, and it is one of the movies that creeps me out for some reason. So I definitely consider it a horror.

I recommend:

Event Horizon

If you think it isn't a horror movie., try freeze framing on the Hell scenes that flash by.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

For those who have never seen it, I recommend HORROR HOTEL (also on DVD from VCI as CITY OF THE DEAD).

 

[Ruz-El]

Just saw this for order on amazon. It's like the public domain company just went "F**k it!" I'm tempted to order it for next year XD

 

[Sandro]

Malcolm R, great call on Mimic an early Guillermo del Toro gem. I especially love the scene with Mira Sorvino on the subway platform. Also check out del Toro's first film, Cronos, a different kind of vampire story.

I recommend two movies. First, for those who have lost their faith in new horror films, watch Isolation an Irish film about genetic experimentation set on a remote farm. This film gave me the creeps with its sombre tone and thick atmosphere. There are echoes of early Cronenberg, Alien and Carpenter's The Thing but director Billy O'Brien spins familiar themes and situations into something new.

Secondly, for fans of subtle and strange horror, I recommend Messiah of Evil (1973) an tale about a town whose inhabitants are not normal. There are some really creepy and weird scenes. Unfortunately it is only available pan and scan on a cheap Diamond double disk. This is one film just waiting to be rescued and rediscovered - a decent DVD would be most welcome.

 

[JohnRice]

Russell, I have several sets from Millcreek, which is what you posted there. I guess they decided to just put together monster sets, ans the ones I have are 50 or 100 movies. They are a real hoot. Just don't count on consistend quality.

 

[BrettGallman]

Halloween III. No, really. Go watch Halloween III sometime this year.

If you haven't seen it, it's poor reputation isn't deserved at all. Sure, it doesn't have Myers in it, but that's no problem. It's a fantastic little film.

 

[David Forbes]

THE CHANGELING with George C. Scott. One of the best haunted house movies ever made.

Along a similar vein, HELL HOUSE is actually pretty good from what I remember. (I have no idea if it's on DVD, I haven't seen it in probably 20 years.)

 

[Ruz-El]

I have "The Changeling" and plan to watch it this year. I saw it when I was a kid on TV, and that three striped ball scared the crap out of me and gave me nightmares for months.

At least, I think that movie was "the Changling" XD


Maybe I will grab that set. It works out to about $.30 a movie I'll save them for next years challenge LOL!!

 

[JohnRice]

I finally looked it up at Amazon, and I am not especially impressed with the $70 price. The last one I bought was a 100 pack for $20 at Sam's. You might wait and look for it at DDD. I'm pretty sure I have at least 200 of the 250 in that set, so it doesn't make any sense for me anyway. There's actually some pretty good stuff, as well as some incredibly "bad" stuff.

 

[Rob P S]

Tourist Trap