scary movie

[melwalton]

Hope I'm doing this right; first time I tried to start one. Saw this on another site and thought it might be interesting The question was ,'What movie scared you when you were growing up? This is what I typed:

One scene in 'Psycho', when the chair was turned round revealing the skeleton made me jump, Again, in 'The Uninvited' a scene near the end did too but the only time, I recall, being scared was when I saw 'The Others'. Made me shudder. I wasn't growing, I was long grown.

[moira finnie]

Hi Mel,
I think the one scene that scared the wits out of me (I still don't watch this movie), was in Robert Wise's adaptation of the Shirley Jackson tale in The Haunting (1963). It was the scene when the door "breathes in" while Julie Harris cowers in bed. It was truly frightening!

[knitwit45]

Mel, this really seems silly when I type it, but the Flying Monkeys in Wizard of Oz STILL scare the stuffing out of me. I honestly have to turn away or fast forward during the "Fly! Fly! Fly!" portion of the movie.


And, I was DONE when Martin Balsam started up the stairs in Psycho. I was thirteen, with a group of girls, and had to sit out the movie in the lobby!

I admit it , I AM A WUSS.....
Give me a 40's musical any day!

Nancy

[melwalton]

Hi, Moira, I loved 'The Haunting',( Whose hand was I holding? ) course I love Julie Harrie, too; did you see 'Member of the Wedding'? It's a 'Don't miss',.

[jdb1]

Hi, Moira, I loved 'The Haunting',( Whose hand was I holding? ) course I love Julie Harrie, too; did you see 'Member of the Wedding'? It's a 'Don't miss',.

This is a bit off-topic, but why, Mel, do you "of course" love Julie Harris? I surely do not. It's always interesting to me so meet with with so many knowledgeable cinephiles who have such completely different perceptions of a similar thing. I thought she was appropriately uptight in this movie, but then I find her tense and cold in everything she plays.

I suspect that she was far more believable in Member of the Wedding onstage, where there was some physical distance between her and the audience. In the movie, those closeups really did her in. But that "dramah" school clipped and precise (and phony) accent. Ugh. I'll take a pass on Miss Harris.

[melwalton]

.
Hi, Knit.
I don't think it silly, they were weird looking. You get my vote about the musicals. yes, yes anytime.

[melwalton]

JDB 1
Hi, Brooklyn. Great to hear from you. Difference of opinion is what makes horse racing, as the fella said, it, also, makes these discussions so interesting. I didn't see Harris' stage play, 'Member of the Wedding' I think her performance in the movie was one of a half dozen all time best. by an actor, male or female. I don't see her as being cold or tense in the haunting as she was playing a very neurotic person, I'd like to list some of my favorite performances and get your opinion or other opinions. I'm very opinionated, myself and love to hear what others think.
Off topic, I lived in Sheepshead Bay a very short time in the late 30s, Bragg Court off Emmons Ave. Long, long ago. Mel

[Mr. Arkadin]

Horror is one of those genres where directors are more willing to experiment with different stylings, actors have a bit more leeway, and the public watching is more accepting of things that would not work in conventional films. This is one of the reasons I really enjoy the genre.

It’s rare that a film can actually scare me and make me frightened though. I did see Psycho (1960) as a child and found it terrifying. Oddly enough, it was not the skeleton or even the shower scene, but the parlor dinner where Marion and Norman talk. Hitch interposes this scene with shots of stuffed birds and shadows on the wall. This heightens the tension and pulls us forward to listen to Anthony Perkins, who gives in this one scene, one of the greatest performances in any film. He is truly pitiful and yet also menacing at the same time. He’s able to turn his emotions and inflections on a dime, but it never seems forced or out of place.

Another film that scared me pretty good was the end of Don’t Look Now (1973). This film builds slowly, toying and teasing us until by the finish we are ready to jump through the roof. And what a finish! For those who’ve never seen it I shan’t elaborate and ruin it for them, but let’s just say you might want to leave the lights on.

P.S. I thought Julie Harris was awesome in Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962) That film is one of my personal faves and she’s one of the reasons why!

[melwalton]

Hi, Mr. Arkadin.
I saw 'Psycho' when it first came out. Didn't care much for it, which makes me a pariah, i guess, I don't, especially, like gore. You're right about Perkins, he fit the part perfectly. I saw it only once so I probably missed a lot of nuances, I do like Hitchcock and would, heartily recommend some of his films such as 'The Trouble With Harry', 'Family Plot', or 'Dial M for Murder. I don't recall seeing 'Requiem', Can't understand how I missed a Julie Harris film. I blame everything on my age, it's the one compensation for getting old.

[jdb1]

JDB 1
Hi, Brooklyn. Great to hear from you. Difference of opinion is what makes horse racing, as the fella said, it, also, makes these discussions so interesting. I didn't see Harris' stage play, 'Member of the Wedding' I think her performance in the movie was one of a half dozen all time best. by an actor, male or female. I don't see her as being cold or tense in the haunting as she was playing a very neurotic person, I'd like to list some of my favorite performances and get your opinion or other opinions. I'm very opinionated, myself and love to hear what others think.
Off topic, I lived in Sheepshead Bay a very short time in the late 30s, Bragg Court off Emmons Ave. Long, long ago. Mel

You are right about how interesting it is to compare differing opinions, and it's a constant source of amazement and delight to me to participate in a forum such as SSO and learn how Hollywood has affected different people so very differently.

There are certain screen personalities who never have reached me - I find them cold; they simply don't breach the "fourth wall" for me, and Harris is one of them. But, on the other hand, my all-time favorite actress is Katharine Hepburn, and many people have entirely negative reactions to her. I think that rational cinematic thought goes only so far: there is always a visceral reaction at work, and there is simply no justification for it. There are many stars and movies discussed here that I didn't think much of, but saw with a new perspective after hearing our colleagues' opinions, but there are some I'll never feel differently about -- I can't stand them and I never will.

I was on Emmons yesterday to have dinner at an excellent Greek restaurant called Yiasou. Most of the old seafood places are gone now except for Randazzo's, and a sadly truncated Lundy's. Now it's mostly Russian, Turkish, sushi, steakhouses and a smattering of other cuisines. The Avenue is still very pleasant, but probably looks a lot different than the way you remember it. The nicest change is the presence of wild waterfowl -- swans, ducks, herons, the occasional geese -- that winter over in the Bay.

[Mr. Arkadin]

I don't care for gore either. In Psycho there is none. We are fooled into thinking we see graphic violence when in fact, the knife never touches flesh and we never see any wounds. The only blood we see runs down the drain (and Norman mops up a bit in the tub afterwards). The sound effects (stabbing a melon and the shrieking violin score) and the amazing editing are responsible for the illusion.

Psycho and it's same year counterpart Peeping Tom were smart films that manipulated the audiences sense of perception instead of showing graphic violence. They also are well acted and primarily use suspense instead of shock type horror. The shower scene is an example of shock technique, but this level of violence is never repeated. Hitch uses that one scene to keep us in suspense for the rest of the film thinking about what might happen to other characters.

I like Dial M as well. I think it's very much underrated. Trouble with Harry and Family Plot never really resonated with me personally, but I like the actors and actresses in both films very much.

[melwalton]

jdb 1
Hello, again, Brooklyn. I see we agree on one thing, at least. SSO is a great forum, best I've come across.
You're right about Hepburn, she was a great actress. Kindly notice, I haven't said anything about her accent.
I'd like to post a few of what I consider the best performances I've ever seen and get opinions from you and others, when it's convenient:
Fredric March in "the Iceman Cometh.
Rod Steiger in 'In the Heat of the Night'
Jean Hagen in 'Singing in the Rain'
Vivian Blaine in "Guys and Dolls'
Bette Davis in 'Of Human Bondage' cheers, mel

PS Forgot to mention what's her name in 'Member of the Wedding'

[melwalton]

Mr. A
I have to make this short, it's way past my bedtime. The illusion in 'Psycho' fooled me, I had to close my eyes.

[jdb1]

jdb 1
Hello, again, Brooklyn. I see we agree on one thing, at least. SSO is a great forum, best I've come across.
You're right about Hepburn, she was a great actress. Kindly notice, I haven't said anything about her accent.
I'd like to post a few of what I consider the best performances I've ever seen and get opinions from you and others, when it's convenient:
Fredric March in "the Iceman Cometh.
Rod Steiger in 'In the Heat of the Night'
Jean Hagen in 'Singing in the Rain'
Vivian Blaine in "Guys and Dolls'
Bette Davis in 'Of Human Bondage' cheers, mel

PS Forgot to mention what's her name in 'Member of the Wedding'

Well, here's what I think about the above, Mel:

March - Meh. He's one of those actors I simply don't like looking at, although I can't quarrel with his skills.
Steiger - Agreed. He was terrific in Heat of the Night, had great screen chemistry with Poitier, and was more than a match for Poitier's "star power."
Jean Hagen - Egregiously overlooked, especially in SITR. I think she was overshadowed by Judy Holiday and didn't stand a chance.
Vivian Blaine - Her part in Guys & Dolls was made for her (maybe literally - I don't know), and she was fabulous. I think Sinatra was miscast in the movie; on Broadway it was played by Sam Levene, and he should have done the movie, too. He would have matched Blaine much better.
Bette Davis - I don't think Human Bondage is her best role, frankly, and I think Angela Lansbury was channeling Davis' performance in many of her own movies. I like Davis especially in Now, Voyager. She was always extra-good when she played against Claude Rains.
What's Her Name Ugh, again. She always looked and acted like a middle-aged woman, about as desirable as a wet washcloth on a cold day. In East of Eden I didn't understand, when I first saw it as a girl, why James Dean was interested in that older lady. It looked like Anthony Quinn was pawing at his mother in Requiem. The only thing I've ever really liked her in is You're a Big Boy Now, a not very successful screwball comedy, where she relaxed a little.