What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

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charliechaplinfan
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by charliechaplinfan »

I've seen a couple of Val Newton films and I liked them very much, Cat People and the Body Snatcher, I think they're both excellent films. The early Universal movies have such a style to them, I can't help but feel that in terms of the visual they are some of the best movies ever crafted. Then when I read about the difficulty some of the monster costumes put the performers under I was astounded. For years I'd laboured under the impression that Boris Karloff was one of the biggest men in movies and he isn't, I watched The Body Snatcher and whilst it was unmistakeably Boris he wasn't any where near as physically imposing as I'd expected him to be.

My introduction to horror movies was when I was 14 and baby sitting, one of our TV channels started broadcasting horror movies, I admit to being a bit frightened with Frankenstein but I got through it, same with The Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula, I could cope, in fact I would say they were instrumental in getting me interested in watching old movies. Then I watched Children of the Corn, watched about 30 minutes and was so frightened, I've never gone back there since. It's probably really tame. An old boyfriend tried to get me to watch Halloween and I bottled it. This is all years ago. I'm the girl who can hardly bear to watch The Shining coping only because it's one of hubby's favourite movies. To put it in perspective my Mum can't even watch Psycho, I'm not that bad but I am admittedly pathetic when it comes to horror.

I love Fredric March's version of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, so much so I've never watched Spencer Tracy's version, despite loving Tracy as an actor. I just can't imagine it matching the earlier version, this is partly because I visually prefer the films of the 1930s along with the quality of the film and performances.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
Western Guy
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by Western Guy »

I'm a huge horror fan but haven't seen anything that has maintained my interest in years. Today's films are so assembly line and gore-filled that they bore or downright disgust me. I wouldn't spend a nickel on "The Human Centipede" or "Eden Lake". Watched "Wolf Creek" and Rob Zombie's "Halloween" abortions and said: "That's it". I do not get any enjoyment out of torture, excessive gore or human humiliation. Gets me very angry, in fact. What disturbs me even more is that audiences pay to see this crap, often a younger crowd, and then people wonder why youth has become desensitized. Why gruesome crimes occur, such as that disturbing and disgusting event in Florida not long ago - or some equally grisly stuff that has been occurring right here in Winnipeg. I'm an admitted "prude", if you will. Even though my son grew up on classic monster movies (as did I), I would NEVER allow him to patronize the cruddy waste of celluloid that is out there today. The last good, enjoyable horror movie I saw (and even my wife, who does NOT like these types of films enjoyed it) was The Wolfman. We ain't talkin' classic cinema here, but it was old-fashioned movie monster fun. No torture porn, sadism, or whatever else passes for so-called entertainment today.

Give me Karloff, Lugosi, Lewton -- even Chris Lee and dear Peter Cushing. Scare films done with taste and imagination. Bottom line: Movies are intended to make a buck. Fine. But crossing the line of good taste to do so . . . subjecting audiences to the equivalent of a day at Dachau . . .

Sorry, not for me.

And to quote Kevin Costner: "Here endeth the sermon."
Mr. Arkadin
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by Mr. Arkadin »

charliechaplinfan wrote:I've seen a couple of Val Newton films and I liked them very much, Cat People and the Body Snatcher, I think they're both excellent films. The early Universal movies have such a style to them, I can't help but feel that in terms of the visual they are some of the best movies ever crafted. Then when I read about the difficulty some of the monster costumes put the performers under I was astounded. For years I'd laboured under the impression that Boris Karloff was one of the biggest men in movies and he isn't, I watched The Body Snatcher and whilst it was unmistakeably Boris he wasn't any where near as physically imposing as I'd expected him to be.

My introduction to horror movies was when I was 14 and baby sitting, one of our TV channels started broadcasting horror movies, I admit to being a bit frightened with Frankenstein but I got through it, same with The Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula, I could cope, in fact I would say they were instrumental in getting me interested in watching old movies. Then I watched Children of the Corn, watched about 30 minutes and was so frightened, I've never gone back there since. It's probably really tame. An old boyfriend tried to get me to watch Halloween and I bottled it. This is all years ago. I'm the girl who can hardly bear to watch The Shining coping only because it's one of hubby's favourite movies. To put it in perspective my Mum can't even watch Psycho, I'm not that bad but I am admittedly pathetic when it comes to horror.

I love Fredric March's version of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, so much so I've never watched Spencer Tracy's version, despite loving Tracy as an actor. I just can't imagine it matching the earlier version, this is partly because I visually prefer the films of the 1930s along with the quality of the film and performances.
It sounds like you are not a fan of shock or gore. That being the case I would recommend starting with the Lewtons you haven't seen and working your way up from there. Don't forget Karloff was still making films like The Devil Commands (1941) and The Haunted Strangler (1960). Other interesting films you might enjoy would be Tourneur's Curse of the Demon (1958), atmospheric movies such as Carnival of Souls (1962) and The Innocents (1961), and even some seventies works like Anima Persa (1977).

A forties starter list:

The Leopard Man (1943)
The Devil Commands (1941)
I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
The Beast with Five Fingers (1945)
Dark Waters (1944)
Uncle Silas (1948)
Dead Men Walk (1943)
The Face Behind the Mask (1940)
The Spiral Staircase (1945)
Isle of the Dead (1945)
The Seventh Victim (1943)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
Soul of a Monster (1944)
The Uninvited (1944)
MikeBSG
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by MikeBSG »

I'd like to say a good word for the recent "Dark Shadows" directed by Tim Burton. It captures the dark romanticism of the classic horror films, with their accursed outsiders, and there is humor as well, as there is in Whale's "Bride of Frankenstein." It's a real shame that this film hasn't really connected with audiences today, but I suppose that is because while it is a "horror film" it doesn't really fit with what the genre has become today.
Western Guy
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by Western Guy »

You know Mike, Dark Shadows is one film I'd like to take in. I find I mostly enjoy the contemporary scare flicks that combine horror and humor. When I look back on some of my faves post-Hammer, they would include An American Werewolf in London, The Howling, Return of the Living Dead (hilarious, thanks mainly to James Karen's outrageous performance), Mars Attacks! and the original Fright Night. When done right, humor and horror can be a brilliant mix. Not so funny but in my estimation a truly great film is Cronenberg's remake of The Fly. He was one of my favorite directors for a while, but I've really gotten uninterested in him as of late.

Yes, it is unfortunate Dark Shadows did not really catch on with audiences. I am curious, though, if it might have made a greater impact if it had been intended as "straight horror".
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by charliechaplinfan »

I'll look out for Dark Shadows, I like Tim Burton's work.

Thanks for the list Mr Arkadin, I've added some to my rental list, alas quite a few are awaiting release but I am able to add them to a reserve queue so let's hope they get released here soon. I've put the ones I've added into the top category so hopefully I'll be able to share those with you soon.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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MichiganJ
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by MichiganJ »

CCF:
Mr. Arc's list is a great place to start for further classic horror viewing.

You mentioned that you like the style of the Universal horror films, and I completely agree. Universal was the best studio for classic horror. But the other studios have some films that are certainly worth checking out, particularly seeing how the studio's style works (or doesn't) with the genre:

MGM
The Mask of Fu Manchu
Mad Love
Mark of the Vampire
The Devil-Dol
l

Warner Bros.
Doctor X
Mystery of the Wax Museum
The Walking Dead
House of Wax
The Walking Dead
(on the list twice because it's so good!)

Paramount
Island of Lost Souls
Murders at the Zoo


Columbia
Boogie Man Will Get You
The Black Room
The Man They Could Not Hang
Before I Hang


RKO
Most Dangerous Game
The Lewtons'


In the 50s you have Hammer doing the many remakes/re-imaginings of the Universal classics, and while some may contain a bit of gore, by today's standards they are quite tame.

While I have no desire to see any of today's torture-porn horror films, there are still some terrific horrors being made, many of them internationally. Let the Right One In and the Hollywood remake Let Me In are both worth seeing. The Cabin in the Woods is great fun. Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland are also fun, and while containing gore, the gore is very cartoonish.
"Let's be independent together." Dr. Hermey DDS
Western Guy
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by Western Guy »

I agree almost completely with your classic list, though I would add a couple of British "creepers": DEAD OF NIGHT and the ultra-eerie THREE CASES OF MURDER. The latter was made in 1955 but I can't help but to include it because of the chilling "The Picture" segment.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by charliechaplinfan »

I have seen Dead of Night, I love it.

Thank you all of you for your suggestions, I will look out for all of them. Would anybody call The Night of the Hunter a horror movie? If so I love that movie, just perfect in every way.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
Western Guy
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by Western Guy »

Night of the Hunter certainly has hooror elements (as does Cape Fear) and Bob Mitchum is downright creepy. I'd say it's borderline, edging more towards a Suspense/Thriller.
Mr. Arkadin
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by Mr. Arkadin »

Night of the Hunter reminds me of a dark fairy tale. I would place it alongside Disney's early classics such as Pinocchio (1940) and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). The film's look derives clearly from the silent era films such as The Golem (1920), Faust (1924) and other examples of German expressionism. The film also seems to anticipate Italian fantasy horror, namely Dario Argento's Suspiria (1977).
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by charliechaplinfan »

Yes, I can see why it would be pegged more as a thriller but I find Robert Mitchum very scary everytime I watch it, Cape Fear too. I love the style of Night of the Hunter, I can certainly see the silent influence there. I wish Charles Laughton had directed more movies, his debut for me is one of the best movies of the 50s.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
MikeBSG
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by MikeBSG »

Some people consider "Night of the Hunter" as a horror film. I don't. In my experience, those who consider "Night of the Hunter" a horror film tend not to like horror movies. "Oh, I only like good horror movies, like 'Night of the Hunter.'"

"Curse of the Demon" (1958) is a very good, very Lewton-esque horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur. Splendid performance by Dana Andrews in the lead role.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by charliechaplinfan »

Western Guy wrote:I'm a huge horror fan but haven't seen anything that has maintained my interest in years. Today's films are so assembly line and gore-filled that they bore or downright disgust me. I wouldn't spend a nickel on "The Human Centipede" or "Eden Lake". Watched "Wolf Creek" and Rob Zombie's "Halloween" abortions and said: "That's it". I do not get any enjoyment out of torture, excessive gore or human humiliation. Gets me very angry, in fact. What disturbs me even more is that audiences pay to see this crap, often a younger crowd, and then people wonder why youth has become desensitized. Why gruesome crimes occur, such as that disturbing and disgusting event in Florida not long ago - or some equally grisly stuff that has been occurring right here in Winnipeg. I'm an admitted "prude", if you will. Even though my son grew up on classic monster movies (as did I), I would NEVER allow him to patronize the cruddy waste of celluloid that is out there today. The last good, enjoyable horror movie I saw (and even my wife, who does NOT like these types of films enjoyed it) was The Wolfman. We ain't talkin' classic cinema here, but it was old-fashioned movie monster fun. No torture porn, sadism, or whatever else passes for so-called entertainment today.

Give me Karloff, Lugosi, Lewton -- even Chris Lee and dear Peter Cushing. Scare films done with taste and imagination. Bottom line: Movies are intended to make a buck. Fine. But crossing the line of good taste to do so . . . subjecting audiences to the equivalent of a day at Dachau . . .

Sorry, not for me.

And to quote Kevin Costner: "Here endeth the sermon."
I just saw this post, I couldn't agree more. It's not just films though it's music, I refused to buy my daughter a Katie Perry album for Christmas because of the title of one of the songs, I know she'll hear it on the internet at a friends house but I refuse to buy such things for her. Of course I'm in a minority of parents but if I'm a spoilsport I don't mind a bit.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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