Underrated Horror Movies

[Carrikature]

Hah. I don't know. I wouldn't consider them horror, but then again, I wonder if horror fans would consider Jaws horror anymore. At one time it certainly was, but it's pretty tame stuff nowadays.

Horror seems to have been re-defined in terms of mass murder and/or violent supernatural phenomena. My mom and I were talking yesterday about how well the deaths in Jurassic Park were done. I think there's been a shift in what's allowed on film, but I think we agreed that era of film-making had a lot more psychological horror without a need for gore.

[rogue06]

At one time Godzilla would have been considered horror. It's even more tame than Jaws IMO.

People were known to pass out in fear when watching some of the classic horror movies from the 30s when they first came out. Today's crowd would likely react with little more than a sneer and a smirk.

[Carrikature]

At one time Godzilla would have been considered horror. It's even more tame than Jaws IMO.

I wonder if our standards for realistic filmography have pushed a lot of the Jaws/Pyscho/Jurassic Park type horror movies into B-level sci-fi.

[Zymologist]

By the way, has anyone seen the trailer for the Cloverfield sequel*?

*Or whatever it is. It's unclear whether it's a true sequel.

[rogue06]

Horror seems to have been re-defined in terms of mass murder and/or violent supernatural phenomena. My mom and I were talking yesterday about how well the deaths in Jurassic Park were done. I think there's been a shift in what's allowed on film, but I think we agreed that era of film-making had a lot more psychological horror without a need for gore.

Look at some of Alfred Hitchcock's movies like The Birds and Psycho as excellent examples of what you pointed out in your last sentence. In the case of the second movie there are still people around today who are reluctant to take a shower after seeing that film decades ago. Some still swear that they vividly recall seeing the knife sink into Janet Leigh's character.

[Adrift]

By the way, has anyone seen the trailer for the Cloverfield sequel*?

*Or whatever it is. It's unclear whether it's a true sequel.

I have. Looks interesting.

[Zymologist]

I have. Looks interesting.

I really liked how the trailer made that song sound ominous and creepy. It was well done, and didn't really show anything at all.

[Cerebrum123]

I wonder if our standards for realistic filmography have pushed a lot of the Jaws/Pyscho/Jurassic Park type horror movies into B-level sci-fi.

[Adrift]

Horror seems to have been re-defined in terms of mass murder and/or violent supernatural phenomena. My mom and I were talking yesterday about how well the deaths in Jurassic Park were done. I think there's been a shift in what's allowed on film, but I think we agreed that era of film-making had a lot more psychological horror without a need for gore.

without and with the soundtrack that you can watch below. There were better scenes to grab from, but it would have required a much longer video to see the impact. I figured the segment of the film that I chose got the general point across. Hopefully it's conveyed well enough that you all see the difference too.

[Adrift]

I really liked how the trailer made that song sound ominous and creepy. It was well done, and didn't really show anything at all.

Yep. Same. It looks like a totally different type of film, which I'm okay with since I wasn't a super huge fan of the original. They did that with Blair Witch 1 and 2 as well. The first film being a found source film, the other with a regular non-cinema verite spin. I actually like both films, but they're totally different types of movies. Unfortunately I think that turned a lot of people off of Blair Witch 2, which is a shame.

[Zymologist]

Yep. Same. It looks like a totally different type of film, which I'm okay with since I wasn't a super huge fan of the original. They did that with Blair Witch 1 and 2 as well. The first film being a found source film, the other with a regular non-cinema verite spin. I actually like both films, but they're totally different types of movies. Unfortunately I think that turned a lot of people off of Blair Witch 2, which is a shame.

I haven't seen Cloverfield in quite a while, but I remember thinking that it was alright. My opinion might have changed, I'm not sure.

I've never seen the Blair Witch movies, either--crazy, huh?

[Adrift]

I haven't seen Cloverfield in quite a while, but I remember thinking that it was alright. My opinion might have changed, I'm not sure.

I've never seen the Blair Witch movies, either--crazy, huh?

Yeah, the first Cloverfield film was okay, but that's all I felt about it, like, it was just "okay" (though that's how I feel about a lot of JJ Abrams' films). Blair Witch is one of those films people feel very strongly about one way or the other. I watched it in a packed theater in Texas, and walked out mind blown, and behind me was some rancher type with a cowboy hat who declared loudly "What a waste of money. I coulda made a film like that!"

[Teallaura]

I wonder if our standards for realistic filmography have pushed a lot of the Jaws/Pyscho/Jurassic Park type horror movies into B-level sci-fi.

It seems to me that modern horror is more about being disturbing than being scary.

Thirties horror films aren't tame - 21st century audiences are simply insensitive to that level of fear. Same way even roller coasters can become blase to those who have been over stimulated.

[Teallaura]

Look at some of Alfred Hitchcock's movies like The Birds and Psycho as excellent examples of what you pointed out in your last sentence. In the case of the second movie there are still people around today who are reluctant to take a shower after seeing that film decades ago. Some still swear that they vividly recall seeing the knife sink into Janet Leigh's character.

I couldn't even follow the plot of The Birds but I slept with the light on that night.

[Teallaura]

without and with the soundtrack that you can watch below. There were better scenes to grab from, but it would have required a much longer video to see the impact. I figured the segment of the film that I chose got the general point across. Hopefully it's conveyed well enough that you all see the difference too.

While I like the score, I don't find the scene without it to be lifeless at all. The pacing compliments the acting making the absurd believable and therefore frightening.