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Post by Mini Mia on Oct 9, 2007 16:37:38 GMT -6
What are the best scary movies to watch to celebrate Halloween?
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Post by Mini Mia on Oct 9, 2007 16:38:13 GMT -6
Halloween I & II Terror Train Fright Night
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Post by Siren on Oct 10, 2007 23:04:03 GMT -6
I lost my nerve for scary movies decades ago, so my choices are limited. But these 3 do deliver the scares. Enjoy!
The Haunting (1963) Rosemary's Baby Halloween
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Post by Phalon on Oct 11, 2007 6:18:34 GMT -6
Ooh, I love scary movies.....as long as I have someone to watch them with me. It doesn't matter who - any old body will do...as long as it's breathing, and not too heavily, and isn't holding a chainsaw.
A few that I like...
A Classic: Night of the Living Dead
Campy and Ridiculous but Still Leaves Me Hanging on the Edge of My Seat Movie, and Embarrassed that Something So Bad Could Actually Scare Me: The Evil Dead (A Xena tie in this one: a very young Bruce Campbell appears in it)
Two that Freaked Me For At Least A Couple of Days: The Blair Witch Project and The Ring.
Ghostly but Not Scary: Ghost
Ghostly and Scary, (and one of the best scary movies ever made, IMO!): Ghost Story
Romance with Fright: any of the Dracula or vampire films. I like Brahm Stoker's Dracula with Winona Ryder.
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Post by katina2nd on Oct 13, 2007 1:23:19 GMT -6
Lot of good choices mentioned, a few more I'd suggest would be .....
"The Innocents" with Deborah Kerr and "The Exorcist" the directors cut preferably, also "Carrie" just be prepared for the shock near the end if you haven't seen it already, and of course the classic "Phycho."
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Post by Siren on Oct 14, 2007 9:41:06 GMT -6
kat, I've never seen "The Innocents", but would certainly like to. Deborah Kerr was sort of the Nicole Kidman of her day, and would be interesting in a scary movie. "The Innocents" was ranked highly on www.rottentomatoes.com in their list of "Top 50 Best-Reviewed Horror Movies". Also on the list, a movie you and I and Mia all enjoyed, "The Descent". My friend Patti, who relishes gory movies, loved "The Descent". I prefer haunted house movies at this time of year. I agree with your pick, "Psycho", and highly recommend the 60s version of "The Haunting". They'll both give you the willies! Have you seen the original version of "The Wicker Man"? They say that's a great scary one, too. But critics agreed that the Nicolas Cage remake was horrible.
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Post by Phalon on Oct 17, 2007 15:03:15 GMT -6
We watched a few this past week - horror movies to make your blood curdle, and stomach turn.....because they were that bad.
A small list of horror movies that are so horrible they'll horrify you.....
The Off Season - Scrappy and I only make it through 10 minutes into this one before we turned it off....and 5 of those minutes were only because I insisted we at least give it at least ten minute chance.
The Abandoned - pretty bad, but we made it through to the end....you have to watch all of it...just to decide if there is a plot or not. There was....sort of. Actually, I kinda liked it. A ghost story, not a slasher flick.
Gothic - Mary Shelley gets the idea for her book. How, I don't know....we didn't watch that much. This was another forced 10 minute watch before we decided we'd suffered enough.
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Post by Siren on Oct 29, 2007 7:48:28 GMT -6
I think I remember "Gothic", Gams. As I recall, the costumes and sets were better than the plot. I usually get together with my sis and brother-in-law for Halloween. We've decided on a movie for Halloween night: "The Wailer (The Legend of La Llorona)". This film, made in Mexico, is based on a Mexican legend my BIL had told us about years ago, about a ghostly woman, often seen near creeks and rivers, who cries and wails for her lost children (whom she drowned when she could not support them). My BIL says this legend is used to keep children from dangerous places, "Don't go near the creek. La Llorona lives there, and she'll get you. *look* Look! There she is! See the glowing eyes? It's La Llorona! Run!" We may find that this movie is too bloody for us. But my BIL is excited that it's based on a childhood ghost story. www.lagunaproductions.com/filmsAZ/la_llorona.html
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Post by katina2nd on Oct 29, 2007 20:41:53 GMT -6
kat, I've never seen "The Innocents", but would certainly like to. Deborah Kerr was sort of the Nicole Kidman of her day, and would be interesting in a scary movie. "The Innocents" was ranked highly on www.rottentomatoes.com in their list of "Top 50 Best-Reviewed Horror Movies". Also on the list, a movie you and I and Mia all enjoyed, "The Descent". My friend Patti, who relishes gory movies, loved "The Descent". I prefer haunted house movies at this time of year. I agree with your pick, "Psycho", and highly recommend the 60s version of "The Haunting". They'll both give you the willies! Have you seen the original version of "The Wicker Man"? They say that's a great scary one, too. But critics agreed that the Nicolas Cage remake was horrible. Sorry I overlooked this Siren, must have slipped under the radar somehow. I'm sure you'd enjoy "The Innocents" great atmosphere in much the same vein as "The Haunting" where a lot of the horror is implied, some genuinely chilling moments in it, conveyed largely through the use of music and sound effects and fleeting imagery. Yep have seen the original "Wicker Man" unusual film that didn't convince overall [ for me anyway ] but had it's moments, and a very good twist ending, well worth a look I'd say.
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Post by Phalon on Oct 30, 2007 6:32:01 GMT -6
Oooooo, Siren....the cover art of the DVD is enough to make me go "ick". And BOLL at the same time - six college students in a cabin? Where have I heard this before? In nearly every slasher film made, I'm thinking.
I'll have to ask my co-worker today if he's ever heard the legend - his partner's family is originally from Mexico, and practice a lot of traditions from their heritage, and tell traditional tales. We have the boogyman - I wonder what's under his bed at night.
Speaking of traditions - our family has a little Halloween one: On the night we carve the pumpkins, "The Nightmare before Christmas" always follows. Last night was the night.
And tonight "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is on television - that was always a must-watch-every-year when I was a kid.
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Post by moonglum on Oct 30, 2007 14:14:59 GMT -6
Hello all. My kids loved 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' when they were young. Which reminds me............catch Phalon
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 17, 2007 16:06:13 GMT -6
Curdled is a fun one for Halloween. If you rent or buy the DVD you get two shorts as bonuses. The first one is around 10 minutes long, and the second one is about 30 minutes long. All three Curdleds' have the same main actress. I agree with Quentin in his commentary, they did a fine job in hiring Angela Jones to play Gabriela.
I was surprised though at his comment that the film students and the acting students don't seem to clique in college and that it's rare for them to work together. And I guess the movie is fortunate that Angela heard about it through the grapevine and sought to be a part of it.
BTW: Don't miss watching all the credits at the end of the movie. It's well worth the wait.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 21, 2008 23:48:32 GMT -6
I know it's well past the season - shoot, I'm missing all that chocolate; the stash has long been gone, but I just watched this one last night.
1408.
It'll be a while before I can hear "We've Only Just Begun" come on the radio, and not feel my skin is crawling. Shoot - I don't think I've ever heard "We've Only Just Begun" come on the radio? Forget about skin crawling - I'd freak then.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 22, 2008 14:35:40 GMT -6
OMG! I had my once-every-six-months appointment with the Dental Dominatrix this morning, and guess what was piped in to the tiny, evil room of torture. Easy listening...pfft, in some other place, and in some other time, long after this movie has faded from the forefront of my I-a-wimp-when-it-comes-to-scary-movies mind.
"We've only just begun...."
Ack! It was oh-so-fitting.
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Post by Siren on Jan 22, 2008 20:21:03 GMT -6
"Dental Dominatrix" - Lol! That always makes me smile.
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Post by Siren on Oct 24, 2008 21:39:52 GMT -6
I am so excited! I found the movie for our annual Halloween movie fest - a classic from my childhood, "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark". This was a tv movie, but was so scary, people still talk about it today. The plot: a young couple inherits into an old house. Against advice from the old handyman, the young woman (Kim Darby) opens a locked room, then unseals a bricked-up fireplace. Soon, strange things start happening around the house, the wife begins seeing flitting little creatures skittering in the shadows...and her husband begins questioning her sanity. This movie scared me so badly when I was a kid, it gave me nightmares and a fear of the dark that still bothers me at times. I wonder if the movie will hold up now that I'm grown. I hope so! Here's more from imdb viewers who were apparently as traumatized as I was: www.imdb.com/title/tt0069992/board/nest/118644424?p=1
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Post by Mini Mia on Oct 24, 2008 23:17:25 GMT -6
I was already afraid of the dark, and this movie didn't help none. To this day I have to have the bathroom lit up like a ballpark to take a shower.
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Post by Phalon on Oct 25, 2008 5:45:17 GMT -6
I don't think I've ever seen "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark", but the mention of scary movies from childhood that left a lasting impression that still bothers you to this day, I immediately thought "Trilogy of Terror", another made-for-television movie.
And I'm not the only one - one of the comments left in the "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" link, mentions "Trilogy of Terror".
"It's (Don't Be Afraid of the Dark) up there for me but my # one trauma movie is 'Trilogy of Terror'. The scene where the hideous little tribal doll came to life and chased Karen Black around her apartment with a steak knife. I had nightmares for weeks when I was a kid."
When browsing stores, and coming across anything that looks like an idol from a foreign country, (and you'd be surprised how many of these things are out there), I can not pass by without thinking of this movie......and I never, ever touch one of these dolls, lest I end up like Karen Black's character.
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Post by katina2nd on Oct 25, 2008 18:59:12 GMT -6
I am so excited! I found the movie for our annual Halloween movie fest - a classic from my childhood, "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark". ............ Sounds like a good choice Siren, I have vague recollections of it. Whatever you do, steer clear of more recent horror films, one genre that's gone backward at the rate of knots, saw fifteen minutes of House on Haunted Hill (1999) with Geoffrey Rush yesterday, all blood and gore, bad CGI and totally uninteresting characters, what a waste of celluloid. I don't think I've ever seen "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark", but the mention of scary movies from childhood that left a lasting impression that still bothers you to this day, I immediately thought "Trilogy of Terror", another made-for-television movie. And I'm not the only one - one of the comments left in the "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" link, mentions "Trilogy of Terror". "It's (Don't Be Afraid of the Dark) up there for me but my # one trauma movie is 'Trilogy of Terror'. The scene where the hideous little tribal doll came to life and chased Karen Black around her apartment with a steak knife. I had nightmares for weeks when I was a kid." When browsing stores, and coming across anything that looks like an idol from a foreign country, (and you'd be surprised how many of these things are out there), I can not pass by without thinking of this movie......and I never, ever touch one of these dolls, lest I end up like Karen Black's character. Seen "Trilogy of Terror" and the segment with the voodoo doll is the only one in the film that I can recall, great stuff, just the sound off those little feet scurrying around was enough to freak you out.
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Post by Phalon on Oct 30, 2008 4:17:36 GMT -6
I just saw that version of "House on Haunted Hill" the other night, Katina, and actually, I kind of liked it. I only caught the last half hour or so of it though, and of course, nearly everyone was dead by that time, so there was very little blood and gore left to spill. Hubs got a kick out off it - he laughed watching me cover my eyes at the few scary parts left in the movie.
I dislike slasher films. A couple of more recent, (released in the last few years or so), horror movies that don't fit the slasher bill are "Room 1408", and "An American Haunting". Both scary without a lot of blood and guts spillage.
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Post by Siren on Oct 30, 2008 20:53:21 GMT -6
movies.msn.com/movies/moviesfeature/dvd/alternative-horror/?GT1=28002Above is an article about off-the-beaten-track movie suggestions for Halloween viewing. And guess which flick gets the big photo AND a summary? A movie several of us agreed on, "The Descent". Yay for us! "This one is proof positive that the best scarefests, the ones that sink their teeth deep into your soul, conjure monsters out of our very own lives and psyches...'The Descent' is like being nailed up alive in a coffin with your worst nightmare." Oh, and yes, indeedy, "Trilogy of Terror" seems to be one of those movies EVERYONE remembers. You're right, kat, just remembering the sound of those little feet makes my shoulders tense up!
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Post by Phalon on Nov 1, 2008 7:04:09 GMT -6
You two are killing me with the talk of scurrying of little feet! Every year at this time, some little creature moves in our house and takes up residence for the winter in our ceiling. Hubs has caulked and sealed every crack and cranny we could find to try and keep it out, to no avail. We think it might be the little red squirrel that lives in the woodpile; we hear the constant scurrying of tiny feet, and nuts rolling across the ceiling as he stashes his winter store. Or is it a squirrel stashing nuts? Do voodoo dolls go bowling? Last night's Halloween movie fare was the 1994 version of Frankenstein....more often referred to as "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" because it follows Shelley's book perhaps more than any other Frankenstein movie. Never having read the book, I was surprized at how very different the story is than other Hollywood versions; I'm more familiar with the Boris Karloff type creatures. This film ranks up there with "Bram Stoker's Dracula", (which I think was released around the same time as this 1994 Frankenstein movie), as being one of my favorite epic horror movies. Apparently, this "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" was under-appreciated, and under-rated, but there are many who feel as I do, that it was more than just a horror movie; like Bram Stoker's Dracula, it is a darkly beautiful classic. www.imdb.com/title/tt0109836/usercomments
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Post by Siren on Nov 2, 2008 10:33:57 GMT -6
My cat is doing his part to keep little critters from moving in this winter. He has killed at least 4 mice in the last few weeks. So proud of himself, too.
If any of your butcher knives come up missing, Gams, it's NOT a red squirrel that you hear! *evil grin*
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Post by Phalon on Nov 3, 2008 5:18:20 GMT -6
Siren, you are bad......soooo bad.
<runs to count butcher knives>
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Post by Phalon on Oct 20, 2011 20:59:48 GMT -6
This year's Halloween Scary Movie fest started early for me; it seems every night on television there's a least a few to pick from. It's only a matter of deciding which is the least poorly made, poorly acted, or which actually has a plot. Or, as has been the case most times, which I can watch and not end up totally creeped.
So far since the beginning of the month I've seen a couple of classics, a few horror movies, a few thrillers, and a slasher or two:
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - loved it for obvious reasons, swoon.
Season of the Witch - not great, kinda stupid, but the "witch" had a very creepy demeanor.
Christine - I only caught parts of it, and totally missed the end.
Carrie
23 - the only movie I can stomach Jim Carrey in, and he's a psycho.
Death Proof - Quentin Tarantino at his bloody campiest.
Thirteen Ghosts - I only made it through the first half hour of this one, then had to turn it off. The ghosts were absolutely ghoulish, (I was watching alone)
A documentary on the making of Fatal Attraction
The Last House on the Left
The Sixth Sense
I think that's it so far, (I might be missing one or two). More to come, I'm sure; I'm not sufficiently creeped out enough yet.
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