What is "good horror"?

[Cassandra]

Oh! Night of the Living Dead! That was a great movie. It seemed to me to portray more what would *really* happen in real life if such events were to occur.

~Arashi

Arashi, that's exactly what I was thinking!! Considering all the radiation surrounding us these days, and since that's what caused all the havoc in movie, my imagination really started runnin wild!!

[kuanyin]

How could I forget "Night of the Living Dead"?[/b]

The movie that made me decide to be cremated! The movie that I sat through by myself in a theater in absolute terror only to remember in the very last frames that someone had told me how it ended?

[jennifer]

How could I forget "Night of the Living Dead"?[/b]

The movie that made me decide to be cremated! The movie that I sat through by myself in a theater in absolute terror only to remember in the very last frames that someone had told me how it ended?

Good point kuanyin saw that movie the other night
cremation  would be better!

also for all of who you have totally grossed me out just hearing you describe the movie "Freaks" what is it about?

[Gerard]

Good point kuanyin saw that movie the other night
cremation  would be better!

also for all of who you have totally grossed me out just hearing you describe the movie "Freaks" what is it about?

Okay, but not to give too much away (you really should see it, especially since it's available on video), here's what it's about in a nutshell.  It takes place in a circus, centered around the freaks exhibition.  Real "freaks" were used, some quite popular at that time and real celebrities.  A beautiful acrobat has her eyes set on one of the freaks, a dwarf, simply because she believes he's loaded; the golddigger is actually the girlfriend to one of the circus strongmen, and the two are plotting how to use the dwarf (even to the point of murdering him) in order to get the moola.  The whole underlying theme is how the freaks try to live "normal" lives, wanting - despite their physical oddities - to be recognized by the "normal" world for what they really are:  human beings.  Because of that difficulty, the only place where they can find acceptance is amongst themselves.  And here comes this beautiful "normal" woman, who seemingly not only accepts them, but is apparently in love with one of them.  Do they find out what she's really up to?  Well, you'll just hafta watch "Freaks" and find out.............

Gerard

[Cassandra]

I remember being terrifed the first time I saw "Night of the Living Dead."  

A few years ago, I saw the strangest, freakiest movie I've ever seen in my life. It was called "Freaks" and it was supposidly banned in the U.S. and England. That movie totally scared the heck out of me.
.

I just wanted to add another horror flick to my list.
I thought "The Blob" was pretty scary. Im referring to the original version starring Steve McQueen.

[Bouchard]

"Good Horror" is when you are watching something, and you get the feeling that something bad is behind you, or you start hearing noises, and insist it's an intruder or some kind of ghost.

[Bouchard]

AND, i am absolutely scared of Pascow and Zelda from Pet Sematary! Pascow was the ghost, and Zelda is Rachel's dead sister, with the back problem (Zelda was played by a guy)

[The Cryptkeeper]

I'd say a good horror film would be "BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA('92)" -or- "SLEEPY HOLLOW" are good horror. There are many good horror films I could list for you fellow DS cousin.

[Craig_Slocum]

What constitutes good horror for me? Whatever is left in my video collection after all these years. When I was in my teens and early twenties, I was a confirmed horror film addict. I had every movie you could think of, and some of the grossest ever. I got rid of most of them. I now have a small collection. Some of them are Halloween I, 3, and H20, Friday The 13th Pt. 1, The Shining, The Thing (1982), Prom Night, Nightmare on Elm St. Pt. 1 and 3, Ghost Story, and a few more. I remember when Halloween came out in 1979, I saw that movie over and over at drive-ins and movie theaters, at the drive-in whenever I was paying attention to the screen, and not my date!  

[Cassandra]

I remember another movie that I saw awhile back which btw I really can't classify as horror, but the suspense alone during the whole movie was pretty darn scary and left you on the edge of your seat.  The movie was called "Duel"  with Dennis Weaver.  Did anyone else see this?

[Gerard]

"Duel".  Another classic!  Actually made-for-TV.  And wasn't it directed by a very young Steven Spielberg?  I think it was one of his first; not too long before that he made his debut (at the age of 20 I do believe) directing screen-legend Joan Crawford in the pilot of "Rod Serling's Night Gallery".

Gerard

[Mark Rainey]

Even before DUEL, Spielberg made a little horror film called SOMETHING EVIL (1972), which starred Darren McGavin (just prior to his NIGHT STALKER stint), Sandy Dennis, Ralph Bellamy, and Johnny Whitaker. It was a made-for-TV flick, and was downright terrifying to me as a kid. Watching it now, it still holds up as a very effective film, if not quite as scary as it was when I was 13.

It occasionally runs on the Flix movie channel, uncut. I recommend it highly if you get a chance to watch it.

[shadow=red,left,300]--Mark[/shadow]

[jennifer]

Hey Cassandra and Gerard
thanks for your explanations of "Freaks'
went to the internet movie base as you suggested Cassandra and just the message board about it gave me the creeps Will have to think twice about viewing it!
Thanks
jennifer
saw Psycho II last night on mystery ch it was too bad they felt that had to do it because it just wasn't the same that shower scene in the first Psycho scaried
me for months after!

[Cassandra]

"Duel".  Another classic!  Actually made-for-TV.  And wasn't it directed by a very young Steven Spielberg?  

Gerard

Yes, you're right Gerard. It was indeed directed by Steven Spielberg. As a matter of fact, it's suppose to be airing this Thursday, channel ENC, at 8pm (Eastern time)

It seems like as soon as I get off this thread, I think of more films. Two more I enjoyed were "The Birds" old classic Hitchcock movie, and "The Fly" (original version)

[MikeS]

I remember another movie that I saw awhile back which btw I really can't classify as horror, but the suspense alone during the whole movie was pretty darn scary and left you on the edge of your seat.  The movie was called "Duel"  with Dennis Weaver.  Did anyone else see this?

A great movie, Cassandra.  Not horror, but one helluva thriller!  Not long ago I read that this was scheduled to come out on DVD, but for some reason the release has been held up.