Finally.... a decent horror film

Why is it that for the last few years all we get is utter formulaic crap that is dubbed "The Best Horor since...". If I see those words on a DVD insert it goes straight back on the shelf, because those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it and blelieve me I have learned its a sign of utter boring deja-vu crap.

Is the state of the world so bad these days that horror movies seem muted by comparrison or is it just that there is a bunch of lazy ass film makers/writers out there? Even the much awaited Freddy vs Jason degenerated into being formulaic and ultimately a let down.

What happened to the decent films like :

Zombie Flesh Eaters
Alien (yeah okay a standard stalk and slash but one done well)
Return of the Living Dead
Scanners
The Fog
Bad Taste
Candyman

I seriously had all but given up on the American film makers (and British) in terms of the horror genre and started to watch some of the movies coming out of China/Japan where at least they are not afraid to be original. Admittedly the US version of Ringu was good but not as good IMO as the original (though that scene with the horse was incredible). But then I bought a little oasis in the desert of so-called horror.

Rob Zombie - House of a 1000 Corpses

What a fantastic film... not afraid to use gore in scenes, no rationalising of the acts performed, just straight off the cuff horror. Some scenes even out-do something David Lynch would come up with if he was trapped in a cupboard for a day with a pile of crack!

OKay you get the picture:

1) Do you think the horror genre... isnt?
2) What was your all time favourite horror movie? (And please if anyone says Scream I am going to cry)
3) What did you think to Ho1000c if you've seen it?

i may be the only one on this, but everytime someone talks about how great house of a thousand corpses is, i think of:
texas chainsaw massacre, last house on the left, the hills have eyes, and every other movie that uses the kids stranded in the middle of nowhere to be terorrized plot.

I think part of the problem is that horror is based on the most basic level of our psychology. When you get down to that level, there are only so many things that scare us. It's hard to be original when the basic psychology of fear never changes.

Actually, I found House of 1000 Corpses annoying rather than entertaining. I would say one of the best horror movies in the past couple of years would be Ginger Snaps, but my all time favourite is probably Return of the Living Dead or Day of the Dead.

I went to see House of 1000 Corpses and about halfway through I found myself slumping in my chair and when it was over I thought to myself "That's it? That's what I've been waiting 2 years to see?" I recommend seeing Texas Chainsaw again. I guess maybe gore and cheap thrills doesn't do it for me anymore. I'm getting into horror films that aren't quote unquote "horror". Frailty is a good example. That is one of the best movies I have ever seen. Sure after 15 times it loses its punch, but the first time I saw it I walked out of the theater with a huge shit-eating grin on my face.

[Edited on Sep 27, 2003 by DrGonzo2000]

The only horror films I have seen recently that I found a little different or surprising have been Japanese particularly Audition and Ichi the Killer, but these have a much more surreal feel to them and the horror (especially in Ichi) is kinda sex related. I think Keith makes a really good point and Japan just dares to touch on themes america doesn't, at least in such a graphic way.
I saw House of 1000 corpses once and hated it, but its coming out at the cinema in the UK soon, so i will give it another chance

TNS's Top 10 Horror Films.

1. The Fog
2. Night of the Living Dead (b&w version)
3. The Exorcist 3 (Underrated and usually forgotten about)
4. House of 1000 Corpses
5. Hellraisor
6. American Werewolf in London
7. Waxworx
8. Salems Lot
9. Nightbreed
10. Blair Witch Book of Shadows.



Bonus. 11. Any Film Jennifer Lopez is in. Ha!

best most recent movie i saw was "what lies beneath"
boy was I suprised i found it to be a lot more scarier than "sixth sense" and "the ring" combined.

Either you're the funiest person alive or you're lost in a world of psychological damage from which there is no return. Everyone, including the man who directed it, knew that movie was a complete turd wish. I should know since I use to work with the guy and he freely admitted it. And to the person who started this thread: if you think House of 1000 Corpses is scary, you need to stop wearing your panties so tight. Damn, why am I so mean today? Oh well, talk to me tommorrow and maybe I'll give you a better welcome. Just stop liking sucky movies.

it's true, american horror films are complete shit these days. well, until cabin fever was released but that doesn't mean they'll start making great horror films. well, most of american cinema is COMPLETE SHIT.

audition and ichi the killer are brillent films from the brillent takashi miike. another japanese director worth mentioning is kiyoshi kurosawa(no relation to akira kurosawa) who directed cure and pulse. funny games and the seventh continent both directed by michael haneke are brillently well done psychological horror films.

my all time would favorite have to be the shining.

the last few decent horrors were 28 days later, my little eye and ... well actually thats it, before that it was George A Romero's living dead trilogy, and John Carpenters 'The Thing'...

I agree with about seven of your choices there TNS and I am actually kicking myself for not mentioning some of those. Hellraiser in particular.

Ginger Snaps I also loved as a film (not to mention that Katherine Isabelle is just WHOA :love

Well for those that listed Ichi and Audition then another title to look out for is Versus, not as good but still worth a watch. Does not really come under the horror banner but Battle Royale is also an amazing watch.

The Shining... hmmm... for some reason that film just did absolutely nothing for me and I thought it was about an hour too long.

horror films really only worked on me when i was young. the nightmare on elm street movies had me paro for years. same with the resident evil video games, especially the first one, those fucking beasts are evil

I will also say that while they are not scary, Final Destination 2 and Freddy vs. Jason are incredibly funny.

final destination 2 had some of the most creative death sequences i've ever saw.

"yes"

I think the best horror movie of all time is Hitchcock's "The Birds". I think it works better as horror than any of his other movies, including "Psycho", is that it really gets down deep to a real fear we all have: that after all the shit we're doing to this planet, someday it's gonna kick our asses in return.

And I knew it had worked on me one night when I was still in college. I was walking back to my dorm very late at night after studying at the library. As I walked, I noticed more and more crows gathering. A few began landing in trees, then a few more, until there were dozens -- hundreds -- around me, in the trees, on the buildings, in power lines. Then they started to caw eat each other, that horrifying, abyssal CAWWWWWW that was echoing off the buildings around me, was coming from every direction, and was as loud as anything I ever heard.

I ran like hell back to my dorm. At least I didn't soil myself.

i dont think youre just being mean today Z....youre a pretentious asshole when it comes to movies.

This may be old news to you all. But Aliens is going to be rerelease in theaters for Halloween.

Well, that's pretty much why I liked it. In all honesty there are no more real "Horror" movies. They left us a long time ago and chances are ... they are never coming back. One persons version of Horror, is another's version of Comedy .. & ..Vise Versa. The reason why "Book of Shadows" was one film that I liked that most people didn't, is based solely on a reoccurring Nightmare I have had since childhood. On top of it the flashbacks in the Hospital remedied me of my days visiting a late friend of mine during her unfortunate stay in a similar place. I guess it hit close to home for me. Not the Blair Witch in general .. just certain aspects of the film. Then again, to each his own.

Ok who cares...really

The Fog scared the piss out of me and gave me nightmares in 3rd grade, but I rented it a year or so ago....wasn't scary at all.

What I am dying to see is a decent adaptation of an HP Lovecraft story. Re-animator was pretty good, but there's so much more. That Necronomicon movie with the collection of stories came close a couple of times, but it could be so much better,

Well, The Resonator was interesting too.

That's what everyone says about the movie. I love the movie and I still think it's like a lot of other horror movies. I think that Rob Zombie sorta wanted it that way. I think that scene by scene the movie is amazing. As a whole it doesn't make much sense but it's a horror movie it doesn't have to make sense. It's all about the blood and violence.