# Your Favorite Horror Films



## Morimur

*'HORROR' is one of my favorite film genres (the other being 'Drama'). There are some great horror films out there, the vast majority of which are unknown to the greater public due to the near monopoly of mainstream hollywood productions -- a shame. With this thread, I hope to introduce likeminded individuals to previously undiscovered gems, and vice versa.

POST AWAY!*


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## Morimur

*Onibaba 1964 • Kaneto Shindo, director • 1h 44m*










Initial release: 1964
Director: Kaneto Shindo
Screenplay: Kaneto Shindo



> Two women kill samurai and sell their belongings for a living. While one of them is having an affair with their neighbor, the other woman meets a mysterious samurai wearing a bizarre mask. -imdb


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## brotagonist

I enjoy horror, too, but I don't watch many movies, as I mostly have the HiFi on.

Vampires have been perennial favourites; Klaus Murnau's classic Nosferatu is a favourite.

(Yes, Ingélou  I used to have a video collection, too. It's goal was to collect together the films I loved and considered watching again and again. Sadly, it was on my no longer existing VHS collection. Since the switch in the mid-'90s, I have not replaced any of them and likely never will  While I much prefer DVD to tape, it galls me to think of how much money _the industry_ has clawed from me and then, through the endless format changes, left me with nothing  One would think that they would recognize collectors as their bread and butter  ).


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## Blancrocher

brotagonist said:


> I enjoy horror, too, but I don't watch many movies, as I mostly have the HiFi on. Vampires have been perennial favourites. Klaus Murnau's classic Nosferatu is one I purchased (it was on my no longer existing VHS collection; since the switch in the mid-'90s, I have not replaced any of them and probably won't  ).


A couple recent vampire flicks I loved: Thomas Alfredson's "Let the Right One In" and Park Chan-wook's "Thirst."

*p.s.* I saw Onibaba in a theater--a must see!


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## hpowders

The original Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein with Boris Karloff.

Also, The Wolfman and The Mummy with Lon Chaney, Jr.


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## Morimur

Blancrocher said:


> A couple recent vampire flicks I loved: Thomas Alfredson's "Let the Right One In" and Park Chan-wook's "Thirst."
> 
> *p.s.* I saw Onibaba in a theater--a must see!


'Let the Right One In' is one of the greatest horror films made thus far -- a favorite.

As for 'Thirst', I can't say I am big fan of Park's work -- too much artifice and not enough emotional content.

FYI: For those interested, 'Onibaba' is available in its entirety on youtube.


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## Morimur

*Don't Look Now (1973) • Director: Nicolas Roeg*












> A married couple grieving the recent death of their little daughter are in Venice when they encounter two elderly sisters, one of whom is psychic and brings a warning from beyond. -imdb


I LOVE this film -- in my top 5.


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## Albert7

Haneke's Funny Games and Benny's Video are my favs.


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## beatnation

I love Horror movies, this is one of my favorites:


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## Wandering

Excellent film and a brilliant writer/director'.'










This absolutely killed me.


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## Cosmos

Love horror! Some of my favorites that came to mind:

*Rosemary's Baby:* This one seems to be stale to my friends, who thought it was silly/boring. Okay, sure, Mia Farrow is a little melodramatic in some scenes, and it was somewhat predictable my first viewing even without much background knowledge. But the dream sequence, the atmosphere, the paranoia, it was a great thriller that I think was done great. There was a recent TV mini-series that was 3 episodes or something with Zoe Saldana...avoid it like the plague

*Let the Right One In:* This one was a surprise to me. I thought it was going to be really scary, and instead it was beautiful/grotesque/bizarre. I saw both the original and the American remake, to me they're interchangeable.

*Funny Games:* This one made me rethink and reevaluate my love of violent movies. In a way, it brought me down to Earth and changed my view on media in general. Since I was a kid, I've been desensitized to violence in media, to the point where I shrug at some R rated films that caused controversy that I just didn't catch. This film is greatly done, and is painful to watch. It's good because you don't enjoy watching it, how backwards. Anyway, same as the last one, both the original and the remake are good. Though, I prefer the original just because the remake has big name stars that I know [Tim Roth and Naomi Watts], so it took away a bit of the realism that I got from watching foreign actors who I didn't know, who seemed more like normal people

*Shadow of the Vampire:* This is an oddity, and it's more genre-defying than horror, but an interesting idea. Basically, it's a faux-biographical film about the making of Nosferatu, except in this film, Max Schreck is a literal vampire hired so the director can make the most terrifying and realistic vampire movie ever. I like it because it goes against the cultural stereotype of the vampire as being a handsome and suave seductor, and instead portrays them as nasty hell-beasts who act like vermin. Some humor intermingled with the thriller

*Noroi: The Curse:* This Japanese horror film is, in my opinion, the best found-footage horror film I've ever seen. It starts out with various clips from different shows on the supernatural, and as the film unfolds, you watch as some of the unusual occurrences are all tied together as a part of a terrifying ritual to suppress an ancient demon.


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## Wandering

^The Haunting of Julia and See No Evil are two older horror films with Mia Farrow you might also enjoy. I thought See No Evil was especially well done, I was squirming every which way from sheer helplessness, angst and anger.

Thanks for recommending the Noroi film, need to see it.


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## schigolch

I love the horror movies directed by Tod Browning in the 1920s and 1930s. Especially, of course, _Freaks_:


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## elgar's ghost

Probably Theatre of Blood. OK, it's a spoof but Vincent Price is on top of his campy game and the whole thing is cleverly done (a megalomaniacal actor bumps off the critics who maligned him based on the deaths of various Shakespearian characters). The vivacious Diana Rigg co-stars as his partner-in-crime daughter.


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## PetrB

Morimur said:


> I LOVE this film -- in my top 5.


_Don't Look Now_ is seriously disturbing... and very well done.

Nominating:
Roman Polanksi: _Repulsion._

You go psychotic right along with the principal character, a young Catherine Deneuve, almost entirely from her point of view.

Perhaps the most "truly frightening" film I've ever seen, because what is actually more frightening than losing one's mind?


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## MoonlightSonata

_Misery_, based on the absolutely wonderful Stephen King book.
We follow the story of an author, Paul Sheldon, who, after a car crash, is saved by former nurse Annie Wilkes. Unfortunately for Paul, she is insane.

It's jolly exciting. The book is even more amazing.


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## DeepR

I like the more regular classics such as The Thing, The Shining, Alien etc.
I'm hard to please when it comes to horror. In my experience most horror movies are either a silly/funny gorefest, or just disgusting. The more "extreme" movies are often the ones with very forced and artificial plots that only serve the purpose of being shocking and disturbing, but otherwise make no sense at all.
I'm also tired of the endless cliches in this genre: zombies, vampires, haunted houses, cabins in the woods, "found footage" films, you name it.
Please recommend me a movie with a lot of suspense and atmosphere, that uses the power of suggestion instead of monsters and gore.


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## Dustin

The Shining is a big favorite of mine, although it doesn't follow the book very closely and I prefer the book. Jack Nicholson's performance is a lot of fun to watch though. 

However, my recent obsession has been The Babadook. It's a very psychological horror/thriller with all-world reviews. The score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes is what originally grabbed my attention and now it is quite possibly my favorite movie. Very interesting subject matter underneath the surface.


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## Prodromides

DeepR said:


> Please recommend me a movie with a lot of suspense and atmosphere, that uses the power of suggestion instead of monsters and gore.


I don't know if this is the sort of recommendation you might be receptive to, DeepR, but I suggest you view Ingmar Bergman's "Hour Of The Wolf". This is not a horror movie in the conventional sense, but the last one-third of this film depicts the hallucinations of an artist during mental breakdown. 
No suspense, per se, but very moody and atmospheric!


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## geralmar

Il demonio (b&w, 1963). Stumbled into it on YouTube. Was shocked to see an intelligent, multilayered and sad possession movie. The Exorcist (1973) stole one scene from it.


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## Morimur

*The Babadook (2014) • Director: Jennifer Kent*















Reviews:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_babadook/

This is a masterpiece of a film. It's not just a good horror film - it's a good film, period. You must see it.


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## Prodromides

geralmar said:


> Il demonio (b&w, 1963). Stumbled into it on YouTube. Was shocked to see an intelligent, multilayered and sad possession movie. The Exorcist (1973) stole one scene from it.


Thanks for mentioning IL DEMONIO. I became aware of this film because one of my favorite Italian composers (Piero Piccioni) had written the score for it.
I acquired a non-subtitled DVD on IL DEMONIO about 4 years ago, and during 2013 Beat Records released the soundtrack!










Within a different website, I wrote a detailed review of IL DEMONIO:

http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=101869&forumID=1&archive=0


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## Morimur

Dustin said:


> The Shining is a big favorite of mine, although it doesn't follow the book very closely and I prefer the book. Jack Nicholson's performance is a lot of fun to watch though.
> 
> However, my recent obsession has been The Babadook. It's a very psychological horror/thriller with all-world reviews. The score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes is what originally grabbed my attention and now it is quite possibly my favorite movie. Very interesting subject matter underneath the surface.


I missed your post earlier (see above), but totally agree. It's a work of art highly deserving of all the praise it's been receiving.


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## Morimur

*Vengeance Is Mine (1979) • Director: Shohei Imamura*










Criterion: http://www.criterion.com/films/822-vengeance-is-mine


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## SiegendesLicht

MoonlightSonata said:


> _Misery_, based on the absolutely wonderful Stephen King book.
> We follow the story of an author, Paul Sheldon, who, after a car crash, is saved by former nurse Annie Wilkes. Unfortunately for Paul, she is insane.
> 
> It's jolly exciting. The book is even more amazing.


I am not a big fan of horror, but sometimes I like Steve. My favorite of his is _Needful Things_, both the book and (slightly less) the movie. The thrill of this one comes from the fact that the horror and gore are provided not by monsters or psychopaths as in most others, but by very ordinary small town citizens who are being skillfully played against one another, using their weaknesses and secret desires. The scene where two women murder each other to the soundtrack of Schubert's _Ave Maria_ is positively hair-raising:






I am going through The Shining as an audiobook now, will watch the movie next.


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## Cheyenne

I don't like many horror films either, but The Hitcher (1986) with Rutger Hauer is great:










Additionally, I love John Carpenter's The Thing (1982). That film is endless fun. Now that I think about it, I want to see it again. Maybe tomorrow!


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## Xaltotun

Not a fan of horror at any rate, but there are some films I do like.

Murnau's _Nosferatu_. Dreyer's _Vampyr_. Any and all German Expressionist films that swing in that direction. When sound and colour come into the picture, Argento's _Suspiria_ may be the very best. I like some British films that may have more of a suspense/occult/religion theme like _The Wicker Man, Blood on Satan's Claw, Witchfinder General, The Devils_. For sci-fi/horror, _Quatermass and the Pit_ wasn't bad. Still looking forward to seeing _Night of the Demon_ some day, I suspect it's right to my tastes (also I love the director, Jacques Tourneur).


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## Sloe

Tokaido Yotsuya Kaidan Japanese film from 1959.
Based on a play from 1826 that have been filmed over 30 times. This is my favourite version of the ones I have seen. The story Iemon poisons his wife Iwa. She comes back as a ghost to take revenge.


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## Weston

DeepR said:


> . . .
> I'm also tired of the endless cliches in this genre: zombies, vampires, haunted houses, cabins in the woods, "found footage" films, you name it.
> Please recommend me a movie with a lot of suspense and atmosphere, that uses the power of suggestion instead of monsters and gore.


_
The Changeling_ with George C. Scott is a low key but very underrated horror film. And yes, it gave me the willies a few times.

Another is the original 1963 version of _The Haunting_ (based on Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House.) Talk about atmosphere!


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## Weston

Any _The Wicker Man_ fans here? I'm not sure you could say it is horror, but it is certainly -- different. (I'm talking about the Christopher Lee version. I haven't seen the remake. Why remake something that is already good?)


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## Xaltotun

Weston said:


> Any _The Wicker Man_ fans here? I'm not sure you could say it is horror, but it is certainly -- different. (I'm talking about the Christopher Lee version. I haven't seen the remake. Why remake something that is already good?)


Sure! Like I said 3 posts above your post  Many years ago, I used to watch it over and over again.


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## Morimur

Weston said:


> Any _The Wicker Man_ fans here? I'm not sure you could say it is horror, but it is certainly -- different. (I'm talking about the Christopher Lee version. I haven't seen the remake. Why remake something that is already good?)


Great film. Don't bother with the remake, it's garbage.


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## Cosmos

Love the Wicker Man! Really eerie picture. And yes, the remake is more like a really poorly done comedy


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## Jos

Not a big fan of the gore in the genre.
Enjoyed "hemlock grove" on netflix, not a film, admitted, but a strange televisionseries.

Films I enjoyed were already mentioned, Hitcher, Shining and a few other classics.


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## Jos

Oh, and ofcourse every movie of David Cronenberg, with "dead ringers" in particular.


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## Blancrocher

Morimur said:


> As for 'Thirst', I can't say I am big fan of Park's work -- too much artifice and not enough emotional content.


That's what I liked about it :lol: Terrific schlock--especially if you know the book it's based on.


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## norman bates

I opened a similar thread few years ago.
Some of my favorites are:

alien - ridley scott
the innocents - jack clayton
lost highway - david lynch
texas chainsaw massacre - tobe hooper
the house of the laughing windows - pupi avati
deep red - dario argento
le locataire - roman polanski
coma - michael chrichton
the night of the living dead/zombie - george romero
the haunting - robert wise
shining - stanley kubrick
blood and Black Lace - mario bava
picnic at Hanging rock - peter weir
the thing - john carpenter 

for some reason, while here The house of the laughing windows is widely considered one of the best movies (if not the best horror movie) made by an italian director, outside Italy it's a movie hugely underrated, but more than underrated I'd say it's unknown (I've seen polls where crap like Dellamorte dellamore took more votes, wtf).
And at the same time Suspira is probably the most well known but for those who appreciate that kind of stylized movie "Blood and black lace" is an absolute must. The movie itself is mediocre, but aesthetically is truly a masterpiece.


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## Morimur

*[•REC] (2007) | Directors: Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza*















Reviews: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10009132-rec/


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## Wandering

Does anyone remember Wolfen with Albert Finney? Not bad...










Being a do nothing drunk from Texas, Under the Volcano is a little scary also. :lol:


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## Guest

There's a Japanese movie called _Audition_ that I like a lot. The ending is hard for some people to sit through.

I really liked _Session 9_. Maybe the best American example of psychological horror that I've seen since _The Shining_.

I'm also a fan of the original "Phantasm." Some of the original splatter movies as _Texas Chainsaw_ and _Friday the 13th_ were alright but the splatter genre went completely downhill and became so derivative that you knew everything that was going to happen in the first 5 minutes. I did like Carpenter's _The Thing_ because he kind of based it on Lovecraft's story _At the Mountains of Madness_ and really captured the imagery that Lovecraft was trying to convey than the hacks that totally screw up Lovecraft's stories when they make movies out of them (although I'll give _The Reanimator_ a pass--I did like that one).

I liked _American Psycho_. When I first heard it was made into a movie, I was wondering how they were going to pull it off but they did it sensibly and made it entertaining. It's unusual when I see a movie after reading the book and still like the movie.

One story I'd like to see made into a movie is Poe's _The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket_. To keep true to the storyline would be quite difficult but I'd like to see someone try without totally botching it up.


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## GreenMamba

Victor Redseal said:


> I liked _American Psycho_. When I first heard it was made into a movie, I was wondering how they were going to pull it off but they did it sensibly and made it entertaining. It's unusual when I see a movie after reading the book and still like the movie.


I really liked that movie, although I don't necessarily think of it as horror.


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## Torkelburger

I'm an H.P. Lovecraft fan, but unfortunately films based on his works are usually horrible. Two of the better ones however are:

_The Resurrected _(1992) based on his novella _The Case of Charles Dexter Ward_.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Resurrected

And _From Beyond_ (1986) based on his short story of the same name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_Beyond_(film)


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## SixFootScowl

I used to like horror films and stories, especially those of Edgar Allen Poe, but I feel much better nowadays that I don't watch horror films. I must say that the graphic ones were way too much. Older ones like those with Boris Karloff were pretty good.


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## Guest

I go more for psychological horror now. The Lovecraft story I'd really like to see made into a movie would be "Rats in the Walls." But it would have to be done just right and I have no faith in Hollywood to do anything but botch it up into complete mediocrity. There is a silent movie version of "The Call of Cthulhu" that's pretty good. For one thing, they stuck to the plot exactly. It was made on no budget and yet was very entertaining. It shows that budget is not that important. You have to have people with a vision putting it together and they'll find a way even without a budget. This movie was more entertaining than most of the big Hollywood blockbusters because it was made by talented, creative people who did it as a labor of love rather than rich investors expecting a big return on their money.


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## Jos

Another Cronenberg I enjoyed


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## Cesare Impalatore

I'm a fan of vampire films, Nosferatu being my dearest. Murnau, Herzog, even Shadow of the Vampire, I love them all. The notion of tragic love and being bound to eternal life in darkness gets me every time. 

I also enjoyed the new Dracula with Luke Evans, mostly an entertainment movie but very well made and engaging nonetheless. As you can guess from my username, I have a strong fascination for the story of Vlad III. Draculea alias :lol:


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## Xaltotun

Cesare Impalatore said:


> I'm a fan of vampire films, Nosferatu being my dearest. Murnau, Herzog, even Shadow of the Vampire, I love them all. The notion of tragic love and being bound to eternal life in darkness gets me every time.
> 
> I also enjoyed the new Dracula with Luke Evans, mostly an entertainment movie but very well made and engaging nonetheless. As you can guess from my username, I have a strong fascination for the story of Vlad III. Draculea alias :lol:


Have you seen Dreyer's "Vampyr"? It's certainly different, very good too. It's... eerie, phantasmic, nightmarish, surreal...


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## Cesare Impalatore

Xaltotun said:


> Have you seen Dreyer's "Vampyr"? It's certainly different, very good too. It's... eerie, phantasmic, nightmarish, surreal...


I still need to see that one, sounds really good! La passion de Jeanne d'Arc is the only Dreyer film I've seen until now.


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## norman bates

Cesare Impalatore said:


> I still need to see that one, sounds really good! La passion de Jeanne d'Arc is the only Dreyer film I've seen until now.


it's a great movie. In my personal opinion, better than the one of Murnau.
Can I ask you what's the picture in your avatar?


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## Cesare Impalatore

norman bates said:


> it's a great movie. In my personal opinion, better than the one of Murnau.
> Can I ask you what's the picture in your avatar?


Sure, I've taken the image from the cover of a cd record of Heinrich Marschner's opera _Der Vampyr_:


__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content


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## Morimur

Two modern horror masterpieces: 'The Babadook' (which was previously mentioned here) and 'It Follows'. Y'all need to watch these two films ASAP.


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## FLighT

Not necessarily straight up horror but "Under the Skin" was was an intriguing sci-fi/horror mix. I read the book after seeing the movie and the book was even more horror oriented but could most likely never have been satisfactorily made directly into a movie Even if the key scenes could get by the censors the CGI required would have been very expensive. The changes made for the film script still made it a completely satisfying experience on its own, for me, and I liked the films ending better than the books ending.


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## Weston

Morimur said:


> Two modern horror masterpieces: 'The Babadook' (which was previously mentioned here) and 'It Follows'. Y'all need to watch these two films ASAP.


I've heard a lot of good things about "The Babadook." It's supposed to be highly original. It's on Netflix. I'll have to add it to my queue.


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## GreenMamba

Morimur said:


> Two modern horror masterpieces: 'The Babadook' (which was previously mentioned here) and 'It Follows'. Y'all need to watch these two films ASAP.


I am going to have to rent The Babadook, but I saw It Follows in the theatre and liked it a good bit. You could justify watching it just for the direction (camera angles, locations, etc.).


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## Weston

Any appreciation for Guillermo del Toro? _Pan's Labyrinth_ may be his best known. While not horror exactly it has its creepy moments. Closer to horror or maybe gothic is his _The Devil's Backbone_. That movie is chock full of symbolism and a pervasive bittersweet creepiness that is hard to explain. His vision is unique - or was before he started directing more mainstream comic book hero movies.


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## Albert7

I hear that "It Follows" is supposed to be marvelous.






It supposedly got wonderful reviews and has a lot of psychological tension like a Hitchcock or De Palma thriller.


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## Dustin

Along with Babadook that I mentioned earlier, I also agree that It Follows was a fantastic movie. The cinematography and soundtrack are excellent and it's an interesting idea.


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## manyene

Not my thing: there's enough real horror in the world anyway; no need to create it artificially in movies.


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## norman bates

manyene said:


> Not my thing: there's enough real horror in the world anyway; no need to create it artificially in movies.


I wonder if you think the same for the paintings of goya and munch or for the novels of poe and lovecraft.


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## Morimur

Don't know what it is but I loved horror even as a child. I remember as a five year old I wanted my mother to take me to see the movie 'Fright Night'. Instead, she tricked me and we ended up watching 'Superman' — bad mother.


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## Weston

There are plenty of reasons to enjoy horror and they are completely compartmentalized from the horror of the real world. Two entirely different things. I think the genre is as old as campfires and as primal.


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## Nocture In Blue

If Don't Look Now counts as horror, it's defentivly my favourite. One of the greatest movies ever, IMO.
Other favourites includes, The Shining, Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist, The Omen, The Innocents & The Haunting.
I don't like modern horror films at all.


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## norman bates

Nocture In Blue said:


> If Don't Look Now counts as horror, it's defentivly my favourite. One of the greatest movies ever, IMO.
> Other favourites includes, The Shining, Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist, The Omen, The Innocents & The Haunting.
> I don't like modern horror films at all.


I loved the ending of Don't look now.
Anyway there are still good movies, and I'm saying that being a great fan of many of the movies you've mentioned, especially The innocents is one of my favorite movies. The already mentioned Babadook is a very good example of that.


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## gardibolt

My favorite is The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), with Vincent Price and Joseph Cotten. Delightfully stylish arte moderne and lovingly tongue in cheek, with a marvelous musical score to boot. The supporting performances are all gems too. I could (and do) watch it over and over.


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## Xaltotun

Some (sort-of?) horror films that I'm planning on watching:

The Bride of Frankenstein
Cat People (the original one)
I Walked With a Zombie
Night of the Demon


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## KenOC

Best horror film (if that's the right term) I've seen recently: Cabin in the Woods.


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## Weston

Xaltotun said:


> Some (sort-of?) horror films that I'm planning on watching:
> 
> The Bride of Frankenstein
> Cat People (the original one)
> I Walked With a Zombie
> Night of the Demon


I haven't seen _I Walked With a Zombie_ in ages. That's a really classic and classy scare, cheesy title notwithstanding. The actual scene that gives it its title - oh! Very, very well done.


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## Xaltotun

Weston said:


> I haven't seen _I Walked With a Zombie_ in ages. That's a really classic and classy scare, cheesy title notwithstanding. The actual scene that gives it its title - oh! Very, very well done.


Three of the four films in my to-see list (including "I Walked...") are by Jacques Tourneur, a very interesting director. I became interested in him after seeing his Robert Mitchum film noir, _Out of the Past._


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## breakup

Many years ago my older daughter and her girl scout troop decided to sleep over at out house. We had a gazebo on our deck and they were going to sleep there. My daughter asked me to tell a scary story as they were settling down in their sleeping bags. So I made up a story based on our address "Indian Peg Rd" and some rumors I had heard from some of the neighbors about "Indian Peg" distilling Moonshine. 10 minutes later they were all in our living room, inside the house, they were not sleeping outside, I guess my story was a bit too scary.


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## breakup

A few years before that the same daughter decided she wanted to sleep outside in a tent, so we got it all set up, but she was back in the house every 10 to 15 minutes for some thing, a drink, the bathroom, something. So I finally got the one dog we had and tied her next to the tent, so the dog could sleep next to the daughter. That was the last we heard from the daughter till morning.


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## Diminuendo

Dracula with Bela Lugosi. I just love his accent and his movements. Well pretty much everything really. And like him I never drink ... wine.


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## Guest

Xaltotun said:


> Some (sort-of?) horror films that I'm planning on watching:
> 
> The Bride of Frankenstein
> Cat People (the original one)
> I Walked With a Zombie
> Night of the Demon


A little too much camp comedy in _Bride_ for my tastes, but _Zombie _and _Demon _are excellent! It's the style and atmosphere that make them - not the horror (of which there is very little).


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## norman bates

The only negative aspect of Night of the demon are the awful special effects used in a scene at the beginning, but I don't want to write spoilers. Notwithstanding that detail, it is probably one of the best horror movies made in the fifties.


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## Taggart

*Nosferatu director's head stolen from grave in Germany*

Life imitating art.


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## Guest

GreenMamba said:


> I am going to have to rent The Babadook, but I saw It Follows in the theatre and liked it a good bit. You could justify watching it just for the direction (camera angles, locations, etc.).


I just saw "It Follows" and they never tell you where in the country that the story takes place. But then there's a scene where the leading actress, the blonde, goes into an ice cream parlor and I knew instantly that that scene was shot in Berkley, Michigan. The street signs said "12 Mile Rd" and "Tyler" and I had just driven through that intersection earlier in the day as I have a thousand times before. I've never been in that ice cream parlor but I recognized it instantly. Those hanging street signs were instantly recognizable as well. The movie was shot in southeast Michigan in and around Detroit.

When they try to find the guy's house who had passed the "demon" onto the girl, they are driving through Detroit and they turn at the corner of John R and Hollywood. John R is a major thoroughfare in southeast Michigan. That corner is a really rundown area although by no means the worst Detroit has to offer (that would be the area around Lahser and Pickford in the Brightmoor section which is positively feral).

Then the scene where these girls are walking and one starts talking about 8 Mile Road (same one Eminem named his movie after) and says her mother told her when she was a little girl that it's where the suburbs end and the city begins. Well, that's quite true. 8 Mile is the northernmost boundary of the Detroit. I live just a few blocks north of it. The Mile roads are major east-west axis thoroughfares in southeast Michigan. You can't go east or west for any great distance unless you are on one of the Mile roads. They are named for their distance from the very heart of Detroit located at Cadillac Square. There used to be a concrete pillar there that marked axis mundi of the city and 8 miles due north of that pillar was 8 Mile Road and because it is a baseline for surveyors, it is also called Baseline Road. That pillar was buried for many decades under the streets but was unearthed a few years back when they remodeled the Square and is now in a museum. I've never seen it but I read about it.

Also, I think the high school in the movie might have been Clawson High. I never went to Clawson High so I can't say for certain. I think they called it Lawson High in the movie. Clawson is right next to Berkley and all these little towns are clumped together seamlessly--Clawson, Berkley, Royal Oak, Ferndale (where Ron Carter is actually from), Oak Park (where Don Was is from), Warren (Eminem), Roseville, Eastpointe (formerly East Detroit), Sterling Heights, Fraser, Mt. Clemens, Clinton Twp, Harrison Twp, St. Clair Shores, Grosse Pointe (very wealthy area), Centerline, Madison Heights, Troy, Southfield--they all run together. Detroit also has two cities within its borders--Hamtramck and Highland Park (Jackie Wilson and Bill Haley). Other cities surrounding Detroit are Inkster, Ecorse, Dearborn Allen Park, Melvindale and Dearborn Heights. It's like a big metropolis except large swaths of it are squalid and dangerous and, in some cases, deserted. Other parts are very industrial and rather barren except for factory buildings. Outside the work hours, they too are deserted and rather spooky.

Yes, it is the perfect place to shoot a movie like "It Follows."


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## breakup

I like "The Haunting" 1963, but no-one will watch it with me.


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## Guest

I just saw "Babadook." I do not get the ending.


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## Guest

I've been thinking about the ending of _The Babadook_ and, having ruminated for a while, I think I have it now.

What follows is somewhat of a spoiler so if you've never seen the movie but plan to then don't read this:

The babadook, it seems to me, starts off as the simple childhood fear of the dark. As we progress through life, the fear is simply modified into fear of everything--fear of growing up, fear of never growing up, fear of commitment, fear of being alone, fear of having children, fear of not having children, fear of financial hardship, fear of losing one's health, fear of aging, fear of death, fear of life. What we have to realize is that what we are really fearing is the unknown. But, just as when mommy turned on the light when we were crying in the dark, the dark shadow in the corner is just a chair with a hat and coat draped over it. The rest is our imagination. We fear our own imagination. Religion is devised to play on this childhood fear. Just as fear of the dark gave rise to stories of the bogeyman in the closet or under the bed who will get you if you peep out from under the covers or grab your ankle if you put your foot on the floor and drag you under the bed never to be seen again, religion gave us the devil and a list of things we must never ever do or the devil will get our souls--forever and ever. Indeed much of religion appears to me to be an infantile grappling with our infantile imagination--our inner demons. Remember when the babadook came into the woman's room and she pulled her covers over her head like a child as though this was enough to ward it off. I think that was meant to symbolize that our adult fears really stem from an infantile reaction to the unknown.

But once we are caught up in the unknown, we cease to fear it simply because it becomes known to us. I once had a pet tarantula when I was a teen and my mother volunteered to hold it so I put it in her hand and she did quite admirably. She later admitted there was this moment of dread where she wanted to fling it from her hand but overcame it and realized it was just a harmless creature. She didn't fear it, she feared what her imagination had made it into. Once the reality is confronted, the spell of fear woven by our imaginations falls apart. We fear our own imaginations when we fear the unknown and that's our bogeyman, our babadook. It's nothing more than the childish fear of the dark. In the pop-up book that the woman reads to her son, the babadook states that if you ever look beneath his mask, you'll wish you were dead but that's just to scare you and keep you in fear. The truth is, once the unknown is unmasked, it ceases to frighten us.

Maybe we can never eliminate the fear entirely but we can control it and learn not to let it overwhelm us. In the movie, the woman tells it, "You're not real!" and it eventually goes back to the basement where all her memories are stored and there she keeps it confined and when she went into the basement to feed it the bowl of worms, it tries to overwhelm her and almost succeeds but she keeps her nerve and makes it back off. She's learned not to fear her imagination.


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## Biwa

If you're into Japanese horror, "Ugetsu Monogatari" is a beautifully atmospheric ghost story.

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-ugetsu-1953

"Black Sunday" is a gothic vampire-witch film made in Italy. And as long as we are in Italy with Barbara Steele... "The Horrible Dr. Hichcock" is creepy.

Another classic Barbara Steele film is "The Pit and the Pendulum" with Vincent Price. It was directed by Roger Corman, who did several excellent Edgar Allen Poe films... "Fall of the House of Usher"..."Tomb of Ligeia"...


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## MrTortoise

'The Shining' which is one of my all-time favorite movies across all genres.


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## Cheyenne

John Carpenter's _The Thing_ (1982) is just so much fun.


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## Polyphemus

Cheyenne said:


> John Carpenter's _The Thing_ (1982) is just so much fun.


A masterpiece of the genre.


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## Avey

*Alien*.

Beyond horror, this is one of the great modern films of all time. The linear plot contains multitudes of implications re isolation, self-will, control and dominance, gender roles (and stereotypes), reliance on technology, the human condition ... and on and on.

Truly a remarkable work.


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## Count Yorga

Hello. I'm new to this board, and a big fan of classical music and horror film music. Since i'm also new to many classical compositions, I signed on here to see if anyone knows the title and composer of a piece that is used in the trailer for the 1970 film "House of Dark Shadows." I've tried to source it, but have come up with nothing for this effective piece of music.

Here's a link, with the music starting at 1:07. Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give!


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## Guest

Count Yorga said:


> Hello. I'm new to this board, and a big fan of classical music and horror film music. Since i'm also new to many classical compositions, I signed on here to see if anyone knows the title and composer of a piece that is used in the trailer for the 1970 film "House of Dark Shadows." I've tried to source it, but have come up with nothing for this effective piece of music.
> 
> Here's a link, with the music starting at 1:07. Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give!


Can't help with the music, but I note the film (which looks terrible) was directed by Dan Curtis, who also did _Burnt Offerings_. I remember enjoying this at the time of its release, but it also got poor reviews - anyone else seen it and liked it?


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## DeepR

I should watch the original Haunting.
I've only watched the one from 1999 which was pretty terrible (still it had at least one good aspect: Catherine Zeta-Jones in her prime, in the looks department, that is...).
And the location was perfect, Harlaxton Manor
http://glebestone.com/attachments/Image/HARLAXTOn.jpg
Soundtrack wasn't bad either.
The rest, not so much...


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## Morimur

"Don't Look Now" has been restored by Criterion-for those who care.

https://www.criterion.com/films/27928-don-t-look-now


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## motoboy

MrTortoise said:


> 'The Shining' which is one of my all-time favorite movies across all genres.


I just got the bluray at Target for $5!

One of my favorites is Exorcist 3. Kind of artsy and dated with some bizarre camoes including C. Everett Koop. It also features Swan Lake.


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## Flamme

Morimur said:


> I LOVE this film -- in my top 5.


Hat down, sir for a choice of underrated and lesser known motion picture! Kafkian atmosphere as well as arhitecture contributes to confusion, confusion contributes to chills down your spine maybe even more than suspense of known nemezis! Also the scene with a '' red riding hood'' (?!) lady dwarf although not so scary now must have been a screamer back in the day!


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## bz3

You guys inspired me to re-watch _The Haunting_ (1963, no others exist) in the coming days. Favorite? Too hard to say as I have a lifelong love of the genre. This one is also on my run-up to Halloween queue, though, and it's a great one.


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## Flamme

If ya want to see something really scary, to paraphrase the ''Twilight Zone'' movie, check this out...




Suspense and blood chilling are so thick you cant cut them with a knife!!! Weirdness, madness, satanism in its purest form of opening the gates for illogical Chaos to spill into our world...


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## Guest

Flamme said:


> If ya want to see something really scary, to paraphrase the ''Twilight Zone'' movie, check this out...
> 
> Suspense and blood chilling are so thick you cant cut them with a knife!!! Weirdness, madness, satanism in its purest form of opening the gates for illogical Chaos to spill into our world...


Hmmm...yes, well, not quite how I remember it back in '77. Perhaps it scares better on Blu-ray?


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## k1hodgman

The Silence of The Lambs. _Hands down._


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## Guest

Saw "Sinister" over the weekend. They don't try to get too arty with the scariness. Just good old fashioned crap-your-pants scares. Worth a look especially with Halloween coming up.


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## Morimur

This film has gotten splendid reviews...


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## Guest

Morimur said:


> This film has gotten splendid reviews...


Holy moly that's going to require my extra-assertive underwear.


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## Wandering

Avey said:


> *Alien*.
> 
> Beyond horror, this is one of the great modern films of all time. The linear plot contains multitudes of implications re isolation, self-will, control and dominance, gender roles (and stereotypes), reliance on technology, the human condition ... and on and on.
> 
> Truly a remarkable work.


I loved the first sequel also. The spider-like impregnator alien has to be one of the creepiest monsters ever.

The film score, especially the strings strongly suggest total isolation.


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## OboeKnight

Just saw The Witch yesterday. I really enjoyed it. I'm very numb to horror movies so I really don't get scared. It wasn't a "scary" movie, but it had very intensely disturbing moments, which I found really enjoyable. It gets in your mind, even though it's the classic witch blaming thing reminiscent of the Crucible. As far as technicalities, it's an extremely well made movie and very effective. Recommended! 

Also, saw The Boy a couple weeks ago. I have mixed feelings about it. The supernatural concept is genuinely creepy and it builds up a really wonderful haunting mood right up until the end. I think it would have been a very great film if they had gone a different direction at the end, but it was still acceptable as is.


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## Fugue Meister

Morimur said:


> This film has gotten splendid reviews...


First film the church of satan has officially endorsed if that tells you anything..

My favorites still "The Shining" also no one has mentioned Von Trier's "Antichrist" which while not a strict horror film has some severely disturbing scenes and general spooky mood (It also happens to be terrific).


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## norman bates

Fugue Meister said:


> no one has mentioned Von Trier's "Antichrist" which while not a strict horror film has some severely disturbing scenes and general spooky mood (It also happens to be terrific).


I think that the same could be said for a lot of his movies.
And talking of works that are horror altough not in a strict sense the incredible Wake in fright deserves to be mentioned.









That it's not a horror in a strict sense only because isn't about some weird creature, but to me it's definitely a horror. 
What a movie.


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## Wandering

norman bates said:


> I think that the same could be said for a lot of his movies.
> And talking of works that are horror altough not in a strict sense the incredible Wake in fright deserves to be mentioned.
> 
> View attachment 81766
> 
> 
> That it's not a horror in a strict sense only because isn't about some weird creature, but to me it's definitely a horror.
> What a movie.


I watched both Winter Light and Wake in Fright, enjoying both tremendously. Both seemed eerily serious in atmosphere, Wake in Fright is like an extra long Twilight Zone. Thank you for recommending them norman bates. I need to also watch The Sentinel, thanks Flamme.


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## cboyne

the Shining! I re-watched it recently with someone who has never seen it before. I was trying to tell them 'it isn't THAY scary don't worry!' but I should have been worried for myself! There is a great documentary on Netflix called Room 237 about the Shining. I highly recommend it.


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## geralmar

Begotten (1990). Worth a look:

Edit: I removed the link, but the complete movie is readily available for free viewing on YouTube.


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## KenOC

Cabin in the Woods is a bit different, and most entertaining.


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## ldiat

The first one " The Day the Earth stood still"


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## trazom

While this John Carpenter film isn't as well known or acclaimed as _The Thing_, I'd still like to put in a good word for _The Fog_, the original one, of course, not the remake. The overall setting and eerie atmosphere of the film, a quiet seaside town and the general isolation of the the characters make it much more subtle and effective horror film. People who prefer fast paced, slasher/gore flicks with lots of jump-out-at-you scares will probably find this film a little slow moving and dull, though there definitely are some slasher scenes sprinkled throughout and one startling/jump scene that I recall. It's actually more of a fake-out jump scene because the viewer _thinks_ they've just gotten through the scarier part when, in actuality, that comes immediately after. Otherwise, this film is more of a perfectly-crafted ghost story that emphasizes setting and detail, to get you into the story, before bringing in the more terrifying moments. It has a little of everything and is unique, and sadly, a little underrated; but it definitely scared me more than any of the horror films I've seen the last 10 years. The silhouettes of the dead men standing in front of a background of fog where you can only see their glowing eyes has always stayed with me. There are certainly more equally scary scenes but I don't want to give away all the surprises!


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## Pugg

k1hodgman said:


> The Silence of The Lambs. _Hands down._


Oh... yes...................the women in the well


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## Biwa

Suspiria (1977)


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## Morimur

'Hush' a great horror film on youtube. Enjoy....


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## DavidA

I never watch horror films as I consider there is enough horror in the world without making more up.


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## Morimur

DavidA said:


> I never watch horror films as I consider there is enough horror in the world without making more up.


Yeah...like this morning I got up to make myself a cup of coffee and to my HORROR and dismay I discovered that I'd run out of my favorite Indonesian blend! Can someone make that movie or would it be too hardcore for people?


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## Xaltotun

Biwa said:


> View attachment 84352
> 
> 
> Suspiria (1977)


More or less the best horror film in the world. Although I suspect it's one of those polarizer films, making the audience either love it or hate it.


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## Sloe

Xaltotun said:


> More or less the best horror film in the world. Although I suspect it's one of those polarizer films, making the audience either love it or hate it.


I like it.
Dario Argento was married to Alfredo Casella´s granddaughter Daria Nicolodi and have a daughter with her Asia Argento.


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## acitak 7

*favourite horror movies*



Morimur said:


> *'HORROR' is one of my favorite film genres (the other being 'Drama'). There are some great horror films out there, the vast majority of which are unknown to the greater public due to the near monopoly of mainstream hollywood productions -- a shame. With this thread, I hope to introduce likeminded individuals to previously undiscovered gems, and vice versa.
> 
> POST AWAY!*


fright night the fearless vampire killers deathwatch nosferatu with Klaus kinski evil dead anyone agree


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## acitak 7

best horror movie soundtrack, JACOBS LADDER by Maurice Jarre


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## Vaneyes

DavidA said:


> I never watch horror films as I consider there is enough horror in the world without making more up.


And it'll likely get worse, on and off the screen.


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## Pugg

Vaneyes said:


> And it'll likely get worse, on and off the screen.


I am sure this is going to happen .:tiphat:


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## Keef

Cosmos said:


> Love the Wicker Man! Really eerie picture. And yes, the remake is more like a really poorly done comedy


I think the Wicker Man has an almost perfect construction and it has been a favourite ever since the first time I saw it.

As for the remake, its only redeeming feature is Nicholas Cage's performance in the title role - perfect casting!


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