Alright. I know there are already a few threads out there already about the films that are the scariest. I'm working my hardest to categorize and determine which of them actually terrify.
To me, personally, I feel like supernatural horror from the late 70s and early 80s was exceptionally terrifying. These films capture the essence of Helplessness and Powerlessness and communicate them exceedingly well.
A lot of horror movies seem to be based on the jump-out-and-scare tactic, which while it provides an adrenaline rush by activating the fight/flight response, isn't really terrifying.
So I've categorized what I can remember into the movies that actually have captured genuine terror:
Supernatural Thrillers:
The Exorcist, the Director's Cut
The Entity
Carrie (the original, not the remake)
Paranormal Activity (the original, not the theatrical release)
Horrors of Human Depravity:
Last House on the Left (the original, not the remake)
Unexplicable Thriller:
The Birds
Psychological Thriller:
The Turn of the Screw (the black and white original, not the remake)
A Nest of Serpents
Not all psychological thrillers provide true feelings of terror; but those that have pressed and pushed and prodded the mind into questioning itself and its experiences of reality... to the edge, will definitely count.
Most horrors these days provide cheap thrills designed to illicit an adrenaline rush. What we are searching for, however, at least for the purposes of the list I am putting together, are films that have somehow captured true feelings of terror. A chill at the revelation of Evil. Something posing a threat that cannot be seen or dealt with, where the fight-flight response is useless. These are what I'm trying to find expressed in film.
Supernatural Thrillers sometimes include ghost stories, but I feel like this is a cheap shot. If the experience can be walked away from, its not truly terrifying. Flight is a valid response, and in order to avoid the safety of flight-fight responses; there has to be something that the flight-fight response cannot deal with.
Horrors of Human Depravity: These types of film reveal the base and vile nature of humankind in film format. Sometimes these films elicit only feelings of disgust and sadness, but in order to evoke genuine psychological terror, there has to be something that crosses a line in the mind. Some societal contract must be breached in a believable and meaningful manner.
The Unexplained: There are many documentaries and mockumentaries or that style of film that research or seem to be researching unexplained phenomena. However, the true terror can only be experienced when it is directly observed, not simply communicated, and again, the flight-fight response is avoided.
The Psychological Thriller: Films that express madness or a person going insane in a believable and descriptive manner are effective tools of terror. Again, going insane or watching someone else go insane is not something that can be avoided with the flight-fight response.
Most other horror films exhibit things that can be avoided by the flight-fight response. Run away from it or kill it.
Another thing in these films is that the audience (in order to be genuinely horrified or terrorized) must be emotionally invested in the main characters of the film, either by empathizing or sympathizing.
So my question to you, if you can find films that incorporate these elements (old or new), I'd love to give them a try and add them to my list of True Horror Films.
Burnt Offerings perhaps fits in one of the categories. The Unexplicable perhaps?
I can remember the films of my youth which made me scared enough to sleep with the lights on for the next few nights:
- Salem's Lot (Supernatural)
- The Omen (Supernatural)
And one you already mentioned:
- The Exorcist (Supernatural)
Having watched those movies again recently, only The Exorcist retained some of its "fear" factor.
I remember seeing a film about a computer that was given control of the world's nuclear weapons or something like that, and then proceeded to hold the world hostage with it and begin enforcing draconian law. I don't remember what it was called though, but it did elicit a bit of that powerlessness/helplessness feeling.
The Woman ranks up there as one of the most disturbing movies I have seen recently, although more unsettling/uncomfortable than scary
The Thing (1982)
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You all should check out The Changeling (1980, starring George C. Scott). Nothing so scary as a good ghost story.
For "Horrors of Human Depravity" I think "A Serbian Film" takes the freaking cake by a mile. Makes Saw/Hostel/Human Centipede and those ilk look like a child's birthday party, with ice cream sundaes.
I do NOT recommend watching it. Read the plot synopsis in Wikipedia if you are curios. if you are still curious, go seek professional help.
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Supernatural Thriller - The Legend of Hell House (1963).
A legitimate "trapped in a haunted house" movie. Very atmospheric and genuinely creepy film about a group of paranormal investigators staying at a house that has the spirit of an evil and bitter man.
Supernatural Thriller – The Haunting (1963, not the crappola remake)
Like it less than Hell House, but still a creepy movie.
As with most haunted house/Ghost stories they both move a little slow, but it’s worth it (if you like that kind of stuff) in the end. Legend plays very much like a rpg module in some ways, decent characters and a cool reveals at the end.
Is 'The Legend of Hell House' the one with Roddy McDowell in it? I think I remember seeing it. Definitely supernatural thriller. I'll add it to the list, cause I remember watching it alone at night, in the dark. And the loud thuds in the hallway or whatever it was terrified me.
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Is 'The Legend of Hell House' the one with Roddy McDowell in it? I think I remember seeing it. Definitely supernatural thriller. I'll add it to the list, cause I remember watching it alone at night, in the dark. And the loud thuds in the hallway or whatever it was terrified me.
Yes it is, and he's excellent in that movie. The audio effects with the date/time (if I recall, I have it on DVD but havent seen it in awhile) header as the movie progresses is very atmospheric.
I wouldn't say scary as in "pure terror" but it is damn creepy and a good watch while being alone and in a darkened house.
Well, I'm not sure that 'pure terror' can be identified that easily. To me, I am terrified when I am facing an experience I know I cannot fight or run away from. For other people, 'terror' might be defined as something else.
There are quite a few films that are enjoyably creepy, without being terrifying. A lot of the older movies with Vincent Price or Boris Karloff fit that description.
The Cthulhuphile in me wishes that more films were made based on H.P. Lovecraft's works. The Thing, The Haunted Mansion, Reanimator being about the only ones I can think of. Some of his works, particularly if read aloud, can create a disjointed feeling in relation to reality. And that can be either creepy or terrifying, depending on the intensity and experienced reality of that particular emotion.
I would add Session 9 to one of those. Psychological thriller, probably.
Good call on the original Paranormal Activity. The theatrical ending ruined it for me, with its cheap scare whereas the original was truly creepy ad terrifying.
I would add The Beyond, Jaws, and Aliens to any list of scariest movies too. The latter 2 completely pants-crappingly terrifyed me as a kid. The former one is deep and bleak and a pretty good example of 1980's film-making.
Carpenter's The Thing
Scott's Alien
Craven's first Nightmare on Elm Street
Omen and Damien : Omen II
Spielberg's and Hooper's first Poltergeist
FEWDIO has some amazingly disturbing short pieces on youtube
13th Street has an interesting idea for interaction in a horror flick...there is also a series of promo pieces for this channel I cant seem to find anywhere online (that I cant find them now is spooky as well to me). I saw two recently where one had a person putting on lipstick in a mirror...then the music changes and men with armbands come in and smash the mirror and smear the lipstick. I cant even remember the other one right now. I thought it was in an article in AV Club, but I cant find it.
Youtube also has Von Trier's Riget in its entirety Watch this when you are up late at night and you need weirdness.
Aphex Twin music video is unsettling.
Youtube also hosts Oldboy in its entirety. An awesome film in its own right, there's a hidden SQUICK at the end that will send you for a loop.
Youtube also hosts Oldboy in its entirety. An awesome film in its own right, there's a hidden SQUICK at the end that will send you for a loop.
Also there is a depicition of a man eating a live animal (an octopus in a sushi bar). It's REAL, not a prop, so if that sort of thing bothers you don't watch.
and, no, that's not the SQUICK he was talkign about. That's much later in the film.
If you dig "Old Boy" also check out "The Audition". Lots of SQUICK in there.