Best horror movie?

[Mac_Guffin]

I'll only like a horror if it's hilarious (intentionally or unintentionally), has a good story (like Carrie, these are the rarest of horrors) or are awesome (like Alien(s)).
If it's just slasher nonsense or a gore fest I generally won't like it.
Only film that made me jump in my adult life was The Grudge but then I'd break me hole laughing after.
When I was a child though horror movies made me run off crying.

I like the mainstream slashers, but I'm not a big fan of the Friday the 13th wannabes... but I do like gross-out horror like Dawn of the Dead, Dead Alive, Wizard of Gore, etc.

[Deep Sea Isopod]

Vampire Circus
and
A Compny of Wolves.


Now, bearing in mind I was a kid when I watched these, so I don't know how they stand up now.

More recently, the "Saw" movies
and
Cube

Cube would be a perfect horror/sci-fi movie if it wasn't for the really bad acting.
With all the remakes being made, I'd like to see that one with better actors.

Did you see Cube 2? (Hypercube) That has to be the worst sequal to what could've been a great movie, ever!!!!

[Mac_Guffin]

Vampire Circus
and
A Compny of Wolves.


Now, bearing in mind I was a kid when I watched these, so I don't know how they stand up now.

More recently, the "Saw" movies
and
Cube

Cube would be a perfect horror/sci-fi movie if it wasn't for the really bad acting.
With all the remakes being made, I'd like to see that one with better actors.

Did you see Cube 2? (Hypercube) That has to be the worst sequal to what could've been a great movie, ever!!!!

No... just looking at reviews, the back of the dvd, etc. stifles any desire to see it.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I've had a mild interest in asking this since I saw the first half of The Cube. Was there a point to that movie?

[Mac_Guffin]

I've had a mild interest in asking this since I saw the first half of The Cube. Was there a point to that movie?

It's been a while since I've seen it, but I think its point was just to who how fucking hopeless humans are.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I've had a mild interest in asking this since I saw the first half of The Cube. Was there a point to that movie?

It's been a while since I've seen it, but I think it's point was just to who how fucking hopeless humans are.

Just curious. Thanks.

[Coito ergo sum]

[Coito ergo sum]

[Mac_Guffin]

The only movies I'm still disturbed by are ones I would never watch on a date... like Last House on the Left.

[apophenia]

I have to say that Asian horror is a completely different beast from European/American horror. It just has a feel that doesn't exist in English language horror. That doesn't mean any particular Asian horror flick is going to be good, but they follow a different set of conventions — probably best exemplified by the English remake of Ringu (The Ring) with Naomi Watts. While some of the artistic elements diverged from the Japanese horror genre, it was basically a scene for scene recreation of the original Japanese film. I've heard people poo-poo the original theatrical film Ju-On, largely because they felt it depended on the surprise, "boo!" for generating chills. I think they underestimate how much story, and especially the sound and cinematography contributed to the suspense and feel of the movie. But one point I have to consider, I saw Ju-On in the theater and I suspect that horror in general does better in the movie experience than it does when you wait for it to come to video. This is changing with the advent of large screen HD TVs hooked up to earth shaking 7.1 sound systems, but even then, I think the odds of a good horror experience are better in a theatre than at home.

As a nomination, I'd suggest "Quatermass And The Pit" (aka 5,000,000 Years Back To Earth). I haven't watched it in several years, but it never failed to give me the willies.



(ETA: I haven't watched it yet, but I have high hopes for "The Human Centipede (First Sequence)")

[Gawdzilla Sama]

As a nomination, I'd suggest "Quatermass And The Pit" (aka 5,000,000 Years Back To Earth). I haven't watched it in several years, but it never failed to give me the willies.

Saw that at the drive-in, 1967. Double bill with "1,000,000 B.C."

[orpheus]

Scary/great beginnings:

First ten minutes or so of Alien. So slow. For a long time nothing happens. Creepy as hell. Best part of the film, IMO.

First ten minutes or so of The Exorcist (the Northern Iraq sequence). There's a subtle quality to the editing that makes it seem almost like documentary footage. It's so deliberate, and quite threatening. There's this feeling that under the surface is something very bad indeed. (Max von Sydow's extraordinary acting helps a lot too.)

The first few minutes of John Carpenter's The Thing. Sure, all you see is the guys in the helicopter hunting the dog across the Antarctic snowfields. But somehow you just know it's the fucking end of the world.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Apocalypse Now.

[hadespussercats]

I'm not much of a one for horror, usually. I get a little too scared for it to be fun.

I'm more of a psychological thriller or bloody action movie type.

But I really do think both The Shining and Carrie are excellent films.

I liked Psycho, even though parts didn't age so well.

I think I remember Candyman being really good.

And for some reason, The Mouths of Madness (Sam Neill was in it-- came out in the 90's) has stuck in my mind as being good.

[hadespussercats]

Apocalypse Now.

That's a war movie. It might be horrifying, but it's a different genre.