Let's Talk About Horror!

[Brother Oni]

I don't like torture porn either (I think Saw is clever, but still can't deal with watching it), but I love Asian Horror. There is some extreme stuff, which I haven't watched much, but there's a whole lot that's quite subtle and even cerebral.
I recommend Hansel and Gretel that I've already mentioned, and all the classics - the Ring series, The Eye, Dark Water, the one with the sisters I'm blanking on right now (is it just Two Sisters?). One Missed Call has my very favourite horror movie death. And Spiral/Uzumaki is surreal and fun, if a flawed shadow of the manga.

The most famous Far Eastern horror film with two sisters I know of, is the K-horror film, A Tale of Two Sisters (remade into The Uninvited by Hollywood).

Other classics that Serpentine missed are Kairo (remade into Pulse), Ju-on (The Grudge), Dark Water (Dark Water). The Eye (The Eye) is a HK/Singaporean production that was quite creepy.
Kawaidan is a horror/folktale anthology, although not especially scary.
Tomie is another film adapted from another manga of the same author as Uzumaki, although I didn't find it especially good.

Audition is heading into the torture porn genre, and one of the films from the Guinea Pig series was investigated as a potential snuff film, much like Cannibal Holocaust, so probably give these a miss.

[Serpentine]

Yes, that's the one.
And excuse you, but I think you'll find The Eye and Dark Water are both on my list
I want to see The Grudge, but Netflix only has the 2nd or 3rd for some reason

[Brother Oni]

Yes, that's the one.
And excuse you, but I think you'll find The Eye and Dark Water are both on my list
I want to see The Grudge, but Netflix only has the 2nd or 3rd for some reason

Derp.

While looking through various lists, I found mention to a Sadako vs. Kayako film, which looks on par to the Jason vs. Freddy movie.

I also found this set of pre-movie etiquette films that's entertaining: link.

[Yora]

I think I'm only really into sci-fi horror. Alien and The Thing are awesome films.

One might also count Terminator and Predator, but I don't find those scary even in theory.

[Serpentine]

I think I'm only really into sci-fi horror. Alien and The Thing are awesome films.

One might also count Terminator and Predator, but I don't find those scary even in theory.

Did you see that recent one, Life? Lots of nods to Alien, and I think The Thing, too. I don't think there was much in it that was really unexpected, but I enjoyed it a lot.

[Bhu]

Yes, that's the one.
And excuse you, but I think you'll find The Eye and Dark Water are both on my list
I want to see The Grudge, but Netflix only has the 2nd or 3rd for some reason

Go here: justwatch.com and choose your country

I use it to find horror movies for a list on rpg.net. It should list what services the film you search for is available on for sale/rent (though I dont think it covers shudder or screambox).

[Pit of Shades]

Here's some great horror flicks that I suggest people who are interested in the genre check out.

The Witch (2015): Very atmospheric, it's a slow burn, but it's absolutely unsettling. The score helps this one out a lot, making some of those drawn out landscape shots of darkened woods truly creepy. It also sets a very dark and sinister tone early when the first person from the farmhouse goes missing and we get a glimpse of just what we're dealing with.

Let Me In (2010) or Let The Right One In (2008): A different take on vampires and, quite frankly, a refreshing one. I personally prefer the American 2010 version of this movie but I might be in the minority on that. Both are quite good though. Without getting too much into spoilers, what really stuck with me about the movie was thinking about it after it was over. How old was the vampire truly? We all see how old she looks, but how much of the childlike mannerism was true and how much was a complete facade? In a sense the vampire is feeding off the emotional connection of her care taker in order to survive just as much as she is feeding off the blood of her victims. Truly unsettling to think about.

Ginger Snaps (2000): One of my favorite werewolf movies. It combines the idea of changing into a rampaging, instinctual beast with going through puberty... something everyone can identify with. The creature effects are pretty great considering the budget and that the movie is nearly 20 years old but more importantly the characters are memorable, something I can't really say for a lot of werewolf monster flicks. This one is perfect for the halloween season since it ramps up at the end when they go to a costume party. I tend to watch this one nearly once a year. It's a classic in my mind and highly underrated.

It Follows (2014): A neat idea that's executed pretty well. The nature of the monster in this means it can be anyone, and is not necessarily terrifying in appearance meaning it can and will sneak up on you the minute your guard goes down. It creates a very tense feeling throughout the movie because you're never quite sure if that's just some person in the background who happens to be walking this way or the thing finally catching up to the protagonist. The synth-wave score is also really cool and adds a unique feel. Worth a watch.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974): This one is a classic and may be the greatest "slasher" movie ever made. It hits all the marks for a slasher flick but also has deeply unsettling scenes (I'm looking at you dinner scene) that just let you sit and bask in the macabre horror of the situation and isn't all just running from a psychopath (although there's still plenty of that.) While it leaves many things still unresolved, the ending is still one of my favorites ever. Leatherface freaking out in the road, swinging the chainsaw around frantically while the sole survivor escapes in the flatbed of that truck covered in blood and screaming/laughing in hysterics was a perfect ending to what just happened.

Creepshow (1982) and Creepshow II (1987): I love me some horror anthology movies. I think it's because I find horror works best in the short story format and short films are a great way to encapsulate that. George A Romero directs with writing from Stephen King (including some acting in "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" which is an homage to Lovecraft's "The Color Out of Space") and big stars like Ed Harris and Leslie Nielsen. Stand out shorts include "Something to Tide You Over" from Creepshow and "The Raft" from Creepshow II.

And since someone asked for a list of "Lovecraft" based/themed movies here's a quick list: In The Mouth of Madness (1994), From Beyond (1986), Dagon (2001), Re-Animator (1985), The Resurrected (1991), Castle Freak (1995), The Unnamable (1988), Bleeders (1997), H.P. Lovecraft's: Necronomicon (1994), The Call of Cthulhu (2005), Curse (1987), The Whisperer In Darkness (2011), The Void (2016). I'm sure that there are other's I'm not remembering... but check out "The Void" if you can. It's a recent Cannadian horror flick that uses tons of practical effects and is a true homage to Lovecraft's work. The old TV show Masters of Horror had an hour long Lovecraft episode you can watch called Dreams In The Witch House.

[Wookieetank]

Let Me In (2010) or Let The Right One In (2008): A different take on vampires and, quite frankly, a refreshing one. I personally prefer the American 2010 version of this movie but I might be in the minority on that. Both are quite good though. Without getting too much into spoilers, what really stuck with me about the movie was thinking about it after it was over. How old was the vampire truly? We all see how old she looks, but how much of the childlike mannerism was true and how much was a complete facade? In a sense the vampire is feeding off the emotional connection of her care taker in order to survive just as much as she is feeding off the blood of her victims. Truly unsettling to think about.

If you haven't read the novel yet (by John Ajvide Lindqvist), its worth tracking down. One of the few cases where I'm terribly hard pressed to pick a favorite between the book and movie(s). The book can be a bit squicktastic at times though, some of the gorier bits are rather thoroughly detailed.

[Giggling Ghast]

I never watched Creepshow, but I read the incredibly violent comic book when I was young and always felt a bit traumatized, since it dodged some of the corniness of the movie.

Spoiler: Disturbing image

Show

I watched Gerald’s Game this weekend with my mother. (She can handle it. She’s seen Goodfellas like 50 times, for eff’s sake.)

Full disclosure: I’ve read a fair bit of Stephen King but not Gerald’s Game. But I thought it was very well-done. Really, you want to see it for some strong performances by Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood.

Also, it teaches us a valuable lesson: don’t use real handcuffs for BDSM, folks.

[enderlord99]

Here's a good horror-comedy webcomic. Warning: NSFJG (Not Safe For Juggling Goth)

[Serpentine]

I just watched Maggie. I'd been meaning to watch it on Netflix, but then it turned up on TV, so... yeah.

If you don't know Maggie, basically Arnold Schwarzenegger's daughter is infected with a (not-zombie) virus and is slowly turning.
It was technically very good quality. The acting is all great, the cinematography is lovely, the script is IMO realistic... But it's definitely not to my taste. Despite being more or less a zombie movie, it's very low on the horror, and very high on the drama. Which is a problem for me, because I don't generally like drama movies. I'd probably say it's my least-favourite movie genre.
I'd say, if you enjoy drama with horror themes, it's worth a look. If, like me, you prefer horror with dramatic themes, best avoid it, unless you're in the mood for something really slow and subdued.
Instead, I'd more recommend Pontypool for your arthouse zombie needs.

[Tvtyrant]

I really like horror where it either deals wit real issues through the guise of the supernatural, or is as awful for the monster as the person.

One that I thought was great was from HunterXHunter, where a disease was found that makes you immortal, regenerate like a troll, and makes you uncontrollably ravenous for human flesh. They captured someone with it in a cage surrounded by glass, and he sits there eating his own arms constantly. If he got out he would eat everyone else, but he can't get out and so only one source is available.

[Misereor]

And since someone asked for a list of "Lovecraft" based/themed movies here's a quick list: In The Mouth of Madness (1994), From Beyond (1986), Dagon (2001), Re-Animator (1985), The Resurrected (1991), Castle Freak (1995), The Unnamable (1988), Bleeders (1997), H.P. Lovecraft's: Necronomicon (1994), The Call of Cthulhu (2005), Curse (1987), The Whisperer In Darkness (2011), The Void (2016). I'm sure that there are other's I'm not remembering... but check out "The Void" if you can. It's a recent Cannadian horror flick that uses tons of practical effects and is a true homage to Lovecraft's work. The old TV show Masters of Horror had an hour long Lovecraft episode you can watch called Dreams In The Witch House.

Nice list. :)
I would add "Event Horizon", 1997 starring Sam Neill who was also in "The Mouth of Madness"

[Giggling Ghast]

I really like horror where it either deals wit real issues through the guise of the supernatural, or is as awful for the monster as the person.

You should take a look at a 2013 Canadian film called Afflicted, which is about a dying man being infected with an extremely unpleasant strain of vampirism.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2309961/

[Serpentine]

You should take a look at a 2013 Canadian film called Afflicted, which is about a dying man being infected with an extremely unpleasant strain of vampirism.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2309961/

I saw that when it randomly turned up on TV not long ago. It's really good. Second that recommendation.

[JoshL]

Netflix US just added all the Cube movies and all the Saw movies. Sure, i have them on dvd, but i thought it might be fun to give them all a rewatch. Cube and Cube 2 are both amazing and fun. Not perfect films, but very rewatchable. Cube 0, however, is pretty terrible. Heavier on the gore, heavier on plot over concept which, as it turns out, doesn't work as well. The more you explain the Cube, the less interesting the movie is.

Halfway through the Saw rewatch. 1 and 2 are really good movies. Heavy on scenes to make you wince and cringe, of course, but we'll written, well shot movies. 2 is particularly stylish. I like the story of how it came to be. Darren Lynn Bousman pitched a script that the studio said was too close to the first Saw (which hadn't been released yet). He was disappointed until they asked if he'd be up for reworking it as Saw 2. Sort of a happy coincidence, but explains why the movie is so cohesive for a horror sequel, particularly one that came out so quickly after the first.

3 and 4 are still good, though more typical horror sequel good. Bousman wasn't writing at this point, and only still on board because he was trying to get Repo made (I hate musicals. I LOVE Repo). I do like the deconstruction of the concept. In 1 and 2, people are failing Jigsaw's tests to make them better people. In 3 and 4 you see that Jigsaw, while still the smartest guy in the room to an absurd level, is fundamentally wrong in his concept. I like that, and I like the turn of exposing the failings of the antagonist who predicts everything so well, it's almost as if he has a copy of the script!

Just started 5 and the quality drops off immediately. This is the point where the series devolves into pretty much what everyone thinks it is. I remember liking the last one, but I can't remember is 6 was any good, or still off the rails the way 5 is. We shall see. Not sure how I feel about the new one coming out. Do they really have more to say, or are they milking the cash cow?

Also, if anyone is looking to buy me a gift for any reason:
https://thevinylfactory.com/news/gob...rsary-box-set/
My local theater is showing the new restored longer cut starting next week and I am so excited!

[ArlEammon]

So, Slenderman massacred the Roanoke Colony. Thoughts on this theory?

[Tvtyrant]

So, Slenderman massacred the Roanoke Colony. Thoughts on this theory?

Can slender man kill blind people?

Now that we don't use VCR is the ring video outdated?

[Blackhawk748]

Can slender man kill blind people?

Now that we don't use VCR is the ring video outdated?

It'd probably get turned into a email movie.

[Serpentine]

It'd probably get turned into a email movie.

A secret video buried in Netflix. You "pass it on" by telling someone (or everyone!) how to find it. But it has to be someone who hasn't heard of it before. And with the proliferation of the internet...

[JoshL]

Clickbait article: Watching This Video Will Change Your Life In Just Seven Days! Or perhaps 15 Viral Videos To Watch Before You Die (number 7 will slay you!)

Finished rewatching the Saw films, and I take back pretty much any nice thing I had said about the last movie. The first four hold up fairly well, particularly the first two. After that, it's all downhill. It's hard to keep a horror series going that long, particularly once you start changing directors and writers. That doesn't mean there won't be the occasional gem. As terrible as most of the Hellraiser sequels are, 2, 5 and 7 are surprisingly good. Still haven't seen the latest, but from what I hear, it'll be good for drunken bad movie night.

[Brother Oni]

Now that we don't use VCR is the ring video outdated?

Random Youtube/LiveLeak/darkweb video that's either hotlinked or sent through an attachment as Blackhawk said.

It's mentioned in the original film that the teens first discovered by trying to find a TV channel to watch while they were at a holiday cabin and they initially thought it was some local TV station broadcast, so random late night surfing could theoretically pick up Sadako's transmission.

Alternately, one of those sidebar ad videos on a website that bypasses your browser popup/ad filter.

[Giggling Ghast]

I’d like to talk about this incredibly dark Canadian film I watched last night called “The Void.”

Synopsis: two men carry out a massacre at a rundown house. One “victim” escapes and is found by a rural sheriff, who takes him to a hospital that recently suffered a major fire and is in the process of being abandoned. Almost immediately, figured in white cloaks surround the hospital and one of the nurses inside transforms into this tentacled monstrosity that wouldn’t be out of place in The Thing.

And things get significantly worse from there.

I thought it was really scary; the practical effects and monsters are particularly visceral and disgusting. On the downside, much of the backstory that led up to these events is unexplained, and the cast does a very poor job at communicating with each other. But I think if you have a good understanding of how Lovecraftian horror works, you won’t have too hard a time connecting certain dots.

I was a little shaken afterwards, so I ended up watching this goofy zombie movie called Night of the Living Deb on Netflix. It was cute.