tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post3833497297141513478..comments2024-03-05T21:05:36.848-05:00Comments on CommentaramaFilms: Where Most Horror Films Go WrongAndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-64099027678045311082013-10-17T15:34:32.791-04:002013-10-17T15:34:32.791-04:00Andrew,
Actually Matheson and Beaumont adapted B...Andrew, <br /><br />Actually Matheson and Beaumont adapted BURN WITCH BURN from the original story, 'Conjure Wife', by noted sci-fi author Fritz Leiber, but the they did quite well by it. It was also adapted, badly, as a comedy misfire in 1980, WITCHES BREW, with Teri Gar and Richard Benjamin, and earlier as a quickie B movie, WEIRD WOMAN (1944), in the 'Inner Sanctum' series starring Lon Chaney, Jr. The latter isn't bad, but still pales next to the 1962 version.<br /><br />And then, getting back to horror movies in general, there's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=olEbwhWDYwM" rel="nofollow">this</a>...Backthrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02289433396695381105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-9008628932052954462013-10-17T12:30:49.269-04:002013-10-17T12:30:49.269-04:00El Gordo, Only 10 times? And you call yourself a ...El Gordo, Only 10 times? And you call yourself a fan! ;-PAndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-11416113407535973182013-10-17T12:28:59.871-04:002013-10-17T12:28:59.871-04:00Backthrow, Matheson is everywhere and I've usu...Backthrow, Matheson is everywhere and I've usually liked films that came from his stories.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-34355270897846139712013-10-17T09:08:29.837-04:002013-10-17T09:08:29.837-04:00Not that I´m down on The Thing. I must have seen i...Not that I´m down on The Thing. I must have seen it ten times. The Shining, only about five times.<br />El Gordonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-57976835144039938982013-10-17T02:11:27.252-04:002013-10-17T02:11:27.252-04:00I can't guarantee that it will actually fright...I can't guarantee that it will actually frighten, in the way THE EXORCIST or ALIEN can, but I'd like to take this opportunity to pimp the relatively-unknown, but excellent, <i>BURN WITCH BURN </i>(1962), which TCM is airing this Friday night at 8 pm (EST). Compelling and suspenseful, the film is very well-acted and directed, with a smart script by Richard Matheson (I AM LEGEND, REAL STEEL, DUEL, STIR OF ECHOES, THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN) and Charles Beaumont (many classic TWILIGHT ZONE episodes, including "The Howling Man", "Long Distance Call" and "Living Doll"). Anyway, a perfect film for Halloween.Backthrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02289433396695381105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-60212433941500446042013-10-16T23:58:25.855-04:002013-10-16T23:58:25.855-04:00Rustbelt, That is true, it certainly makes you scr...Rustbelt, That is true, it certainly makes you scream at his wife: what are you thinking?!!<br /><br />Agreed on <i>The Thing</i>. I agree about Carpenter. He was at his best early on when he was working with Debra Hill, under studio supervision (<i>The Fog</i>), and working with more clear ideas. When he started doing things like <i>Vampires</i> and <i>Ghosts of Mars</i>, he really became dull and ineffective.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-71674070695490636062013-10-16T23:26:24.165-04:002013-10-16T23:26:24.165-04:00First, I've got to jump on the bandwagon with ...First, I've got to jump on the bandwagon with PikeBishop and El Gordo when it comes to 'The Shining.' Nicholson's complete lack of character development makes it impossible to sympathize or care about him. You just spend the entire movie shaking your head at the wife and son and repeating the tagline from 'Amityville Horror,' "for God's sake, get out!" You know, I think you could 'George Lucas' the film, replacing Nicholson with another psycho, say Freddy or Jason, and the feel of the film wouldn't change at all. <br /><br />And second, I must also bow before the greatness of 'the Thing.' I side with Andrew over El Gordo on the early setup because the relationships between men who don't really trust each other is already set and effective. Just because they got hired doesn't mean they're going to like each other. <br />Now, is it just me, or is Carpenter at his best when he's using material than his own? -such as "The Thing" (based on John Campbell's "Who Goes there?") or "Prince of Darkness" and "In the Mouth of Madness" (both inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulu Mythos). These days, the man just seems to be out of ideas. I think he'd make a pretty good director for hire, though. Rustbelthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12190297078043033514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-427132901204406842013-10-16T23:02:33.165-04:002013-10-16T23:02:33.165-04:00T-Rav, I agree. I've been watching the same t...T-Rav, I agree. I've been watching the same thing and it does an excellent job of playing on the kinds of things that scare us and then playing with our expectations to keep you on the edge of your seat. It's a very well done movie.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-63564819987613068682013-10-16T22:42:34.906-04:002013-10-16T22:42:34.906-04:00Well, this would have been fun if my Internet had ...Well, this would have been fun if my Internet had been working at all today. However, I was watching <i>Paranormal Activity</i> and its sequel earlier this evening, and while I know those movies annoy a lot of people, I think they make good use of the same things you're talking about. There's long pauses where literally nothing is happening on camera, but you know something's coming and you can hear noises approaching, and so your suspense builds and builds, until it comes out of nowhere and AAAH! They didn't really make me jump (okay, maybe once or twice....), but I could see how they freak a lot of people out. T-Ravhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10861218035729479354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-35114643905863098762013-10-16T22:37:02.338-04:002013-10-16T22:37:02.338-04:00BTW, There won't be a James Bond tonight do to...BTW, There won't be a James Bond tonight do to a heavy work schedule at the moment.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-15647937807662832822013-10-16T18:26:22.605-04:002013-10-16T18:26:22.605-04:00PikeBishop, That is probably the most visceral mom...PikeBishop, That is probably the most visceral moment in the whole film precisely because, as you note, it feels like it really could happen. All the rest is kind of cartoony and hard to "feel".AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-21453507614177335752013-10-16T18:08:20.736-04:002013-10-16T18:08:20.736-04:00I like that idea of real versus fantasy dangers. I...I like that idea of real versus fantasy dangers. I remember feeling it druing Jurassic Park. There was only one scene that really terrified me or made me feel dread?<br /><br />Guess which one? No not any of the "running from giant dinasaurs" scenes, as my modern brain felt that was ridiculous. There was no way I had to fear being eaten by a 12 to 20 foot tall predator.<br /><br />Answer: When Wayne Knight comes in contact with that small dinasour, who turns out to be the acid spitter. I could relate to that. To me that was the equivalent of coming face to face with a cougar or a bear in the woods, a much more likely (if still remote) possibility than being chased by a raptor.PikeBishophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05761380937971970762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-5722508590994155492013-10-16T17:40:47.460-04:002013-10-16T17:40:47.460-04:00Critch, I'm not at all surprised. Things like...Critch, I'm not at all surprised. Things like vampires and werewolves are fantasy dangers, things like rats and snakes and psychos and injuries are real dangers. We intellectually feel the fantasy dangers, but we viscerally feel the real dangers. And you're right, a good horror movie does both. Some of the best horror movies have you terrified long before they even reveal the point of the story to you.<br /><br />On <i>Jaws</i>, I've heard stories of that, but I never witnessed it as I was too young.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-30480732112744753982013-10-16T16:59:13.415-04:002013-10-16T16:59:13.415-04:00Many years ago when I was in the Jaycees I helped ...Many years ago when I was in the Jaycees I helped design and run many haunted houses as a fundraiser for our chapter. One thing we all noticed; spooks, zombies, monsters etc are scary; but, come at someone with a chainsaw or an axe and watch them run. Corral them into a small space and watch them when a switch activated by their weight turns on a lite in a rate cage not 3 inches from their face...(that was my favorite gag). To set up the mood and get the marks uncomfortable we would hang the smallest monofilament line we could from the ceiling, it really made them uncomfortable because in the dark they thought it was spider webs. A good horror movie does this, it builds on little things and sets the audience up. BTW, I was stationed in SoCal when Jaws came out, it really did cause deserted beaches, no one would go in the water. Critchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07106908233705403513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-33483246546712878672013-10-16T15:15:50.894-04:002013-10-16T15:15:50.894-04:00Scott, True! And that's why I love that film....Scott, True! And that's why I love that film. You spend the first half of the film just getting to know and really like the family. You laugh with them, you sympathize. You even see the ghost as kind of playful, except that you've been warned a couple times that it's not... so you have this creeping feeling that you can't warn the family of things they haven't seen.<br /><br />Then it all blows up. Beautifully done.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-45532293211086687122013-10-16T15:14:19.195-04:002013-10-16T15:14:19.195-04:00Critch, I agree. These are prime examples of how ...Critch, I agree. These are prime examples of how to do it, it's just too bad that more people don't really think through why these work. For example, people know from <i>Jaws</i> that you don't show the shark until later. Ok, that's good. But they miss all the build up. They miss the way you are pulled into the people's lives and then how little by little the danger ratchets up... you have several scares, you see the drawing of the shark eating the boat, you get the Indianapolis moment. Moments like that story of the Indianapolis just freak you out because it plays on our worst fears of what can happen at sea and it leaves it all in your head to imagine the worst. Only then, when you are primed and the audience has scared itself, does the film kick into high gear.<br /><br />I totally agree about <i>The Stalking Moon</i>. There is so much tension because the filmmakers realize that tension is what keeps the audience engaged in an action film. You can either do that with constant chases and fights or you can do it more subtly putting the audience into suspense. And one of the most effective ways to do that is to never give the audience quite what they expect. It's like the water scene in <i>Alien</i>. You are on the edge of your seat because you KNOW that the moment he closes his eyes as he looks up into the water, the alien will attack... because that's what always happens. Then it doesn't happen and you actually let your guard down... and then the alien strikes. Brilliant.<br /><br />In terms of belief, I think that most of us do believe that on some level, whether we admit it or not. And that is what makes them some of the most effective characters to use in horror... you just have to use them right.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-36836239484040796882013-10-16T15:13:42.565-04:002013-10-16T15:13:42.565-04:00In response to El Gordo's comment, that's ...In response to El Gordo's comment, that's also why <i>Poltergeist</i> works so damn well. I think we spend nearly an entire day with the family before weird things happen (the opening with the snow on the TV notwithstanding).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-35369556517073371762013-10-16T14:56:55.258-04:002013-10-16T14:56:55.258-04:00You hit on most of my favorites, The Exorcist, Jaw...You hit on most of my favorites, The Exorcist, Jaws and Alien. All are prime examples of how to do it. Horror is intersting that sometimes horroris a sideline. The Stalking Moon, starring Gregory Peck may be a western, but it shares many of the attributes of a horror film; excellent suspense and never knowing what is about to happen...sometimes nothing happens,,right away. Alien and Jaws both also work because the characters, victims if you will, are not only battling something but they have a very hostile environemnt waitng for them, even if they do survive. The Exorcist is a good example of minimalist movie-making, sparse special effects and lots of good buildup of the characters...you really identify with the mother, daughter and the priest who isn't sure he believes. From a personal viewpoint I do believe in Satan and demons as entities...it's in my realm of possibility.Critchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07106908233705403513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-58902397194528815452013-10-16T14:38:50.037-04:002013-10-16T14:38:50.037-04:00El Gordo, Very insightful! I'm a huge believe...El Gordo, Very insightful! I'm a huge believer that good is order and evil is chaos. Evil is a disruption of a constructive state of being where people go about their lives happily and are free to build their futures. And I absolutely agree that this is key to a horror movie, and that movies that side with the breakdown tend to fail as horror movies.<br /><br /><i>The Exorcist</i> is a great example of this on several levels. Not only do you get to see the normal state of being long before the demon appears (so you understand what is at stake and you come to like the characters), but the goal of the demon is to disrupt and destroy these lives. It has a classic purpose that we recognize as evil and it doesn't become silly because it's not over the top. Moreover, it is Father Merrin's own lack of faith, i.e. his own momentary surrender to evil, which opens the door to the demon getting a foothold on him, and it's his regaining of that faith, i.e. his triumph, which gives him the strength to defeat the demon. This is brilliantly handled.<br /><br />By comparison, a lot of the later exorcism films that followed end up repeating the Merrin story pro forma without depth or substance (it becomes filler) and then they revel in making the demon the lead character. And rather than having a chilling story about evil, you get a goofy story about some actor overacting as he spits out curse words in Latin and clings to the ceiling.<br /><br />On Carpenter, I don't mind the dysfunction in <i>The Thing</i> because I think it helps to explain why they aren't more trusting and cohesive. I also think it fits with the sense of cabin fever that you can imagine occurring.<br /><br />As for <i>Prince of Darkness</i>, that is my favorite horror film ever. The idea is phenomenal and it's so well executed. Again, Carpenter uses space perfectly, he uses things like silence and unnatural behaviors like staring to creep you out. He uses isolation and fear of things worse than death. And all of that surrounds the plot itself and raises it to a higher level. Add to that an original and very strong idea -- evil is real and we have wrongly assumed it was just a theoretical idea -- and you get a brilliant, terrifying film.<br /><br />I do agree on <i>The Shining</i> that it would have been stronger if Jack had been more normal in the opening.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-34942217630870730352013-10-16T14:21:31.713-04:002013-10-16T14:21:31.713-04:00To me, horror at its most abstract is order being ...To me, horror at its most abstract is order being subverted by chaos. Order is fragile, precious and often taken for granted. Horror is when we feel chaos tearing down the ramparts. Chaos is death, sickness, monsters, the devil, irrational and senseless. <br /><br />How a horror movie handles the "order" aspect is just as important as how it handles the monster. The Exorcist is absolutely perfect in that regard. <br /><br />But too many filmmakers today side with chaos. They seem to be fascinated by the evil, the monster. It´s where all the fun is. They have no love for order. They are cynical about normality and innocence. They don´t care about the victims. It may be entertaining but it is not true horror. If you feel that the filmmakers are cheering the monster on ... not horror. <br /><br />As much as I love The Thing or The Shining, they would be even stronger if they established a sense of normalcy first. In The Thing, the characters are already somewhat dysfunctional. There is no authority, no sense of purpose, no friendship, no feelings. Typical 1970s cynicism. Very different from Hawks´ classic. In The Shining, Jack Torrance is creepy Jack Nicholson from the start. When we first see him, he is ready to submit to the Overlook. Again, very different from the book. <br /><br />Carpenter later did Prince of Darkness and In the Mouth of Madness. These are very scary to me because they give us a great sense of the normal being subverted. El Gordonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-19250219324017730272013-10-16T14:04:56.450-04:002013-10-16T14:04:56.450-04:00I enjoy both actually.I enjoy both actually.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-32714519724719585402013-10-16T14:02:30.965-04:002013-10-16T14:02:30.965-04:00As a fan of the book I hate Jack Nicholson's o...As a fan of the book I hate Jack Nicholson's over the top, served with a slice of pineapple, interpretation of the character with blazing fury of a 1,000 suns.PikeBishophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05761380937971970762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-28701849520449543902013-10-16T13:49:32.880-04:002013-10-16T13:49:32.880-04:00Pike, LOL! You're one of those, are you? ;-PPike, LOL! You're one of those, are you? ;-PAndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-68684835217334401272013-10-16T13:46:56.123-04:002013-10-16T13:46:56.123-04:00Kubrick' "Shining" sucks!Kubrick' "Shining" sucks!PikeBishophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05761380937971970762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-73561619553063907402013-10-16T13:30:26.369-04:002013-10-16T13:30:26.369-04:00Scott and tryanmax, The issue is finding things th...Scott and tryanmax, The issue is finding things that make people uncomfortable or which scare them. Take the shower example. Who hasn't been in the shower, home alone, when they thought they heard something. The natural human reaction at that point is a fear reaction because you don't know who or what it is and you are in a very vulnerable position as you can't run away or defend yourself if it turns out to be a threat.<br /><br />If you are standing in the middle of the street and the monster appears, you can see it, you can run in 360 degrees to choose your escape route, you can hide behind parked cars, escape into a house, hope someone comes to your rescue. You are well-prepared to protect yourself on a street because human nature makes us more alert in those situations. People are not prepared to escape something like a shower or from the couch if a creature walks up behind them. The idea is to catch people in a state where they would panic rather than knowing how they would respond... that is what creates terror.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.com