Not Scared of "The Ring" ...not scared of anything :(

[Never to be Queen]

As a child and pre-teen, I was terrified of the dark. I was also very afraid of any movie, story or television program that had spooky elements. These days though, I get bored at horror movies. Sure, things are startling, like the close-up of the first corpse in "The Ring." Other things though, like the ghost crawling through the television just caused me to raise an eyebrow. Has this happened to any other Dopers? Do people "talk themselves" into being spooked at movies? Here is a list of films that I hoped would get scarier, though they did not...

"The Ring"
"The Blair Witch Project"
"What Lies Beneath"
"Willard"
"Scream"
"Signs"
"Hannibal"
"The Fly"
"Carrie"
"The Haunting"
"The Others"

Does anyone else get bored at horror movies? Maybe I just like to use my own imagination for such thrills?

I should say that one film did give me the creeps more than any other. This was a "Ghost of North Carolina" filmstrip that we used to watch in Elementary School.

[Joe_Cool]

None of the above that I've seen were scary at all to me. My suggestions:

Night of the Living Dead.

The Exorcist.

The Shining.


Watch them alone, at night, with all the lights off, and maybe an outside door ajar. Heck, rent all 3 of them and make a night of it. ;)

[FriarTed]

if the idea of being sodomize/cannibalized by insectoid Julian Sands doesn't scare you, you are impervious!!!

[Mr Jim]

Environment definitely counts. If you want to be scared you need to set the mood. I like curling up on the couch with all the lights off, turn the phone off and a blanket to hid under. Make sure you have no distractions cause that takes away from the experience.

I watched The Ring in broad daylight and ruined it for myself. I now stick to my above criteria for maximum scares. (:

[Avalonian]

Originally posted by Never to be Queen
Does anyone else get bored at horror movies? Maybe I just like to use my own imagination for such thrills?

I'm with you, Never. While I appreciate many of the films on your list as being skillful horror films, most of them did not "scare" me. A notable exception is Signs, which had me genuinely creeped out, until the end anyway. The end sort of runied it.

Modern horror films tend to show too much, or they don't even try to be scary. The Scream series and its many clones, for example, aren't trying to be scary so much as they're trying to be hip. They work on the level of being sometimes fun, sometimes funny takes on the classic slasher flick, but scary they're not.

Others, like The Ring or Blair Witch Project, are more skillful attempts at classic horror, but for some reason they wind up affecting me more as "intense" than truly frightening. Good movies, but still not really scary, even at first viewing.

Most of the really good horror movies are the old ones. I have a question for you... you mentioned The Haunting. Because most of the films you mention are modern, can I assume that you saw the 1999 version (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0171363)? Were you aware that this is a remake of a far superior 1963 film (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0057129)? The former was silly, while the latter is one of the most frightening films I've ever seen, and remains one of my favorite horror movies of all time.

So, I'll agree with Joe_Cool's list above, with the exception that The Shining never really scared me either. I can appreciate it on an artistic level, but it's not all-out scary. I'll also add these:

The original 1963 The Haunting
The Changeling (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0080516)
Rosemary's Baby (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0063522)
Angel Heart (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0092563)

And just for fun...

Jacob's Ladder (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0099871) - Not a traditional horror film, but definitely creeped me out the first time I saw it. What horror films could be if they were more carefully thought out.

[flood]

Originally posted by Never to be Queen

Does anyone else get bored at horror movies? Maybe I just like to use my own imagination for such thrills?

*raises hand*

I know exactly how you feel. I've never been scared of any movie (my momma tells me that as a youngin' I used to sit in front of the t.v. while watching "The Exorcist" and laugh) but there are some really weird movies that scared me due to the circumstances. For example, I recently saw "Requiem for a Dream" and it scared the living hell out of me only because I was stoned. See, its things like that that make a great movie.;)

[koeeoaddi]

Originally posted by Avalonian

And just for fun...

Jacob's Ladder (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0099871) - Not a traditional horror film, but definitely creeped me out the first time I saw it. What horror films could be if they were more carefully thought out.
Fun indeed, Avalonian. I had nightmares for a long time after that one. But for sheer terror, I pick The Omen, but only for that first viewing on the big screen, after that it lost it's punch. I saw it way back when it was released and I'll never forget walking back from the theater on a windy, starless night, looking behind me (and above me) the whole way home. ::shudder::

[Spit]

Originally posted by Joe_Cool

Night of the Living Dead.


I can second that one- Still creeps me out to be in the dark after watching.

[DarkWriter]

Originally posted by Spit
I can second that one- Still creeps me out to be in the dark after watching.

And it has to be the original B&W version. The 1990 remake was ridiculous (not to mention completely unnecessary).

[Achernar]

Originally posted by Never to be Queen
Do people "talk themselves" into being spooked at movies?I do, and I think it's the whole reason for watching horror movies. If I tell myself it's just a movie, it's not difficult to keep from being scared at all. If I expunge all such thoughts from my head, and focus on keeping my eyes wide open at all times, and becoming engaged, it's a lot more scary and a lot more fun. The environment you see it in is very important, but so is the setting in your head. :cool:

[friedo]

The last movie that really creeped the hell out of me was Session 9.

Gives me the willies, that one.

[Tblue]

I desensitised myself to them by watching them on purpose as a teenager. (you're talking about a kid who used to get creeped out by seeing a poster (!!) for the original Freddy K. movie.)

Favourite memories -
I liked the first Hellraiser one, that was a good creepy.
The Exorcist. (classic!)
And gained a great appreciation of Dr Phibes movies! (Yay Vincent!)
I think I quite liked Fright Night, and House, too. (must watch them again some day.)

There was one that involved a blind girl and a swimming pool and a stalker but I can't remember much more than that.

And Cat People (both the original and the remake.)


But I don't think I've been spooked by a movie for a long time - but for one to promp post movie thinkings, the Mothman Prophecies had me noticing every tail-light and stop sign on the way home.. ;)

The movie with that induced the most tension in me, was the DeerHunter.

[Sublight]

This weekend, I watch both Session 9 and The Thing, and while they were both good, neither really scared me (apart from an occasional shiver or two).

I don't know what it is. The Ring (American and Japanese versions) both made me jump, but that faded quickly. Now when I come home to find the TV has turned itself on (it frequently does. It's haunted, you know), I just shout into the darkness "Hey, Sadako, I'm home! Get me a beer, bitch!" and I'm rather disappointed when there's no answer.

I want to find a movie that really scares me, but so far nothing on film matches what I can conjure up in my own head.

[Sublight]

I should add that my resistance to horror films came after I hit puberty, for some reason. I saw plenty of movies before that (The Shining, The Changeling, Jaws, Poltergeist, Trilogy of Terror) that left a lasting impression on me.

[DMark]

Count me as another who was hoping to be scared by The Ring, but wasn't.
I think the last film that actually had me hopping was The Shining with Jack Nicholson...since then, a few films have had me jump only because of a loud noise or something, but not really because the STORY had me scared.
I thought Blair Witch was horrible, but it could have been a good film - they had the right approach. I just wish instead of a $60 budget, they had made that film with a $63 budget....and had a better ending.
Jaws was good for a shocker but again, more of a jump when a shark jumps out of the water than scared because of plot.
Pyscho left me cold. Wait Until Dark was pretty good at the end. The last three minutes of Carrie were good.

I keep hoping there will be another really good scary film out there...and I keep going to see them...but so far, no luck.

[Avalonian]

Originally posted by DMark
Wait Until Dark was pretty good at the end.

Ah, I'd forgotten that one. That was a good movie!

[Joe_Cool]

I definitely agree that you have to be willing to be scared. Otherwise you won't be, and it takes all the fun out of the experience. It's like a roller coaster or a park or anything else: If you go in saying "I'm not going to have fun," then you'll be right.

And I agree on The Thing (the 1982 John Carpenter/Kurt Russell version). It's a fantastic sci-fi movie, maybe even better than Alien, which is one of my all-time favorites. It's not really a horror movie, even though it's scary. It doesn't scare me any more, since I've seen it a few dozen times and analyzed every scene (even figured out how it got to the blood locker :D ), but I about soiled myself the first time I saw it: at age 12, in a motel in California. Between the strange place, late night, and superb monster story, I was like Calvin hiding under my covers. hahaha

[cainxinth]

Very few movies scare me either, but the Exorcist, the Shining, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (the original) do a pretty good job.

[ratty]

I agree, setting the mood is very important in horror-film watching. So is the willing suspension of disbelief, which I personally have a hard time with. I'm the kind of person who's always saying "What? Now that would never happen because...", or "I don't understand why they don't just...", so getting scared at horror movies is difficult for me. I'm always hoping, though- I love a good scare, but movies do tend to disappoint me an awful lot these days. The thing is, I think I have "imagination problems"-things I dream up are always scarier to me than what I see on screen. I can come home late at night, with the house all dark and empty, knowing the security system is working, knowing the dogs are awake, and still work myself into a near-panic at what I imagine is hiding in the shadows. So movies that show too much, like too much blood, too much monster, etc., are not scary, but movies which work on a psychological level are always creepier to me. Like the 1963 version of The Haunting, which has been mentioned several times. Very creepy. The new version is so much trash, but the old one is very good for a scare.

I also like creepiness more than outright scariness. Some crazy dude with a chainsaw is bad, sure, but not really creepy. And when movies try to make you jump- it never works for me. I get startled, but it's over so quickly. I prefer an aura of unexplained eeriness, like the atmosphere in The Others, which, while not really scary, had a great feel to it.

[Caprese]

I agree that people can "talk themselves into" being spooked, and I am certainly one of them. For me, some movies are better than others at setting things up just right. And of course, some tales are more original, less formulaic. Even if the story does take place in a creaky three-storey mansion or snowbound hotel, it's a compelling character or a cleverly set up and perhaps unexpected scene which will slowly urge me toward the edge of my seat.
Carnival of Souls (1962) was pretty creepy, and written years before Sixth Sense.
Agree about the original Haunting. And I much prefer eerie atmosphere to bloody slashings.
I live not far from the place where The Changeling (supposedly based on a true story) happened. Have no cite for the actual 'changeling' tale, and the house no longer stands. But it is a known fact that the park here was once a cemetery and that not everyone exhumed was properly reburied. Have heard that a possible remake is in the works for that film.
For me, The Exorcist did not quite stand the test of time.
But those twins in The Shining still haunt me, as does Pennywise in It when he calls out "You'll float too!" Am no huge King fan, but I thought that It was well done for what it was.

[Nutty Bunny]

Originally posted by flood
[BI recently saw "Requiem for a Dream" and it scared the living hell out of me only because I was stoned.[/B]

I, too, was stoned during that whole movie and it was the creepiest damn thing I'd ever seen.

On the OP....I'm a big scaredy-cat. I was on the edge of my seat during "Signs" and "The Others" and I'm highly anticipating seeing "The Ring".

Oddly enough, I was never scared by "The Shining", but "Poltergeist" scared the daylights out of me. Go figure.

[Never to be Queen]

Cool...I have got to check out the original "Haunting." I actually enjoyed the gothic elements of the newer version, though of course, it was not scary. :) "The Shining" is one of my favorite movies. It doesn't make me do "monster checks" under the bed, but it is a great film.

"The Changeling" sounds interesting. I will also check out "Night of the Living Dead." For some reason I thought this was supposed to be a cheesy film. I will also watch the "Exorcist."
Thanks for the suggestions!

[Cartooniverse]

I sort of thought of a different set of parameters here. TheO.P. mentioned not jumping much. Might I recommend the rental of either Fatal Attraction, OR Jagged Edge? Then again, Ghost Story really did make me scream out loud at the end. And, I had a crush on her to boot !!

Cartooniverse

[Nvme77]

I'm sorry folks- I saw the Ring Friday night and am only getting over it today. My husband admitted yesterday that the look on my face when the girl was in the closet scared him because he had never seen me react like that. I felt it all the way down to my toes.

[Joe_Cool]

My wife and I saw the Ring just last night, and I have to say it's one of the best scary movies I've ever seen. I have to see it a few more times just to see how it holds up, but I may have a new favorite horror movie.

(she was terrified)

[Evil Death]

Originally posted by DMark
I thought Blair Witch was horrible, but it could have been a good film - they had the right approach. I just wish instead of a $60 budget, they had made that film with a $63 budget....and had a better ending.

It's actually a very good ending, if you saw Curse of the Blair Witch first. BWP was effective because of the setup, and CotBW was the most important part of that; it contains several important plot points for the movie, including an explanation of why the footage was found where it was.

I'll stick my oar in for My Little Eye. Not all that scary, but if you understand everything that goes on it will stay with you for a long time.

[Evil Death]

Originally posted by Caprese
But those twins in The Shining still haunt me, as does Pennywise in It when he calls out "You'll float too!" Am no huge King fan, but I thought that It was well done for what it was.

Tim Curry strikes again. It was pretty good right up to the last half hour, when it got shot in the foot by a certain confession.

I think I'm mostly agreeing with you, but I've never seen The Changeling.

[beajerry]

I agree about the BWP, very creepy until the end.
I think that's because you want the girl character to shut the hell up so you're hopeful they'll get killed. She got annoying real fast.
Change her character and put a little more suspense in the ending, and that've been a perfect movie.

[Noodles]

The only thing that scared me about "The Ring" was that someone thought it was worth releasing that piece of shite. :rolleyes:

For the record, I couldn't finish watching one of the "Hellraiser" series, but more because I found it gross rather than frightening. "Carrie" creeped me out years ago. I couldn't sleep that night playing scenes from it in my head over and over again. Kinda embarrasing.

[Kaitlyn]

Don't limit yourself to American movies.

The Vanishing (original Dutch version) has a seriously creepy ending, among the best ever filmed for a horror movie.

Audition (Japanese) builds slowly, but it's all in service of setting up a series of seriously demented payoffs.

Funny Games (German) has very little violence, and what there is occurs just off screen, but nails the tone just right, and blatantly ignores the conventions and taboos of American moviemaking.

But for some truly demented horror, you gotta go Italian. Dario Argento knows how to create the right tone better than any horror director in history. Suspiria is his masterpiece, but Opera, Phenomena and Inferno are also quite creepy.

Lucio Fulci is another Italian director who won't hesitate to go way over the top, but lacks the subtle artistry of Argento.

[ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies]

I also didn't take to The Ring too much. I think they should have worked the cinematography a lot more than they did. The few twinges of the heebe-jeebes that I did get were during the brief and grainy distance shots of the well, just as she is starting to crawl out of it. At the time that I watched it I couldn't figure out why that particular image pushed my buttons, but now that I think about it, it strikes me as very dream-like and surreal. Like one of those nightmares when you can see exactly what is about to happen to you, but you can't move, can't scream, etc.

My Dad was a big horror fan, and would sometimes drive the 2 hours from our rural home to the nearest movie screen to indulge his cravings...alone...since Mom didn't care for them and I was prone to nightmares when I was a wee tot. I guess I picked up the suspension of belief issues later in life.

The film that scared him the most was The Howling, but I think that was due to the all-important "horror environment" that everyone has mentioned. I'm fairly sure that the 2 hour drive through foggy Redwoods on a one-lane road at midnight had more to do with his adrenaline rush than the movie. I watched it as an adult and it wasn't all that.

[Seven]

I agree. New "horror" movies seem to rely on the old tricks and a few digital effects.

*build scene/music*
*throw cat at actor*
*pause*
*hit actor on the head with axe*

yawn

Originally posted by Avalonian

The Changeling (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0080516)

Oh yeah. Good movie that one. I bought the DVD and watched it again. Short of it's dated feel in some parts it is a great movie with lots of creepy moments.

[Max Torque]

Originally posted by honeydewgrrl
I also didn't take to The Ring too much. I think they should have worked the cinematography a lot more than they did. The few twinges of the heebe-jeebes that I did get were during the brief and grainy distance shots of the well, just as she is starting to crawl out of it. At the time that I watched it I couldn't figure out why that particular image pushed my buttons, but now that I think about it, it strikes me as very dream-like and surreal. Like one of those nightmares when you can see exactly what is about to happen to you, but you can't move, can't scream, etc.

I think the reason might be that, for at least part of that scene, it appears that the film is being run backwards. It makes her movements even more unnatural-looking. The backward-running film trick is even more evident in the original Ringu.