# Let's talk horror movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [May 18, 2023, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231 "2023-05-18T15:58:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2023, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/21 "2023-05-19T01:36:27Z")
**The Flesh Eaters** (1964) is still one of the scariest and most gruesome movies I’ve ever seen. When I was 10 or 11 some genius at a local TV station decided to broadcast it in the after school time slot. It’s been giving me nightmares ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2023, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/22 "2023-05-19T02:08:14Z")
Lets Scare Jessica to Death Both _The Flys_ have their place Crowhaven Farm Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark The Legend of Hell House ---
**Author:** ![Loggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Loggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loggins)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2023, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/23 "2023-05-19T15:07:31Z")
The first movie that came to mind when i read the OP was The Omen (1976) With Gregory Peck. Its a great psychological horror thriller, and scary as hell. But on the other hand, i would be surprised if the OP hasnt already seen this and The Exorsist (1973) with Ellen Burstyn and Max Von Sydow which is also a classic. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2023, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/24 "2023-05-19T21:08:03Z")
> [@Loggins](#): > > The first movie that came to mind when i read the OP was The Omen (1976) With Gregory Peck. Its a great psychological horror thriller, and scary as hell. Don’t remember a damned thing about it but I remember being really impressed when I saw it. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2023, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/25 "2023-05-19T21:14:24Z")
Jaws is a really good horror flick. I still get scared on repeat viewings. And it does use suspense. It’s almost a third of the way through the movie before you actually see the shark. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2023, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/26 "2023-05-19T21:22:51Z")
I want to see that movie. Spielberg knows how to do suspense. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2023, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/27 "2023-05-19T21:24:24Z")
I saw it in the theater three weeks after it came out and thought I’d heard of all the spoilers. I hadn’t. If you have never seen it, when you watch it get back to me and tell me what you think. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2023, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/28 "2023-05-19T21:38:06Z")
_The Exterminating Angel_ (1962) ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/29 "2023-05-20T01:55:58Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > no texas chainsaw massacre bs I have to ask, ever actually SEE Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)? It is one of the best Horror films ever made. There is virtually no gore in the film and the violence is more suggested than graphic. It’s nowhere near as violent as reputed. If anything, it’s a mood piece. The characters are not actorly, but seem like real people (not necessarily likeable). Really, it starts with the title and the expectations that it evokes. The feeling of dread builds and builds until it reaches catharsis and then it rolls gangbusters. Multiple viewings uncover that it’s actually a very funny film beneath its shocks. It also has the advantage of not being sexual, but going for the threat of raw violence. ---
**Author:** ![Yogeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yogeekgirl/32/4129_2.png) [@Yogeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yogeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/30 "2023-05-20T02:57:39Z")
The Thing(esp. Carpenter version) They Live, the Fog and Prince of Darkness(also Carpenter). I sorta liked Christine too. All the Romero zombie movies American Werewolf in London- also the Howling Creepshow - definitely Re-Animator All of the Rec movies Ghost Ship Near Dark is awesome, also Pumpkinhead Most of the Resident Evil movies The Sentinel The Legacy Cabin Fever Masque of the Red Death(Vincent Price) The Dr. Phibes movies, Last Man on Earth Soylent Green So many more! I didn’t even include Del Toro movies or Mike Flanagan stuff or Ti West. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/31 "2023-05-20T03:54:32Z")
I am not a fan of horror by any means but I have seen a few that I liked: **The Prophecy** (Christopher Walken as the Archangel Gabriel, hunting a particular soul on Earth) **The Cabin in the Woods** (gory as hell in parts but over the top enough to not be disgusting) **Red State** (a Kevin Smith “horror” movie about a religious cult that kidnaps horny teenagers) **Tusk** (another Kevin Smith horror movie, _you will not like this one_ but you will not forget it either) All the Jordan Peele movies ( **Get Out** , **Us** and **Nope** ), very little gore in these, very intense in parts. **M3GAN** (killer robot doll movie that is dark, hilarious and not too gory although there is a gorier cut if you’d like) ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/32 "2023-05-20T09:16:14Z")
> [@Yogeekgirl](#): > > _The Sentinel_ Oh yes, that’s another one that stayed with me for a long time, along with _Prince of Darkness_. I think that what upset me is that both have a semi-downer ending where humanity is saved but at the cost of the heroine losing her life (metaphorically in _The Sentinel_). I’ll also second _Rec_, which has again this stuck-in-a creepy-place-you-cannot-escape vibe, albeit it’s more “physical” than purely supernatural. _Cube_ and _Phantoms_ were amazing until the third act, where the seemingly unexplainable and sinister events are explained and they become generic horror movies. Among the classics, _The Exorcist_, _The Evil Dead_ and _Hellraiser_ are my favourites. Truly upsetting, with several terrifying scenes and very creative imagery and world-building. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/33 "2023-05-20T12:12:00Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Jaws is a really good horror flick. I still get scared on repeat viewings. And it does use suspense. It’s almost a third of the way through the movie before you actually see the shark. Heh. Saw Jaws on a vacation to Florida. I was ~12. I had just gotten my SCUBA diving license. And yes, I went diving. I’ll 2nd Dog Soldiers mentioned above. Lot’s of movies here that I have not heard of, need to look into them. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/34 "2023-05-20T12:25:17Z")
Few strict horror films actually horrify me, but those that do include **The Exorcist, The Shining, The Thing, Jaws** , and **Alien** (just the first one). Don’t show me the monster, make me anticipate the monster. Like the OP, I don’t like in-your-face horror—gore, slasher, jump-scare, and their ilk. I prefer slow-burn creepiness that is eerie yet believable. Deviant human psychology is often at the core of the type of horror that grabs me. My favorites include: **Misery** (1990): A great thriller that borders on horror. Stephen King’s gripping tale of a minor celebrity trapped and tortured by an insane, obsessive fan. Excellent performances by both James Caan and Kathy Bates. **Dead Ringers** (1988): A deep study of human behavior and the aberrant mental pathology of brilliant, co-dependent twins with _twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome_, causing a shared sense of self. Kudos to Jeremy Irons for his stellar performance portraying the twins with slightly different personalities so convincingly. He made good use of the [Alexander Technique](https://www.alexandertechnique.com/at) in preparation. **Melancholia** (2011). More sci-fi than horror, but horrible it is. A fine study of dealing with and giving in to profound depression in the face of impending doom—by the aptly named blue planet (Melancholia). Very eerie and believable. I found the movie terrifying, yet strangely uplifting. **The Wicker Man** (1973, not the ridiculous 2006 Nic Cage version). A spot-on sociological and psychological exploration of an isolated island community that embraces twisted paganism to deadly consequences. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/35 "2023-05-20T14:27:35Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > **Dead Ringers** (1988): A deep study of human behavior and the aberrant mental pathology of brilliant, co-dependent twins with _twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome_, causing a shared sense of self. Kudos to Jeremy Irons for his stellar performance portraying the twins with slightly different personalities so convincingly. He made good use of the [Alexander Technique](https://www.alexandertechnique.com/at) in preparation. I second Dead Ringers. It’s based on a true story. I’d look up the name of the twins, but my copy of Paradox Press Big Book Of Weirdos is at my girl friend’s house. Non spoiler At one point, Irons says “I want some ice cream!” with such profound misery you’ll want to curl up and weep. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/36 "2023-05-20T14:32:40Z")
[Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMnSVFrSTmw) you go. Agreed, one of many heart-wrenching scenes in that movie. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/37 "2023-05-20T15:38:39Z")
> [@caligulathegod](#): > > I have to ask, ever actually SEE Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)? It is one of the best Horror films ever made. There is virtually no gore in the film and the violence is more suggested than graphic. It’s nowhere near as violent as reputed. If anything, it’s a mood piece. I had no idea. I might give it a try. If **Pan’s Labyrinth** counts as horror, I’ll include that one. I had to leave the theater twice during that movie because of the fascist torture scenes. I had just completed a course on the Spanish Civil War so it was both timely and dreadful as the “resolved” ending was hard to process given that in real life, the fascists definitely won. The creepy-ass creatures were awesome though. I especially loved the Greek mythology references, Uranus devouring his children, Persephone. My general consensus is, “Awesome movie. Please never make me watch it again.” Also if you’d like a real mindfuck watch the [You Tube video](https://youtu.be/3StXzkrq5bg) of that eye creature scene sound-edited to Tool’s “Forty-six and two.” ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/38 "2023-05-20T16:11:30Z")
I’m going to suggest a forgotten gem. _The Changeling_ (1980) starring George C. Scott is about a composer who moves into a haunted house after the death of his wife and daughter. I won’t say the movie is particularly horrifying, but it’s well acted, the story is interesting, and there’s one particular scene that still has a strong affect on me. The biggest flaw is that the movie crawls along at a much slower pace than what we’re used to today. But almost every scene helps move plot along. _Dawn of the Dead_ (1978 & 2004) are both very good movies. I tend to favor the 1970s version, but like The Changeling, it shambles along at a very slow pace compared to what modern audiences are used to. The 2004 version is very good, when I saw it in theaters I sat in front a row of children aged 5-10 who didn’t have as good a time as I did, and a little easier for modern audiences to enjoy. _Alien_ (1979) should be watched if only so you can participate in the many conversations we’ve had on the Straight Dope about it. You’ve got supporting actors like Harry Dean Stanton, Ian Holmes, Yappho Kotto who really help sell the movie, excellent special effects, a creature that’s become iconic, and a good plot. It’s a great movie. (I don’t include the sequel _Aliens_ (1986) because I don’t consider it horror although it’s just as excellent.) _Night of the Living Dead_ (1968) should be watched because it’s a decent movie and it’s historically significant. It’s the movie that kicked off the modern zombie we’ve come to know, love, and get bored by. The movie seems quaint by todays standards, but at the time it was released it was a shocking experience for many American movie watchers. Roger Ebert write: > [@Roger Ebert](#): > > The kids in the audience were stunned. There was almost complete silence. The movie had stopped being delightfully scary about halfway through, and had become unexpectedly terrifying. There was a little girl across the aisle from me, maybe nine years old, who was sitting very still in her seat and crying … It’s hard to remember what sort of effect this movie might have had on you when you were six or seven. But try to remember. At that age, kids take the events on the screen seriously, and they identify fiercely with the hero. When the hero is killed, that’s not an unhappy ending but a tragic one: Nobody got out alive. It’s just over, that’s all. _The Thing_ (1982) is one of those movies that still excellent and one that fans love talking about. We recently had a thread on it here on the Dope. Like _Alien,_ this movie has a strong cast that includes Kurt Russel, Keith David, and even Wilfred Brimley who doesn’t have to worry about diabetes getting him. The plot is interesting, it keeps you guessing, tensions are high throughout, and the ending is appropriately bleak and pulls no punches. _Dracula_ (1931) starring Bela Lugosi is almost a century old but never seems to age! Okay, this is an old, old movie and a lot of people might have a hard time enjoying it. But for me, Lugosi is the real OG when it comes to vampires. This is an excellent movie and I still like it. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/39 "2023-05-20T18:30:54Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > _Night of the Living Dead_ (1968) You know what really makes that film so scary? The radio and TV reporters. They’re talking about the dead reanimating and eating the flesh of the living…and it’s totally believable. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2023, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231/40 "2023-06-02T16:30:07Z")
Maybe I’m desensitized or something, but a few months ago I watched the Exorcist for the first time, and while not terrible, it wasn’t really anything special. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-horror-movies/984231.md?page=3)