# Recommend a scary movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 21, 2002, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239 "2002-10-21T15:04:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![andymurph64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@andymurph64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andymurph64)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2002, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/21 "2002-10-21T21:57:55Z")
Let me see if I have this right madcat. Are you saying that it builds slowly, but if you stick with it the payoff is worth it? šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2002, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/22 "2002-10-21T22:04:21Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by lost4life \* > **Most people have already seen it , but** The Blair Witch Project_\* is always fun. \*\* Fun in what way? As a colossal waste of both time, and money? **Blair Witch** is _not_ scary. EVER. The movie consists of two semi-asshats and one true bitch stumbling around in the woods for 85 minutes. Gee, thatā€™s really terrifying. /Comic Book Guy/ Most Unscary Movie EVER!! /Comic Book Guy/ ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2002, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/23 "2002-10-21T22:14:13Z")
Geez, you people have good taste in horror movies. Most of the ones I was going to mention have already been run down at least three times (and Iā€™m yet another fan of the original The Haunting). I have a taste for the slowly building dread kind of horror movie, so The Shining, The Wicker Man, Blair Witch, and others of that school are my thing. Is it possible to get some fans of Itallian zombie movies in here for the other side of the horror coin? šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2002, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/24 "2002-10-21T22:14:29Z")
I think madcat was saying that it builds and builds and builds but if you stick with it, the payoff is worth it, worth it, worth it. And madcat is right about that. **Dont Look Now** is the current listing on Roger Ebertā€™s great movies, and it is one of the great horror movies, but Iā€™d recommend not reading his review if you plan to see it. Itā€™s better to come to it fresh. **The Birds** is really creepy without being graphic. **Funny Games** is a German psychological thriller that has a couple of clean cut young gentlemen terrorizing a family on vacation. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2002, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/25 "2002-10-21T22:27:40Z")
While I tend to agree with Ray Bradbury in that **The Exorcist** is more of a love story and better suited for Valentineā€™s Day, **The Exorcist III** is one scary movie, and a worthy successor to the original. ( **Exorcist II** , however, isnā€™t worth the celluloid itā€™s printed on.) ---
**Author:** ![New\_Improved\_Scott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f17d59/32.png) [@New\_Improved\_Scott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Improved_Scott)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2002, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/26 "2002-10-21T22:33:19Z")
Iā€™ll second John Carpenterā€™s **Prince of Darkness** , it scared me years ago when I was home alone. Also **House On Haunted Hill** was pretty freaky, and Iā€™d recomend grabbing it for some cheap, but cool, thrills. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2002, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/27 "2002-10-21T22:46:18Z")
How timely: Box Office Prophets just released a list of their [50 Favorite Horror Movies of All Time](http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/lists/horror.asp). I donā€™t agree with their rankings, but there are plenty of good movies on the list. Of course, **The Ring** is in theaters as we speakā€¦if you can get away from the kids for a bit, give it a watch, itā€™ll chill ya. ---
**Author:** ![loinburger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/db5fbb/32.png) [@loinburger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loinburger)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/28 "2002-10-22T00:18:04Z")
Just remembered another movie Iā€™d recommend: **Rosemaryā€™s Baby**. Also **Army of Darkness** ā€“ **Evil Dead (II)** has too much of the crimson to be anything other than a slasher, but **Army of Darkness** is more of a campy horror film. **Arachnophobia** is in the same vein. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/29 "2002-10-22T05:40:00Z")
Iā€™ll add another vote for **The Prince of Darkness** and for **The Omen.** **Dead Calm** with Nicole Kidman and **Breakdown** with Kurt Russell were both good psychological suspense/thrillers. ---
**Author:** ![Contrabassoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@Contrabassoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrabassoon)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/30 "2002-10-22T05:49:13Z")
I liked Flatliners myself. Very interesting concept. And I second whoever mentioned Jacobā€™s Ladder. Most screwed-up film Iā€™ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/31 "2002-10-22T13:20:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WSLer \* > \*\* > > Fun in what way? > > As a colossal waste of both time, and money? > > **Blair Witch** is _not_ scary. > > EVER. > > The movie consists of two semi-asshats and one true bitch stumbling around in the woods for 85 minutes. > > Gee, thatā€™s really terrifying. > > /Comic Book Guy/ > > Most Unscary Movie EVER!! > > /Comic Book Guy/ \*\* Oh Iā€™m sorry. Iā€™ll check with you first to find out the facts on an opinion. I did like your movie picks for the OP, which were none. I found **The Blair Witch Project** to be original and scary in a the same way as **The Haunting** , or similar ghost stories that are uncluttered with special effects. What makes a good horror film is extremely subjective. I donā€™t find half the films listed here to be scary, but Iā€™m not going to rag on each person for giving their opinion. This seems to have struck a nerve. Did something bad happen while watching this movie? šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/32 "2002-10-22T18:03:52Z")
People under the Stairs. It should be funny, and is after multiple viewings, but I found it surprisingly good and scary (and I donā€™t scare easily). Itā€™s about a creepy incestuous landlord couple who steal children from the ghetto and banish them to the basement when they do something wrong. A lot of ā€œOoh, get out of the house!ā€-type situations, and a very neat set. Can you get your hands on an original copy of The Ring (Japanese version)? It makes grown men scream. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Thing\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_1)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/33 "2002-10-22T20:36:02Z")
Thanks for all the suggestions, and thanks **Max Torque** for the link. Some of these we have already seen, but many we havenā€™t. Now I will need to check out our local video store to see what they actually have. I am looking forward to a creepy night. John ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/34 "2002-10-23T01:50:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lost4life \* > \*\*This seems to have struck a nerve. Did something bad happen while watching this movie? šŸ˜‰ \*\* You mean besdies people entering and leaving the theater every 5 minutes and then spending another 5 minutes trying to find their seat. Also, quite possibly being the most over-hyped and falsely hyoed movie in history. What exactly was so terrifying and scary about it? The 15 second scene in the basement at the end? Yawn. I paid actual money to see it ---- **TWICE** , and thatā€™s 25 Iā€™ll never get back, nor will I get the 180 minutes I wasted back. EVER. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/35 "2002-10-23T02:18:37Z")
WSLer, I share your views on The Blair Witch Project, which prompts me to ask, ā€œWhy did you see it twice?ā€ Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/36 "2002-10-23T13:09:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WSLer \* > \*\* > > You mean besdies people entering and leaving the theater every 5 minutes and then spending another 5 minutes trying to find their seat. > > Also, quite possibly being the most over-hyped and falsely hyoed movie in history. > > What exactly was so terrifying and scary about it? > > The 15 second scene in the basement at the end? > > Yawn. > > I paid actual money to see it ---- **TWICE** , and thatā€™s 25 Iā€™ll never get back, nor will I get the 180 minutes I wasted back. > > EVER. \*\* I donā€™t get it. You claim itā€™s the most unscary movie ever, and you saw it twice? At $12.50 a pop? The OP asked for some opinions on scary movies. Youā€™ve offered none, but chose to debate my choice, which is again, a highly subjective one. It was a very popular film, and many people liked it. You were not one of them, twice. I can give you all my reasons, but I doubt anything I say will make you go ā€œOh, now Iā€™m scared.ā€ \>I like films that build suspense slowly and are not right in your face. \>I like films that are unencumberbed by CGI FX, eg The Others. \>I felt someone would be bitchy and not thinking clearly in those situations (besides, theyā€™re just acting, so I didnā€™t let it get to me) \>I go to horror films because I like them, not to find plot holes. \>I enjoyed the pseudo cinema verite style (others did not). \>I found the film fresh and not in the typical Hollywood style, eg Night of the Living Dead. \>I like films that do not need to show the monster but play on your imagination \>I like films that have secluded or isolated settings. \>I felt they presented a rather plausible situation as far as horror films go. Scared yet? Iā€™m not sure what it is you want here. I found the movie entertaining and scary. Do you think Iā€™m wrong for that? I do judge horror films by a different set of standards than other films, so I realize this is not Apocalypse Now (a bunch of semi-asshats stumbling down a river for 160 minutes).šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/37 "2002-10-23T15:15:05Z")
Excellent choices: **Donā€™t Look Now** , **The Shining** (those twins!) and **The Changeling** are my all-time favorites, with the original **Th Haunting** close behind. Two other considerations might be **Lady in White** (sometimes a bit hokey, but has its moments) or Stephen Kingā€™s **It.** Just my opinion, but for me, **The Exorcist** doesnā€™t quite stand the test of time. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/38 "2002-10-23T15:47:09Z")
Not really all that scary, but still worth seeing is _The Abominable Dr. Phibes_. ---
**Author:** ![Bomzaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Bomzaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bomzaway)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/39 "2002-10-23T15:56:26Z")
**The Legend of Hell House** is an old 70ā€™s film with Roddy McDowell. Itā€™s classic and many newer films are derivative of this one. And yes, I too found **Blair Witch** to be quite scary. For me, **The Exorcist** is far and away the scariest movie ever. I still cannot bring myself to watch it. ---
**Author:** ![LucChiq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@LucChiq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LucChiq)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239/40 "2002-10-23T16:09:32Z")
Another vote for The Ring. I saw it this past weekend and was trully scared. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-scary-movie/133239.md?page=3)