Guybrush

I think sticking to predictable formulas is a big problem in movies in general. The movies that I like the best are films that I don't feel follow such formulas, at least not as much as most. Some examples could be The Fisher King, Brazil, Big Fish, Spirited Away, The Life Aquatic or Groundhog Day.

I consider the finest horror film I've seen the last couple of years to be The Innocents from 1961. It was entertaining, atmospheric, creepy and intelligent. It's like there's a discernible meaning to every shot throughout the entire film. Sadly, intelligent quality horror movies are far apart, but if you don't mind doing a little digging through the decades, there are a lot more quality films to choose from.

edit :

I also enjoy cheap horror although mostly just because I have a fascination with monsters, the living dead and other ghouly stuff. I often like it even with campy acting and so on even when it's crap. Because of my interest in horror, I've been watching the series Masters of Horror which has famous horror directors like Brian Yuzna, Tobe Hooper and John Carpenter doing episodes. Basically, each episode is a 1 hour horror movie.

The sad thing is that most episodes, although generally entertaining enough to watch, are most often plain silly. Stupid even! And these are made by the masters?

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Something Completely Different

Howard the Duck

^^I generally agree with you

a horror movie doesn't need much in terms of plot but need lots in atmosphere and creepiness

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Malaise is THE dominant human predilection.

Bulldog

The thing is, to every Prince Of Darkness, Splinter or Session 9 there are about 50 Wrong Turns, Cabin Fevers or FearDotComs - formulaic, boring films that simply aren't scary centring on arsehole characters you couldn't care less about and actually want to die that seem to get churned out like no-one's business. As I said earlier though, you could say more or less the same thing for any kind of genre-specific movie - horror isn't special in that sense...not to me anyway.

Scarlett O'Hara

I absolutely agree with this.

If you want a great plot then Candy Man is the movie for you.

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ZeppelinAir

There has only been slasher flicks for the past ten years. No true great horror movie has come out in ages, the last one i seen and truly enjoyed was 1408., a rare good movie based on something by Stephen King. The creators, directors, producers and writers of these new movies have gotten lazy and the public expects the same ol crap. When a true new movie comes out people wont know what to think of it and wont get the reviews and respect it deserves.

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not that old signature

jackhammer

Slasher flicks have been around since Psycho reared it's head way back in 1960 and was revived in 1971 with Bay Of Blood and again in 1974 with Black Christmas and then it got it's biggest jolt with Halloween in 1978 which lead to a slew of Slasher films like Friday the 13th etc.

No true great Horror movies in ages? That's because you are not looking hard enough and maybe relying on mainstream films to show you the way but films such as:

May
Martyrs
Frontiers
Santa Sangre
Audition
Broken
Le Calvaire
Kill List
Eden Lake

to name just a few have shown that there are still interesting and unique Horror films being made out there.

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Unknown Soldier

Just noticed this thread and have to say the thing that motivates the average film-goer with horrors is that they expect to be scared and expect the cliched endings etc. As something of a horror movie buff, I usually don't expect to be scared and neither do I have any real interest in the plot or script or care about the film's budget, what I do expect though is great atmosphere, use of camera, low budget and a cheesy element from time to time.

The first two series of horror movies that I fell in love with were the Universal horrors of the 1930s and 1940. These films were based on great stories, early quality sequels, great acting Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff with some very special supporting actors as well. These films had limited budgets, as Universal was one of the poorer studios, but what these films had in common were great atmosphere and that feel that a legend was being born. The 1940s also gave birth to the Val Lewton fims, recommended to any horror fan with their fantastic use of camera and use of shadows. The horror wasn't often visible but was there just under the surface.

The Hammer films along with the AIP and Amicus studios basically brought the horror genre back to life in the late 1950s through to the early 1970s and this time in glorious colour, the films are largely classics, interesting and very clever plots basically horrors were never this good again.

The late 70s gave way to the slasher flicks which are all great movies but unfortunately these films set the precedent for what movie goers today still expect and that is to be scared witless regardless of what else the film may provide. I find modern horrors very hit and miss.

Howard the Duck

i'm still pretty much entrenched in 30s Weimar Republic expressionist horror - M, Nosferatu, The Hands of Orlac, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The Golem

somebody better bring me back to the prsent

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Malaise is THE dominant human predilection.

Unknown Soldier

Seen most of those and great films as well.

midnight rain

This is definitely true, at least for mainstream horror. I think that, on some level, all humans enjoy seeing murder and gore. I don't know much about psychology, but I'd probably place it in a similar category to erotica. Not that we'll all get turned on by violence or anything like that, but we are fascinated by death and gore and blood, and you do have to wonder why.

I think The Sopranos did a good job of showing lots of violence and then questioning why the viewer enjoys it and wants more. Example being when

and at the end everyone is hoping Melfi will tell Tony what happened so he can exact revenge on the 'employee of the month'. Then, when she doesn't, we're left sitting and wondering why we'd want something like that to happen anyways.


Ok now that I've verged off topic, let me just say that I consider horror similar to erotica. We don't come to get a good story, we come to satiate our need for violence. Or the more shallow of us, at least.

I like horror that's violent when it's done right and sadly don't see it too often these days. Movies mentioned in this thread like Audition, Black Christmas, and The Shining are all great and have more going on then gratuitous violence, though.