A woman I work with wanted a scary movie this weekend. So she rented this.
Yeah, bad mistake...she somehow confused "scary" with "GORY." So it started us talking about films that are really scary without loading on the gore.
"The Shining" came to mind right away, as did "The Thing" and even Nicole Kidman's "The Others." And of course, the whole Japanese subset -- "The Ring," "The Grudge," etc.
I actually think one of those most heart-poundingly scary movies I've ever seen is "Aliens," especially the scene where the Space Marines are examining the colony and Ripley is nervously watching them from back in the command center. As it slowly starts to dawn on her, and them, that they are surrounded (they're in the WALLS!), I cannot stop my heart from pounding. But really, that's a sci-fi film, and my co-worker specifically wanted a horror film.
Anyone want to nominate a film?
About Me
- Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
- I'm an entertainment editor at MSNBC.com, and have maintained Pop Culture Junk Mail since August, 1999. The New York Times called the site "one of the best places to explore pop culture online," and Entertainment Weekly included it on their Top 100 Web Sites list. If you like weird food, strange products, and 1970s and 1980s nostalgia, PCJM is your home away from home.
I have a brand new BOOK, written with Brian Bellmont. "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s." Buy it online, and follow our retro reminiscing on our GenXtinct blog, Facebook, and Twitter.
11 comments:
I'm not sure it counts as a horror movie, but whenever anyone says "scary movie" I immediately think Jacob's Ladder. It probably doesn't help that I walked into it thinking it was a sensitive Vietnam PTSD drama...at any rate, 15-odd years later, I STILL get extremely creeped out if I'm one of the only people on a subway platform.
I thought 1408 was pretty good, even though it is quite different/expanded from the short story.
I think The Shining is scary. Ever stayed at MGM Grand in Las Vegas? The carpet in the hallways to the rooms reminds me of the carpet in that movie. Could not resist yelling "redrum" when we stayed there!
I watched "The Orphanage" a couple weeks ago on Netflix. It's in Spanish, so you have to do the subtitle thing, but it didn't fail to scare the bejeezus out of me. It was an interesting plot, good classic horror film, and several jump-out-of-your skin moments. I couldn't quit thinking about it that night!
"The Stepfather", with one of the most terrifying performances EVER by Terry O'Quinn. Terrific little thriller, which is quite, quite scarifying. Also, not exactly horror, but "No Country for Old Men." Anton Chigurh - aaaagh!
Cristiane
"The Changeling" with George C. Scott. So very scary (haunted house, sort of) and also you only see blood once. But you're on the edge of your seat for the entire thing, trust me! It came out some time in the early 1970's (I think) but it holds up very very well.
I quite agree with The Stepfather, and I guess The Exorcist is a little gory, but it's still terrifying, but there is a movie from 1946 called Dead of Night that is the scariest thing I have ever seen, and let me add that I originally watched it in college on a two-inch screen. And without one drop of blood.
A man goes to an English country house and says, "But I've dreamt about this house, I remember all of you, something terrible is going to happen," and all of the guests at the house tell stories about supernatural things that have happened to them (one story being very funny, sort of as a palate-cleanser), and then, the events from the dream start to unfold into inevitability, and nobody can stop it.
Seriously. Scariest movie ever.
The 2004 remake of "Dawn of the Dead"-I'm STILL traumatized by how scary that was!
The original version of "The Haunting" is pretty creepy. Also, the original version of "Cat People." I also recommend "Don't Look Now" and "Repulsion." But the single scariest thing I've ever seen on film is the conclusion to the very scary original version of "The Vanishing."
The Exorcist scared the bejebus out of me but it's not non-gory.
I'd say go old school. "Wait Until Dark" with Audrey Hepburn...screamed my head off!
"Wait Until Dark." Back before the supposedly dead guy jumping into the frame had been done four hundred times.
"wait until dark" made me pee the couch.
Post a Comment