Best actor ever.
Posted on 10/20/2009 5:58:40 AM PDT by Kaslin
Halloween is almost upon us and you're probably thinking, "Gee, wouldn't it be great to kick back on the couch and rent a few conservative horror flicks for the big night?"
Here's the problem: horror films aren't family friendly. They're gory, they're violent, and they're vulgar. Even setting that aside, there really aren't very many "conservative" movies overall and there are almost no truly "conservative" horror flicks. Still, as a Right-Wing horror film aficionado, I can at least make a few solid recommendations that might have some extra-added appeal for conservatives.
Cloverfield (2007): This is probably the best "giant-monster" film ever made. The monster was well done, the scenes were creepy, and there was a certain realness and fundamental decency to the characters. This is how you'd like to think ordinary people would react in a crisis. Meanwhile, the military was in the thick of the action, bravely fighting against the Cloverfield monster and handling an impossible situation the best way they could. It was ultimately a grim movie, but once things started rolling, the film keeps you on the edge of your seat.
The Dead Zone (1983): Christopher Walken is the lead in this Stephen King story about a deranged politician and the man who was willing to sacrifice everything to try to stop him from launching a nuclear war.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005): This is a cleverly written film that simultaneously treats Christian values respectfully, while leaving non-believers room to doubt. It was also inspiringly creepy enough to convince me to actually read a distressing book on exorcisms called, The Dark Sacrament: True Stories of Modern-Day Demon Possession and Exorcism.
The Exorcist (1973): This in one of the most genuinely disturbing movies that you'll ever see and it's not for the faint hearted. But, it does feature self-sacrificing priests who are fighting spiritually against true evil. That's very rare for Hollywood, where members of the clergy are habitually treated as drunkards, hypocrites, perverts, and villains.
The Fog (1980): This tale of woe visited upon the Northern California town of Antonio Bay because of the ignoble actions of their ancestors is chilling indeed. The brilliant timing of the movie, the sense of disquieting dread, and the remorseless approach of evil makes it a must watch film. Just a note: Don't confuse this outstanding film with the execrable 2005 remake which was so bad that every existing copy should be buried at the bottom of the Marianas Trench.
The Mist (2007): A sinister story about a deadly government experiment and how quickly human beings can become primitive again when they're isolated, alone, and in danger. Oh yeah, there are also weird monsters, a menacing mist, and a well-written Stephen King plotline. The ending is, ah -- let's just say, you don't want to know how it ends until you see it.
Quarantine (2008): When zombies infected with super-rabies are trying to kill you and the government shows up, count on them to stand outside, picking their noses and trying to figure out what to do, while you struggle for survival. It's a timely and true message: Don't count on your government in a crisis. Also, don't get trapped in a building with zombies. We shouldn't forget that either.
Re-Animator (1985): This movie is little funny, a little macabre, and a little gory. Somewhere in there is also a message about the perils of playing God with human life. That's a message that's all too timely given some of the morality free experiments scientists across the world are working on.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991): Fundamentally decent FBI agents match wits with one of the great horror villains of all-time, Hannibal Lecter, in an attempt to stop a serial killer. This isn't as pure a horror flick as some of the other films on the list, but it will keep you riveted to the screen.
The Tripper (2007): This movie is meant to be a slap at Ronald Reagan and conservatives. In a couple of spots near the end of the movie, it does manage to grate conservative sensibilities. However, that mild annoyance does not to detract from the sweet, sweet joy of watching a guy in a Ronald Reagan mask taking an ax to dirty, drug addled hippies throughout the movie. If a conservative had made this movie, instead of David Arquette, liberals would be calling it a "hate crime."
That’s a pretty good list.
I’ve avoided Stigmata because I’ve heard that its anti-Catholic.
Actually the “Lord of the Rings” series has a big horror element to it, and a clear message of good-vs-evil and self sacrafice.
If you don't understand it, I feel bad for you...
ping
I like the way you think :) Darn good movie. Original, and remake.
In essense, your observation is consistent with the Bible, but not altogether unclouded by sectarian dogma:
"...Beelzebub is prince of phantasms, inhabitants of his dominion of air and darkness, the children of darkness, and these demons, phantasms, or spirits of illusion, signify allegorically the same thing. This considered, the kingdom of darkness, as it is set forth in these and other places of the Scripture, is nothing else but a confederacy of deceivers that, to obtain dominion over men in this present world, endeavour, by dark and erroneous doctrines, to extinguish in them the light, both of nature and of the gospel; and so to disprepare them for the kingdom of God to come."Leviathan, 1651.
Above and beyond all that, I always love a private, small money movie with no big name actors cleaning up at the box office and putting big hollywood to shame. That's always a bonus.
Night of the Living Dead (the original, not the remake), was one of the scariest movies I’ve seen that wasn’t also wretchedly gruesome or needlessly sexual.
It’s the only movie that ever made me jump out of my seat.
If you watch it today, it helps if you remember that they didn’t have computers when they made the movie :-). We are so spoiled these days by CGI.
Best actor ever.
Regarding 1963’s “The Haunting” it was the first movie I thought of when I read this thred. It is indeed very, very scary. I refuse to watch it since I became a Christian, I believe it is demonic. Yes it is that scary and no I will not watch it again.
I loved the Exorcism of Emily Rose! The message was so pro-Christian, and they didn’t portray the priest as some sort of nut cake. Loved the ending.
The Mist, however, was scary, but I didn’t care for how they portrayed the Christian woman.
The Blair Witch Project was in the nineties but I’m still seeing shakey cam on recent movies (Bourne etc.). Cloverfield (2008) is a film I’ve not bothered to look at because of reviews saying it has excessive shaky cam.
True, from that perspective, it was a stellar effort by an indy.
I waited to see it for a while after the hype had built to incredible levels, so maybe that was my own fault. I probably would have enjoyed it more had I gone early on.
Trapped in time.
Surrounded by evil.
Low on gas.
The names Ash... Housewares!
I love those shows
The book, yes. The movie...not so much.
I would say any Barbra Streisand movie, but that would be classified as “Horror Movies no Conservative Should Watch.”
It is prophetic and an unfortunately evolving reality...
Dracula 2000.
Love Justine Waddell.
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