What's Your Favorite Horror Movie?

11.24.04 | JohnRobertson

[John Robertson]

What's your favorite horror movie...and why? What fried your hair, and still makes it jump if you get a little too tired and you remember a sequence or two from something that scared the stuff out of you.

I've always dismissed horror movies as a waste of time, but the older I get, the more I realize they must serve some function--some cathartic function--because they are an enduring genre, and each generation likes to find its own favorite scary movies. Heard a commentator saying the other day, the reason the country is so preoccuppied with horror films right now is, it's a horror we can "handle," versus the real, terrorist kind of horror.

[mupcat]

"The Shining" Jack Nicholson, Shelly Duval and Scatman Crothers.

The reason I found this one so scary wasn't just Jack Nicholson's character, but probably even more disturbing to me was the overall complete starkness and isolation of the movie. Watching that little boy ride his tricycle through those vacant halls of that huge hotel never knowing what was going to be around the the next bend was enough to make me watch through parted fingers. Great movie.

[katdawg]

Hmm, sounds interesting, thanks for the opinion! I really want to see it soon.

[mupcat]

Oh dear heavens, you were 4 or 5 when Jaws came out??? Now THAT'S scary! Think I was on my second marriage by then.

[Optimist]

daughter saw Saw, and said I should see Saw

Personally, I'm first up then down on that one 8-)

[steelyourfaith]

For me it's Mr. Steve McQueen in The BLOB.

check out these BLOBy websites:

http://www.disinfotainmenttoday.com/darenet/blob.htm

http://kingtet.com/comments_on_the_blob.htm

http://www.williamgirdler.com/blobfest.html

[oh8eleven]

Scream for your lives!

[MarkL]

I thought the best verson of his book was the mini-series "The Stand".

I've sworn off of Steven King books. It's not the first time I've done this: Back in my early teens, I swore off H.P. Lovecraft, because I found his works really disturbing in a way that I've never been able to put my finger on. Anyway, I had read King's "Danse Macabre," a wonderful, non-fiction book that's all about the horror genre. If you haven't read this, I can't recommend it enough. Anyway... I was familiar with King's work from his movies. I like "The Shining," and I really loved "Creepshow." I thought "Carrie" was an awesome movie. But I just never got around to reading any of his books.

The first fiction book that I read by King was "Pet Semetary." I have to say that King can really bring a scene to life in your head! It's really something else. I also found many of the scenes just way too disturbing for me to deal with. I finished the book, but I came away with a new respect for King, and his writing compared to the movies made of his works.

Anyway, I swore off all Steven King books. Then came "The Stand" mini-series, and I got sucked into it! I loved it, but I MISSED THE FINAL EPSISODE!!!!

So, I wound up going out and buying the book. You're right. The mini-series is excellent, but the book is SO much better.

Mark

[Siegfried]

At last! After 334 posts someone finally mentions Invaders from Mars . (the 1953 version).

This movie "burned a hole in my brain" when I was about ten years old, and I've never recovered. It just goes to show that even a B-movie script can be turned into a masterpiece in the hands of a good director like William Cameron Menzies.

[MarkL]

Doubt if it's held up but at the time Lifeforce struck me as a pretty good sci/fi horror flick. Not in the Alien category, but hey, I'll watch just about any scary movie.

I just like the "lady space vampire!"

I've liked Steve Railsback too, especially in "The Stuntman," although that's not horror.

And "Captain Picard" really gets his in that movie (Lifeforce) too! lol

Mark

[yarddog]

I also thought the original "Dracula" was the best.

When I was around 6 I saw "Invaders From Mars" and was extremely impressed. A few years ago I got a chance to see it again and was disappointed. I saw it a third time a year or two later and this time thought it was good. I guess my expectations were not so high that time.

[gesully]

Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Joe Bob says "Check it out"

[Friend of thunder]

The original story 'Who goes there?' by John W. Campbell, Jr. was badly adapted to the silver screen, twice. It's much scarier in it's own quiet way...

Yes it is, but the second attempt was much better, the first one missed the scariest part of the story, the second was not able to carry it off.

I think Alien has to be on the short list of horror movies – when I was relatively young Rage with George C. Scott, scared the hell out of me, perhaps because we had been studied rabies in school at the time.

[Friend of thunder]

"The Shining" during a thunderstorm and got so scared I had to put the book down.

Have you ever read Phantoms By Dean Koontz? I had a very similar experience reading it, as did a coworker I lent it to.

[Friend of thunder]

Man, was she hot in those days.....

Yes she was! Especially as scantily clad as she was in that scene

[libertylass]

Lizzy Border was good too, but these movies aren't related. The Bad Seed was about a pathological 9 or 10 year old who kills for an award pendant. Lizzy Border is about a woman who was accused of killing her parents. She was never convicted for the crimes.

I have a documentary on the story also.

[Jackknife]

Phantasm .... that damn flying orb scared me crapless!

[mad_as_he$$]

1. Alien

2. Exorcist

3. Scream

4. All three Terminators

5. Any Chuckie Movie.

[Friend of thunder]

Aside from being eaten by a great white shark, the thing men fear the most is hillbilly rape.

Thanks for the laugh, it is so funny because it is true.

[Old Phone Man]

The Tingler was awesome, ha ha ha! I'd forgotten all about it. Remember when it got in the movie theater and an image showed up on the movie screen -- it looked like a sea-animal-big-centipede combination.

[Old Phone Man]

Post 487, you should read the book Carrie if you have not done so already. It is 50 times as good as the movie, and in my opinion is Stephen King's best book.