The Horror List Discussion and Suggestions (Genre Project)

[zedz]

But no mention of In My Skin? Or even Cargo 200, which for me makes most of these extreme-horrors redundant... no small task considering it's arguably not a horror film at all?

Oh, snap. I just did a trawl through my shelves and put together a rough list of 'definites' (45 titles) and 'probablys' (43), and realised that Cargo 200 would be the highest ranking 21st century title, and should probably have been my spotlight. It's more than a horror film, but it definitely checks those boxes, and part of its power is how it toys with the tropes of the horror genre, only gradually opening out into something even more horrific.

The other weird / disturbing thing about my trawl is that I realise I've already got such a solid list that there will be no room for a lot of things that other people might consider obligatory (e.g. the 30s Universal cycle, Bava, Romero). So let the stoning commence!

[knives]

I guess I'll have to check that one out. The Descent is the closest one from this century that I'd vote for, but it's not likely to make it.

[zedz]

Oh, and I'm going to seek domino's expert opinion on this, since it's the only film we both like - To Sleep with Anger: horror or not?

[domino harvey]

Officially the Vote For It rule applies, but it hadn't even occurred to me personally. Hmm...

[colinr0380]

Since I'm just watching it at the moment if you have ever wondered what a hybrid of Invaders From Mars and Invasion of the Body Snatchers would be like when mixed with a healthy dose of the face huggers from the Alien series, you should check out Puppet Masters!

At the moment my list of films which are going to fall outside my top 50 (including stuff like Puppet Masters, Tremors, Ravenous, The Unnameable Returns, Rouge, The Day The World Ended, Lifeforce, The Legend of Hell House, They Live and the Urotsukidoji series) is looking far more interesting than the obvious choices that are going to make my official list! I may have to throw out a 'runners up' list just for the fun of it!

[LQ]

I guess I'll have to check that one out. The Descent is the closest one from this century that I'd vote for, but it's not likely to make it.

The Descent has the distinction of scaring me almost to the point of trauma. Claustrophobia is not something that I suffer from, but this film so effectively manipulated me into that crushing feeling that I was short of breath at times and all too aware of my heart beating ferociously in its bony cage. Because of the overwhelming power of the first 45 minutes I remained very high strung as the film swerved into more rote territory when the

Spoiler

beasties appear

and jumped non-stop. While it's not a perfect movie, it would definitely appear on my list if I were to plunge into this project. (And why not, there's already viscera galore at my house now that mfunk's taken on any and all torture porn suggestions...)

[mfunk9786]

Dream Home tonight, honey!

[Cold Bishop]

you should check out Puppet Masters!

There was only one Puppet Master in my house growing up.

[domino harvey]

Dream Home tonight, honey!

Confused this with Dream House and thought, "Wow, he really is taking on torturous films!"

Also, I haven't seen it since I was a kid, but any fans of Cube? I'm scared (appropriate!) to see how it holds up, but I remember being absolutely wrung out with tension on that one

[knives]

It holds up, but avoid the sequels like the wind. His follow up Splice is also great. By the way I've been waiting to confirm that it exists, but now that I know I'd like to nominate as my third and final spotlight The Reflecting Skin which now has a DVD release in OAR thanks to Echo Bridge. It's more than worth the $5 that Amazon unofficially has it listed for.

[tarpilot]

you should check out Puppet Masters!

There was only one Puppet Master in my house growing up.

That movie really shouldn't have creeped me out as a kid as much as it did, but leech woman and the drill guy made frequent nightmare cameos for years.

Also, I haven't seen it since I was a kid, but any fans of Cube? I'm scared (appropriate!) to see how it holds up, but I remember being absolutely wrung out with tension on that one

I re-watched it last year and still like it (I too first saw it as a kid), but it won't be making my list. Natali's Splice, however, certainly will.

EDIT: what Knives said!

[domino harvey]

By the way I've been waiting to confirm that it exists, but now that I know I'd like to nominate as my third and final spotlight The Reflecting Skin which now has a DVD release in OAR thanks to Echo Bridge. It's more than worth the $5 that Amazon unofficially has it listed for.

And the Blu-ray looks like it's going for just under eleven pounds on Amazon.co.uk

[Murdoch]

There was only one Puppet Master in my house growing up.

I saw the poster for Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge soon after seeing the first Toy Story, which caused my 7 year-old self to be frightened enough to lie awake at night and stare bug-eyed at my toy collection.

[Cold Bishop]

They're the good guys in that film!

[mfunk9786]

I second the love for Splice - original and bizarre, with a chilly atmosphere - one of the strangest movies to get a wide release in years.

[knives]

By the way I've been waiting to confirm that it exists, but now that I know I'd like to nominate as my third and final spotlight The Reflecting Skin which now has a DVD release in OAR thanks to Echo Bridge. It's more than worth the $5 that Amazon unofficially has it listed for.

And the Blu-ray looks like it's going for just under eleven pounds on Amazon.co.uk

#-o Wish I knew that. Though the American DVD is surprisingly not bad in PQ.

[Murdoch]

They're the good guys in that film!

haha, like I'd ever watch it after that experience. The cowboy with spider arms was one traumatic visual for a kid who just bought a Woody doll. Although it's been long enough where I'll have to finally watch it. I did see the first one and the Child's Play sequels at a young age, which makes me wonder how I had any dolls at all when I was a kid!

[tarpilot]

I second the love for Splice - original and bizarre, with a chilly atmosphere - one of the strangest movies to get a wide release in years.

Very true, and after domino's emphasis on the spoiler potential of "it's reminiscent of _________", I'll make sure to spoiler this!

Spoiler

Natali seems to get most of his best ideas, at least in part, from Zulawski's Possession and the It's Alive trilogy, but he has a rare knack for indelible imagery -- Dren discovering her wings in particular -- and the way he manipulates audience expectation and sympathy with Clive's arc makes it tempting to glibly suggest that the "next Hitchcock" title has been assigned to all the wrong directors.

[domino harvey]

By the way I've been waiting to confirm that it exists, but now that I know I'd like to nominate as my third and final spotlight The Reflecting Skin which now has a DVD release in OAR thanks to Echo Bridge. It's more than worth the $5 that Amazon unofficially has it listed for.

And the Blu-ray looks like it's going for just under eleven pounds on Amazon.co.uk

#-o Wish I knew that. Though the American DVD is surprisingly not bad in PQ.

Don't fret, I just tried to buy it and it wouldn't let me ship it to an American address since it's a "fulfilled by Amazon" title. Whatever, Amazon.co.uk

[Forrest Taft]

Sooooo...Am I the only one who was scared shitless by Mr Boogedy as a kid? According to youtube, it's part of the Criterion Collection. Boogedy Boogedy Boo.

[colinr0380]

It holds up, but avoid the sequels like the wind.

While it is not quite as good as Cube I do like the prequel, Cube Zero, quite a bit. For the most part it is bascially a two hander about two 'security guards' killing time in the control room to the Cube. While the older one is content to just do his duties, the younger gets fatefully curious about what exactly the point of the operation is.

I'm very fond of all Vincenzo Natali's films, although:

Spoiler

Isn't Splice best described as a more intellectual version of Species?

I really like Cypher as well, though that is not a horror film more of a sci-fi conspiracy thriller (It is also Lucy Liu's best film!).

If anyone can get their hands on it, I would really recommend Natali's short film made before Cube called Elevated. It involves a couple of people sharing a lift out of the office late at night when a third person stumbles in covered in blood, raving about a monster outside. Is he telling the truth or a homicidal maniac? This film wrings the maximum tension out of the confined space, something that the Shyamalan-produced Devil tried and failed to do a couple of years ago.

EDIT: Here's the Youtube link to Elevated

[swo17]

Speaking of cheap right now on amazon.co.uk...

Spotlight: Katalin Varga (Peter Strickland, 2009)
It just occurred to me that one of my very favorite films of the past few years is totally a horror movie kind of. I mean, how much more horror can you get: a rape revenge plot, filmed in Transylvania, Lynchian soundscapes, and a fair share of eerie or shocking moments, despite the fact that I primarily cherish the film for its artistry.

There is already some forum discussion of the film going here. Your only legit way to see this is on the R2 Artificial Eye DVD, which is currently going for less than £5 at Amazon UK. I am willing to give the swo17 guarantee on this one: If you buy this and regret it (and have the guts to tell me) I will personally Paypal you the $10 or whatever that I set you back. (Offer only valid to active list project participants, and not to Nothing or any of his puppet accounts.)

[mfunk9786]

Don't fret, I just tried to buy it and it wouldn't let me ship it to an American address since it's a "fulfilled by Amazon" title. Whatever, Amazon.co.uk

If you click on "New" and buy it from 'nagiry,' they will ship worldwide. 10.98 plus the normal international shipping fee.

[zedz]

When I was doing my provisional list on the weekend this episode of Tales of the Unexpected popped into my head, as one of the very few episodes of an anthology horror series that's stayed with me. In my head, it was mostly silent and memorably shot. The latter, perhaps; the former, not so much; and I'd pretty much forgotten the first half of the episode. Still, it's an uncommonly effective short, very cleverly constructed - it's the only episode of the series that I recall that wasn't based on a Roald Dahl story. That's a link to the first part of three - here are parts two and three. I have no idea whether this will make my list in its actual form. It would have been a shoo-in in misremembered drag.

Another 70s/80s anthology episode I'll be rewatching: Hammer's The Silent Scream, which I remember primarily for its extremely ingenious premise. EDIT: Oh, avoid spoilers for these two episodes, if you can.

[domino harvey]

You mentioned this on the board before because I remember contemplating whether to teach the short story source material one year. I didn't, but settled on the far more disturbing (but not as realistically so, I guess) actual Dahl story, "Pig" instead. The "Flypaper" episode's better than the source story anyways.