Scary Flicks -- My Picks -- Conclusion

[rockgremlin]

In the spirit of October and Halloween (refering to a previous post), I'm gonna check out 3 scary movies per week for the entire month of October. I am hoping to review ones that I have never seen before. I have been asking around, and consulting movie review sites looking for the best scary movies around. I'll post my weekly results here, and by the end of the month I'll post the overall results -- which one/s I thought were the scariest. All results are posted on a scale of ten.

Week 1

1. Jacobs Ladder (1990)

One of my all-time favorites. This was actually the second time I saw it. I liked it so much the first time that I ran out and bought it. Some people think it's got a cop-out ending, but I don't think so. It's very psychotic horror, full of images that make you wonder, then shudder.

Gore Factor: 5
Horror/Suspense Factor: 7

2. The Forgotten (2005)

LAME, LAME, LAME!!! This stinker was like a 90-minute episode of the X-files, only with no storyline, poor acting, and no elements of horror nor suspense. Very soon this movie will become like it's title.

Gore Factor: 0
Horror/Suspense Factor: 0


3. The Tenant (1976)

What is it about the 1970's and psychotic horror?! This one is slow going -- it takes about 45 minutes for things to really pick up, but once it does, it's a real mindjob. It kind of reminded me of Hitchcock's "Psycho." I enjoyed this one. It wasn't too creepy, but just enough to be oddly disturbing.

Gore Factor: 1
Horror/Suspense Factor: 7


Coming up for week two: Rosemary's Baby, The Changeling, and ___________ (haven't decided yet).

[Sombeech]

I also liked Jacob's Ladder. I saw it when I was about 14, and always kept it in my mind.

[KillEmAll]

Sombeech, I think you, me and Chivato went to see that over at the old Newgate theater. I wasn't sure what was going on in it, but it's stuck with me too.

[Sombeech]

Yep, that's exactly when we saw it. We were sneaking into a rated R movie underage. I had to lie to my parents and say we saw "the Gods Must be Crazy Two".

That was the dollar movies I think.

[accadacca]

You rebels...

[Sombeech]

Yeah, it showed boobs too.

[rockgremlin]

Week 2

1. The Changeling (1979)

A classic haunted house story about the spirit of a young boy hell-bent on revenge. After a somewhat slow start, this one is full of creepy and suspenseful scenes. The last 5 minutes kind of go off the deep end though.

Gore Factor: 3
Horror/Suspense Factor: 8

2. Rosemary's Baby(1968)

There's a reason why many film critics assert that Rosemary's Baby is quite possibly the scariest horror film ever made. This film is very creepy. Just like all good horror films, this one starts out slow, developing the characters and their roles, and then in the end traumatizes the viewer with horrific scenarios. One noteworthy bonus is that a young Mia Farrow is nude for a good portion of the film. This one replaced Jacob's Ladder for the number four spot on my all-time favorite horror films list.

Gore Factor: 1
Horror/Suspense Factor: 9

3. Paperhouse(1988)

This is an English flick, and hasn't quite made it to DVD yet. No other video rental store had it except The Tower, and they only had it on VHS. Needless to say, it wasn't worth all of the trouble to track it down. This film was mediocre at best, and was only slightly scary during the first half of the movie, and then not scary at all during the last half. In fact, the last half was LAME! The only people who MIGHT be frightened by this movie would be sheltered 15-yr-old girls (who fall asleep during the last half of the movie). I'm kinda regretting that I didn't fall asleep during the entire thing!

Gore Factor: 0
Horror/Suspense Factor: 3

[Superriffic S*]

Week 2

1. The Changeling (1979)

A classic haunted house story about the spirit of a young boy hell-bent on revenge. After a somewhat slow start, this one is full of creepy and suspenseful scenes. The last 5 minutes kind of go off the deep end though.

Gore Factor: 3
Horror/Suspense Factor: 8

I have always wanted to see The Changeling. Do you have Rosemary's baby? I have always wanted to see that too. I think that you need to watch those kind of movies on a BIG screen... like 65 inches of viewing love! (smells like a hint to me, how about you?)

S*

[rockgremlin]

Do you have Rosemary's baby? I have always wanted to see that too. I think that you need to watch those kind of movies on a BIG screen... like 65 inches of viewing love! (smells like a hint to me, how about you?)
S*

I do have Rosemary's Baby. I've got it till Thursday. Let's get together sometime before then.

[Superriffic S*]

I have a couple scary flicks that I am going to watch this week.

Paperhouse - Made in 1988, was an art film but had lots of critical acclaim. It scared the begeezes out of me when I was a kid. I want to see if it still has the same effect.

The Hitcher - Ahh, Rutger. All I remember about this was watching it with my borther and being scared $hitless in the big car chase sequence.

I also am wanting to see al the classics this year that I haven't ever seen before you know, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th... etc, etc...

S*

[rockgremlin]

I think I should designate a standard by which I am measuring these movies that I am reviewing. Each movie I watch is being compared to my top four all-time favorite horror films, which are the following:

1. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original)

What distinguishes this one from the other "slasher" movies such as Friday 13th, and Halloween? How about all of those demented scenes with the old man in the wheelchair, the hammer and the bucket, animal carcasses strewn about, furniture made from human and animal parts, and that freak hitchhiker (who slashes his own hand - remember?). This film is sickeningly scary!

Gore factor: 10
Horror/Suspense factor: 10

2. The Shining

Jack Nicholson pulls off a frightening performance as a family man gone crazy in this movie based on a Stephen King novel. At times I thought Jack was legitimatley crazy (not just acting). Who can forget such scenes as "REDRUM," the blood tidal wave, and "...all work and no play make Jack a dull boy?" Awesome!

Gore factor: 7
Horror/Suspense factor: 10

3. Carrie

Another Stephen King novel put to video. The scariest part of this movie was at the very end. Remember when Carrie's mother goes crazy? Terrifying!!

Gore factor: 6
Horror/Suspense factor: 8

4. Jacobs Ladder

One of my all-time favorites. Some people think it's got a cop-out ending, but I don't think so. It's very psychotic horror, full of images that make you wonder, then shudder.

Gore Factor: 5
Horror/Suspense Factor: 7

[Superriffic S*]

1. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original)
Gore factor: 9
Horror/Suspense factor: 10

2. The Shining
Gore factor: 7
Horror/Suspense factor: 10

3. Carrie
Gore factor: 6
Horror/Suspense factor: 8

4. Jacobs Ladder
Gore Factor: 5
Horror/Suspense Factor: 7

Okay, of those movies I would have to say that the one that stuck with me the most was Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It hurt sooo good. I HATED it, but loved it too. I don't want to find the ultimate scary movie. I just want to find and watch movies that will give me a scary thrill for this wonderful month of October that we are in right now. I think that the range of scary movies that I will be watching will be waaay out of the rockgremlin range. (how come you think you are the scary movie connoisseur all of the sudden?)

[rockgremlin]

(how come you think you are the scary movie connoisseur all of the sudden?)

I always have been (at least during the month of October). By the sound of it, you are too.

[Superriffic S*]

(how come you think you are the scary movie connoisseur all of the sudden?)

I always have been (at least during the month of October). By the sound of it, you are too.

Yeah, maybe... but you wanna know the difficult thing with wanting to watch scary movies is that NO ONE wants to watch them with me! I can't watch movies that will potentially make me piss my pants by myself. Sorry, can't bring myself to do that. I do love a good nail biting, I can't watch, kind of movie but, I need other people to want to watch those kinds of movies too in order for it to be fun and not send me to bed afraid to close my eyes.

S*

[Wasatch Rebel]

Many people say The Ring is the scariest movie they've ever seen. I haven't seen it, so I can't vouch for it, but my son says it was very creepy.

I think Alien is real frightening--though it's not the traditional horror flick.

Shane

[rockgremlin]

Many people say The Ring is the scariest movie they've ever seen. I haven't seen it, so I can't vouch for it, but my son says it was very creepy.

I think Alien is real frightening--though it's not the traditional horror flick.

Shane

The Ring is pretty creepy. It's only flaw is that it's WWWWAAAAAAAAYYYYY TTTOOOOOOOO LLLLLOOOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGG!!! If they would have ended it an hour sooner, it probably would've been better. Other than that, I would rate it pretty high on the horror factor (7 or 8).

Alien is another classic. It's not the conventional scary movie with axe-killers, werewolves, or living dead, but it definitely is an effective thriller.

[nitmik]

How about the blair witch project, not sure if it's real scarey, but I thought it was pretty good the first time I watched it.

[rockgremlin]

How about the blair witch project, not sure if it's real scarey, but I thought it was pretty good the first time I watched it.

Another pretty good one. The scariest part was the final 2 minutes. -- Why is she standing in the corner?! Is she dead? What the hell is going on?!

Awesome!!

Has anyone seen the Blair Witch 2? I heard it was lame.

[nitmik]

How about the blair witch project, not sure if it's real scarey, but I thought it was pretty good the first time I watched it.

Another pretty good one. The scariest part was the final 2 minutes. -- Why is she standing in the corner?! Is she dead? What the hell is going on?!

Awesome!!

Has anyone seen the Blair Witch 2? I heard it was lame.

The whole basement thing was pretty scary, I also heard the second one was not worth watching.

[Superriffic S*]

OK rock, lemme hear your take on Paperhouse... Now that you've had a night to process it.