Lazy Sunday: Horror Flicks
Posted by: chatblu on: October 31, 2010
Trick or treat, y’all. Yes, I’m still at the cat show, but I should be back home in time to eat all of the pass out the Hallowe’en candy. In the meantime, let’s amuse ourselves with today’s natural venue, horror flicks.
This is really a huge category, and encompasses all sorts of things. There are ghosts, monsters, werewolves, evil children, aliens, whatever – if the movie brings about that atavistic fight or flight sensation, it goes here.
My fav five are as follows:
(1) Friday the 13th (1980): As usual, the first was the best.
(2)Night of the Living Dead (1968): I remember seeing this with my ex-husband, which perhaps should have been a warning of sorts……..
(3) Nightmare on Elm Street (1984): We first meet Freddy Kruger.
(4) Psycho (1960): The shower scene will live forever.
(5) The Shining (1980): Stephen King’s best translation to the screen.
This is an open thread.
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53 Responses to "Lazy Sunday: Horror Flicks"
October 31, 2010 at 11:27 AM
Ridley Scott’s “Alien.” As chat points out, the first one is the best!
This is a slightly extended version of the Harry Dean Stanton character’s death. (Nothing too gory.)
October 31, 2010 at 11:29 AM
The original “Halloween” made Jamie Lee Curtis a star! It’s also really scary. And contains no on-screen blood and no explicit on-screen violence. Everything is suggested. When you think about it it’s just a guy in a mask walking around really slowly. And that music…
October 31, 2010 at 11:32 AM
And the first “Scream.” It’s a bit gory. But these first 6 minutes of it’s famous opening scene are all about psychological terror. (The villain is on the phone!)
October 31, 2010 at 12:08 PM
The is an original of this one. French flick, I believe. But I can’t find a youtube. The remake will have to do.
October 31, 2010 at 12:16 PM
I can go on and on in this category, so I will leave with this one. I find it so disturbing that it is almost difficult to expose others to, but this makes it 5 for me.
October 31, 2010 at 12:26 PM
I’ve refused to watch “Funny Games.”
“The Vanishing” was a superb film! So unsettling. The original one was, anyway. The US remake – directed by the same man who directed the original – is awful. The studio forced him to give the movie a happy ending. It loses all of its power with a happy ending. The film is Dutch, by the way. And here’s the trailer for it.
October 31, 2010 at 12:38 PM
The original 1955 French “Les Diaboliques” is great! Great cast too: Vera Clouzot, Simone Signoret, and Paul Meurisse, directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot.
October 31, 2010 at 12:39 PM
Thanks so much, DYB. Yes, I agree. The original was the best.
Yes, everyone should just pass over “Funny Games”.
It was the only movie as an adult that evoked for me the same “unsettling” that I felt as a teenager after the 1st Halloween.
October 31, 2010 at 12:57 PM
la-t-da> “Funny Games” just seems like an exercise in futility to me. The director Michael Haneke (he directed both the Austrian and the US versions of the film (the US is supposed to be a shot-for-shot remake) can quite sensationalistic. He said he made the film as a commentary on violence and the media. I still don’t quite get it.
I like Haneke’s “Cache” with Juliette Binoche and Daniel Auteuil.
October 31, 2010 at 1:12 PM
The last really scary movie I saw was “The Sixth Sense.” I only saw it because I was working for Disney at the time and was working the movie screening. I had no idea how scary it was going to be, and I didn’t figure out the “twist” either. The thing that made it worth watching for me was the emotional backstory, and the affecting performances by Bruce Willis and breakout child star Haley Joel Osment.
However, it wasn’t nearly as horrifying as that first “Nightmare on Elm Street.” I could not sleep after that movie. I was afraid for my life! “Psycho” and “The Shining” were also great choices.
Those of you who have trouble posting, make sure to login to WordPress first. You can use the “Log in” link under “Meta” on the right side of our blog. (Scroll down all the way to the bottom to see the “Meta” section of links.)
This is a setting I can adjust, but won’r be able to do it until later on today.
October 31, 2010 at 1:20 PM
Thanks, DYB. I haven’t seen “Cache”.
“The Strangers” just gets the point across much better in the genre of pure “scare” value. “Funny Games” however is one of the most disturbing of “unhappy endings” that I have ever seen.
I can see the media thing in that you say “I won’t watch that” but watch it anyway and continue to watch it well past the point of no return.
October 31, 2010 at 1:22 PM
And “The Exorcist,” of course!
BTW, don’t forget to set your DVRs for tonight at 10pm on A&E for my show! (10pm Eastern time; I think it’s on at 11 on the West Coast.)
October 31, 2010 at 1:38 PM
There is also a zombie series that starts tonight on AMC, “The Walking Dead”. (I figure it will replay though).
Very interesting. Do you all get the same “clips” at the beginning of “The Walking Dead” advertisement?
Check it out and tell me the opening clips you get, that “seemingly” have nothing to do with the series preview.
October 31, 2010 at 1:47 PM
One of the scariest movies I ever watched was Repulsion, with the unquestionably most beautiful woman in the world, Catherine Deneuve. I don’t remember much about the film, other than it involved rape and brutality and a women losing her mind (interesting that Polanski the child rapist was the director) Anyway, I have never felt the urge to view the film again, yet even today some 40plus years later, the thought of it gives me the shivers.
October 31, 2010 at 1:51 PM
DYB, I really want to watch your show, but I do not have cable or satellite. Is it on the network broadcast channels or just cable? If it’s picked up by one of the channels, then I can watch via the internet. Could you, once again – give the correct name of the Show, please and thanks.
October 31, 2010 at 2:25 PM
Purrfect, thanks La. Off to check it out now. HOpe everyone has a spectacular evening – I’m ordering in – stuck between greek (Moussaka) and French (anything Boeuf ). Anyway, I’ll be drinking some wine and hefting a toast to my fellow Widdershins!
October 31, 2010 at 2:26 PM
@20. Now that looks scary, HT. And speaking of Catherine. She was in “The Hunger”, a vampire flick. (It also has one of the most notable “vampire seductress” scenes of all times in it.)
October 31, 2010 at 2:30 PM
Sorry, I meant to do the trailer. Really. I had lurked that clip first but forget to go back and get the trailer one. I will be slinking off now.
October 31, 2010 at 2:40 PM
@26 – hey girl we have all done out time slinking. No sweat, so don’t worry, you’re in very good company. Now where is that wine I just poured out?
October 31, 2010 at 2:49 PM
HT> The show is called “Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal.” It airs on A&E. I think their web-site makes the shows available to watch after it premieres. I’ll let you know if they do!
“Repulsion” is one of Polanski’s most famous and earliest films. It’s a good one.
October 31, 2010 at 2:49 PM
“The Silence of the Lambs.” Great and scary film – with virtually no on-screen violence!
October 31, 2010 at 3:34 PM
DYB – repulsion is probably his best film – I still don’t want to watch it – those hands coming out of the wall? No, don’t think so – I like partial sanity.
Silence of the Lambs was brilliant – truly. I liked Manhunter as well, but I”m a William Peterson addict and quite frankly, although I adore Anthony Hopkins, I found Brian Cox much scarier.
October 31, 2010 at 5:02 PM
HT> I’m partial to “Chinatown” myself!
As far as Brian Cox and “Manhunter” – I must confess I like both, but I don’t get the hoopla. I don’t think the film has aged well at all. It is very much of its – 1980s – time. And Cox made very little impression on me as Lector. Hopkins chews the scenery.
October 31, 2010 at 5:31 PM
I’m making caramel apples:
Core the apples and put in Bitter Sweet Chocolate Ganache. Replace the core. The caramel apples are then rolled in Salted Pretzels.
October 31, 2010 at 5:45 PM
Oh. Replace the bottom of the apple after you core it so you can get Carmel on the bottom too. I was already anticipating a sugar coma so I couldn’t type straight. 
October 31, 2010 at 6:10 PM
Hmmm, not fair – caramel apples and I’m so far away!
DYB, hear what you said about Brian versus Anthony. Will cogitate and digest.
October 31, 2010 at 6:28 PM
@34 – Bittersweet chocolate ganache in your caramel apples? Holy moly! That sounds divine!
I made an apple maple cream pie yesterday at the party. The crust was already made, so it was pretty easy – and the apples were fresh from the orchard. Delicious!
October 31, 2010 at 7:15 PM
Well, that didn’t work out too well. They became Caramel apples with chocolate covered pretzels. They were still good though.
October 31, 2010 at 7:25 PM
Love Sundays with all of you and the “lists”.
Can I interject with a scary Halloween e-card with a twist ending?
October 31, 2010 at 7:50 PM
Thanks, NYSMike! I’m going to fix your link for you so it doesn’t break the margins. 
October 31, 2010 at 7:50 PM
here’s our lady being incredible.
http://secretaryclinton.wordpress.com/2010/10/31/secretary-of-state-hillary-clinton-in-cambodia-pledging-to-continue-fighting-sexual-slavery/
October 31, 2010 at 8:00 PM
@40 – Great story, HT. I love the photos too.
I missed all the awesome protest songs yesterday. I can’t wait to send some time tomorrow listening to them all!
October 31, 2010 at 8:16 PM
@44 – Probably. Or, they’re watching the Series. Gawd, why does Texas have to be in it? Nothing against the Rangers or the state, but the Freaking Bush Family is all over my Teevee right now! Dubya just threw out the first pitch. Barf me!
October 31, 2010 at 9:35 PM
Boo!
“Bill Clinton Rallies For Frank Caprio, Dem Who Told Obama To ‘Shove It”
I haven’t read the article yet, but the headline speaks a 1000 boos!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/31/bill-clinton-frank-caprio_n_776714.html
October 31, 2010 at 9:41 PM
@49> Clinton is returning favors to people who supported Hillary in 2008. So it’s not surprising he’s campaigning for him. I’m sure the fact that this guy told Obama to shove it is a little extra bonus.
October 31, 2010 at 11:29 PM
DYB. ding, ding ding! Yup. I love that man (Big Dawg) and I hope all of the people he helped win their election. I also hope that all the people the excreable O-man supported lose. Does that make me a rayscist bad person?
October 31, 2010 at 11:51 PM
@49 – I’m glad. Bill Clinton is telling Obama to shove it too!
November 1, 2010 at 12:25 PM
NYSmike, that e-card is just perfect! Thank you, and although it’s the next day, I hope your halloween was scarily wunderbar.
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October 31, 2010 at 8:41 AM
Chat, hope the cat show is giving you much enjoyment.
The BEST Werewolf movie EVAH! Dog Soldiers