Those classics that they're showing on TV One these days... even movies from the late 40s can still be just as effective as newer stuff.Originally Posted by Meat Puppet
It's unfortunate that horror movies are succumbing to the Hollywood demand for sensationalism and gratuity. Instead of deeper, psychologically unsettling stuff, they think that fear has to
be generated by "big scary monster" stuff. Monsters are all well and good, but the best fear is generated by what's not seen.
Signs, for instance, is one of the best horror movies I've seen. For the vast majority of that movie, you never actually see the origin of the fear - only the signs of its existence, and the people's reaction to it. Yet still, the tension and fear were almost palpable in the cinema. What is suggested and unknown.. that can be where the best frights come from, rather tham "OMG big scary maggoty demon at the window! I must flee from my bedroom wearing a negligee than get impaled on some spiky things..."
The Ring managed to be quite unsettling, too. Images, pictures, and words were all it took to generate an on-going suspense; that suspense heightened the effect of what happened later.
Demon Island, however, was utter garbage. Truly, unbelieveably pathetic. The "villain" was a vicious, inhuman monster with many fearsome powers; the cast were killed horribly; yet there were no surprises, no shocks, no real fear. Just predictability and an attempt to make a movie "scary" by showing a snarling red CG statue every few minutes. Yayness.
But if you want to be amused, it's a great movie to watch with friends. Pick one character each, and you'll soon be able to say their lines for them, before they do. It's that formulaic.
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