ok lets all shit our pants to something old: pre-2006 horror film thread

almost all of them are terribly made, just really sloppy. IV is easily the best due to having a coherent plot/central character and decent casting plus this http://crypticphilosopher.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/ani2.gif

Not to mention Corey Feldman in a surprise role as Billy Corgan.

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/568726/thumbs/o-COREY-FELDMAN-FRIDAY-THE-13TH-570.jpg?4

I think all the Nightmares, except Freddy's Dead, are worth a look. Part 2 is actually the least redundant--it goes in a different direction than the other movies, becoming a pretty straight-up possession movie (a la Amityville 2). (Actually, wasn't Amityville 2 another gay-ish sequel to put next to Nightmare 2 and Jeepers 2?)

As I mentioned in the Halloween shit yer pants thread, I just rewatched Nightmares 2-7 weekend before last. My past opinions were confirmed: 1-4 are varying levels of good (I still think 4 is my favorite, certainly the most entertaining), 5-7 are varying levels of bad (although Freddy's Dead is the only outright piece of shit in the bunch). People still rep for New Nightmare but I feel like that's gotta be more because of the concept than the execution.

3 and 4 are the most Hollywood. Competent directors, good FX.

new nightmare is fucking garbage

Totally. I'd take even the worst of the first six movies over New Nightmare.

That's so meta.

New Nightmare is the limpest wet noodle of a supernatural slasher movie that just happens to also feature actors playing themselves. And it's soooooo interminable. Aside from the meta element, it's easily the least creative entry in the franchise.

What if it was all a dream and it was never actually made, like the reboot?

Skipped through Nightmare 2, since it is the only one on Netflix, and it was stupid and dull and about as scary as "Zapped!" As a metaphor for repressed homosexuality, sure, it works OK, because otherwise this dude had no demons beyond Freddy. He had a girlfriend, even the bully was his buddy and called him "bro." He dressed OK, got invited to parties, had a car. Though of course when the door was closed he dressed up and danced to Fonda Rae and mimed masturbation with a pop gun.

You take that back!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjfAy917gHg

vs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_f0ELRcgCo

Been wanting to talk Tobe Hooper for a while. Poltergeist discussed above.

TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE
One of the few films that's really worth the hype. I really love it.

EATEN ALIVE/DEATH TRAP
I often see reviews saying this is one of the worst horror films ever made but I think it's very far from that. There's a lot to admire but I have to keep in mind that Hooper did not finish this film by himself, or so I've heard.
I like that it sticks to one night and never strays far from the one location. It's a misty, creaky old hotel with a crocodile in the waters next to it.
Many films are said to be inspired by 50s horror comics but this film has that same dark and lurid colored aura more than any other film I've seen, though the similarity may be accidental. It has a real atmosphere.
The portrayal of the deranged hotel owner fascinates me, especially the quiet whispering scenes. The crazy dad makes it more interesting too.
By the end it gets too straightforward and a bit dull, which is a shame. But I still recommend it as a nice little mood piece.

SALEM'S LOT
I like this mainly because it has several fantastic scary bits, a few of which traumatized my younger self. The vampires looked great.
I can't remember how well the whole thing strings together, partly because there are edited down versions that cut out some important scenes altogether, who knows why? My main complaint is the scenes that freeze still at the end, it just didn't look right.
I feel that this film (really a televised two parter) is important for its striking images and I don't like when it gets left out lists.

THE FUNHOUSE
Another film which is too straightforward in some ways but has some odd aspects and an overall dark, sad and dirty mood I really enjoy. Elizabeth Berridge (from Amadeus) is gorgeous in a really unusual way.

TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2
The idea of the director of the original film returning in a radically different style appealed to me. The early scene on the road is amazing and the mad Dennis Hopper intent on revenge seemed so promising. But it turns into a slog that suffers partly for the increasing similarities to the original. If you didn't know Hooper was the director you'd think it was a fan doing a clumsy homage for an ending. Huge disappointment.

THE MANGLER
Some people had recommended this strongly and said it was very underrated. It was on tv and annoyingly I kept falling asleep (which I only seem to do when watching films I care about) but it was indeed very strange in places but I'm not sure I'd buy it to give it another shot.

A lot has been said about Hooper's decline but I haven't seen enough to comment (worried I'll just agree with most fans) and some people say that he is still a great director but has had extraordinarily bad luck. His book was quite well recieved. I really hope he makes some good stuff again.
I've heard Kiyoshi Kurosawa wrote an in-depth study of Hooper's filmography and I've saw Tsukamoto photographed with him. Perhaps Hooper is considered more of an important director in Japan?

no love for Lifeforce? it's not great but it has its moments

Never seen it. Colin Wilson hated it and made a semi-famous joke about it and I only ever see it recommended for Mathilda May.

I saw it awhile ago, it's not great but it's not terrible.

but now I'm curious about Invaders from Mars

I just remembered I've also seen his Toolbox Murders remake. It's odd that it feels a lot like the nastier slasher films of that era. There were some things that nearly worked but could have been way scarier. But I don't think it's as poor as people say.

haha our tastes definitely differ, TCM2 is imo pretty non stop awesome, and the toolbox murders remake was one of the worst things ive seen in years, finding out about tobes involvement was like learning that your favorite elementary teachers sponsors a dog fighting ring

It's not a good film but it doesn't seem to be much worse than the films around it in his filmography and the slashers of the day.

The lair at the end of the film and Savini's creations in TCM2 are pretty good though.

Aw, I think those 400 Blows freeze frame zooms in Salem's Lot are really effective, or at least the one with Danny jumping from the coffin is.

Savini is another reason why Friday the 13th IV is relatively strong.

I know it's a rehash, but especially since you just rewatched all of that, I totally buy the conspiracy theory take on Hooper vis a vis Poltergeist and Spielberg. TCM aside, that movie is so far and away better made, better written, scarier and better directed than pretty much anything else by Hooper, and it's also so eerily in Spielberg's wheelhouse that it's hard to believe he didn't have some major sway over the final product.

I didn't rewatch anything, I haven't seen most of these in years.

I still prefer Salem's Lot, Funhouse and Eaten Alive to Poltergeist.

Wow. I love Poltergeist. I think it's scary as hell. I like Funhouse a lot, too, for a generic slasher. Eaten Alive I think is terrible, Salem's Lot betrays its TV-movie roots.

TCM > Poltergeist > The Funhouse > Salem's Lot > TCM2 > Eaten Alive > Invaders from Mars

Haven't watched Lifeforce anywhere near recently enough to judge.

huh guess I should see Funhouse eh

currently have Let's Scare Jessica to Death waiting at home

Anyone who doesn't think Poltergeist is at least 51 percent Spielberg is nuts.

xp I should watch that one again; I feel I missed something

I think the debate has always been how much more than 51%, since the movie scans at least 90% Spielberg and, based on everything else by Hooper, at best 10% Tobe.

I think the big Spielberg influence is likely why I don't much care for it. I'm not anti-Spielberg but it has some things I don't like about his approach, the sort of things he shares with Stephen King.

I'm pro-Spielberg and pro-Hooper so it works out nicely.

In this case, Spielberg's the steak and Hooper's the char.

NYC fest pairs films by grindhouse directors with the industrial shorts they made! Click on individual titles for the shorts info.

http://anthologyfilmarchives.org/film_screenings/series/43330

Thanks, I don't think I've heard of the latter 4 on that line-up.

I never knew the special edition of Carnival Of Souls included a hours worth of industrial shorts. But I doubt it's worth getting on that basis.

I really wish Herk Harvey (Carnival Of Souls) and Richard Blackburn (Lemora) directed many more horror films but I guess there are lots of directors who only did one or two good ones.
I keep thinking John D Hancock (Lets Scare Jessica To Death) did only one film but he actually has lots in various genres and is still going. From reading the imdb reviews it seems he hasn't fallen into a rut.

There is a Blackburn episode of Tales From The Darkside and Hanock done several Twilight Zone episodes.

Some of those industrial shorts are really creepy iirc.

Really?! For a second you have excited me past realistic expectations. Please tell me more and lower them.

Creepy in a "this movie's old and terribly lit and 16mm" sense. Corporate films that look like snuff.

Right. For a second I was imagining educational films with completely inappropriate and indulgent gothic fantasy.

Right. And no gory workplace accidents either, if memory serves.

I watched a bit of the drinking/driving educational film by the Carnival of Souls director. I love grade-Z black and white schlock, but it's pretty wretched.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh30DWaOuzk

Has anyone else seen Forklift Driver Klaus?

It was a super gory German comedy short film in the style of a health and safety video. It was on tv when I was in high school and in retrospect in was unusually popular for a foreign short film, maybe it got several repeats because quite a few people seemed to know about it.

Well worth searching for, it was hilarious.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forklift_Driver_Klaus_-_The_First_Day_on_the_Job
http://www.staplerfahrerklaus.de/

Watch it on the English section.

Will do, thanks! Way off topic for this thread, but if you like that sort of thing, this is a spot-on audio parody. If the crunching celluloid, wobbly music and wooden acting don't hook you in the first :30 seconds...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNa9WdayY-M

should i go see Nosferatu in a 1929 movie palace with a pipe organ tomw night, or The Exorcist for the first time?

http://www.loewsjersey.org/films/92-nosferatu

http://www.movingimage.us/visit/calendar/2014/10/24/detail/the-exorcist

love Let's Scare Jessica to Death btw. does a lot with a little, great atmosphere maintained throughout, almost Polanski-esque in places, predictable but awesome "twist" ending etc. thx for the rec folks

xp I don't The Exorcist will appeal much to you based on your dislike of most horror, but even then it is worth it for the Lee J. Cobb/Jason Miller interaction and performances if nothing else. But AFAIC it's a must-see for horror fans but won't leave much of a gap if you never see it.

Exorcist was on TV last night and even with all my reservations about posession movies expressed on that other thread, it really is great. I don't see how a nice catholic boy like Morbz could resist

also when the devil is yelling "fuck him in the ass" at von sydow... I see that line a bit differently in light of the church's paedo proclivities

Right, great performances on the whole and a genuinely ugly worldview (never did read the last five minutes the way I'm sure Catholics generally do).