Taking Sides: The Exorcist Vs The Omen Vs The Amityville Horror

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The point I'm aiming at is that you can still find the film effective without being of a particular faith (or of any faith at all).

Maybe, but you'd have to be watching/reacting to the film in the most passive of possible ways.

Eric H. (Eric H.), Monday, 7 February 2005 19:48 (nineteen years ago) link

Well, what can i tell you,....I'm a lapsed Catholic with nothing but disdain for organized religion, and I still find it completely chilling.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 7 February 2005 19:58 (nineteen years ago) link

It's fucking hilarious man... "Yer mother sucks cocks in hell" now look at my head spin, whhheeeeeee. It's a laugh riot for the second half.

The Shining is just dull.

C-Man (C-Man), Monday, 7 February 2005 21:20 (nineteen years ago) link

No Uwe Boll films for comparison? Saddening.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 7 February 2005 21:21 (nineteen years ago) link

Please read out where I said the sole Boll film I've ever seen (House of the Dead) was good.

C-Man (C-Man), Monday, 7 February 2005 21:26 (nineteen years ago) link

Oh yeah.....Brit Eckland slapping a wall with her fat flabby ass while Edward Woodward cowers under his sheets....TERRIFYING!!!!!!

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 7 February 2005 21:30 (nineteen years ago) link

The Shining is just dull.

Will you ever shut up on this? You've converted no one, FYI.

That musical number isn't terrifying, but it is effective. Terror is merely one of the emotions that gets screentime in The Wicker Man... unlike The Exorcist, which (as C-Man suggests) completely falls apart if you aren't respecting the film's demands that "YOU WILL BE SCARED, MOTHERFUCKER!!!"

One laugh literally destroys the film for at least five minutes.

Eric H. (Eric H.), Monday, 7 February 2005 22:12 (nineteen years ago) link

IT'S NOT BRITT'S ASS!!!

(They used a stunt double)

I've covinced no one The Shining is dull huh? How about Mick Garris and Stephen King who remade it as a telly movie in order to try and put right what Kubrick did wrong?

C-Man (C-Man), Monday, 7 February 2005 22:19 (nineteen years ago) link

But King's redo was shit, Calum.

milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Monday, 7 February 2005 22:21 (nineteen years ago) link

In a way, Kubrick also did 2001, A Clockwork Orange and
Barry Lyndon wrong.

Bumfluff, Monday, 7 February 2005 22:25 (nineteen years ago) link

You specifically convinced King that Kubrick fucked his novel up, Calum?

Somehow, I don't buy it, unless you're Satan himself.

Eric H. (Eric H.), Monday, 7 February 2005 22:50 (nineteen years ago) link

The Shining was honoured at The Razzies when it first came out. A bit unfair if you ask me. That puts it in the presence of Freddy Got Fingered which at least had entertainment value.

C-Man (C-Man), Monday, 7 February 2005 23:02 (nineteen years ago) link

The first time I saw "The Shining", I hated it.

The second time I saw it, it was amazing.

The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 7 February 2005 23:06 (nineteen years ago) link

Really? Second time I saw it I figured I was right first time around.

C-Man (C-Man), Monday, 7 February 2005 23:11 (nineteen years ago) link

Calum, we're just going to have to agree to disagree on this. You find The Wicker Man scary, when it's no scarier than an episode of The Twillight Zone (and I'm being kind). A great film? Certainly,...but it's just not scary.

The Shining is both (a) brilliant and (b) scary, as is The Exorcist.

Amityvill Horror is just a bad movie from start to finish.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 7 February 2005 23:55 (nineteen years ago) link

The list of films that Razzie has honored in its 25 years probably has almost as many truly great films in its ranks (along with the admitted bonafide disasters) as a list of the Oscar nominees from the same period.

Hell, I'd argue that 1980's Razzie slate was far and away better than Oscars.

Dressed to Kill, The Shining, Cruising, and the guilty-pleasure double shot of Can't Stop the Music and Xanadu

vs.

Ordinary People, Private Benjamin, Raging Bull, and Fame

I'll take the former group any day. (Though, to be fair, Razzie also had The Jazz Singer and Oscar also had Tess, so I'm not talking clean sweep in either direction.)

Anyway, The Shining was not nominated for worst picture. Stanley Kubrick and Shelly Duvall were both nominated, but neither actually won. So the extent to which it was "actually honoured" is surely up for debate.

Eric H. (Eric H.), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 00:03 (nineteen years ago) link

Raging Bull is better than any film on either list. Private Benjiman and Fame are both above average movies. Cruising is okay-ish, Dressed to Kill is Argento-lite. The others barely warrant passing a mention...

C-Man (C-Man), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 00:08 (nineteen years ago) link

The Exorcist is not at all scary if you saw the Scary Movie X spoof of it first. My reaction was "Oh, wow, it IS actually that cheesy?" The Shining was the only one of the three above that was scary. I mean, the kid standing silently by his mom's bed with a knife, something about that stuck with me even though it wasn't the part that was supposed to be scariest.

Maria (Maria), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 00:09 (nineteen years ago) link

Salem's Lot!!!

gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 00:11 (nineteen years ago) link

Salem's Lot is excellent, agreed.

C-Man (C-Man), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 00:24 (nineteen years ago) link

It scared the shit out of me as a kid, also: Ghost Story.

gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 00:25 (nineteen years ago) link

Raging Bull is better than any film on either list.

No it's not.

Private Benjiman and Fame are both above average movies.

No they're not.

Dressed to Kill is Argento-lite.

No it's not.

The others barely warrant passing a mention.

Yes they do.

Eric H. (Eric H.), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 02:46 (nineteen years ago) link

Raging Bull - dud???

HAHAHAHA

C-Man (C-Man), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 09:31 (nineteen years ago) link

Did I say dud?!?! No!!

I said I prefer Dressed to Kill and Cruising (also, incidentally, about the tragedy of masculinity)... which from my mouth is not anything resembling an insult.

Eric H. (Eric H.), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 09:48 (nineteen years ago) link

In what kind of bizarre world is Cruising or Dressed to Kill even fit to lick the shoes of Raging Bull? Have you seen Argento's Bird With the Crystal Plumage or Deep Red? Dressed to Kill aint even fit to lick the boots of that let alone Raging flipping Bull.

And Cruising is merely an okay film.

C-Man (C-Man), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 10:22 (nineteen years ago) link

you got it all wrong. raging bull isnt fit to lick the shoes of cruising or dressed to kill.

and dario argento is merely an okay filmmaker.

bass braille (....), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 10:27 (nineteen years ago) link

that was easy :D

bass braille (....), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 10:27 (nineteen years ago) link

The Exorcist is not at all scary if you saw the Scary Movie X spoof of it first.

Is there any one else on ILX who prefers Reposessed to The Exorcist?

caitlin (caitlin), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 10:35 (nineteen years ago) link

any post Naked Gun comedy starring Leslie Neilsen is horrible by law. this law applies to any movie with the song "Devil in the Blue Dress" as well. thats two strikes.

charleston charge (chaki), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 10:45 (nineteen years ago) link

Thankfully, the opinions of Mr Bass will always be a complete and utter minority.

C-Man (C-Man), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 10:53 (nineteen years ago) link

youre right, i was exaggerating. argento is sub-okay at best. what a total hack, ridiculous. hasnt made a single good film. i think everyone who has seen an argento film without being hyped up would be with me on this.

bass braille (....), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 11:38 (nineteen years ago) link

I've only seen one Argento film - and I did, indeed, think it was a bit rubbish.

caitlin (caitlin), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 11:46 (nineteen years ago) link

Suspria in "being rubbish" shocker.

Jesus.

C-Man (C-Man), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 11:49 (nineteen years ago) link

i was shocked too, yes.

bass braille (....), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 11:50 (nineteen years ago) link

I didn't think it was mathematically possible, but everyone on this thread, despite all disagreeing with each other, has managed to be utterly and totally wrong on at least one count.

Have you seen Argento's Bird With the Crystal Plumage or Deep Red?

Yes. As well as Tenebrae.

Dressed to Kill aint even fit to lick the boots of that let alone Raging flipping Bull.

Wrong. It stands shoulder with the best of the year, nevermind if that entails being compared to Raging Bull or to The Shining or to Inferno.

There is at least one OTM comment on the thread as of late, though. Bass is absolutely right that responding to Calum is just that easy. But calling Argento sub-okay at best is astonishingly wrong. (It is possible to see worth in both Argento as well as De Palma.)

Eric H. (Eric H.), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 17:54 (nineteen years ago) link

I am not interested in tearing down the movies I dislike on this thread, but to defend the ones I do. You seem more interested in doing the opposite, Calum, which is why you're getting nothing but indifferent "agreed"/"disagreed" responses from me.

Eric H. (Eric H.), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 17:56 (nineteen years ago) link

The only thing I said on this thread is that I thought "The Shining" was brilliant after seeing it a second time (in a theatre setting)! How is that wrong?

The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 17:58 (nineteen years ago) link

Eric - Dressed to Kill fumbles up its final act and never manages to sustain its initial suspense. Michael Caine is an unconvincing baddie and horribly miscast - although kudos to DePalma for taking a chance. I really love DePalma and I do not hate Dressed to Kill - a recent repeat viewing reminded me of just how average it is - but along with Raising Cain it is the least of his work. Apparently DePalma and Argento don't get along - but this has never stopped DePalma going into Argento's territory and making Americanised giallos - Dressed to Kill and Raising Cain are the two examples. Although I admire Raising Cain for its nod to Tenebrae at the end, I think it's worse than Dressed to Kill.

Calling Argento sub-okay is an astonishing lapse in taste, I agree. His best work is superior to virtually ever other foreign filmmaker at the time.

C-Man (C-Man), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 18:03 (nineteen years ago) link

I wouldn't go so far as to say that Argento is superior to every other foreign filmmaker at the time, because I don't presume to know the better portion of the work of other filmmakers and, even so, I'm sort of the type that doesn't like to hold anyone "first among equals" or whatever. There were lots of filmmakers at the time who were all hitting strides of a sort in that period, but I'm in agreement that Argento is a major player.

Re: Dressed to Kill and the De Palma vs. Argento angle, I see the surface similarities, and understand that both directors' fetishizing of surfaces does sort of put their similarities to the forefront, but I don't think that even at their most similar (Cain of Tenebrae) they're aiming at the same thing. Argento sees the human body as an extention of architecture, and typically the destruction of the body is parcelled out along with and frequently by the destruction of masonry, windows, so on. De Palma's take on psychology is far more social than Argento. I can't remember where I read it but someone once said De Palma is the strict Freudian and Argento the Jungian. Or something to that effect. I'm not saying I agree with the statement, but do accept it as evidence of the two's stylistic divergences.

Dan, if that's all you said, you haven't said anything wrong yet. I was being flippant anyway.

Eric H. (Eric H.), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 18:34 (nineteen years ago) link

Amityville 2 is better than Amityville 1 and so, so much better than Dressed to Kill.

C-Man (C-Man), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 23:30 (nineteen years ago) link

Amityville 2 is better than Amityville 1 and so, so much better than Dressed to Kill.

Cripes, they have nothing to do with each other. I mean, why don't you compare it to Kramer vs. Kramer and a driver's ed film while you're at it?

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 00:08 (nineteen years ago) link

Amityville 3 had 3-D and incest and still managed to suck.

shookout (shookout), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 01:49 (nineteen years ago) link

hahhaha

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 01:52 (nineteen years ago) link

Alex OTM. You are grasping at straws now, C-.

Eric H. (Eric H.), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 05:53 (nineteen years ago) link

FUCK The Amityville Horror. Fuck it in the ass. FUCK that movie. It was the spawn of one of the worst experiences of my life, namely my ex-roommate seeing the film and becoming convinced we HAD TO GO TO AMITYVILLE TO SEE THE NONEXISTANT HOUSE.

Ugh. Worst. Night. Of. My. Life. I can't even think of that movie without retching now.

Allyzay Dallas Multi-Pass (allyzay), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 05:55 (nineteen years ago) link

"amityville horror" is schlock, and not even particularly entertaining schlock. I've seen enough of Argento's movies to know that even his best work is vastly inferior to that of Herzog or Tarkovski. This is based on me watching these films, and my reaction to them, fuck what "the critics" think!

Pashmina (Pashmina), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 09:20 (nineteen years ago) link

Fuckssake if you're going to criticise a filme criticise the right one. It was Part 2 that had incest and PArt 3 that was in 3-D. Amityville 1 and 2 scare me, The Exorcist - for instance - does not. That's how you judge a great horror film. Warner Herzog at his best is not a par with Argento at his best IMO.

C-Man (C-Man), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 09:33 (nineteen years ago) link

Ally, the house is still standing with residents.

C-Man (C-Man), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 09:51 (nineteen years ago) link

Being old, I can remember when "The Amityville Horror" came aout, and all the hype associated w/it. How it was the scariest film ever, and all that. To say that it didn't live up to that is an understatement. If "Amityville" scares you, good grief man, do you jump when a floorboard creaks in the night? Argento was the Paul Verhoeven of the '70's-early eighties - a hack who happened to have a cinematic eye, Herzog was, and still is an artist. Take a look at a list of their films. When I mentioned that I'd bought a DVD of "Aguirre", you hadn't even seen it! "Aguirre" isn't even the best Herzog film, and it's much better than any Argento I've ever seen!!

Pashmina (Pashmina), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 10:37 (nineteen years ago) link

...a good cinematic eye, that shd read.

Pashmina (Pashmina), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 10:37 (nineteen years ago) link

John Carpenter is my fave filmmaker ever quite possibly, so no I mean it – you are a complete fecking fool.

C-Man (C-Man), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 12:34 (nineteen years ago) link

and you are an admirer of worthless directors.

bass braille (....), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 12:38 (nineteen years ago) link

and a douchebag :p

bass braille (....), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 12:39 (nineteen years ago) link

Worthless in the opinion of one person: YOU. And you're slamming other great filmmakers so, you know, fuck you.

C-Man (C-Man), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 12:45 (nineteen years ago) link

worthless in the opinion of anyone who actually sees movies instead of appreciating a critically acclaimed film or whatever it is you do instead of watching the bloody screen.

bass braille (....), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 12:50 (nineteen years ago) link

You really are stupid.

C-Man (C-Man), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 12:52 (nineteen years ago) link

no YOU are stupid.

bass braille (....), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 12:53 (nineteen years ago) link

we have invented the perpetuum mobile here, no?

bass braille (....), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 12:54 (nineteen years ago) link

Dude, you are slagging off directors that – in all seriousness – only you are completely writing off. A minority of one.

C-Man (C-Man), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 12:58 (nineteen years ago) link

nah, im sure there are others. and what if the people who praise those directors only do it because they want to be on the side of majority?

bass braille (....), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 13:03 (nineteen years ago) link

Ally, the house is still standing with residents.

Calum, IIRC from my childhood, the house was torn down by a suburban real estate developer and built into a new house on the lot, because no one wanted a house that dorky asswads like my ex-roommate kept coming to harrass. I could very well be wrong about this, but if I'm wrong, the entirety of Long Island is wrong too.

Allyzay Dallas Multi-Pass (allyzay), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 15:42 (nineteen years ago) link

I have no idea. I thought it was the same one still standing (and just watched two docs on the new special ed DVD which indicates as much and shows pics).

I'd definately seek it out.

C-Man (C-Man), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 15:54 (nineteen years ago) link

Could the pics be old, though? Like might it be late 80s/early 90s, because that's when I recall this rumor/not rumor coming into being, that the house was torn down due to unsellability issues.

The other issue being that there's about 10 houses on that block that look quite similar to it so really I have no idea how anyone would find it anyway.

Allyzay Dallas Multi-Pass (allyzay), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 15:56 (nineteen years ago) link

wasn't the amityville episode shown to be a hoax? or at least a good case made that it was? not that it really matters, lol.

latebloomer (latebloomer), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 16:05 (nineteen years ago) link

Can I just cut & paste this?

I've covinced no one The Shining is dull huh? How about Mick Garris and Stephen King who remade it as a telly movie in order to try and put right what Kubrick did wrong?

WTF?? You've got to be kidding, right? Steven King as film-maker?? ROFFLE, man. You've seen maximum overdrive?

Dude, bass braille just fuckin' j-pwned you.

Pashmina (Pashmina), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 16:17 (nineteen years ago) link

Stephen King just hates people messing with his novels.

The TV movie version of the Shing=teh suck.

latebloomer (latebloomer), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 16:19 (nineteen years ago) link

I never said King could direct, and Maximum Overdrive is terrible, so how was I owned?

I simply pointed out that King and Garris thought so little of the Kubrick movie they went and did it themselves. The TV version is definitely more entertaining than the Kubrick film, but I really like Garris as a director.

C-Man (C-Man), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 17:12 (nineteen years ago) link

Didn't King make room for both of the Frank Darabont-cum-Norman Rockwell wankfests on his list of his ten favorite film adaptations of his own work as printed in the pages of Entertainment Weekly?

It's sort of sad to reconcile his totally pedestrian taste as of late with the list of great horror films as listed in the back of Danse Macabre.

Eric H. (Eric H.), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 17:34 (nineteen years ago) link

The Shawshank Redemption remains one of the best adaptations without any doubt.

C-Man (C-Man), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 18:06 (nineteen years ago) link

Every once in a great, great while, C-man says something that actually makes sense. this is one of those times. Savor it, as there won't be another one for a long time.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 18:06 (nineteen years ago) link

haha hes so mor you cant run him over anymore.

bass braille (....), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 18:14 (nineteen years ago) link

You're a twat laddy.

C-Man (C-Man), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 18:33 (nineteen years ago) link

no YOU are a twat. and your mum stinks.

bass braille (....), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 18:40 (nineteen years ago) link

C-Man: "The Shawshank Redemption remains one of the best adaptations without any doubt."

Alex in NYC: "Every once in a great, great while, C-man says something that actually makes sense. this is one of those times."

Eric H.: *begins packing his bags and hightailing it right the fuck out of this demented thread.*

Eric H. (Eric H.), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 18:59 (nineteen years ago) link

Argento's daughter Asia is hot as all hell.

shookout (shookout), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 20:19 (nineteen years ago) link

six years pass...

the omen ain't no exorcist, but it's still completely awesome. and the decapitation scene is funnier than anything i've ever seen in any charlie chaplin film.

KARLOR CAN FUCK ANYTHING! AND HE WILL AND HAS!!! (Eisbaer), Sunday, 3 July 2011 11:50 (twelve years ago) link

In what kind of bizarre world is Cruising or Dressed to Kill even fit to lick the shoes of Raging Bull? Have you seen Argento's Bird With the Crystal Plumage or Deep Red? Dressed to Kill aint even fit to lick the boots of that let alone Raging flipping Bull.

And Cruising is merely an okay film.

― C-Man (C-Man), Tuesday, February 8, 2005 5:22 AM (6 years ago) Bookmark

c-man was mostly a twat, but here he speaks the Gospel truth.

KARLOR CAN FUCK ANYTHING! AND HE WILL AND HAS!!! (Eisbaer), Sunday, 3 July 2011 11:52 (twelve years ago) link

i'm with TV Cream http://www.tvcream.co.uk/?p=12585

piscesx, Sunday, 3 July 2011 12:17 (twelve years ago) link

six years pass...

I need to know what wins in the end! Is it the hardcore fucking that takes place in the next panel?

The Wetting Planner (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 24 October 2017 12:27 (six years ago) link

Man, I hated Calum in this thread.

Anne of the Thousand Gays (Eric H.), Tuesday, 24 October 2017 12:45 (six years ago) link


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