Favorite Top 5 Classic Horror Films

[Shellhead]

Although I am a big fan of horror movies, I have zero interest in torture porn like Hostel or some of the more extreme Japanese movies. I have avoided Rob Zombie's movies because the trailers give a vibe that falls somewhere between grindhouse, snuff flicks and torture porn. I do like some of Rob Zombie's music, especially Living Dead Girl and More Human Than Human.

[MDG]

Monster Squad

Saw this again last year with the director in attendance--better than I remembered.

...Willard.

The original of which seemed to have dropped out of sight--don't recall it ever showing on cable doesn't appear to be on DVD. But very scary when I saw it.

What do you horror fans think of 'House of 1000 Corpses'? I thought it was interesting, mainly because the director, Rob Zombie, was obviously so into the genre - which is one I'm not a great fan of myself, however. Never got around to catching the sequel.

Like some other recent movies, tries for a 70s feel, but is too slick for its own good. And just throws stuff out there. I think I like the idea of Rob Zombie, but I don't care for his music. On the other hand, the records he produced for The Ghastly Ones and The Bomboras, and the Halloween Hootenanny CD are great, including the art direction.

...I do like some of Rob Zombie's music, especially Living Dead Girl...

I really like Jean Rollin's movie Living Dead Girl.

I'm a big giallo fan (wish they were easier to see without having to actually buy a DVD) and like 70s-80s Italian horror (in a check-your-logic-at-the-door kind of sense), especially ones where Italian actors are pretending to be Americans.

[dan bailey]

Gothic--Natasha Richardson was my crush back in the late 80s and here she plays Mary Shelley. And then, of course, there's The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Which movie is the subject of a nice (possibly two-part ... can't quite recall) retrospective in the latest issue of Fangoria, as it happens.

[CSPDX]

Haven't seen it or anything else he's done, but from everything I've read, as a director Zombie is a decent musician.

I enjoyed The Devil's Rejects, a movie about family who also happen to all be sadistic killers. You actually kinda feel bad for them at the end of the pic, even though they do some messed up, horrific stuff. Some funny dialogue, as well.

Wasn't a fan of House of a Thousand Corpses, though. The first time I saw it I was so stoned and paranoid that it scared the crap out of me, but on rewatch it's just cheesy. It was just Texas Chainsaw Massacre except, you know, bad. And way too over-the-top, although I did think the Dwight Schrute fish boy was kinda funny.

[CromagnonMan]

What do you horror fans think of 'House of 1000 Corpses'? I thought it was interesting, mainly because the director, Rob Zombie, was obviously so into the genre - which is one I'm not a great fan of myself, however. Never got around to catching the sequel.

ive seen both 1000 Corpses and the Devils Rejects. They are of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre school of horror, i.e. all about sadism rather than anything else. I dont really enjoy this type of film. Although, Devils Rejects was so over the top it was almost good.

[CSPDX]

ive seen both 1000 Corpses and the Devils Rejects. They are of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre school of horror, i.e. all about sadism rather than anything else. I dont really enjoy this type of film. Although, Devils Rejects was so over the top it was almost good.

I would quibble with defining TCM as being 'all about sadism'. There's many deeper themes to that work. 'House of 1000 Corpses', the arguement could be made, is about 'sadism', although I think Rob Zombie is self-aware enough to have wanted a lot of it to be ironic. Another arguement could be made in how effective he was doing that.

As far as works 'all about sadism', the most obvious answer is Hostel, which is explicitly dealing with sadism as a theme. The plot is about sadistic people doing sadistic things, the commerce of that sadism on screen and off, and how complicent the audience is by their very viewing of the movie. it's themes are interesting, but they beat you over the head with it, and I think Roth lingers on the gore a bit too long. I didn't enjoy the movie, but can apreciate the thought that went into it even if I don't necessarily think they were very successful.

[prince hal]

Why do you think she went into the fruit cellar?

[Greg Anderson]

I can get into "torture porn" if the story is good. A lot of them become style over substance or gore for gore's sake. But if I can find a reason to care for the story and what's going on, I'll enjoy it. Like A Serbian Film. I thought the protagonist and the story was actually pretty damn good despite it being one of THE most disgusting and vile films I've ever seen.

As for Devil's Rejects, I thought it was a damn good film. Much better than House of 1000 Corpses.

[PsychoGoatee]

Suspiria, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Curse of Frankenstein, Friday the 13th part IV: The Final Chapter, Tenebre

[berk]

BTW, anyone seen the Korean film I Saw the Devil ? More a thriller than straight horror, perhaps, but does contain some elements of the genre. I thought it was quite good.

[adam_warlock_2099]

Although I am a big fan of horror movies, I have zero interest in torture porn like Hostel or some of the more extreme Japanese movies. I have avoided Rob Zombie's movies because the trailers give a vibe that falls somewhere between grindhouse, snuff flicks and torture porn. I do like some of Rob Zombie's music, especially Living Dead Girl and More Human Than Human.

I have yet to hear a Rob Zombie song I like. But this song is infectious in my ears for some reason. Maybe it's the love/S&M mood to the song. The music is solid too and really makes it a good "repeat" song on the ipod. Living Dead Girl is the Halloween of his music. I've never cared for his films, but I thought he did a good job on the remake. The sequel however, is back to the same ole Rob Zombie movie, which appeals to me in no way.

"Goldfoot machine
creates another fiend
so beautiful,
they make you kill"

A reference to the Mario Bava film I recently found out about?

[Cei-U!]

More likely a reference to the Vincent Price camp "classic" Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine.

Cei-U!
I summon the rock bottom beach movie!

[MDG]

More likely a reference to the Vincent Price camp "classic" Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine.

Bava directed the sequel, "Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs," the only Bava movie I can't get thorough.

(I used to have a hard time getting through any AIP comedies--essentially, the Beach movies--but if you look at them as a kind of live action MAD, they can be entertaining)

[Cei-U!]

Bava directed the sequel, "Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs," the only Bava movie I can't get thorough.

Never knew there was a sequel, let alone that Bava drected it.

(I used to have a hard time getting through any AIP comedies--essentially, the Beach movies--but if you look at them as a kind of live action MAD, they can be entertaining)

They have moments of perverse inspiration but they're mostly drek.

Cei-U!
I summon Erich Von Zipper!

[dan bailey]

They have moments of perverse inspiration but they're mostly drek.

I'm sure the French think they're masterpieces of existentialist dread. Or something.