With Halloween approaching i thought it would be fun to look at some things that scare the shit out of me.
1- 1970's horror films. I think this has a lot to do with me being a kid in the 70's watching these movies. I also appreciate the way these films look more realistic without all the "blue" lighting to symbolize night. I also like to watch a scene "play out" in its own time, not fast, Mtv type cuts and stupid genre music interludes. These are some of my Favorites and as a 40 year old man who doesn't scare too easy most days, these still give me the willies.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
My parents actually took me to the theater to see this. I have never seen a scarier film. The music, the sound effects, the lighting, the realism. No one has ever come close to this kind of masterpiece. All without showing a drop of blood or a severed head. No gratuitous sex scenes or boob shots. Near the end when the girl jumps outside the house into the daylight i felt numb. I felt like i had been dragged to Hell and let loose. I have never truly felt safe in this world after seeing this film
The Exorcist
If (to me) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the Granddaddy of scary films then The Exorcist is the Mother of all scary films. This film made a 9 year old scary. Frightening really.Those long shots down the hall with Reagans door in view,scary. A door, it made A DOOR look scary! I can think of no better compliment than that.
The Sentinel
I remember seeing this on T.V. as a kid. ON T.V. If i remember correctly this film had real amputees in the film portraying denizens of Hell. It also introduced my feeble mind to the idea that there are 7 gates on Earth that lead to Hell.
Beyond The Door
Never saw this one. Why? Because the Damn T.V. commercial was enough to freak me out for weeks. I used to avoid T.V. when certain shows were opening in theaters for fear of seeing T.V. spots like the one above.
(Matango) Attack of the Mushroom People
In Chicago we had a show on Saturday nights called The Son of Svenghoulie that showed old horror movies of the Karloff, Lugosi variety. Scary films in there own right but again it was the 1970's stuff that scared me. One night he showed Attack of the Mushroom People. I expected a rubber suited Godzilla type film. I saw a surreal nightmare that has never left my mind.
to be continued...
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One of the highlights of this past year, was getting to watch Texas Chainsaw with my son for the first time (I decided that 12 was the right age. The Exorcist still scares the crap out of me... I think it always will.
ReplyDeleteI'll need to rent Attack of the Mushroom People. That sounds like a good one.