Haunted house movies

[Willie Oleson]

I think the horror in Rosemary's Baby relies heavily on that brilliantly creepy apartment building. It's cruel, suffocating, mocking, grotesque - and I often get that feeling from seventies movies (eventhough RB is from 1968).
It's something about the colours and...something else, it's almost a physical experience.

Sometimes the best horror comes from the victim, not the monster. The monster attacks, you already know that.
But if they can translate the fear, the incomprehension and the hysteria to the screen, then you have a great thriller (e.g. The Wicker Man).

Unfortunately, the slashers (and most notable the blatant torture porn like SAW) confused fear with suffering.
But I can't feel the knife, or axe or whatever. So it actually takes me out of the moment, I'm becoming a spectator. And then it's getting mind-numbing pretty fast.
That said, the tree-rape in Evil Dead was quite a thing to watch.

But then again, I don't think people watch slasher movies to feel frightened. Maybe it's more about "haha, that's nothing happening to me", kinda how you survive a rollercoaster ride.
It's just the fun and the thrill.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I think the horror in Rosemary's Baby relies heavily on that brilliantly creepy apartment building. It's cruel, suffocating, mocking, grotesque - and I often get that feeling from seventies movies (eventhough RB is from 1968).

Yes, the late-'60s and the early-70s are like Part 1 & Part 2 of the same era.

Sometimes the best horror comes from the victim, not the monster. The monster attacks, you already know that.
But if they can translate the fear, the incomprehension and the hysteria to the screen, then you have a great thriller (e.g. The Wicker Man).

Unfortunately, the slashers (and most notable the blatant torture porn like SAW) confused fear with suffering.
But I can't feel the knife, or axe or whatever. So it actually takes me out of the moment, I'm becoming a spectator. And then it's getting mind-numbing pretty fast.

​

Exactly right. ​

But then again, I don't think people watch slasher movies to feel frightened. Maybe it's more about "haha, that's nothing happening to me", kinda how you survive a rollercoaster ride.
It's just the fun and the thrill.

Probably.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

In a late-'90s interview, Janet Leigh reflected something that I had thought before -- that the effect of the legendary shower scene in PSYCHO was derived not from how much you saw or how much you didn't see, but by the orchestration of both, and that that's the combination, when carefully blended, that gets inside the audience's collective and individual brains and sticks with you

In a way, this concept is roughly comparable to the use of shadows in cinema -- it's what you see blended with what you don't.

 

[darkshadows38]

there's one called "The Evil' from (1978) also know i think as House of Evil i think? that Roger Corman put out and it's fantastic. they sure don't make them like that anymore sadly. well worth a watch seeing Victor Buono play a demon/satan i forget which but he's brilliant in it!

not like that's a surprise i haven't seen him that many films roles or hell even acting roles where he's not very good so by all means check this one out it's well worth it

 

[Willie Oleson]

How come we haven't discussed the Winchester mansion yet? It's the real ROSE RED.
All those rooms, and doors hidden behind closets, and a staircase that goes nowhere - I love it!

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

How come we haven't discussed the Winchester mansion yet? It's the real ROSE RED.
All those rooms, and doors hidden behind closets, and a staircase that goes nowhere - I love it!

It got bad reviews-- have you seen it?

I just have to satisfy myself with this little 1963 mini-doc, narrated by Lillian Gish, and made in that era most suited for haunted house fare:

Sometimes less is more.

 

[Willie Oleson]

It got bad reviews-- have you seen it?

Yes, it's not bad but the obligatory jump scares makes it look a bit run-of-the-mill. And there's the obligatory investigator-fighting-his-own-demons-which-conveniently-mirrors-the-main-story.

Should the Carrington mansion sponteanously implode in early season 7? "Caress! Help meeeee!"

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Should the Carrington mansion spontaneously implode in early season 7? "Caress! Help meeeee!"

As you must know, I see that happening at the end of Season 10. Thank you, evil Eva Braun.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

By the by, @Willie Oleson , have you gotten around to watching the 1963 original THE HAUNTING?

The face in the wall always sounds to me just like Cardinal Cushing's ghastly delivery of the prayer at JFK's funeral --- even though that was months into the future.

 

[Willie Oleson]

By the by, @Willie Oleson , have you gotten around to watching the 1963 original THE HAUNTING?

No, not yet. There must be a reason why it's not available on YouTube so maybe it's better to buy the DVD.

 

[darkshadows38]

i haven't seen The Haunting either, i did see the remake though and while that is no masterpiece it is a film i've watched a number of times and i do like it. Rose Red I really love and it's a rarity of a horror films that actually did give me nightmares. the idea of if you think about it, the idea of being stuck in part of the house that is still building and you don't know how to get back is scary as hell.

it's just such a brilliant film. you want to know the power of that film? my dad who doesn't watch horror films but for certain ones there are rarities when he will watch them. i mean every few years he will watch at least 1 that's how rare it is. they were on vacation and they had it on at night and he started watching it and my mom went to bed. and he came home cause he missed the ending and it was i think the last hour and i put my dvd in of it and he watched the rest of it and he enjoyed it. the prequel i think is pretty good as well but it's not as good of course. that really is more of a drama than a horror movie anyways.

 

[darkshadows38]

i also like the 13 ghosts remake as well though i do agree that film as a lot of faults in it such as the editing for one. and i love the house on haunted hill and the remake as well actually. i haven't seen the sequel to that to be fair

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I guess THE SHINING is essentially a haunted house movie. Or a haunted hotel movie. I always assume this is what goes on at The Carlton doing the off season.

It's certainly a Kubrick movie. The visuals are striking, but very little is explained -- an approach which works better for 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY than it does a horror movie.

I know this considered blasphemous, but sometimes I find Jack's career-long boorish sociopath routine just exhausting.

 

[Willie Oleson]

It's the ultimate, evil, haunted house movie

OMG, this movie was insufferable! What a massive disappointment!

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

OMG, this movie was insufferable! What a massive disappointment!

Are you talking about the original THE HAUNTING (1963)?

Explain, please.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Explain, please.

There were several things going on that not only make this the most overrated horror movies of all times but also a bad movie in any genre.

1. The characters are all very busy informing the viewer (me) how evil and vile the house is, but they don't show it.
The rooms were beautiful, garish, crammed with details - the way I like it (in movies).


But spooky? I don't think so. The house has zero atmosphere.

2. Everything that happens (not much!) or how the house is being experienced by the characters (a lot!) is expressed in dialogue, monologue or annoying thought-bubbles.
It reminded me of that Tom Hanks stinker "Angels & Demons".

3. In the odd case something frigthening should happen it would have very little effect since the Nell character was always hysterical.

4. So...what happens? The loud boom-boom noise (which is the opposite of subtle creepiness), a place with cold air (could be a draft, or not), the moving door knob (that's not horror, not even in 1963), the bulging door (yes, nice) and the wall decoration that looks like a face (also nice).
But there is nothing strange or bizarre about the house itself, it doesn't seem particularly hostile, menacing or tricky. No sense of disorientation (unless a character says it is).

The Haunting's only saving grace is Claire Bloom as the cool psychic girl.
And also a fabulous camp scene - Nell walks into a room and runs into the curtains, thus creating the ridiculously ineffective idea that she's being attacked by the curtains.

This should have happened to Fallon after she had seen pictures of her "other self" in LB's photo album.

I'm afraid that the Crain House was haunted by over the top melodrama.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Oh, goodness.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I always think Eleanor's nocturnal dancing with the statues and climb up the spiral staircase seems like an ideal thing for Krystle to do in Season 8 as she's losing her mind -- in between all her psychic visions and clairvoyant healings and whatever...

 

[Willie Oleson]

"It's Theo who's wearing velvet, so I must be Eleanor in tweed"

I wondered if it was a pop or cultural reference...well it can't be Eleanor Rigby (but that's what I thought, initially).

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Two incredibly self-conscious guys deliver a mostly positive review for THE HAUNTING:

"It's Theo who's wearing velvet, so I must be Eleanor in tweed"

I wondered if it was a pop or cultural reference...well it can't be Eleanor Rigby (but that's what I thought, initially).

Mary Quant.