Re: Horror Movie Month (My Name is Bruce)
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I'm not sure I agree with you in terms of what I was expecting though. I was expecting to be scared, creeped out, terrified, etc. Those are the things I expect from a horror film. Instead I got poor acting and dull 20 minutes conversations in between doors closing and bed sheets moving. If the things that did happen in the film weren't that troubling, than how am I supposed to be disturbed by the things that I "can't see" or "don't happen?" I agree with you that this is a different style of horror movie and I think this style of horror movie can work, it just didn't this time. Drag Me To Hell was a far better horror movie, I don't care what style. It was genuinely scarier and more fun to watch. Also, I just watched "Coraline" a couple nights ago and parts of that were much scarier than anything in Paranormal Activity. I think the horror genre is the most difficult to make a good film out of. I feel like there may be less than 30 or 20 great horror films ever made, and I appreciate the direction that the Paranormal Activity people went, but just because it's somewhat original doesn't mean it's any good. |
Re: Horror Movie Month (My Name is Bruce)
I understand what Mana is saying, but I still think it was a terrible horror movie, but I do understand how it worked with some people.
Or at least I think I do, much like the Blair Witch, I think people create a scenario in their head in which this could happen to them. I mean I never expect Freddy or Jason to pop up, but for weird unexplainable things to happen in your home... I'm sure that happens to us all. I'm sure there are people who started hearing voices and footprints after this movie because it can work on that level, but watching it... I just felt they talked too much. |
Re: Horror Movie Month (My Name is Bruce)
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As an aside, after I wrote that commonly held belief "the scariest things are what you don't see", I thought about taking that to the extreme. Imagine a film of just an empty room and nothing else. No characters, no explanation, nothing. Not scary at all. Of course, someone might randomly imagine something spooky going on in the room, but far many more would imagine nothing spooky if anything at all. I guess the "nothing is more" only works if the film makers are able to point your imagination in the right direction, through the plot and sight and sound. And if they are unable to do that with the viewer, then you're left in the empty room scenario. Your imagination doesn't fill in the blinks with anything spooky, and the film falls flat. It's like Todo came in and you're left with "pay no attention to that man behind the curtain." Quote:
Remember the Doctor Octopus tentacle scene in Spider Man 2? It was a genuinely creepy scene, but I remember laughing out loud in the theater all throughout because it's the exact same style he uses in his Evil Dead series, with the camera controlled by the tentacle in Spider Man and controlled by the trees/etc. in Evil Dead. I also agree Coraline had some very creepy scenes. Quote:
But I never imagined footprints or weird noises. Coming from Paranormal Activity, the scariest thing for me to think about is what happens or could happen when you are asleep and no one is there to notice. What if you woke up one night to find your girlfriend/boyfriend standing over you silently? If you set up a camera watching you sleep, what strange things might you catch? |
Re: Horror Movie Month (My Name is Bruce)
Drag Me to Hell was amazing. Fun movie to watch, haha
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Re: Horror Movie Month (My Name is Bruce)
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Re: Horror Movie Month (My Name is Bruce)
Paranormal Activity plays on a pretty normal psychological fear: what happens when you are asleep. I happen to sleepwalk, so I can semi-relate to the film. My girlfriend also suffers night terrors. And finally, my mom is Psychotic, so she will go on zombie-walks at 4am doing all sorts of weird shit (when she's unmedicated). Have you ever seen what a psychotic patient looks like after _LITERALLY_ not sleeping for about 2 or 3 weeks straight? They look exactly like a demon-possessed person in need of an Exorcism.
There's a shitload of psychological research that has emerged in the past 100 years that supports a more grounded or logical explanation for early Exorcism/demon mythology. The fact that Paranormal Activity played off some of these very real psychological cues creeped me out. I also spend many nights sleeping with the GF, and I thought Paranormal Activity exploited that very real and normal psychological aspect of life as well. Love it or hate it, I thought it was a well-made movie that surpasses a lot of the shit that has come out in theaters dubbed "horror" in the past few years. I eagerly await the day you all live with people who sleepwalk or go bump in the night. |
Re: Horror Movie Month (My Name is Bruce)
I find the dichotomy you guys are creating between Paranormal Activity and Drag Me To Hell to be highly entertaining. :p
Talk about two completely different styles of horror, proving that the horror genre is perhaps the most eclectic. |
Re: Horror Movie Month (My Name is Bruce)
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But look how many personal steps it took you to be scared of the movie. It's like it was made for your life, and made it more personal, and hence more scary. I love psychology and if/when I go back to school that's probably what I'll study and what you bring up about possession is super interesting. I was talking to a friend last night and he was saying one of his friends back in Pakistan had a 1-year old child who started speaking perfect English to them (which he was never taught). He was terrified about the idea of possession and that's why he thought the movie was scary as well. My problem with PA is that I guess I couldn't quite relate as much. Maybe it's because I saw it when I was 12, but I give the Exorcist credit for really scaring me. I think the element of a defenseless/innocent young girl gives it that extra edge. Anyway, I still am not a fan, but I at least see where you guys are coming from. I'm still not sure if anything will ever get it as right as The Shining did. That's my favorite horror film for sure. |
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Or maybe I was the drunk guy, I don't remember. I do believe that people can be possessed, but I just wouldn't go on second or third hand stories like these. |
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Re: Horror Movie Month (My Name is Bruce)
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I stayed in a "haunted" room, room 417, while I was there. All I can say is, if any paranormal activity occurred, we slept right through it. So did you or did you not like Blair Witch? I'm assuming no because of your opinion on PA. |
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