I really thought "horror" movies didn't scare me until

[greatcyber]

Back when it was originally released, the media had made such a hype about it and people were passing out from fright and having heart attacks so frequently that ambulances were waiting outside.

The fact that it was based loosely on a true story and the more suggestive aspects of it, I suppose, were what made it such a sensation.

[howlinwolfrecords]

I agree - THE DESCENT was one that got me going a bit and had some seriously creepy imagery - and that comes from someone who has watched more than my fair share of Horror Films.

Horror films are like taking a prescription that becomes addictive and requires a higher dose the longer you take it to achieve the same results. For that reason, most horror films these days have little or no impact on me - unless they are really great films of the genre (or at least great to me because that is very subjective).

One of the other postings mentioned Phantasm - that is a horror film I really loved also - Angus Scrimm who played 'the tall man' is one of the most gentle types in person and yet on film could not have made for a creepier more sinister villain. I will always wish Don Conscarelli had been given the opportunity to do a fifth installment for Phantasm. The first four were all interesting in different ways and had worthy elements.

[jadelee]

The Descent you say?Unfortunately i haven't seen it yet, but i will cause no horror film i ever watched produced an impression on me. Wanna be scared for real!

[greatcyber]

Just watched the skeptic and the dunwich horror last night. I wasn't frightened...dang!

[Dom Stone]

I saw this as a few DVD's were given to me.

What I found surprising was that this film was creepy before anything even happened, and I think I was pretty scared throughout the entire film.

I believe (Correct me if I'm wrong), that the director was inspired by music by a composer for another film, and wanted to make something new using that same composer. It made the whole thing chilling in general.

What ruins it for the film is that it turns into more of an action film, and most of the horror (That was built on suspense and the unknown) gets lost, and it turns into your average gore flick. But yea, definatly the movie to show on a first date. =]

[Bondarus]

There is a panish horror film called .REC which is probably the last horror film that I really enjoyed/jumped at.

I think the americans remade it and called it Quarantine, although I can't vouch for how good this is.

My all time favourite film is the sci-fi/horror classic 'The Thing'.

Directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell, it is a film I can watch again and again.

[Contratrombone64]

Bondarus - nice to see you here AND I totally agree with you about "The Thing" it is one of my all time favourite scare-the-bejesus horror films which I saw when it was first released (in the late 70s or early 80s)

[Contratrombone64]

I've now seen the original "The Thing" in black and white, quite good really and interesting as a reference point to the 1981 remake.

[Soubasse]

How odd - The Thing came up recently on another forum I'm on. Yep, that's certainly one of my fave monster/horror flicks and even the 1951 movie was not without it's scare value. Carpenters version however, was more faithful to the Campbell story Who Goes There (1938). The first of the Alien films is still the best IMO.

My wife and I have been watching quite a few foreign films on Foxtel recently, quite a few of which have been thriller/horrors. Unfortunately, I can't remember the titles of any of them and there was a really rather good one about a group of hikers who come across a little-known Incan (I think) pyramid. The structure is practically engulfed in a nastly plant that turns out to be the primary antagonist by infecting its victims and basically devouring them from the inside. The party are trapped at the top of the pyramid by a group of local militants who obviously know what the plant does and do not allow them to leave.

If that sounds familiar to anyone, I'd love to have my memory jogged as I've been unable to turn up anything with various key-word searches on the 'net!

[Contratrombone64]

You're a credit to dementia, Soubasse. Sounds like a fascinating film, please prod-your-grey-cells and get me the title!

[Soubasse]

Don't hold your breath! I've even scoured the World Movies page and haven't hit anything yet. If I don't find something soon, I think some regression hypnotherapy will be in order.

Watched District 9 last night. A lot of it came off the screen like a Verhoeven film, and it could have been a bit silly but was for the most part strangely compelling. The aliens were generally more human than the humans. Some scenes were clear echoes of the Sth African Apartheid situations in the 70s.

[Contratrombone64]

Soubasse District 9

Hence the title "District 9" of course, which is obvious if you know anything about where coloured and blacks were segregated to in Jo'burg by the regime.

I didn't like it at all, frankly. The only part of the film I was engaged by was the enormous space ship hovering over the city, now that WAS spectacular. The "mock-u-mentary" way the first half of it was filmed irked me no end.

[Fretless]

My wife and I have been watching quite a few foreign films on Foxtel recently, quite a few of which have been thriller/horrors. Unfortunately, I can't remember the titles of any of them and there was a really rather good one about a group of hikers who come across a little-known Incan (I think) pyramid. The structure is practically engulfed in a nastly plant that turns out to be the primary antagonist by infecting its victims and basically devouring them from the inside. The party are trapped at the top of the pyramid by a group of local militants who obviously know what the plant does and do not allow them to leave.

I think the movie you're looking for is called The Ruins. Haven't seen it, but I keep up with a lot of the horror films on the web.

Soubasse District 9

Hence the title "District 9" of course, which is obvious if you know anything about where coloured and blacks were segregated to in Jo'burg by the regime.

I didn't like it at all, frankly. The only part of the film I was engaged by was the enormous space ship hovering over the city, now that WAS spectacular. The "mock-u-mentary" way the first half of it was filmed irked me no end.

Just saw this recently and loved all of it. I was skeptical that I would be able to get into the documentary style it used, but I was sucked in right away. A few scotches helped, too.

[Contratrombone64]

Ahhhhh, my dear Fretless (long time no see by the way). Scottish tipple help's with ALL life's problems ... er, except that is, of course, for hang-overs...

[Soubasse]

I think the movie you're looking for is called The Ruins.

Many, many thanks! Have just Googled it and indeed that's the one! Surprised to notice that a lot of it was apparently shot in Australia. Am now trying to think where. I was wrong about the pyramid temple, the setting was Mexican, not Incan.

CT, the significance of the title District 9 was alas not that obvious to me since my knowledge on the Sth African segregation issues did not extend that far, but having recently re-watched Cry Freedom I've just twigged since you've mentioned it. I'm sure I recall a reference to District 6 there, so now it makes sense with the inversion of the number.

Now that my other dementia has been cleared by Fretless , you may like to try The Ruins. It had a vaguely similar vibe to The Descent, but with some of the more visceral content an little more obvious.