What Makes A Scarry Movie?

CabooseCaboose title = name(self, handle) Join Date: 2003-02-15 Member: 13597Members, Constellation
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">I've yet to find one that really scares.</div> Topic can't be more clear than that... What makes a movie scarry?

I've yet to see a movie that scares me, ever... And BTW, I mean "scare" not makes me jump a couple times because of some loud un-expected noise.

I would like to find a movie that actually puts fear into my soul. Somthing like I was actually in the movie rather than being there knowing that somthing can't hurt me.

So uh yea, what makes a movie scarry?
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  • OttoDestructOttoDestruct Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7790Members
    Scary movies are all about atmosphere. Some people say Blair Witch Project has no plot. Well, I kinda have to agree, but it has TONS of atmosphere.
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  • StrabismoStrabismo Join Date: 2003-10-27 Member: 22052Members
    edited September 2004
    It probably fits in "atmosphere" category but the music does everything. Did you ever tried to watch a scene where there is stressing music on the background with the sound turned off? It changes everything.
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  • docchimpydocchimpy Join Date: 2003-07-19 Member: 18266Members
    A truly scary movie would have a villain that cannot be destroyed. In almost every horror movie, the hero/ine figures out a way to stop the villain. Except in the Ring. Obviously the woman could have just destroyed the copy and then killed herself, but NO. She has to let the evil continue. Selfish woman. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    Anyway, I think a vilain that cannot be stopped would be terrifying. When I'm reading Lovecraft, I get chills down my spine not because of graphic violence, or scary monsters, but because of the despair that the heroes ultimately face. While they may be able to delay the coming of Evil, they can not stop it. (Unless you're reading that Derleth stuff. Elder Lords? Pshaw. Evil Uncountered is much better.) Yet they still try, even though it leads them to insanity or death. You admire the hero, and yet are left with a feeling of dread. Beautiful.
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  • CabooseCaboose title = name(self, handle) Join Date: 2003-02-15 Member: 13597Members, Constellation
    I guess my thing is... I see things at face value....

    If there's a movie, I see a moving picture in front of my face. A book, I see words.

    Now, a game... Well, I feel emersed in a game. I can't get verry far in Doom 3 because it scares the poop out of me...

    Anyway, movies and books just don't do that... Haunted houses either. I go through haunted houses knowing where everything is and when people are going to jump out... There was a bloody clown at one that I asked it for a baloon... I got thrown out...

    I thought the BWP was a waste of my time and a waste of film... It was boring and I knew it was a bunch of hooey like all other 'scarry movies'.
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  • esunaesuna Rock Bottom Join Date: 2003-04-03 Member: 15175Members, Constellation
    It sounds like you need to immerse yourself into movies more. As you said, you just see movies as movies, but why can you get immersed in games moreso than a movie?

    My personal favourite horror movies would be Ringu 1-2, Ju-On, House on Haunted Hill, Event Horizon, Hellraiser, etc. Try watching one or two alone, through headphones in a dark room, try and isolate any other noise whatsoever so you can focus on the movie and try and immerse yourself more. There's are movies much scarier than the likes of Doom 3, it just seems that your problems immersing yourself are what stand in the way. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • SnidelySnidely Join Date: 2003-02-04 Member: 13098Members
    Well, some things are needed by someone watching it, as well. If you have no imagination (or keep a very, very tight leash on it), you probably won't be scared by any movie.
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  • CabooseCaboose title = name(self, handle) Join Date: 2003-02-15 Member: 13597Members, Constellation
    <!--QuoteBegin-esuna+Sep 16 2004, 04:50 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (esuna @ Sep 16 2004, 04:50 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> It sounds like you need to immerse yourself into movies more. As you said, you just see movies as movies, but why can you get immersed in games moreso than a movie? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    That's just it though... I can't emerse my self in the movies... Games however, where I have a first person view, where I AM the character... that's a different story.

    I enjoy watching scarry movies, I'm just not scared by them I guess.
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  • RatonetwothreetwooneRatonetwothreetwoone Join Date: 2004-03-23 Member: 27504Members
    imo the ring is scary

    so is killer clowns from outserspace
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  • MausMaus Join Date: 2002-11-03 Member: 5599Members
    Try <i>Audition</i> - it's the only movie I've had to walk out of because I couldn't handle it any more.

    <a href='http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0235198/' target='_blank'>Audition IMDB page</a>
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  • esunaesuna Rock Bottom Join Date: 2003-04-03 Member: 15175Members, Constellation
    <!--QuoteBegin-Rat12321+Sep 16 2004, 10:53 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Rat12321 @ Sep 16 2004, 10:53 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> so is killer clowns from outserspace <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I can't begin to say how hillarious that movie is.

    What you gonna do? Knock my block off!? <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->


    Audition is a bit of an odd one. It's <i>extremely</i> slow throughout it's entire duration, up until the end. I was pretty much fast asleep by the end at which time i thought Audition had ended and some sadistic gore movie had started.
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  • SnidelySnidely Join Date: 2003-02-04 Member: 13098Members
    When you guys talk about Ring, do you mean the American remake (the one that was in cinemas, what, six months ago?) or the original?
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  • esunaesuna Rock Bottom Join Date: 2003-04-03 Member: 15175Members, Constellation
    <!--QuoteBegin-Snidely+Sep 16 2004, 11:00 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Snidely @ Sep 16 2004, 11:00 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> When you guys talk about Ring, do you mean the American remake (the one that was in cinemas, what, six months ago?) or the original? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I mean the original. The remake was good in it's own right, and definately worth a watch, but the original just has that little bit more style and is just a little bit scarier.
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  • SnidelySnidely Join Date: 2003-02-04 Member: 13098Members
    I've heard the same. I was just curious.
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  • docchimpydocchimpy Join Date: 2003-07-19 Member: 18266Members
    edited September 2004
    I've only seen the American Remake once (the original never). We decided to watch it at a sleepover. In a storm. It was funny though, we started off making jokes to offset the creepyness, and were eventually scared into silence.

    Beginning of Movie:
    Doc: Hmm....that womans turning the corner. KNIFE IN THE FACE! Oh, guess not. Hmm....down the sta-KNIFE IN THE FACE! Or not. And she's walking along the hall-KNIFE IN THE FACE! Nope, no knife. The TV turned on by itself, KNIFE. IN. THE. FACE. My god, I can't catch a break today!

    Middle of Movie(the steamboat/ferry scene):

    Gregman!!!!!!!!: For the record, that horse is going to be chopped up.

    (5 min later)

    Gregman!!!!!!: WHO CALLED IT? WHO. CALLED. IT?

    End of movie:
    Doc: The....girl...was...in...the...well....alive......That's.............

    Funny? heh.heh. EEEEEEE!

    Good times.(realize that this was 3 in the morning, and things seemed A LOT funnier at the time.)

    As for not being able to immerse oneself, it's all a matter of letting go. You have to become absorbed in the movie, BELIEVE that you're there. That's what surround sound, and other technology helps do. It helps create the illusion of reality.
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  • JediYoshiJediYoshi The Cupcake Boss Join Date: 2002-05-27 Member: 674Members
    I can't seem to get into a scarry movie in the presence of other people.

    Otherwise it's an open discussion like dochimp's where we make random jokes about what's going on in the movie <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • StrabismoStrabismo Join Date: 2003-10-27 Member: 22052Members
    Scary things that suddenly appears in your face works way better when you concentrate on something on the screen and that you are relaxed. See it by yourself by playing <a href='http://www.energyradio.fm/anm/templates/ftf.aspx?articleid=124&zoneid=5' target='_blank'>this</a> game. (if you cannot go in a roller coaster ride for medical restrictions, it is a good idea to don't play this game)
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  • unreal-xunreal-x Join Date: 2004-06-13 Member: 29287Members
    edited September 2004
    STUPID <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> teens go in to dark rooms alown and yell it out "Is eney one in here...??Im gana get naked and tack a shower...Hello". No mater how fats you ran the killer will always ceach up. <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/mad-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • FieariFieari Join Date: 2002-10-22 Member: 1566Members, Constellation
    Only movie to scare the living daylights out of me for a long period of time was the Exorcist. I didn't sleep that night. I didn't sleep much the next night. I had to actively engage in mental exercizes in order to stop myself from thinking about it. I saw it with a very good friend and his brother. Didn't help. It may not have helped that I am christian and do believe demons exist. The plausability in my mind was high, and thus it scared me witless for a very long time. I still don't like to think about that movie. In my estimation, The Exorcist is the scariest movie ever made, and I would never ever watch it again.

    Event Horizon would be the second scariest movie I've seen, but what made it worse for me is the fact that I've never finished it. Started watching it with a friend, and something or other came up, we paused it, never got around to turning it back on, and so this unfinished scary movie is sitting around in the back of my mind. The incompleteness of it features heavily into why it scared me. Catharsis enables recovery. Come to think of it, the Exorcist didn't have much of a cathartic ending either, which could have contributed.

    Stir of Echoes creeped me the heck out (but gave no otherwise lasting fear). The main character's apparent descent into madness, the startling bits (which were REALLY BLEEDIN FREAKY) and just the whole atmosphere of everything. The movie worked together as a cohesive whole. The unexplained bits helped too. I've heard some mention that it's a movie that sucks after the first viewing, but the first viewing was good enough for me.

    Seven is just creepy. It didn't emotionally effect me as much as it did my friend though, who flipped out over it. The final scene really really disturbed him, understandably so.

    Any other horror movie I can only say was "a good movie" or perhaps a "bad movie"... as I wasn't really emotionally effected by them. Scream was AWESOME, and very intense, but it didn't touch my heart. The Haunted Mansion was not a good movie in my estimation, and bored me. The Shining was brilliant, a superb blood pounding creepy movie with so much depth and raw emotion... but it didn't actually EFFECT me in any meaningful way.


    Please note that I've never seen any scary movie alone, and yet both The Exorcist and Event Horizon both scared me regardless. And don't think we were necessarily silent during them. Heck, for the movies that DIDN'T scare me we often WERE silent (out of politeness, generally... if we're appreciating the movie we keep quiet). During The Exorcist we talked almost constantly, probably because we were so bloody scared. It still horrified me for days, possibly weeks afterwards (and memories of it still freak me out to this very day). A good scary movie is scary regardless of whether or not you're talking during it, jokes or no. Scary is scary.
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  • RatonetwothreetwooneRatonetwothreetwoone Join Date: 2004-03-23 Member: 27504Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-unreal-x+Sep 16 2004, 09:07 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (unreal-x @ Sep 16 2004, 09:07 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> STUPID <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> teens go in to dark rooms alown and yell it out "Is eney one in here...??Im gana get naked and tack a shower...Hello". No mater how fats you ran the killer will always ceach up. <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/mad-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    what is your first language?
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  • kidakida Join Date: 2003-02-20 Member: 13778Members
    \o/
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  • CabooseCaboose title = name(self, handle) Join Date: 2003-02-15 Member: 13597Members, Constellation
    <!--QuoteBegin-Strabismo+Sep 16 2004, 07:59 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Strabismo @ Sep 16 2004, 07:59 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> See it by yourself by playing <a href='http://www.energyradio.fm/anm/templates/ftf.aspx?articleid=124&zoneid=5' target='_blank'>this</a> game. (if you cannot go in a roller coaster ride for medical restrictions, it is a good idea to don't play this game) <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Didn't work...

    Saw it coming... <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • XilentshadowXilentshadow Join Date: 2004-04-01 Member: 27657Members
    edited September 2004
    it has to be believable. thats all you need. a believeable movie, garunteed to keep a night-light on. sci-fi creatures just aren't scary.

    -edit-

    i thought the excorsist was really stupid...
    but the power of christ DOES compel me.
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  • OmegamanOmegaman Join Date: 2004-01-11 Member: 25239Members
    Event Horizon actually didnt scare me that much. The only part that <b>really</b> got me was when he's crawling through that small vent-size labrynth and everything is green...If I ever got lost in there, I would totally flip out and totally lose it.

    "Saw" is going to be awesome.
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  • ForkFork Join Date: 2004-09-10 Member: 31567Banned
    i would have to say the exorcist was probably the scariest movie ive seen. well i watched it when i was like 7 and it scared the living shiznit out of me. now i dont think of any movie to be scary. some are kinda strange or freaky.
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  • MantridMantrid Lockpick Join Date: 2003-12-07 Member: 24109Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-silent_shadow900+Sep 16 2004, 07:35 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (silent_shadow900 @ Sep 16 2004, 07:35 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> but the power of christ DOES compel me. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Me too. It compels me to eat. For christ. I eat for christ.
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  • CplDavisCplDavis I hunt the arctic Snonos Join Date: 2003-01-09 Member: 12097Members
    edited September 2004
    Anyone seen the preview for that japanese movie coming out? Called "Ju-On" or "The grudge" In english

    <a href='http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/ju-on.html' target='_blank'>http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/ju-on.html</a>



    or this movie also coming out soon. called "Saw"
    <a href='http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/saw/' target='_blank'>http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/saw/</a>


    its like a serial killer, only the guy doesnt actualy kill his victems. He screws around with them until they kill themselves. <!--emo&:0--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wow.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wow.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • dr_ddr_d Join Date: 2003-03-28 Member: 14979Members
    I saw Jaws when I was nine years old. Needless to say I was afraid to take a leak for a week afterwards.
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  • LikuLiku I, am the Somberlain. Join Date: 2003-01-10 Member: 12128Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-unreal-x+Sep 16 2004, 07:07 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (unreal-x @ Sep 16 2004, 07:07 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> STUPID <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> teens go in to dark rooms alown and yell it out "Is eney one in here...??Im gana get naked and tack a shower...Hello". No mater how fats you ran the killer will always ceach up. <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/mad-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Right, it's good to see you're stealing Pablo Fransisco's Material.

    I love The Exorcist, The Shining and Event Horizon. Those movies are the only ones that have scared me because of their atmosphere. Even though Event Horizon was directed by Paul Anderson, it's really good.

    I want to see Ju-On, but with the The Grudge coming out, I'm thinking just to wait. But Ju-On's rated R, no? And The Grudge screened better with a PG-13 rating.
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  • MantridMantrid Lockpick Join Date: 2003-12-07 Member: 24109Members
    What makes a scary movie? Adam Sandler.

    Unless you don't think a powerful compulsion to rip your own eyes out with a rusty spoon is scary...
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  • MarineAnimalMarineAnimal Join Date: 2004-05-14 Member: 28676Members
    Watch The Exorcist. And don't read much about it. Don't watch any trailers, and DON'T LOOK AT ANY PICTURES, because it will ruin the movie for you. I thought it was brilliant but looking at the pictures spoiled a lot of the movie.
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