The Haunt Of Fear: ILX Top 100 HORROR Movies Poll Results Thread

Man, "Barry Lyndon" is sooooo much better than "The Shining." Because, you know, historical accuracy, helicopter shadow, etc.

Just kidding. Except for the "Barry Lyndon" being better than "The Shining" part. But "Full Metal Jacket" is worse than "The Shining," so Morbs is only close to right.

Also, in randomlay recapping the day, the '78 Body Snatchers was my #2 -- partly because I think it's great, partly because of how much it scared me as a kid. I rewatched it recently and still really liked it, it's so cold and creepy from the very beginning (Robert Duvall as the priest on the swing, a great wtf cameo). The San Francisco setting is almost too pat for a death-of-the-'60s allegory, but then again where else would you set it? And I had forgotten how over-the-top expressionistic it is, all those long shadows on the walls and everything. The built-in alienation of the form is right in sync with the story.

'a clockwork orange,' except for the first minute or two, is pretty useless.

whereas 'the shining' has its flaws but is still scary and interesting to talk about, and has maybe the best opening credit sequence in film history.

I'll give you that, to a degree. Regardless, "Barry Lyndon" rules.

you know i'm amazed how popular the 78 Body Snatchers is. it's really under the radar, at least in the UK. i'd never have imagined it even going Top 100, let alone so far ahead of Jaws etc. i do love it though.

Sort of wish I'd required ballot submissions to be accompanied by notation of whether the voter was American, British, or else.

Robert Duvall as the priest on the swing, a great wtf cameo

Yeah, thanks for mentioning this! The first time I saw it, I was like, "Oh, Robert Duvall is in this? Cool." And upon repeat viewings, I've been like, "Wait, Robert Duvall's in this? I don't remember that." Or "Is that maybe just a guy who looks like Robert Duvall?" And then I subsequently forget all about it once the batshittery starts. So weird.

xpost

Yeah, I'd be interested in seeing those stats contrasted against the results.

Attention Exorcist people: if you live in one of (x) states you can see it in at your local Cinemark theater on June 6th

http://www.cinemark.com/cinemark-classic-series

I for one am going to go :D

I saw the re-release with the reinserted spider walk scene. It'll never get any better than that pants-shitting moment, I tells ya.

seems like this is the Extended Director's Cut which is the spider-walk version, yes?

becuase I've never seen it in the theater, and I can't even remember the last time I watched so I'm kinda pysched to see it

has the orig cut disappeared, a la Star Wars?

Kevin McCarthy's cameo in the '78 Invasion is also fantastic; always thought Jerry Garcia was in it too, but I just read on IMDB that it's his voice only.

The spider walk is great, but there are other changes in the director's cut I find intrusive--minor stuff, but you'll notice them right away.

xxpost

I think so. It was billed as 'The Version You've Never Seen' or something similarly unwieldy when it was initially rereleased. My only real complaint about it was overuse (and subsequent descarification of) The Subliminal Face.

xpost

Yeah, and that stupid joke tacked on to the very end was pretty stupid, I recall now.

i remember after seeing it a couple times someone started talking about the spider walk scene and i was like what huh and was so confused/annoyed that somehow i didn't remember this supposedly classic scene from a movie i loved, then got the extended cut and finally saw it and figured out why i didn't know about it

Seconding the love for The Children.

― Simon H., Tuesday, May 22, 2012 7:54 PM (58 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The Children is fantastic

or thirding or w/e

still don't get barry lyndon. i figure one day it'll click for me cuz everyone else in the world thinks it's omg a masterpiece, but that thing just bores me to tears. postcard pretty but dull as dirt. otoh, i like the shining and prefer eyes wide shut to every kubrick movie that isn't the killing, so maybe i average out somewhere near the ILX consensus?

i think 'barry lyndon' is a flippin' masterpiece and prob the kube's best movie objectively but i was holding back going on about it since, well, this is the horror poll.

OTOH jonathan rosenbaum had a point when he wrote, somewhere, that every kubrick film is scary and creepy to some degree. '2001' is still the only movie i've seen that captures how terrifying outer space really is, and i think 'strangelove' cranks up the tension in an impressive way (espec if you see it in a theater).

hope all those repping for the children actually voted for it.

Dunno if it was mentioned, but afaik the original version of "The Exorcist" has never been out of circulation.

I highly recommend the commentary track to Kaufman's "Body Snatchers." Smart guy, smart movie. Once you hear it, you notice how many scenes have broken windows, cracked glass, etc.

Oh rats. I've never seen the Exorcist in the theater* and it's playing all over Chicago, but of course we'll be visiting family in a tiny podunk town.

*According to my mother, she and my father went to see The Exorcist at the drive in when I was a toddler. They couldn't get a babysitter and put me in the back of the VW Squareback with some blankets and toys. I slept at first but right about when things got really ramped up, I woke up and watched the movie. Mom said I had a good time, but I don't remember it so it doesn't count.

Speaking of movies in theaters, I saw The Shining in the theater a few years ago (maybe with La Lech and The Thnig? At the Gene Siskel Film Center?) and it was amazing. Seeing the Overlook decor on the big screen and hearing that incredible soundtrack was so disorienting and even though I've seen The Shining approx. one billion times, it scared me all over again. I have a lot more to say about this movie, but I'll wait until it places.

I saw The Exorcist in a theater back in the late 90s when they first did the theatrical release w/the restored footage. Had to drive up to Michigan from Cleveland to see it, but thoroughly enjoyed it. Most of the audience laughed at both the 70s anachronisms (smoking in the doctor's office) and the scary parts. Savages.

man, I will be bummed if basket case doesn't even place.

you know i'm amazed how popular the 78 Body Snatchers is. it's really under the radar, at least in the UK.

What the...? As far as I've ever been aware, that Body Snatchers has been regarded as a classic.

Caught The Children on telly one time... it was okay. Still not seen The Brood, though!

[q]For ex: multiple shots where someone is far away (ie, 50 ft or so) from the camera but can still be heard clear as day on the audio track - completely violates the "found footage" conceit.

some dude already addressed, but yeah, I feel like I want to get all nit-picky/nerdy here, because IIRC they had a camcorder, a 16mm camera and a Nagra tape recorder, so this statement does not carry a lot of weight without some specificity.

― it was a dark and stormy genitals. (Phil D.), Tuesday, May 22, 2012 4:53 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

my 15 yo memory is that there is a scene early on where they're crossing a river - the camera(wo)man and soundguy are back on one side and the other person is across the river on the other side talking and you can hear them clear as day. there was a bunch of incidental shit like this that was annoying.

― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, May 22, 2012 4:56 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink[q]

No other crew recording this scene, so it was recorded using the equipment the actors were carrying. I supposed a voice could be amplified in post production, but why this would this be a problem? It must get tiresome to be irritated by imagined technical problems in movies.

They showed The Exorcist in select theaters for one-night-only 2 years ago in Chicago, too. I went (alone) and man, was I glad I did. As mentioned by Carl re: The Shining, it's the SOUND that is most impressive in those situations.

Eagerly awaiting today's expected Romerosplosion.

Speaking of movies in theaters, I saw The Shining in the theater a few years ago (maybe with La Lech and The Thnig? At the Gene Siskel Film Center?)

With me, Jeff, and my coworker, at the Siskel. It was great!

I am absolutely going to see the exorcist in the theater!! Thanks VG.

Shining def. better in theaters. Exorcists less so because people are compelled to nervously/self-consciously deride the film. When I saw it a few years back, at its re-release, there were these teens behind me laughing and giggling for much of it. Eventually I actually did turn around and yell at them to shut the fuck up.

(Not that the movie is not worth making fun of, but if you're going to make the effort to show up to a theater, you know, shut the fuck up).

Thanks so much for this poll! My Netflix queue is now bulging with so much horror potential :) Haven't been able to post since I'm at work all day but just wanted to chime in that I totally voted for The Children. It's easily one of the best horror films I've seen in a while. Don't think it'll show up though.

Still not seen The Brood, though!

― emil.y, Wednesday, May 23, 2012 9:08 AM (53 minutes ago)

oh god RECTIFY

you know i'm amazed how popular the 78 Body Snatchers is. it's really under the radar, at least in the UK.

What the...? As far as I've ever been aware, that Body Snatchers has been regarded as a classic.

It was not a box-office hit, which had a much more deadening impact on aesthetic appreciation in the US post-Star Wars, imo.

I can't conceive of ppl voting for Snatchers78 and not '56, tho.

I voted for '56

I mean I threw my cronenberg vote to a dark horse but the brood is one of his best in terms of horror qua horror

I voted for both.

I might have said this up-thread, but there's been an unusual amount of better-than-average crazy-kid movies in recent years, including The Children, Home Movie, Joshua, Orphan, & Wake Wood. I think I'm forgetting a couple, too. Golden Age of psycho children, I tell ya.

xpost

yeah I don't remember the '78 snatchers getting a serious critical reappraisal till the 90s

posts vmic: I saw it in the theatres and had the fotonovel KJB posted a picture of

I can't conceive of ppl voting for Snatchers78 and not '56, tho.

No? I guess both are conceivably conservative horror movies.

well the '56 version had both anti-(Joe) McCarthy and anti-Communist interps.

I mean I can understand voting for neither, but not the later one only.

It was not a box-office hit, which had a much more deadening impact on aesthetic appreciation in the US post-Star Wars, imo.

I can't conceive of ppl voting for Snatchers78 and not '56, tho.

I didn't really mean classic-since-release - I believe EdIII is correct in his schematic that it was re-appraised from the '90s on, which would be 'ever since I've been aware'. And it would also mean that it's been regarded as a classic for around twenty years. Hence my surprise at pisces' surprise.

Think we had '78 vs '56 discussion on the noms thread, I actually prefer the '78 but I think both are great.

Still not seen The Brood, though!

― emil.y, Wednesday, May 23, 2012 9:08 AM (53 minutes ago)

oh god RECTIFY

― diamanda ram dass (Edward III), Mittwoch, 23. Mai 2012 16:02 (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Same here. At least the awesome still of it used upthread pushed it right to the top of my must-see-stack.

...I realize that you almost never use "conservative" w/ political meaning re films. xxp

I prefer the US version of Let the Right One in for many reasons, but partly cuz the clips of Reagan were included.

Philip Kaufman got reappraised once he did a couple Big Important Movies (Right Stuff, Unbearable Lightness).

agree that exorcist sound design is incredible, with those jarring quiet-loud-quiet transitions. saw it twice in the theatres, once during an 80s revival, and again when the version-you-never-wanted-to-see made the rounds.

the director's cut is absolutely terrible, like they stuffed every scrap of completed footage back into the film, and it plays much worse for it. I saw it in RI, which is basically the most catholic state in the US, and yes ppl were tittering and it did not play well - but I think this is in large part due to an early scene where regan is shown at the doctor's office acting oddly. it was cut from the picture for good reason, it's unconvincing and silly, and the pitch-perfect pacing of the original gets soured by this misstep.

Man, The Brood bummed me out.

When are these eejits, from Lucas on down, gonna realize that ppl wanna see a pop phenomenon in the form in which it was first experienced?

well the '56 version had both anti-(Joe) McCarthy and anti-Communist interps.

I mean I can understand voting for neither, but not the later one only.

You conspicuously left one combination.

Greatly preferring the 78 to the 56 is no stranger to me than preferring Cronenberg's The Fly to Who?mann's.