Top Ten Tuesdays

[Paul Zombie]

Top 10 viral outbreak films.

this one i have to say i found tough. but i managed to find these 10 that i have seen.

1) Masque of The Red Death.
2) Rabid.
3) Shivers.
4) Demons.
5) Ebola syndrome.
6) Grapes of Death.
7) The Crazies.
8) REC
9) I Drink Your Blood.
10) 28 Days Later.

[Demoncrat]

Likes all round!!

The Ebola Syndrome
Plague (1978)
Panic (1982)
REC
The Cassandra Crossing
Pontypool
Masque Of The Red Death
The Andromeda Strain
The Colour Out Of Space
The Satan Bug

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

VIRUS FILMS

1. 12 Monkeys – Predominately about finding a cure for a virus which has wiped out most the world's population
2. [REC] – Virus in an apartment block. It's a simple setup for this high concept film, one which doesn't seem to diminish with repeated viewings
3. Serenity – The 'Reavers' were created by a virus and are such a terrifying presence in this wonderfully entertaining sci-fi/action film by Joss Whedon
4. 28 Days Later – The 'Rage' virus is responsible for the animalistic and cannibalistic behaviour
5. Masque of the Red Death – I'm not sure whether the titular plague is a virus or a bacterium, but it's a great film
6. Pontypool – A language based virus leads to a thoughtful, and deeply claustrophobic, exploration of the nature of communication
7. Mimic – Guillermo del Toro isn't too fond of this film about the spread of the deadly 'Strickler's disease', but I really like it, particularly the 2011 director's cut
8. The Crazies (1973) – The virus released and code named Trixie is genuinely frightening, and the film thought-provoking
9. Rabid – I don't think this is underrated, but it's probably not considered one of Cronenberg's best. That said, it's exploration of a viral outbreak is brilliant
10. Train to Busan – It might be premature to put this film about a Rage-esque virus into a top 10 the bad virus films, but I was blown away by this great South great movie

[sillyarsehole]

HORROR FILMS FROM 1987:

1. Evil Dead 2
2. Stagefright
3. Hellraiser
4. Near Dark
5. Opera
6. A Nightmare on Elm Street III
7. Prince of Darkness
8. Bad Taste
9. The Lost Boys
10. Dolls

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

My thanks to everyone who contributed a list of their favourite films involving a virus.

Apparently today is Face Your Fears Day:
Take a moment to consider what your life might be like if you conquered some of your greatest fears. What would you do differently? Face Your Fears Day gives you the chance to stand up to your fears, overcome them, and to seize the day.

Applying this to horror film, there is something masochistic about watching a scary movie which, like a rollercoaster, means we intentionally watch something which ideally will make us uncomfortable, jump, or even give us nightmares!

With that in mind, and in the buildup to Halloween, could you make a top 10 of the films which scare you the most? This could be because of the antagonist, atmosphere, the ending, or because they tap into a phobia you have. Obviously every list will be very personal and it will be interesting to see what films (and it be great if you could give a reason why) you find frightening.

SCARIEST FILMS

[MrBarlow]

I'm usually as tough as nails and don't scare easily this is my top movies that did get to me or make me jump.

The Woman in Black and When The Lights Went Out are the only recent movies...come to think of it they are the only movies to make me jump.

Demons 1985. First saw this when I was 8, only watched hammer horror films and this was my introduction to gore films and never went to the cinema for a while.

Martyrs 2008. My mate and me watched this a couple of years back, what made it disturbing was we both have young nieces and the girl at the start running kinda made it uneasy for us and the daily beatings.

The Bunny Game 2011. The day in the life of a prostitute, to being high, turning tricks to being taken, tortured. What made it was parts of it was based on real events by the actress who experienced it when she was a working girl.

The Human Centipede part 2. I'm not a big fan of the first, yeah I did enjoy it as it was different but the second is more focused on a amateur imitation, I had to stop the film halfway through for a smoke.

Threads 1984, saw this a few years back and it disturbed me a lot to having bad dreams about it, watched it last halloween and still freaked me, still I got it on dvd this year,.

[nosferatu42]

Top Ten Scary Horror Films

A don't remember the last film that actually scared me as I've watched so many you kinda become a bit accustomed to how they work.

Most of the films that scared me i watched as a kid although having watched them many times it's taken the edge off.
But here are the films that scared or freaked me out as i watched them.

The Omen

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As a kid the nanny hanging scene and dogs in cemetery parts scared me, also the idea that unseen forces can either control you or kill you was terrifying, the music still creeps me out.

Halloween

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As a kid the part that really got me was the end where Myers is shot then disappears freaked me out and the scenes at the end showing places where he could be hiding.
Also the sheet scene where he just stands there watching the girl.

An American werewolf in London.

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The nazi werewolf invasion and slaughter of the family is pretty disturbing.

The Texas chainsaw Massacre

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The overpowering ominous atmosphere, disorientating music and relentlessness feeling of dread is still really powerful.

Salem's Lot

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The creepy floaty kid at window made me flip my lid.

Carrie

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Most of this is not particularly scary but the closet statue sticks with you and it still has my favourite jump scare, as a kid i was laid on the floor close to the tv watching this ant the hand scene sent me flying across the room.
I watched it with my daughter when she was a teenager and the hand scene made her jump too.

The Blair Witch Project

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I was staying in a house surrounded by woods when i first saw this and everyone had gone out for the evening. The situation heightened the unease, i was pretty freaked out by the end of it.

Carnival of souls

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The dreamlike feel of this film is still unnerving. When the ghostly figure keeps appearing and the final scenes at the carnival itself are chilling.

Lost highway

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The mystery man with camera is a truly nightmarish creation.

Nosferatu

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The whole design and portrayal of the vampire is truly unnerving and still has the ability to creep me out. The scene when Hutter opens the door and Nosferatu is standing still looking at him is still horrifying.

Don’t look now

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The entire build up of this film grips you and won't let go, the way it is shot and edited builds up a web that surrounds the couple in mounting dread and metaphysical horror. Like "The Omen" it makes you feel that unseen forces could be working against you, and that you really don't stand a chance.


Stuff that was almost there -

Suspiria - Especially the eyes at window scene and the first murder.
The Descent - Claustrophobic and tense.
Messiah of evil - The cinema and supermarket scenes are the stuff of nightmares.
From beyond the grave - Another one that freaked me out as a kid, particularly the Donald and Angela Pleasence segment.

Some non film stuff.

Apache - Public safety film about kids on a farm who all die horribly through twatting around with machinery and stuff.
Was shown this at school at about age 8 and it proper made me shit myself, never played on farms though so it worked, available on one of the public information sets from BFI.

Hammer House of Horror - The "two faces of evil" episode always freaked me out as a kid.

[MrBarlow]

Interesting list there Nos, Messiah of Evil is that one to watch??

[nosferatu42]

I really like it, it's a weird 70's horror and is unfairly neglected i feel.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

I like things that go bump in the dark and live basically across the road from miles and miles of countryside in Pendle witch country so it's fairly logical that something like The Blair Witch Project (1999)would make me uneasy. And it does.

I used to camp out as teens in the fields - sex, beer and camping were the order of the day - Mainly without the sex though, sadly i don't live in American high school world, and any noise would shit us up. I mean it could be anything out there. I get the same feeling if i go out with the dog after dark in the fields, torch in hand, shadows flicker, trees rustle, unseen creatures scrabble about in the leaves and you basically can't see a thing. The Blair Witch Project takes all this into account and throws in murderous witches as well. Even now after seeing the film several times i can still get unnerved by it when i allow myself to get drawn into it all.

Back when i was 21 i was in North Wales at a caravan site with my fiance. She went to bed and i stayed up and watched a film on the portable tv - The Black Torment (1964). I can't explain why, maybe it was the strange surroundings, i have no idea, but it really gave me a sense of unease. I was genuinely scared by it. I'm guessing it was a right film, right place sort of thing. It's not like i hadn't seen it before either. I had the pre-cert VHS on the Stablecane label at home.

When i was younger i hated the opening of Jaws (1975). I found that scary. The young couple on the beach in the dark, girl goes out for a swim alone, buoy ringing in the distance, the ominous theme, the underwater camera photography. You get the picture.

The opening of Scream (1996) was probably the most on edge i've ever been at the cinema. It really did grab me by the short and curlies, from the opening phone call to the gore soaked finale with poor Drew Barrymore hanging from a tree with her guts out.

Back when i was a child i used to visit London with my parents once or twice a year to see shows such as Yul Brynner in The King and I and Michael Crawford in Barnum. The easiest way to get around London is the Underground (You can probably guess where this is leading) so the idea of a werewolf stalking those empty and eerie Underground passages in An American Werewolf in London (1981) really freaked me out. Nowadays i think the stalking on the moors is the best sequence for atmosphere and chills.

The Wizard of Oz (1939). Now that was a frightening experience as a child. That witch and those flying monkeys. Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West, so scary.

More recently i found The VVitch (2015) to be an extremely tense experience. From beginning to end there's a sense of dread that builds up to almost claustrophobic conditions and i've been thoroughly entranced by it both times i've watched it. Again it must be a countryside, darkness, witch thing i have going on. Clearly due to where i live and the surrounding area.

Finally, Doctor Who (1976-79). Now i know it's not a film but in my youth it scared the life out of me. From Tom Bakers haunting face in the opening credits and that music of course. I never hid behind the sofa but i did hold onto my mum's hand every week. The stories i found most frightening were Brain of Morbius, Masque of Mandragora, The Robots of Death, The Talons of Weng-Chiang, The Deadly Assassin, Image of the Fendahl, Horror of Fang Rock. Anyone familiar with the show will know we are firmly in the Gothic and Grand Guignol period which i'm sure gave me a love of all things Gothic horror in later life.