Just thought I would share with you a couple of French movies that I’ve seen recently that I absolutely loved. A couple of people told me they didn’t find Rec very scary, which I some what feel is also mild, but these movies will not disappoint. These movies I feel aren’t too deep, but will definitely scare and shock you guys.
High Tension
I feel this is the most mild of the movies. It’s a fairly simple plot that revolves around a man terrorizing a family in a remote house.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrbfbvqg1o4
Inside
When I first heard the plot of this movie I was extremely hesitant to watch it and after the first twenty minutes I was hesitant to finish it. The plot of this movies follows a woman on the night before she is suppose to go into labor, where she is visited by an extremely creepy woman who wants to cut the woman’s baby out with a pair of scissors.
Martyrs
This movie I feel is the most interesting of the three and also the most shocking. I wont give away too much of the plot here because I feel knowing less will make the movie better. This movie though is extremely gritty and graphic, but has a pretty open ended finale, which I found very interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNM9kKo4JNU
All of these movies are extremely graphic and if you don’t have a strong stomach when it comes to horror movies I recommend you don’t watch them.
So glad you brought up these movies. I saw High Tension a while ago but also just this past year discovered Inside and Martyrs and boy are they all bold. High Tension and Inside would probably fit our discussion this week best as the developments in each mostly adhere to those of your traditional slasher flick. However, they set themselves apart by playing with conventions a bit, adding twists, and being so unrelentingly brutal.
Martyrs, however, is very different and that’s a gross understatement. Never have I been so unsure exactly where a movie was going than here. So you couldn’t be more right in withholding plot details; it definitely works best that way. The truth isn’t completely unraveled until the end and it’s not only stunning and devastating but also impressively unique and refreshing. I actually did find it to be pretty deep, at least for a horror movie. It raises a number of issues and has fear, anxiety, and paranoia to spare. I’d suggest we discuss it in class but have no idea where it’d appropriately fit into the curriculum. It’s just impossible to categorize. Plus, some of the material may indeed be too much for some to take.
I’d never have the stomach to watch movies like this. The trailers are already a bit much for me.
Since I don’t watch gory movies, I wanted to know what the appeal of watching gory movies is for those of you who do watch gory movies. I don’t think I’d want to watch a movie where someone’s house is broken into and she must do everything to survive; it’s a bit too realistic to me and I wouldn’t want to think about such things since they can very well happen. The topic of a women get her baby cut out of her stomach is a bit too heavy for me. As for the last movie, I don’t even know what kind of sick stuff is going on in that film.
I’ve always felt that horror film watchers always wanted to watch these kind of films because they wanted some sort of thrill. I may be wrong so hopefully some of you guys can shed some light behind your motives of watching horror films.
I find that there are very few films that can actually scare me and the only ones that have succeeded in this, are those that I get totally absorbed in. I’ve said this a couple of times in class, but one way that a film can really pull me in is by making it as realistic as possible. Yes, many people probably will say that films with the over the top violence are unrealistic, but I feel that if the plot of a film (which is usually the farfetched part of the film) was to actually happen in real life, it would be that gory. In other words I think movies that many people feel are too graphic, just do not protect or shield the viewer. This I feel pulls the viewer in and throws them into the sick plot, showing them everything they would see in real life, with nothing held back. For me this gets a reaction and allows me to be frightened to a certain degree.
Daniel, for me watching horror films is what I imagine roller coasters are like for people who like amusement parks. It’s the fun in the thrill. As I get older and watch more horror movies, I find that the number of films that are truly scary are fewer and fewer. But when you do find a really good horror movie, it’s great! It’s a whole experience sitting in the theater with your adrenaline pumping, and your senses on alert for any movement. You kind of forget about everything else and get wrapped up in that story for two hours, like you would with any other good movie. It’s just that now there are all kinds of creepy stuff added to it.
Also, films don’t necessarily have to be gory and disgusting to be good horror films. I loved Orphan (2009), and it didn’t have much blood or goriness, and though many hardcore horror fans might describe it as “mild,” I think it was a good movie. It was more about the surprises and the fact that a person could have such a sick mind that made the movie interesting–at one point, the girl in the movie smashes a sick bird with a heavy rock, while showing no hint of emotion or remorse.
I agree with you that a person cutting out someone’s baby is a little much, but that part of the movie probably only lasts for a minute. You might have to look away, but the intrigue and the tension you get from those movies can be fun if you give them a chance.