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May 07, 2005
Creepy Movies
Michael Berube has an interesting discussion going on about creepy movies. I just posted a list of weird movies, some of which may also be viewed as creepy. However, not all weird movies are creepy. I much prefer creepy movies to buckets of blood and gore. Here's my list of creepy movies, some of which are mentioned at Michael's blog.
Eraserhead
Gummo
Repulsion
Cat People (The remake with Malcolm McDowell)
Freaks
Carnival of Souls
The Kingdom (Lars Von Triers)
Carnal Knowledge
Blue Velvet
Phantasm
The Mothman Prophecies
Jacob's Ladder
They
Donnie Darko
The Ring (Japanese original)
Saint John's Wort
The Devil's Backbone
The Haunting (the original, not that awful remake)
The Hunger
Tristana
Belle du Jour
Un Chien Andalou
Viridiana (I obviously have a thing for Luis Bunuel movies. I'm also a big Catherine Deneuve fan.)
The Changeling
Diabolique
The Blair Witch Project (Yeah, I know some people hate this movie...)
Iron Man
Dementia 13
Die Monster Die (starring Boris Karloff)
The Invaders ("Twilight Zone" episode starring Agnes Morehead.)
If you want to see a creepy Flash movie site, go visit The Hospital. That movie seriously creeped me out. Make sure you have your sound turned on.
A creepy game is "Dark Fall." It will make your skin crawl. Another one is "Silent Hill."
Posted on May 7, 2005 at 01:56 PM | Permalink
Comments
"The Cell" and "The Cube" are good creepy movies too, as well as "13 Ghosts". "In the Mouth of Madness" is a little gory, but I'd also recommend it for the creep factor. It's John Carpenter's tribute to H.P. Lovecraft.
Now if you'll excuse me...I have a list of movies to write down and rent...*grin*
--TwoDragons
Posted by: Denita TwoDragons at May 7, 2005 4:11:36 PM
I've always thought "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" is super creepy.
Posted by: alley rat at May 7, 2005 5:39:11 PM
(click-of-the-tongue) You forgot Dario Argento's "Demons" again. And is "The Hunger" the one with Catherine Deneuve (she is simply magnificent) and David Bowie?
And yes Denita, "In the Mouth of Madness" creepily rocked out. I often jump on my guitar as the ending credits and theme music play.
I'm still a huge fan of Carpenter's remake of "The Thing." The top-notch acting and cinematography still hold up by today's standards.
Posted by: Masculiste at May 7, 2005 8:16:55 PM
Oh and what about the remake of "Nosferatu" with Klaus Kinksi?
Posted by: Masculiste at May 7, 2005 8:18:08 PM
It is interesting that you would characterize Belle de jour as "creepy". Is it because of the dream sequences or the overall atmosphere of the movie?
Would Peter Greenaway's The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover qualify?
Another one may be La dérobade, a '79 French film by Daniel Duval, with Miou-Miou (who got a "Best Actress" César award for it), which happens to be also a great movie about prostitution (but much more realistic and violent than Belle de jour).
I am also partial to Imamura Shohei's Kuroi ame 黒い雨 (Black Rain), though I have no idea if it fits in the "creepy" category.
Posted by: Jimmy Ho at May 7, 2005 9:25:56 PM
Well, you already know what a big "Haunting" fan I am so......
"Eraserhead": This one had a very odd effect on me. When I was actually watching it, I thought it was a bit boring and silly. It wasn't till about 3 days later that I realised I had been well and truly creeped out and disturbed by it. That has to be the sign of something significant.
"Carnival of Souls": This is one that I saw as a child and it left me with a vague sense of unease every time I heard it mentioned for years later. Several years ago, I finally saw it again and realised why: unlike a lot of those 50s/60s horror films that scared you as a kid but now seem quaint, camp or funny, this one is still disturbing. Didn't someone remake it a couple of years back?
I'd like to add a couple of my own:
Santa Sangre (or really anything by Jodorowsky)
Leolo (about the most disturbing film I've ever seen)
Re the Cell: I found the story itself pretty mundane, but the visual effects and look of the film have to be among the most startling and beautifully done of all time. And the score was amazing. Plus, it's got Vincent D'onofrio.
Actually, I believe that if the script had only been up to scratch, this would have a cult following as one of the single best films of its kind ever.
Posted by: Crys T at May 8, 2005 7:56:59 AM
Michael, I didn't think "Demons" was creepy. It didn't make the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I think the Kinski version of "Nosferatu" would make the list. The music really creeped me out, too. It sounds a bit like Lustmord. It's a little hard to define what I mean by creepy. It's not outright terrified, but feeling uneasy.
Jimmy Ho, it was the general atmosphere of "Belle du Jour" that struck me as creepy. And yes, I think "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover" would qualify.
Crys, Santa Sangre was mentioned at Michael Berube's blog. I keep hearing about that movie. I'm going to have to find it.
Posted by: Trish Wilson at May 8, 2005 9:50:52 AM
I recently watched "The Cube"... It was all creep but no pay-off. I thought the movie could've been done better, in other words. Great concept... didn't quite run with it well enough. I'm debating on whether to see the sequel.
Posted by: Chloe at May 8, 2005 2:12:39 PM
That "The Hospital" thing is pretty cool. Thanks.
(Of course I'm someone who thinks of a working hospital as a house of horrors. haha.)
It reminded me of the Eastern State Penitentiary.
Loved the fish jumping in & out of the toilet & the use of the old Mr. Clean jingle. haha. Brilliant.
Posted by: Chloe at May 8, 2005 2:18:34 PM
I saw the trailer for Silent Hill and it creeped me out. I don't think I will be playing that game anytime soon. Hell, playing Doom got me freaked out, especially with those spider-like things that go clicking around everywhere....I've heard Dark Fall is creepy but excellent.
Posted by: a nut at May 9, 2005 1:59:36 PM
I own Dark Fall. It's very creepy, and it's an excellent game. It's an adventure game from The Adventure Company.
Posted by: Trish Wilson at May 9, 2005 2:06:24 PM
