Scariest Props/Elements - Page 2

Epona · 11-02-2001, 06:54 AM

OK, the film I was trying to remember the name of was a Hammer film made for TV and it was called 'In Possession'.

Scariest thing I ever saw. The suspense is incredible. You really don't know what's going on, and there is a great twist at the end. It could be described as similar in spooky feelings to 'The Sixth Sense', although was made in 1984 and is English'.

------------------

Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.

Epona of The Laughing Hyenas
Proud winner of the 'Most Useless Post 250 Has Ever Seen' Award 2001. "I'd just like to thank my friends and family, without whom none of this would have been possible..."

Lifetime · 11-02-2001, 10:12 AM

Looks like most people feel suspense is the scariest element of a book/movie..
But what generates this suspense? In Scream suspense is pretty much ineffective because you KNOW they're all going to die in the end. In the Sixth Sense it wasnt so much suspense as dreading every scene from one moment to the next..

I think one of the best uses of suspense come from Vampire movies..
Dracula, where they hunt down his coffin, in a race against the setting sun..That is probably my favourite horror scene of all time..

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No-Name Face

Epona · 11-02-2001, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lifetime:

I think one of the best uses of suspense come from Vampire movies..
Dracula, where they hunt down his coffin, in a race against the setting sun..That is probably my favourite horror scene of all time..

Do you mean the fairly recent Dracula with Gary Oldman/Winona Rider?
I loved that film - that is what Dracula is about IMHO - the kind of 'forbidden passion' which of course was such a big theme in the Victorian era.
Also I have been to Transylvania a couple of times, and although I'm not sure if any of the film was shot there (probably not) I found some of the scenery very haunting and evokative. Great film.

------------------

Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.

Epona of The Laughing Hyenas
Proud winner of the 'Most Useless Post 250 Has Ever Seen' Award 2001. "I'd just like to thank my friends and family, without whom none of this would have been possible..."

AliCat · 11-02-2001, 06:28 PM

Lifetime,
No, I did not see "What Lies Beneath", but I still mean what I said about the writing in the mirror not doing anything for me because I find it totally unbelievable.

Don't expect necessarily for any one thing to work for everybody -- it obviously doesn't, as people have very different reactions to the same thing. For instance, I thought "The Sixth Sense" to be interesting, but in no means scary. Nice twist on the ending.

I think in terms of books or movies, it also helps to have some sort of sympathy or connection with the main character. For me, the Blair Witch Project was a tremendous joke, and by the end, I was rather hoping that the withch would off that annoying female character if her cohorts didn't do it first. Likewise for other horror movies and stories -- if I don't much care for the main character, I end up rooting for the monster instead, which rather tones down any suspense that may have been intended.

[This message has been edited by AliCat (edited 11-02-2001).]

Lifetime · 11-03-2001, 01:25 AM

Man Alicat, you've got nerves of steel when it comes to horror movies. I was terrified by the Sixth Sense.. Every time I'm alone and feeling cold I always look behind me to see if I'm alone..
Thats the worst and best part of good horror movies. They never leave you..
So Alicat, what do YOU find scary?

AliCat · 11-03-2001, 05:09 PM

As I said before, I'm more spooked by the things real people do, or can think of. Yes, I loved the Aliens movies, and Predator gave me chills. But for me, the chills that last longest are things that we can conceive of doing -- movies like "Silence of the Lambs", "Seven", "Kiss the Girls" scare me, because it's not that far away from what real serial killers are doing, if you compare to some of the episodes of various forensic science shows ("The New Detectives" or whatever it's called). Ever met a vampire? No. Ever met a serial killer? Hmmmmm.... would you know?

Lifetime · 11-04-2001, 12:22 PM

Ahh.. interesting!
I thought people were more afraid of the supernatural and that they cannot control. The imagination is always what film-makers go for. I find that with a potrait of a serial killer, it seems too clearly defined, or merely a macabre fantasy (Hannibal or Kiss the Girls).
Interesting! So you find "it could happen to you", even when the chances are next to nothing, more scarier than "it wont happen, but that doesnt stop you from thinking about it".
Thanks for posting Alicat! Very informative..

11-03-2001, 01:25 AM	#15
Lifetime Red Dragon Join Date: March 3, 2001 Location: Scotch College, Melbourne Posts: 1,503	Man Alicat, you've got nerves of steel when it comes to horror movies. I was terrified by the Sixth Sense.. Every time I'm alone and feeling cold I always look behind me to see if I'm alone.. Thats the worst and best part of good horror movies. They never leave you.. So Alicat, what do YOU find scary? __________________ \'Cause its always raining in my head. Forget all the things I should have said..

11-04-2001, 12:22 PM	#17
Lifetime Red Dragon Join Date: March 3, 2001 Location: Scotch College, Melbourne Posts: 1,503	Ahh.. interesting! I thought people were more afraid of the supernatural and that they cannot control. The imagination is always what film-makers go for. I find that with a potrait of a serial killer, it seems too clearly defined, or merely a macabre fantasy (Hannibal or Kiss the Girls). Interesting! So you find "it could happen to you", even when the chances are next to nothing, more scarier than "it wont happen, but that doesnt stop you from thinking about it". Thanks for posting Alicat! Very informative.. __________________ \'Cause its always raining in my head. Forget all the things I should have said..

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11-02-2001, 06:54 AM	#11
Epona Zartan Join Date: March 1, 2001 Location: London, England Age: 54 Posts: 5,164	OK, the film I was trying to remember the name of was a Hammer film made for TV and it was called 'In Possession'. Scariest thing I ever saw. The suspense is incredible. You really don't know what's going on, and there is a great twist at the end. It could be described as similar in spooky feelings to 'The Sixth Sense', although was made in 1984 and is English'. ------------------ Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so. Epona of The Laughing Hyenas Proud winner of the 'Most Useless Post 250 Has Ever Seen' Award 2001. "I'd just like to thank my friends and family, without whom none of this would have been possible..."

11-02-2001, 10:12 AM	#12
Lifetime Red Dragon Join Date: March 3, 2001 Location: Scotch College, Melbourne Posts: 1,503	Looks like most people feel suspense is the scariest element of a book/movie.. But what generates this suspense? In Scream suspense is pretty much ineffective because you KNOW they're all going to die in the end. In the Sixth Sense it wasnt so much suspense as dreading every scene from one moment to the next.. I think one of the best uses of suspense come from Vampire movies.. Dracula, where they hunt down his coffin, in a race against the setting sun..That is probably my favourite horror scene of all time.. ------------------ No-Name Face

11-02-2001, 06:28 PM	#14
AliCat Drow Warrior Join Date: January 7, 2001 Location: Waynesboro, VA, USA Posts: 255	Lifetime, No, I did not see "What Lies Beneath", but I still mean what I said about the writing in the mirror not doing anything for me because I find it totally unbelievable. Don't expect necessarily for any one thing to work for everybody -- it obviously doesn't, as people have very different reactions to the same thing. For instance, I thought "The Sixth Sense" to be interesting, but in no means scary. Nice twist on the ending. I think in terms of books or movies, it also helps to have some sort of sympathy or connection with the main character. For me, the Blair Witch Project was a tremendous joke, and by the end, I was rather hoping that the withch would off that annoying female character if her cohorts didn't do it first. Likewise for other horror movies and stories -- if I don't much care for the main character, I end up rooting for the monster instead, which rather tones down any suspense that may have been intended. [This message has been edited by AliCat (edited 11-02-2001).]

11-03-2001, 05:09 PM	#16
AliCat Drow Warrior Join Date: January 7, 2001 Location: Waynesboro, VA, USA Posts: 255	As I said before, I'm more spooked by the things real people do, or can think of. Yes, I loved the Aliens movies, and Predator gave me chills. But for me, the chills that last longest are things that we can conceive of doing -- movies like "Silence of the Lambs", "Seven", "Kiss the Girls" scare me, because it's not that far away from what real serial killers are doing, if you compare to some of the episodes of various forensic science shows ("The New Detectives" or whatever it's called). Ever met a vampire? No. Ever met a serial killer? Hmmmmm.... would you know?

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