It's probably worth noting here that MM and I have very different tastes in horror, which is fair enough. Rather than simply offering a counterpoint piece to his every commentary though, I thought I'd pick up on a few films I found interesting (or comment worthy) and add them in my own 'films to see before you die'. So, here goes:
Deliverance (1972) **** 4/5
A scary, scary film. I've no idea if Tobe Hooper saw this before making his seminal work, but man, there's just something deeply insettling about crazed american hicks in the wilderness.
The Wicker Man (1973) ** 2/5
There was a remake of this film recently, that didn't have Christopher Lee in it but did have Nicholas Cage punching lots of women in the face. It was strangely hilarious(ly bad). The original, for no good reason, is hailed as a horror classic. The only part in the least bit scary was the ending, which was quite believeable. The rest was just dull. Overlong, overhyped. If you're straight though you'll enjoy Britt Ekland doing her naked dance.
Don't Look Now (1973) **** 4/5
Did Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie really have sex? I have no idea, but man, this is a great film. Sutherland is haunted by visions of what he thinks is the ghost of his dead child running about. Or is it? Well no, it's something far more sinister (kind of), but also more weird. Maybe he's got a touch of the 'shinning'.
Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975) *** 3/5
I'm probably seeming quite hard to please here, but this is another film where not much happens. I do like the setting though. There's something sinister about the idea of just vanishing, which is played out in the film. It's quite a base, deep fear. If they'd been found this would have got 2/5.
The Thing (1982) ***** 5/5
Another sci-fi horror (as the monster is a shape-shifting alien), but this time John Carpenter gets it so, so fucking right. I'll never forget the first time I saw the head sprout spider legs and peg it off the table. If you're reading this and you know what I'm talking about, I highly doubt you ever forgot it either.
The Kingdom (1994) **** 4/5
I noticed this in MM's list and it stood out like a sore thumb. It's the least conventional of anything in there, and Lars Von Trier's 'Riget' is a rollercoaster ride to hell and back. Interestingly, I have the DVD of the original series (not the Stephen King madness from a couple of years back). Unfortunately, the second series never made it over to the UK, but I guarantee this is one of the most strange things you'll ever see. Mrs Drusse is the best. On a personal note, I felt quite uncomfortable giving this a score after not watching it for a while.
Audition (1999) ***** 5/5
I remember seeing this piece of Japanese drama/splatter horror in the cinema when it first arrived over in the UK. Breathtaking, unsettling and disturbing in equal measure - the last 10 minutes of the film will have you hiding behind the sofa, let alone the cushions.
Well folks, I hope you enjoyed my take on the stranger side of horror. Thanks for your time.
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