thread: 2010-11-03 : Horror Flick Pies
On 2010-11-03, Vincent wrote:
These next are rankings. Green is good (in my opinion as your humble reporter), yellow is the border, red is bad.
Unsettling: The movie stays scary - or gets scarier - on reflection, after it's over. Example: Lake Mungo.
Tense: The movie is scary, suspenseful and dreadful. It builds fear. Example: The Damned Thing.
Jumpy: The music tells you that a thing is about to jump out, and then it does! Boo! Example: The Thaw.
Grinding: The movie would be scary if it had more variety in its pacing or action. It's tense, but fear doesn't build, it just grinds on. Example: Altered
Funny: The movie's not scary, but it's not meant to be. In blue because it gets a pass. Example: The halloween episode of Community.
Actiony: The movie isn't scary. People exchange blows, run and jump, go into danger with brave exclamations and guns. Whatever. Example: The Other Side.
Safe: The movie doesn't really threaten the people it's supposed to threaten, so it feels safe. Example: Monsters.
Boring: The movie flubs its pacing, or expects something to be scary that isn't, or backs off instead of stepping up. Example: Frozen.
Transcendent: The movie is fresh, lively and self-possessed. Example: Ginger Snaps.
Subversive: The movie subverts the cliches of the genre. Example: The halloween episode of Community.
Genre: The movie is of its type, but not always just regurgitory. It has SOMETHING interesting in it. Example: The Thaw.
Trite: The movie is just made of tropes, offering nothing interesting or new. Example: Paranormal Activity.
Ugly: The movie brings nasty cliches from outside of the genre in. Example: The Tomb.
Arresting: The movie has something surprising, insightful and challenging to say. Example: The Screwfly Solution.
Self-aware: The movie knows it's a horror movie, and has a surprising, insightful, or funny take on the genre or on its position in the genre. Example: Wolfman.
Thoughtful Enough: It doesn't take your breath away, but at least it's self-possessed and nonstupid. Example: Borderland.
Almost: A few of these flicks could have been really good, if only they'd had some self-awareness, followthrough, just a little more brain. Example: Altered.
If Only: The movie is dumb. Dumb dumb dumb. Example: Paranormal Activity.
Will make you stupider: The movie's not only dumb, it's a brain-deadening eye-roller. Example: Left in Darkness.
