The GMG SF/Fantasy/Horror Club

[Dr. Dread]

Does this thread also included films or just books?

Films, books, comics...it's all good. 

[Elgarian]

I revisited these recently, after a gap of lots and lots of years:

 

The first one is pretty good - black and white, understated, leaves you not really knowing at the end whether the house is haunted or whether the whole thing was a merely psychological phantasm. Second one  is colour - perfectly watchable, but too many psychokinetic special effects. We come dangerously close to meeting the ghost, which will never do.

But the best part of any good ghost story/film is the beginning, and these are no exception - the gathering together in the haunted house - the ordinariness, with an expectation of the imminence of the extraordinary in the air.

[Tapkaara]

Well, since movies are part of this, count me in this discussion!

I am a huge fan of vintage horror and sci-fi films. This comes from my dad who grew up watching these films himself, and it rubbed off on me in a very big way.

Some of my favorite films are: Vampyr (1931), Häxan (1923), The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Godzilla (1954), The Phantom of the Opera (1925) and the list can go on and on and on.

I do not care for many horror/sci-fi films past the 1960s, but there are always exceptions. Alien (1979) and The Thing (1982) and The Exorcist (1973) come to mind immediately.

[AnthonyAthletic]

I do not care for many horror/sci-fi films past the 1960s, but there are always exceptions. Alien (1979) and The Thing (1982) and The Exorcist (1973) come to mind immediately.

Oh, Man...I watched this last night on UK ITV4.  Classic animatronic movie.  I guess I was 12 first time I saw it and at the time it was a WOW movie, a bit like Predator being a WOW movie.  Great effects for the time, and a real desolate no win movie.

[DavidW]

Oh, Man...I watched this last night on UK ITV4.  Classic animatronic movie.  I guess I was 12 first time I saw it and at the time it was a WOW movie, a bit like Predator being a WOW movie.  Great effects for the time, and a real desolate no win movie.

It's one of my favorites.   I love that part where they're all tied up and then one of them starts changing and they're all trying to get away BUT THEY'RE ALL TIED UP!!   And of course there is the spider head...

[Tapkaara]

Oh, Man...I watched this last night on UK ITV4.  Classic animatronic movie.  I guess I was 12 first time I saw it and at the time it was a WOW movie, a bit like Predator being a WOW movie.  Great effects for the time, and a real desolate no win movie.

The Thing has great effects for ANY TIME, if you ask me. It has some of the most shocking gore in any horror film, I think...there really is some nasty stuff going on in this movie!

And it was all done "analogue." While CGI effects are certainly glossy and look great, there's just too damn much of it. I appreciate the sort of talent that goes into making a movie like The Thing, where the effects designers did not have the luxury of computer graphics to accomplish their desired effects.

[bhodges]

I'm a huge fan of The Thing, too--might be Carpenter's best film (say, after Halloween).  I like the remake even more than the original Thing, which is good, but the remake is just...so...shocking. 

--Bruce

[Bogey]

I'm a huge fan of The Thing, too--might be Carpenter's best film (say, after Halloween).  I like the remake even more than the original Thing, which is good, but the remake is just...so...shocking. 

--Bruce

One of the few films where the remake holds up to the original.  Any movie that pits an adversarial alien in an arctic region is tops on my list!

[bhodges]

Any movie that pits an adversarial alien in an arctic region is tops on my list!

"Please name your top ten movies pitting adversarial..."

   

--Bruce

[Bogey]

 

Favorite sci-fi movie of all time:
Alien (1979)

Favorite horror:
The Mummy (1932)

Favorite fantasy:
Lord of the Rings trilogy

[AnthonyAthletic]

Garry: "I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time, I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter TIED TO THIS F****** COUCH!"

Classic 'Thing' line 

Yeah, I take the point that this was every bit as good, nay better than the original.  Both excellent movies.

Slightly off topic, I am Legend (as an example)...don't you hate it when the big screen screws about with the storyline.  First it was the Omega Man, they were almost there to Matheson's book but how crap were the vampires 

And another moan, why is it the big movies of today have to have a 'win' situation.  We know the I am Legend ending was different in the movie which really Grinds My Gears.  I actually love it when movies end on a shocking bad point and actually end the way the author intended.

I read Denis Lehane's Shutter Island the other week, a really fine read.  Now I hear that Di Caprio is doing the movie version (no doubt they will screw around with the ending too)...make sure you read the book before the movie LOL

[bhodges]

Garry: "I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time, I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter TIED TO THIS F****** COUCH!"

Classic 'Thing' line 

   

--Bruce

[Tapkaara]

Favorite horror:
The Mummy (1932)

"I dislike to be touched...an Eastern prejudice..."

[Bogey]

"I dislike to be touched...an Eastern prejudice..."

I am a huge Universal fan and haunt another board that discusses these films.  The Mummy was always my favorite because you only get to see him barely in his wraps at the start, but the make-up Karloff has going in the rest of the movie is some of Jack Pierce's best work IMO, and many times overshadowed by his other incredible efforts.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_Wq_aJDBFc&feature=PlayList&p=606AE4081DA83FA6&index=0&playnext=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b29GxYlb0o&feature=PlayList&p=606AE4081DA83FA6&index=1

[DavidW]

Man I agree Tony, I Am Legend just screwed it up!

Out of all of the movies I think the closest to the spirit of the novel is Last Man on Earth with Vincent Price.  He portrays the character beautifully, and only that one captures the true horror of the days surrounding the beginning of the problem.

[DavidW]

Bill, I had the Mummy on tape... too bad I don't own a vcr anymore!  Anyway I love the movie, I have seen several of the others (and they are alright), but only Karloff's mummy casts a spell over the audience imo.

[AnthonyAthletic]

Might have to dig out the Vincent Price movie, I haven't heard of that 'Legend' movie.

The old ones are the best ones, look at the upper threads with Karloff and think of the likes of Chaney, Lugosi, Lorre, Cushing, Lee, Price etc. 

I always remember Chris Lee describing horror at its most unnerving as 'an open door', 'a door slightly ajar creates more suspense than any visual effect today....especially when you are reluctantly approaching this slightly ajar door' Muhahahahahahaha!!

[Tapkaara]

I am a huge Universal fan and haunt another board that discusses these films.  The Mummy was always my favorite because you only get to see him barely in his wraps at the start, but the make-up Karloff has going in the rest of the movie is some of Jack Pierce's best work IMO, and many times overshadowed by his other incredible efforts.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_Wq_aJDBFc&feature=PlayList&p=606AE4081DA83FA6&index=0&playnext=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b29GxYlb0o&feature=PlayList&p=606AE4081DA83FA6&index=1

I, too, LOVE the Universal horror films...where is this board you mentioned?

The Mummy is certainly on eof my favorites. The scene at the beginning where the young chap goes insanse with fright ("He went for a little walk...you should have seen his face!") is wonderful.

And the great Edward Van Sloan: If I could get my hands on you, I'd break your dry flesh to pieces..."

[Tapkaara]

I'll have to check out The Thing, I haven't seen it.

a few sci-fi/horror faves...
a clockwork orange (1971)
re-animator (1985)
brazil (1985)
the fly (1986)
robocop (1987)

And there is a remake of The Wolfman that's being released in 2010 that I'm looking forward to.

I'm also looking forward to the new Wolfman, though I'm sure the original version will not be outdone...

Clockwork Orange is great. No one can do seething insanity like Malcolm McDowell. And The Fly (1986)...that's another great "modern" horror film I forgot to mention.

[Bogey]

Just got back from the 6th Harry Potter film.  That last few have been disappointing to me compared to the books that we just love at this end.  However, though it cut out quite a bit from the 6th novel, held up.  Nicely paced and great direction, IMO.