Torture Cinema

Discussion of general Halloween topics
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Nostalgiascape
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Torture Cinema

Post by Nostalgiascape » Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:29 pm

This was an interesting topic derived from another topic in the Halloween films board. I think it deserves discussion.

It is no secret to anyone, wether you read it declared in an article or discover it on your lonesome, that todays Horror is a gluttonous wash of sadism. Instead of gearing the films towards those who wish to have a good scare and fear what they do not know and cannot see until the climax of the film, these films are geared towards those who wish to get a fix from a film that depicts what we all too much are aware of; intense sadism in the world. The causing of extreme and ireversible human suffering. Screams of gut turning agony that twitch the nerve becauise on some level, even though it is acting, that scream instinctively sounded believeable enough. Believable as a scream of someone in inhuman anguish. The only thing topping these films are the real shock footage of this happening to actual people.

Where does horror go from here?
The dark night beckons. Bear us your soul, it whispers. Expose your wicked delights. Join the rest of us on the wind. The dark night beckons and we answer. Sailing into the shadows.

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JACKRYAN592
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Post by JACKRYAN592 » Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:46 pm

good question.

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Post by MHooch » Thu Mar 22, 2007 2:03 am

REALLY good question, nostalgiascape...I am, aside from a Halloween fanatic, a real movie buff. I'm the kind of person who will watch just about anything, mainstream, indie, foreign films, documentary. And I've gotta say, this new trend is disturbing. It's as if the public isn't satisfied with the idea or suggestion of murder and mayhem. And I really do believe that it is THE PUBLIC (whoever they are :? ), because I think that the movie industry is motivated to produce the kind of films that make money (cha-ching!) and unfortunatley, these kind of films are very lucrative. For example, "Saw" cost less than $10 million to make (chump change in Hollywood), and grossed more than $100 million! That says nothing good about our society, now does it? What ever happened to the good old days when "Psycho' was the height of horror???? (It's still a damn good scare, IMO :wink: )

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Post by Pennywise11 » Thu Mar 22, 2007 1:28 pm

Good topic... I too love just about any kind of movie from one genre to the next. I do think older horror films are much more scary then today’s gore fest type. I watch the new films don't get me wrong, I have never been a fan of the Saw movies personally as the commercialism in it is really more gross then the actually acting in the scenes. Anyway for me on a level a lot of the scary movies that affect me are not necessarily "Horror"... a good example is Event Horizon, Buffalo 66 and more. Some movies are morbid, some are real history movies but as fro the main stream horror I am less a fan for most definitely. Nostalgiascape, you mentioned the real life films, clips that are either on TV, Live feeds, and the ever popular sites such as Youtube... those are scary. I belong to a few Human Rights groups and follow many incidents from around the world. I have seen some very very very disturbing videos not for amusement (let me get that straight), and it is so unfortunate that videos like this seem to be watched for just that reason when I see comments people read. Issues are made aware to me via membership and petitions to things and they absolutely horrify me, not just the video but others reactions that seem desensitized or just the bold ignorance. OK, I am going off topic now, I apologize... For me the absolute most scary things are the real life cruelty but for actual entertainment movies go.... The element of surprise, the scary parts in older movies that are left to the imagination is what is missing today. Some of today’s do have some of the older element but by far the don't compare to my classics. Maybe its my age, and the memories of being young and watching "scary movies" for the first time and the affect on me, maybe I'm desensitized after years of horror! LOL.. Who knows. Anyway just rambling. Who knows what horror will be like in 10 years... maybe it will come full circle and will be back to the 70s & 80s styles.. Whatever it will be like, I will be watching as much of it as possible.
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Post by tomanderson » Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:18 pm

Good thread topic. Yes, this is a trend and it's one that makes huge money. I believe audiences are actually somewhat angrier today and seek and respond to this sadistic material.

I do like many different types of horror films. A number of these are fairly graphic, not all of them. But I like a good nasty werewolf picture. I'm not a big fan of the slasher genre, but I do like the first couple of Halloween movies, and the first couple of Friday the 13th movies.

Some years ago, I enjoyed watching "Se7en" because I did think it was scary and powerful. Very well made horror film with many unpleasant things in it.

Today's big commercial "trend" of sadistic unpleasantness, however, I am not a big fan of, and I haven't seen "Saw" or its sequels, or "Hostel." Nor do I want to; they just don't look interesting, and I don't feel like forking over my money to these films.

I do like a nice measure of fantasy elements mixed in with my horror movies and this makes all that nasty stuff go down much nicer!

Overall, I prefer werewolves, monsters, and ghosts.

I think I see enough of human cruelty in the real world.

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Post by hauntmaster » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:44 pm

Well, I've seen many classic torture horror films, yes, I know some are good, and some are not too good! I hate to discuss about this here because they're too graphic! Strongly violence, blood and gore, and graphic nudity.

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Post by uncletor » Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:39 am

Where does horror go from here...that's the question, right?
HORROR goes where it always does...for your MIND..
Gore and splatter films go through waves, like any other fashion. And soon, the counter movement will occur...where someone is going to come out with a great, atmospheric horror that will scare the snot out of you by SUGGESTION..light, shadow, sudden movement..not so much the blood.
For a BOOK LENGTH discussion on this subject, check out DANSE MACABRE, one of Stephen Kings' few NON FICTION works, and a reminder why he started out as a teacher. he goes through the history of horror in book, film, t.v., the whole works.
He raises the question of the responsibility of horror and why we LIKE to be scared..
I find people who like Halloween and gore hounds (Kings' phrase) are not often the same. Halloween enthusiasts tend to go for the atmosphere and detail of the haunt...the captured feel, the CRAFTSMANSHIP of it all. the usual gorehoud is just there because it's not him and he feels superior to the person getting slcied and diced. Not to get TOO POLITICAL, but usually the gore hound tends to be upper middle class, white, and really CAN'T imagine a world where he WON'T come out as top dog.
He feels SAFE...he can BUY his way out..it's no co incidence in my book the one of the biggest waves of gore went through during the Reagan regisimo. Yuppies. Gated communites. The rich getting richer, the poor kissing the pavement.
People who KNOW what CAN happen, DON'T need to be reminded...THAT is why my ancestors helped invent halloween in the first place..a way to fake out bad luck and bad times so that they would go somewhere else..Eventually you got an artform..where the scary and spooky became a kind of beauty..(those covers of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND ...the Hammer Horror films..the Universal Monsters so lovingly made..the near ballet of Psycho, the grand opera of the Italian horror films...Works that say:"yes. Life can be very bad. At any time, some kid could be picked up off the street, maybe even YOUR street and get their throat slit..just like that..but we are going to take that fear and work on it, so you can cope with it, and digest it and find a deliverence in it. We might not be able to get RID OF IT...but we can sure as hell make it act like a lady..")
Future events such as these will effect you in the future

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Post by tantraman » Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:30 pm

horror has such a braod direction now I think well continue seeing vast amounts of movies for time to come.
happy happy halloween silver shamrock.

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