ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXUnscary horror and scary non-horror
9 years, 6 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
We've all seen horror films (for some reason a favourite of emerging filmmakers), and know that most are not scary, or rely heavily on jump scares. Tonight I rewatched a 1980's BBC drama 'Threads' set around a nuclear war (something that felt a very real threat in the 80's, and we came so, so close). Oh my goodness, it's one of the most powerfully horrific films I've seen. It's extreme in its ordinariness, it has shots and scenes that stay with you. It's a fat better horror film than pretty much all 'horrors'.
If you're a horror fan or are writing a horror script, there is a LOT to learn from this film if you can find a copy.
At a similar time, there was an American drama on very similar lines 'The Day After', which was glossier, and felt like watching a movie. You watch that one and think 'oh, that's awful, never mind, it's just a film' whereas 'Threads' is relentlessly dark, presented as documentary, and is still powerful 30 years later.
Find it, and pick a good time to watch it - it's not a date movie - and I hope it helps some writers maybe see horror writing in a different light!
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0090163/
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9 years, 6 months ago - Marlom Tander
https://vimeo.com/18781528
Have to watch it.
I clearly missed it first time round because it came out when I was at Uni, and in those days, that meant not wasting money on a TV.
(1984, no TV. No phone. No computer. Everything planned in person, face to face or it didn't happen. People wrote letters. Getting a date meant actually asking for one without the crutch of knowing she also swiped. Jesus, how did we survive?)
Hmmm anyone for a wry social comedy where we take a millienial and drop him back into a 1984 University. I feel a script coming on :-)
On horror in general, it's way harder than most people think. IMO the monster/zombie needs to be almost incidental to the story. The story must be character driven and acted, not screamed.
Cloverfield - I loved it.
Jacobs Ladder - ditto
Hostel - it started as a great satire on the way that Americans viewed newly independent Eastern Europe. Then got bloody boring.
Response from 9 years, 6 months ago - Marlom Tander SHOW
9 years, 6 months ago - Paulina Brahm
Hostel--I stumbled upon it in the wee hours, I would guess in the gory middle of the movie on Freesat, trying to sleep, and channel surfing a few years back. To me, it wasn't horror, it was shock. Or trying very hard to shock. Or disgust?
Bizarrely, I kept on watching, although I did not want to, if that makes sense. Perhaps the actress in me, not the person wanting to be told a story, was a part of it. Perhaps I wanted to try and distract myself with camera angles, sound effects... something as a reward for my time invested maybe? And all the while, I thought... "I am wasting time. I should be sleeping."
Part of my curiousity was it was on Freesat in the UK, and this was most likely something we'd have to see on a paid type of tv in the US.
But here is the thing--I love satire, black comedy, and the Theatre of the Absurd. Would I put myself through the punishment of watching the gory second half of 'Hostel' for trying to attempt seeing the first? NO.
Thank you both Paddy and Marlom. I love these SP dialogues! I'm not quite ready for horror at the moment (nb: Paddy, one of the first dates my first date took me on was 'The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover'!)
Paulina
PS: Marlom--what is "swiped"?
Response from 9 years, 6 months ago - Paulina Brahm SHOW
9 years, 6 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
@Paulina Brahm I think Marlom is referring to Tinder and similar apps, where one will swipe to indicate interest :)
I saw Hostel, from memory the first half was quite fun, second half I don't really recall!
Threads isn't a horror, it's a straight drama, yet far more memorable and punchy than most horror films. It's why I suggest aspirant horror writers give it a watch, as it gets a lot right - no music, for instead, and this adds to the chill!
As horror goes, I do actually like the premise of Final Destination (and the myriad spinoffs) - it's not taking itself too seriously most of the time, which means it has some great set pieces playing with the audience and teasing then with how they'll actually kill a character off. It's like the opening few moments of a 'Casualty' episode ;-). The first guy's set piece in the kitchen of FD2, with the fire, waste macerator, dodgy microwave yet him escaping unharmed is beautifully done :). More comedy than scares...
Response from 9 years, 6 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin SHOW
9 years, 6 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
Be warned it goes from normal life (admittedly normal 80's Northern life) to dark to haunting.
Response from 9 years, 6 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin SHOW
9 years, 6 months ago - Andrew Wright
Saw Threads as a nine year old back in '84: Almost scared me to death. I can remember teachers showing it in schools to sobbing pupils... I watched it again a couple of years ago with a mindset of 'surely it wasn't THAT bad...' Once again, it brought me out in the coldest of sweats. It is TERRIFYING. Every politician should be made to watch it. It's as real as it gets.
Response from 9 years, 6 months ago - Andrew Wright SHOW
9 years, 6 months ago - Paulina Brahm
You are so very lucky in Britain. (Am I perverse that sobbing pupils equals lucky?!) I grew up in the American school system and at nine years old cannot recall any film we were shown to be of any value except entertainment (perhaps to give the teacher a break?)
The one film I do remember is from junior high, a film in art class about Surrealism. That captivated me and probably colors how I view my life and career.
Quite powerful 'Threads', if it still moves to this day.
Will keep it on my 'to watch' list when I am ready. At the moment I am watching shorts on Shooting People, because of circumstances in my life.
Response from 9 years, 6 months ago - Paulina Brahm SHOW
9 years, 6 months ago - Stuart Wright
I would argue Threads is a horror. It's about the horrifying consequences of a nuclear war. That's a pretty clear premise. And yes it's damn scary. By anyone's definition that's horror. The genre is no longer easily defined as it once was. Frightfest the horror film festival describes itself as the dark heart of cinema to reflect the broadchurch it has become. Where it used to call itself the home of horror.
Horror can be formualiac as the next genre but it always the transgressive genre too. Transgressive in the filmmaking process as much as the content - see the rise and rise of Blumhouse making mainstream films for sub $5m when the rest of Hollywood has to be $100m+ outside awards season.
The Martyrs and Tall Man wrote and directed by Pascal Laugnier transcend the jump/scare horror with intelligent, horrible notions of how the world might be. I'm still not sure if the latter is a liberal nightmare or a conservative wet dream.
There's much more to the horror genre - but it won't all be at your local Cineplex. And just like every other genre there is dross to plough through to get to the good. Coming in 2016 is The Witch - rave reviews from the festival circuit. There's Ben Wheatley's adaptation of Ballards High Rise and Nicolas Winding-Refn is dipping his toes in horror this year with The Neon Demon...
Response from 9 years, 6 months ago - Stuart Wright SHOW
9 years, 6 months ago - David Graham Scott
Look at the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Very little gore actually seen but the overall atmosphere is so charged with terror that it's way scarier than the remake films.
The unnerving soundtrack adds much to it.
I hate most of the 'jump scare' style we get now with a jarring score accompanying.
Response from 9 years, 6 months ago - David Graham Scott SHOW
9 years, 6 months ago - Philip Quinton
I remember seeing all the publicity for Threads when it was broadcast - pages in the Radio Times and newspaper articles - but I was only 10 or 11 and didn't get to see it although the fear of nuclear annihilation during the 80s was sometimes palpable. I found a then rare DVD copy of it on eBay back in 2002 (it has subsequently been re-issued) and sat through it alone one dark evening.
I knew Sheffield well and many of the city landmarks featured in Threads still existed at the time so watching the town hall and the streets of the city being blasted away seemed more journalistic than fictional, despite the slightly dated production style and the use poor quality newsreel footage.
I went to bed with my head twisted by the experience. I dreamed of fire and ash. The tarmac of the suburban road outside my bedroom window burning, a bus shelter from the top of the street protruding from the broken wall of the house opposite. Woke up with heart racing and didn't get the images out of my mind for days.
Response from 9 years, 6 months ago - Philip Quinton SHOW
9 years, 6 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
http://i962.photobucket.com/albums/ae101/horrorcats/cats/thrds3cat.png
;-)
Response from 9 years, 6 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin SHOW
9 years, 6 months ago - Marlom Tander
Actually I'm going to put Blair Witch up there as a fine horror movie as well.
Response from 9 years, 6 months ago - Marlom Tander SHOW
9 years, 6 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
I agree - it was actually haunting, unlike BW2 which was absolutely boilerplate
Response from 9 years, 6 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin SHOW