Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

Ms.Gorefiend wrote:

"lame" and unrealistic "horror" films in the 60s?

I actually like the 60's. As a matter of fact Rosemary's Baby was released in 1968. Not to mention Night of the Living Dead, Black Sunday, Peeping Tom, Village of the Damned, The Innocents, The Curse of the Werewolf, The Pit and the Pendulum, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Black Sabbath, The Birds, The Haunting, The Last Man on Earth... I could go on here. And sorry if I'm a bit defensive about the "lame and unrealistic" films of the 60's. I happen to think they are anything but.

Now as for movies of the 50's and earlier. I can help a little with that. Lon's given you a good start and already mentioned my favorites: House on Haunted Hill, House of Wax, Horror of Dracula.

50's (Not horror's golden age that's for sure. The market was dominated by sci-fi monster movies, horror sort of took a back seat during the atom age) I have to admit, a lot of these I wouldn't consider "scary".

I Bury the Living
The Tingler
Night of the Demon
Creature from the Black Lagoon

40's
Isle of the Dead
The Spiral Staircase
The Body Snatcher
The Wolf Man
The Red House

Yeah lame and unrealistic means doesn't looked real but Rosemary's Baby, Psycho, The birds... stuffs lke that freaked me outta little bit.

Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

LoudLon wrote:
Ms.Gorefiend wrote:

^^ Show off all you want, you're helping me prove my point tongue

Ah, you saw that, eh?  Thought I'd throw that in there to see if anybody was actually reading it. lol

Haha you think nobody wouldn't know something as Psycho isn't it? lol

Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

I don't think the oldies have any scare potential for me, but then again I haven't really explored that far back (yet).

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Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

i must honestly say i don't think there is anything from the 1950's as regards horror films that is scary today. doesn't mean to say there weren't any good films just think there aren't any scary ones. the 1950's was really a science fiction genre era. the closest  there is to being scary i think was " Night Of The Demon"(1957)

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Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

Not seen many movies from 50's 
I only thing that creepy me out a little was The Robot in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

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Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

Old 1950s sci fi movies that I still think have that scary element to it while ignoring the cheese factor

The Giant Claw - yes the so called awful movie about that giant vulture thing from another side of the universe

The Blob - I was scared for Steve McQueen. Would he and his gal pal and his his high school friends be able to defeat the blob? LOL

Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

No 1 50's Horror i have seen has truly scared me. The Bad Seed from 1956 did however disturb me quite a bit in some of its scenes, partly as a result of Patty McCormack's excellent chilling and calculated performance as the very young girl Rhoda. 1 particular scene i found most disturbing is when.......... /SPOILER - DRAG TO SEE TEXT BELOW

her character plays a melodic tune whilst her 'enemy' in the film Leroy is being burnt alive. A excellent example of the director in part, leaving the viewers imagination to invoke their emotions without explicitly showing the painful and fiery death of Leroy.

The scary/disturbing element in many 50s horror however may be rather found in their concepts, specifically with giant creature features. The most famous probably being Japan's 1954 Godziila. A significant amount of 50's horror was I believe a post WW2 response to the atom age/atom bombs and new alien threats (Also see 1951's The Thing). This can also be seen with such films as THEM!, which is itself has a explicit link through its conceptual elements of giant radiated ants.

Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

Ms.Gorefiend wrote:

"lame" and unrealistic "horror" films in the 60s?

I actually like the 60's. As a matter of fact Rosemary's Baby was released in 1968. Not to mention Night of the Living Dead, Black Sunday, Peeping Tom, Village of the Damned, The Innocents, The Curse of the Werewolf, The Pit and the Pendulum, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Black Sabbath, The Birds, The Haunting, The Last Man on Earth... I could go on here. And sorry if I'm a bit defensive about the "lame and unrealistic" films of the 60's. I happen to think they are anything but.

Now as for movies of the 50's and earlier. I can help a little with that. Lon's given you a good start and already mentioned my favorites: House on Haunted Hill, House of Wax, Horror of Dracula.

50's (Not horror's golden age that's for sure. The market was dominated by sci-fi monster movies, horror sort of took a back seat during the atom age) I have to admit, a lot of these I wouldn't consider "scary".

I Bury the Living
The Tingler
Night of the Demon
Creature from the Black Lagoon

40's
Isle of the Dead
The Spiral Staircase
The Body Snatcher
The Wolf Man
The Red House




Well said Ms. Gore!  smile

for the 50s, I will have to go with Night of the Hunter, Horror of Dracula , and Evil of Frankenstein as my favs.  Most of the stuff in the 50s wasn't very scary though, that's what is special about Hammer.  Anything starring Vincent Price is worth checking out for sure.  Haunted Palace (63) is the first movie based on lovecraft and it's pretty creepy!

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Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

A films that I love from the 50's that didnt scare me but i really like is House of Wax. A great Vincent Prize flick which cemented his place in horror. For a 30's flick that has some disturbing aspects but will probably not outright scare u is 1932's Island of Lost Souls. Check out Dr Moreau's 'House of Pain' in this flick.

Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

I think they mostly use the frickin' loud music with these FUCKIN' INSTRUMENT! Too scare people like in TTFAW and NOTLD. My mom was extremely annoyed when she heard the music and what the hell with those weird and silly and long god damn titles!?

Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

House of Wax [1953] is my favourite 50's film. I think VP does an amazing job in it, the storyline is excellent and it's thoroughly well acted. I don't think it's particularly scary, but it certainly entertained me and is now in my horror top 10

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Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

A Lost Boy wrote:

FUCKIN'

Stop it.

god damn

Stop it.

You're twelve.  Stop it.

Seriously, am I the only adult this bothers?

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Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

^^
I put in my $0.02 previously, too.

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Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

^^ wut?

Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

You know "wut."

Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

Alrighty Lon I'll replace those with frickin', dang it, poo, butt, genital... happy now? big_smile

Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

Honestly, yes I am.  Sorry, kiddo, it's nothing personal.  I just refuse to tolerate young 'uns using adult language.  Makes me feel like I'm contributing to your delinquency, which I won't do.

Really, though, it's your fault.  You never should have told us you were a minor. lol

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Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

AND! you are not allowed to say "Bollocks" young lost boy. it's "testicles" to you. ok?

Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

I have tons of 50's horror & sci fi but at the time some of them freaked me out. I dont know why but the orinal fly did cause the morph did it I hope I never get morphed into a flyswatting critter and that same year gave us the classic Lee Horror of Dracula and the bad Earth VS The Spider.
The Thing from Another World is so tame even back then.
House of Wax was a good example of kinda scary for the 50s
Creature From The Black Lagoon was probably the first (was it?) ocean creature fear? besides godzilla haha
What I love about 50s horror is the actual fear of nuclear war which many had the subtext of that yea
Day the World Ended - I still love that flick.... those mutants scared the fuck outta me for decades until Hellraiser yikes
The Bad Seed - now that was crazy a little crazy girl
The great year I was born in had a goody - Night of the Demon - ttf

The 60's is another time!

Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

Not from the 50's but early 60's , The Innocents (1961) - goose bumps big_smile

Re: Films in the 50s that are actually scary

hey can't forget about Corman's A Bucket Of Blood
comon its the end of the 50's and we get this silliness. It kinda sums it all up, no?