I honestly don't watch a lot of horror films as I tend not to find them scary on a genuine emotional level. Like, I've seen Alien many times, and I appreciate it as a well directed and well acted film, but I don't feel the fear or sense of disgust or isolation or creepiness that other people have described, even though I can understand why people feel that way.
The only horror film I have ever seen that actually disturbed me when taken as a whole was Dreyer's Vampyr, which I took the time to write about in a piece on sci-fi of all things. It is a supernal film besides and lacks the pretentiousness so rampant in most contemporary horror, and it does more with the POV of the camera than just about anything else I can name.
The Babadook in many ways reminded me of The Shining but with some things swapped out so it doesn't look like it on the surface. There are a lot of parallels, although The Babadook I found rather weak as a work of art in comparison.
I agree with William Friedkin about the brilliance of The Babadook but it does seem to be a marmite film! I haven’t seen Vampyr yet but will keep an eye out.
It's an interesting one because I know a lot of people who didn't connect with it on a first watch but really liked it the second time - it definitely rewards multiple viewings
Love it, love, love it… a fantastic post… not a fan of horror movies but could read your description of the cinematic process all day. You write like you were there. During the 7 second pause I could feel her eyes on me as I counted. 😱
Respect for being able to rewatch the Babadook. I loved it but once was enough, especially since having a baby. I only have to think about the knock at the door to freak myself right out
It's the one where someone has their back turned and everyone creeps up to them then when they turn around you have to freeze and anyone caught moving is 'out.' We also called it 'what's the time, Mr Wolf?'
Ha, that's interesting, from a directing point of view, 🤔😱. Scareystuff indeed. As a cuspian on the old fart borderline, I have never heard of ' on the stairs ', in the playground. Accepting regional variations, I can only remember ' grandmother's footsteps'. Possibly in the 70s, many more of us horrible brats had easier geographical proximity, and poss generational, to our grandparents. And if the oldsters laid down the law, (particularly in the summer hols when parents were often driven to psychological despair by wayward offspring), Grannies could be a force to be reckoned with!
Reading Enid Blyton with a torch in the wee hours? Rendering a few choice blasphemous phrases scrutinously overheard & parroted? Beware of the stair creeping Granny 👀🧶⚠️
I think the 'Scary Stories to tell in the Dark' series came out in the 80s so it was knocking around in school libraries in the 90s and 00s (and hopefully still today...)
Love both of those, Sebastian! The bedroom scene in The Brood where the little girl is in the midst of all the gremlin children is absolutely terrifying and I love the night vision camera stuff in The Descent. Hard to say what the scariest film I’ve ever watched is but the Babadook really stayed with me because I’m prone to seeing shapes in the darkness and the film was full of moments where a shadow in a corner turned out to be a monster. I remember waking up in the night and jumping at the sight of my duvet cover which was drying across the open doors of my wardrobe — it looked just like the monster when it flies towards her!
If you don’t object, and as every one of GDoS's 77 slang terms for coward, I'll stick with Edward Gorey.
To be fair, sticking with Gorey is an excellent plan!
I honestly don't watch a lot of horror films as I tend not to find them scary on a genuine emotional level. Like, I've seen Alien many times, and I appreciate it as a well directed and well acted film, but I don't feel the fear or sense of disgust or isolation or creepiness that other people have described, even though I can understand why people feel that way.
The only horror film I have ever seen that actually disturbed me when taken as a whole was Dreyer's Vampyr, which I took the time to write about in a piece on sci-fi of all things. It is a supernal film besides and lacks the pretentiousness so rampant in most contemporary horror, and it does more with the POV of the camera than just about anything else I can name.
The Babadook in many ways reminded me of The Shining but with some things swapped out so it doesn't look like it on the surface. There are a lot of parallels, although The Babadook I found rather weak as a work of art in comparison.
I agree with William Friedkin about the brilliance of The Babadook but it does seem to be a marmite film! I haven’t seen Vampyr yet but will keep an eye out.
I need to watch The Babadook again
It's an interesting one because I know a lot of people who didn't connect with it on a first watch but really liked it the second time - it definitely rewards multiple viewings
Love it, love, love it… a fantastic post… not a fan of horror movies but could read your description of the cinematic process all day. You write like you were there. During the 7 second pause I could feel her eyes on me as I counted. 😱
That’s so lovely to hear thank you so much, Mike!
Respect for being able to rewatch the Babadook. I loved it but once was enough, especially since having a baby. I only have to think about the knock at the door to freak myself right out
Oh god, yes I can imagine! It's one of my favourites but I do have to watch it through my fingers.
What is the game called grandmother’s footsteps? 😯
It's the one where someone has their back turned and everyone creeps up to them then when they turn around you have to freeze and anyone caught moving is 'out.' We also called it 'what's the time, Mr Wolf?'
Got it
Ha, that's interesting, from a directing point of view, 🤔😱. Scareystuff indeed. As a cuspian on the old fart borderline, I have never heard of ' on the stairs ', in the playground. Accepting regional variations, I can only remember ' grandmother's footsteps'. Possibly in the 70s, many more of us horrible brats had easier geographical proximity, and poss generational, to our grandparents. And if the oldsters laid down the law, (particularly in the summer hols when parents were often driven to psychological despair by wayward offspring), Grannies could be a force to be reckoned with!
Reading Enid Blyton with a torch in the wee hours? Rendering a few choice blasphemous phrases scrutinously overheard & parroted? Beware of the stair creeping Granny 👀🧶⚠️
I think the 'Scary Stories to tell in the Dark' series came out in the 80s so it was knocking around in school libraries in the 90s and 00s (and hopefully still today...)
Very glad to hear it’s still out there traumatising children!
Love both of those, Sebastian! The bedroom scene in The Brood where the little girl is in the midst of all the gremlin children is absolutely terrifying and I love the night vision camera stuff in The Descent. Hard to say what the scariest film I’ve ever watched is but the Babadook really stayed with me because I’m prone to seeing shapes in the darkness and the film was full of moments where a shadow in a corner turned out to be a monster. I remember waking up in the night and jumping at the sight of my duvet cover which was drying across the open doors of my wardrobe — it looked just like the monster when it flies towards her!