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HDC Looks Back...
I have been reading up some online articles from people remembering fondly about their favorite films from the past, and how those made them nostalgic.
Example - http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/9571...ing_story.html And I thought of this idea. Since these forums were first made (back in 2003 I reckon), we have had countless members tell us about their favorite horror films. Top 10 lists followed, then came the Top 100 Stickys, "Recommends" threads, etc. We have had dozens of lists and similar stuff, but we never had a particular thread in which members remembered back to their favorite horror films and why they liked them, specially when they watched them for the very first time (either at home on VHS, LD, DVD, or at theaters and drive-ins). The idea is simple. Someone names a popular horror film from yesteryears, and others will reminiscence of the very first time they watched it, and the feeling/thoughts/memories it left with them, cultural impact in their prime, and why they feel that it is still a favorite, or not, and their likes/dislikes for the same. |
1) Do you remember when you first watched it? 2) Did you get any feedback (from friends or media) prior to watching it? 3) How was the viewing experience? How did it affect you? 4) How many times have you rewatched it? Memories? Does it still hold good even today for you? 5) Anything else you wish to share. |
1) No, not really. 10 years ago maybe.
2) Nope. 3) Didn't do shit for me. 4) 1 time. It's still just a plain slasher with the mask being the only thing to remember. 5) Overrated. Or outdone might be a better choice of word. |
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1. Can't really remember. But young enough that horror movies still scared me.
2. No 3. Of everything i remember the opening scene sticking with me the most. For some reason that really freaked me out. 4. Too many times to count. I still watch it every Halloween. I find new reasons to love it every time i watch it. 5. When i watch it, it seems so simple to me but so well done and generally scary at the same time. It is definitely a movie every horror fan needs to see. |
I love this idea, V.
1) Do you remember when you first watched it? Yes, very well. I had some friends staying over for my birthday party; I must have been either 8 or 9. My parents had it on VHS, and I they let us watch it (which was huge for me, because they had always been kind of strict when it came to what I watched). We all sat around the TV with popcorn and root beer, totally enthralled. 2) Did you get any feedback (from friends or media) prior to watching it? Not really, or at least nothing beyond just being aware of its presence in pop-culture. 3) How was the viewing experience? How did it affect you? Yes, it was thrilling. The cassette stayed in my room after that. 4) How many times have you rewatched it? Memories? Does it still hold good even today for you? Of course. I've seen it countless times, and it never loses its strength. 5) Anything else you wish to share. Not sure. So many people have surely had a similar experience with this film. There's a reason it's gone down as a canonical horror touchstone. |
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----- 1) Do you remember when you first watched it? About 20 years ago, on VHS. I was a young and hungry horror fan and Halloween was eluding me for quite some time. In fact, I watched Friday the 13th before it and thought that was the first slasher for awhile! But I finally got my hands on a copy and wow... the charm of the grainy and sharp picture quality of VHS, and Carpenter's masterpiece! 2) Did you get any feedback (from friends or media) prior to watching it? None. I had read someplace that there was a film called Halloween and it was supposed to be a really scary slasher, and I was in love with slashers at that time! 3) How was the viewing experience? How did it affect you? Right from the opening credits (with that fantastic score) to the finale, it was an experience worth remembering. The town, the people, Michael's childhood, the stalking, the festival of Halloween, Donald Pleasance, PJ Soles and Jamie Lee. And that background score by Carpenter! Can't have enough of it. The scene of Michael getting up behind Laurie's vision is enough to give anyone alarming goose pimples, and I was no exception. A masterpiece indeed. 4) How many times have you rewatched it? Memories? Does it still hold good even today for you? Many times. The second time, me and my friends decided to have a VHS party (of only slashers). We picked 3 films (don't exactly remember the other two, maybe it was The Burning and A Nightmare on Elm Street) on a holiday weekend and had a real blast! After that, maybe 2-3 more times on VHS before a long period of lull till I bought the DVD. Plenty of times since then. Watched it with my wife not too long ago and she was scared stiff. Glad to say it still holds it's own, and has aged pretty gracefully. 5) Anything else you wish to share. I didn't know anything about Halloween until about 7-8 years ago. Till then it was just another successful slasher film for me. The facts that Carpenter made it on a budget, it became everyone's favorite cult classic in a short time, and people watch it on Halloween, Michael Myers' popularity, the "Boogeyman" tag, all this was revealed to me when I did research on the film. I am glad to say that Halloween will always be the ultimate milestone in slashers - not many makers today can boast of making any film/short anywhere near or close to this film. No wonder Carpenter is a god amongst horror fans the world over. And of course, why William Shatner's mask will always be a very sought-after collectible. *tips hat* |
1) I must have first seen Halloween when I was quite young - I remember that it was on TV, and an edited for TV version. I am guessing around 10-12?
2) I had heard that it was a scary film :D 3) I remember finding it quite scary but not the most scary film I had seen to date. 4) I soon after got to see it on VHS in its full form, which I found no more scary than the edited-for-TV version. I have since watched it once or twice more (on DVD). 5) I do think it is a step up on most of the slashers, and I do like the way it portrays the female lead as strong and intelligent, as opposed to a lot of slashers. Quote:
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1) Do you remember when you first watched it?
A few years ago after I'd recorded it off the TV. 2) Did you get any feedback (from friends or media) prior to watching it? I was already well aware of it and knew some things about it as well as it's reputation. 3) How was the viewing experience? How did it affect you? It was an entertaining film and I enjoyed it, although it's still not one of my favourites. 4) How many times have you rewatched it? Memories? Does it still hold good even today for you? A couple of times. It's alright to watch every now and then. 5) Anything else you wish to share. |
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1) Do you remember when you first watched it?
Few years back...most probably on 2008. 2) Did you get any feedback (from friends or media) prior to watching it? Plenty! After becoming member on different online horror movie forum/community (Including HDC), I found HALLOWEEN on top 10 in every list & recommendation thread and it made me highly curious about it as my first love into horror was slasher films particularly after watching TCM & FT13 part 2. And specially whenever you guys here discussed about the legacy of Michael I have gradually become a fan of his stories before even watching them properly. 3) How was the viewing experience? How did it affect you? Oh, man! It gave me a pretty hard time to track down & finally watched it for the very first time. Back on 2006, when I passionately started watching horror films then I used to rely on our local dvd stores where they sells pirated dvds. The most strange & frustrating thing was JC's HALLOWEEN was totally unavailable here back at that time! There wasn't any single dvd store left in Dhaka where I didn't look for HALLOWEEN (1978) & original TCM. And I couldn't find it anywhere. It was highly frustrating & annoying but as I was becoming sucker for horror films I took a very brave & risky effort (as my friends told me here in compare to any movie lover in BD)...I made an effort to buy it on e-bay by sending dollars in CASH via regular mail! My first effort went in vain as the seller (from Canada) failed to send it properly. Then I did the same thing with another seller (Stuart, UK) and finally got the double disc dvd in my hand after waiting for it like years!! The feeling was like a long waited huge victory or meeting with someone very special who you thought lost forever. 4) How many times have you rewatched it? Memories? Does it still hold good even today for you? Anyway, then one fine night after having a nice dinner I came into my roof top little studio apartment & turn off the lights and played the dvd...I just liked it as I had a huge expectation. But I gradually become a great fan of it after watching multiple times in later years on special occasions. 5) Anything else you wish to share. IMO: JC's HALLOWEEN is like an all time lovable fairy tale for Slasher genre that none can deny. Like THE HAUNTING (1963) for haunted house films, THE EXORCIST for exorcism/demonic possession genre, HALLOWEEN (1978) can be treated as holy book for today's any new/future Slasher film maker. |
Do you remember when you first watched it?
I have vague memories of watching it when I was very young, maybe around 9, possibly younger. How was the viewing experience? How did it affect you? My strongest memory is of how dark the film was, certain scenes it was hard for me to see what was actually happening.... The music stood out to me too. I think, at least for me, watching horror at a young age, its the music that really grabs hold of you and draws you in. How many times have you rewatched it? Memories? Does it still hold good even today for you? Like most I've watched it countless times since. I think as a viewing experience it peaked for me as a teen. Today, I still view it as one of the best horror films out there, its just hard for any film to really beat the experience you have of watching these types of movies with friends in your teens. Anything else you wish to share. Donald Pleasence/ Dr. Sam Loomis is and always will be one bad ass mother fucker. :cool: |
Do you remember when you first watched it?
I saw it in the theater when it came out in 1978. I was 19. How was the viewing experience? How did it affect you? I remember the thing that creeped me out the most was the music. How many times have you rewatched it? Memories? Does it still hold good even today for you? I've watched it about a gazillion times. It absolutely holds good for me! Anything else you wish to share. I always envied Jamie Lee Curtis's body. |
Do you remember when you first watched it?
I saw it in the theater when it came out in 1978. How was the viewing experience? How did it affect you? from what I remember [ killed many many many brain cells with beer ] I liked it...a lot How many times have you rewatched it? Memories? Does it still hold good even today for you? maybe 3 or 4. yes....it was a well made movie and as Hammer said...great music Anything else you wish to share. I always envied Jamie Lee Curtis's body. :D |
Do you remember when you first watched it?
I was about 12 or 13 and me and a friend had been watching a bunch of horror movies each weekend working through stuff like the Friday The 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street flicks. Always heard about it and read about it in magazines like Fangoria but never could lay my hands on it. A new video store opened in town and they had a section of ancient tapes you could hire for $2 and Halloween was in there. I nervously took it up to the counter hoping they'd let me rent it because a lot of places were strict with the age restrictions on tapes. They let me rent it and that was the place I went to from then on to rent more dubious titles. How was the viewing experience? How did it affect you? I remember it being one of the first horror films to creep me out most notably the opening scene shot though the eyes of the mask and the shots of Myers creeping around in the background. Most of the previous horror films I'd watched were fairly comical but Halloween was straight up errie to me. I watched it off the old Media tape (which I still own) and it was quite murky and dark which added to this effect. I thought it was great and it stood out to me as being stylistically different from a lot of the other horror films I'd seen especially the music and innovative shots. The title sequence still remains on of my favourites. How many times have you rewatched it? Memories? Does it still hold good even today for you? It's a film I haven't watched a lot of times compared to other older horror films because the tape was so hard to come by over here. That tape disappeared from that store probably eaten by someone's hungry VCR before I got to rent it again or dub a copy. Caught it again a few times since DVDs came onto the scene and it holds up well and along with The Thing is Carpenter's best work. Halloween is a film I hold in high regard and discussing it here has reminded me I should watch it again. Anything else you wish to share. Whether or not it's the true "original" slasher film is debatable but it's definitely the first iconic one. The sequel is great too and I agree with newb's sentiments of Jamie Lee Curtis being smoking fucking hot :D |
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What I do remember is that it didn't really make that much of a difference to the film. What probably was skipped were shots of blood and gore. All the scares were still there. I don't know how much shorter it would have been, because there were advertisements during the movie. But it would not have been much shorter - most probably just a few minutes. Australian TV used to show a lot of modified-for-tv versions of movies. I remember when Jaws first came on TV, some of the cuts included when the swimmer's amputated leg sank to the bottom of the ocean - the very last few frames when the top of the amutated leg was visible was cut. Also when Quint expired blood out of his mouth was cut. These days, these scenes would not be cut. The movie would be shown a bit later instead. |
BTW, I agree. This IS a great idea for a thread. Can't wait for more films to comment on :D
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I would have been 9 years old when it came out, and wasn't allowed to go see it. I remember my parents finally allowing me to see an edited version on TV. No scenes of Michael stabbing, no sex scene, no pot scene, and no profanity. I can't remember when I finally got to see the whole thing, but it certainly was a welcome sight.
I still love the film, and don't think it's aged badly. Also agree with others about the fantastic soundtrack. |
Isn't the TV cut actually longer than the theatrical version? I remember reading somewhere that it had some extended scenes to lengthen it's running time for the 2 hour time slot for films screened on network TV and allowed for the cuts made. Pretty sure we'd get a lot of the censored TV versions from the States like the infamous "Mellonfarmers" Repo Man print Alex Cox devised.
Forgot to mention this is a great thread... looking forward to discussing more films :) |
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There was a scene when Linda visited Laurie and borrowed her blouse. She complained that the creepy guy in the station wagon had followed her.
The other scenes were a hearing regarding Michael when Dr. Loomis urged the people in charge to put Michael in a maximum security hospital, and then had one final meeting with a silent Michael. After Michael broke out, Dr. Loomis visited Michael's room and the word 'sister' was written across the wall. |
Let's see if we can have some more members to chip into this discussion, before we move to the next one.
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I would guess I saw the TV version when I was very young unsurprisingly one halloween-I recorded it and rewatched it many times I've lost count. It was years before I saw Halloween 2 though. One of the earliest horror movies I ever watched-set me up to stay up late and record on blank vhs's many horror films from then on-spending any pocket money on blank vhs' but couldn't do this every week. They were usually on tv friday or saturday evenings or middle of the night in the weekedays) and eventually my parents kept all the tapes and recorded non horror films usually westerns that my dad loved over the horror. Luckily mates would have tapes of them. This was all in my pre-teens though things changed then.
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Next one...
1) Do you remember when you first watched it? 2) Did you get any feedback (from friends or media) prior to watching it? 3) How was the viewing experience? How did it affect you? 4) How many times have you rewatched it? Memories? Does it still hold good even today for you? 5) Anything else you wish to share. |
1) Do you remember when you first watched it?
Honestly, I can't remember if I saw it in the theater or on VHS. It came out in 1982, which is the year I went into the Air Force. So, the latter part of '82 and the beginning of '83 was all training, with very little contact with the outside world. 2) Did you get any feedback (from friends or media) prior to watching it? I remember people talking about how creepy it was. 3) How was the viewing experience? How did it affect you? The part that creeped me out the most was the kid's toy clown. 4) How many times have you rewatched it? Memories? Does it still hold good even today for you? I've watched it a few times, usually when it's on TV since I don't have it on DVD. 5) Anything else you wish to share. Most critics pan the second one, but I really liked it. |
1) Do you remember when you first watched it?
Yes I do. Just a couple of months ago as a matter of fact. 2) Did you get any feedback (from friends or media) prior to watching it? I knew some people who saw it and said it was really good. I also had a fair amount of knowledge of the film before hand. 3) How was the viewing experience? How did it affect you? Good film and very entertaining but not that scary for the most part...I don't really regard as it as a "horror" film to be honest...supernatural mystery really. 4) How many times have you rewatched it? Memories? Does it still hold good even today for you? Not rewatched it since, but plan to go back to it soon. 5) Anything else you wish to share. I know a lot of people say that Spielberg had a hand in directing at least some of this rather than Tobe Hooper. I can see what they mean as it does have more of the look of a Spielberg film than a Hooper film (budget is probably one of the main reasons). Fun fact: Tobe Hooper was offered by Spielberg to direct a sci-fi horror film, Night Skies. He turned it down, Spielberg decided to direct it himself, dropped the horror angle and re-jigged the plot and now we have E.T. |
I watched it on HBO, so it must have been 1983. It was PG, so I was allowed to watch it in full.
I'm still very creeped out by the toy clown and the giant dead tree (great judgment there, keeping a dead tree in the backyard so it can fall into the house during the first big storm:rolleyes:). I still can't believe they got away with a PG rating after Marty ripped his face off. I still enjoy the film a great deal. |
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2. Not really. I was young. 3. I was rabid for anything scary when I was a kid (not like that's changed), so I loved it. I was particularly freaked out by the scene with the clown doll and the mirror scene, where the guy pulls his own face off. It was even more exciting because I knew I wouldn't be allowed to watch it, had my parents known I was watching it. 4. Not sure. Maybe 5 or 6 times total. It's actually been quite a while since I saw it last. Might have to give it a spin. 5. Love the special effects. |
I know I watched this before but I can't remember it at all. So, I'm looking forward to a fresh viewing one of these days.
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Anyone else remember their first "Poltergeist" encounter?
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1) I first saw this film on VHS. It would have been around 83 or 84, because I remember that it was fairly new at the time.
2) There had been reviews on TV and radio that said it was a good film, and pretty scary. 3) I remember enjoying this film. I think I found it thrilling, but nothing that would have given me nightmares. 4) I haven't rewatched this film. But I think I should. 5) I haven't seen this one in nearly 30 years, so memories for individual scenes are feint. However when I think about it, there is a positive feeling associated with it. I also remember that it was one of the few horror films that my parents were interested in seeing. Quote:
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1) Do you remember when you first watched it?
Christmas one year round the late 80s. One of the stations used to play heaps of late night movies over the holidays. Think it was one of the first times TV over here went for 24 hours... my memory is pretty hazy because it was so long ago. Think I caught Twilight Zone: The Movie round the same time. 2) Did you get any feedback (from friends or media) prior to watching it? I'd heard from a few sources like Fangoria and word of mouth that it was top notch stuff. The famous "They're Here..." line had already been drilled into me from pop culture even before seeing the film. 3) How was the viewing experience? How did it affect you? I found the film really underwhelming and didn't think it lived up to the praise. It just didn't gel with me at all. I got more bored than scared. 4) How many times have you rewatched it? Memories? Does it still hold good even today for you? I've seen the film about 3 or 4 times since. I still don't hold it in as high regard as a lot of people but I appreciate it more nowadays. Some great scenes but overall it doesn't blow me away. I don't hate it or anything I just find it a bit bland and I think it's one of the reasons I've never been a big fan of ghost films. I put off watching a lot of great films because I figured they'd be like Poltergeist. 5) Anything else you wish to share? I've always wondered why Spielberg never ventured into horror more often. |
1) Do you remember when you first watched it?
I was really young. This is actually one of the first horror movie's i've ever seen. At least one of the earliest i can remember. 2) Did you get any feedback (from friends or media) prior to watching it? Not that i can remember 3) How was the viewing experience? How did it affect you? Scared the hell out of me. Especially the evil clown (it's the reason i'm afraid of clowns to this day) and the part where the tree tries to eat the kid. We had a huge tree outside our house that looked a lot like that one and so after seeing that i thought the tree was going to eat me. 4) How many times have you rewatched it? Memories? Does it still hold good even today for you? Too many times to count. In fact i actually just watched it on Sunday with a girl. It doesnt scare me anymore but it's still a great movie. 5) Anything else you wish to share? Still my favorite haunting movie |
1) Do you remember when you first watched it? Not exactly. Must have been about 19-20 years ago on VHS, definitely a rental. I bought a VHS copy shortly afterwards. 2) Did you get any feedback (from friends or media) prior to watching it? I read about it a lot. Since my early love for all horror was mostly into ghost stories, I was really pumped to see this ever since I read an article on it in a film mag. 3) How was the viewing experience? How did it affect you? Boy, it was scary! I remember being grossed out by the chicken leg (maggots) scene and the guy pulling off his facial flesh in front of the mirror. And that floating apparition scene had my jaw hanging open. Not to mention that clown! And all those swimming skeletons in the pool at the climax. It was scary. Brrrr... 4) How many times have you rewatched it? Memories? Does it still hold good even today for you? Countless times. It has aged well and still holds up for a repeat viewing, I am glad to admit. Tobe Hooper has made a great film. I remember being quite impressed by this and part 2, although #3 was quite a bit of a disappointment. 5) Anything else you wish to share. A good, effective scary story is always a fantastic viewing experience. Too bad we don't have such films made these days. Or maybe we have become too jaded to feel the horror of similar films in recent times. Either way, Poltergeist ranks right up there with the finest in cinematic ghost story telling for me. A quality, top-notch film. |
Do you remember when you first watched it?
Not really, I know I was young, probably around 10 How was the viewing experience? How did it affect you? I still have a vivid recollection of the skeletons in the pool at the end, so while I dont exactly remember much about my first viewing experience, I'm sure it must've scared me plenty to remember it so clearly. How many times have you rewatched it? Memories? Does it still hold good even today for you? Rewatched it a bunch of times over the years. Really big fan of Tobe Hooper and I think he does a great job with this, but its the cast that really make it work. |
Moving on...to everyone's favorite cult classic.
1 - Do you remember when you first watched it? VHS or DVD? 2 - Did you get any feedback (from friends or media) prior to watching it? 3 - How was the viewing experience? 4 - How many times have you rewatched it since? 5 - Any memories associated with it, that you wish to share? |
1 - Do you remember when you first watched it? VHS or DVD?
DVD a few years back. One of the first horror films I owned. 2 - Did you get any feedback (from friends or media) prior to watching it? I remember when I first heard about it was in a TV guide around 1999 (when it was released uncut as it had been in and out of circulation and banned status with various censorship cuts for years.) Of course I thought the title was just gnarly. 3 - How was the viewing experience? I remember it having quite the impact on me, and it was a rather intense viewing experience. I've still not seen a horror movie that's scared me quite as much. 4 - How many times have you rewatched it since? I've never watched it since the first time in one sitting, because if it's intensity. I usually have to split it in two parts, but I've not seen it for a while because I've lost track of where my DVD is...but I'm eager to find it. 5 - Any memories associated with it, that you wish to share? |
1. I first saw TCM on VHS. Would have been in the mid to late 80's I guess.
2. You would have to live on a desert island to not have heard of TCM's reputation :D . 3. It was good, but because it had been so hyped, I was expecting something more gory (with more onscreen violence and gore) than I got. Its strength is as much psychological as visual (however that was a bit lost on me as a youngish teenager). 4. I have seen it about 5 or 6 times since that first viewing. 5. This is a movie that I appreciated more on subsequent viewings than I did at first. Not that I didn't like it originally, but I think once I knew what was on offer, I could appreciate it more for what it was (rather than what I thought it would be). Watching it when a bit older, I think I appreciated the psychological aspects of this film much more. This film is truly one of the greats of the genre, and lives up to its reputation. Quote:
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1 - Do you remember when you first watched it? VHS or DVD?
None of the above. It was in a dusty darkened theatre at a midnight showing in Omaha, Nebraska, stoned as all fuck, with a group of teenage friends. 2 - Did you get any feedback (from friends or media) prior to watching it? Oh yes, we knew all about it and couldn't wait to finally see it. 3 - How was the viewing experience? Blew us away. We indentified quite well with the group of hippies getting stoned in the bus, an experience we'd shared many times amongst ourselves. The audience was dead silent during the showing, something that at the time indicated deep enjoyment and immersion into the film. Something quite different from a theatrical showing these days. 4 - How many times have you rewatched it since? A few times. I tend not to rewatch films, but when I come across this on cable, I watch it because it really is an amazing film, the best thing Tobe Hooper ever did. 5 - Any memories associated with it, that you wish to share? Its sick humor was quite unique for the time- something that has certainly been overdone to the nth degree since then. And that iconic image of Leatherface doing his dance at the end is something that can't ever be forgotten. |
Do you remember when you first watched it? VHS or DVD?
As a young teen, I had watched plenty of horror before this, but had never seen anything like this before. 2 - Did you get any feedback (from friends or media) prior to watching it? I watched it with a bunch of people at a house party. I think very few of the people watched it from start to finish, some probably got bored, some probably were trying to hide the fact that they were scared, but I remember it really didnt grab the other people watching it around me. 3 - How was the viewing experience? It was one of a handful of movies I watched that essentially showed me something I wanted to see before I even realised I wanted to see it. It really is a classic, not just of the genre but of cinema as a whole. 4 - How many times have you rewatched it since? Lots... Watching it as an adult you can maybe articulate why you love it better, but ultimatley the reason I love it now is the same as why I loved it the fist time I watched it. Its raw, its intense, its gritty and it really is an amazing piece of cinematography. 5 - Any memories associated with it, that you wish to share? I just remember being frustrated that noone liked it as much as I did when I first watched it. I guess thats when you know you're a fan of something... You see something or do something then take a step back and realise that the average person just doesnt care about it as much as you do. |
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