:rolleyes: Whatever.

Re: How are old hprror movies best of all time?
 

People had heart attacks watching Psycho. I'll admit I almost had one watching Boogeyman but for a completely different reason.

I want that coffee Despare is selling. Desp, I'll give you six grand if you sell it to me and no one else. Discard all other offers! I just gotta have that tasty coffeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee thanks

yeah classics suck sooooo bad. no wonder the films of today beat those old classics by millions, like house of the dead, house of wax, freddy vs jason, etc, etc.

Re: How are old hprror movies best of all time?
 

*sobs quietly*

Okay, let me take a stab at answering this seriously...

First, let's lay the foundation: There is a natural tendancy among viewers to think that the films of their era are the best. Those youngsters cannot fathom why oldsters still like classics, and oldsters cannot understand why youngsters prefer contempoary "trash" instead of classics. Unfortunately, this leads to many pointless arguments.

As for your specific example, PSYCHO was a shocker in its day because it took traditional Gothic elements of horror films (the isolated location, the imposing old dark house) and used them in a modern comtemporary story that seemed more accessible and realistic to its audience. By "taking so long to get into" the story, it presented Marion Crane as the lead character, then shocked viewers by killing her off completely unexpectedly.

PSYCHO continues to be considered one of the best horror films because its craftsmanship and artistry have withstood the test of time: the film is well-made and convincing in a way that the vast majority of horror films are not, and the screenplay and performances invite a kind of audience identification that makes the film seem like a real movie -- not just an excuse to string together a dozen murders at eight-minute intervals.

Having said all that, I will admit that I was profoundly disappointed when I first saw PSYCHO -- the film's reputation is almost to great for it to live up to. But after you get over your expectations and actually watch what's there, you see that it really is a great movie, one that's worth watching again and again.

i agree that people tend to think that the time of their first exposure is the best era for film ... (nostalgia is a powerful thing)
but I'm an exception to that.

Most of my 1st experiences came in the 80's - which to me represents in general - the poorest time for horror films (thanhs to the home video boom)

To me the 70's will always represent the best time for horror - suited to my personal tastes. (i like the grainy gritty feel - and the common theme of helplessness in the face of conspiracy)

I can appreciate and respect the old Universal classics but they arent my favorites.

And i dont automatically hate everything new.. (although a more seasoned fan of any genre has to look hard to find a shred of origionality in a film after seeing countless 1000's of movies through the years)

I was gonna reply to this thread, but then I saw this. it's kinda like a card. it says what I was gonna say, but it's not my words.

I have watched movies before my time that have become a favorite film after the first watching. Nastoliga I'm sure is A reason but it surely isn't the only reason. Sometimes a movie is great no matter the time period.

nostalgia is usually a reason for really liking a film that you probably wouldnt otherwise like that much..