Collecting Blu-Ray/ 4K Horror Movies - What Are Your Recommendations?

[Deactivated] on 17/06/2019 - 22:02

Okay, I should start off by saying films are a very subjective thing. Right? So, let's keep it civil and respectful.
Also, don't give away any spoilers! Not to me or anybody reading this thread.

So! I have a thing for good horror movies, or at least what I perceive to be good horror, and would like to add to my collection. My tastes range from the stylish, the intelligent or the assiduously suspenseful. I have rather eclectic tastes, too, but I don't mind the odd bit of silliness. I was very impressed when the Academy Awards had a special segment about horror a few years back. It's such an underrated genre.

I have my own recommendations (see below), many of which I own.

Prelude to my favourites list:

I watched the remake of Suspiria last night and thought it was great, would've been better as a purely foreign film, I think (excellent attention to period detail). Then I watched Slender Man, LOL!! Then I watched The House That Jack Built… Yikes, not for the faint of heart! That movie has topped my list of the most twisted films I've ever seen! And I've seen Salo, the first three Hellraisers (that was enough) and Blood Diner, ET CETERA. It had some interesting artistic elements, literary references, philosophy and social commentary but no, not my cup of tea!

Haven't seen Don't Breathe or The Witch yet. Hoping they're good. Got to check out Deathgasm, too, it just sounds brilliant.

To help with your suggestions:

I'm not into "torture-porn" horrors like Saw, Hostel or The Human Centipede, etc. Boring! I'm not into films that rely on jump scares, either (that also goes for the abuse of sound - diegetic or non-diegetic). Nor am I into films which have real animal abuse like Cannibal Holocaust!! I'm also not into films based on real-life, for the most part, although I didn't mind Zodiac.

And please don't say The Conjuring… I can't stand filler and I don't fall for that "based on a true story" nonsense. What Lies Beneath, The Others, Insidious, ANYTHING by Shyamalan… dullsville!! And Paranormal Activity… LOOOOOL.

I also love some B-grade stuff, though, new and old, like Night of the Demons, or classic Hammer Horrors, etc, but many have not been remastered.

So here are some of my favourites:

  • Alien (if they ever try to remake this, I will personally blow up the Solar System)
  • The Thing (the original! The remake is okay and I love the Sigourney Weaver-esque lead character)
  • The Exorcist
  • Friday the 13th: Part 1 & 3!
  • Halloween (the original and the best!)
  • A Nightmare on Elm Street (the original and the best! - many of these films have great documentaries about various aspects of the film, including the special effects)
  • Discopath
  • It Follows
  • The House of the Devil (excellent sense of nostalgia in these last three)
  • The Descent
  • An American Werewolf In London
  • The Shining
  • Låt den Rätte Komma In ("Let the Right One In")
  • Demons (1 & 2 - haven't seen Part 3, AKA La Chiesa/The Church)
  • The Hills Have Eyes (1977 - actually, not too sure about including this, and the remake was okay)
  • The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974 & 2003)
  • Vargtimmen ("Hour of the Wolf" by the legendary Bergman!)
  • Suspiria (1977)
  • Creep (not usually a fan of found-footage films - Part 2 was average)
  • Dawn of the Dead (1978, but 2004 was a good effort)
  • Shaun of the Dead (lol)
  • The Strangers (haven't seen Part 2)
  • Maniac (1980 with the legendary Tom Savini, but remake is okayish)
  • The Evil Dead (1 & 2 - 3 is a classic, though)
  • The Fly (1986)
  • Near Dark
  • The Hunger
  • Cabin Fever (2002 - comes close to "torture-porn" but I liked the suspense)
  • Jaws
  • Poltergeist (the original!)
  • Night of the Demons (1988 - classic!)
  • Tenebrae
  • Green Room (such a great film!!! - and so sad about Yelchin)
  • The Loved Ones
  • It (1990 and 2017 but I didn't like the casting of Pennywise in the remake)
  • Carrie (the original - classic de Palma!)
  • A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
  • Psycho
  • The Birds (that scene of the birds descending is pure Hitchcock magic)
  • Repulsion
  • Rosemary's Baby
  • Howl (2015 - well, I thought it was good)
  • Nosferatu
  • Aliens
  • Pontypool (awesome!)
  • REC (2007)
  • Happy Death Day (great film!!!)
  • Lés affamés
  • Hush
  • It Comes At Night
  • I Spit On Your Grave (1978)
  • When a Stranger Calls (1979 and I liked the 2006 remake - that house is stunning!)
  • The Last House on the Left (1972)
  • The Serpent and the Rainbow
  • Roadkill
  • Twin Peaks (Season 3 - not a film but it's going on the list)
  • Dead End (2003)
  • Deathproof
  • Mute Witness (an old favourite and a MUST-SEE for any horror fan!!)
  • Orphan
  • Shelley
  • The Final Girls (classic!)
  • Starry Eyes
  • Child's Play
  • Prometheus
  • Pandorum (I liked it)
  • Martyrs
  • Eraserhead
  • The Blob (1958 & 1988)
  • Strait-Jacket
  • The Exorcist: Part 3 (so underrated!)
  • Sleepaway Camp (eek!)
  • The Driller Killer (classic!)

I'm sure I've missed quite a few. There are so many I can't remember the name of at the moment, like one of a couple who crash their car in the country (I won't give away the plot). Not sure if Resolution counts as a horror but I recommend it, it's an obscure gem. There's also a film made in the 80's, the title is similar to "Last House on the…" something or other. It's about a group of people having a party and their house is infiltrated by crazy robbers or murderers or something. Love the female characters in it. Sexy 80s WOMEN. Not vapid 21st century girlies, although I have a thing for Kendall Jenner :)

ANYWAY… I'm hoping you can let me know about any good horrors, something obscure or foreign would be great, but, really, anything that's good and take-your-breath-away suspenseful.

Okay! Off to go and watch A Quiet Place.

Unpleasant dreams…

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Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 17/06/2019 - 22:12
    +3

    The French film Martyrs builds nicely. Japanese Battle Royale is amazing.

    • [Deactivated] on 17/06/2019 - 22:15
      +1

      I'm so glad someone mentioned this first. Great film.

    • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2019 - 00:34

      Will check out Battle Royale, thanks.

    • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2019 - 04:10

      Hey, while I was watching movies earlier I realised how magnificent your username is. Very clever. I used to love that show.

  • Diji1 on 17/06/2019 - 22:51

    Antichrist (2009)

    • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2019 - 00:05

      Thanks, but I was a von Trier fan until Charlotte Gainsbourg. It would have been great without her. Her voice would scare Satan himself, so a total miscasting, lol. She and Matthew McConaughey should make a film together (he ruined Interstellar for me with that EXCESSIVE drawl and that California raisin face with a Liverpool spray-tan).

  • O O on 17/06/2019 - 23:34

    American Psycho (2000)
    Se7en (1995)
    Misery (1990)

    • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2019 - 00:08

      I was going to mention Misery, and I should have. Great film. American Psycho and Se7en are good. Haven't watched Se7en in ages, wouldn't mind checking it out again soon.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/06/2019 - 23:56

    A Quiet Place was a big disappointment. I think Krasinski watched a few too many Shyamalan films. I knew the dad was going to die and there were way too many predictable moments (granted, you can't escape a certain amount of predictability but not this much). Good cinematography, (some) good acting, but that's about it.

  • zonra on 18/06/2019 - 00:23

    What you described sounds like my kind of horror films too.
    It Follows would’ve been my suggestion but it’s already on your list.
    The Ring (both the original Japanese versions and the western remakes) are worth watching if you haven’t seen them.
    Ghost Ship (2002) isn’t too scary but worth a watch.
    If you’re not phased by subtitles check out some of the Hong Kong horror films, there are some gems there, eg. The Haunted School (2007), okay plot but got some pretty scary non-jump scares.

    • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2019 - 00:31

      Thanks. I LOVE It Follows. If you liked that, you'd probably like Driver (great film!). I have a feeling you've seen it already. The original Japanese Ringu film was good. If Ghost Ship is the one with Melissa George, then I've seen it. Quite an interesting plot. I should check out some HK horrors. They have (or had) such lax rules for safety, there must be some real thrills to be had :D I watched Police Story (for the billionth time) recently. Love that final scene with the four black women. Thank goodness Chan survived that fall… legend.

    • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2019 - 00:33

      Oh, hang on, Ghost Ship is the one with the ship-lines that slice everyone up, right? Classic gore. Reminds me of that hallway laser scene in Resident Evil. Yikes!

      • zonra on 18/06/2019 - 01:10

        It Follows remains my favorite horror/thriller film, it’s amazing what it achieves with so little special effects, jump-scares and a simple (but not bad) plot. Phenomenal atmosphere.

        Ghost Ship is the one with the ship-lines that slice everyone up, right?

        That’s the one, not really a horror but I do remember it had quite a good atmosphere built up in the first half.

        The Others (2001) is another more-of-a-thriller that’s has a good atmosphere and plot (I rate this one much better than Ghost Ship)

        The one with Melissa George is Triangle I think, if you thought it was interesting definitely check out Predestination (not a horror but scifi), I reckon it did a much better job than Triangle with the same sort of idea.

        But yes definitely check out some Hong Kong horrors, plots and structures are a tad different to western stuff but the scares are there and well done. Thanks for the list in the OP too, saves me from reading through pages of recommendations for Conjuring and the likes.

        • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2019 - 04:07

          You're very welcome. It's a pleasure sharing my love of film. I'm a long-time cinephile but I still have so many classics yet to see. My list probably looks fairly lacklustre to a true expert.

          It Follows achieves so much with its enviable screenplay, and sublime and tense atmosphere. It's a perfect example of "less is more". Maika Monroe is adorable. Am hoping for better things for her. So many films rely on bells and whistles but usually (as I'm sure you know) they're a sign that the screenplay is lacking. That's why I never watch a trailer because often, that's the whole film, right there. But when you get that right balance of script, score, directing, cinematography, editing and casting… you become immersed in pure cinematic magic. So rare.

          The Others was not for me (maybe I'll give it another go), but I love Nicole Kidman. On par with Meryl Streep. She might even outdo her. Have you seen The Killing of a Sacred Deer? Great film (Thriller) which builds nicely. I was breathless.

          The Conjuring rides on the back of one good part. You'll know it if you decide to watch it.

          Ah, yes, Triangle. I'm getting my ships mixed up. I love Sci-Fi, too, (2001: A Space Odyssey is my favourite, well, tied with Solaris and Alien), so I will definitely check out Predestination. I also love Avant-Garde/ Experimental films. Ballet Mécanique, Satyricon, for example… amazing! And I love foreign films. L'Avventura, Rebetiko (!!!), Like Water For Chocolate, Black Orpheus, La Femme Nikita, Ivan's Childhood, Betty Blue, Babette's Feast, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari… wow. My Writing for Screen Tutor told me about a film called The Yellow Earth, which I'd like to see.

        • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2019 - 19:27

          I just realised I gave away a spoiler with those Ghost Ship and Resident Evil scenes. And… I probably wasn't being very respectful with my assessment of a few films in my description… Life goes on.

          • zonra on 19/06/2019 - 01:02
            +1

            @[Deactivated]: Oh and I just remembered: American Horror Story (it's a series unfortunately, but horror is horror)
            Season 1 is good.
            Season 2 is absolutely fantastic.
            Don't bother watching anything from 3 onwards though, completely went uttersh!t imo (almost like they changed director or something)
            But each season is a complete stand alone story so you won't miss anything by stopping after 2.
            Heck, you can even just start with s2 and if you enjoy it, watch s1 after.

            • [Deactivated] on 19/06/2019 - 01:14

              @zonra: Definitely heard about it. I don't watch TV at all, actually. The thing just sits there (I did switch it on recently to play my SNES mini for a couple of weeks, though, and I really should unbox my PS4 and play Alien: Isolation).

              I'm a little apprehensive but I'll trust your judgment and give it a go. I'll try to find it online. Thanks.

      • Master Bates on 18/06/2019 - 08:26

        Following on the Ghost Ship and RE theme, Cube (1997) is a budget Canadian horror movie with a cult following.

        • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2019 - 17:30

          Yes, I've seen Cube. Quite good. Cheers.

      • Master Bates on 18/06/2019 - 08:27
        +1

        Dupe…

      • Master Bates on 18/06/2019 - 08:29
        +1

        Double dupe…

  • Mrbean007 on 18/06/2019 - 08:30
    +1

    Don't think you will find it but
    Body parts and don't go to sleep.

    Also fortress and Cujo.

    • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2019 - 17:30

      I was going to mention Pet Sematary, Cujo and Christine. Great films! I've heard of Body Parts and Don't Go To Sleep. Haven't heard of Fortress. Will check them out. Thanks.

      • Mrbean007 on 19/06/2019 - 05:33

        It's a 80s true story Australian movie more so a thriller.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_(1985_film)

        Also the Creep show series.

        • [Deactivated] on 19/06/2019 - 13:55

          Okay. Love the Creepshow series. Thanks.

  • tre180 on 18/06/2019 - 10:00
    +1

    Your list is pretty damn comprehensive, I haven't heard of some of them so looking forward to checking them out!

    Some others worth checking out:

    Hereditary - One of my favourite horrors of the last few years (alongside the witch)
    The devils backbone
    The orphanage
    The babadook
    Bone tomahawk - western but with some horror elements, great fun!

    • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2019 - 17:33

      Thanks and great! Enjoy. I've heard of all the films you mention and definitely want to see them. I've already seen The Babadook. A good Australian production. We studied it at Uni last year, so I've seen it. Very stylish and some good moments.

  • gmeney on 18/06/2019 - 10:27
    +2

    Event Horizon (Sci-Fi Horror)

    • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2019 - 17:34

      Omg, Event Horizon. Hellraiser in space. It's quite good. Thanks.

  • ShannonN on 18/06/2019 - 12:27
    +1

    Poltergeist

    • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2019 - 17:37

      The original or the remake? For me, it's got to be the original. Modern graphics can't beat those old effects sometimes. I'd rather see some old effects, like in Robocop or The Toxic Avenger, than what you see these days. It was an art.

  • foxmulder on 18/06/2019 - 12:46
    +1

    I recommended the following: Throughbreds, Hereditary, Don't Breathe, World War Z, World's End (as you like Shaun of the Dead), Red Lights, Paranormal Activity (the first two or three? - but it may bored after 3 movies), Train to Busan.

    • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2019 - 17:39

      I've heard of all of them except for Thoroughbreds, Red Lights and Train to Busan. Will check them all out. Thanks.

  • Doyen on 18/06/2019 - 13:03
    +1

    28 Days later https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289043/

    • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2019 - 17:40

      Definitely heard of it. A little bit tired of the whole zombie/ virus apocalypse trope, but I'll check it out. Thanks.

  • bluesky on 18/06/2019 - 23:54
    +1

    This is not everyone's cup of tea, but I am going to mention it anyway. Castle Rock (TV series).

    It is described as 'A psychological-horror series set in the Stephen King multiverse, Castle Rock is an original story that combines the mythological scale and intimate character storytelling of King’s best-loved works, weaving an epic saga of darkness and light, played out on a few square miles of Maine woodland.'

    If you are looking for more action, and less dialogue, then chances are you will not like this. Think Stephen King's 'Green Mile' - pretty slow pace, but interesting dialogue and characters.

    Available from Amazon. Looks like it has been renewed for Season 2.

    • [Deactivated] on 19/06/2019 - 00:20
      +1

      Sounds interesting. Appreciate the recommendation. I haven't watched TV in seven years but I have binge watched the first two seasons of Stranger Things online (haven't watch a single episode of Game of Thrones). Will check it out. Thanks.

      • bluesky on 19/06/2019 - 00:49
        +1

        Binge watching - that is easy to do with TV series :-)

        I watched Stranger Things Season 1 also. Castle Rock was better for me, but that could just be down to individual taste.

        • [Deactivated] on 19/06/2019 - 00:54
          +1

          Bruce Campbell-groovy. I loved the first season and am hoping it gets better. I think I'm biased because I have a thing for nostalgia and… Winona Forever! :)

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