I think my tastes in horror are very much like what you’re looking for. My favorite horror films are Psycho, The Shining, and Rosemary’s Baby. I’d also recommend The Others and The Orphanage. Maybe you’d be interested in The Vanishing (look for the original 1988 version) and Nightwatch (also look for the original 1994 version). Those last ones are Horror/Thrillers but are very effective and I guarantee you wont forget them.
There’s also Let The Right One In, which I consider to be a drama with horror elements. I strongly recommend it to any aspiring filmmaker, because it shows what you can do with a low budget and lots of creativity.
Mystic River, Mulholland Dr, The Departed, 21 Grams, The Wrestler, Traffic, No Country for Old Men, Children of Men… those are the ones that come to mind
By far The Killing. Most people know about his 70s and 80s films, and a lot know Strangelove, although not as many as I’d think it should be. Paths of Glory is critically acclaimed and mentioned in most war film lists out there. The Killing, however, is never mentioned among thrillers and movies that helped develop modern cinema. The film is very advanced in its themes and visual techniques, but somehow its managed to escape the eye of most critics.
Last night I decided that there was too much hype about Oldboy to ignore. I watched it and as most times when it comes to hype, it let me down. I think people make too much fuss about those type of sick, and yes, clever twists. Oldboy lacks depth in every aspect. The main character is boring and unsympathetic, even after being imprisoned for 15 years. The movie goes through the imprisonment really fast and the audience doesn’t really get to the point of empathy. The antagonist seems interesting, but he doesn’t have much time in the movie, and whatever time he does spend on-screen, is spent trying to make him as inhuman as possible, without much character development. I think that he would’ve made a much more interesting main character, since he is truly out for vengeance and has a reason other than curiosity, which I find to be pretty trivial.
The plot of the movie is not very complicated once the truth has been revealed, and I couldn’t help but think that most of the movie is just about procrastinating the revealing climax. When I found out the reason for the whole vengeance against Oh Dae-Su, I felt cheated and lied to. How can they make a movie about such a SILLY thing? What is there to learn if the whole plot is based on a meaningless situation? The plot points are also extremely vague and in no way help the backstory. The use of hypnosis, as well, is just a way to make such unreal and unlikely events plausible, sort of as a deus ex machina.
I’ll give it cleverness, but not as much as I was led to believe by the hype. All in all, Oldboy is too far fetched to be very impacting to anyone who isn’t seeking a cheap thrill with sick and meaningless imagery.
I’d like to know other thoughts and views about it since it has been so acclaimed and talked about.
A movie is a moving picture that serves merely for entertainment. A film is art through moving pictures. In that sense, I’d answer NO to your question.
At the same time, I understand that art is subjective, and what many people may find to be just entertaining may be meaningful to many others. If objectively you believe that a film was made with the purpose of profit through entertainment (as action pictures often are) then you can definitely discard it.
I have a couple, but I think the biggest one is Star Wars – while visually advanced in its time, it is still a stupid action movie with a stolen plot from greek mythology and cheesy sci-fi films. I’d let it rest if people knew it was an action flick, but i hate how it is considered one of the greatest films ever made.. such an insult to auteurs!!
Dark Knight- I think its a terrible movie that was made such a hype of because one average actor died while production. I hate it and i hate how people forget its a pointless action movie and make it as some sort of art film.
Halloween- i think its totally empty and while well made, it shouldn’t be made such a big deal of.
Memento- ugh its just about making a movie backwards… total waste of time
Lately I’ve seen a couple of films that touch on repressed sexuality, like Repulsion and Halloween. While I think Repulsion is a brilliant film, I can’t help but wonder why would a woman as beautiful as her would be repressed sexually of all things. Also, what exactly does that mean? Is it implying that any virgins out there are starving and craving to express their sexuality? It makes me think that sex is thought of as a rule instead of a natural instinct. Plus, its always women who are portrayed this way in movies, or at least I can’t think of a male example.
HITCHCOCK! He was able to make such a huge variety of films while keeping his style. True he did take a downturn on the 70s, but hey, how many directors have their own word to describe their style? Hitchcockian haha
Well, its not that I’m looking for male examples. I just want to understand what the whole basis for the “repressed sexuality” is. I don’t agree with the concept. I think it might take someone who wants something specifically and can’t get it, hence repression, and that would end up in sociopathic tendencies i would think. But seeing these virgins on the screen who are disturbed, apparently because they haven’t expressed themselves sexually… it just doesn’t make sense to me.
why should a movie about the worst event in history be depressing and sad? you’ve missed the point of the movie in a way that leaves me speechless. Can’t you see the movie shows the contrast of good vs evil? How even in that tragic situation, people can be hopeful and goodhearted. Watch it again and forget about watching a documentary, cause it wont be.
its called fiction. i like films to be realistic, but i don’t expect truth from them. documentaries, on the other hand, should be truthful, but who says what the truth is? if a documentary only shows you one side of a debate, it might be honest, but its not necessarily the truth.
see, now there’s an example of repressed sexuality. the fear of accepting ones homosexuality, or not understanding it, would be a good reason to call it such. but what Im referring to is how people are portrayed in movies, disturbed somehow because they haven’t had sex. It doesn’t make much sense.
what can people be surprised about? the thing about the coin and the button was stupidly obvious! if you couldn’t see the end coming from miles away… you probably haven’t watched many movies.
Deckard, i agree with what you say. definitely its something real and pretty serious. what doesn’t make sense to me is how i see it portrayed in most movies. repulsion, for example, never gives an explanation to the origin of her repression. that’s why some people believe its from abuse and others think its virginity. it would make a whole lot more sense if there was any childhood abuse, but it is never even implied. it also bothers me that every time there’s a virgin in a movie, it’s referred to as “sexually repressed” Elston mentioned many movies which i don’t agree to be examples of SEXUAL repression. Travis Bickle of Taxi Driver, while definitely disturbed, seeks Becky for affection, not lust. He goes to a porno flick because he doesn’t understand what it means. yes, he is naive, it doesn’t make him repressed.
i think people get from the term “repressed” an absence instead of a need. like virgins would be repressed because they lack the experience, but maybe they don’t need it and give it much thought.
i also want to say to Kelvane, that I believe in American Beauty, Suvari’s character is the one who is sexually repressed. She is a virgin and she’s extremely ashamed of it. she lies to everyone to hide her insecurities.
this is totally subjective but Blue Velvet was pretty f’d up for me when i first saw it… my thoughts: “an ear?!? nitrogen?!?!? why is that guy just standing there!?!”
3D has been around since 1915. In the early 50’s in became quite popular (Bwana Devil). It was thought of as the salvation of the film industry. It wasn’t. It’ll never be.
I just saw this documentary and I had to announce it here. Please make an effort to watch it as soon as possible. I have always been against the corporate giants and I refuse to give any money to Fast Foods, but I never imagined the extent to which capitalism has affected our health (amongst other things).
Thanks for contributing your thoughts. That’s what I care about, really. When I say “I want everyone to see this movie” I don’t mean it as “this movie is irrefutable.” I used to be against the whole organic trend. I thought it was ridiculous that we should pay more for the benefit of it being ‘natural.’ Watching this movie has made me think twice about it, and that’s what matters. Creating a discussion about the subject. Some of the information in the movie is pretty terrifying, but the movie itself isn’t made as a scare tactic. I agree with you about documentary tactics nowadays, buy you’d have to see the film and judge it for yourself wouldn’t you?
I wish you luck on your film and hope that you announce it here on The Auteurs. Will look forward to it.
I thought that once the shootings started, it was well paced and filmed. What I did not like was that there wasn’t any reason given for his desire to kill. I just can’t picture something like that without any motive. Also, it bothered me that the two stories weren’t related at all, although it was obviously going to happen eventually, but it took too long.
Interested in restrained horror films over 2 years ago
I think my tastes in horror are very much like what you’re looking for. My favorite horror films are Psycho, The Shining, and Rosemary’s Baby. I’d also recommend The Others and The Orphanage. Maybe you’d be interested in The Vanishing (look for the original 1988 version) and Nightwatch (also look for the original 1994 version). Those last ones are Horror/Thrillers but are very effective and I guarantee you wont forget them.
There’s also Let The Right One In, which I consider to be a drama with horror elements. I strongly recommend it to any aspiring filmmaker, because it shows what you can do with a low budget and lots of creativity.
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The Best Films of the New Millenium over 2 years ago
Mystic River, Mulholland Dr, The Departed, 21 Grams, The Wrestler, Traffic, No Country for Old Men, Children of Men… those are the ones that come to mind
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What is Kubrick's Most Under-Appreciated Film? over 2 years ago
By far The Killing. Most people know about his 70s and 80s films, and a lot know Strangelove, although not as many as I’d think it should be. Paths of Glory is critically acclaimed and mentioned in most war film lists out there. The Killing, however, is never mentioned among thrillers and movies that helped develop modern cinema. The film is very advanced in its themes and visual techniques, but somehow its managed to escape the eye of most critics.
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The hype about Oldboy over 2 years ago
Last night I decided that there was too much hype about Oldboy to ignore. I watched it and as most times when it comes to hype, it let me down. I think people make too much fuss about those type of sick, and yes, clever twists. Oldboy lacks depth in every aspect. The main character is boring and unsympathetic, even after being imprisoned for 15 years. The movie goes through the imprisonment really fast and the audience doesn’t really get to the point of empathy. The antagonist seems interesting, but he doesn’t have much time in the movie, and whatever time he does spend on-screen, is spent trying to make him as inhuman as possible, without much character development. I think that he would’ve made a much more interesting main character, since he is truly out for vengeance and has a reason other than curiosity, which I find to be pretty trivial.
The plot of the movie is not very complicated once the truth has been revealed, and I couldn’t help but think that most of the movie is just about procrastinating the revealing climax. When I found out the reason for the whole vengeance against Oh Dae-Su, I felt cheated and lied to. How can they make a movie about such a SILLY thing? What is there to learn if the whole plot is based on a meaningless situation? The plot points are also extremely vague and in no way help the backstory. The use of hypnosis, as well, is just a way to make such unreal and unlikely events plausible, sort of as a deus ex machina.
I’ll give it cleverness, but not as much as I was led to believe by the hype. All in all, Oldboy is too far fetched to be very impacting to anyone who isn’t seeking a cheap thrill with sick and meaningless imagery.
I’d like to know other thoughts and views about it since it has been so acclaimed and talked about.
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Top 20 horror films over 2 years ago
Slasher films are ridiculous.. I am really surprised to see so many of them in these lists.
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Can Great Films be Merely Great Entertainment? over 2 years ago
A movie is a moving picture that serves merely for entertainment. A film is art through moving pictures. In that sense, I’d answer NO to your question.
At the same time, I understand that art is subjective, and what many people may find to be just entertaining may be meaningful to many others. If objectively you believe that a film was made with the purpose of profit through entertainment (as action pictures often are) then you can definitely discard it.
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Favourite Box-Office flops over 2 years ago
Fight Club wasn’t very successful when it came out. It gathered its following on DVD. Of course, also Citizen Kane.
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Last movie you saw and rate it over 2 years ago
Halloween 4… out of 10
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Movies you hated that everyone else loves over 2 years ago
I have a couple, but I think the biggest one is Star Wars – while visually advanced in its time, it is still a stupid action movie with a stolen plot from greek mythology and cheesy sci-fi films. I’d let it rest if people knew it was an action flick, but i hate how it is considered one of the greatest films ever made.. such an insult to auteurs!!
Dark Knight- I think its a terrible movie that was made such a hype of because one average actor died while production. I hate it and i hate how people forget its a pointless action movie and make it as some sort of art film.
Halloween- i think its totally empty and while well made, it shouldn’t be made such a big deal of.
Memento- ugh its just about making a movie backwards… total waste of time
Lord of the Rings- stupid… nothing else
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Repressed Sexuality in Movies over 2 years ago
Lately I’ve seen a couple of films that touch on repressed sexuality, like Repulsion and Halloween. While I think Repulsion is a brilliant film, I can’t help but wonder why would a woman as beautiful as her would be repressed sexually of all things. Also, what exactly does that mean? Is it implying that any virgins out there are starving and craving to express their sexuality? It makes me think that sex is thought of as a rule instead of a natural instinct. Plus, its always women who are portrayed this way in movies, or at least I can’t think of a male example.
Any thoughts about the subject appreciated.
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Most consistent director? over 2 years ago
HITCHCOCK! He was able to make such a huge variety of films while keeping his style. True he did take a downturn on the 70s, but hey, how many directors have their own word to describe their style? Hitchcockian haha
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Repressed Sexuality in Movies over 2 years ago
yeah saw it today haha
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Repressed Sexuality in Movies over 2 years ago
Well, its not that I’m looking for male examples. I just want to understand what the whole basis for the “repressed sexuality” is. I don’t agree with the concept. I think it might take someone who wants something specifically and can’t get it, hence repression, and that would end up in sociopathic tendencies i would think. But seeing these virgins on the screen who are disturbed, apparently because they haven’t expressed themselves sexually… it just doesn’t make sense to me.
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Repressed Sexuality in Movies over 2 years ago
could you elaborate a bit? you don’t need to enter into personal details… but whats it all about?
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watching schindler's list: a tug-of-war? over 2 years ago
why should a movie about the worst event in history be depressing and sad? you’ve missed the point of the movie in a way that leaves me speechless. Can’t you see the movie shows the contrast of good vs evil? How even in that tragic situation, people can be hopeful and goodhearted. Watch it again and forget about watching a documentary, cause it wont be.
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Movies you hated that everyone else loves over 2 years ago
wow.. .somebody hates lebowski?!?!?!? im dying here!
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is truth important in a film? over 2 years ago
its called fiction. i like films to be realistic, but i don’t expect truth from them. documentaries, on the other hand, should be truthful, but who says what the truth is? if a documentary only shows you one side of a debate, it might be honest, but its not necessarily the truth.
Go to Comment
Repressed Sexuality in Movies over 2 years ago
see, now there’s an example of repressed sexuality. the fear of accepting ones homosexuality, or not understanding it, would be a good reason to call it such. but what Im referring to is how people are portrayed in movies, disturbed somehow because they haven’t had sex. It doesn’t make much sense.
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how many of you liked the ending of drag me to hell (2009) ? over 2 years ago
i hated the whole thing
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how many of you liked the ending of drag me to hell (2009) ? over 2 years ago
what can people be surprised about? the thing about the coin and the button was stupidly obvious! if you couldn’t see the end coming from miles away… you probably haven’t watched many movies.
Go to Comment
Repressed Sexuality in Movies over 2 years ago
Deckard, i agree with what you say. definitely its something real and pretty serious. what doesn’t make sense to me is how i see it portrayed in most movies. repulsion, for example, never gives an explanation to the origin of her repression. that’s why some people believe its from abuse and others think its virginity. it would make a whole lot more sense if there was any childhood abuse, but it is never even implied. it also bothers me that every time there’s a virgin in a movie, it’s referred to as “sexually repressed” Elston mentioned many movies which i don’t agree to be examples of SEXUAL repression. Travis Bickle of Taxi Driver, while definitely disturbed, seeks Becky for affection, not lust. He goes to a porno flick because he doesn’t understand what it means. yes, he is naive, it doesn’t make him repressed.
i think people get from the term “repressed” an absence instead of a need. like virgins would be repressed because they lack the experience, but maybe they don’t need it and give it much thought.
i also want to say to Kelvane, that I believe in American Beauty, Suvari’s character is the one who is sexually repressed. She is a virgin and she’s extremely ashamed of it. she lies to everyone to hide her insecurities.
Go to Comment
Most Disturbing Film Ever (strictly speaking) over 2 years ago
this is totally subjective but Blue Velvet was pretty f’d up for me when i first saw it… my thoughts: “an ear?!? nitrogen?!?!? why is that guy just standing there!?!”
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Repressed Sexuality in Movies over 2 years ago
elston, i agree.
haha the oedipus complex is so complicated that maybe it doesn’t even count as sexual repression. but that i wouldn’t know really.
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Best Horror Film of 2009 over 2 years ago
Pontypool is not only the best of the year, but one of the best horror films ever.
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What are the best Brian De Palma's films? over 2 years ago
Brian DePalma steals everything he does. He’s got a few movies that stand on their own, but most of them are terrible wannabes.
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blindness (2008) : what are your opinions ? over 2 years ago
the horror… the horror… the horror…
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The Future Is In 3D over 2 years ago
3D has been around since 1915. In the early 50’s in became quite popular (Bwana Devil). It was thought of as the salvation of the film industry. It wasn’t. It’ll never be.
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Food Inc. over 2 years ago
I just saw this documentary and I had to announce it here. Please make an effort to watch it as soon as possible. I have always been against the corporate giants and I refuse to give any money to Fast Foods, but I never imagined the extent to which capitalism has affected our health (amongst other things).
Go to Comment
Food Inc. over 2 years ago
Thanks for contributing your thoughts. That’s what I care about, really. When I say “I want everyone to see this movie” I don’t mean it as “this movie is irrefutable.” I used to be against the whole organic trend. I thought it was ridiculous that we should pay more for the benefit of it being ‘natural.’ Watching this movie has made me think twice about it, and that’s what matters. Creating a discussion about the subject. Some of the information in the movie is pretty terrifying, but the movie itself isn’t made as a scare tactic. I agree with you about documentary tactics nowadays, buy you’d have to see the film and judge it for yourself wouldn’t you?
I wish you luck on your film and hope that you announce it here on The Auteurs. Will look forward to it.
Go to Comment
The 60s by Rifle Scope over 2 years ago
I thought that once the shootings started, it was well paced and filmed. What I did not like was that there wasn’t any reason given for his desire to kill. I just can’t picture something like that without any motive. Also, it bothered me that the two stories weren’t related at all, although it was obviously going to happen eventually, but it took too long.
Go to Comment