What makes a good horror film?

[sabersword]

Ok, going to start yet another new thread.What makes for a really good horror film? I know what scares me, but, what scares you? I love old dark houses.Lots of shadows and diffrent lighting effects. A slow build of tension.Somthing I would like to see that you almost never see, is when someone is confronted by a paranormal event, they react like you would think someone would react like, paralized. Feed back please.

[stubbornforgey]

I enjoy a movie where you can't see the spook...but you know its there..
the ghostly voices from the grave ..like that..
how the spirit floats from the walls without you expecting it...sudden fright is what floats my boat.

[alkytrio666]

Repeated threads would be downright frightening.



But seriously. To me, "scariness" is so broad and opinionated, but disturbing shit (The Exorcist, Cannibal Holocaust...) is the kind that AFFECTS me.

[mothermold]

good story
great director
great d.p.
good cast
great editor
good production designer
good producer

excellent timing and a little luck never hurts.

[GorePhobia]

you must have character development

I need to be able to feel what the character feels and I need to have something in common with them. Then as the story develops and the edginess begins where the tension is set I am finally so drawn in that when death begins it is quite a thrill ride.

[SKOOFx]

www.horrorheads.net <~~these guys seem to have the theory down.

[incubust]

I need a good coherent story. Not just a monster chasing some kids. Why? How? Where? Good logic and a creative twist to keep it interesting. Good character development that doesn't drag on and take up half the movie. Just enough to let you know what kind of people they are and how they came into their situation. If it's gonna be a whodunnit like Scream then the story and action must be A+ or the movie isn't worth repeat viewings.

A good ensemble cast or good lead and co-leads. No UPN, WB stars or American Idol rejects please. And no Paris Hiltons or 50 Cents. Please use real actors who can ACT!! Use adults for a change.

Strong action that gets underway within the first 5 minutes of the movie. I hate movies that don't get started till half way through. That usually happens when the director spends too long developing characters and background. Action has to be interspersed along the way until the other elements are established then the mayhem can ensue.

Long shots and wide vistas. No MTV music video quick editting. Boring!! Good use of fog, shadows and light.

Music and sound effects. Must be well-placed to build tension. All orchestral or ambient noises for best use of dynamics for max effect. Save the rap and metal music for the disco club scenes or the end credits. Preferrably not at all.

Special FX and CGI are only good if they're used sparingly. These days they're over-used and not even hidden well (Van Helsing, The Matrix). These days every genre movie looks like a video game now. Good horror movies don't rely heavily on FX but on the viewers' imagination. A woman screaming can convey just as much if not more than showing what she's screaming at.

I like supernatural, mythical or other-dimensional antagonists. No UFOs or ETs. (Aliens are too easy cuz there's no real concrete mythology). Vampires are played out. Werewolves are making a comeback (finally!) but they tend to succumb to bad, campy make-up or CGI fatigue. I like zombies, mutations, demons, voodoo priests, ghosts. Things like Candyman, Ju-On, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Deathdream, Pet Cemetary, Tales from the Crypt (1972), Jeepers Creepers, Hellraiser I & II, Lord of Illusions. While Im not a big fan of serial killer/slasher flicks, I do like Halloween, Saw and Se7en.

[The STE]

There's no answer to that question. Character development? Coherent Story? Good cast or acting or director? There've been really good horror movies without them (and bad ones with them). My first instinct was to answer "atmosphere" but there've been good horror movies without it.
So my answer, such as it is, is that there isn't one.

[Zero]

timing is everything