Horror Flicks You Used To Find Scary But Now Laugh At, But Still Sometimes Find Scary

[Jeremy Vaeni]

It's a weird thing when a horror movie turns laughable with age. But it's a weirder thing when it turns laughable and yet sometimes, if you watch it in the right mood, can still scare you.

Three movies that come to mind for me are: The Shining, Silence of The Lambs (if that counts as horror and not a thriller), and Ghost Dad. (Just kidding. Maybe.)

[Zombie369]

I know what you mean, the majority of the horror movies that I first watched as a kid used to scare me but now I think most of them are pretty laughable despite the fact that I still enjoy watching them.

The only ones that still scare me are the Final Destination movies. I just don't like watching those movies because of the idea of people getting killed by freak accidents that can't be stopped just bothers me. Give me ghosts and demons and flesh-eating zombies any day over that. :D

[TokyoTenshi]

Evil Dead. I used to be so scared to watch it at night when I was 9, but it was the movie that got me obsessed with horror movies. But now I still feel a bit scared if I watch it alone after midnight.. :D

[metternich1815]

It's a weird thing when a horror movie turns laughable with age. But it's a weirder thing when it turns laughable and yet sometimes, if you watch it in the right mood, can still scare you.

Three movies that come to mind for me are: The Shining, Silence of The Lambs (if that counts as horror and not a thriller), and Ghost Dad. (Just kidding. Maybe.)

I wouldn't call The Shining or The Silence of the Lambs laughable. They may not be scary, but they are still brilliant materpieces. Two movies that I don't really conisder scary that I thought were when I was younger were Jeepers Creepers and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). I still consider these films as great horror movies, but just not really scary.

[Kandarian Demon]

Ghostbusters! Which is, by the way, in my top 3 favourite movies of all time. I used to be TERRIFIED of Slimer, now I think he's cute :D

Buuut... the library ghost... she still scares me sometimes. And if I'm in the right mood, the whole movie makes me want to check under the bed before I go to sleep. I think it's because I remember how it made me feel as a little kid.

[Bob Gray]

I wouldn't call The Shining or The Silence of the Lambs laughable. They may not be scary, but they are still brilliant materpieces. Two movies that I don't really conisder scary that I thought were when I was younger were Jeepers Creepers and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). I still consider these films as great horror movies, but just not really scary.

There are very funny parts in both of those films, you just have to be a little demented to see them.

[xX_StarChild_Xx]

There are very funny parts in both of those films, you just have to be a little demented to see them.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to BASH your fucking brains in!"

and

"He said 'I can smell your cunt' "

"I see...I myself, cannot"

Both shining examples of demented humour in both films. :)

On the topic at hand, the Puppet Master films, for me are prime examples. I used to be so scared of Blade, but fascinated at the same time. Now, they're really funny to me in parts, but the stop motion work still has the ability to make my skin crawl sometimes.

Basket Case is another example.

[metternich1815]

"I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to BASH your fucking brains in!"

and

"He said 'I can smell your cunt' "

"I see...I myself, cannot"

Both shining examples of demented humour in both films. :)

On the topic at hand, the Puppet Master films, for me are prime examples. I used to be so scared of Blade, but fascinated at the same time. Now, they're really funny to me in parts, but the stop motion work still has the ability to make my skin crawl sometimes.

Basket Case is another example.

Of course, The Shining and possibly The Silence of the Lambs could have funny parts, but I consider that different than being laughable. Actually, "bash your brains in" line is one of my favorite lines in that movie (I agree it is quite hilarious). As for Puppetmaster, they never really scared me, but then again I am not sure if I watched them when I was younger. I could not even imagine them possibly being scary now. I have never seen Basketcase, but I have heard of it.

[xX_StarChild_Xx]

I agree that it doesn't make them laughable at all. Both movies were a couple of the most frightening films I have ever seen, and I will always swear by The Shining. I think after 2001, it's Kubricks...shining...achievement. So full of dread and paranoia that it permeates every inch of me. Monthly watching for me, at least, if not much more. haha!

Frank Hennenlotter made a few really good B-flicks in the 80s. I would definitely recommend looking them up if you ever get a chance. Basket Case, for me is his best work. But there is also Brain Damage, about a parasitic alien that injects a hallucinogenic drug into his host's brain stem, and Frankenhooker, which is exactly what it sounds like. :D

He also recently made a film called Bad Biology, which I have not seen yet but I've heard amazing things about it and is one that is up on the top of my list of films to catch up on. :)

[metternich1815]

I completely agree about The Shining. I will have to look into some of those movies. I am always looking for new horror movies to watch.

[Jeremy Vaeni]

Sorry, I should have been more specific. I didn't mean The Shining and Silence of The Lambs turned into laughably bad films.

I think what I find laughable in both films is the performances. Jack Nicholson has turned into a caricature of himself over the years; both he and Anthony Hopkins' performances were so good and I've watched them so many times--and done impressions of the characters so many times--it kinda takes me out of the movies at this point unless I block all of that out and really focus to be sucked in again.

Who here hasn't done the ol' "I'd fuck me so hard' bit to make friends laugh? Now try watching that scene again to be creeped out. Hard to get back to that creepy place when you've parodied it. But, it's easier to do with The Shining, for me, because there's such a variety of scary/creepy things going on and there's no way to soften the blow of their nightmarishness.

[xX_StarChild_Xx]

Sorry, I should have been more specific. I didn't mean The Shining and Silence of The Lambs turned into laughably bad films.

I think what I find laughable in both films is the performances. Jack Nicholson has turned into a caricature of himself over the years; both he and Anthony Hopkins' performances were so good and I've watched them so many times--and done impressions of the characters so many times--it kinda takes me out of the movies at this point unless I block all of that out and really focus to be sucked in again.

Who here hasn't done the ol' "I'd fuck me so hard' bit to make friends laugh? Now try watching that scene again to be creeped out. Hard to get back to that creepy place when you've parodied it. But, it's easier to do with The Shining, for me, because there's such a variety of scary/creepy things going on and there's no way to soften the blow of their nightmarishness.

I definitely get where you're coming from on this and there are several films that I can recall where it's been done so much or parodied so much that it really takes away from the intended impact it's supposed to have on the viewer. I think specifically for me the film Alien has lost its ability to affect me the way that it used to because of how overdone the concept has been since that film was released. It really takes a bit of effort on my part to become really involved in it anymore. I would also like to address the fact that with the information age being the way that it is you could unintentionally ruin the impact of films you haven't even seen yet because of how prevalent it is in society and our pop culture minds. Silence of the Lambs is a bit of a shining example of this. Who hasn't seen a parody of Hannibal Lector, or Frankenstien or Dracula. That's why anymore I try to keep myself as in the dark as possible to plot elements and themes of upcoming movies because it's become far to easy for a film to be ruined merely by browsing the internet for a certain amount of time. :(

[metternich1815]

To an extent, I get what you guys are saying, but I have to say that spoofs do not really take away from films I have already seen. In my opinion, if something is scary then it is scary. No amount of parody will make it not scary. At least that is the way I feel about it.

[xX_StarChild_Xx]

Personally I find that overexposure to anything naturally will lead to lessening ones ability to take the material seriously, is what I'm getting at.

Different strokes for different folks, though.

[metternich1815]

Personally I find that overexposure to anything naturally will lead to lessening ones ability to take the material seriously, is what I'm getting at.

Different strokes for different folks, though.

I definitely agree with that. If for instance, I am terrified of Paranormal Activity (which I am) and I would watch it one hundred times in one week. Then, its effect would likely be greatly diminished.

[Kandarian Demon]

I definitely agree with that. If for instance, I am terrified of Paranormal Activity (which I am) and I would watch it one hundred times in one week. Then, its effect would likely be greatly diminished.

I agree, BUT there are a few movies that seems to scare me no matter how many times I watch them (which is a big reason WHY I keep watching them). Such as the deadites from the original Evil Dead. Or The Shining - because I've had more than one "Jack" in my family.

Also, certain movies are more scary to me NOW than they were when I first saw them. In some cases, because I am older and more sensitive to certain things that I didn't really understand as a kid or a teenager. For example, the thought of physical pain becomes much more disturbing when you've actually experienced it yourself.

[ChronoGrl]

Ghostbusters! Which is, by the way, in my top 3 favourite movies of all time. I used to be TERRIFIED of Slimer, now I think he's cute :D

Buuut... the library ghost... she still scares me sometimes. And if I'm in the right mood, the whole movie makes me want to check under the bed before I go to sleep. I think it's because I remember how it made me feel as a little kid.

YES! That library ghost definitely scared me and while I wouldn't necessarily say that part scares me now, it is still definitely successfully creepy.

So I saw Tremors when I was in the second grade and scared the bejesus out of me. I was on a swim team and kept thinking that they were going to burst out of the deep end and devour me. :o

Of course now I think the movie is soooo cheesy...

[Elijah23256]

The films that scared me when i was younger was The Child's Play films. But Now I just laugh at how Funny Chucky. Now there's no way I could be scared

[ChronoGrl]

Sooooooo... The first time I saw The Grudge remake, it literally kept me up all night because I was so scared ::embarrassment:: (ok, admittedly I may or may not have been incredibly drunk and watching it alone AND living in an apartment all by myself - the first time I had ever lived alone)... I just watched it today and most of the scares just seem cheap to me (although the corporeal ghost that just won't quit is such a horrifying concept).

I wouldn't say that the movie is laughable... Actually I think it's quite successful at being scary... I just can't believe how much it scared me at the time...

[Angra]

A perfect example of such a film is Roman Polanski's Dance of the Vampires/ The Fearless Vampire Killers.

[Triombies]

The original Child's Play.

[Fearonsarms]

The first Children Of The Corn. As a kid I was really scared by the diner scene at the beginning and a few others. Then I found it hilarious for years then started thinking more about it and finding it a bit freaky.

[tfantasy]

Lol.....there are quite a few for me!!

House (original 80's)
Fright Night (original)
Children of the Corn
Child's Play
A Nightmare on Elm Street (original)
Friday the 13th (original)
Evil Dead (original)

I was born in 1970 so I'm sure I missed some!!

[Damn Heathen]

Poltergeist III, with all its mirror terror, still creeps me out while I'm laughing.

[alexslacks]

Honestly, The Ring. I saw it in theatres, and wasn't versed in that type of horror so it got me pretty good. I think I was about 16 or 17 too at the time, should've been more of a badass by then.

Nowadays, it's been done over and over and just doesn't have the same effect.

[horcrux2007]

Stephen King's It

[ChronoGrl]

Stephen King's It

Yes.

Plus Killer Klown's from Outer Space & Carnival of Souls

[Solarmist]

The only movies that scared me were some of those B&W horror movies like Monolith Monsters or Island of Terror (66') when I first saw a guys hand get cut off - back when I was a kid (key element).

Some of the 70's movies like The Omen, Phantasm or The Hills Have Eyes creeped me out at the time, and I still like them, but over time they just aren't shocking to me anymore, but I wouldn't say they are funny ... just dated.

There was a movie called Bad Taste (Wingnut Productions [NZ]) back in the 80's that was rather humorous, and a total barf fest as well. I remember the main character fell down a cliff, and bashed his head open, and throughout the movie he had to keep stuffing his brains back into his head and used a belt to hold it in place. ::big grin:: Later - there's a part where the aliens all puck in a bowl - then pass it around for all to drink ... the sound effects of the barfing & slurping were over the top.

Dead Alive (also Wingnut Productions [NZ]) was one of the few more recent movies that grossed me out, but turned just plain silly to me later on.
It's still a load of fun to watch from time to time.

[tfantasy]

To an extent, I get what you guys are saying, but I have to say that spoofs do not really take away from films I have already seen. In my opinion, if something is scary then it is scary. No amount of parody will make it not scary. At least that is the way I feel about it.

I agree with you completely. I've seen pretty much all the parodies done on horror movies and it still doesn't ruin it for me! When I watch a well done movie, like Sinister, I really 'get' into it. I like the feeling of being creeped out!! The Shining still has the creep factor for me and it always will. I think the part that always got me, was the ending. The look on his face, it sticks in you mind for a long time.

Movies that creeped me out years ago that I laugh at now: A Nightmare on Elm Street, Poltergeist, Child's Play, Puppet Master, and The Howling. There's probably some more that I can't remember right now.