It's the scale, Villain. When the images dwarf yourself and everything else around you, it lends them a weight and importance you don't get watching them at home. Seeing a film this way becomes an immersive experience that is incomperable. If it weren't for modern audiences, it would be a given.

Seeing 2001 on a 180 degree cinerama screen on its initial release was a mind blowing experience.

Same with Close Encounters, when you had to follow the travel of that tiny spaceship at the top of the screen as it went from left to right.

The magnificent scenery of Barry Lyndon, the way Kubrick had it shot with special comeras... the panoramas were breathtaking.

When I saw The Wizard of Oz on the big screen, it was an entirely different experience.

But it doesn't take a big spectacle to make a film special on the big screen. It works for any film. It's magic really. If it weren't true, theatres would have gone out of business long ago and we'd just order them at home for private viewing.

And I think we should put the comedy vs. horror debate to rest. We have other comedies on our list, so it's really a moot point.

Added.

Nightbreed has pretty much sealed it's place in the top.

As for Ringu, it's still in contention because I have received 4 "Yes"s for both films so far. Right now, two films are breathing down it's neck with 3 backings each (Ringu has 4) - Audition & From Dusk Till Dawn.

http://www.horror.com/forum/showthre...943#post954943

I have also underlined those films who look to be frontrunners for our SIX Honorable Mentions. We shall have NINE films to pick from.

In the interest of fairness, I'll keep the Ringu spot open for 12 more hours. If nobody else has any objection within that time (other than the 4 members who already passed it), it seals it's place and we start working on the Honorable Mentions.

As for Ghost Busters, the debate is open for the next 12 hours as well, in spite of the majority asking it to be included in the Special section. If it can garner enough support for replacement, it will be considered. Right now I see 3 members against it, and 1 for it.

I got to see a clean 70mm print of this at a theatre here in Chicago last year. It was nuuuuuts. Unreal.

Actually the cameras were normal; it was the lens set that he used that allowed him to photograph scenes with only candlelight. They were super-fast lenses (f/0.7) developed for NASA for space photography and the Apollo missions, and were adapted to fit the cameras.

Well, that made the cameras pretty special, didn't it? :D

I get what you're saying. It does give you a different experience but does that really affect your opinion of the movie afterwards? If so, is it because the movie was actually as good as you remember it or just the experience? If it's the latter, then seeing a movie in the theaters might actually hinder your ability to judge the film. Either way, i do get what you're saying and have had experiences like that myself.

The medium is the message.

What do you mean?

Villain, I agree with you a film's story is the same, regardless of the screen size. Watching a film on the big screen, is an enhanced experience for many because it's more engrossing with no home distractions (lights, phone, dog, home-mates, etc), it's more visceral with the surround sound & big bass, nothing for your eyes to see but the screen. And as Never said, the hugeness of images dwarfing you is a powerful thing. Also, there's a communal experience with the audience, where we feed off each other, like live jazz music. 99% of theatre audiences have been all good with me.

There are some films that have aspects to them that are incredibly enhanced on the big screen. Of films I've both at home and at theatre, where it made a huge difference were: 2001 (& 2010), Cloverfield, Star Wars and The Right Stuff.

(I mentioned Ghostbusters because it was 'huge' in theatres at the time, crowds were amazed & laughing; we'd never seen anything quite like it. It was a communal experience you can't duplicate in 2013 (because 1984 people aren't the same as 2013.)

Alright that i can understand and agree with. It's funny you mention Cloverfield because now that i think about it, i had an experience like that. I felt like the whole theater was shaking and that the monster was gonna smash in our something because of how the stereos were, plus we were pretty close to the screen and that definitely effected how i feel about the film.

Ghostbusters! I'd like to defend this movies right to be on the list, in one way or another.

I'm glad to see it mentioned. It would have been in my original top 20 list, as it is my "other favourite movie", apart from "Evil Dead" - but I didn't think we were allowed to vote for it as it wasn't on the list. It's the movie that got me into horror! And I've never seen it in a theatre, by the way...

Many of you older members (I'm 36 myself) have defended some of the classics from your youth... movies that left a great impression on you and got you interested in the genre.

Well... Ghostbusters might not mean much to YOU, but it was a BIG deal for a lot of us 80s kids, and I know for a fact that quite a lot of horror fans my age started with Ghostbusters. It's not just any movie, it was and still is a pop culture phenomenon - and if we could back The Raven earlier (as I did myself), we can certainly back Ghostbusters too. Personally, I actually find the movie rather creepy in places, especially that library ghost which has been haunting my nightmares for 30 years now :D

Each generation has it's classics, and I think it's something that many people tend to overlook or forget applies to the "younger" generations too - and their experiences of being blown away by a movie are just as valid. After all - that's what's keeping the genre alive.

So yes - I definitely think Ghostbusters should be somewhere on our list...

I agree with everything you say... I just don't think we can go back and redo a list that's already finalized.

I'm a little too young to have had the 'cinema experience' with regards to Ghostbusters, but I can say I spent many a happy hour running round my house with one of these;

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2...czvwo1_400.jpg

Happy Days. :cool:

I'm gonna make my peace one more time and then shut up, maybe even for the rest of this whole issue. Ghostbusters does not belong on this list, it is a comedy. The other comedic movies that have been included on here are not strictly comedies like Ghostbusters is. They are a mixture of horror and comedy, movies that manage to be horror movies and comedies at the same time. Ghostbusters does not do that.

Everyone needs to put aside their own personal feelings towards the movie. We've said before on here that this list isn't about personal feelings and it's about judging the best horror movies.

We've also not included movies because IMDB didnt have it listed as horror. On IMDB Ghostbusters is listed as Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi. Not horror.

I know i'm beating a dead horse here, i just wanted to get my point across without it just being shot down or ignored which is how i felt. Like i said before, a special recommendation is fine with me but no movie should be taken off the list to include it.

There i'm done.

I agree that it should not replace any of the chosen films, but I disagree it is not horror. The Little Shop of Horrors and Ghostbusters are in the same boat, in my opinion and Little Shop ultimately made the list, so I think it is reasonable to include it theoretically. Horror themes certainly exist in this film. Personally, I would include it under horror comedy and, in my opinion, horror comedy is in the horror genre.

Not to stretch the debate any further, since we are deviating from our 90s selection here - Ghost Busters is the first film short-listed for the Special section. I haven't gone through the thread yet, but 40 films are to be selected for that section, and Ghost Busters seals a spot for itself.

Let's close that chapter now.


More than 12 hours have passed and I see no objections or new contenders, so Ringu seals it's spot in the top 22 for the 90s.

http://www.horror.com/forum/showthre...943#post954943

Now, we move to the Honorable Mentions. The NINE films with the maximum support are -

Audition,
From Dusk Till Dawn,
Halloween H20,
Night of the Living Dead,
Deep Blue Sea,
Event Horizon,
Natural Born Killers,
The Faculty,
Tremors.

In addition, there are several others with 1 backing, which I am not listing here. It can be seen in the link above.

Audition and From Dusk Till Dawn look to be pretty safe, so we might be looking to get FOUR from the rest.

Have your say.

I usually like to back one or two at a time and see how things go, but I'm going to be away from civilization for a few days, so I'll spend all six at once.

I've already backed these, but I'll mention them again:

Audition
Natural Born Killers

I'd like to add:

Cemetery Man
Man Bites Dog
Night of the Living Dead
Funny Games

Audition
From Dusk Till Dawn
Fear
Tremors
The Faculty

Hiruko The Goblin: A bizarrely creepy film that has always stuck out with me amongst the foreign horror movies I've seen.

Added.

3 films look to make the cut for the Honorable Mentions right now, plus plenty of new contenders (as underlined) have sprung up for those final spots.

http://www.horror.com/forum/showpost...postcount=1042

Keep the thoughts coming.

I had all those same toys as a kid!...lol.

My 6 honorable mentions:

Leprechaun (1993)
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
Halloween: H2O (1998)
Tremors (1990)
Night Of The Living Dead (1990)
The Faculty (1998)

I am going to remove my backings of Predator 2 and Bride of Chucky. I think they are great movies, but not worthy enough to be included on this list (also, if we did not add Predator, which is still pretty surprising to me, then we definitely won't add the sequel). I will back Cemetery Man. I have already backed Natural Born Killers and Event Horizon, but I want to bring attention to those films because I believe both deserve to be on this list, especially Event Horizon. I am really surprised that this film has not received more support.

Audition
Cemetery Man
Man Bites Dog
Event Horizon
Hiruko The Goblin: I'll be honest, I've never seen it, but between this thread or on the Last Seen Movie section I have heard Villain talk about this movie a few times now, so I'm going to throw it a vote.

Audition
Natural Born Killers


The rest... eeesh...

Thanks. You should check it out. Its really weird and bizarre in a good way.

Added.

I have moved the films with THREE backings under the ones with FOUR backings in the Honorable Mentions section.

http://www.horror.com/forum/showthre...943#post954943

There are FOUR films vying for the final THREE spots, not to mention FIVE other films with TWO backings each who are breathing down their collective necks.

Keep going, folks.

With great reluctance I have decided to remove my backing of The Faculty. It is a great movie, in my opinion, but I think the other films in the honorable mentions section are more deserving of being on the list.

Uhm... did you notice the ghosts? :D It is certainly more horror than The Raven (a movie I backed, by the way). Like I said, I actually find the movie kinda spooky.

Done.

http://www.horror.com/forum/showthre...943#post954943

So we arrive at the final SIX for the Honorable Mentions. If majority are in agreement, we can start working on the 00s.

Those choices are fine with me.

Sounds good to me

It'll do, I guess.

I Always found the "scares" more silly then scary, even when i was a kid and everything scared me as a kid.

Those six look good to me.

Yes, indeed, help me out folks.

Arachnophobia (1990) - Yes, Arachnophobia is an excellent film (91% Critic rating at RT 34 critics). Notable for adroitly shot scenes to fully exploit fear of spiders (spiders coming out of the faucets; the spider on the table that keeps facing and moving with every move of the actor; spiders bursting from the pulsating spider sac). Very effective creepiness & exploitation of fear. A better film than many of the current Honorable Mentions.

Looking for some support for Arachnophobia, a worthy inclusion in (HM) Honorable Mentions.


Sorry, if I seem late, but it hasn't even been 24 hrs yet. As I do, consider revising/switching-out your current HM backing. IMO, most worthy films for our 6 HMs:

Arachnophobia (1990) - see above
Tremors (1990) - highly regarded, well made film, How a 'B-movie horror' is done, supports horror genre
Blade (1998) - well made big budget new take on vampire genre
Audition (1999) - already noted
Flatliners (1990) - original concept big budget support of genre
Funny Games (1997) - controversial take on voyerism


Making case why these current underlined films may not be HM worhty; & best choices to switch out your support for another film:

Night of the Living Dead (1990) - I saw this on Netflix years ago. I thought far inferior to the original '68 masterpiece, and not a different take on the original... I don't get why it was ever made. Why make an inferior film, that's not significantly different than the original? I don't understand why this is an Honorable Mention. For these reasons ask members to consider changing backing.

From Dusk Till Dawn - IMO, it's OK, just not particularly original or significant in any way.

Natural Born Killers - I LOVE Oliver Stone's work. I can't say anything he's done isn't well done or significant. It never occurred to me this was horror. But I wouldn't debate it, just don't know if it's significant to the horror genre.

Despite my arguments against it earlier I would actually rather see Arachnophobia over The Night Of The Living Dead remake or even Event Horizon. I am fine with those though but if there's enough support I'll back Arachnophobia. Don't want to hold things up though.

I volunteer to complete write-up Ghostbusters for Special Section.

Thanks, Villain. I think we can at least go 24 hrs or so for Honorable Mentions. That's still pretty swift sailing. Some our participants need at least 24hrs to find time to participate. No need go faster than that, IMO.

I'll back Arachnophobia (even though I have already backed six films). I will say that I loved Event Horizon. I thought it was an all-around amazing film (and very creepy). Definitely worth including. As for the Night of the Living Dead remake, I do not remember it enough to have an opinion. I will try to watch it tonight though.

All through this process I've been astounded by the support the NOTLD remake has gotten. I think it's an inferior film in every way.

Yeah me too. I'm really surprised it got on. I'd really like to replace it.

While were still making cases, I'd like to once again make a case for Hiruko The Goblin. Its one of the best foreign horrors I've seen. Its very different, creepy, weird, and entertaining. I believe it deserves at least an honorable mention.