^and it's a powerful and compelling story. Plus, I dare the newbie not to get scared during the last minute of the movie.
I think that one of the things that plays into whether you find movies like "Excorcist" or "Omen" frightening, is if you believe in the powers depicted in the movie. I find both movies utterly terrifying, but primarily because I believe in the existence of demons, and the potential existence of an "anti-christ" If those things aren't real to you, they really won't frighten you much in a movie.
I am also a nonbeliever, so perhaps there is some merit to the point. I'd have to think of other examples of religious-based horror and whether they scared me or not...
well, mostly at the doctors smoking and the huge loud clatter-clatter MRI machine (or whatever it was). But yes, they did laugh.
Torture porn does nothing for me, but The Exorcist is one of two movies I've fallen asleep in (When Harry Met Sally Is the other). Though I did wake up in time to laugh myself silly at the bit where the young priest starts with the "no, take me instead" rant. This may be because I'd seen the Leslie Nielsen spoof Repossessed first.
Today's horror movies dont scare me. All they are are ways for a director to show as much blood and guts as possible. It aint scary knowing some dude or chick is about to have their intestines ripped out and eaten by some lunatic. Give me movies like Ghost Story, or The Shuttered Room or Burnt Offerings anyday.
Goddamn it...I hope no one ever stages another Shakespeare play! I mean, after the brilliance of Olivier's performances, all these remakes are just talentless bullshit! When will the theater community regain its originality!?!
The Exorcist has been mercilessly parodied for the past thirty years. You can't expect people to be able to take the movie seriously.
I was about to say something to the same effect. The fact that I a believer is why I was outright frightened by "The Exorcist". The belief added to the air of possibility, which is what scares me more than anything else. Not that a film such as "Alien" isn't likewise effective, just not as much.
Interesting. I really like both The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby, though more as dramas than as horror films. The Omen is pretty good, too. But I really disliked The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Not because it was religious propaganda--The Exorcist is conservative-religious propaganda to its core, but it's a brilliant film. What I disliked about The Exorcism of Emily Rose is that, first, it just wasn't a very good movie, and second, I thought it was dishonest propaganda. It pretended to be "fair and balanced," but it wasn't. The Exorcist, by contrast, makes no hypocritical pretence of giving the liberal-secular view a "fair hearing." Its intent was to scare people back to church. I don't care for that message--but then, I don't care for the message of Triumph of the Will, either. And I have a copy of that movie in my DVD collection as well.
Another film I found a bit frightening was the 1974 Larry Cohen movie, It's Alive. The plot revolves around a couple who are expecting a new baby. When the baby is born, it turns out to be a hideously fanged mutant with claws that kills when frightened. As ridiculous as the story sounds, the film manages to be very creepy and suspenseful. I think that's mostly due to us never really getting see what the infant looks like. We are only given glimpses of its bulbous head and fangs. On top of that, the sounds that it makes when someone encounters it are just plain disturbing.
I'd suggest something that has both, but that might be a spoiler. Plus the insect part was more of a big joke than anything that could be taken seriously.