8mm Forum: Scariest Super8 Feature ever

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Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on January 07, 2009, 12:37 AM:

Well for me its "Snow White" just watched it today that old Queen/Witch is a real nasty piece of work, [Eek!]

poisoned Apple....etc... etc should have been an R18, [Wink]

come to think of it [Roll Eyes]

that a lot of so called childrens stories are downight awful no wonder kids have nightmares.... so what is yours?.. film that is [Smile]

Graham.

Posted by Mal Brake (Member # 14) on January 07, 2009, 08:36 AM:

Hi Graham,
Not sure about the scariest film but at a previous BFCC one of the talks was 'The Dark Side Of Disney'
Apparently Walt Disney took delight in scaring children to the point of upsetting them on occasion.
Mal

Posted by Gary Crawford (Member # 67) on January 07, 2009, 10:06 AM:

Among the films I own...I'd say the original Night of the Living Dead shook me up the most. I saw it when it first came out...in a theater, sitting my myself...not knowing what to expect. It did spook me...made me uneasy. The other time that happened was sitting in the theater watching the original Alien. Today, with all the sequels and remakes and gore, we are less sensitive to and really don't remember how creepy that film was. When it was over, I discovered my hands were sore from unconsciously gripping the armrests of my seat.
There are films that shock.....those that sicken...those that jolt you for a moment, but few that actually bother you hours, days after you see them. For me Night of the Living Dead and Alien were among that few.

Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on January 07, 2009, 06:18 PM:

When I was young, and even now -

Pinocchio, when the little boys were transformed into burros. Also the evil Stomboli.

The Bogey men from Laurel and Hardy's Babes in Toyland - The March of the Wooden Soldiers

The Wicked Witch of the West, from the Wizard of Oz. I used to run out of the room.

King Kong

Otherwise:
The Mummy (Karloff)- traumatized me way up until I was 16.

Dracula

Jaws

The Exorcist

The Omen

Frankenstien with Karloff. - It makes my blood go cold today.
I have a beautiful 16mm TV print with one splice.
The monster is chilling.
The entire scene where he quietly breaks the neck
of the assistant is very well done.
So much is done with no sound
that the "deafening noise" makes me cringe.

And I hated Hostel. What a disgusting sadistic waste of time - garbage of film.

About 20 years ago when the
colorized VHS Tape was released,
I had a discussion with Felix Knight
who portrayed Tom-Tom Piper in
the Laurel & Hardy Babes in Toyland (March of Wooden Soldiers).
He said that with cartoons such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,
children are desensitized to the bogy men and do not find them scary
and are not scared as we used to be as children.

Posted by Gary Crawford (Member # 67) on January 08, 2009, 08:25 AM:

Michael.....Yes...your comment about the silence in Frankenstein is well taken. When I was about 9 I saw Frankenstein for the first time ...on Shock Theater....I was so frightened by the monster....that I had to turn it off....after the first five minutes when the monster comes into the room the first time. I didn't turn it back on until he was being consumed in the fire at the end. I had nightmares about the monster for probably ten years after that. One thing that creeped me out about the film was the silence ...no music to subconsciously tell you , "yes, don't worry ..this is just a movie".... I remember back 20 years ago when I finally got a 16mm print of Frankenstein....I was screening it alone the first night I got it....and watching the scene when the monster is about to choke the life out of dear old Dr. Waldman..... I didn't realize how into the film I was until the air conditioning unit in the room kicked on....with a loud tap....and I nearly jumped out of my seat. The lack of music can be very effective......same for Dracula. I thought adding that music score to it a few years ago was just terrible. I really think that for suspense to build and for audience suspension of disbelief, the music ought NOT to be there in some scenes. I think it's used much to much in films today.

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on January 08, 2009, 12:08 PM:

As far as super 8 full-length features go, I would have to agree, that "Night of the Living Dead" would be the scariest. Its one of those movies that stays with you.

About "Hostel"-

I hate these modern-day "horror" movies. Its a bunch of gratuitus gore-and-torture, with no limits or restraints. I did happen to catch "Hostel" on cable, and I agree, its terrible.

James.

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on January 08, 2009, 11:18 PM:

The most frightening feature released full length on Super 8 could arguably be 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. Other good candidates would include 'Alien', 'Aliens', 'Halloween' and 'The Silence of the Lambs'.

Posted by Barry Attwood (Member # 100) on January 09, 2009, 12:55 AM:

I think for the slow build up of atmosphere, to the last reel will they survive or won't they, then the F/L print of "The Fog" is my favourite frightner, and what a print too!

Posted by John Clancy (Member # 49) on January 09, 2009, 03:29 AM:

I'm with Adrian Winchester on this one. Adrian, I could have produced that list myself.

I saw 'Cannibal Holocaust' on 16mm at an outdoor cinema in St. Aygulf in the South of France. That was particularly disturbing.

Posted by Mark Williams (Member # 794) on January 09, 2009, 12:10 PM:

Me too,THE FOG gets a regular screening each year on Halloween.

John-I bet CH was a real eye opener uncut on the big screen!!

Cheers MW

Posted by John Clancy (Member # 49) on January 10, 2009, 04:54 AM:

You're not kidding Mark! I've yet to see the film again so will probably find it somewhat tamer now but back then my brother and I sat there spellbound - being in French we couldn't really follow much of the dialogue and therefore those 8mm sections filmed by the 'expedition' crew that went into the jungle could have been real. Apparently we were ashen faced when we got back to the hotel and I don't think we said a word to each other all the way back.

Posted by Chris Smith (Member # 132) on January 10, 2009, 09:36 AM:

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on January 10, 2009, 12:24 PM:

No contest for me. The Spiral Staircase with Dorothy McGuire, Ethel Barrymore, and George Brent ( released feature length on super 8 by ABC films) really freaked me out when I first saw it at age 8. It still does - that creepy music and that eye pearing out from the gloom in the basement. The whole film is set in a Gothic house just full of dread and foreboding that you feel you are suffocating. I have hated basements ever since!

There is no blood and guts gore in this movie, so modern teenage audiences would probably find it tame, but to me it's a realy unsettling film with great acting and direction.

Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on January 10, 2009, 01:55 PM:

On this theme - has THE HAUNTING ever been released on Super 8?

Posted by Michael De Angelis (Member # 91) on January 12, 2009, 08:22 PM:

I forgot to mention Wait Until Dark, with Audrey Hepburn.

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on January 13, 2009, 07:03 PM:

Michael (O' Regan),

As far as I know, Robert Wise's "The Haunting" has never been released on Super 8mm. That film scared the wits out of me when I first saw it. I have it in 16mm scope.

I would agree with those who previously mentioned "Night of the Living Dead" & "Alien". I would also add the very atmospheric "Horror Hotel".

Doug

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on January 14, 2009, 08:06 PM:

Doug,

The original 'The Haunting' in scope is a great film to have on 16mm! I have a rare US trailer reel that includes the trailer.

Is the 'Horror Hotel' feature the Std 8 release with the UK title 'City of the Dead' (probably a Derann release), or did anyone release it full length on Super 8?

Another notable full length and frightening release that none of us have mentioned is 'Predator'.

Posted by Joe Taffis (Member # 4) on January 15, 2009, 04:26 PM:

My candidate, concerning only super 8 releases, is HOUSE of 7 CORPSES. A very scary 1973 film featuring John Carradine. I first owned the 400' digest and later acquired the NILES feature, which still has pretty good color. Those of us that are film makers can especially appreciate this film, the whole plot revolves around the making of a horror film [Smile]

[ June 15, 2009, 06:05 PM: Message edited by: Joe Taffis ]

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on January 16, 2009, 01:04 PM:

Adrian,

Thunderbird Films released "Horror Hotel" (with the US title) in Super 8mm, 4x400'.

Doug

Posted by Gian Luca Mario Loncrini (Member # 1417) on June 02, 2009, 07:54 PM:

My candidate for the scariest super 8 horror movie is Dario Argento's SUSPIRIA: take a look here. Music, athmosphere and color are absolutely PERFECT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srQfWZZVcKA

[ June 11, 2009, 05:44 AM: Message edited by: Gian Luca Mario Loncrini ]

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on June 02, 2009, 08:09 PM:

"My candidate is Dario Argento's SUSPIRIA"

As this is a 'scariest Super 8 feature' thread, are you by any chance saying that there are Super 8 prints of this in Italy?

Posted by Gian Luca Mario Loncrini (Member # 1417) on June 02, 2009, 08:10 PM:

Hello Adrian. Yes, I was referring to the Italian super 8 print. I actually have a copy of it. Very, very rare.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on June 03, 2009, 09:42 AM:

I would love to say "Poltergeist" (as I own it as well, in scope), but its more of a thriller than a horrific film.

But then, what most people would deem horrific, I basically chuckle at.

I would have to say, for sheer thrills, we have to go back to the classic hungry zombie film, "Night of the Living Dead", which we all know is available on Super 8. It had a very good "horrific" feel to it!

Posted by Steven J Kirk (Member # 1135) on June 03, 2009, 02:20 PM:

The scariest film I have ever seen was TAXI DRIVER, though at the cinema not Super 8. My legs were wobbly when I came out. The only other later film that approached this was SEVEN.

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on June 03, 2009, 05:36 PM:

Hey Gian-

Is that Italian print of "Susperia" in scope?? That would be really cool.

James.

Posted by Gian Luca Mario Loncrini (Member # 1417) on June 03, 2009, 05:44 PM:

Hi James.
Unfortunately it is not [Frown]

Posted by Panayotis A. Carayannis (Member # 1220) on June 07, 2009, 04:02 PM:

My candidate is certainly the TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. I must say,and I know I am in a minority,that NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD didn't impress me at all.

Posted by Yanis Tzortzis (Member # 434) on June 08, 2009, 07:00 AM:

....such a shame 'Burnt Offerings' were never released on S-8,isn't it Takh [Big Grin]

Posted by Panayotis A. Carayannis (Member # 1220) on June 09, 2009, 02:10 PM:

Yanis .....

I'm waiting for you !!!! [Mad]

Posted by Yanis Tzortzis (Member # 434) on June 09, 2009, 07:59 PM:

.....I know it already! Such a shame you 're only on the 1st floor- too low for a spectacular throw-out!.... [Razz]

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on June 10, 2009, 02:38 PM:

I watched your link to "Suspiria"..Too gruesome for my taste. I totally respect the fact that some folks like this stuff and I'm not in any way judging.....But, why in the world when there's so much true horror in the world would you want to subject yourself to such awful images? Mind you, I'm not being critical (some people like asparagus - some don't)....Just trying to understand the appeal.

Posted by Gian Luca Mario Loncrini (Member # 1417) on June 11, 2009, 05:45 AM:

Brad,
I deleted the link. It was not my intention to create any problem here.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on June 11, 2009, 09:36 AM:

Sometimes, I really think horror is best when it is creepy and strange, instead bowels hanging out of still quivering bodies.

Another candidate I would offer, (which I own, and am thinking of selling), is "VAMPYR", from 1933. It was released on Super 8 and standard 8mm as "Castle of Fear", the name changed when it came to America, as often happens.

It is the surreal in that film that makes it so intimidating.

The backwards footage of the grave digger, diggin backwards ...

The person enclosed in an environment, and being buried alive by the grain, (I think it was grain), pouring down upon him ...

People without shadows ... or shadows leaving they're human hosts ...

I find these kind of images reel spine tinglers. Whats left to shock when everything is displayed for all to see?

In truth, however, true horror is something I can actually see happening in fact. Godzilla stomping on a city? Boring.

In one of my sci-fi scripts, (Working title ... Plague), The detective, who has been trying to figure out why everybody is dying, when a vaccine for the last disease has been issued to all, (the common cold), stops his car, as he hears an eerie sound.

He gets out of the car, to be surrounded (as we will be, in surround sound), the screaming of babies on all sides. This will be accompanied with shots of not the babies; but the outsides of the abandoned houses, from different sharp angles.

You see, all that are above two years old, strangely die, leaving none to take care of the babies. Our own hero is in the process of dying as well.

The crying comes to a crescendo, with quicker and quicker (and all the way to extreme close-up) of windows.

He is surrounded by the wailing. He can't stand it! He gets back in his car and rolls up the windows, it doesn't help. He blares his stereo and drives off.

I can guarantee you, the women in the audience will be in tears!

That's horror!

... with one, only one really graphic graphic image in the film, a dog, running away from a pack of dogs, carrying in his mouth the ripped off limb of a baby, perhaps the child of the family that he was owned by, still dripping blood.

... or another horror script that I am working on. Terrorists take hostage a school's whole line-up of buses hostage, and to prove thier point, they immediately blow up one of the buses full of children, all the while praising they're God that they can be honored with these deaths, and all the rewards they'll have for slaughtering the innocent in they're afterlife. They aren't threatening, this is a reality. Its then a chase to somehow approach these buses and rescue the children.

For any parent, that would be an intensely scary film. Why?
It hits home and it could be a very real ... reality.

That, my friends, is horror.

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