Absolute Horror Film Forum

Okay, horror films. Blood, guts, gore (not AL), and body parts do have their place but there is nothing as mind chilling as, a good walk down the street, keep looking over your shoulder, keep wondering what's hiding behind the parked car, scary flick. Yeah I know, loosing an arm or leg or both, which can happen at the gas pump these days, is scary but it pales by comparison to how one's mind works. Once the arm is gone, the fear is over; however, if you never quite lose the arm, well there's something to look forward to.

The old House on Haunted Hill with Vincent Price is one of the freakiest flicks I have seen. Black and white. the only blood ever seen was a few drops that fell from the ceiling onto a womans hand and of course it had pooled IN the ceiling. But the suspense of what was going to happen after that was a sit on the edge of your seat situation. There are spots in the film that still make me jump.

More contemporary films like The Ring, Darkness Falls, Identity and Skeleton Key fall into this group. It's all about suspense, build up, let down and repeat the process. Like your first roller coaster ride. The slow slow climb to the top as your heart begins to pound harder and your mind begins to whirl at the thought of what lies just ahead. Then you finally get to the peak and you can see that drop. Now that's bad enough but then to roller coaster car teeters and finally slips over the edge and the ride is off and running. If the first drop is steep enough ... Well you get the idea.

So blood and guts are great when they add to the suspense of the film or book but just for the sake of doing them, I'll take a squeaking floor board or cold wind raking through barren oak branches to keep me up at night.

Traveling the dark road alone,




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