Horror
Noah’s Barks pages relating to the horror genre.
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Suspiria
The plot of Suspiria is pretty whatever—even Dario Argento has done better. But he’s certainly never topped Suspiria‘s astonishing, shrieking assault of color and sound. It’s some kind of unwritten law that the less your horror movie focuses on dialogue, the better off you probably are. Argento targets his thrills at the senses, not silly… (read more)
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Inland Empire
Inland Empire (IE) beats out Eraserhead for the scarier surrealist movie, mostly because it has much less of David Lynch‘s diffident, “unintentional” humor. Frustratingly enough, that humor still shows up in IE from time to time, but despite its incomprehensibility, IE is somewhat entertaining in how manic and disturbing it is, where Lynch’s earlier cryptographs… (read more)
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Alien
One of my most controversial movie opinions is that I’m not that into Alien. It surprises even myself, as I love its concept. I like horror in general, and the relative novelty of sci-fi horror elevates proceedings. I’m even a particular fan of cosmic horror, and while the immediate threat of the Xenomorph isn’t dissimilar… (read more)
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American Psycho
American Psycho is clever and hilarious, one of the most shocking and original comedies out there. The social commentary is shallow and it’s a little awkward in the rare moments where the movie tries to be more than a comedy (like the ending). But for the most part American Psycho is so simultaneously funny and… (read more)
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Rosemary’s Baby
Rosemary’s Baby draws its power from the realistic universal discomfort of watching a very ill woman suffering during her pregnancy. Rosemary’s innocence and naivete are instantly charming, and when things go wrong for her we feel her same paranoia and worry, genuinely concerned for the safety of her and her baby. The film preys on… (read more)
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The Evil Dead
The tension of The Evil Dead still holds up well. You begin to feel like you’re trapped in the cabin with the characters. I’ve heard people complain about the actors. That makes no sense to me, as I think this has one of the best casts of any low-budget indie movies I’ve seen. Maybe people… (read more)
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Night of the Living Dead
Maybe you’ll consider me more braindead than any creature seen in this movie, because I can’t for the life of me see why anyone still finds entertainment value in Night of the Living Dead. On a measly budget of $100,000 George A. Romero cleverly disguises his lack of funding with craft and great ambition. Too… (read more)
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Evil Dead II
The Evil Dead movies are better at being funny than they are at being scary, so I’m pleased to see the burgeoning sense of parody in Evil Dead II. Still, there are many slow moments in the movie due to it still partly trying to be a genuinely tense and spooky horror movie, and I… (read more)
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Repulsion
The first of Roman Polanski‘s so-called “apartment trilogy,” Repulsion explores much of the same themes of the succeeding two films in its own way. Paranoia and phobia run the show here, with some astonishing camerawork during the dream sequences. Chico Hamilton’s chaotic jazz score raises your blood pressure through all the thrills. Both fascinating and… (read more)
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The Tenant
The last of Polanski’s claustrophobic “apartment trilogy.” The themes start to run thin this time around. The mental deterioration is stronger in Repulsion, and the paranoia is much more real and sensible in Rosemary’s Baby. Though Roman Polanski does a fantastic job as the lead, the story is ridiculous and not remotely believable. To say… (read more)