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Post by Nalkarj on Oct 20, 2021 21:14:09 GMT
I tend to watch horror more for atmospherics than for scares, which may be one reason I have a particular love for haunted house movies, with those dramatic, gothic manses. But I’ve seen so many of the famous ones!
I’m looking for movies like The Uninvited ’44, The Haunting, The Innocents, The Changeling, The Woman in Black ’89, and presumably some others that don’t start with the. In addition to those, I’ve seen the Woman in Black remake, both House on Haunted Hills, The Legend of Hell House, both 13 Ghosts movies, Poltergeist, Amityville Horror, Crimson Peak… Basically nearly all of the super-famous ones.
Any recommendations for lesser-known ones greatly appreciated.
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Post by masterofallgoons on Oct 20, 2021 21:39:01 GMT
Not sure if you've seen it or if you're into series, but the Hauntong of Hill House Netflix series by Mike Flanagan is terrific.
I'll think about some haunted house movies, but one movie I recently saw that had that vibe even though it's not that story is called The Monster from 1925 with Lon Chaney. It's got some great spooky atmosphere and great sets and is lesser oriented amongst Lon Chaney's work. If you're up for a somewhat slow-to-get-started silent film, this is an enjoyable one.
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Post by theravenking on Oct 20, 2021 23:02:48 GMT
I'm sure you've already seen it, but if not Peter Medak's The Changeling (1980) is one of the finest there is.
Session 9 is more of a haunted mental asylum movie. It was shot at a real life asylum lending it a particular creepiness despite the sometimes cold looking digital photography.
Spanish movie The Orphanage is more like a dark fairy tale than a full-blown horror movie and it runs out of steam a bit in the last act but has some nice atmospheric visuals and a couple of good scares.
Haunter directed by Vincenzo Natali is an interesting take on the haunted house movie combining it with time-loop elements.
Haunted (1994; Lewis Gilbert) was written by famous British horror author James Herbert. It is a very old school haunted house movie featuring a very pretty young Kate Beckinsale. It is rather mild horror, more a supernatural romance which would explain why it flopped at release and has since fallen into obscurity. I always found it to be a classy little picture though.
Below (2002; David Twohy) is a haunted submarine movie.
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Post by Marv on Oct 20, 2021 23:53:51 GMT
Night of the Demons...an 80's flick with a bunch of teens in an old abandoned and haunted house. Bunch of evil crap starts happening. It's got Linnea Quigley and her amazing breasts too so bonus. (she is the naked girl from Return of the Living Dead)
The Black Room...can't remember if it's a house or just the devil/demons...but it's kind of a dark comedy horror flick with quite a bit of raunchiness. Probably not the moody sort you were looking for.
Event Horizon...maybe more well known, and not a house exactly, but a spaceship. Still the same vibes and themes apply. The spaceship went thru hell and disappeared, now its back and a team are sent to investigate. Haunted crap begins the second theyre on board. Very good for its time. Haven't rewatched in a while tho. Stellar cast.
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Post by novastar6 on Oct 21, 2021 5:18:07 GMT
Makes you wonder though, why there weren't MORE haunted house movies? It's a popular ploy but it was more often used for murder mysteries in which the 'ghost' was the criminal trying to scare people off. On TCM they pointed out House on Haunted Hill broke away from the mold where most of the time the houses were NOT haunted, and even that one's debatable but still, why are they so chintzy on REAL haunted houses in films?
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Post by Nalkarj on Oct 21, 2021 17:34:28 GMT
Many thanks, everyone. masterofallgoons , I’m not all that into series… I’ve always been more interested in movies than in TV (or, now, streaming, what have you). Still, I may check out another Hill House episode… I tried watching an episode and just found it so depressing. I’ve heard of The Monster but haven’t seen it—thanks for the recommendation! theravenking , when I wrote “ The Conjuring” in my list in the OP I actually meant “ The Changeling”! Will fix that now. (Funnily enough, I’ve seen the two Conjuring sequels, one of the Annabelles, and The Nun but not the first movie.) Many thanks for the recommendations. Marv , will check those out, thanks. novastar6 , I too wish there were more haunted house movies… I’m not sure TCM was quite right on House on Haunted Hill’s breaking the mold (which host said that?); as Everson pointed out in Classics of the Horror Film, pre-WWII you find few movies with genuine ghosts, except for Christmas Carol adaptations and comedies. While House on Haunted Hill is ’59, I can’t think of all that many ghost movies in the ’50s either.
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Post by politicidal on Oct 21, 2021 17:47:28 GMT
Below (2002; David Twohy) is a haunted submarine movie. Below is way better than it should be. Especially since it's by the Riddick guy.
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Post by novastar6 on Oct 21, 2021 17:56:44 GMT
Below (2002; David Twohy) is a haunted submarine movie. Below is way better than it should be. Especially since it's by the Riddick guy.
I've said it before. Below, granted it's on a submarine, is what Ghost Ship SHOULD'VE been.
But to answer the OP's question I wanted to throw in if nobody else has, House of the Seven Corpses.
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Post by Sarge on Oct 22, 2021 1:23:27 GMT
The Old Dark House (1932), Boris Karloff, Rebecca Femm, Charles Laughton. Not a haunted house, but a creepy house with a creepy family so you might like the atmosphere and it's a great movie.
You might also look into insane asylum movies.
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Post by Captain Spencer on Oct 22, 2021 2:58:37 GMT
Two British horror movies from 1973:
Dark Places And Now The Screaming Starts
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Post by Nalkarj on Oct 22, 2021 15:45:15 GMT
Re: the Below recommendations, I’ve got to try it out. I kept wanting Ghost Ship to be better, so Below seems right up my alley! Sarge, I’m a big fan of The Old Dark House and ’30s Uni horror in general. Captain Spencer, will check those out!
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lakelander
Freshman
@lakelander
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Post by lakelander on Oct 23, 2021 17:33:44 GMT
I enjoyed The Haunted House of Horror from 1969, with Frankie Avalon. No, it's not a beach party or frat party type of silly movie. It's actually a generally serious film with a nice 1960s period look and not much in the way of goofball notions. www.imdb.com/title/tt0064443/
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Post by lostinlimbo on Oct 24, 2021 11:43:38 GMT
The Innkeepers (2011) The Forgotten One (1989) Grave Secrets (1989) Sweet Home (1989) The Visitors (Besökarna) (1988). The Stone Tape (1972) A Place of One’s Own (1945)
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Post by masterofallgoons on Oct 24, 2021 12:57:41 GMT
Some good choices by Limbo above.
If you're not familiar with some of the older Del Toro stuff, The Devil's Backbone is really good.
If Night of the Demons counts, not sure it's what you want, there are some other Evil Dead ripoffs like Demon Wind and Soul of the Demon that are really low budget, video store trash kinda things, but are fun if that's what you're looking for.
The Pact isn't entirely terrible for a low budget and a modern setting.
Monster House is a lot of fun for an animated kid's movie like and Amblin kinda thing with Goonies or Monster Squad kinda vibe.
I really don't wanna open up to found footage haunted house movies, because there are A LOT of those, but the BBC special Ghost Watch is not quite one of those, and it's really good. It's not a shaky camcorder thing, but rather it's presented like a live TV broadcast I liked it a lot.
I'd guess you're thinking more like classy sort of stuff like Burnt Offerings style, although I think that movie is really dull...
While not a house The Awakening with Rebecca Hall feels like a classier production with mood and atmosphere to spare. It's not exceptional, but it sets a nice tone and has good actors taking it seriously.
Stonehearst Asylum didn't really do it for me, but the atmosphere and setting are really strong and right for this topic.
Nobody has mentioned The Haunted Palace with Vincent Price and Lon Chaney Jr. While it's not either of their best work, it's a movie with two legends and it's set in a spooky old palace, so totally worth a watch. A lot of that era of Roger Corman's directing effort could work for this, but some of those Poe movies like The Raven are a little too silly for what you're specifications...
And speaking of silly, I'm sure it's not what you're looking for, and that you're familiar with it, and it's hardly 'lesser-known' by any standards, but I guess my favorite haunted house movie is probably Beetlejuice.
I don't think any of those have been mentioned yet.
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Post by Nalkarj on Oct 25, 2021 16:28:25 GMT
Hey, thanks, masterofallgoons . Yeah, I’m thinking of something Burnt Offerings-style—but better. Like you, I find Burnt Offerings really dull, but I like the sort of thing it’s striving for. I’ve seen Monster House, The Awakening, The Haunted Palace, Beetlejuice… And I love Ghostwatch. Will check out the others!
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Post by Stammerhead on Oct 25, 2021 18:21:38 GMT
Here’s a short offering from the BBC…
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