I'd suggest The House of the Devil if it hasn't been yet. There's only one thing i remember that could be called a jump scare and it's not really, it's not something that jumps out or appears. I'll put it in a spoiler to the people who have seen it what do you think? @Swan ?
The scene where the guy shoots her friend, I wouldn't say it's a jump scare coz you can see him at all times but it's so abrupt that maybe it would work the same.
The scene where the guy shoots her friend, I wouldn't say it's a jump scare coz you can see him at all times but it's so abrupt that maybe it would work the same.
I'd suggest The House of the Devil if it hasn't been yet. There's only one thing i remember that could be called a jump scare and it's not really, it's not something that jumps out or appears. I'll put it in a spoiler to the people who have seen it what do you think? @Swan ?
The scene where the guy shoots her friend, I wouldn't say it's a jump scare coz you can see him at all times but it's so abrupt that maybe it would work the same.
The scene where the guy shoots her friend, I wouldn't say it's a jump scare coz you can see him at all times but it's so abrupt that maybe it would work the same.
Yeah, good suggestion. Good chance Magician will like that one.
and I shut it down quick, ha. Some things I just don't need to see, even if it is just a simulation. There's a movie called The War Zone that just hints at this and that itself was unnerving.
That particular scene is very obviously fake if that helps at all but if just the thought of it is upsetting then yeah, I'd say don't watch it (there's also another scene in it that thematically you may well prefer not to watch either).
For @magician I'd recommend (off the top of my head):
Tesis (1996) - Been a while since I've seen it, but I think it'd be perfect for a psych thriller fan.
The Machinist - Ditto.
Stir of Echoes
I Saw the Devil
The Woman in Black (1989) - Love this! One of the few that actually scared me.
Let the Right One In - Pretty dramatic. Maybe good for those not too keen on the genre.
Cape Fear - either one.
Cube - If you like sci-fi too.
... and if older movies are fair game, The Haunting is usually held up as a bastion of psych horror. Also,
Diabolique (1955)
Repulsion
The Omen
The Conversation - Horror is a stretch, but a psych thriller fan needs to see this.
Seance on a Wet Afternoon - Ditto.
One of my favs. It's exploitation, but also really engrossing. Jungle Holocaust is another good, somewhat tamer, flick from the same guy.
I couldn't bring myself to watch it. I would be interested in reading your thoughts on it, though. It seems most who've seen it feel the same way you do.
the jump scare that wasn't -- when our heroine is snooping in the closet with the tight close-up on her face. When she closed the door and NOBODY was right there to attack her! I was giggling with joy at the movie's courage and patience, even as my wife was complaining about the slow pace.
the jump scare that wasn't -- when our heroine is snooping in the closet with the tight close-up on her face. When she closed the door and NOBODY was right there to attack her! I was giggling with joy at the movie's courage and patience, even as my wife was complaining about the slow pace.
all sorts of reasons.
__________________
"You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you."
"You seem a decent fellow. I hate to die."
Xtro
Prom Night (1980) (Of course I mean the original!)
Final Destination (The first three are all worth watching, but especially the first one. It's by far the most wellmade one and the scariest.)
The Omen (just in case you haven't seen one of the most iconic horror movies of all time)
The Amityville Horror (1979) (I keep recommending this one to death, since it's still underseen)
The Dentist & The Dentist 2 (Are they scary? Maybe a bit, thanks to Corbin Bernsen's perfect performance. But most of all they are damn funny to watch!)
Carnival Of Souls
Cat People (1942)
The Invisible Man (1933)
Day Of The Woman (WARNING: VERY HARD TO WATCH)
This is a great starter list.
I second "The Strangers" for sustained scary atmosphere, as well as its artistic forebear, and the greatest movie ever made, "Halloween" (1978 original ONLY!! -- maybe one or two arguable jump-scares, but they represent not so much "lazy filmmaking" as "strokes of cinematic genius"), and ITS artistic forebear, "Black Christmas" (1974).
I second "House of the Devil" (see above) for subtle, non-sledgehammerlike pacing, and add "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Haunting" (1963) on the same grounds.
"Psycho", of course, is a must-see. (Does one of the most famous scenes in movie history count as a jump-scare?)
Depending on how far back you want to go, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is some fairly scary sci-fi. Speaking of which, have you gotten into "The Twilight Zone" or "The Outer Limits" at all?
I agree with just about anything containing Vincent Price, especially his Poe-based stuff (although "The Raven" is as much comedy as horror).
Moving back up to the '70s, "Suspiria" is beautiful, if rather baffling. In a different vein, "Phantasm" is just plain baffling, but scary-looking, and it has sci-fi elements. And for '70s TV, "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" is some low-grade horror fun (if a bit cheesy, just in case you're lactose-intolerant).
I really want to recommend "The Wicker Man" (1973), mainly for some love for Christopher Lee, but also for the sake of non-gory, non-jumpy, but disturbing build-up. I don't know; what do you all think? Too comedic?
I'm sure there's a lot I'm not thinking of at the moment, but check back after you've finished the homework we've already given you. Everything WILL be on the quiz!
Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is amazing. There aren't jump scares, but there's wicked-good tension, and it's unsettling. However, it's not overly scary. Yes, some scenes are freaky, but it's more about the drama and tension than the scares. I still highly recommend it.
I'd also recommend It, if only for Tim Curry as Pennywise. The one I mean is, of course, the 1990 TV version, as I haven't seen the new It, because it isn't out yet. Keep in mind It isn't super scary, or a tight ship, but It's pretty chilling in some scenes. Again, It mostly shines with Tim Curry as Pennywise. He's super freaky.
An off-kilter horror with an excellent flow and story is Noroi: The Curse, a Japanese found-footage film. I love it. You can find the whole film on YouTube here: &t I don't know how legal the upload is, so I'd recommend watching it while you can. Granted, it's been up since August of 2012, but that doesn't mean it won't get pulled tomorrow.
If you don't mind TV movies, Dark Night of the Scarecrow is a low-burner with excellent tension. The premise is simple, really - a scarecrow embodies a wrongly-killed young man, and kills those responsible. A little fantastic, but an awesome film. I'd recommend it. You can see it on Amazon's streaming service. I bought it, but for how much I can't remember.
I'm only going to recommend one slashers, because they really aren't that scary, but seeing the effects, especially in the original Nightmare on Elm Street, is sometimes worth it, as with the original Nightmare on Elm Street. The one I'm going to recommend? My #1 horror - Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Yes, the original. Holy crap is it freaky. There's one jump scare, and it's not too jumpy. It mostly relies on being creepy as anything. There is nothing not scary about this film, once the horror starts, and it's always unsettling and creepy. If you have Amazon Prime, you can watch it. I just watched it for the second time, and my life I'm tense. It's awesome, and the scariest film there is.
It tells you how many jump scenes there are in a film, giving each a star rating; the higher the rating the more jump scares obviously. So you could search a film there and see if there are too many for you.
Can't believe that site exists. Actually i do what am i talking about haha.
It tells you how many jump scenes there are in a film, giving each a star rating; the higher the rating the more jump scares obviously. So you could search a film there and see if there are too many for you.
Can't believe that site exists. Actually i do what am i talking about haha.
I took a look to see if they actually spoil the "scares" (they do). But most of the bits they list aren't even jump scares, just mildly interesting events. Oh well, good for a chuckle.
I took a look to see if they actually spoil the "scares" (they do). But most of the bits they list aren't even jump scares, just mildly interesting events. Oh well, good for a chuckle.
They only spoil them if you click into them, there's a big list where you can search whatever and it just gives you a star rating.
Dont knock twice. I've just seen this. Beautiful looking movie, the jump scares are subtle and old fashioned ie not CLANG, just quietly in the background and well done, but I have issues with the acting, the dialogue, and what the film makers were trying to say. Still, I think it's worth a look. They atleast get the colour grading right which was a nice surprise, and they dont use the dreadful whispery dialogue combined with overbloated score that seems to be the current trend.
I dont remember that because I hvent seen it since I was a kid, but isnt it nice when you get a horror that's based on suspense and not a lazy smack you in the face with sudden jarring jumpies. It's why I mentioned Dont Knock Twice.
I dont remember that because I hvent seen it since I was a kid, but isnt it nice when you get a horror that's based on suspense and not a lazy smack you in the face with sudden jarring jumpies. It's why I mentioned Dont Knock Twice.
I watched it for the first time yesterday and was pretty mixed but overall enjoyed it. It's very different in that when I say no jump scares I mean none. Most of the time it felt like some rom com well at least until you get to the final act
Reply to Topic
One of my favs. It's exploitation, but also really engrossing. Jungle Holocaust is another good, somewhat tamer, flick from the same guy.
- 
