Modern horror is awful and many are just gore filled to compensate for not being scary. I think atmosphere in a horror film is more important than scares. Many Hammer films looking back are relatively tame but they all boast great atmosphere to suck you in.
That’s a fair point, though I suppose most of them really constitute thrillers. It’s hard to comment on classics, especially when they are old, but I would not say Hammer films are disturbing in the least. It could be to do with exactly the ‘overbearing’ emotional intensity modern horror boasts that I like, or it could be some kind of social censorship with regards to attitudes.
Films like
Hereditary where
WARNING: spoilers below
a mother admits wanting to kill her child
a mother admits wanting to kill her child
are extreme in terms of attitudes, rather than gore. I don’t remember those kinds of issues addressed in older horror, except maybe
Angst (1983) and some genuine exploitation stuff. That’s part of it, too - that in the past, it was easier for horror to cross over into exploitation, which was detrimental to quality IMO.
I would say, however, that I find
Psycho reasonable disturbing. I’m pretty sure it pretty much ‘got me’ first time I watched it. And yes, I know it is technically not a horror film (though I always find the idea horror has to be supernatural a bit peculiar), but something about
WARNING: spoilers below
Norman’s slipping wig
Norman’s slipping wig
just doesn’t get old.
Re: gore, it has been said that gore has always been a constant. I don’t think you need to mention Eli Roth to discuss gore.
Inside,
Martyrs and
The Descent all have plenty. Regardless if you’re a fan or not, with some it’s hard to deny they were trying to make a point, rather than just be gory.
Respect the viewpoint expressed in the other thread re: modern horror, but really can’t relate.
Even when I was a kid, I distinctly remember that moment of realising pre-late 80’s
horror just doesn’t do it for me, despite my love for ‘70s films in general. I will concede the decade had some bat**** plots like
God Told Me To, but not for me.