Hitchcock, Carpenter & Craven

@John Travolta
Thanks for the recommendation; that film was one of the first I wanted to dive into once I started exploring Italian cinema, but I haven't had any luck tracking it down until now. It is definitely going on my watchlist.

Just as I was discussing > in a previous thread, I feel this particular topic certainly warrants more discussion than its predecessor. It was only a few years ago that I truly began exploring the landscape of American horror cinema. Before that, I had no inkling that there once existed such a sprawling and profoundly influential era of horror filmmaking. Since I generally consider the horror genre to be among the least sophisticated forms of cinema, I cannot claim to be an enthusiast, though I can certainly offer a positive assessment. Alfred Hitchcock is, if I may venture to say, the most significant and influential figure in the history of the genre. He mastered nearly every subgenre imaginable and paved the way for all those who followed in his footsteps. Wes Craven is perhaps the most mainstream of the bunch. My struggle with Craven’s work is that almost all of his films possess a brilliant opening, only to gradually lose momentum and sink into mediocrity, or even worse. The prime example is his most famous work, >. It features arguably the greatest opening in horror history, yet by the end, you realize it is essentially just an average horror flick. In my view, his best film is >; the decline in quality there is minimal. I also found his earliest efforts to be quite strong. After >, he struggled to produce anything even remotely decent, despite a few films that showed early promise. I haven't seen any works by Fulci yet, though I have heard they are considered the worst of the lot. I am thinking about diving into his filmography soon. Does anyone think it is worth the time?

It’s worth a watch, mostly if you want to get a better handle on horror history. It's perfect for anyone who digs the classics and doesn't mind a bit of camp or trashy fun, because trust me, there's plenty of it. That said, I'd say it's definitely the weakest link out of the three we talked about.

On the flip side, Suspiria remains an absolute masterpiece for me. The atmosphere is just unmatched—the visuals and the sound design are executed so perfectly. Looking at the genre as a whole, that alone puts it well above the rest. Wes Craven, Tovali, and Goblin were such a killer combination.

Arthur Moore97 said:I posted about Cannibalistic a few days ago—this thread definitely deserves just as much attention as that one did. To be honest, I only really discovered the world of Italian horror a few years back. Before then, I had no clue they ever possessed such a massive, influential footprint in the genre. Since I generally consider horror to be the lowest tier of filmmaking, I won't pretend to be an enthusiast—but I can certainly give them a passing grade. Alfred Hitchcock is arguably the most significant and influential figure in the genre—I’d go so far as to say he's the greatest. He touched every subgenre imaginable and essentially paved the way for everyone else. Now, Wes Craven is the most "mainstream" of the bunch. My issue with his work is that almost all of his films start out incredibly strong, only to slowly lose steam and sink into mediocrity—if not total failure. Take Suspiria, for example. It has perhaps the best opening in horror history, yet by the end, you realize it's actually just a mediocre flick. His best work, in my opinion, is Deep Red; the pacing holds up much better there. His early stuff is decent too, but after Suspiria, he never really hit his stride again—even if a few films looked promising at first glance. I haven't seen any Fulci yet. I've heard he's the worst of the lot. I'm thinking about diving into his filmography next—is he even worth the time?

Both Don't Torture a Duckling and The New York Ripper are absolute essentials. 🍿

Shiver of the Vampires and The House by the Cemetery were both solid enough—equally good, really. The Wax Mask and The Psychic weren't quite up to par, though they’re watchable if you have the time. I still have A Cat in the Brain on my watchlist. 👍

I just finished watching Carpenter's "Don't Torture the Innocent." It’s actually a solid film, though I wouldn't call it a horror flick, let alone a giallo; it feels much more like a gritty social thriller or a heavy drama.