Modern horror ideas: What would actually terrify you today?

David Price5 said:Since when did we start believing everything we read on the internet?

That’s not really the point here. It’s not like Hostelling International was based on actual history—of course it wasn't—but I find it pretty hilarious how Roth tried to market and package his little mess by shoving it into a basket of events that "allegedly" happened (though, for the record, those bits from the true facts list actually did occur, and honestly, they’re still happening).

I feel like things started getting heated for no reason. Or maybe they weren't, because all those horrific episodes from the American Civil War don't deserve to be relegated to some cheap horror flick—if anything, you should be making a deeply serious (anti)war film about them instead.

Like I said before, to me, every war movie is essentially a horror movie.

We'll see if that Paranormal Activity flick actually holds up better than Blair Witch, where it's basically just students stumbling through the woods breathing heavily onto a mic.

In terms of production value, I expect it to be quite similar—somewhere right in between Poltergeist and Cache.

Christian Taylor3 said:That’s not really the point here. It’s not like Hostelling International was based on actual history—of course it wasn't—but I find it pretty hilarious how Roth tried to market and package his little mess by shoving it into a basket of events that "allegedly" happened (though, for the record, those bits from the true facts list actually did occur, and honestly, they’re still happening).

I feel like things started getting heated for no reason. Or maybe they weren't, because all those horrific episodes from the American Civil War don't deserve to be relegated to some cheap horror flick—if anything, you should be making a deeply serious (anti)war film about them instead.

Like I said before, to me, every war movie is essentially a horror movie.

So, what about Tropic Thunder? 😍

And that theory of hers is quite compelling—after all, don't people possess free will? 😕🤷☕

It’s not even a war movie, it’s just a movie about making a war movie.😁

rustyscout34 said:So, what about Tropic Thunder? 😍

Well, you caught me... 🙂 😁 I haven't actually sat through that one yet. Then again, for me, even M.A.S.H. counts as horror 😬

Matthew Anderson4 said:It’s not even a war movie, it’s just a movie about making a war movie.😁

Bravo, Matthew Anderson4 - that was a solid comeback. Even my limited intellect knows that Tropic isn't exactly a war movie.

Tropic Thunder starts out as satire before transitioning into everything else..

It’s all about the atmosphere, and honestly, nobody wants to put in the work to build it. Take a psychological flick like Tale of Two Sisters. It isn't "scary" in the traditional sense, even with the subject matter, but there's this one scene where the dead sister is just sitting on the other side of the room... man, I'm telling you...

Or look at Circle. That wasn't terrifying to me either, but that video footage they show in Circle? The way she's moving? That’s the stuff that would actually make me lose my mind.

Personally, I react to that tension—that space between people and whatever paranormal stuff starts creeping in. Like, I’m standing in a room and something happens in total silence on the other side (actually, I'm getting hallucinations right now, I'm too scared to even turn away from my computer). Then, any religious themes mess with my head, along with psychological games and those unhinged, demented moments—like that footage in Circle or the memory sequences in Tale of Two Sisters. You need good, subtle music, too. Less blood, less screaming, less monsters running around. If a movie has a smart plot and/or a killer ending—think Mirrors for the finale or Emily Rose for the story—then it hits different. That's when I actually start liking a movie.

The idea of AI actually defeating humanity genuinely terrifies me.
I mean literally, not philosophically. Historically speaking, it’s already happened, and quite frankly, everyone hasn't even had a chance to get their revenge yet. So 🥳🙂
If I were a suicide bomber, for instance, I’d have a few specific targets in mind.
First, major networks like CNN, then maybe some big national radio stations, and a few other spots.
Since the internet is so overwhelming and I'm physically limited, I wouldn't bother trying to mess with it.
Or, as that sweet little kid from Switzerland says while standing in front of the Mona Lisa with huge energy in the background—straight to the point: HI INTERNET 👋

mistyheron4 said:The idea of AI actually defeating humanity genuinely terrifies me.
I mean literally, not philosophically. Historically speaking, it’s already happened, and quite frankly, everyone hasn't even had a chance to get their revenge yet. So 🥳🙂
If I were a suicide bomber, for instance, I’d have a few specific targets in mind.
First, major networks like CNN, then maybe some big national radio stations, and a few other spots.
Since the internet is so overwhelming and I'm physically limited, I wouldn't bother trying to mess with it.
Or, as that sweet little kid from Switzerland says while standing in front of the Mona Lisa with huge energy in the background—straight to the point: HI INTERNET 👋

WTF?!? 😲😕🤷

mistyheron4 said:The idea of AI actually defeating humanity genuinely terrifies me.
I mean literally, not philosophically. Historically speaking, it’s already happened, and quite frankly, everyone hasn't even had a chance to get their revenge yet. So 🥳🙂
If I were a suicide bomber, for instance, I’d have a few specific targets in mind.
First, major networks like CNN, then maybe some big national radio stations, and a few other spots.
Since the internet is so overwhelming and I'm physically limited, I wouldn't bother trying to mess with it.
Or, as that sweet little kid from Switzerland says while standing in front of the Mona Lisa with huge energy in the background—straight to the point: HI INTERNET 👋

Finally, someone with a sense of humor—sorry, a sense of humor, female, 😁

Yeah, this is a great article on the subject (there isn't much left to say, since everything has already been thought up 😬).



p.s. you guys won't believe this—right now, Americans are most terrified by a movie made for a measly $15,000:

This weekend was a big test for the mainstream appeal of ultra-low-budget horror movie "Paranormal Activity" as Paramount expanded its midnight shows to play at all hours of the day in 160 theaters. Word-of-mouth and a marketing campaign that focused on Internet buzz paid off handsomely -- "Paranormal" averaged a phenomenal $44,162 at each theater. That puts it in a virtual tie with with "Hannah Montana / Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds," a concert film that played only on pricier 3-D screens, for the highest per-theater average of all time for a movie playing at more than 100 locations.

$44K per screen is phenomenal. The movie looks certain to emerge as a phenomenon with buzz building toward 10/23 breakout into wide release.

Any of you who've seen Paranormal Activity - does it deserve the hype in your opinion?

Just a third of a movie theater was enough to make the film worth it :-)

David Price5 said:Just a third of a movie theater was enough to make the film worth it :-)

Honestly, that’s pretty fascinating. And that’s before it even hits a proper wide release. It’s hard not to draw a comparison to our own film industry, where some cynical critic will inevitably chime in with, "It’s just too difficult, there isn't any money" 😠 "The truth is, you American filmmakers just lack the ideas—and frankly, you lack the drive and genuine creativity even more"☕.

Witches, charms, dolls, and voodoo
EDIT: oh, and music