Best Horror Film or Thriller from a *NON-Genre* Director

swr2777 · 10-07-2001, 06:49 AM

Hey, everyone! It's always interesting to see what happens when a director inexperienced with horror films or thrillers suddenly gives them a shot. Of course, examples such as Kubrick's work in THE SHINING, Johnathan Demme's work in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, Spielberg's work in JAWS or DUEL, or Coppola's work in BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA will stand out as the most popular. However, it's similarly intriguing to observe some of the lesser-discussed horror flicks or thrillers, noting whether their directors would have been right at home in the genre or if they shouldn't think about quitting their day jobs.

What do you all think?
Peace!

**PS: I tried to post an actual poll with the voting bullets but don't know why they didn't show up. In any event, here are some examples to stir up a discussion.

CAPE FEAR - Martin Scorsese
THE BELIEVERS - John Schlesinger
WOLF - Mike Nichols
PLAY MISTY FOR ME - Clint Eastwood
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME - J. Lee Thompson
PROPHECY - John Frankenheimer
JACOB'S LADDER - Adrian Lyne
THE HUNGER - Tony Scott
THE ENTITY - Sidney J. Furie
ANGEL HEART - Alan Parker
COMA - Michael Crichton
EYES OF LAURA MARS - Irvin Kirshner
NOSFERATU, THE VAMPYRE - Werner Herzog

Hellbilly · 10-07-2001, 08:45 AM

and for sure hard to choose from...i think the only "sour" apple from your collection must be John Frankenheimers "Prophecy" at least that's the one i didn't enjoy too much. my favorite is Tony Scotts "The Hunger", second choice would be John Schlesingers "The Believers"....and not to forget Adrian Lyne's "Jacob's Ladder"...damn, this is one tough poll....

swr2777 · 10-07-2001, 03:15 PM

Hey, Hellbilly! Thanks for the post, man.

Yeah, I think you're right. I'm sort of predicting that peoples' least favorite of the list I posted would be either John Frankenheimer's PROPHECY or Mike Nichols' WOLF.

That's awesome that you're a fan of THE HUNGER, as am I. For a first time feature, Tony Scott was more in control of his medium there and made more interesting choices than anything else in his career. (Just my two cents.) And of course, per your schweet "Best Dance" poll, same goes for Adrian Lyne and JACOB'S LADDER.

On this particular list, I'm also particularly fond of THE ENTITY and Herzog's NOSFERATU.

Feel free to throw in any other suggestions that I overlooked, but that fit the bill.

Later, dude!

10-07-2001, 08:49 PM

HERZOG's NOSFERATU is pretty damn good

Hellbilly · 10-07-2001, 09:13 PM

ummm, i got another one, John Irvin's Ghost Story . classic little chiller, starring the awesome and beautiful Alice Krige (a very underrated actress). as far as i know, John Irvin never directed another horror film ever again...

mcchrist · 10-07-2001, 11:31 PM

My favorite has to be Michael Mann's THE KEEP, I am a huge fan of the F. Paul Wilson novel and the film turned out to be pretty darned good, once again Mann made some changes which I thought were appropriate, and there were a few changes that weren't (such as how the actual creature looked, that was a mistake on Mann's part that truly irked me) but I love the film nonetheless.

BTW: THE HUNGER kicks ass.

swr2777 · 10-08-2001, 12:00 AM

Hey, that's awesome that you all mentioned Herzog's NOSFERATU, GHOST STORY and THE KEEP.

NOSFERATU is so dreamy and hypnotic. Kinski's subtleties and Adjani's timeless beauty are just irresistible. Beautiful imagery to boot. A shame Herzog hasn't done more work in the genre.

I realize GHOST STORY has its flaws and is nothing like the novel really, not to mention being a "problem production" behind the scenes. Nevertheless, I still think Irwin had some creepy imagery and shock effects up his sleeve. Dick Smith's make-up therein are some of the best of his career, and the underrated Alice Kridge's beauty is used to full advanatage. The wintry New England setting is chilling in more ways than one, and nice Philippe Sarde score.

THE KEEP has got some great choices and atmospheric effects. Again, it would be nice to see people like Mann work more in the genre. Good people involved both in front of and behind the camera there. I know what you mean though about the creature designs. Working with a primarily British effects crew with mediocre make-up artists like Nick Maley and Bob Keen may have contributed to the problem. I realize they have also worked on popular films we love, ranging from STAR WARS to the HELLRAISER series. But, often times, they tend to make the same design choices (and mistakes) no matter what film they're working on. (For example, their shriveled corpses in both LIFEFORCE and HELLRAISER tend to have the same "fakey" anatomically-incorrect look, regardless of how both films have their merits in other departments.)

mcchrist · 10-08-2001, 12:08 AM

Well, I'm not really complaining the cheapness or goofyness of the design of the creature from THE KEEP, but mainly because in the novel the creature looked like a man, like some sort of transylvanian misfit claiming to be a vampire (but he turns out to be much more than that, complete with ties to the H.P. Lovecraft Cthulhu mythology, neato.) The movie was cool as well, but Mann left a lot of that behind, which I suppose worked for the film, but the creature still wasn't appropriate though. Despite these complaints, I still maintain this is my favorite horror film by a non-genre director and I watch it at least twice a month.

swr2777 · 10-08-2001, 12:13 AM

Sounds good! And thanks for the info on the creature concept differences between the movie and the source material (which I've never read myself). It's a beautifully-shot film, too, and I always used to regret having never picked up the letterboxed laserdisc of it long ago. Hopefully Paramount will come through for us all with a remastered widescreen DVD. Would definitely be worth the price!

mcchrist · 10-08-2001, 06:52 PM

Unlike Manhunter (which I think is a perfect film, Red Dragon should not be remade as far as I'm concerned) The Keep could easily be remade and not compromise on the original film. The creature from the book, as I said, looked like a man very tall and pale and was, for the most part, a vampire. The deaths were very gruesome, talking about decapitated corpses which were drained of blood etc. The creature was related to Lovecraft's Old Ones, the Necronomicon and other tomes were used throughout the book, and another interesting facet was that there were zombies as well. How can I say The Keep is one of my favorite horror films and criticize it so much? It is a beautiful film, rich with color and contrast. The sex scene played out like a piece of performance art. You could take almost every frame of the film and use it as a piece of art as itself. Problems, the creature looks stupid to say the least (however, I do love how the creature first appears in the film as a ghostly smog). The talisman is nothing more than a weird looking flashlight. This film is so damn stylish, its faults do not detract. Check out the book if you can.

10-09-2001, 06:35 AM

Clint Eastwood did a damn fine job with Play Misty for Me. And Martin Scorsese did a killer job with the Cape Fear remake. However, I'm going to vote for Alan Parker for Angel Heart. The atmosphere is amazing. You can actually feel the humidity watching this flick. You can smell the liquor and sweat in the bar.

I think it's a damn shame that Alan Parker never did another horror film. He's an amazing director. Birdy, The Commitments, Midnight Express and The Wall are all very good films.

The Chaostar · 10-09-2001, 05:02 PM

Stanley Kubrick's
THE SHINING

Martin Scorsese's
CAPE FEAR

Michael Haineke's
FUNNY GAMES

Michael Mann's
THE KEEP

Alan Parker's
ANGEL HEART

Bob Clarck's
BLACK CHRISTMAS (not a genre director, right?)

Federico Fellini's
DON'T GAMBLE YOUR HEAD WITH THE DEVIL
(third story from Spirits Of The Dead)

Jonathan Demme's
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

Werner Hertzok's
NOSFERATU

Michael Powel's
PEEPING TOM

And On The Opposite Category (bad non-horror movies from horror movie directors) the winners are

MUSIC OF THE HEART by Wes Craven
ELVIS by John Carpenter

Mario77 · 10-09-2001, 08:38 PM

Say what you will about Mr. Craven's "heart problems"

but John Carpenter's "Elvis" is a very well-made, above average TV movie. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

The Chaostar · 10-09-2001, 10:48 PM

It's your right!

rhett · 03-02-2002, 05:45 PM

I just saw Play Misty For Me for the first time, and what a fine film it is. Definitely a notable debut by Eastwood and probably the best horror film by a non-genre director, IMO of course.

10-07-2001, 06:49 AM	#1
swr2777 Stalker Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 154	*Best Horror Film or Thriller from a NON-Genre* Director Hey, everyone! It's always interesting to see what happens when a director inexperienced with horror films or thrillers suddenly gives them a shot. Of course, examples such as Kubrick's work in THE SHINING, Johnathan Demme's work in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, Spielberg's work in JAWS or DUEL, or Coppola's work in BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA will stand out as the most popular. However, it's similarly intriguing to observe some of the lesser-discussed horror flicks or thrillers, noting whether their directors would have been right at home in the genre or if they shouldn't think about quitting their day jobs. What do you all think? Peace! PS: I tried to post an actual poll with the voting bullets but don't know why they didn't show up. In any event, here are some examples to stir up a discussion. CAPE FEAR - Martin Scorsese THE BELIEVERS - John Schlesinger WOLF - Mike Nichols PLAY MISTY FOR ME - Clint Eastwood HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME - J. Lee Thompson PROPHECY - John Frankenheimer JACOB'S LADDER - Adrian Lyne THE HUNGER - Tony Scott THE ENTITY - Sidney J. Furie ANGEL HEART - Alan Parker COMA - Michael Crichton EYES OF LAURA MARS - Irvin Kirshner NOSFERATU, THE VAMPYRE - Werner Herzog Last edited by swr2777; 10-07-2001 at 06:55 AM.

10-07-2001, 08:45 AM	#2
Hellbilly Water-squirting greatness Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Franconia Posts: 13,675	interesting Poll, swr and for sure hard to choose from...i think the only "sour" apple from your collection must be John Frankenheimers "Prophecy" at least that's the one i didn't enjoy too much. my favorite is Tony Scotts "The Hunger", second choice would be John Schlesingers "The Believers"....and not to forget Adrian Lyne's "Jacob's Ladder"...damn, this is one tough poll.... __________________ "Common sense turns me on"

10-07-2001, 03:15 PM	#3
swr2777 Stalker Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 154	Thanks, Hellbilly! Hey, Hellbilly! Thanks for the post, man. Yeah, I think you're right. I'm sort of predicting that peoples' least favorite of the list I posted would be either John Frankenheimer's PROPHECY or Mike Nichols' WOLF. That's awesome that you're a fan of THE HUNGER, as am I. For a first time feature, Tony Scott was more in control of his medium there and made more interesting choices than anything else in his career. (Just my two cents.) And of course, per your schweet "Best Dance" poll, same goes for Adrian Lyne and JACOB'S LADDER. On this particular list, I'm also particularly fond of THE ENTITY and Herzog's NOSFERATU. Feel free to throw in any other suggestions that I overlooked, but that fit the bill. Later, dude!

10-07-2001, 09:13 PM	#5
Hellbilly Water-squirting greatness Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Franconia Posts: 13,675	Ghost Story ummm, i got another one, John Irvin's Ghost Story . classic little chiller, starring the awesome and beautiful Alice Krige (a very underrated actress). as far as i know, John Irvin never directed another horror film ever again... __________________ "Common sense turns me on"

10-07-2001, 11:31 PM	#6
mcchrist A new breed of pervert! Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Keepin' the dogs away... Posts: 7,985	My favorite has to be Michael Mann's THE KEEP, I am a huge fan of the F. Paul Wilson novel and the film turned out to be pretty darned good, once again Mann made some changes which I thought were appropriate, and there were a few changes that weren't (such as how the actual creature looked, that was a mistake on Mann's part that truly irked me) but I love the film nonetheless. BTW: THE HUNGER kicks ass. __________________ McChrist's MySpace Cult-Stitch on MySpace

10-07-2001, 08:49 PM	#4
skinnypuppy6 Guest Posts: n/a	HERZOG's NOSFERATU is pretty damn good

10-08-2001, 12:00 AM	#7
swr2777 Stalker Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 154	Hey, that's awesome that you all mentioned Herzog's NOSFERATU, GHOST STORY and THE KEEP. NOSFERATU is so dreamy and hypnotic. Kinski's subtleties and Adjani's timeless beauty are just irresistible. Beautiful imagery to boot. A shame Herzog hasn't done more work in the genre. I realize GHOST STORY has its flaws and is nothing like the novel really, not to mention being a "problem production" behind the scenes. Nevertheless, I still think Irwin had some creepy imagery and shock effects up his sleeve. Dick Smith's make-up therein are some of the best of his career, and the underrated Alice Kridge's beauty is used to full advanatage. The wintry New England setting is chilling in more ways than one, and nice Philippe Sarde score. THE KEEP has got some great choices and atmospheric effects. Again, it would be nice to see people like Mann work more in the genre. Good people involved both in front of and behind the camera there. I know what you mean though about the creature designs. Working with a primarily British effects crew with mediocre make-up artists like Nick Maley and Bob Keen may have contributed to the problem. I realize they have also worked on popular films we love, ranging from STAR WARS to the HELLRAISER series. But, often times, they tend to make the same design choices (and mistakes) no matter what film they're working on. (For example, their shriveled corpses in both LIFEFORCE and HELLRAISER tend to have the same "fakey" anatomically-incorrect look, regardless of how both films have their merits in other departments.) Last edited by swr2777; 10-08-2001 at 12:02 AM.

10-08-2001, 12:08 AM	#8
mcchrist A new breed of pervert! Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Keepin' the dogs away... Posts: 7,985	Well, I'm not really complaining the cheapness or goofyness of the design of the creature from THE KEEP, but mainly because in the novel the creature looked like a man, like some sort of transylvanian misfit claiming to be a vampire (but he turns out to be much more than that, complete with ties to the H.P. Lovecraft Cthulhu mythology, neato.) The movie was cool as well, but Mann left a lot of that behind, which I suppose worked for the film, but the creature still wasn't appropriate though. Despite these complaints, I still maintain this is my favorite horror film by a non-genre director and I watch it at least twice a month. __________________ McChrist's MySpace Cult-Stitch on MySpace

10-08-2001, 12:13 AM	#9
swr2777 Stalker Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 154	Sounds good! And thanks for the info on the creature concept differences between the movie and the source material (which I've never read myself). It's a beautifully-shot film, too, and I always used to regret having never picked up the letterboxed laserdisc of it long ago. Hopefully Paramount will come through for us all with a remastered widescreen DVD. Would definitely be worth the price!

10-08-2001, 06:52 PM	#10
mcchrist A new breed of pervert! Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Keepin' the dogs away... Posts: 7,985	Some spoilers for those who haven't seen THE KEEP Unlike Manhunter (which I think is a perfect film, Red Dragon should not be remade as far as I'm concerned) The Keep could easily be remade and not compromise on the original film. The creature from the book, as I said, looked like a man very tall and pale and was, for the most part, a vampire. The deaths were very gruesome, talking about decapitated corpses which were drained of blood etc. The creature was related to Lovecraft's Old Ones, the Necronomicon and other tomes were used throughout the book, and another interesting facet was that there were zombies as well. How can I say The Keep is one of my favorite horror films and criticize it so much? It is a beautiful film, rich with color and contrast. The sex scene played out like a piece of performance art. You could take almost every frame of the film and use it as a piece of art as itself. Problems, the creature looks stupid to say the least (however, I do love how the creature first appears in the film as a ghostly smog). The talisman is nothing more than a weird looking flashlight. This film is so damn stylish, its faults do not detract. Check out the book if you can. __________________ McChrist's MySpace Cult-Stitch on MySpace

10-09-2001, 06:35 AM	#11
keith70 Guest Posts: n/a	Clint Eastwood did a damn fine job with Play Misty for Me. And Martin Scorsese did a killer job with the Cape Fear remake. However, I'm going to vote for Alan Parker for Angel Heart. The atmosphere is amazing. You can actually feel the humidity watching this flick. You can smell the liquor and sweat in the bar. I think it's a damn shame that Alan Parker never did another horror film. He's an amazing director. Birdy, The Commitments, Midnight Express and The Wall are all very good films.

10-09-2001, 05:02 PM	#12
The Chaostar Johnny Hallyday forever Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Hell-as Posts: 4,258	Stanley Kubrick's THE SHINING Martin Scorsese's CAPE FEAR Michael Haineke's FUNNY GAMES Michael Mann's THE KEEP Alan Parker's ANGEL HEART Bob Clarck's BLACK CHRISTMAS (not a genre director, right?) Federico Fellini's DON'T GAMBLE YOUR HEAD WITH THE DEVIL (third story from Spirits Of The Dead) Jonathan Demme's THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS Werner Hertzok's NOSFERATU Michael Powel's PEEPING TOM And On The Opposite Category (bad non-horror movies from horror movie directors) the winners are MUSIC OF THE HEART by Wes Craven ELVIS by John Carpenter __________________ "Only on Horrordvds.com could a well intentioned get well thread turn into an infomercial about the propensity for testicular perspiration". There Is No Freedom, Wake Up.

10-09-2001, 08:38 PM	#13
Mario77 Stalker Join Date: Jul 2001 Posts: 373	Say what you will about Mr. Craven's "heart problems" but John Carpenter's "Elvis" is a very well-made, above average TV movie. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

10-09-2001, 10:48 PM	#14
The Chaostar Johnny Hallyday forever Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Hell-as Posts: 4,258	It's your right! __________________ "Only on Horrordvds.com could a well intentioned get well thread turn into an infomercial about the propensity for testicular perspiration". There Is No Freedom, Wake Up.

03-02-2002, 05:45 PM	#15
rhett Moderator Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Canada Posts: 8,882	I just saw Play Misty For Me for the first time, and what a fine film it is. Definitely a notable debut by Eastwood and probably the best horror film by a non-genre director, IMO of course.

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