MovieChat Forums > Don't Look Down (1998) Discussion > SIT ON THE RAIL!@#$% (Spoilers)

SIT ON THE RAIL!@#$% (Spoilers)

posted 19 years ago by gothor
13 replies | jump to latest

Was I the only one who figured it out three minutes into the film? ("SIT ON THE RAIL! SIT ON THE RAIL!!!") I kept hoping and waiting for some actual ghosts to show up. That *might* explain the Group murders. But no. It was the boyfriend all along ("SIT ON THE RAIL!!!!"), who for a two story house and some measley inheritance, was willing to kill A) His girlfriend B) Two member's of his girlfriend's support group C) One of those member's old mama(!?). Yeah. Makes sense. ("SIT ON THE RAIL! SIT ON THE RAIL!!!!!!")

Another thing: I'm getting really sick of lackluster ghost shock-scenes. Directors think they can flash some chick (or little girl) in white, bearing bloody teeth, all up in the camera for a second, and that's supposed to be scary? It looks like they were drooling Kool-Aid. The worst part was the way characters *described* the ghost was very scary:

"He says she doesn't show her face. It's wrapped in bandages. She won't show her face because it's all smashed up from the fall!"

There, *that* would have made a very vivid, frightening and *easy to pull off* ghost. Instead, we get, like, vampire chicks without fangs. Oooh! I fear!

It all comes down to suspension of disbelief. I find it easier to believe in ghosts than the ridiculous notion that someone who wants his wife's money would go through the trouble of researching the interior design of old army warplanes, so he can convince Bob, one of the members of his wife's support group, to drop out. And THIS after killing two of the other members!

Yeah... or he could get a divorce and just take half.

It makes no freaking sense. Logic was thrown out the door in hopes of a shocker ending. Well, congratulations. You were moderately successful, and you ruined your movie!

This film had so much potential, the opening was great. It's just too bad.

Blarg! http://thor.mirtna.org/

[–] starri_girl 19 years ago

lol I had to laugh at this, you're totally right. i love wes craven's work, but this wasn't his best. my mind kept wandering.. i started wondering how musicians keep a straight face when they're playing the score for a horror movie. i hate most modern horror movies.

when you said: Directors think they can flash some chick (or little girl) in white, bearing bloody teeth, all up in the camera for a second, and that's supposed to be scary?

i agreed. this was kind of tacky. things with kids do scare me occasionally, but only when they're done tastefully. have you seen the ring? that was okay with sumara. but you're right about the kool-aid thingy.

i didn't like the ending. the husband thing was crap. i wish it had been rachel's ghost. in other words, ditto what you said.

[–] gothor 19 years ago

Oh yeah, The Ring was excellent. It actually creeped me out, right there in the theater. I could have sworm something was crawling towards me during the final scenes, hehe.

Most modern horror movies *are* the suck. But have you seen The Hazing? Don't let the goofy college girl DVD cover fool you, it's one of the best dark comedy/horror films since Evil Dead 2. Not only are the characters great (the movie'll keep you guessing which will die next, always a good thing!). I guarantee, everyone will like this movie. Check it out.

I'm also gonna go out on a limb here and suggest one that's not quite for everyone. It's called 13 Seconds. It also has a crappy cover (some bald guy with a pentagram on his neck? wtf?) but I rented it after reading some good reviews. Boy, were they right.

Okay, let's get this out of the way: The acting stinks. It's all over the place. The writer/director/star looks like Emelio Estivez and acts like everyone else in the film; basically, sedated. It actually reminded me a lot of The Attic Expeditions (another great one), people seem strangely detached from all the horrible goings-on.

But man, are they ever horrible. While the acting's amature, the special effects, at least for a low budget movie, are *top notch*. There's blood and guts for the gore fans (you won't believe the upside down crucifixion scene), honest to God atmosphere for the "true horror" fans (excellent lighting, creepy shadows, and a dark old house), even surreal elements for the psychological horror crowd.

And did I mention the big, head-shakey faceless zombie with an axe? This guy could have carried the movie, instead he was just one of about a million spooks, scares and inventive creepouts.

So basically, rent The Hazing to have some fun. Rent 13 Seconds if you want to be kept up all night. :D

Hope this helps. Anyone else know of some good, recent horror movies?

Blarg! http://thor.mirtna.org/

[–] Xapora 19 years ago

Anyone else know of some good, recent horror movies?

Have you seen "Dead Birds"? That's pretty good and quite an original concept.

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED IF EARTH IS ANOTHER PLANET'S HELL?

[–] gothor 19 years ago

You are so right. Dead Birds is great. Especially the skin dogs, as I call 'em. They're so much better than your usual zombie/wearwolf/vampire. It's like Hollywood decided to save the ecosystem by recycling their monsters.

(It's funny, just yesterday I was complaining about Don't Look Down -- one of my favorite targets -- and I brought up Dead Birds as an example of a good old fashioned scary monster.)

Dead End is another good one. It's about a family who, on their way to Grandma's for Christmas dinner, find themselves lost on a Road to Nowhere. There are all manner of spooks and sacres, and as the family begins to die, you realize just how dysfunctional they were to begin with. There's a lot of dark humor, not in the Evil Dead 2 "Omigod so much blood!" sense. More like... well, I don't know. It's all in the acting, really.

Dead End's a classic ghost story, even though there aren't any gothic mansions or anything. It's just the kind of movie that sticks with you. Years from now, you'll be driving down some dark stretch of road and in the back of your head, you start to wonder, "Is this road just really long, or..."

Blarg! http://thor.mirtna.org/

[–] Xapora 19 years ago

gothor, that's sooooo spooky! When I hired my "5 weeklies for $5", which included "Method" I hired Dead End too! I thought it was pretty good but the friend I watched it with thought it was crap. Everyone's different I guess.

Also in that batch I hired Trauma (the one with Mena Suvari & Colin Firth; not Dario Argento's) - that was pretty good but a lot of people find it (understandably) very confusing. Also hired Taboo with Nick Stahl. Both movies were spooky and atmospheric, but not independent however, I don't think.

Have you seen May? That's a great movie too!

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED IF EARTH IS ANOTHER PLANET'S HELL?

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Xapora 18 years ago

May is the awesomest

Isn't it!?! I discovered it totally by accident and think it's a fantastic little movie. Instant cult classic! Kudos Lucky!

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED IF EARTH IS ANOTHER PLANET'S HELL?

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] GuyYouWishYouWere 16 years ago

My sister guessed right away, but she watched the film before me and wanted to see if I guessed what was happening.

I said, well it can't be the husband...if he set it up and wanted her dead he would have just dropped her off the cliff instead of helping her...

Then I realised just how stupid the twist was.

Nobody else has brough that up, I notice.

"Wether you think you can or you think you can't - you're right"

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] AtheistRevolution 16 years ago

I agree this was a stupid movie. Who actually tells someone to sit on the rail? I would think someone would want to sit on the car or something. Not on a rail over a cliff. Just a very stupid and obvious movie.

Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.

[–] le_rire 15 years ago

I only started watching the movie from when her sister actually fell, so i didn't see that part, but my mom and i figured it out in a second.

And the best part was when my mom was like, "It probably has to do with some money being involved."

My response was, "Mom, you've seen too many horror movies; you're inventing things. Look at the house, how rich could they be?"

How did that measly inheritance drive him to murder people? I would assume he was crazy to being with.

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[–] shred-com 15 years ago

OMG Lerire saw this the day before me <3
Yeah I bought this today, I liked it well enough.

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