Do scary movies even exist? - Lake Mungo (2010) Discussion

[–] BarbaraSteele 10 years ago

You are asking the impossible from complete strangers. Different things scare different people and since no one knows anything about you, let alone what may scare you, I doubt anyone could give you an appropriate recommendation. The bottom line is, in order for a film to have any kind of real impact, you have to be able to lose yourself in them like you would a good book. Some people are just plain incapable of this. I'm not saying it is right or wrong, or good or bad, but it just is what it is. I think there are plenty of movies out there for all types of people; ones where you're asked to use your imagination and which deal more with psychology, mood and / or atmosphere, and ones that are more graphic and / or simply to be taken at face value.

For the record, I did not find Paranormal Activity, Insidious or Saw the least bit scary... but I did actually find Lake Mungo very creepy at times and I liked it a lot. I'm also not ashamed to admit that The Blair Witch Project also scared the hell out of me! Since you just mentioned newer films, maybe you should check out some older horror classics and see how they work for you? Maybe start with The Innocents, Carnival of Souls or Night of the Living Dead and see if any of those have any kind of affect on you. But really, it all depends on what kind of person you are, what your tastes are like, what your fears are (if any), etc.

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[–] merskur 10 years ago

I know, it was a long shot fired from the hip in the dark.

I've seen horror movies that have been of good quality, movies that I've liked and watched again, but I've never been scared by one. Purely graphic ones, like Hostel, don't interest me at all. In my opinion it's like the excessive special effects in Michael Bay movies, whom I think South Park nailed in the Imaginationland trilogy. In the same way I consider purely graphic horror movies to rely on that graphicness due to lack of actual content. Sure, some graphic violence can be used correctly, or even be necessary, to tell a story - but a movie which is based solely on it? That's just porn, in the non-sexual form. I can watch clips of torture and decomposed bodies while I'm eating, it doesn't affect me. I just don't find it interesting at all.

I was a bit creeped out by Blair Witch Project, but that's only because I was like 14years old when I watched it AND I actually believed the stuff about it being based on a true story. Now I in fact despise movies that claim to be based on truth when they're absolutely not, like The Fourth Kind. IMO it's an immoral publicity trick which should be illegal due to false marketing.

I've tried some older horror movies, like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Woman in Black and Psycho. I found TCM a complete pile of garbage, but that's just me. The Woman in Black I should've steered away from considering it focuses on ghosts/spirits, which I find ludicrous. Psycho was a good movie, and I can understand why it's a classic, but it never came close to scaring me. Can't blame that on the movie though, it made a decent effort.

I do have fears though, like acrophobia and arachnophobia, but I've never heard of a movie based on fear of heights, and spiders on the TV screen don't scare me - unless they're actually walking over it.

The Innocents and Carnival of Souls both center around the spiritual/ghost theme, so I don't think it's even worth a try unfortunately. I actually haven't seen Night of the Living Dead yet, which is kinda embarassing considering I love zombies. I'll make sure it's one of the next movies I watch, but knowing that zombies don't scare me (just excite me) I probably won't get scared by that either. But you may be right though, in that I should give older horror movies a try - most new ones are horrendous in only the negative way. In any case, I suppose some people - maybe especially the people grown up on the internet exposed to truly weird and disturbing stuff since before puberty hit (i.e. me) - simply don't scare that easily. Which brings us back to your initial point.

Anyway, thanks for an honest reply. I guess I'm left with blaming the internet for desensitizing me - we all need a scapegoat, right?

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[–] BarbaraSteele 10 years ago

Purely graphic ones, like Hostel, don't interest me at all. In my opinion it's like the excessive special effects in Michael Bay movies, whom I think South Park nailed in the Imaginationland trilogy. In the same way I consider purely graphic horror movies to rely on that graphicness due to lack of actual content.

Hostel was just terrible and I personally hate films like it. It didn't scare or even shock me in any way and I just found the whole thing annoying, stupid and boring. Pretty much agree with the rest of your paragraph. Even as a big fan of horror films I'll readily admit that most of them are bad!

I've tried some older horror movies, like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Woman in Black and Psycho. I found TCM a complete pile of garbage, but that's just me. The Woman in Black I should've steered away from considering it focuses on ghosts/spirits, which I find ludicrous. Psycho was a good movie, and I can understand why it's a classic, but it never came close to scaring me. Can't blame that on the movie though, it made a decent effort.

I love both Chainsaw and Psycho (albeit for different reasons and one has to admit both were extremely influential and daring films at their time) but The Woman in Black did absolutely nothing for me. I read a bunch of hype about it beforehand and felt extremely let down after watching it because the film was neither original nor the least bit scary or creepy.

I do have fears though, like acrophobia and arachnophobia, but I've never heard of a movie based on fear of heights, and spiders on the TV screen don't scare me - unless they're actually walking over it.

I think the closest to exploiting fear of heights may be Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, but it's not a horror film. I'm also not a big fan of spiders (or snakes!) but movies featuring them haven't really scared me all that much. The best spider movie I've seen is Kingdom of the Spiders and I didn't find it scary, just fun and entertaining. And I don't even think there has ever been a single good snake horror movie. At least not that I have seen.

The Innocents and Carnival of Souls both center around the spiritual/ghost theme, so I don't think it's even worth a try unfortunately.

The Innocents is actually very ambiguous and the director made it that way on purpose so it could be viewed as either a psychological or supernatural horror story, or perhaps even a combination of both. The film really works on multiple levels and this is a case where I'd still recommend the movie because it's just plain well-crafted. There should be something there for you to enjoy even if it doesn't scare you. It has some of the most beautiful photography I have seen, plus the acting, music score and writing / dialogue are all excellent. Along these same lines, you may want to give Session 9 a chance if you haven't seen it. It has wonderful atmosphere, really good acting, a great shooting location and again presents a plot that doesn't necessarily have any supernatural aspect to it and can be viewed several different ways.

Carnival of Souls is an entirely different film really. It's cheap, has its technical issues and the acting varies but it creates such an eerie mood on its low budget that it is worth a look. It also has great photography and music. As an added bonus (especially since you like zombie films), the movie itself is considered one of the chief inspirations behind Night of the Living Dead. If nothing else, you can watch it and at least see where it all began.

I actually haven't seen Night of the Living Dead yet, which is kinda embarrassing considering I love zombies. I'll make sure it's one of the next movies I watch, but knowing that zombies don't scare me (just excite me) I probably won't get scared by that either.

Night is actually one of the only zombie films I find creepy and scary though I also love others just for entertainment purposes.

But you may be right though, in that I should give older horror movies a try - most new ones are horrendous in only the negative way. In any case, I suppose some people - maybe especially the people grown up on the internet exposed to truly weird and disturbing stuff since before puberty hit (i.e. me) - simply don't scare that easily. Which brings us back to your initial point.

I'm not sure how old you are but I am 23 so I've been exposed to the internet since before puberty myself. Personally I find the unknown, things that cannot be rationally explained and films dealing with the psychological to be creepier and scarier than slasher-gore films, which have never done much for me. I'd say just give a variety of films from different eras a try and see if any of them stick with you. Seems like you are at least open to the possibility so that's a good start!

Anyway, thanks for an honest reply. I guess I'm left with blaming the internet for desensitizing me - we all need a scapegoat, right?

You're very welcome! And if you get a chance to see any of the movies I listed above or see another horror that works for you, and have a few minutes, come back and let me know what you thought. You now have me curious. lol

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[–] dxben99 10 years ago

You say you have arachnophobia but would not be scared by a horror movie about spiders, because you know it is just a film.

In that case I am sorry, but I think you are a lost case. I don't mean this as an insult or anything but it seems that's the way it is.

I am wondering, when you watch dramas that have sad situations and stuff, do you have empathy for the characters in those films, or do you not care because it is a movie as well?

I mean we all know it's the movies, but most people I know are capable of committing to the film and feel joy, sadness, fear etc. along with the characters (if the movie is good of course that is).

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[–] stevey_d867 10 years ago

For a movie about Acrophobia, have you seen Vertigo? I'm yet to see it myself, but the man in it has acrophobia.

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[–] kascha-klaussen 10 years ago

You have a kindred spirit in me.

I hate movies like Hostel, Saw (although the guy on the tricycle is hilarious to me), Train, etc. because they are nothing but gratuitous violence, particularly against women, and also because the stock excuse for why these movies are "awesome" is because they are "allegories". Ahh, such a fun word. And so popular too. They're not. They're borderline snuff films.

Honestly the last movie I saw that I could take seriously was The Ring. Other than that, you have to go back to the stalwarts, such as The Shining, Salem's Lot, and The Exorcist, because those were made during the era when "imagination" was a valid concept and nobody cared about soundtracks. Newer entitlement addled generations don't want to use imagination, they want the film to do the discovery and thinking for them, and so production houses are catering to them - not to people who got their scares from reading the novels that inspired the horror genre in the first place. They don't read, so they don't know how many liberties have been taken to adapt to screenplay, and so do not demand anything more from the film than that it have a good soundtrack, and that they can "see" the ghost.

This is what audiences want, so this is what they get, and true horror aficionados lose. Or watch the same movies 550 times, lol

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[–] z-21 9 years ago

Well, if you really want to trigger your acrophobia, try watching "Gravity" in a 3D IMAX theater. It's not intended as a horror movie, obviously, but it might well terrify an acrophobic.

Other than that... I recall watching "Nightmare on Elm St." alone late at night in a large, empty house gave me some scares as a kid (mostly after the movie, jumping at shadows). But I haven't re-watched it for several decades, so I don't know if it'd still be scary to an adult. At least it has an interesting idea behind it. Then again, if ghosts can't scare you (just) because you don't believe in them, that'll probably be no different.

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[–] yusef-ghanima 10 years ago

there are different levels and kinds of scary, some movies in the horror genre are just disgusting not scarey at all, paranormal activity was creepy not very scary, but this piece of garbage is plain none sense, not horror not any thing.

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[–] BarbaraSteele 10 years ago

Sorry but I just don't get the Paranormal Activity phenomenon at all. The first one (I have not seen the others... why even bother?) isn't the least bit creepy, is horribly shot and edited, has terrible acting and extremely annoying characters and doesn't even bother having a plot. Even if you didn't like Lake Mungo, it at least attempts to be a proper movie. The acting is good, it has a plot and genuine care was put into the photography and score.

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[–] yusef-ghanima 10 years ago

i'm not saying paranormal activity was good, but it was interesting, the whole time you wonder if this is real or not, so the low budget and "bad acting" and the lack of plot helped in creating the creepy atmosphere of a documentary. even the producer didn't put its slogan for the first time to help in creating the creepy mode that this is real. lake mungo on the other hand suffered from coming after p.a. so i didn't believe it, even when trying to suspend believe, the boring narrative didn't capture me, i tried twice and couldn't finish it, although i came close in the second time. the characters are stoney without life, and i really didn't care to know anything about the stupid slut who was the main character.

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[–] dxben99 10 years ago

There is a difference between found footage and fake documentary. To me both movies worked just fine, Lake Mungo worked a little better because the interviews and stuff looked so authentic.
In PA you had the cliched sceptic behaving like an idiot, which got on my nerves.

Both movies created a great atmosphere IMO, I just think Lake Mungo handled it all a little better.

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[–] yusef-ghanima 10 years ago

i agree mungo looked more real, but that's exactly what i hate in art, realism for me is ugly and boring, i have enough of that in my life. even some documentaries look more beautiful and exciting than mungo. pa although not good but much more interesting.

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[–] stm08007 10 years ago

Watch house of the devil by yourself with the lights off (no phone or distractions or anything), and you won't be disappointed. I hate cheap scares, and lake mungo hardly qualifies as "scary" at all in my book, but House of the devil is one of the few that scared me.

Also, Lords of Salem had some great atmosphere, and it's genuinely creepy. Unfortunately it has nothing else going for it (I think my opinion is better reflecting back now than when i actually watched it). Rob Zombie would be a great director if he could just get a little more focus on what he was trying to do.

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[–] daweller 10 years ago

To the OP ( merskur )
OK you should try these:
- The Exorcist ( will work on you if you grew up religious )
- The Shining
- Jacob's Ladder

keep in mind, to properly feel a good horror, you cannot be distracted. The volume does not have to be blasting, but don't have it soft.
Keep the room dark... doesnt have to be pitch black, but dont have all the lights on, just one or 2

- Exorcist 3 ( So damn underrated. You will be more disturbed by this movie if you have a religious background )
- The Ring ( American version )

OK try those

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[–] movieace11 (1301) 4 years ago

The Shining is a funny movie and not at all scary. For me the scariest movie was Mulholland Drive, which is not a horror, but it made me paranoid for a week after watching it.

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[–] dxben99 10 years ago

Then I guess it comes down to personal taste.

I didn't find House of the Devil more than okay and Lords of Salem to me was not creepy at all (except for that music piece ;) ).

Yes, I watched both those films alone at night.

Lake Mungo scared the hell out of me and I was watching it with a friend. Quite frankly, I don't wanna know what would have happened if I watched it alone. ;)

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[–] brjess38 10 years ago

I don't get scared easy either but this one was creepy and that's all I ask for nowadays. im not to hard on scarey movies, they are for fun.

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[–] TerrorDementia 10 years ago

merskur, I'm with you.

I keep trying to find a scary movie, and I keep finding movies that aren't scary (I don't count cheap 'jump scares' by the use of loud noises as being a scary movie).

I too envy people who find a movie like Lake Mungo to be a scary movie. I watched it in three segments, because I started falling asleep. It was interesting, but I unfortunately found nothing scary about it.

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[–] VartanD 10 years ago

Juon was and is still pretty decent. One of my favs just on the originality. I can always watch Asian horror and not feel totally screwed over wasted time. Most domestic (US) stuff is two years behind Asian. Aussie stuff, I have to say I am a total hater of! Aussie "horror" usually falls into the "let's torture everyone, the viewer included, and then let's kill everyone at the end" kind of stuff. When this one came along, I was hesitant to watch it. I'm glad I did. It's sort of Picnic At Hanging Rock meets the baby-eating dingos meets the body in the fishing river movie. I liked it.

Gave it a six. Above average. I enjoyed it.

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[–] robert-crichard 10 years ago

The most interesting thing about your post is that being scared is something you want to experience. Have you ever been scared or unsettled by a film? I used to get can't-sleep-at-night scared when I was in my early teens but very rarely does something stick with me now. I still love watching horror films, but for different reasons now.

As for films that would include your actual phobias, I'd say there would be too much of a disconnect for you to really feel scared and besides if you watched something that made you genuinely uncomfortable due to your acrophobia, then it probably wouldn't be a pleasant experience! Other people have suggested Vertigo http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052357/?ref_=nv_sr_1, which does a brilliant job of expressing the feeling of suffering with a phobia but probably wouldn't trigger the genuine feelings in an actual phobic.

I used to watch some horrendous stuff online to the point where I became depressed and now when I think of those things I'm more freaked out about the effect it had on me compared to the actual content. There are plenty of films out there with shock content or films that attempt to explore snuff style films but the fundamental difference is that you know they're fabrications. An interesting film to watch would be something like Cannibal Holocaust http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078935/?ref_=nv_sr_1, it contains real footage of executions in a montage sequence, has truly horrifying scenes of real animal cruelty but uses them both in a way to add verisimilitude to the faked tribal cannibalism. Not a scary film, but disturbing.

Gaspar Noe's Irreversible http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0290673/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 does a brilliant job of making violence and sexual assault explicitly shocking, distressing and abhorrent through use of binaural frequencies and hypnotic camera work to make you feel unsettled. Again, maybe not scary, but something that you probably wouldn't have ever seen before.

The French new-wave, kick started by Noe, has some gems. A particular favourite of mine is Inside (A L'Interieur) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0856288/?ref_=nv_sr_1, which is very creepy to begin and has a really vile ending. Martyrs http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1029234/?ref_=nv_sr_1 is worth a mention. On the subject of French films, 1988's The Vanishing http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096163/?ref_=nv_sr_2 isn't a horror film but the male lead is terrifying in his calmness.

Someone mentioned House Of The Devil http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1172994/?ref_=nv_sr_1, which I loved, it's a slow burner and you'll be checking IMDB twice to see that it wasn't made in the 80s! The ending is more in line with 70s horror films, though, like Rosemary's Baby http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063522/?ref_=nv_sr_1.

Zombie films are a mixed bag, there aren't many that are actually scary. I saw Night of The Living Dead http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/?ref_=nv_sr_2 in my local cinema last year and even though I'd seen it countless times, seeing it in the cinema actually disturbed me for the first time. My all time favourite zombie film is Spanish film, [REC] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1038988/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1. It came out around the same time that everyone was getting hyped about Paranormal Activity and [REC] blew PA out of the water. It has a solid sequel that is worth checking out if you enjoyed the first. (DO NOT WATCH QUARANTINE, THE AMERICAN VERSION)

As for classic horror films, I've always loved the atmosphere of James Whale's Frankenstein (1931) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021884/?ref_=fn_al_tt_4, The Innocents http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055018/?ref_=nv_sr_2 is a classic ghost story, which The Others was an homage to, The Changeling (1980) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080516/?ref_=nv_sr_2 is another good haunted house film, but my favourite horror film has to be The Exorcist http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070047/?ref_=nv_sr_3. People always boast that they didn't find it scary, but it doesn't matter. If you removed all of the horror elements from that film, it is such a well directed, acted and staged film that it's truly brilliant as a drama, let alone a horror.

I'm a big J-horror fan, Ringu http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0178868/?ref_=nv_sr_1, Audition http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0235198/?ref_=nv_sr_1 (Dir: Takashi Miike has made some great films), The Eye http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0325655/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2 (This is actually Chinese/Malaysian) are all great. Noroi: The Curse http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0930083/?ref_=nv_sr_1 is Japan's answer to The Blair Witch Project, which if you don't find scary, you'll probably enjoy it due to the unfolding investigation at it's core. The Thai film, Shutter http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0440803/?ref_=nv_sr_3, is probably my favourite Asian horror film, a really satisfying ending! Whatever you do, DO NOT WATCH THE AMERICAN REMAKES, certainly not for Shutter, although The Ring wasn't too bad!

I'd also recommend Dario Argento's film, Profondo Rosso http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073582/?ref_=nv_sr_1 which is awesome, has a cool soundtrack and the guys who made Saw blatantly stole a certain something from this film.

I really enjoyed Lake Mungo, I though it was very effective and very creepy and I will continue to recommend it to friends, but I hope I could offer you or anyone reading this a nice little selection of some of my favourite films.

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[–] VartanD 10 years ago

Great post, Robert!

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[–] canarinhosayres 9 years ago

To Robert
Why do you recommend NOT to watch quarantine? the american version of REC, I personally prefer Quaranntine over REC.
To poster
Maybe a "Serbian film" can get you disturbed my friend, if that one does not do the trick, go see a shrink.

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[–] spicy_demon 7 years ago

Oh Robert-crichard. You recommended some very good movies (can't agree more with Audition, The Eye, The Vanishing, REC, Vertigo and The Innocents) and then you wreck it with recommending horrible sexist trash like Irreversible and Martyrs which exist solely to show how much the writers/directors hate women and wish to show us the ways. They aren't scary merely sickening IMO. Also there are worse remakes than Quarantine 1. The Ring and The Grudge American remakes were awful. As was the Kiefer Sutherland Vanishing remake come to think of it!

And if you're going to name-check great foreign movies at least give the CORRECT countries credit! The Vanishing ISN'T French but a DUTCH film (it was just shot in France) and was based on a book written by a Dutchman originally. And The Eye isn't remotely Malaysian but was filmed in China and Thailand by a Thai crew. And please don't be poncy, no one but Italians call it Profondo Rosso. It's Deep Red to the rest of the World and people shouldn't waste time imdb'ing it only to find out it's an Argento film that is widely recognisable as Deep Red only.

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[–] robert-crichard 7 years ago

Sorry I pissed in your oatmeal by suggesting some films that some people might want to check out.

I'll grant that Irreversible and much of Noe's work is challenging but funny how you look at it as sexist while it could equally be described as homophobic. The depiction of rape on screen is never an easy subject and if you were sickened by it, like I was, then perhaps it proved it's point.

I'm sticking by Quarantine as an inferior remake because of how it's choreographed nearly identically, you can see the actors trying to hit their marks which ruins the tension for me. I enjoyed the American Ring as a piece of entertainment, it told the story in it's own way, which is really the point of a remake (not just meaning people don't have to read subtitles a la Quarantine) but it's not a patch on the original. Totally with you on The Grudge remake, utter garbage.

The Vanishing is a Dutch/French co-production hence why I linked it with the French films that I listed. Also the bleakness of The Vanishing is very influential on the French New Wave.

The Eye is a Hong Kong/Singapore co-production by actors and crew from across Asia, I'm not sure why I singled out Malaysia though.

As for the Profondo Rosso/Deep Red thing, get over yourself. Lucky that I provided a link for people too busy to have to (god-forbid) google something. My DVD case says Profondo Rosso btw.

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[–] RPost78 10 years ago

Have you seen Years of Living Dangerously? It's really scary and really true! Also, the World News is rather terrifying! Otherwise, Signs was a good one! There's that whole "this could really happen" element that creeped me out! I'm not necessarily an alien conspiracy theorist, but there is that unknown element. Plus, it's not all blood and guts grossness. I love The Walking Dead TV show. It's just plain good imo. Hope that helps!

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[–] VartanD 10 years ago

I don't watch movies to get current events, though. Was Year actually based on true events other than being set in the middle of the Indonesian coup? I saw it a lot of years ago but I can't recall. Killing Fields was true. Pretty damned horrible, too. But Spalding Gray's Swimming To Cambodia *about the film* and the background was a far more enjoyable movie. I don't care for current events rolled up in a movie, or a movie rolled up in current events. Movies are supposed to be fun. Enjoyable. Movies are for escaping from current events. Put the real murderer stories on the History Channel. I want something that's going to make me forget the evening news.

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[–] threenails10 9 years ago

"Son of the Mask" nuff said 😂

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[–] artivash 8 years ago

Blame your brain, lol.
If you know that the "scary" is fake and you can't get into it, then maybe you just aren't cut out to be a scary movie connoiseur. :P
As odd as it may sound, some people just don't have the ability to suspend their disbelief.
I am curious if "fantastical" stories in general - fantasy, sci-fi, etc has the same boring effect on you.
I once had a friend that could be scared IRL, but when it came to movies, no matter how scary the rest of us claimed they were, she was just like *yawn* "That monster makeup was off. The blood was the wrong color. That looked fake" etc.
She had the same problem with fantasy and sci-fi movies as well.
She would always point out the flaws, and any emotional parts, good or bad, just didn't phase her.
Maybe scary movies just aren't your thing.

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[–] merskur 8 years ago

There could definitely be some truth in that. It's like with spiders: I can't deal with them at all IRL, probably some degree of arachnophobia. But on screen? Couldn't care less, it really doesn't phase me.

But I love Game of Thrones as much as the next guy, and although I'm not a huge fantasy buff I don't have any problems with it. And sci-fi is my favorite movie genre.

At the same time, I suppose the effect of desensitization becomes more apparent in the horror genre. I'm not the kind of person that's able to become engulfed in the emotional depth of any sort of artwork, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate it. If something's real, then it can overwhelm me. But when I know it's not, I can't convince myself otherwise.

The last good horror movie I saw was It Follows. It didn't scare me, but it was a fresh breath to me in the horror genre, and managed to ride on that eerie feeling that these movies so often lack, instead relying on jump scares and other worthless shock effects, like gore and close-ups of something supposed to be visually creepy. But in general, yeah I think you're right: Maybe scary movies aren't my thing, even if I want them to be.

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[–] LushGusset 8 years ago

I would suggest turning the lights off and watch when you are alone, no iPad or iPhone to distract you from the scary.
I don't scare easy but you have to want to be scared.

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[–] DingoBombastic 8 years ago

As a couple posters previously recommended, A Serbian Film is truly disturbing if you have a single amount of empathy toward humanity in your "soul"; a movie one can't unsee...

For other films that aren't necessarily part of the Horror genre, but are frightening in the aspect of "It could actually happen", I highly recommend Green Room. Beautifully shot, a nice slow burn up to the point where the action kicks off. I personally didn't find Sir Patrick Stewart to be as intimidating as he could've been for that particular role, but he was still convincing in his role. Again, earlier posters mentioned Irreversible. It was an excellent viewing; hell, EVERYTHING by director Gaspar Noe falls into this non-genre category of disturbing. Baise Moi is pretty brutal, but probably not your cup'o'tea.

I'll also recommend The Serpent and the Rainbow, In the Mouth of Madness, Event Horizon, Bug, and the V/H/S series if you somewhat enjoy "found footage" films. I have almost 3,000 movies, so it's difficult to pick titles you might enjoy.

I hope these are a good enough start. Good luck on your quest for fear!

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