View Full Version : Horror Business: The Descent
The horror genre has become Hollywood's reality tv - cheap to make, skews young, psychologically sadistic, low on artistic merit. Maybe it's not fair of me to throw in that last comment, as other than Hostel, I haven't seen any of the other recent run (Saw, The Grudge et al). But I'm reasonably certain, based on clips, trailers and reviews, that they consist mostly of dimly lit scenes of gratuitous torture and weird looking children (always scary!)
Of the recent glut of horror flicks, The Descent (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435625/) alone received nearly universal critical acclaim. It just came out on DVD and I watched it last night - and it definitely met expectations.
Like the best horror, The Descent plays as an extended metaphor for the real fears of the characters and humans in general. But it doesn't sacrifice gore or the supernatural, and works on the purely visceral level as well - just watching people descend into a cave and crawl through narrow openings with little light is scay and claustrophobic in itself. Even if nothing goes wrong - and I don't think i'm giving anything away by saying things go horribly wrong. If spelunking was ever on my list of things to do in life, it's now been crossed off.
Anyone else seen The Descent and have any thoughts? Or want to defend the recent horror flicks I summarily dismissed in the opening? Or other classic favorites or recommendations?
JAFlanagan
01-19-2007, 11:09 PM
Saw was one of the worst movies I've ever seen in my life. The only reason it existed was to elicit a visceral reaction as far as I can tell. I have no idea why it was a success, or why someone would like it, but obviously people did. Not generally a fan of horror movies, but I recognize that a good movie is a good movie, so thanks for the recommend.
I don't think I've been pleased with a horror movie since Strangeland
unless you count Glitter
ibn-al-xu-ffasch
01-20-2007, 01:18 AM
I've never been a fan of the horror genre. Personally, I think since the first Scream horror movies (especially teen horror movies) have been nothing but two-hour long episodes of Scooby Doo. All they need is one of those sequences where the villan chases them from one closet door to another.
As for the Decent, from what I hear, all those ladies needed was a few Nomex Survival Suits and they would have been fine. As we all know, those things are perfect for advanced infantry as well as spelunking.
bentcorner
01-20-2007, 10:17 AM
I tried watching it. Got about half-way through it before shutting it down. I realize the movie took place in a cave, but the lighting sucked. It was too dark to see what was going on.
jtkleindljr
01-20-2007, 12:18 PM
Is this that movie with Kristin Bell from veronica mars?
Is this that movie with Kristin Bell from veronica mars?
Sadly, no - the horror fick she made was The Pulse (http://imdb.com/title/tt0454919/), the plot of which sounds, well, silly.
kevmann16
01-21-2007, 02:29 AM
Saw was one of the worst movies I've ever seen in my life. The only reason it existed was to elicit a visceral reaction as far as I can tell. I have no idea why it was a success, or why someone would like it, but obviously people did. Not generally a fan of horror movies, but I recognize that a good movie is a good movie, so thanks for the recommend.
I totally agree Saw is terrible, its the same as films like the Hostel, they are just back to back really hard to watch scenes that aim to be as disgusting as possible. The descent however is good, it came out here in the UK a couple of years ago and I loved it. Some bits are gross but the film has a point, is entertaining and genuinely scary. I left the cinema pretty shaken after it however the ending was a little weird and stopped it being one of best films ever but I heard its different it the Us release. Anyone know if thats true?
...however the ending was a little weird and stopped it being one of best films ever but I heard its different it the Us release. Anyone know if thats true?
My understanding was that the ending was changed for the US theatrical release, but the DVD has the original UK ending - which was what I saw, and it was indeed weird, but I actually like that it was, the final image lingered with me.
ccordova2
01-21-2007, 09:26 PM
I don't think I've been pleased with a horror movie since Strangeland
unless you count Glitter
totally agree!! love strangeland! too bad dee sniders had part 2 in production ever since :(
ive been subjected to most of the new(since the first ring) batch of horror films & they all fall short. i saw hostel & saw in the same week & thought hostel was by far a better movie! & all the american remakes of asian horror dont have even close to the original creepiness.
to me the decent was a great movie up until the point when the monsters came out. up until that point the cave diving & the drama surrounding that was a great suspense movie, than the monsters, & it just became a another horror movie & was mostly predictable...
right now asian cinema is producing some of the most suspensful & line crossing horror out there :o