What was the last Horror movie you watched?

[SUPREME]

quote: "It had potential, it would have been alot better if it wasn't so damn obvious. THE SIXTH SENCE did a far better job at doing what THE OTHERS was trying to acheive"

But the twist in THE OTHERS came as a complete surprise to me, yet I sussed out THE SIXTH SENCE (sic) for what it was almost right away.

Nicole Kidman is excellent in THE OTHERS, and there are some moments of genuine terror, such as the subtly-done old woman appearing in the white dress scene, the childrens' venture outside: "...they're DEAD!", the clever suggestion of the two realities/dimensions interfering with each other, and the somewhat downbeat ending which left the mother as a double child-killer.

This is a very original film, very well executed - and Amenabar has come a long way since the dull, overrated TESIS.

[Raven]

Originally Posted by SUPREME

quote: "It had potential, it would have been alot better if it wasn't so damn obvious. THE SIXTH SENCE did a far better job at doing what THE OTHERS was trying to acheive"

But the twist in THE OTHERS came as a complete surprise to me, yet I sussed out THE SIXTH SENCE (sic) for what it was almost right away.

Nicole Kidman is excellent in THE OTHERS, and there are some moments of genuine terror, such as the subtly-done old woman appearing in the white dress scene, the childrens' venture outside: "...they're DEAD!", the clever suggestion of the two realities/dimensions interfering with each other, and the somewhat downbeat ending which left the mother as a double child-killer.

This is a very original film, very well executed - and Amenabar has come a long way since the dull, overrated TESIS.

I do agree with you that the film had some great scenes, mainly the old lady in the white dress and the brilliant twist that the ghosts were the ones being "haunted". I was disappointed that because i knew what was going to happen at the end that there was no surprise to that point, but the family senace and the revealing of who the old lady was remained a surprise

[42nd Street Freak]

I hardly think there is ANYTHING original in "The Others"! What on earth is original here??

An old house?
Ghosts?
Murky pasts?
Things that go bump in the night?
Kids in peril?
Secrets?
The ANCIENT 'oh no...you mean WE'RE the dead ones' twist that was only one of 2 or 3 twists it could be (and the fact that the entire 2 hours of bordom and reheated old cliches was leading up to an obvious twist was just as obvious) ?

Nothing original here.
"The Haunting" and "The Changeling" dance a jig on this effort.

[SUPREME]

The main thing about THE OTHERS is original, that the film suddenly reveals itself to be from the point of view of the dead people, not the living.

This is a superb twist, not like either THE HAUNTING or THE CHANGELING (rank between these three movies is not the issue).

That one might claim the twist was "obvious", or, even better, an "obvious possibility" (!) is a matter of opinion and does not change the unique perspective of THE OTHERS.

[JohnShaft]

Originally Posted by SUPREME

The main thing about THE OTHERS is original, that the film suddenly reveals itself to be from the point of view of the dead people, not the living.

Coming a couple of years after THE SIXTH SENSE I'm sure led many people to see this twist coming a mile off though (me included). I also feel that TSS revelation was more organic and, while more obvious on rewatchings, less obvious at the time. It didn't feel like something hamfisted in. Shyamalan actually didn't come to the idea of making Bruce Willis' character a ghost until his 3rd draft.

I think this caused THE OTHERS to suffer as a result. The ending, which could have made the movie, just came across as "Oh, they're dead. Just like in...". And that was if you hadn't already guessed what was going to happen. Of course I'm sure this is a sin of timing and not plagiarism, as I believe it was written before Shyamalan's effort was ever released. But I really couldn't call it a superb twist, in any way.

I can't say it's a film that I'll ever think much of.

[SUPREME]

Sure, we're all sitting down to watch movies with some reservation since they started getting all twisty and clever - but THE OTHERS did not seem overly pretentious or fall over itself to reveal its coup de grace.

A very nice twist it is indeed - how can an old and tried ghost story which manages to tread new ground in this way be less than commendable (how many horror writers wished they had thought of the perspective from this side, and how it occasionally interchanges with the other side?).

As things are going, soon it will be arresting to witness a film finishing as pedestrian, as "they used to", sans twist or unexpected revelation.

[42nd Street Freak]

And the old 'you mean they were really dead' had been done to just as boring death already in the adpatation of "Haunted".
And things seen from the dead person's view had been done on "The Sixth Sense" in what was really a more original way.
I saw the twist in "Sixth" with about 15 minutes to go, but i was never really waiting impatiently for the twist (whatever it may be, if there even was one, as "Sixth" was less obviously geared to JUST existing solely to deliver a twist) unlike "The Others".

Never have i seen a film so needlessly long and drawn out. I sat there waiting simply for the twist to happen and wished they would hurry up and get it over with.
Increase the rating 100% if it had been 30 minutes long.

Again, "The Haunting" delved far deeper and did everything so right that "The Others" did so wrong. THAT film is how to do sophisticated horror.

[SUPREME]

But THE OTHERS was told from the perspective of the dead people, while THE SIXTH SENSE was centred around the boy - very much alive. This is a crucial difference, as in the former "life" creeps into death (not done like this before) and in the latter, "death" creeps into life (seen many times, though possibly not quite as impressively as in THE SIXTH SENSE).

The clammy atmosphere and suggestion in THE OTHERS is reminiscent of (Clayton's) THE INNOCENTS, and the recent DEAD END is worth a mention for its disguised portrayal of the afterlife (even adding a new twist, since the protagonists were "between" dimensions throughout).

[Raven]

GREMLINS - good ol' cheesey fun

[Carmilla]

Gremlins is always a good thing! I liked Critters as well, but they were never as funny as Gremlins.

Back to The Others, it is a bit underappreciated. It's got great perfomances, and the crepiest thing about it is Nicole Kidman's character. I would scream in terror if I had a mother like that. "Read you Bible! Read your Bible!!!!!

[SUPREME]

Kidman's nervy performance is the best of her career, and hat she smothered her children and shot herself is quite an alarming revelation. For once, no acceptable mitigating circumstances are offered to morally balance the movie (were they better off dead because of their condition, was suicide justified because the wife was desperately missing her husband?).

[42nd Street Freak]

Originally Posted by SUPREME

But THE OTHERS was told from the perspective of the dead people, while THE SIXTH SENSE was centred around the boy

Well, half of it was. There were also plenty of scenes centered on Willis and what he saw and experienced.

[Raven]

RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3 - still the best one in the series

RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE

[SUPREME]

Agreed - ROTLD3 is a excellent all round (plot, performances and those great Steve Johnson FX), though the original is also right up there.

PART 2 (and is there a 4 & 5 now?) is terrible - watch Ken Wiederhorn's SHOCK WAVES or EYES OF A STRANGER instead.

[Raven]

I loved the first ROTLD, despised ROTLD 2. Parts 4 & 5 AVOID AVOID AVOID! Terrible films