Atmospheric Fear
 

What films do you find truly atmospherically frightening? The films you watch in the dead of night, home alone, with the wind howling outside. Only you, in a tiny room with a locked door, a phone, the screen, and a bucket of popcorn. I've been looking for some, and I've only really found a few.

One for me, would be The Blair Witch Project. It just freaks me out. That silent, realistic fear. Sends chills without showing anything. Camping always freaked me out because of this, and due to watching this film I may never go camping ever again. Brrr.

Another, which I found best watched on a stormy pitch-black night, is House of 1000 Corpses. It's fun, dark, moody, murderous. Just overall creepy if your in the right mood. Partially why I love it so much.

I'm thinking of picking up Cradle of Fear, I'm guessing it's somewhat similiar in this department. May not be good, but I was wondering if it does have some atmosphere to it.

definetly the mothman prophecies. eerie as fuck atmosphere and very well done in my opinion.

Man, MOthman Prophecies was one hell of a creepy movie. I still wont watch it alone,not becasue its scary, just because it has that feel about it. You know what i mean?

Re: Atmospheric Fear
 

personally i thought it was crap ... definately lacking in atmosphere... the attempt to create any was laughable.

picnic at hanging rock - one of those films that doesn't 'scare' you, but creeps out of the theater with you and follows you home

I agree, quite the atmospheric chiller. I didn't see it in theaters though.

uhhh atmospheracly creepy i think places like isolated areas where they are in like clostraphobic rooms...like sheds or houses and stuff...also like remote areas with no one around...mothman creeps the shit outa me...atmaspheracly favored movies are like fargo or the thing or dreamcatcher, with snow...it gives the blood that extra zing in its color and they are in the middle of bum fuck...

The Haunting (1963), John Carpenter's The Thing, Dracula (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Eraserhead, Halloween, Alien, The Blair Witch Project.

Those're a few of the big ones in my opinion.

I agree, while I haven't seen all of the films listed. The ones which are, and that I have seen, I can 100% agree on.

Another one which I felt had a strong atmosphere was Wolf Creek. It had a realistic, eerie, feeling to it. I was really into the film.

i got to see it in a theater - it was re-released a few years back and it was so much cooler in the big screen!

1979's "PHANTASM" ...in addition to surrealism, sudden shocks, and one extremely groundbreaking scene of graphic violence, this movie was also intensely strong on atmosphere. As a horror movie, I think of it as a nine-course meal, with a different kind of spooky fun every moment.

"Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things" (1972) is also really strong on brooding, dreadful atmosphere!

i'm all over phantasm ..

a lot of the japanese horrors are effective because of their stylish atmosphere ..

ju-on (or the Grudge american remake) are great examples.

Never saw it...I heard it was good though (both versions).....

For me The Shining (original) has great atmosphere. I also really liked The Devil's Rejects because when I walked out of the theatre after watching it I felt almost dirty.

I also love the original Dracula for atmosphere, it was all about atmosphere back then. I think Night of the Living Dead (original) was a good one for this too....actually, I find a lot of the original black and whites had more atmosphere, they had to rely on it more than shock and gore.

Not so horror, but had lots of atmosphere for me was Requiem for a Dream...and Pi...but I love darren aronofsky so it could just be me.

Alot of great ones have been mentioned, but heres one that hasnt: Session 9. Amazing atmosphere, creepy and claustrophobic. I love how, like the original TCM, it didnt resort to setting everything in dark rooms or at night to create the atmosphere. Though some of it's best scenes were in the dark, it still held the atmosphere through the daylight hours. One of my favourites, very atmospheric.

yep, thats a great example

Not really horror, but, Batman Begins has some of the most amazing cityscape atmosphere i've ever seen.

The Changeling

It's the lighting.

They had to light the sets differently with black and white than they do now with color, creating that spooky, bizzare "glowing" type of atmosphere we love to see in classics like Dracula ('31) and The Haunting ('63).

Another great atmospheric movie, actually, one of the best, now that I think about it, is:

Freaks (1932)

This has amazingly dark and bizzare set pieces, and such an uncomfortable atmosphere and mood throughout. If anyone hasn't seen this, I highly reccomend it. (This was directed by Tod Browning, who also directed Dracula ('31))

Also, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) relied almost 100% on atmosphere, and it worked. With a brilliant set and very limited lighting, this film still works today.

how could i forget. eraserhead.

Ringu, The Changeling and Lost Highway ...