Sunday, September 24, 2006

The Unseen

Sometimes the scariest thing in a horror film are the things that are unseen, or implied.

For example, the following clip, which is from a recent DVD called VooDoo Moon, sets up just the right suspense without showing too much.



IMHO, the best thing about this short scene is the pan across the weapons on the wall, then the sudden cut back to the missing blade.

While many horror films contain over the top gore and nonsense that gives horror a bad name, there are little scenes like this that remind me that good chilling horror can still be made.

Mind you, they can't all be as perfectly "unseen" and terrifying as The Monkey's Paw (where you never see the "monster" behind the door, but are chilled to the bone at the thought of what's behind that door).

5 comments:

lime said...

eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!!!!!!!

you're right though.

Melly said...

I completely agree. For me, usually the scariest parts are the ones leading to the actual horror and never really seeing the gore. I think that our imagination can make us a lot more scared than when we actually see what has happened. That puts a final picture in our heads. I'm all in favour of unseen.

S said...

Im a little late for your HNT but I came by and commented...check it out...S

word veri: ggrlbbq

Ggggirl barb e que? LOL

Anonymous said...

it's always what is unseen, the things only hinted at, that are the scariest. Your own imagination can do more to scare you than any blatant gusing of blood and guts.

Hitchcock's Psycho is a good example!

Rainypete said...

What we assume and stir up can often be more disturbing that what is spoonfed to us. This is, of course, far more dangerous when one is equipped with a mind like mine, but you work with what you've got right?