The Strangers

[rockchisler]

Re: The Strangers

You should check it out at the theatre. It was a packed house last night when I went and it definitely makes it more intense with people there screaming and jumping all over the place. LOL

I have never been to a movie where everyone was screaming and jumping around it was a blast. I went Friday it was like an event.

[rockchisler]

Re: The Strangers

Thanks for the info. I was wondering what "true life" events inspired it. Anyone else find the music on the record player horribly creepy? Who actually would listen to that crap to even have that record there?

Yeah the girl singing was creepy I remember the song from almost 2 years ago, I forgot her name but she made a video for it.

[CaptainZombie]

Re: The Strangers

I thought the movie was solid. It had the "realistic" type scare to it.

As for the "inspiration" from wikipedia:

Inspiration

Firstly, the year 2005 stated in the opening of the film has nothing to do with the storyline. The movie is inspired by an event from the director Bryan Bertino's childhood, among other things. A stranger came to his home asking for someone who did not live there. Later, he found out that empty homes in the neighborhood had been burglarized. With that memory in mind, Bertino created this, his debut screenplay. The screenplay is also inspired by the events of the Charles Manson murders. The core of the story is based on the murders that took place in Cabin #28 at Keddie Resort, in the remote township of Keddie, CA, where three people were found tied up, stabbed, bludgeoned by a hammer. (A fourth victim who'd been at the site was found some months later, the body dumped 90 miles away.)

This movie looks creepy as hell and these true life events adding to it make things even scarier.

[Flyboy]

Re: The Strangers

That... royally sucked.

[Blzer]

Re: The Strangers

Just came back from this. This movie falls into the "good but not great" category. I really like what they did with this, though. It was just what you expected... strangers entering a house and terrorizing (though I would prefer the word "playing") with the victims. Why? Because they were home. No motive. Not even any real identities necessary.

The entire movie was dark from beginning to end. No light, happy tone even with the main characters, though you get a good feel for who they are and why we should want them to come out on top. But aside from the beginning, there's no real feel of the rising action, climax, denouement, conclusion... you know. It's just scene after scene from there. Some are very intense, others are pretty calm.

The thing about this movie is that it really does everything right, but it doesn't take any risks. It didn't try anything new, and it was actually very tame for a horror "slasher", so to speak. Its scares weren't in its loud noises, being in the dark, cheap camera tricks, or anything like that. It's the setting that was intense. You could get scared from this movie just by staring one of the "strangers" in the face without them needing to pop up with blaring music or unexpectedly.

This really is the basis for horror movies, and I really like that they went to basic roots to make this movie. No excess use of blood (or deaths, for that matter), language, or nudity. The movie was also very linear, easy to understand. Small in cast, budget... didn't try to outsmart us. And furthermore, this is a movie where I would have no problem if they chose to make a sequel or not, and I would see it if they did. Just a few more (smart) risks to try and make it something different instead of the same formula, and you have another good horror movie.

I don't know why this is rated so low on Rotten Tomatoes. It was a general run-of-the-mill 1970s throwback horror film and that's all.

[crques]

Re: The Strangers

Just came back from this. This movie falls into the "good but not great" category. I really like what they did with this, though. It was just what you expected... strangers entering a house and terrorizing (though I would prefer the word "playing") with the victims. Why? Because they were home. No motive. Not even any real identities necessary.

The entire movie was dark from beginning to end. No light, happy tone even with the main characters, though you get a good feel for who they are and why we should want them to come out on top. But aside from the beginning, there's no real feel of the rising action, climax, denouement, conclusion... you know. It's just scene after scene from there. Some are very intense, others are pretty calm.

The thing about this movie is that it really does everything right, but it doesn't take any risks. It didn't try anything new, and it was actually very tame for a horror "slasher", so to speak. Its scares weren't in its loud noises, being in the dark, cheap camera tricks, or anything like that. It's the setting that was intense. You could get scared from this movie just by staring one of the "strangers" in the face without them needing to pop up with blaring music or unexpectedly.

This really is the basis for horror movies, and I really like that they went to basic roots to make this movie. No excess use of blood (or deaths, for that matter), language, or nudity. The movie was also very linear, easy to understand. Small in cast, budget... didn't try to outsmart us. And furthermore, this is a movie where I would have no problem if they chose to make a sequel or not, and I would see it if they did. Just a few more (smart) risks to try and make it something different instead of the same formula, and you have another good horror movie.

I don't know why this is rated so low on Rotten Tomatoes. It was a general run-of-the-mill 1970s throwback horror film and that's all.

Excellent review. I agree with you 100%. I enjoyed it quite a bit and it definitely lived up to my expectations after anticipating it's release for months now.

[Blzer]

Re: The Strangers

By the way, I'm not sure if it was like this for anybody else, but my movie started right on time, with no previews. Hell, there weren't even any movie company things before it. It started off with the narrator, that's it. At first I thought it was a trailer to something, until it finally showed the title.

Was this an independently made film or something?

[crques]

Re: The Strangers

By the way, I'm not sure if it was like this for anybody else, but my movie started right on time, with no previews. Hell, there weren't even any movie company things before it. It started off with the narrator, that's it. At first I thought it was a trailer to something, until it finally showed the title.

Was this an independently made film or something?

Mine had about 10 minutes of previews before it.

[Trevytrev11]

Re: The Strangers

Mine had a solid 10-15 minutes of previews as well.

I enjoyed the movie. It served it's purpose of keeping me on the edge of my seat and keeping my heart rate at a steady 175 beats per minute. My wife forced me to sleep with the bathroom light on because she was a little freaked out.

I was kind of dissapointed to learn that the "real life events" that this movie was loosesly based off of were really nothing like the movie. Apperantly when the writer was young, someone smashed the windows of a bunch of cars in his neighborhood. And also, as someone stated that Manson murders might have been an inspiration. I was hoping it was something a little more significant that I just hadn't heard about. Somehow being based on real events, adds another level.

Spoiler

Because it wasn't really based on a historically significant event, I left thinking how cool it would have been if the movie had been an extra 25-30 minutes longer (it was only about 80-85 minutes or so) and if the killers would have been stalked and tortured. I don't know why, but often when I see movies with weak "bully" type personalities, I always want them to have revenge taken on them. The girl was so smug in this movie, I would have loved to see her beg for her own life after all of this.

Maybe it would have taken away from the "horror movie" aspect of this movie, but I would have left a little more satisfied

[Blzer]

Re: The Strangers

Spoiler

Because it wasn't really based on a historically significant event, I left thinking how cool it would have been if the movie had been an extra 25-30 minutes longer (it was only about 80-85 minutes or so) and if the killers would have been stalked and tortured. I don't know why, but often when I see movies with weak "bully" type personalities, I always want them to have revenge taken on them. The girl was so smug in this movie, I would have loved to see her beg for her own life after all of this.

Maybe it would have taken away from the "horror movie" aspect of this movie, but I would have left a little more satisfied

There's still a chance for something like that in a sequel.

[Brandwin]

Re: The Strangers

Been trying to rent this over the weekend, but it's always checked out.

[crques]

Re: The Strangers

Been trying to rent this over the weekend, but it's always checked out.

I tried to rent it at Blockbuster Friday and Saturday so I could watch it again and it was out both nights. The guy told me that they got 15 copies in last week and can't keep them on the shelf.

[Beantown]

Re: The Strangers

Watched it for the second time Saturday night.

Still think it's a damn good movie.

[Gizmo]

Re: The Strangers

Saw it in the theaters when it came out and thought it was good. I have to rent it to catch it again. Hopefully I can get my hands on it this weekend.

[Brandwin]

Re: The Strangers

Went to BlockBusters at lunch and all 31 copies were checked out. So I asked the guy if he could check to see if it was checked in and they just had got a copy in. I am looking forward to watching it tonight.