CHUD.com Community › Forums › CREATURE CORNER › Creature Corner Main › Who in your opinion is the true master of horror, the prince of darkness?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Who in your opinion is the true master of horror, the prince of darkness?

post #1 of 27
10/2/04 at 11:18pm
Thread Starter 
There's many to choose from. Stephen King, John Carpenter, Clive Barker, H.P. Lovecraft, George Romero, etc., etc. So who do you think of as the one Master of Horror.

For me it's a nobrainer. Stephen King truly is the Master. Noone has put me in so many different horrific places and/or situations. Had it not been for Stephen I would say it's easily John Carpenter but the medium of the written word is so much more powerful to me than film. My minds eye is better at creating the horrific and absurd than any special effects team or other trick of the camera. When I read a good Stephen King book I become completely immersed in the world that he has created. Noone can best King at his peak. I realize he has fallen off track but despite what he says I feel he's got more horrific stories to tell in the future. He just needs to sit back and take a break for awhile. Any thoughts?
Reply
post #2 of 27
10/3/04 at 12:09am
Dario Argento has created some of the most interesting and personal horror films of all time ... Not only that, but his personal life seems to be no different ...

His collaboration with Daria Nicolodi in creating SUSPIRIA and Asia are reason enough for me
Reply
post #3 of 27
10/3/04 at 10:24am
Thomas Ligotti
Reply
post #4 of 27
10/3/04 at 10:39am
Hitchcock.

Or Poe, or Vincent Price. Or maybe Lon Chaney.
Reply
post #5 of 27
10/3/04 at 11:24am
John Carpenter

Film is much better than printed word at conveying horror for me. Although I do read horror, I much prefer to watch it.
Reply
post #6 of 27
10/3/04 at 2:49pm
Uh Satan? Actually, if I had to point out one source for consistently creepy material, I'd have to go with Rod Serling.
Reply
post #7 of 27
10/3/04 at 4:39pm
what about John Milton, Dante Alighieri, Walter Kaufmann, Brothers Grimm or Edgar Allan Poe.
Reply
post #8 of 27
10/3/04 at 5:36pm
I agree with Floydian, it has to be King. He makes all that fantastic stuff seem believable. I think its his characters. He writes fantastic, realistic characters and it makes everything seem creepier and real.
Reply
post #9 of 27
10/3/04 at 6:17pm
Carpenter, Carpenter, a thousand times Carpenter.
Reply
post #10 of 27
10/3/04 at 6:54pm
King, King, a million times King. Nobody writes like King. Nobody can create believable characters, atmosphere and scares like Stephen. Just to illustrate my feelings The Chicago Sun Times called IT a "spellbinding piece of literature." And that is how I think of King's writing. Literature. I would place him in the category of a modern day Dickens or Twain, only he writes by and large about horrorific subjects. KING! However, as far as film goes early Carpenter flicks like Halloween, The Fog, The Thing and his adaptation of Christine have sort of the same feel to them.
Reply
post #11 of 27
10/3/04 at 10:41pm
It's a tie between Anne Rice and Dean Koontz.
Reply
post #12 of 27
10/3/04 at 11:45pm
I used to be a big fan of Stephen King, and still appreciate his camp-fire style of storytelling. The horror that he peddles however is very much 'under-the-bed/bump-in-the-night' sort of fare. His is not the most cerebral of horror takes. For this reason I have to side with Clive Barker - his detached style and shocking fetishistic imagery make him a stand-out in the genre for me. His Books Of Blood alone display an imagination and intelligence rarely seen in King's work - a fact he himself freely admits.

In filmic terms I agree with the choice of Argento - his films are uniquely creepy, with a European sensibility towards lighting and composition that I think lends itself better to horror. Having said that, The Evil Dead scared me more than anyother film since when I first saw it - aged 8. The Shining a couple of years later also left a mark.
Reply
post #13 of 27
10/4/04 at 9:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Syngen Smythe
I used to be a big fan of Stephen King, and still appreciate his camp-fire style of storytelling. The horror that he peddles however is very much 'under-the-bed/bump-in-the-night' sort of fare. His is not the most cerebral of horror takes. For this reason I have to side with Clive Barker - his detached style and shocking fetishistic imagery make him a stand-out in the genre for me. His Books Of Blood alone display an imagination and intelligence rarely seen in King's work - a fact he himself freely admits.

In filmic terms I agree with the choice of Argento - his films are uniquely creepy, with a European sensibility towards lighting and composition that I think lends itself better to horror. Having said that, The Evil Dead scared me more than anyother film since when I first saw it - aged 8. The Shining a couple of years later also left a mark.
I agree with you about The Evil Dead. That scene where Ash goes down the basement is still chilling to me.

By the way, is your screen name a take off on James Bond as St. John Smythe from A View To A Kill?
Reply
post #14 of 27
10/4/04 at 10:29am
Carpenter.
Reply
post #15 of 27
10/4/04 at 3:26pm
Robert Mcammon. Hands down my Favorite author

Swan Song
They Thirst - Best Vampire book ever written in my IMHO
Stinger
Ushers Passing
Mine
Boys Life- Very King like
Reply
post #16 of 27
10/4/04 at 3:54pm
Writers:

1900s H.P. Lovecraft
Now, Stephen King

Directors:
80s: Carpenter
Now: Undecided
Reply
post #17 of 27
10/4/04 at 5:20pm
Carpenter.

"The Thing" is a masterpiece.
Reply
post #18 of 27
10/4/04 at 5:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Altar
Robert Mcammon. Hands down my Favorite author

Swan Song
They Thirst - Best Vampire book ever written in my IMHO
Stinger
Ushers Passing
Mine
Boys Life- Very King like
I don't know about the dude being the "horror master" as defined by this thread, but McCammon is indeed one of the good ones. I fucking loved reading They Thirst...probably not the best vampire book ever, but it is very, very effective. And Boy's Life ? I re-visit this book often. Just absolutely terrific stuff.
Good post, Altar.
Reply
post #19 of 27
10/4/04 at 6:01pm
Boy's Life is a fantastic book. I love how it combines numerous elements into one large story. It kind of reminds me of It.
Reply
post #20 of 27
10/4/04 at 8:22pm
Thread Starter 
I'll continue the Mcammon love by saying Swan Song is an amazing book though that's all I've read by the guy.

Clive Barker is most definiitely a contender. I was totally into Barker in the early days. Read all his stuff and loved his movies but after he kinda fell away from horror I became disinterested. Stupid of me. No matter what he does it's gonna be great and with his making a huge comeback on the horror scene I can definitely see him taking the vaulted spot away from King. Thank God I decided to pick up Abarat. Fantastic work.
Reply
post #21 of 27
10/4/04 at 10:25pm
Hmm.....for film I'd have to say Carpenter. Novelizations, Dean Koontz.

And we all know that Ozzy is the F**king Prince of Darkness.
Reply
post #22 of 27
10/5/04 at 9:20am
There are Two adaptations I've been wanting to see for years come to the screen. One is Kings The Mist and the other is Mcammons Stinger. The basic premise is a Very bad Alien hunting a Good alien but nothing like you've ever read before. This ship basically lands and cuts off this town from the rest of the world and starts tearing shit up. It mimics what it see's like a helicopter, but its Biomechanical. All I can imagine is a biomechanical helicopter or dog or human with designs by HR Gieger. The human mimics have blue metal teeth with a metal tail with a ball with spikes on the end .If you haven't read this book, find it and enjoy
Reply
post #23 of 27
10/5/04 at 11:08am
I echo your anticipation of an adapation of King's The Mist. Love that story, in fact I just finished re-reading it for the umpteenth time. Good fun, that. I know I'm not the first one to offer the suggestion, but wouldn't it be great to see Carpenter's take on The Mist ? And I'm talking the Carpenter who made Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York and The Thing; that Carpenter.
Reply
post #24 of 27
10/5/04 at 12:41pm
Thread Starter 
At this point I'd take any Carpenter.
Reply
post #25 of 27
10/5/04 at 3:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eenin
what about John Milton, Dante Alighieri, Walter Kaufmann, Brothers Grimm or Edgar Allan Poe.
I'm a fan of all of the above. I've been trying to decide for awhile who I consider the master of horror and I just can't do it. It is impossible for me to pick just one or two people. I'd say everyone mentioned in this thread could be called a master of horror. I'd also like to add Mary Shelley, after all, she gave us Frankenstein.
Reply
post #26 of 27
10/5/04 at 8:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by billylove
...1900s H.P. Lovecraft...
I swear to Hells I was about to lay the friggin smack down...

But in the film area I'll have to go with Gordon, early Carpenter, early Argento, Fulci (as incomprehensable as most of his stuff is it is a damn fun ride) and I likes me some Guillermo del Toro.
Reply
post #27 of 27
10/6/04 at 2:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Werewolf Girl is the Universe
I'm a fan of all of the above. I've been trying to decide for awhile who I consider the master of horror and I just can't do it. It is impossible for me to pick just one or two people. I'd say everyone mentioned in this thread could be called a master of horror. I'd also like to add Mary Shelley, after all, she gave us Frankenstein.
I would also add H.P. Lovecraft, Herman Melville, and Bram Stoker to the list. It would be interesting to see how the modern masters compare to the true masters in say 50 or a 100 years from now.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Creature Corner Main
CHUD.com Community › Forums › CREATURE CORNER › Creature Corner Main › Who in your opinion is the true master of horror, the prince of darkness?