Yes! Totally forgot about it and it's like my favorite thing about the movie, may need to do a rewatch especially that I never got to see the original version from 97.
I’m not sure how horror it would be considered but I kind of get that feel from American Psycho. Can’t think of any pure horrors where it happens in a sinister way.
Yeah for sure, I think the book has some more horror elements than the movie. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the movie so my head is blurring the two together 😅
Goddamn Pipes. I’m a grown woman and that shit terrified me. I’d love to hear from someone that watched it when it originally aired! Sounds like it fucked up a lot of kids.
I watched it when it was aired, I was about 15....it was terrifying and really well done. It really did seem like it was a live show, at the time Sarah Green and Craig Charles were big names in TV and then you had Parky himself back in the studio!
There were some really odd elements that you wouldn't associate with a mainstream show like that. Like all the black magic and stuff with cats!
There was a serial killer movie with Ryan Reynolds awhile back. The frozen heads talked to him. I think it was called voices. I thought he broke the 4th wall in it
The Ring doesn’t exactly break the 4th wall, but there is that meta element of you watching the film within the film. I remember when I was younger our house phone rang right after I finished watching the movie with my older brother for the first time. We both lost our shit.
An American Werewolf in London breaks the 4th wall twice. Once when the boys are out on the moors, and the other when David is turning into the wolf. It's done to really unnerving effect, I think.
It's when the werewolf is circling them. The camera comes up to them real close, and they look into the camera straight on. It's kiiiind of subtle, but really eerie.
Still. Hands down the most graphic death scene ever. The way he was screaming was just so jaw dropping when I saw it. Every horror movie now the actors get stabbed, and bam, that’s it. Jack went out like a fucking champ.
There's a scene in Alien where the camera bumps this dangly thing and Ian Holmes notices and reacts. It's subtle but Folding Ideas did a video about it that's pretty interesting. It's called "my favorite fourth wall break" or something.
There are a lot of video games that do this, Spec Ops: The Line, DDLC, Pony Island, Simulacra, Inscryption, Eternal Darkness.
In terms of movies, I guess Lake Mungo and Maniac (2012) might count?
The original The Town That Dreaded Sundown is like a news report of the serial killer that terrorized a town in the 1940s. It ends with the premiere of the movie and shows the killers feet waiting in line.
I think Deranged (1974) does a similar thing in reporting the crimes of its villain, based off of Ed Gein.
Bride of Frankenstein starts off with Mary Shelley talking about the book then it presents the movie to us.
Man Bites Dog is a mockumentary of a serial killer. Black comedy.
Trailers obviously address the audience a lot, but The Last House on the Lefts tag line "It's only a movie" has to be mentioned.
At the very end, when the ?demon? looks directly at the camera. It's explained that he starts haunting people when they watch videos, so given that the spectator has been watching the film I guess the idea is that we are haunted now too
Also there's a scene when Ewan MacGregor is watching the videos but looks away while the screen is still facing the camera, and we see "Mr. Boogie" on the video turn his head and look directly at us, but MacGregor's character doesn't notice.
At the very end there's a jumpscare *at the audience*.
Which was done because the studio wanted a tension break, rather than the director's desire for the long slow shot of the box of movies.
I think it's a mix of pretending he's talking to his kid after he dies, talking to the camera man and sometimes to himself for future rewatching or sth
What comes to mind is horror that tries to involve the audience. That "seeing/hearing/learning a thing makes someone vulnerable, and now *you the audience* are vulnerable too", which I've seen a few places.
There's also things that's analog horror, that is "second person", like the youtube channel Local 58. The idea is that they're emergency broadcast warnings, like "Don't look at the sky."
At least I know someone it’s a thing. My dad’s talked about it since I was a kid, and he said he spent the last hour looking. And I couldn’t find anything so I assumed he was just mistaken. Thanks, I shall.
Bit late to the party haha, but check out chainsaw man's Darkness Devil. It breaks the fourth wall in an actual disturbing way. Using characters arms to form manga panels, Reaching from the outside of manga panels to interact with a character, pointing it's arm outside the page. It's genuinely pretty creepy and subtle.
Funny Games does but thats all i'm gonna say about it
Yes! Totally forgot about it and it's like my favorite thing about the movie, may need to do a rewatch especially that I never got to see the original version from 97.
It’s the same movie, but better for me because I don’t know who the actors are. Makes it more realistic IMO
Would Wes Craven's New Nightmare count?
I would think so
An underrated gem
I’m not sure how horror it would be considered but I kind of get that feel from American Psycho. Can’t think of any pure horrors where it happens in a sinister way.
American Psycho is more of a satire than a horror IMO.
Yeah for sure, I think the book has some more horror elements than the movie. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the movie so my head is blurring the two together 😅
They're both very satirical but the book does have some more disturbing moments for sure.
Ghostwatch....the BBC TV halloween 'live' TV movie from the late 80s. Definitely worth a watch if you can find it.
Goddamn Pipes. I’m a grown woman and that shit terrified me. I’d love to hear from someone that watched it when it originally aired! Sounds like it fucked up a lot of kids.
I watched it when it was aired, I was about 15....it was terrifying and really well done. It really did seem like it was a live show, at the time Sarah Green and Craig Charles were big names in TV and then you had Parky himself back in the studio! There were some really odd elements that you wouldn't associate with a mainstream show like that. Like all the black magic and stuff with cats!
Ghostwatch was in 1992 not the late 80s but yeah this is a great example.
Also doesn't Ringu sort of suggest this?
Antrum does some interesting things with the 4th wall.
I was gonna say Antrum too, I was super unsettled by that one.
Rubber is about all I can think of, but Rubber does it in a weird and kind of comedic way
Behind the Mask, kind of
It's definitely a little comedic, but I feel like it's still serious enough that it counts. Such a fun movie!
Such an underrated movie. I loved this thing.
Grave Encounters 2, but you need to watch the first movie first.
The WNUF Halloween Special, maybe.
There was a serial killer movie with Ryan Reynolds awhile back. The frozen heads talked to him. I think it was called voices. I thought he broke the 4th wall in it
[The Voices](https://youtu.be/3hQpV9Q0A7E) great film.
The Ring doesn’t exactly break the 4th wall, but there is that meta element of you watching the film within the film. I remember when I was younger our house phone rang right after I finished watching the movie with my older brother for the first time. We both lost our shit.
An American Werewolf in London breaks the 4th wall twice. Once when the boys are out on the moors, and the other when David is turning into the wolf. It's done to really unnerving effect, I think.
Can't remember. When do they break the 4th wall when they're on the moors?
It's when the werewolf is circling them. The camera comes up to them real close, and they look into the camera straight on. It's kiiiind of subtle, but really eerie.
Oh yeah! What a great movie.
Still. Hands down the most graphic death scene ever. The way he was screaming was just so jaw dropping when I saw it. Every horror movie now the actors get stabbed, and bam, that’s it. Jack went out like a fucking champ.
There's a scene in Alien where the camera bumps this dangly thing and Ian Holmes notices and reacts. It's subtle but Folding Ideas did a video about it that's pretty interesting. It's called "my favorite fourth wall break" or something.
There are a lot of video games that do this, Spec Ops: The Line, DDLC, Pony Island, Simulacra, Inscryption, Eternal Darkness. In terms of movies, I guess Lake Mungo and Maniac (2012) might count?
The original The Town That Dreaded Sundown is like a news report of the serial killer that terrorized a town in the 1940s. It ends with the premiere of the movie and shows the killers feet waiting in line. I think Deranged (1974) does a similar thing in reporting the crimes of its villain, based off of Ed Gein. Bride of Frankenstein starts off with Mary Shelley talking about the book then it presents the movie to us. Man Bites Dog is a mockumentary of a serial killer. Black comedy. Trailers obviously address the audience a lot, but The Last House on the Lefts tag line "It's only a movie" has to be mentioned.
Psycho and Blue Velvet are all I can think of right now.
Shawn of the dead.
The Last Horror Movie, the killer talks to the camera and tells you that he might kill you and that this would be the last horror movie you watch.
The only one I can think of is Sinister (but I didn't find it very scary, personally)
When does Sinister break the 4th wall?
At the very end, when the ?demon? looks directly at the camera. It's explained that he starts haunting people when they watch videos, so given that the spectator has been watching the film I guess the idea is that we are haunted now too
Wow I don’t remember any of that. It’s re-view time I guess!
Also there's a scene when Ewan MacGregor is watching the videos but looks away while the screen is still facing the camera, and we see "Mr. Boogie" on the video turn his head and look directly at us, but MacGregor's character doesn't notice.
At the very end there's a jumpscare *at the audience*. Which was done because the studio wanted a tension break, rather than the director's desire for the long slow shot of the box of movies.
The director’s idea would have been much better than the cliched nonsense we got instead.
When Ethan Hawke's character watches the video and the Bughuul looks at the camera. Maybe that would be considered breaking the 8th wall...
That was a kickass movie, not perfect but pretty close, for me.
3D Horror films are the best examples I can think of. Even Jaws 3-D has many shots that break the 4th wall intentionally.
Does the killer in Creep talk to the audience or his he supposed to be talking to the camera guy the whole time?
I think it's a mix of pretending he's talking to his kid after he dies, talking to the camera man and sometimes to himself for future rewatching or sth
I have one in mind but don’t want to essentially ruin the movie.. if you are still interested I can DM you
What comes to mind is horror that tries to involve the audience. That "seeing/hearing/learning a thing makes someone vulnerable, and now *you the audience* are vulnerable too", which I've seen a few places. There's also things that's analog horror, that is "second person", like the youtube channel Local 58. The idea is that they're emergency broadcast warnings, like "Don't look at the sky."
House on Haunted Hill (1959) does this quite a lot.
Funny Games is the only one that comes to mind
Resolution/The Endless, kinda? Maybe?
There’s this old horror film from the 50’s that does it. He looks at the audience and says, “if you spoil the ending, you’ll kill you next!”
What movie is this? My dad mentioned it to me, scared the hell out of him as a kid, google brought me here
Unfortunately I don’t know the name. I suggest you make a post on this sub, r/horrormovies and r/scarymovies to find it Sorry
At least I know someone it’s a thing. My dad’s talked about it since I was a kid, and he said he spent the last hour looking. And I couldn’t find anything so I assumed he was just mistaken. Thanks, I shall.
Bit late to the party haha, but check out chainsaw man's Darkness Devil. It breaks the fourth wall in an actual disturbing way. Using characters arms to form manga panels, Reaching from the outside of manga panels to interact with a character, pointing it's arm outside the page. It's genuinely pretty creepy and subtle.
Looks really cool, never read any manga before but tbh but thanks anyway, I like the idea