These days, in order to wow audiences and terrorize them with realistic-looking gore, modern horror films rely on CGI effects, perhaps much more than they should. It used to be that horror movies focused far more on practical effects, but it’s rare indeed to find a film like that in the present. However, just because they are a rarity, doesn’t mean we can’t revisit and enjoy amazing horror films that did not rely on computer graphics to enhance their scares.
These ten films frightened the pants off of audiences without needing to use fancy graphics. Read on if you want to learn about amazing horror movies that did just fine without CGI.
The Blob
The Blob might draw a chuckle from viewers inundated with a more nuanced aspect of horror in their movies, but it’s actually not that bad of a film. Despite this simplest of titles, The Blob is pretty terrifying conceptually, and it’s helped along by the insane practical effects of maneuvering a giant, gelatinous creature through an entire town. The idea of an all-consuming mass that only increases in size might appear silly at first, but consider these two things. If you met the Blob in real life, you’d be terrified as heck, and what’s a good horror movie without a few laughs.
Hellraiser
Hellraiser is a rather odd film, especially if you just consider the deviancy of its plot. But the practical effects of bringing hellish, extra-dimensional beings to life should be applauded. The cenobites that are brought onto Earth through a portal to Hell are grotesque in appearance, and their evil actions are made all the more hideous thanks to a notable lack of CGI. An awesome horror film that is definitely not appreciated for its uniqueness, Hellraiser’s effects feel scarier thanks to their roots in practical effects.
Videodrome
Speaking of odd films, let’s take a look at David Cronenberg’s insanely strange Videodrome. Cronenberg gained notoriety for displaying grotesque practical effects to showcase body horror. Deformed spectacles populate his films. Videodrome is no exception. In the movie, a man discovers that a specific show on his television channel is not as “fake” as it appears to be. What follows is an experience in squeamishness. If you have even the slightest weak stomach for body horror, then the practical effects of Videodrome will do you in.
Rosemary’s Baby
Rosemary’s Baby is not a surprising entry on this list since its type of horror deals specifically with that of the mind. A young woman is beset with paranoia over whether her neighbors are part of an insidious conspiracy to steal her child from her. The audience has to decide whether or not Rosemary is going crazy or whether there is some merit to her fears.
And the ending blows your mind away with both its shock factor and insane resolution. Aside from some lighting and photographic effects, Rosemary’s Baby is not a horror film that relies on CGI; it doesn’t need to.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
When Francis Ford Coppola doesn’t want computer graphics to spoil his movie, no one is going to stop him. With a pedigree like Coppola’s, you just don’t get in the man’s way. While working on his adaptation of Dracula, Coppola insisted no CGI be used. And after seeing the movie, you’ll be astonished by his determination. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is by no means a glorious movie in terms of story-telling, but its audaciousness in not using CGI is fantastic. For that reason alone, fans of the practical horror genre should give it a look-see before going off to watch something a mite more gory.
Day Of The Dead
George A. Romero is the king of zombie movies, and the third film in his zombie trilogy, Day of the Dead, is an absolute delight. It combines the humor inherent in these kinds of movies that only fans know to love with gritty practical effects. With the zombie horde holding the world at its mercy, only a few survivors are around for fans to rally with (and against, in some cases).
Despite the flood of zombies necessary to pull this off, Romero used makeup and practical effects to show off the living dead. Take that, World War Z. We don’t need you CGI-ed masses.
The Fly
Cronenberg is back for another round on this list. While Videodrome might have been a bit of an outlier horror film, The Fly is a well-known beast. Jeff Goldblum stars as the unfortunate Seth Brundle, who gets into a horrendous mix-up with a fly. The result is “Brundlefly,” a man who slowly morphs into this grotesque fly-creature. To make matters worse, Jeff Goldblum perfectly plays the charismatic man pre-accident, so his devolution is not only horrific, it’s tragic. Be sure to put your gross-out glasses on while watching The Fly because Cronenberg doesn’t let up with the body horror.
An American Werewolf In London
Not many people have seen An American Werewolf in London, and that’s a crying shame. It features the best werewolf transformation in history, bar none. A few edits cut away from the transformation at key moments, but for the most part, the camera stays trained on the unfortunate lad as he slowly grows into a wolfman. Watching the pure practical effects of a human growing a snout, stretching his spine, and erupting with body hair is an experience. It’s one of the best scenes in movie history, all without the use of CGI to “enhance” the moment.
The Thing
The Thing is one of the best horror movies just based on its plot, but its use of practical effects in place of CGI boosts it up as well. An alien life-form that can perfectly mimic the human form hides within an Arctic station, and the scientists trapped inside have to figure out who they can or can’t trust. When the alien is revealed, the effects used to display it in all its glory are hideous. If CGI were used instead of practical effects (which they were in the less-than-memorable remake), it would significantly detract from The Thing’s appeal.
Alien
No movie revels in its use of practical effects so much as Alien. Every film fan knows of the iconic chestburster scene, when the unfortunate Kane is interrupted mid-meal by a young alien popping out of his chest cavity. The blood spurting from the wound, the shocked expressions on his crew mates’ faces, and the infant Xenomorph coiled within his ribs imprinted this moment in the minds of audiences around the world. Honestly, without this scene, Alien would not have been the classic horror film that it became.
