MovieChat Forums > Paperhouse (1989) Discussion > Was scarier when I was younger...

Was scarier when I was younger...

posted 19 years ago by muteme
3 replies | jump to latest

Paperhouse popped into my head the other day and I got a bit excited to find it was on DVD (and cheap!) I have vague memories of seeing it a good ten years ago, in my pre-teen days. Not many films I saw back then stuck with me. This and, perhaps, Eraserhead, which I was far too young for anyhow.

Watching it this evening though, all the scary things I thought I'd remembered from the film, it turned out I hadn't. There were a few things I sat through the whole film waiting to happen, which never did. The most 'memorable' one was how I was sure that when Anna scribbled over her dad's face in the picture, there was some kind of special effect that made the actual actor's face look the same, like a scratchy, scribbly effect masking his face. Like something out of the music video to Take On Me by A-Ha.

That's actually what made me so eager to see Paperhouse again, I expected it to bring up all these horrible childhood scares, but it turned out to be more like a CITV kid's drama.

Sorry! Don't mean to rubbish the film, or sound all "pfft, call that scary?!" but I had my spare trousers on standby and they didn't see any action :0(

[–] sleazEmike 19 years ago

Yes I agree, the film was much scarier when I was younger. The part with the radio speaking in the wall was still pretty scary though. I thought that it did appear that her father's face was mutilated and you could not see his eyes in the dream sequence, you could see it when he was beating on her chest outside of the house. Pretty good movie. Charlotte Burke did a fantastic job. Her and the little boy had the only believable English accents.
7 out of 10.

[–] Chapaev36 18 years ago

aha .. read tedg's review.

The true scares aren't what are specifically shown on screen, but what see ourselves imagine or draw as the viewers.

This film has that kind of power - it asks of the viewer to come prepared with an imaginative mind .. you had one when you were a kid - maybe you should try watching it again.

[–] gooodlovin6969 17 years ago

Of course it isnt as scary, you're an adult now! I remember this scared the hell out of me when i was a kid, what still makes it effective though is when i see bits, i still get a chill from remembering how much is previously scared me! Only have it on VHS, will definately add it to the DVD collection soon though.