Trends of Terror 2019: 62 Feel-Good Movies

By Steve Hutchison

Feel-good movies are movies which present people and life in a way that makes the audience feel happy and optimistic. In this edition of Trends of Terror, film critic Steve Hutchison reviews 62 feel-good movies sorted from best to worst. How many have you seen?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steve Hutchison
• Release date: Apr 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463094037

Steve Hutchison

Artist, developer and entrepreneur in film, video games and communications Steve Hutchison co-founded Shade.ca Art and Code in 1999, then Terror.ca and its French equivalent Terreur.ca in 2000. With his background as an artist and integrator, Steve worked on such games as Capcom's Street Fighter, PopCap's Bejeweled, Tetris, Bandai/Namco's Pac-Man and Mattel's Skip-Bo & Phase 10 as a localization manager, 2-D artist and usability expert. Having acquired skills in gamification, he invented a unique horror movie review system that is filterable, searchable and sortable by moods, genres, subgenres and antagonists. Horror movie fans love it, and so do horror authors and filmmakers, as it is a great source of inspiration. In March 2013, Steve launched Tales of Terror, with the same goals in mind but with a much finer technology and a complex engine, something that wasn’t possible initially. He has since published countless horror-themed books.

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INTRODUCTION

Feel-good movies are movies which present people and life in a way that makes the audience feel happy and optimistic. In this edition of Trends of Terror, film critic Steve Hutchison reviews 62 feel-good movies sorted from best to worst. How many have you seen?

Ghostbusters

1984

Three unemployed supernatural investigators start a ghost hunting business.

Here’s a perfect mix of comedy, horror and fantasy that will get straight to your heart and guts. In a way, it is also a light superhero story. Because it is perfectly suitable for a child as much as the general audience, Ghostbusters is eerie, makes you jump, shiver, but features virtually no gore. There are monsters, though, and plenty of them. The effects are amazing and one of a kind.

The score and soundtrack play a big role in delivering a fun supernatural aura that penetrates the screen. While some of the creature effects are a little cheap, most of the ghost effects blend well with the picture. This one isn’t all about visuals. The characters and the story are compelling and the dialog is catchy.

The actors are perfect in their roles and their performances are close to flawless. Ghostbuster isn’t shy on effects, making use of animatronics, rubber suits and an abundance of color keying. Get ready to be entertained all the way through; sucked in a surreal New York that gets increasingly sinister as subplots converge.

8/8

The Goonies

1985

In order to save their home from foreclosure, a group of misfits set out to find a pirate’s ancient treasure.

An exciting opening sequence introduces all the protagonists, in their everyday life, while the bad guys, criminals, are being chased by cops. The town is picturesque. Not much happens, there, we learn, until today. The Goonies follows the ultimate adventure film recipe, but targets children and teenagers, which doesn’t mean adults won’t have the time of their lives.

The whole cast acts big, which makes the film more surreal than it already is. This picture comes from the minds of Richard Donner, Steven Spielberg and Chris Colombus. It is, basically, one of the best movies ever made. It’s politically incorrect. It’s larger than life. It alternates between action, adventure, thriller, comedy and horror, which creates an incessant rollercoaster ride.

The underground labyrinth is unreal. It doesn’t make sense, architecturally speaking, but we accept it because the concept is amazing. In fact, amazing is an understatement. This is Indiana Jones for kids. The set pieces are magnificent and extremely effective. The score is very melodic, catchy, omnipresent, and it takes us by the hand. You’ll probably want to revisit this one repeatedly!

8/8

Labyrinth

1986

A teenage girl is given 13 hours to solve a labyrinth and rescue her baby brother who has been kidnapped by a wizard.

Labyrinth draws obvious parallels with Alice in Wonderland, but it is its own thing. It’s about a teenage girl stuck in what seems like an endless maze, trying to rescue her baby brother. David Bowie’s character stole him. Yes, this kids’ movie is incredibly dark, but it’s done in good taste. It’s not gory and it’s never vulgar. It’s a fully immersive experience and you’ll never forget it.

The atmosphere is palpable. The sets are astonishing, the matte painting breath-taking and the puppetry perplexing in every possible way. The movie sucks you right in in the first minutes. David Bowie’s music will transport you through this epic adventure. All his songs are earworms. He plays the eccentric antagonist; an evil wizard called the Goblin King.

Creature artist Ron Mueck gives the monsters a soul of their own. His contribution is significant. His characters are frightening. They are both imaginative and repulsive. This is a modern fairy tale courtesy of Jim Henson, who directs. The man can do no wrong. Jennifer Connelly can sure act and her beauty is stunning. She can deliver dialogue like few can. This film is a true masterpiece.

8/8

Beetlejuice