I’m talking about the infamous “talking severed head” thing.
I don’t see why every single horror writer, movie producer, or game designer has used this damn premise. It has lost all of the miniscual shock value it had to begin with. In fact, the heads are almost always just there to try to scare someone, and very rarely add to the plot, scenery, or anything else important in a horror project.
I just had to vent after seeing Lizbeth’s death scene in Undying.
gets a talking head
fonzie’s disembodied head:eeeeey!
There has only been one good talking head ever in my opinion.
And that is Murray from the Monkey Island series.
I dunno - ever seen Labyrinth?
The Fire Gang’s heads were removable, and they could still talk (and even operate their bodies), and they were just amusing (and had the best song in the soundtrack) but a little overfriendly.
Evil Dead 2. If you’ve ever seen the movie The Reanimator, a head talks AND gives a girl an oral 
Originally posted by Urkani
[b]There has only been one good talking head ever in my opinion.And that is Murray from the Monkey Island series. [/b]
What about Morte from Planescape Torment? Doesn’t he get the love? Don’t get me wrong, I agree wholeheartedly with Murray’s kick-assness. It just seems… sort of wrong to have him as the only one.
That is in hardly any horror movies, D_Galloway.
Also- complaining that it is only meant to shock and scare:
uh
its a HORROR movie. That is their JOB. 
Originally posted by Rast
[b]I dunno - ever seen Labyrinth?The Fire Gang’s heads were removable, and they could still talk (and even operate their bodies), and they were just amusing (and had the best song in the soundtrack) but a little overfriendly. [/b]
Yes points to profile, that’s one of my favorite scenes in the movie, those are the best talking heads ever.
Originally posted by Cybercompost
[b]That is in hardly any horror movies, D_Galloway.Also- complaining that it is only meant to shock and scare:
uh
its a HORROR movie. That is their JOB.
I think the complaint is that they’ve been used so often that they no longer have an effect.
Nah, I beg to differ on the stupidest horror flick cliche…that spot is reserved for the “wimpy do-nothing heroine who’s there purely for the sake of being snatched by the antoganist”
THAT’S lame.:enguard:
Originally posted by Trillian
[b]Nah, I beg to differ on the stupidest horror flick cliche…that spot is reserved for the “wimpy do-nothing heroine who’s there purely for the sake of being snatched by the antoganist”THAT’S lame.:enguard: [/b]
Oh come on, that’s not her only purpose!
Shame on you for forgetting about the “run horrified through a brambly forest in such a way so that she’s gradually stripped of her clothing” function of dim-witted do-nothing heroines.
Oh yeah, I overlooked the redeeming properties of that type of character…of course, there’s also the male equivlent (ie, Hudson from Aliens) I wanna see a guy running through the woods in shedded clothes, dammit! 
Here’s one I hate…
Whenever someone hears some weird noise outside, they HAVE to go investigate. And unarmed, at that!
If I hear something like that, I’m gonna lock the doors, call the cops and grab my bat!
Speaking of talking severed heads, Hamlet would have been a much better play if Hamlet had made Yorick talk.
You know, the talking head thing is just a really long living fad. One day, it will go away.
What about Kotori’s severed head in X/1999? That one’s my favorite.
Originally posted by Macc Maverick
Yeah but I think that some effect would be lost if Hamlet stuck his head inside the skull and started to work its jaw…
Originally posted by Urkani
[b]There has only been one good talking head ever in my opinion.And that is Murray from the Monkey Island series. [/b]
Murray is so damn funny! :hahaha;
Originally posted by KaiserVonAlmasy
[b]Oh come on, that’s not her only purpose!Shame on you for forgetting about the “run horrified through a brambly forest in such a way so that she’s gradually stripped of her clothing” function of dim-witted do-nothing heroines. [/b]
That’s one cliche I’ll never get tired of :mwahaha: . Anyway, I agree with Cyber that there really haven’t been that many movies with them lately.
See, I’d do it with a twist.
If I were directing a horror movie, when the script called for talking heads, I wouldn’t have your standard severed heads laying around starting to talk.
See, I’d actually have, you know, the Talking Heads show up and play the roles…
Originally posted by Manus Dei
Murray is so damn funny! :hahaha;
He’s not funny, he’s EVIL!
Like me?
No much worse! He’ll try to take over the mortal realm, IF he can ever find his body again! OR at least quit his job, as Bouncer/Welcomer at ‘Planet Threepwood’!