The Strangers (2008) (Collector's Edition)

[drownsoda]

Originally Posted by bigdaddyhorse

While the sequel was fun, it really didn't fit that well with the original. The killers were just too brazen and careless in it. It was almost like they had a death wish and wanted to get killed themselves, where they were slick and calculated the first film.

Someone on a thread had an interesting theory on that though, that it wasn't the killers at all, but some copycats who saw the real ones on the news or something. Although if that's the case, who lived, or witnessed, to tell about the masks?

Fun flick, but completely different in near every aspect.

Agreed. It was amusing, but too playful to the point that it didn't feel like it was a continuation of the original. I saw The Strangers in theaters at a midnight opening showing when it came out (remember when they used to do actual midnight showings on Thursdays?)—I went with my best friend, and we were the only ones in the theater. It mortified both of us. We lived together at the time, and were both legitimately on edge when we got home. It's to date the most tense film I've seen on a big screen. Even with its pitfalls, in some ways I still regard it as a genius movie. It manipulates universal fears that we all have in our own homes, and does it so methodically.

[kidglov3s]

I wonder why they lightened it so much.

[Monterey Jack]

Originally Posted by kidglov3s

I wonder why they lightened it so much.

Because The Purge, that's why.

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by drownsoda

It's to date the most tense film I've seen on a big screen. Even with its pitfalls, in some ways I still regard it as a genius movie. It manipulates universal fears that we all have in our own homes, and does it so methodically.

I blind bought it*, since it was touted by many, critics and general moviegoers alike, as one of scariest films of the new millennium, and finally watched it for the first time last night. While it certainly demonstrated polished direction, oppressive mood, and committed performances, I don’t think I’ve ever seen any horror movie where the victims made so many overtly STUPID decisions in my life. The scriptwriter had literally thirty years of every boneheaded choice made by a character in tripe like the FRIDAY THE 13TH and NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET series and, rather than learning from them, he decided to squeeze every single one of them into this poor movie in less than 90 minutes. I would never say anyone is deserving of being psychologically tortured, then murdered in cold blood...but the characters in this braindead screenplay come as close as any. I got hosed.

* twice! First, the Universal, which I never got around to viewing, then the Scream Factory. Fooled me twice, shame on me.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by drownsoda

Agreed. It was amusing, but too playful to the point that it didn't feel like it was a continuation of the original. I saw The Strangers in theaters at a midnight opening showing when it came out (remember when they used to do actual midnight showings on Thursdays?)—I went with my best friend, and we were the only ones in the theater. It mortified both of us. We lived together at the time, and were both legitimately on edge when we got home. It's to date the most tense film I've seen on a big screen. Even with its pitfalls, in some ways I still regard it as a genius movie. It manipulates universal fears that we all have in our own homes, and does it so methodically.

Have you seen the French film Ils (Them) yet? It's way more tense than The Strangers in my opinion

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Have you seen the French film Ils (Them) yet? It's way more tense than The Strangers in my opinion

Love that film.

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Have you seen the French film Ils (Them) yet? It's way more tense than The Strangers in my opinion

Just finished watching it right now (Amazon Prime) and I couldn’t agree more. Though it lacks THE STRANGERS’s production polish, the scares are much more visceral and the characters don’t react to the terror that besieges them as if they’ve been lobotomized.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Filmmaker

Just finished watching it right now (Amazon Prime) and I couldn’t agree more. Though it lacks THE STRANGERS’s production polish, the scares are much more visceral and the characters don’t react to the terror that besieges them as if they’ve been lobotomized.

I watched it tonight too via Prime

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

I watched it tonight too via Prime

Amazon’s master is atrocious—literally worse than DVD. I notice there are about four different Blu-rays available internationally. I wonder if anyone knows the best transfer among them (featuring English subs, of course).

[jtrinc]

Sorry if this question has come up before.
I am looking for the scene when the female protagonist asks:
-Why are you doing this to us?
And Dollface answers:
-Because you were home.
That line was on the trailer, but not in the film.
I just purchased the blu-ray and it is not included in the deleted scenes.
Does anybody know where to find it?
Thanks a lot!

[Jay H.]

Originally Posted by jtrinc

Sorry if this question has come up before.
I am looking for the scene when the female protagonist asks:
-Why are you doing this to us?
And Dollface answers:
-Because you were home.
That line was on the trailer, but not in the film.
I just purchased the blu-ray and it is not included in the deleted scenes.
Does anybody know where to find it?
Thanks a lot!

It is absolutely in the film itself, both theatrical and unrated.

[jtrinc]

Thanks for the quick reply. If it's not too much trouble, could you tell me exactly when it happens? Based on what I've just watched, she says "why are you doing this to us?" and Dollface does not answer.

[bigdaddyhorse]

I recall hearing it in the theater and on the Universal BD.
I have since picked up the SF BD, but haven't got around to watching it yet.
I recall it happening near the end

[Show spoiler]after Liv gets stabbed and is dying on the porch

.

[jtrinc]

Thank you, bigdaddyhorse!
If you could tell me when exactly they say it, I would really appreciate it.
I can't seem to find it in the actual film.
I saw it on this clip, but this is not how it is edited in the actual film:

The Strangers "Because You Were Home" - YouTube

[bigdaddyhorse]

Originally Posted by jtrinc

Thank you, bigdaddyhorse!
If you could tell me when exactly they say it, I would really appreciate it.
I can't seem to find it in the actual film.
I saw it on this clip, but this is not how it is edited in the actual film:

The Strangers "Because You Were Home" - YouTube

I'll have to look at the disc later, but I recall it being after that when she's already

[Show spoiler]stabbed and bleeding out

. That's when the whole exchange takes place in my memory.

... and my memory was wrong.

[Show spoiler]It's when they are tied to the chairs just before the Strangers take their masks off.

1:10:45 on the unrated disc. Nothing like the clip you posted, which I think must be a deleted scene.

[jtrinc]

EXACTLY!!!
Jay H... any comments?

[rip63]

I have the US release from Universal and it's definitely there.

[drownsoda]

It is 100% in the film, and is on both Blu-ray editions. It was also in the theatrical print when I saw it in theaters. That line is one of the defining moments of the film, so it wouldn't have been excised.

[Jay H.]

Universal Blu-ray, R-rated version: the lines are spoken at 1 hour 10 minutes 39 seconds.
Universal Blu-ray, Unrated version: the lines are spoken at 1 hour 10 minutes 47 seconds.

I have nothing more to say that is relevant.

[jtrinc]

Holy cow, you are 100% correct!
I thought that Dollface said that line the first time Liv Tyler asked that question. This happens at night. But the line is actually delivered the next day, when both protagonists are tied to the chairs.
Thank again!