When Cape Fear was out, it was completely new because there had never been anything like it in the American main stream before. But in a world of directors like Haneke or Gaspar Noe, Kargl or Lars von Trier, Cape Fear is kindergarten. What was the name of that Japenese director from 60s? (Could be later, not sure.)
Haneke made an American version of Funny Games years later. Maybe you have seen it? Don't, if you thought Cape Fear was bad.
I had to watch about all that artsy horror shit while I was a student-res asst, because my prof kept up with the European contemporary stuff in full schedule. Yeah, you enjoy it when you are young, it is all really new/shocking...blah blah, also because you really witness a real change; an evolution, but now? Nope! For example, Lynch's Lost Highway scared the hell out of me when I saw it in the theatre 25 years ago. Again, new, the usage of ambiguity was scary dead on for me. I haven't seen it since. AAAAAA!
I wonder what do kids today think about them? I mean, it wouldn't look shocking or traumatic to them I guess. Culture has changed so much...
Traditional ones are OK. The worst one makes me uncomfortable for a couple of weeks at most. People were cheering about a movie called Hereditary, I didn't get what was so good about it. It was pretty ordinary.