| Steve's Top 10 Favorite Horror Movies of All Time | ||
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Honorable mentions:
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10. |  The Ring (2002)What is it about disquieting video tape scenes that gives me the creeps? "The Blair Witch Project"...camcorder footage from "Lost Highway"...the video recovered in "Event Horizon"... Do such scenes make the movie seem more realistic? Is it the voyeuristic dread that I shouldn't be watching it? Well, this movie successfully creeped me out. Wasn't like "FearDotCom" (or most other horror movies for that matter) where the victims die in gimmicky ways. Rather, the victims die somewhat inexplicably. No villainous monster appears. Just a scary little girl with black hair draped over her face. Make no mistake, though, the sight of that little girl would leave a dust cloud where my fleeing self used to be. Then my worst enemy would hear the doorbell ring (see the film to understand). | |
9. |  Resident Evil (2002)One of my fondest memories of 2002 was wrapping up a difficult project at work, and then unwinding to this excellent adaptation of my favorite video game. Instead of just regurgitating the video gameplay (like other "junk" video game adoptions do), Paul Anderson spun the movie in a creative new direction without straying too much from the classic storyline. Special kudos to the "laser" scene. Side note: the DVD needs an option to block out Milla Jovovich's innane commentary. | |
8. |  Dawn of the Dead (1978)"Illogical hell...illogical hell!!" George A. Romero follows up "Night of the Living Dead" with "Dawn of the Dead", a disturbing portrayal of zombie-infested America. As the dead submerge the country into chaos, the survivors struggle to cope using reason, violence, suicide, and refuge. As TV broadcasts show the conflict between logic and emotion, the story re-examines our perceptions of society in a different light. The movie's strengths include suspenseful, genius directing and haunting music. Since Romero would not edit the gore to give it an R rating, I found the screenplay refreshingly intense. | |
7. |  Phantasm II
(1988)A fun, innovative sequel to "Phantasm". Although two other sequels followed, I considered this one the best. The elements that I enjoyed the most: the Tall Man's formidable henchmen, more creative silver balls, and a starcrossed love interest for Mike. This movie also introduced the hilarious four-barrel shotgun. | |
6. |  Suspiria (1977)I once read a review of this movie that nailed my sentiment exactly. Basically, the review stated that "Suspiria" makes you feel like a little kid sneaking into an R-rated movie. That's certainly how I felt after this movie's first murder scene--like I had just watched something that I shouldn't have. Props to Dario Argento for that hauntingly horrific image. Also, my compliments to the music and creepy cinematography. blog | |
5. |  The
Thing (1982)Shapeshifting monsters infiltrate an Alaskan team, leading characters to distrust each other and plot strategies to root out the imposters. The scene where Kurt Russell tested everyone's blood highlighted the picture and remains one of the most suspenseful sequences ever filmed, IMHO. I still regard "The Thing" as the definitive "paranoia" movie. | |
4. |  Final
Destination 2 (2003)Very fun horror flick. Chock full of even more creatively "accidental" deaths than the first movie. Starts out with a jaw-dropping traffic accident. Huge body-count. Then, the victims face a series of "red herring" dangers--always dying in a completely unexpected way. Interestingly, these deaths make a certain mathematical sense. If you like horror, I highly recommend this movie. | |
3. |  The
Hidden (1987)"The Hidden" features my favorite car chase and symbolizes something of a guilty pleasure for me. The guilty pleasure in this case: enjoying a fugitive rob banks, blare heavy metal, speed in Ferraris, shrug off bullets, and shoot hindrances indiscriminately. Aside from this entertaining mayhem, I also enjoyed the other well-executed formulas in the film, e.g., perfectly contrasting partners, naive alien behaviors, and alternating villians. | |
2. |  The Blair
Witch Project (1999)One foggy night back in my college days, I cycled out onto a desolate road in search of a shortcut home. Instead, I got lost in pitch-black darkness and spent many tense, fatiguing lifetimes inching my way back. That describes the gut-wrenching intensity I felt as the three filmmakers in "The Blair Witch Project" hopelessly wandered the woods. This movie captures what countless, cliched horror flicks fail at: eerily realistic situations and the terror in the unknown. | |
1. |  Ju-On: The
Grudge (2003)The scariest movie that I have ever seen. Filmed by the creators of "Ringu", and similar to "The Ring"--but decisively more terrifying. So much so that I'd prefer that curse over the "Ju-on" one. :) Because at least Samara afforded a seven-day reprieve. Imagine trying to stay sane with wide-eyed ghosts startling you all the time. Even as I left the theater, I could picture their unnerving stares. blog, blog | |
