October 28, 2013

Film: Al's Top 100 Horror Films Part 5

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

20:  Christine

Fear of: cars.

Ghosts and demons have possessed people and houses, but what about cars? Why wouldn't a car be haunted? What's to stop it from running people over all on its own? I've always loved this wicked premise of Christine, so named after the titular car, which develops an unhealthy relationship with its owner and goes on a revenge killing spree. The film touches a particularly interesting nerve in teenage culture, where boys already have a deep affection for their automobiles; this film just takes it a step further. John Carpenter directs Stephen King's story pretty faithfully despite many departures from the book; it looks great and has an impeccable cast.

My score: 5/5
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19:  Psycho

Fear of: psychotic hotel managers.

This is it: the one film that tried so hard to push the envelope and be purosefully infamous, it succeeded and became a classic! Hithcock doesn't hold back on anything; this film is loaded with sauciness and scandal, bloodshed and murder, and by God, it even shows a toilet on screen! The famous shower murder scene is perfectly composed, but the rest of the film does its best to be freaky and terrifying. At the center of it all, Norman Bates emerges as one of the most terrifying screen villains of them all, and the man is genuinely scary.

My score: 5/5
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18:  The Evil Dead

Fear of: deadites. And the trees...definitely fear the trees...

This is as simple and plain of a film as a horror film can be: it's just about a group of people stuck in a cabin in the woods, who unwittingly unleash terror on themselves. The film does get really bloody and intense though, as the dead rise up and even the trees around the cabin turn on the kids. The film is appropriately creepy and oppressive, and the finale has an incredible amount of gore to it. It's short and simple, but quite effective.

My score: 4/5
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17:  Thirst (Bakjwi)

Fear of: a priest who becomes a vampire.

Whoa, a priest who has to drink human blood? How does that work? In this Korean thriller, we watch the wicked story of such a man learning to live with his thirst. There is plenty of blood spilling that ensues. Throughout, however, the film's premise remains truly intriguing and challenging, and it has a heck of a flair to go with it.

My score: 4.5/5
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16:  The Cell

Fear of: a serial killer's mind.

There are plenty of films out there that have serial killers as a villain, but how many really dive into the mind of one? The Cell is one freaky movie that literally dives into the subconscious of a killer, using Inception-style sci-fi to paint visually extravagant worlds around the characters as they explore the depths of a sick mind. It's a weird world with artsy lavish embellishments juxtapose to grunge and filth, and it makes for an experience that's as thrilling as it is visually magnificent.

My score: 4.5/5
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15:  Triangle

Fear of: ummmm...

What a weird film. What the frakk is going on? I don't even know.

Triangle is one bizarre mystery, featuring a character who travels out to sea, and winds up on a derelict ship where somebody's systematically killing people. What makes the film trippy, however, is that there's a big time-traveling twist that occurs, which challenges the audiences' notion of what's really going on, and ultimately comes in full circle. It can be really hard to understand or interpret Triangle, but in addition to presenting a mind-bending puzzlebox of a film, it does fundamentally provide enough grungy thrills and kills to satiate horror fans.

My score: 4.5/5
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14:  The Ring

Fear of: TV.

Based on the Japanese film Ringu, The Ring takes the original premise and adds on a rather intriguing and creepy mystery. The imagery of The Ring is very stylish and gorgeous, but not without a sense of being ominous and freaky. Bloodshed and deaths are kept to a minimum, but the film does dish out enough to emphasize the threat, and it layers on all kinds of supernatural occurrences that defy natural explanation. I remember a lot of folks were frightened by this film when it came out; I personally wasn't. But I can't deny that the film does touch upon the scary notion that what's in your TV could crawl out some day and get you!

My score: 5/5
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13:  In the Mouth of Madness

Fear of: some guy's books will usher in the end of the world!

This always seemed like a lesser-known, possibly underrated, film in John Carpenter's repertoire. While the plot isn't exactly all that sensical, it does its best to emulate the terror of HP Lovecraft to the big screen, complete with a whole hoard of gnarled, otherworldly monsters. The mystery is intriguing, and full of odd occurrences. It makes for a decently thrilling experience, full of vivid imagery. I've always been fond of Sam Niell's performance, and Carpenter's own theme song is really rockin'!

My score: 4.5/5
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12:  The Descent

Fear of: spelunking.

This film descends into a perfect setting for a horror picture; caves have a lot of potential with their dark, cramped, claustrophobic walls. This film also tosses in an entire race of cave-dwelling monsters, which indiscriminately starts to kill off the cave explorers in the film. The film's last act becomes a massive bloodbath, with the survivors desperately massacring these monsters with their rock-climbing axes. The film is enthralling as it is, but it pulls out a pretty awesome twist at the end that really makes the story and characters more thoughtful and endearing.

My score: 4/5
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11:  Alien

Fear of: the xenomorph.

Alien is as simple as it can be: it's just about a starship picking up an alien creature, which goes on to wreak some havoc. But like all essential horror classics, it's the execution of simple material that counts. In Alien, the actual alien creature is one of the freakiest and most otherworldly monsters ever conceived (designed by HR Giger, scariest artist ever). It's not just the looks of it either; as menacing as it is to see this thing's saliva-soaked teeth and spine-covered body, its birth is probably the gnarliest thing, as the baby alien chews its way out of a guy's chest. The film subtly gets under the audiences' skin, with its focus on the settings, which are purposefully made to blur the lines between biological and mechanical, and are so full of detail that it's an awesome sight to behold. Above all, there's probably nothing freakier than imagining interspecies molestation, as a facehugger crams some egg-laying tube down your throat.

My score: 4/5
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10:  Silent Hill

Fear of: some town called Silent Hill.

I only recently managed to play the video game, Silent Hill 2. I could barely bring myself to do it. It is by far one of THE scariest game I've encountered; not because it's bloody or anything, but because the atmosphere is incredible. It's a world shrouded in fog, filth, and darkness, where monsters could emerge at any time. Before seeing the game, however, I've been more familiar with this film. The film can get pretty convoluted with the story, but it is one freaky experience. There is action and a lot of visual effects wizardry, but if the film does anything great, it's in capturing the right atmosphere. It is a creepy film drenched in fog, ash, rust, and dirt, with all manner of inhumane monsters crawling across the screen. I've always been freaked out by the pyramid-head monster. By the film's end, however, human monsters are revealed, in a manner not too different from Stephen King's The Mist. The finale is a brutal bloodbath of terrifying vengeance; even though the film leaves off at an odd place, the experience overall has always been creepy and satisfying. In spite of all its flaws though, the Silent Hill film is probably my biggest guilty pleasure horror film of them all.

My score: 4/5
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9:  Bram Stoker's Dracula

Fear of: the son of the dragon.

Although Bella Lugosi may forever be associated as the most iconic and definitive version of Dracula (don't know why, the man's corny as hell), this version of Bram Stoker's Dracula remains the best and most faithful adaptation of the original story. Despite some liberties taken with the source material (mostly involving a tacked-on romance between Mina and Dracula), the movie carries the same sense of terror and adventure the book had, and it goes through most of the same plot points. The movie doesn't hold back on the bloodshed or the sexuality, thoroughly capturing the dark and primal allure of vampires. Above all, Gary Oldman plays a decent, emotionally-nuanced version of Dracula, and the story overall does a great job of portraying a man who denounces God and decays into a wicked creature.

My score: 5/5
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8: Let the Right One In (Låt den Rätte Komma In)

Fear of: androgynous vampires.

You may be more familiar with the Americanized remake, Let Me In, which tells the same story but in a different setting and different manner. I personally prefer this original Swedish film instead: it is a mesmerizing and brooding film, with a very cold and slick style, and perfect performances by the cast. It tells the touching story of a boy and his vampiric friend, who eventually becomes something like an avatar of vengeance against everybody bullying this kid. The film gets freaky as it shows how Eli finds the blood needed to sustain herself. The film also carries some freaky subtexts regarding incest and sexuality (although I've heard that the original book is more explicit). What I've always found most freaky, however, is the final scene in the pool: when you see what happens in the background, it's pretty darn awe-inspiring.

My score: 4.5/5
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7:  The Omen (1976)

Fear of: the antichrist.

The Omen is perhaps infamous for many things: firstly, for its freaky deaths shown on-screen, which suggest that there are indeed forces at work beyond our own comprehension. Secondly, there were a lot of tragic deaths and accidents behind the scenes, suggesting that there really are invisible forces in this world beyond our own comprehension. That is because the film focuses on uncovering the universal truth behind the potential birth and rise of the antichrist. The film is appropriately ominous, thanks not only to its freak accident scenes, but also because it subtly hints at the coming of the apocalypse. Despite being a rather slow-moving film, it is a heck of a story well worth seeing.

My score: 4.5/5
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6:  The Exorcist

Fear of: demonic possession.

Here it is, a film so scary and intense that, back in 1973, it sent audiences literally running and screaming up and down the aisles. It does get really freaky when the demon appears on-screen, always spouting vulgar words and vomit from its mouth. I have to admit too that, every time that demon came on-screen, I felt dread in the pit of my stomach, because I didn't know what freaky thing would happen next. This is by far the only film that's made me feel that way, for it is most effective. The movie takes on a pretty slow pacing, but it is a heck of a decent story, which conveys very strong themes of faith by its end.

My score: 4/5
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5: Silence of the Lambs

Fear of: cannibals and dudes wanting to rip the flesh off of you.

Closely adapted from Thomas Harris' novel, this film is perhaps most memorable for Anthony Hopkin's portrayal of Hannibal Lecter. The man is wise, civil, educated, but he partakes in eating human flesh, and Hopkins' performance perfectly captures the chilling menace and mannerisms of that character. But that's not the main villain of Silence of the Lambs: the main bad guy is a freaky nutjob named Buffalo Bill, whose fanatic obsession with metamorphosis drives him to kidnap and skin his victims to make a suit of human flesh. And in the middle of it all, Jodi Foster gives the performance of her career as the FBI agents trying to figure it all out, using one monster to catch another. It's a very dark and gritty-looking film. It's light on the blood and gore, but still eerily disturbing. It is also a stylishly intimate film that boldly explores the savage depths of human brutality.

My score: 5/5
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4: Antichrist
Fear of: scissors.

Antichrist: don't worry, it's not really about the antichrist per se. Why is this film even called "antichrist"? The frakk if I know. This film doesn't really have much of a story to tell or much logic behind what happens and what it all really means. However, it is one heck of a freaky experience. The film contains some of the most darkly beautiful scenes I've ever seen, and that alone makes it hugely redeemable. It goes off on some crazy tangents, including some extremely hard-to-watch scenes of violence and genital mutilation. It does offer a lot to think about though, challenging the overall relationships between men and women, and between men and God. A lot of people have written this film off as pretentious nonsense and trashy filmmaking (and, perhaps, a little too misogynistic), but I personally value the experience of this film, for it has some very potent imagery and it presents a lot to contemplate.

My score: 5/5
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3:  The Mist

Fear of: there's something in the mist...

The Mist is a pretty simple film, borrowing perhaps a little bit of the classic horror-movie formula established in Night of the Living Dead. Only instead of zombies invading a house, it's a mist rolling over a grocery store. And within the mist, something strange and otherworldly makes a dreadful appearance.

The movie follows Stephen King's novella pretty well, and adds a little more to the mix to make for a truly terrifying experience. The monsters in the mist are very Lovecraftian, lacking in any terrestrial shape or form, and ripping apart human bodies in particularly painful-looking ways. But what really makes The Mist freaky is not the monsters outside the store, but surprisingly, it's the monsters within. Mrs. Carmody comes out as the film's true antagonist, as she forms a mini-doomsday cult and manipulates everybody's desperation to feed the monsters, both outside the store and within her own wicked soul. Thus, humanity becomes the most terrifying aspect of the film, and it persists all the way to the wicked ending.

And yes, there is the infamous ending, which turns this film into one of the ultimate love-it-or-hate it affairs ever. It is a bitter and horrific ending, which perhaps strains any sense of logic, but the irony of it really propels it into a level of brilliance that makes the entire film a truly deep and invoking experience. Whether you love or hate the ending, the film overall is worth seeing for the overall themes and experience, for it is intense.

My score: 5/5
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2: The Thing (1982)
Fear of: an extraterrestrial that can take on the form of anybody.

There's nothing much new about aliens impersonating human life: such terrors have been explored thoroughly in many versions of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and even in the ongoing saga of Battlestar Galactica. One of the first and most original ideas, however, was The Thing From Another World, effectively remade by John Carpenter into this film - simply, The Thing. Once again, it's all about an alien creature that destroys human life and imitates it; same old story, but the execution of it is among the freakiest and most tense experiences ever filmed.

Set in the isolated and barren landscapes of Antarctica, the film immediately sets a brooding pace and creepy tone that remains consistent throughout. It is especially tense when the characters spend their time pondering where the alien creature is, and whether or not they can trust each other. At times, this sends everybody at each other's throats. The threat of the situation, however, is strongly reinforced when the actual thing appears on-screen. In a few well-staged scenes, the thing emerges, literally exploding out of flesh and bone, in a bloody mass of withering tentacles and contorted muscle. The stuff that happens in these scenes are just insane, and it makes for one hell of a freaky experience.

It's hard to forget about the thing, as it mutilates dogs, turns one man's head into a spider-like critter, and goes on to chew on another guy's head. At the same time, the characters can't forget about the thing either, and it systematically drives them all mad and desperate. The desperation becomes palpable, and makes for one truly creepy experience for the audience.

My score: 4.5/5
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1:  The Shining

Fear of: could it be ghosts, or could it just be no beer and no TV makes Jack crazy?

Of all the horror films I've seen, there's still nothing like The Shining. Stephen King's original novel was quite freaky and ominous as it is; Stanley Kubrick's adaptation is pretty liberal, ditching a lot of the ghosts and supernatural horror, but his focus on psychological horror is part of what makes it so creepy.

The film creeps along at a methodically steady pace, hitting a stride that's hypnotic. With its audience entranced, the film then delivers some of the most startling and ominous imagery possible: it's hard to forget about the slow-motion elevator full of blood, the image of the axe-murdered twins, or the woman in the bath tub. Even the general location - the Overlook Hotel - is an oppressive sight, so isolated and bleak, ultimately becoming surrounded by impassible snow. The camera captures the perfect sense of creepiness as it steadily passes through the halls and reveals every horrific detail that it can.

At the center of it all, it's a movie about Jack Torrence gradually losing his mind and becoming an axe-murderer, just like the caretaker before him. Even though Jack Nicholson's performance gets extremely cheesy and laughable at times, there's still nothing creepier than to watch his expressions and mannerisms as he gradually becomes haggard, stressed, and insane. The film's finale, in which he becomes trapped in a hedge maze, is perhaps the defining climax of the whole thing, as if the maze itself is the maze of his own mind, and he literally becomes frozen in its primal core. In those last moments, Jack starts screaming incoherently and animalistically: it is a scene that probably gives me the most chills.

The Shining has captivated and frightened audiences for over thirty years, and remains a seminal horror classic for many great reasons. Its atmosphere is second-to-none, and the way it handles the psychological horror is perfect. The cast does their best, with smashing results. Stanley Kubrick never really believed in the supernatural, but his film does embody something that is perhaps the scariest fear of them all: the terror of human mind and what it's capable of.
My Score: 5/5

Additionally, the documentary Room 237 was recently produced to explore the odd discrepancies of the film and the bizarre theories on the film's actual meaning.  It has provided a very interesting analysis, which inspired me to look more into the film and develop my own analysis, which I've posted on this here blog.

Film: Al's Top 100 Horror Films Part 4

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3


40:  Cronos
Fear of: robot spiders.

Guillermo Del Toro's debut film is a one-of-a-kind gothic fairy tale, centered around a cool spider-like machine that grants eternal life. It is an endearing story with endearing characters and plenty of endearing ideas. It's a bit small in scope and scale, especially compared to the director's later works, but that's one of the things that makes it all the more charming. I remember it being an excellent story.

My score: 4/5
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39:   Hellraiser

Fear of: Pinhead, tearing your soul apart!

Holy crap, this movie has some really gnarly and wicked blood and guts! Once the otherworldly puzzle-box gets solved, some really freaky extradimensional beings appear and mix things up in really twisted ways. At its core, the film explores some stark themes of sadomasochism.

My score: 4/5
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38:  A Serbian Film (Srpski Film)

Fear of: filmmakers.

This film is sick. It very purposefully crosses the line on certain issues, all to prove just how sick it really is to cross such lines; for most audiences, it's just too much, and I can't blame them. However, I've always felt this was a very good-looking picture, with great composition, solid performances, and a heck of a style. I've always been intrigued by the story. Above all, it does have some interesting themes worth exploring.  It is, however, a very harrowing and depressing picture that I would never wish upon anybody else.

My score: 4.5/5
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37:   The Devil's Backbone (El Espinazo del Diablo)

Fear of: ghost boy. Pay no attention to the unexploded ordinance in the courtyard.

One of Guillermo Del Toro's earlier and more touching pieces of work, this film focuses on boys in an orphanage, and a ghost with ominous warnings. The plot unfolds beautifully, with a great cast of characters and superb filming. Throughout, it maintains a dark and creepy tone, and it remains one of my favorite ghost stories.

My score: 5/5
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36:  The Wicker Man (1973)

Fear of: cultists.

There is something inherently freaky about cults. Perhaps because they're entire groups of people that are inhumanely conditioned to act and think a certain way. In The Wicker Man, the main character comes across a freaky isolated cult that revels in pagan worship, of which he becomes the centerpiece of their rituals. The film is consistently suspenseful and creepy, but reaches an appropriately somber climax.

My score: 4/5
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35:  Misery

Fear of: your biggest fan.

Another fine adaptation from Stephen King's novels, Misery is one unique story that doesn't rely on any outlandish supernatural terror or excessive blood and guts. It's just about a writer trapped in a house with an obsessive fan. Kathy Bates delivers one seriously creepy performance, exuding a stark split personality that's halfway motherly and halfway psychotically fanatical. These strong performances, a few well-placed scenes of pain, and a cold isolated locale makes the film very successfully tense and chilling.

My score: 4/5
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34:  Martyrs

Fear of: extremely mean people.

Martyrs is one of the hardest movies to take. Its whole point is to bring as much pain as possible to the main characters, because the more pain they endure, the closer they become to God. I personally like this premise far more than most other torture movies, which use the torture as a mere excuse for shallow shock value; here, it's part of the narrative, and it points to some interesting and profound themes regarding human existence. It's a very painful-looking picture, and it's as dark as they come. If you can handle it though, it is well worth seeing.

My score: 4/5
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33:  [REC]

Fear of: an apartment building filled with zombies.

Chances are that you may recognize the Americanized version of this film - Quarantine - which was shot-by-shot the exact same. [REC], however, is at its freshest and most original. Even though it gets really frantic with the camera work and a lot of characters yelling at each other, it maintains good tension and atmosphere as the camera follows the people around during a quarantine, followed by various zombie attacks. [REC] uses a lot of gimmicks to make itself look creditable and real, and it is really successful that way. I actually don't usually like these types of films, but [REC] is a rare exception, and it is a truly freaky experience.

My score: 4/5
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32:  [REC] 2:  Fear Revisited

Fear of: demonically-posessed zombies taking over an apartment.

[REC] is a heck of an experience as it is (remade in America as Quarantine, which is essentially the exact same movie, but swapped out the demonic stuff in favor of glorified rabies). It can be a little too jarring to watch with the erratic camera work, but its composition is top-notch. This sequel manages to continue the story with frightening results: I was seriously freaked out when the characters explored the building's attic spaces and beheld some strange and otherworldly phenomenon. This movie had some damn scary scenes, and if I found them scary, then you'd probably be freaked out too. The hand-held camera work is still dominant, making everything appear authentic and real (even though the camera does bounce around a lot). As good as the first film is, this second one is my favorite of the lot, for it genuinely did creep me out.

My score: 4/5
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31:  28 Weeks Later

Fear of: even more zombies!

28 Days Later has its moments, but I always enjoyed this sequel a grade more; it dispenses with the shakey camera work and tells a straightforward story. Even though it is the exact same type of story that's been told before, it is stylish, exciting, and pretty grisly. Both 28 Days and 28 Weeks Later stand as must-see zombie movies; I just happen to like this one most consistently.

My score: 4/5
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30:   The Fly (1986)

Fear of: Brundlefly.

It's easy to think of transporter beams on Star Trek terms, beaming matter all around very cleanly and usually without incident. The Fly presents the scary notion that teleporting matter could fuse things together accidentally. This remake of the classic 1958 film takes things even further to explore the horrifying transformation and decay of the human body after such an experiment. The film tells a tragic story with compelling characters, and a lot of gnarly effects. Even though the classic version is a good story in its own right, I think this remake captures the horror of the situation the best.

My score: 4.5/5
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29:  Creepshow 2

Fear of: wooden Indian statues, oil slicks, hitchhikers, and plants.

Even though this sequel to the first Creepshow is not particularly well-liked, I personally always enjoyed it as much as its predecessor. The film presents just a few stories, but they are good ones. There's the story of the wooden statue that comes to life and takes revenge for some murdered store owners. My favorite is the story of a bunch of teenagers stuck on a raft, with a gnarly water creature waiting in the water to eat them. The last is a about a hitchhiker that just won't die. In between, there are some funky animated segments which tell the story of a kid getting bullied, and then getting revenge. It's still one fun thrill ride, and I think it's a decent follow-up to the first film.

My score: 4.5/5
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28:  Creepshow

Fear of: zombies, grass, the ocean, bugs, a crate monster, and voodoo dolls.

Stephen King and George A. Romero joined forces to deliver Creepshow, an anthology of five creepy stories. The first involves a dead dude rising up to claim his Father's Day cake. My favorite has always been the second story, starring King himself, as a farmer becoming covered in alien grass. The third involves a guy buying his wife and her lover in the beach, where the tide comes in and they see how long they can hold their breath. The crate monster sequence is freaky as heck, and the story of Mr. Pratt with all the cockroaches is genuinely creepy. In between, a little boy also gets a hold of a voodoo doll and takes revenge against his father for taking away his comic books. All of these stories are a blast, told with a cool pulpy style, and featuring quite a broad cast.

My score: 4.5/5
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27:  Eden Lake

Fear of: I don't like the looks of those teenagers...

Eden Lake is by far the one movie that's ticked me off the most. I just couldn't stand to watch this poor couple constantly getting harassed and ultimately hurt by these stupid hoodlums. The film takes it to the Nth degree, and that makes it a very hard-hitting experience that underscores just how bad things can get when it comes to the youth in modern society. This film illustrates just how criminally sad things can be.

My score: 4/5
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26:  Insidious

Fear of: some ghost stalking a little boy.

Insidious is one of the most recent movies that genuinely frightened me. Although the film is often criticized for having a weak last act (complete with a guest appearance by Darth Maul...I mean, a demon that looks like Darth Maul), the film has a ton of freaky occurrences and imagery that hints at the terror of otherworldly forces. It is truly creepy to see ghostly handprints or images in photos and other stuff. It is pretty standard ghost-story fare, but the film makes the most of its potential and delivers some genuine scares.

My score: 4/5
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25:  The Re-Animator

Fear of: severed heads.

One of only a few films based on the works of HP Lovecraft, and this film is perhaps most famous for its onslaught of gnarly and crazy bloodshed. With the premise of a student bringing the dead back to life, the film dishes out everything from undead cats to an undead severed head that's extraordinarily horny, shortly followed by a whole hoard of naked zombies running around. It is one fast-moving film with loads of blood and guts, and some truly freaky scenes.

My score: 4.5/5
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24:  Sleepy Hollow

Fear of: the headless horseman.

The legend of Sleepy Hollow makes for a fine and dandy Disney film and a seminal folk tale, but in Tim Burton's hands, it is a devilishly awesome adventure flick for Halloween. It gets pretty gnarly, with its images of the headless horseman slicing and dicing his victims, with bleeding trees and foggy forests, and with elements of witchcraft thrown in the mix. The film has a decent story, a strong cast of characters, and a great sense of fun. It is a refreshingly bold re-imagining of the classic legend.

My score: 5/5
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23:  Event Horizon

Fear of: the ship is alive!

Event Horizon is one scary place. The titular spacecraft is as oppressive-looking as they come, with its dark industrial walls studded in metal spikes, a catwalk cutting across something that looks like a giant meat grinder, and with blood and gore hanging off the walls. It's as if Paul WS Anderson took some inspiration out of the Doom and Quake video games and made his own hellish horror show out of this film (and chances are that's probably the case). The story and characters aren't too terrible, the atmosphere is genuinely creepy, and the overall concept did freak me out when I first saw it. It still is one of the best space-themed horror movies I know of.

My score: 4/5
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22:  House on Haunted Hill (1999)

Fear of: crazy ghosts!

Even though this film is not very well-received critically, it has been a favorite of mine for a long time. In this version of House on Haunted Hill, the ghosts are genuinely threatening, thanks to the wicked deaths and the onslaught of visceral imagery that portrays them as truly inhumane spirits. The story takes a bunch of unlikely turns, the ending does pump out a bunch of special effects that haven't held up well, but it is still one fun thrill ride, with plenty of freakiness to satisfy.

My score: 4/5
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21:  Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Fear of: mall zombies.

After surviving the Night of the Living Dead, there comes the Dawn of the Dead, a semi-post-apocalyptic vision where the zombies are everywhere now, and a small band of military dudes hole themselves up in a mall infested with these flesh-eating grubs. The movie has its share of blood and gore, which is wicked, but this is also the most classic example of how terrifying classic zombies can be; yeah, they move slow, but in one massive hoard they can overwhelm you and rip your guts out if you make even the slightest lapse in judgement. Above all, the film dips into some amusing satire, showing zombies shuffling around the mall; seriously, aren't all malls like this anyway?

My score: 4/5
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To be concluded...

October 27, 2013

Film: Al's Top 100 Horror Films Part 3

Part 1
Part 2

60:  Children of the Corn

Fear of: kids.

The film starts off with what must be the most messed-up thing imaginable: children massacring their parents and taking over a whole town. Things remain tense when a hapless couple drives into the town and falls victim to the children's unholy rituals. Only from the scary mind of Stephen King...

My score: 3.5/5
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59:  The Birds
Fear of: duh, birds!

Alfred Hitchcock flexes his muscle in building suspense and terror in this harrowing scenario. It takes a little while for the bird-pocalypse to get going, and once it does, there's no real explanation or solution given. It's just a thrilling experience to watch these characters cope with the onslaught of the birds and the chaos following. With Hitchcock's competent direction, it remains a solid, respectable classic.

My score: 4/5
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58:  Constantine

Fear of: angels and demons.

From the Hellblazer comic series, John Constantine is a dude who wields a cross-shaped crossbow, small globes of holy water, and other neat toys to vanquish and exorcize evil demons. The film ventures into some visually-fantastic territory, as Constantine travels to hell and back and unravels a mystery that could lead to the apocalypse. The film has some action, but much unlike other comic-book movies, action is not really the selling point: this film is more like a hard-boiled theological mystery, full of atmosphere and thrills.

My score: 4/5
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57:  Cabin in the Woods

Fear of: anything you pick.

Yeah yeah yeah, we've all seen movies about cabins in woods, where stupid teens get themselves killed by some evil zombies or something. Cabin in the Woods gives us that, but with a clever twist: it turns out that this particular cabin in the woods is a simulation, with a control room observing the action and herding the hapless characters to their doom. Once the characters realize what's going on and find their way to the control room, they unleashes an incredible bloodbath in the film's last act, which is extremely wicked and imaginative.

My score: 4.5/5
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56:  Signs

Fear of: crop circles and the aliens that make them.

Crop circles! What are they? What made them? What do they mean? Signs is by far the one and only film I've seen that actually addresses these questions, and on a deeper level, asserts that these things may be "signs" of a greater calling. On the surface, however, the film is a pretty slick thriller with some light humor, plenty of poignant emotions, a lot of style, and some genuinely creepy scares.

My score: 4.5/5
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55:  Final Destination 2

Fear of: logging trucks, fire escapes, dental offices, panes of glass, barbed wire, explosives, and water.

Continuing the novel premise of Final Destination, a new batch of people escapes a tragedy (a massive car accident involving a logging truck; probably still the most incredible mess of car wrecks ever caught on film), and they all struggle to escape the Grim Reaper's vengeance once again! The deaths in this film are the craziest, wickedest, and most imaginative of the series. The movie moves at a brisk pace and entertains tremendously. Best of all, it does its best to add on to the first film and continue the franchise in a logical direction (much unlike the third, fourth, and fifth films). Final Destination 2 remains my favorite of the series, for it is pretty gnarly.

My score: 4/5
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54:  From Beyond
Fear of: stimulating a certain gland that will make you see beings from another dimension!

From Beyond is one of a very few films successfully adapted from the works of HP Lovecraft, by far the scariest writer I've read. The man was well ahead of his time, always speculating on life from other worlds and dimensions, and they were always weird, bizarre, totally inhuman creatures. The film From Beyond presents a total onslaught of such creatures, all very weird and gnarly, and as they terrorize the scientists, a ton of bloodshed ensues. With a slight undercurrent of S&M, the film is very freaky and wicked!

My score: 4/5
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53:  Midnight Meat Train

Fear of: some dude with a hammer.

From one of Clive Barker's stories, Midnight Meat Train is as wicked as it sounds: some murderer whacks people on a train, and hauls the corpses away as meat. It's pretty crazy and inhumane as it is, watching people being butchered like animals, but the finale pulls out a pretty frightening twist that puts it on a wholly different level of creepy. Vinnie Jones plays the killer as wickedly as ever, while the film overall is slick and stylish.

My score: 4/5
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52:  Hostel

Fear of: foreign places.

Hostel definitely has its share of bloody violence and ugly-looking torture. What makes it so frightening, however, is that there are supposedly places actually like this; an underground circle where the rich pay to do whatever they want to a human being (including brutal murder). Despite a cast of really dumb characters, the film is tense and gripping all the way to its bloody conclusion.

My score: 4/5
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51:  High Tension (Haute Tension) 

Fear of: a serial kidnapper...or is it?

This French film kicks off in pretty standard slasher-movie territory, with a crazy maniac kidnapping a girl and driving off with her. As things go on, though, not all is what it seems. The film pulls out a pretty slick plot twist, which doesn't exactly jive with the events that well, but it is a noble attempt to turn something trashy into something smart. The film is pretty grisly and suspenseful, and it's a wicked experience overall.

My score: 4/5
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50:  The Hitcher (1986)

Fear of: hitchhikers.

The Hitcher is one freaky character. From beginning to the end, the film just throws the main character from one intense situation to the other, right up to a very wicked finale. Rutger Hauer is genuinely creepy, the things he does is seriously crazy, and it's pretty frightening to think about how you'd handle it if you were in this situation

My score: 4/5

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49:  Ghost Ship

Fear of: a ship-load of ghosts.

If nothing else, everybody knows this movie for its gnarly opening scene, in which a whole deck-load of people are cut in half by a flying cable. From then on, the film remains consistently fun and intriguing, with plenty of paranormal encounters and fun characters to follow. Above all, it is a solid story with a very clever twist at the end; one that's genuinely rather creepy, and makes the final shot all the more intense.

My score: 3.5/5
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48:  Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Fear of: going to sleep.

This is the first in a long line of films featuring Freddy Kruger, the psycho, sardonic killer lurking in people's nightmares. Within various dreamscapes, the film successfully digs up some imagery that's fantastically creepy, wicked, and surreal. It makes for a thriller that's both tense and scary.

My score: 4/5

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47:  Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Fear of: Leatherface and his family.

This is still one of the most visceral and rough-looking movies I know of. It's not nearly as graphic as its title suggests (although the 2003 remake certainly is), but it's still disturbing and creepy, thanks to the way the film lingers on so many disturbing details in the grungy settings, and the horrific nature of the murderous family. Even though the film has a pretty daft cast of characters, it is genuinely creepy and sick, and full of suspense.

My score: 3.5/5

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46:  Cabin by the Lake

Fear of: uninspired screenwriters.

Here it is, one made-for-TV movie that really is good enough to be on any top-100 movie list. Originally aired on the USA channel, this short film presents the uniquely satiric and wicked tale of Stanley, the screenwriter whose research for horror scripts leads him to actually kill people. It is pretty creepy to watch this guy (played surprisingly well by Judd Nelson) drowning his victims and arranging them in a demented little underwater garden of death. It makes for one of the funnest, most thrilling, most audience-friendly serial-killer movies available.

My score: 4/5
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45:  Saw

Fear of: deathtraps.

At its time, Saw was one of the most visceral and most unique pictures, and is the progenitor of the modern "torture porn" craze. Even though the film has some rough-looking parts, Saw is not really all that bloody; it's more successful at suggesting violence, as the audience watches in suspense as the characters struggle through their various deathtraps and are forced to make hard decisions. That's the other neat thing about Saw: the main villain never actually kills anybody, but forces everybody to kill themselves through his diabolical traps. There is a point to it too, revealed with a clever twist that puts the entire story into a decent perspective. Despite being a tad bit trashy, the film is wicked, stylish, and quite well-made, and still offers enough to contemplate. I've seen six of these films, but the first one remains my favorite of the lot.

My score: 4/5
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44:  Day of the Dead (1985)
Fear of: zombies!

In this follow-up to George A Romero's Dawn of the Dead, the zombie hoard is back! With a slight tongue-in-cheek attitude, the film includes some intriguing scenes where zombies are experimented on, and some of them prove to still be capable of being domesticated. Of course, that still doesn't stop them from eating lots of flesh and having all heck break lose. The film definitely has its interesting parts, and I find it most memorable for a certain zombie named Bub.

My score: 4/5

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43:  Inside (À l'intérieur) 

Fear of: some crazy woman will cut you up and steal your baby.

Of all the wickedest things...Inside is a very extreme film with a ton of blood and gore! It has a truly menacing villain who just keeps coming at the main character and just won't stop. It's an intense, morbid, and fast-moving thriller with a lot of painful-looking scenes. It might even be a bit much for many viewers, but I found it quite gripping and intense.

My score: 4.5/5

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42:  The Orphanage (El Orfanato)

Fear of: ghosts.

In this day and age, it seems like blood, guts, sex, and cheap jump-scares drive most horror films, but this Spanish film is one refreshingly original exception. It doesn't rely on scare tactics, it's inherently non-violent, but it is still atmospheric enough to work. It's a pretty decent story with intriguing twists, and it is a well-made piece of work.

My score: 4/5
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41:  The Skeleton Key

Fear of: hoodoo!

This is a pretty unique supernatural thriller, set in the deep south, with its focus on the mysterious powers of hoodoo. The film sets up an intriguing mystery. It is a very slick and stylish film, with purposeful pacing, and a decent story attached to it.

My score: 4/5
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To be continued...