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
--------------------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
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
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)
16: The Cell
15: Triangle
14: The Ring
13: In the Mouth of Madness
12: The Descent
11: Alien
10: Silent Hill
9: Bram Stoker's Dracula
8: Let the Right One In (Låt den Rätte Komma In)
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7: The Omen (1976)
6: The Exorcist
5: Silence of the Lambs
4: Antichrist
3: The Mist
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
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
--------------------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
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
--------------------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
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
--------------------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
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
--------------------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
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
--------------------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
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
--------------------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
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
--------------------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
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
--------------------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
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
--------------------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
8: Let the Right One In (Låt den Rätte Komma In)
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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
--------------------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
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
--------------------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
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
--------------------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
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
--------------------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
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
--------------------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
2: The Thing (1982)
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
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.
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.
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.
