There are many films that have yet to be released on DVD and Night of the Creeps is one that always appears atop a wishlist. I had never seen the film before, for mainly that reason, and I figured I wouldn't be seeing it any time soon. However, FearNet, an on-demand channel of Comcast cable, has come through by offering it at the moment. For the most part, the selection is usually slim at best and the only other time that they have ever been able to "thrill me" (one of the running lines of Night of the Creeps) is when they offered Slaughter High. However, I was ecstatic to see that I would be able to view this lesser known horror/comedy classic from the great decade that was the 80's, in High-Definition to boot!

The basic premise of the movie is an experiment gone wrong in 1959, when a capsule is released from a spaceship. The thing crashes and infects a a teen whose body is cryogenically frozen. Flash forward about 25 years or so to the current time of the movie and we're introduced to the three main characters Chris, J.C., and Cindy. It is pretty much your typical college campus romance comedy, until Chris and J.C. accidentally release the frozen body, which they were trying to steal for an initiation into a fraternity. The body goes around campus, infecting people, using slugs that live in the head to do it. The slugs get in through the mouth and you're basically screwed once it happens, for you essentially become the living dead.

Genre veteran Tom Atkins plays a huge role as a detective who was connected to that circumstance in 1959 and is called in to investigate the current murders on campus. His character ends up making half the fun of the movie, because he is such a bad ass. Most of the film's many quotable lines are delivered by Atkins and armed with his trusty 12 gauge, he makes for fun viewing.

The film enters a whole other zone when the bus full of fraternity guys, who were going to the sorority house to dance or whatever with the girls, are infected. Atkins chews up scenery at this point and is in his element, as the crazed dectective, and begins wasting as many of these "zombies" as he can. The best quote of the film is given at this point as he is looking out the window of the sorority house full of the panicked girls: Detective: "The good news is your dates are here".....Girl: "What's the bad news?"....Detective: "They're dead." Ha ha, freakin' epic. What follows is some ass kicking fun.

Chris and Cindy make for a compelling tandem as well, with the geeky guy getting the hot girl angle being played. The two play off each other pretty well and it is pretty cool to see Chris blowing heads off and Cindy using the flamethrower to kill the slugs that come out.

One thing I wanted to mention is the film Slither that came out a couple of years ago. I enjoyed that movie at the time and I was aware that it paid homage to Night of the Creeps. After seeing NOTC, I was shocked at how similar the two were. As a result, I've lost quite a bit of respect for Slither...it is way too similar to what Night of the Creeps brought to the table first.

Overall, Night of the Creeps is a perfect blending of horror and comedy. It has the suspense, action, creativity, scares, ample gore, laughs, and charm that makes it an instant favorite of mine. It's a shame that it isn't mentioned more when people are talking about the best horror films of the 80's. Maybe an official DVD release some day will help remedy this problem a little.

Remakes. Such a tricky subject. There are the ones that one-up the originals, like The Fly and The Thing. There are the ones that are serviceable and are even pretty good like Dawn of the Dead (to many people, though I don't include myself) and Night of the Living Dead. And then there are the pointless ones like Psycho. Where does the remake of what many consider the greatest horror film of all time fall? This version of Halloween decides to blend in everything about all the previous films mentioned, in regards to what they did or didn't do differently from their source counterparts.

There are essentially two movies in this remake and that is where I think the overall product suffers. The first half shows Michael Myers as a child and what caused him to snap. His stripper mom, slutty and unloving sister Judith, verbally abusive mother's boyfriend, and school bullies are the reasons given. Basically, a broken home and a pretty lame and tired excuse for Michael to become evil incarnate. The dialogue, particularly in this home of white trash, is golden cheese. Something along the line of "Shut up b*tch or I'll come over there and skull-f*ck you!" Young Myers utterting the F-bomb to his principal was golden as well. I almost had tears of laughter in my eyes because of how unintentionally hilarious the dialogue was which was rather amateurish and full of way too much profanity. The profanity and insane phrases are good for the world of the Firefly family, but it always felt a bit strange in a Halloween film. There were numerous times I snorted in disbelief at some of the stuff coming out these actors mouths, so woeful was Zombie's writing. Anyway, young Michael doesn't get to go trick or treating with his sister, who instead goes upstairs to have sex with her hideous looking boyfriend (how does something that dirty looking get a babe like that). After eating some candy corn, he grabs some duct tape and a butcher knife, murders his mother's boyfriend by taping him up and slitting his throat (how didn't he wake up?), before moving on to his sister's boyfriend whom he bashes to death with an aluminum bat. Finally, Judith gets stabbed repeatedly after Michael dons the infamous mask (taken from Judith's boyfriend who wanted to have sex with the mask on...kinky...)and cops a feel of her nice legs.

After this, the viewer is treated to a few scenes inside the sanitarium where Michael is put away and Dr. Loomis is introduced. Once again, Zombie went for an entirely different take on the character. This Loomis is mostly unlikable to me. McDowell, who is a good actor, sounds wooden, and I feel bad for some of the lines he was given to work with. However, Donald Pleasance was given some hokey lines in the original and he still made them sound majestic, but I'm not going to fault McDowell too much. Loomis also cashes in on his patients' troubles by writing a book called "The Devil's Eyes...", referencing the original film. The character of Loomis in this movie simply cannot hold a candle to the original. There is no good to him to balance out the evil of Michael.

At about the first hour point of the movie, Michael finally escapes. Along the way back to his home, he stops in at a trucker's reststop and goes into the bathroom, where we see a great cameo by Ken Foree who goes on about Taco Supreme Deluxes and how he is "Joe Grizzly b*tch!". Myers wastes this fool, slamming the hell out of him against the stall...a truly memorable kill. He takes the clas*ic mechanic suit, heads to his house, and grabs his old mask and knife from underneath the floorboards....not sure when he found the time to hide that stuff, but I've been force fed much worse before, so I went with it. And finally, adult Michael Myers with the old school outfit, albeit much more dirty emerges. And for the first time in years, I felt something small inside my gut awaken. Myers was menacing once more.

The movie then takes a rather unsettling turn at this point. We meet the trio of girls from the first, Laurie, Annie, and Lynda. Lynda and Annie, while hot, are thoroughly unlikeable, and the trio's friendship never feels as real as in the original film, not to mention that I adored each of them in the original. As I expected, Scout Taylor-Compton was the only one who turned in a somewhat memorable performance, not to mention she is freaking gorgeous in this flick. It was a bit jarring to see Danielle Harris, who was Michael's niece in Parts 4 and 5, play Annie in this one. Luckily, we get a nice shot of her ta-tas as she lustily says "F*** me" to her stooge boyfriend. Once again, silly dialogue. As mentioned, the film takes a turn once the big three are introduced...for the last 35-40 minutes, it is mostly a very rushed version of the original film. None of the suspense that made the original legendary is here and there is barely any character development with anyone. You're basically expected to have seen the original if you want any insight into who these people are. In this timeframe, there are really only two instances where I can remember anything resembling suspense, and as much as I dug Scout, she wasn't given enough to work with to make you fully feel for her. She's cute as hell though and a great screamer, so it's all good.

Thankfully, Zombie was forced to reshoot scenes and delete others, and the ending itself is completely different from the work print version that I viewed the other day that has been floating around online. I can safely say that the theatrical version is surprisingly the better version, because it omits a pointless rape scene, strengthens the character of Laurie a bit, and provides an ending that isn't almost a carbon copy of Halloween 4. One great addition had Sig Haig playing the graveyard worker from the original....naturally cussing up a storm in his usual manner...once again had me in stitches. Lastly, the theatrical cut makes Michael a little less sympathetic at the end. But this is my main gripe with the movie....its unevenness. Is Michael supposed to be human or supernatural? Does he only want to reunite with his little sister or does he want to kill her? Are we supposed to feel sorry for him or hate him? So many clashing instances are littered across the film that you just can't help but get the feeling that Zombie couldn't make his mind up. He tries to be original, but he often treads upon all too familar ground at times. Some of appearances by genre favorites in this movie began to wear thin too.

Overall, as negative as my impressions may sound, it is hard for me to blast the remake of Halloween like so many people are doing. Since I have finally come to realize that nothing is sacred and a remake without some heavy changes is utterly pointless, I can't get too worked up about how this movie does nearly the opposite of everything the original film itself did to perfection. I enjoyed some of the brutal kills, the gratuitous nudity and combined hotness of the trio, Michael's best outer appearance since the original, and the overall dark look of the film. It is certainly no masterpiece and it comes nowhere near the original, but there are far worse entries in the franchise itself. I would place this firmly behind the first four films in the series, so we're looking at a top 4 Myers appearance flick (since III has nothing to do with the franchise). I can see it becoming something of a camp clas*ic, because of how hilarious it is and how brutal some of the kills Myers pulls off are. It has the ingredients of a standard slasher. It's nothing special like the original, so don't go in expecting anything like it, other than the basis premise of the final act of the film. I like it quite a bit though and if this revokes my license as a seasoned horror veteran, so be it. I give it a 7/10 with the potential to get better over the years.

So I'm sitting here a couple of days later, thinking about the completion of the list and wondering if I did a sufficient job. I'm pleased with my efforts, but there are movies that definitely got the shaft and others that I saw which became cla-ssics, instantly causing chaos in my personal rankings. All that being said, here is a small fact I wanted to check out after finishing up. Which decade reigned supreme?

Here are the decades, from most to least appearances.

1970s- 14

1980s- 14

2000s- 10

1990s- 5

1960s- 3

1930s- 2

1950s- 1

1920s- 1

The 70s and 80s reign supreme, as expected, dominating nearly 60% of the list. The big surprise comes from the 2000s, seeing a whopping 10 movies and 20% share of the list. This shows that horror is on the uprise again, at least to me anyways. My list also shows a distinct lack of stuff prior to the 1960s...but don't get me wrong, I love those movies too.

Here are the five films, in order, I truly regretted being unable to find a spot for on the list. In retrospect, I may have done things differently, because at the moment, I just found out how much it kills me to not have any of these making the cut.

5. Carrie (1976)

Many can relate to being an outcast and it is impossible not to feel for Carrie during the whole film. Her revenge is the stuff of horror legends and I never stop getting the chills when I see her slowly glide down the steps in the school gym.

4. Street Trash (1987)

Booze that eats away people and turns them into a goopy mess after having been drunk....amazing....

3. Phantasm (1979)

The Tall Man is one of the greats of horror icons and the whole idea of the movie is creative and wonderful. This is a true regret to me.

2. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)

The main reason for this not making the cut is because I wanted to keep away from having franchises make multiple appearances, though exceptions were made with Frankenstein and even the Romero trilogy. In retrospect, this was a dumb move because the second F13 is a cla-sic and definitely the best of all the sequels. Jason makes his first real appearance and the portrayal here is the most realistic and scary of all. I have to also sneak in special nods to the third and fourth films in the franchise...they're all gems to me.

1. Zombi 2 a.k.a. Zombie (1979)

Probably the best looking zombies ever put on film and so many memorable scenes, with excessive uses of gore. First cla-ss Italian horror by Fulci. So why isn't it included on the list? I have no freaking idea. I'm speechless really...

And now for five more films that I've seen after starting the list, which I feel which definitely find a spot or seriously consider knocking one currently on the list out for.

5. Shutter (2004)

Pretty good ghost story from Asia about seeing ghosts in photographs and it has a nice conclusion. A little hard to follow at some points, but if you're a fan of Asian horror, I think you might like this one.

4. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)

I found this to be an extremely clever and charming horror film that outlines all the cliches of slasher cinema, while taking the viewer along for a ride for true slasher mayhem by the end. I found it far more interesting than Scream and it seemed more loving in its self-referential tendencies than Scream did. Easily recommended for those who love slasher movies.

3. Alice Sweet Alice (1977)

It took me ages to get my hands on this film and the latest DVD release was indeed a blessing. Alice Sweet Alice is a very good horror film and its creepiness is apparent throughout. It has a pretty good mystery to it and again, this is another movie with a wonderful beginning to it.

2. The Prowler (1981)

Man, my mind was blown after seeing this overlooked slasher. The story is about a war vet exacting his revenge after his lover back home spurned him. There are some truly great kills, Tom Savini's hand being quite clear here. I don't know how to put my finger on it exactly, but this is a freaking gem that doesn't get enough love.

1. The Beyond (1981)

Lol, here we are again. Back to Fulci getting slighted again. The Beyond is Fulci's true masterpiece to me, personifying the extraordinary in every way imaginable. It has the gore, impossible to follow story, atmosphere, hilarious dialogue, and generally over the topness that a fan of Fulci appreciates and admires. I am pleased to say that this beauty of a horror held up to my expectations. If I were re-ranking my list, this would easily make the top 30.

Well, again, this was a fun ride and I'm glad that there were people who enjoyed it.

Well, here we are, finally reaching the end of a very long journey. It took a long time and after awhile, it began to feel like a chore whenever I sat down to write up each film but...once I did start each entry, it was joy because horror films are the single most thing I enjoy talking about. I appreciate every single comment I got on the many entries and there wasn't one that made me doubt that this wasn't worth doing. Besides getting my rankings out there, I hope I managed to show just how much I love this genre of cinema and why I do so. All that being said, here is my most likely very anti-climatic pick for number one. Here I give what will probably be my favorite film until the day I die.

1. Halloween (1978 )

"I met him, fifteen years ago. I was told there was nothing left. No reason, no conscience, no understanding; even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, good or evil, right or wrong. I met this six-year-old child, with this blank, pale, emotionless face and, the blackest eyes... the devil's eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply...evil."

With this not making an appearance until now, I'm sure it was guessed a long time ago. And maybe it is even a surprising pick for my number one horror film ever. Whenever someone talks to me and sees how deadly serious I am about horror, and how much I seem to know, they are always surprised to hear that Halloween is my favorite. I guess they are looking for something a bit more obscure, something they haven't heard of. How can such a old and dirty slasher movie of all things have the qualities I find the most desirable? After all, slasher films at this point are tired and cliche ridden. However, when Halloween came out back in 1978, it was still a fresh concept. It pretty much set the standard for all slashers following it and for better or for worse, it set off a whole wave of slashers that oversatured the market in the 80s and beyond. Of course, it would be foolish to say that Halloween was the first slasher film, with such titles as Psycho, Twitch of the Death Nerve, and Black Christmas preceding it. It is clear though that Halloween blew the doors off the subgenre and brought it right into the mainstream.

The story is simple. A six year old boy murders his sister on Halloween night. Fast forward fifteen years, and we have the adult Michael Myers springing from the sanitarium the night before Halloween, his motives unclear. That is what makes this film work. The viewer is unsure why Myers focuses on a certain group of babysitters. It does become clear that he is re-enacting the very crime that he was sent away for. It effectively hammers home that evil can be anywhere, striking out unexpectably. To truly get the effect, I always ignore all the other entries in the series which brought about so many explanations and ridiculous reasons to answer why, which removed all the mysery that made this film so great. On a side note, the opening sequence may be one of the best of not only horror, but perhaps movie history.

The cast gives very solid performances, ranging from Jaime Lee Curtis, Nancy Loomis, and P.J. Soles who really felt like a group of young friends, to the unrivaled screen presence that is Donald Pleasence, who played Michael's doctor. Of course, Nick Castle gave a legendary performance as The Shape(Myers)who was a silent, terrifying menace. For someone who never spoke a word and heard nothing more than heavy breathing from, his performance is arguably the one that sticks with the viewer the most.

Carpenter and his crew really crafted a perfect film. Everything was shot masterfully and there are so many scenes that come to mind as truly chilling. Shots of The Shape being there and then being gone a second later may seem hokey to some, but even after seeing the film for perhaps the hundredth time, they all still manage to send the shivers through me. There is really not one fault with how anything looked. When I eventually found out that the film was shot in sunny California, I was shocked. They definitely did an excellent job making the viewer believe they were in sleepy old Illinois.

Not mentioning the score would be a crime itself. It is absolutely crucial to this film. The story is quite well-known now, but I'll mention it anyways. When Carpenter showed a screening of the movie without the music, he was told that the movie was absolutely terrible. When he went back with the music intact, he heard the opposite reactions. This has to be one of the finest soundtracks in a film ever. As mentioned before, Suspiria may be the only film whose score rivals this one.

Halloween doesn't need to rely on gore to move itself along. It has everything that I believe is crucial to elevate a horror film from just good status to that worthy of being bestowed the title of masterpiece. Amazing camerawork, believable characters and premise, a chilling score, and a steady build-up of suspense...Halloween is the perfect horror film and the absolute pinnacle of the genre. It is quite difficult to ever envision it being dethroned since it has been my favorite since the ripe age of 6 or so.

So, while the countdown is over, this isn't quite the end for this long list. I'm thinking about a final entry tomorrow which breaks down a couple of stats about the list, particularly how many films from each decade and so on. More importantly, I also want to reveal at least a handful of films that just missed out on making the list and also films that I've seen since the beginning of this countdown that I feel would steal a spot somewhere if I were to revamp it in the future.

I never envisioned this becoming an all year project...:? Happy Friday the 13th!

3. Suspiria (1977)

"Suzy, do you know anything about... witches?"

Ah, the masterpiece of one of the Italian maestros of horror, Dario Argento. Suspiria has been often described as a nightmarish fairy tale, a label I am inclined to agree with. The whole time you're watching it, you get a vibe that this was something designed with children in mind. With children being murdered in a school, it obviously wasn't going to go down too well, so Argento had to compensate by designing the set larger than life, so adult actresses appeared to be like children (hence doorknobs being located much further up the door than normal). As for the tale itself, it is a simple one to follow. Suzy Bannon, played effectively by Jessica Harper, is an American girl going to the best dance academy in Europe, which turns out to house a coven of witches. When you first sit down to watch it, it is clear that this is going to be a movie unlike anything you've ever seen. With Suzy walking through the terminal towards the exit, the viewer is immediately treated to lush colors of red, which creates an uneasy mood, and when the score kicks in and out, with the doors opening and shutting out the sound of rain, getting the chills is a likely outcome. It is hard for me to describe, but the movie is chock full of moments like these, where the vibrant colors and score dominate. Of course, the way the film immediately throws everything it has at you in the opening minutes is quite impressive too. I will say that it houses the most brutal and shocking opening murder scene of all time, that leaves you wondering how the film could possibly hope to top it. This murder is majestic to behold and definitely one of the main highlights, and I think those who have seen it would agree. It is hard not to appreciate the visual splendor of the movie and it is definitely one of the things that separates it from the rest of the pack, as well as the previously mentioned score by the band known as Goblin. I've said it before and I'll say it again; Suspiria is the only horror film whose score may match the brilliance of the original Halloween. It is the key in creating the atmosphere of the film. As for the story, it is often labeled as a weak point of the film, some claiming it to be non-existant, which is something I don't agree with. It has that dark fairy tale quality to it and it is as if you're watching it through the eyes of a child. Suspiria is easily one of the finest horror films ever made and a true testament to what the genre is all about. With elaborate over the top deaths, an unbelievable score, a great heroine to feel for, amazing cinematography, and unrelenting scares, Argento's true masterpiece is a feast for the eyes, ears, and heart.

2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

"My family's always been in meat."

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was just an amazing accomplishment. Shot on a shoe string budget, it turned out to become one of the best horror films of all time and remains an active franchise after 30-plus years, spawning billions of imitators and even seeing itself remade. The movie has a very obvious appeal. It looks and feels real, due to its low production value and overall grittiness and dirtiness that personifies it. As with all the horror greats, the approach to the story is simple and great, not looking to answer questions. There's no need to explain why the family is there or how they came to be in the "meat business"....you're left to imagine it and you as the viewer is simply taken along for a very realistic ride, something that you might have stumbled upon on VHS and you're unsure if it is real. TCM has so many memorable moments that it is would take me all night to list and then gush over them...after all, the movie is just one big cla-ssic, one of the giants of the horror genre, and indeed, cinema on the whole. The cast of characters are normal people and the wheelchair bound Franklin makes for great laughs, when he's not getting on everyone's nerves by how bitter he is from his situation. Seeing him take a tumble down a hill while trying to take a leak is pure comedy gold. The hitchhiker in the beginning sets the tone for the moment; this guy is completely insane and cutting his hand after showing pictures of dead cows at the meatpacking factory, and then slashing poor old Franklin is really the stuff cla-ssics are made of. The first appearance of Leatherface is iconic, the booming slam of the door forever engrained in my mind. As I said, there is just a raw feel to it all...this type of film-making seems to be a lost art these days and it is hard to ever imagine anything looking as wonderful as it, with horror films of these days usually opting for that shiny unnatural feel. Another legendary scene is when it is pitch black outside and Franklin and his sister are waiting by the van, calling for the others. Leatherface pops right out and runs his chainsaw through Franklin, and if I just hadn't had the piss scared out of me, I'm sure I would have been cheering to see that annoying ****** finished off. What follows that scene is a half hour chase of pure horror...I've heard that to some, this is exceedingly boring, but to myself, I sit there entranced every time as Sally is chased by Leatherface with the only sound being the whirring of the chainsaw and her screams as she does everything she can to get away. In the middle of this is the infamous dinner scene, sick, twisted, and perverse in every way possible. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is an unrelenting, gritty, cla-ssic that everyone who is remotely interested in horror needs to view. For some, it may feel dated, but to myself, it is one of the most harsh and unflinching movies that my beloved genre has to offer.

 

The countdown is coming to a close very soon. Just the big three left after tonight. I know the list has probably been predictable since hitting the top 10 and onward, but that just goes to show that these movies are truly elite films in the genre. There are no surprises left, but these films constantly remind me why I am into horror in the first place.

5. The Shining (1980)

"Darling. Light, of my life. I'm not gonna hurt ya. You didn't let me finish my sentence. I said, I'm not gonna hurt ya. I'm just gonna bash your brains in. I'm gonna bash 'em right the **** in. Ha, ha."

Have I ever bothered with the book? Nope. I know just about every critic of this movie points to the book's superiority, but that doesn't stop The Shining from being one of the best horror films ever made. What makes this film so highly regarded by me is the fact that it still continues to give me the chills to this day, every time I watch it. The only other horror film that can match of the feeling of isolation this one has is The Thing, previously mentioned on the countdown. It is a scary idea that you're far away from any town or civilization, stuck in a hotel for the whole winter. It is easy to understand what cabin fever really is when viewing this. And having the killer be a member of your own family is downright chilling. Jack Nicholson gives a legendary performance as Jack Torrance and you could never ask for one better. His descent into madness is amazing to watch and by the time he totally snaps, the viewer is witnessing the stuff of horror legends. There are numerous scenes that jump to mind when trying to pick a favorite. The best might be little Danny riding his trike around in circles, the wheels smacking over the hardwood floor when he leaves the rug, and then bam...those creepy little b****** just being there all of a sudden. Or how about the startling and horrifying realization that Wendy comes to when she sees that her husband has simply been writing "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" for hundreds upon hundreds of pages? And of course, the axe being driven through the bathroom door is simply cla-ss. One final thing I wanted to comment on was Shelley Duvall's performance. Far too many times do I hear people rip her acting in this. I thought she nailed the terrified and hysterical wife bit masterfully, and she truly looks cracked out of her mind. Overall, The Shining is unmatched by few of its peers and takes it rightful place in the top five of my favorites.

4. Night of the Living Dead (1968 )

Reporter: "Are they slow-moving, chief?"

Sheriff McClelland: "Yeah, they're dead. They're all messed up."

And finally, we reach my favorite out of the Romero bunch. Night of the Living Dead is easily one of the most influential horror films of all time. It marked a change in the way horror films were made and received. Just look at what came before it and then what came after it. Obviously, zombie films were never the same after this one. It is an unflinching masterpiece in dread and terror and I feel that it holds up extremely well to this day, nearly 40 years after its release. It is a cla-ssic in every sense of the word and the black and white of the film just adds to the scares; it has a unique feel to it, since films were really entrenched in color at this point. There is a simple rawness to it all and to use a favorite word of mine when it comes to describing horror: gritty. I love the simple premise of the movie, people barricaded in a house to ward off the living dead. The zombies look extremely creepy because they still look very human. The characters are wonderful in this movie and they all have something quaint about them and they mesh very well together, even though they fight and argue with each other constantly, which is what I imagine would actually take place during such a situation. Night of the Living Dead, like Dawn and Day, is filled with a sense of hopelessness. What I like most about the movie is the lack of a happy ending. While it seems like the locals have things under control, our main group is either cracked or dead. The main hero Ben, is sadly gunned down by these jerks, after he managed to survive the night. There is also little explanation for why the dead have returned, which is another plus of the film. Night of the Living Dead is my favorite zombie film of all time and nothing will ever change that. It still gets me the same feeling of desperation as the first time I viewed it. Simply a landmark film in the genre and one that is essential viewing for all taking an interest in horror films.

 

So, here we are, well over two months later. I've been insanely busy since the last blog and while I have been on GS, I couldn't muster much energy to post many comments in other blogs, nevermind making these entries. Though I am still busy, now working 65+ hour work weeks since school is out and I'm exhausted, I now have the urge to finish this countdown off. I recognize that I may have lost just about all the people who were regular guests for these entries, but I need to get this out there. Anyone who does have interest remaining after all this time is simply c-lass in my book. So with no further excuse-giving, I present #7 and #6 on my favorites list.

7. Dawn of the Dead (1978 )

"When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth."

George A. Romero. When a person hears that name, one thing comes to mind: zombies. Obviously, he didn't make the first zombie films, but he arguably made the first great zombie films, and until the disappointing Land of the Dead, he had a perfect trilogy of horror under his belt. Dawn of the Dead is the middle film of the big three and many would argue that it is definitely the best. When you sit down to think about it, the movie really has everything you could ever ask for. It has action, comedy, and horror all rolled into one stunning package. To me, it is one of the finest paced movies I've ever seen and that is saying something, since it is very rare for a horror movie to hit the 2 hour mark, and in this case, exceed it. There are so many horror films that are either flat for the first half or the wheels fall off halfway through, but Dawn of the Dead is a glorious exception...like I said, it is a tight, masterfully directed piece from beginning to end. As always with a Romero zombie event, it is laced with social commentary and I won't get into the consumerism aspect, only because it has been discussed to death. However, it is a fascinating thing to watch and something that I felt was lacking or altogether missing from the disastrous remake of the film. It is difficult to describe what makes this a favorite of mine. I'm sure many find it boring, not having enough action, and of course, the zombies are often ridiculed for having blue face paint...but Dawn of the Dead is one of those rare movies where everything is right to me. There are memorable characters, quoteable dialogue, enough zombie carnage, a great setting in the mall, and an overall foreboding yet fun feel to it all. The tag team of Peter and Stephen always brings a smile to my face and I think that may be one of the reasons I enjoy the film so much; they have great chemistry and the comraderie seems real. It's fun seeing them kick ass together. "Flyboy" also comes out of his shell and becomes a pretty cool guy too. The only one I never liked was Francine...she never wanted to have any fun. All that being said, Dawn is one of the greatest horror films ever made and one that I'll enjoy watching over and over, until the day I die....and then maybe I'll walk the Earth even then.

6. The Exorcist (1973)

"Your mother's in here, Karras. Would you like to leave a message? I'll see that she gets it."

The Exorcist...I've been in many arguments before where people on the opposing side think this movie is a comedy or something. I admit some of the scenes where Regan is possessed are over the top and the expletives this young girl hurls out can be potentially funny, but how about some of these people actually watch the film by themselves with no lights on for a change...Too many times do I hear the macho men boast about how nothing scares them...but how could it when you're sitting there with your buddies with the lights on and cracking jokes the whole time? I remember experiencing this movie the first time and I may as well admit that it wasn't at a young age. I didn't see this movie in its entirety until I was 15, around the time that they released it on DVD with the extended footage. I don't how I avoided this movie before but it had an effect on me once I did see it. I was transfixed the entire time and by the time it was all over, I couldn't believe what I had watched. The Exorcist is a clear cut contender for the scariest movie of all time and you don't have to be religious to be scared sh**less by it. And of course, it is awesome to read about how it stirred up the religious crowd. I'm certainly not religious, but I have the ability to suspend my belief while watching movies and I allow myself to get totally absorbed into it. Watching the effect that the possession has on Regan is unreal and it is simply crazy to see all this happening to a girl so young. There are so many iconic images as well, be it the terrifying image of Regan herself, the re-inserted spider crawl down the stairs, the throwing up, the pissing, masturbation with the crucifix, and of course, the exorcism itself that leaves you as spent as the priests in the movie. Tubular Bells is also one of the most recognizable and remarkable horror scores there is and it really sets and continues the mood of the film quite well. The Exorcist is in a c-lass of its own and when it comes to demon possession movies, no movie has done it better and it is likely that it will never be matched.

9. Friday the 13th (1980)



"Did you know a young boy drowned the year before those two others were killed? The counselors weren't paying any attention... They were making love while that young boy drowned. His name was Jason. I was working the day that it happened. Preparing meals... here. I was the cook. Jason should've been watched. Every minute. He was... He wasn't a very good swimmer. We can go now... dear."

One of the movies that defined my youth. Friday the 13th is a slasher that spawned a whole generation of copycats. I know I mentioned Psycho, Twitch of the Death Nerve, Black Christmas, and Halloween as the fathers and players in this field, slowly nudging the door open, bit by bit. But Friday the 13th completely blew the door off and fully brought these kinds of movies to the masses, and the 80's were full of fun romps modeled after it. All the holiday movies like April Fool's Day, My Bloody Valentine, Silent Night, Deadly Night, and so on, owe everything to this amazing piece of suspense and terror. Sure, before we were even able to leave the 80's, the formula had gotten stale, and that's why I always found the success of Scream and its spawn humourous. However, the copycats shouldn't diminish the effect F13 had on the genre, and those watching it for the first time, should remember that this idea wasn't beaten to death when it had originally come out.

What I find interesting is that I was a Jason whore when I was a youngster. The first movie, while I loved it, was never a favorite of mine back then, because like many, Jason was the guy I was familar with as the killer. The first one was always surprising for that reason of his mother actually doing the killing. So, while I didn't get the original shock of a woman (Betsy Palmer no less, which is what made it insane) being the killer, I did get a different kind: Jason wasn't all there was. The sequel was always my favorite up until sometime in the last couple of years. After all, we were introduced to Jason and I always found him more interesting with a pillowcase for a mask and the fact that he runs. Something changed though as I was preparing for a speech about the history of horror for my speech course back then. I was selecting a clip or two that I wanted to show during it, and as I watching Friday the 13th, the pieces just fell completely into place. Everything about it was perfect. The music is fantastic, the characters all had something charming about them, the kills were creative (though I hear the bed one is ripped right out of Twitch of the Death Nerve), deliciously campy humor, the element of surprise with the killer: always keeping in the shadows, seeing hands and feet, until the big reveal but most of all, the thing that sold me on the original was the suspense. Suspense, something just about nearly entry after it lacked. Suspense that ranked up there with Hitchcock. I liked how it was all so dark....the storm was just icing on the cake. Everything about it suddenly seemed so magically perfect and right. Say what you will about it, when you look back with eyes blinded by the cliches built up over a period of 20-30 years, but Friday the 13th is a king in the genre and I would give anything to see the next entry in the series go back to the formula...even sacrificing Jason in the process.

8. Audition (1999)

"This wire can cut through meat and bone easily."

This is the movie that sold me on the brilliance of Takashi Miike. Perfection. I'll probably be saying that a fair number of times now that we're into the top ten. The premise of Audition, like most of the greats, is simple. A man, trying to get over his grief of losing his wife, holds a fake audition for a show, to meet a girl that way. If that isn't creepy, I don't know what is. The first hour of the movie really plays out like a love story, with only a few signs of the weirdness about to come. I would have given anything to not hear a thing about this movie, not even see the DVD case before watching it. Because even though my stomach felt like it got kicked in, that probably would have brought me to my knees. The turn the film takes is simply unreal. That's all one can say, really. Un-freakin-real. Really, Asami is beautiful, quiet, and all around lovely...you never knew she had it in her! :shock: Multiple scenes come to mind when trying to name a favorite. When the main guy calls her and she is sitting there with her head down waiting....wow, that gave me the creeps. The fact that she just sits by the phone weirded me out. Then the bag roars and rolls a bit...and of course, her amazing smile that curls up on her face, wow. The whole vomit scene almost made me vomit and still does whenever I watch it. And the whole conclusion with the piano wire and pins is mindblowing to me. I held my breath the entire time, it was so crazy and intense. Audition is masterpiece, there's no other way to call it. Do I recommend it? Hmm.....I've had a tremendous failure rate with this movie, when it comes to lending it out to friends or when they ask me about it and rent/buy it themselves. I haven't come across a person yet in the real world who shares my sentiments. So, I'll have to say that it is a decision you'll have to take the plunge on yourself...and don't hassle me when it doesn't live up to expectations. I give the same "warning" every time....it is a slow-moving romance film a majority of the time...but it pays off by the end. In my opinion, the best I've seen from Asia to date.

Finally, the top 10...well...11 makes an apperance too. Pretty amazing and it's getting very exciting....at least to me. You guys are probably thinking this Saruman kid is milking this for all its worth. :P

11. A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)



"Do know what's really scary? You want to forget something. Totally wipe it off your mind. But you never can. It can't go away, you see. And... and it follows you around like a ghost."

This came at a point in my Asian horror viewing career where I was beginning to tire of that subgenre somewhat, just by the ones I had seen. A Tale of Two Sisters came along and crashed through the door, telling me that there are still many gems left to discover. What I found here was an unbelievably well-constructed film, a movie for the ages, even stepping outside of the horror genre. It is just an all around masterpiece, due to its creepy atmosphere, gorgeous cinematography, moving score, and intelligent storyline. It is rare to get a blending of all these traits and when its done, you see the results in how good the film is and why it is on my list. Upon the initial viewing, it is definitely a complex and relatively confusing movie. However, it doesn't frustrate you as you're still trying to put the pieces together while the credits are rolling. No, you feel that too rare urge to go back to the menu and press play again. I don't really like delving into the story at all for a film like this, because it is definitely a better thing to go in fresh. I will say that it is a masterful tale of remorse and guilt, and it requires you to be open-mined, patient, and most of all.....pay attention. Whether you consider it horror, psychological thriller, or drama...it doesn't matter, A Tale of Two Sisters is legendary. Following this advice should allow you to appreciate this chilling movie for what it is: one of Asia's (Korea in this case) very finest and one of the greatest horror films of all-time.

10. Black Christmas (1974)



"Filthy Billy, I know what you did nasty Billy!"

Canada isn't all that great but at least we got this out of them. :lol: I'm kidding of course; however, this is one of the earliest slasher films and certainly one of the very best of all-time. Depending on your definition of a slasher movie, Psycho probably holds the honor of the first, or some Italian giallo films, and of course, one must always mention Twitch of the Death Nerve, which I've been dying to see for years. No matter what, Black Christmas is still considered a pioneer in the popular subgenre, and came four long years before Halloween started nudging the door open towards bringing them to the mainstream. It is a clasic (good job forbidding that word GS) in its own right and not nearly as popular as it should be. Of course, I'm sure we all know it saw a recent remake, and once again, my self-proclaimed trained eye didn't like what it saw from the news, interviews, and trailers....so I never bothered with it as usual.

The basic storyline is one we should all be familar with, as it somewhat based on the urban legend of The Babysitter. It kind of makes me laugh because I know some casuals who scoffed at the Black Christmas remake (not knowing it was a remake), saying it copied When A Stranger Calls (once again, not knowing it was a remake of a film that blatantly copied the original Black Christmas). Anyways, the story takes place in a sorority house full of some cute, fun loving girls. Mind you, these girls did not look like supermodels, unlike the remake, and were pretty in a normal, girl next door kind of feel, which lended to the believability in their characters...though Olivia Hussey, the lead, was naturally stunning in her own right. They made me laugh with them and be worried about their safety when the sick phone calls started to come in. These phone calls are awesome. They border on being hilarious the first few times, and you're laughing with the girls...but they get creepier and creepier, and your stomach drops each time they get even more menacing. Black Christmas is what every good slasher should strive to be like. It properly builds up a tense atmosphere to the thrilling and terrifying conclusion, has iconic kills, a killer you know next to nothing about (other than piecing some clues together from his ranting phone calls), characters that are realistic and easy to get attached to, and doses of humor along the way (you gotta love the hilarity of Mrs. Mac and having booze hidden all over the house and Margot Kidder's character is hysterical the whole time). It may not have become popular like Halloween, but I would highly recommend this film, especially if you liked that one. After all, Halloween was originally planned to be a sequel to this....it is pretty interesting to watch both films with that in mind sometimes. While the idea eventually didn't come to fruition, there are instances where you can see Carpenter took quite a bit of inspiration from this movie, something he openly admits and something director Bob Clark (Yes, that Christmas Story Bob Clark) never had a problem with. That being said, Black Christmas is clearly deserving of a spot in the hallowed halls of slasher legend history.

We're really entering the heart of the list now.

13. The Omen (1976) 



"Look at me, Damien! It's all for you!"

In light of the pathetic remake, this film is made even stronger by that horrific failure. Here we have a simple story about the Antichrist being manifested in the appearance of a little boy, who looks innocent enough. That is what was so compelling about the original. You didn't have Damien going around smirking with a devilish look or just plain looking like an evil little guy. No, you had a seemingly sweet and innocent looking child, where you sometimes wondered if it was really possible. There was some ambiguity there. The original Omen had many memorable scenes, nice creative deaths that were built up to. The maid jumping out the window and hanging herself was brilliant...the look in her eyes was something else. The person that really steals the show is the clearly amazing Billie Whitelaw, as the evil and malicious Mrs. Baylock, who comes in as the replacement maid and quickly makes her intentions clear to young Damien; that she is there to help him, the son of Satan. She is truly mesmorizing on-screen, never failing to send chills down my spine. The look on her face when the score swells up in the film is one of the best scenes ever. I just mentioned the score and how can one not say that it isn't one of the strongest ever in a horror film? All that being said, The Omen remains a favorite of mine to this day because of the way it can still give me the creeps. I never bothered with the remake, but it wasn't hard to see the direction they took just through the trailers. Damien from '76 would beat the hell out of the '06 Damien.

12. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)



Tina: "Please, God..."
Freddy Krueger: "This....is God."

Yes my friends, it is finally here. One of the slasher giants from the 80's has clawed his way to the near top of the list...mmm, the puns. In all seriousness, this movie terrified the **** out of me as a child. After watching this, I would make the long journey to the other end of my house in the dark, dive onto my bed and under the covers. However, the bed wasn't exactly a safe place from Freddy; after all, he preyed upon you while you dreamed. Luckily, I somehow never had a nightmare in my life....god knows how when a 6 year old is being weaned on a steady diet of horror films...I'm so glad my parents would let me watch with them, that's the stuff memories are made of. Anyways, enough with the nostalgia. The thing that makes this film work is its creativity. Craven really got a good thing going here, thinking of the idea for a movie about a dead guy coming back to murder children while they slept, after reading about someone dying in their sleep in the newspaper one day. The whole thing is so fresh and so much different than many other slasher films that it is hard not to adore it. While the series slowly devolved into a comedy over the years, the first one was an amazingly dark film and while it did have its humor, it was only one of the blackest...not lame jokes about playing with power while killing a kid inside a video game...it is very serious and the film comes off better for it, after all the idea of being killed in your sleep seems slightly out there, so it was great how it was crafted into something believable. Every death was creative and the best would to be Tina being dragged all over the room, across the ceiling, and being sliced open, sending up a ton of blood as she crashes into the bed.  As we all know, there will never be another Freddy like Robert Englund and I hope to never live to see the day of them making a NOES film without him. Heather Langenkamp was great, one of the truly legendary Scream Queens of the genre; she was believeable, headstrong, and being gorgeous always helps too. I'll always have a soft spot for her and when she is a part of the series, it is no surprise those films are the better ones (1, 3, and 7). While it may seem somewhat surprising to see such a popular and mainstream slasher ranking highly, I assure you it is not the last...