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The Ultimate in HorrorApr 09 '01 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line There are too many poor quality horror films around but the good ones are well worth seeking out. Good horror films are rare. It is a genre largely avoided by the big names of cinema unless they are on the way up (see Johnny Depp in Nightmare on Elm Street). As there is so much rubbish around with awful acting, primitive effects and a nonsensical plot I have provided a list of the top ten horror films in my humble opinion. Most true horror fans will have seen these but if you haven't get down to the video shop and start looking. I will start in reverse order. 10) The Thing Starring Kurt Russell and a hideous shapechanging alien which has been buried in the ice for years and comes to life after being dug up. This film had scary effects for the time and also a fairly straight forward plot with a decent script. It explored that creepy idea of mistaken identity as the alien absorbs and takes the appearance of its victims. The tension is built up well throughout, particularly the blood testing scene and there is a nicely ambigous ending. 9) Scream Scream isn't terrifically scary but it deserves mention for breathing new life into the horror genre. Wes Craven's slasher film is packed with jumps and a nice slick script parodies the usual cliches of horror. The usual array of irritating teenagers are brutally murdered as the film builds to the final revelation of who did it. A familiar story but done better. 8) Jacob's Ladder This film features an excellent performance from Tim Robbins. The imagery is really creepy and effective especially the bizarre face changing figure. The whole film is dreamlike and builds to a fantastic ending twist which I won't spoil in case you haven't seen it. Well worth looking out for. 7) The Exorcist William Friedkin's epic portrayal of a young girl who is possessed. This film maximises the horror by contrast. The first part of the film sets the scene and introduces you to what seems a happy family. It then gradually builds the unsettling atmosphere as the young girl, Reagan, is possessed by the devil and consequently begins to act very strangely. The final battle between the priests and the devil is deeply unnerving. The Exorcist has suffered from its controversy and many people's expectations are too high when they watch it. It is not the scariest film ever made but it is a very good horror film. 6) Halloween A masked psycho, horror queen Jamie Lee Curtis and one of the creepiest soundtracks ever from John Carpenter, what more could you ask for? Well there are plenty of murders too, and the best maniac chaser known to horror in Dr.Lumos played by Donald Pleasance. Arguably the best slasher film ever with a good psycho in Michael Myers, a straightforward plot and even some good acting. If it is a choice between Michael and Jason, Michael wins every time. 5) Zombie Flesh Eaters A terrifically gory zombie movie full of realistically hideous zombies and some imaginitive death scenes. Set on an island to make escape more difficult, the group of victims do all the usual stupid things and are eaten one by one. This film features a fight between a zombie and a shark. Who wins? You will have to watch it to find out. 4) Dawn of the Dead The ultimate zombie film. A group of people hide out in a shopping mall, unfortunately it is full of zombies (the slow stupid kind). At first they deal with the situation fine and build themselves a comfy living space. Enter weird mad max rejects on motorbikes who want to loot the mall. Disgusting, creepy, and weird a horror classic. 3)The Evil Dead Truly scary low budget horror film with a sense of humour. The action takes place in a creepy cabin in the woods. Some creepy clues lead our heroes to the Necrinomicon (Book of the Dead) upon certain words being spoken all hell breaks loose. The scenes where the victims are being chased at high speed through the woods and cabin are especially creepy (an idea stolen by Blair Witch but done to less effect). There is also a spinechillingly creepy witch down in the cellar singing nursery rhymes. The only survivor is Ash played by Bruce Campbell. He also stars in Evil Dead II and III both worth watching. 2) Nightmare on Elm Street Freddy the lovable child killer is still genuinely creepy in this film before they ruined him in the awful sequels. This put Wes Craven at the top of the horror world and created probably the most famous horror character of recent years - Freddy Krueger. The teenagers are killed in their dreams and have difficulty convincing any adults of the truth. It transpires Freddy was a janitor who killed some kids and was burned alive by the parents and now he is haunting his killers children in their dreams. Some genuinely creepy scenes and an extremely evil killer. It was a highly original film and still looks good apart from Johnny Depp in his silly crop top. 1) Hellraiser A Clive Barker film about the minions of hell and their quest for souls. A young girl unwittingly solves a puzzle box which opens the gateway to hell and allows Pinhead and his sidekicks to come through. She is forced to make a bargain to save her life and agrees to lead them to another soul that escaped from hell, her uncle Frank. The sets and imagery are superb and all on a relatively small budget. The cenobites are hideous and menacing and the dream sequences are chilling. Very gory, very atmospheric with a good plot and excellent characters possibly the best horror film ever. Films that almost made the list include The Shining, Night of the Living Dead and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  |
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