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My Definitive List of the 10 Best Horror Movies in Recent MemoryJun 15 '01 (Updated Mar 01 '02) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Another little list...this one is meant to scare. I have chosen to write a list about the ten best movies in the last twenty five years or so because those are the ones I love. I'm a child of the eighties, a child of the first MTV generation. My poor attention span cannot, will not stand for the slower horror movies or monster movies of eras before. I'm sorry if there are any glaring omissions, but like all other lists I write, it's the simple opinion of a simple writer. Good luck, and happy watching (bring your blankie). 10. Candyman: I have a little thing for Clive Barker. Okay, I love him. And, this is his story. It's the story of an urban legend of sorts. Children of this inner-city project (Cabrini Green) seem to think that if they repeat "Candyman" into a mirror five or so times that a murderer with a hook will come and get them. Well, in steps a student writing her thesis. She wants to study the urban legend, it's roots, and the buildings and people that surround it. Mayhem ensues. Great fun! 9. Amityville Horror: Supposedly a true story, this haunted house scares the crap out of me every time I see it. It's the story of a young family (the Lutz's) who move into a very inexpensive home on the water on Long Island. Well, there's a catch. An insane man murdered his entire family in the home just a few years earlier. They realize this, but buy the home anyway. Later, the family realizes that they've gotten a little more than they bargained for. Creepy movie based on an even creepier Jay Anson book. Not the best by far, but still entertaining. Watch it on TBS. 8. Nightmare on Elm Street: This is one of my favorite movies, and by far my favorite of this series. Wes Craven has written and directed this film about a horribly burned maniac (who is dead, mind you) that terrorizes the teens on the fabled Elm street. Heather Langenkamp stars as Nancy Thompson, the heroine of this story. Her friends are picked off one by one, but it is she that Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) really wants. Johnny Depp also stars as Glen, Nancy's ill-fated boyfriend. A very high quality slasher film. 7. Aliens: This is a sci-fi and horror film wrapped into one. It's also a sequel to 1979's classic Alien. But, to be quite honest, it's the best of the four-movie series. Sigourney Weaver stars as Ripley, the main character of each of the movies. This time around, Ripley has barely survived the events of the first movie. She finds herself waking up in a world that has gone on without her. It's 57 years after the initial movie happened, and the world in which she encountered the original alien has now been colonized. The movie centers on the continued hunt to kill the aliens that terrorize the colonists. Frightening, and definitely more horror than sci fi. Also stars Paul Reiser, Carrie Henn, Lance Henrickson, and Bill Paxton (among others). 6. Evil Dead: Ah yes, Sam Raimi's enduring gorific masterpiece has made my list. How could I possibly leave this Michigan boy's movie off the list? Five friends have decided to rent a remote cabin in the wilderness. Upon arriving, they find "The Book of the Dead." Again, the obvious begins to happen. Evil and mayhem ensue. One by one, the friends are picked off and turned into evil demons that are hell bent on killing every living scene. What makes this movie great are the special effects that were at that time groundbreaking and the great and creative use of cameras. Who could possibly forget Bruce Campbell as Ash?? 5. Halloween: This is the movie that turned Jamie Lee Curtis into the "scream queen" in the late seventies and early eighties. Curtis plays high schooler Laurie Strode. She's a normal girl who likes normal things. Well, little does she know that there is a maniac after her. Michael Myers has just escaped the institution and makes his way directly to his hometown...the place in which he committed murder years ago as a child. It's full of jumps, screams, fun, and gore. A great movie. John Carpenter did a great job with a movie that could have been a run-of-the-mill scream fest. 4. Exorcist: This is a classic choice, I realize. But, the Exorcist remains one of the freakiest movies ever. Regan (Linda Blair) is a precious 12-year old girl. But, she also seems to have a bit of a problem as becomes evident with a few odd occurrences (including a stair scene that returned to the screen with the movie's re-release). Poor Regan is possessed by a demon. Not satan, just a demon. There are alot of religious undertones to this William Friedkin movie, but all in all it's not preachy and just plain scary. This one has some of the most classic scenes in the horror genre. 3. Hellraiser 2: Hellbound: An odd choice, I know. This is actually another sequel...this time to Clive Barker's Hellraise. I chose this movie over the first because it is more creative in general. The centobites (like pinhead) are much more important in this movie. The images are so much more disturbing and graphic. The landscapes are Escher-esque. The first three movies of this series are quite good, but in my opinion this has the most to offer. Oh, and by the way, read "The Hellbound Heart" by Clive Barker if you want to read the story the series was based off of. 2. The Shining: An obvious choice, Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece was disturbing. Period. It deals with isolation and personal demons along with little Danny Torrance who has a psychic gift. Kubrick carefully assembled the sets to be as disturbing as possible. Check out all of the orange and green...very unsettling colors. The sounds are frightening, too. Jack Nicholson is Jack Torrance, the antagonist of this film. If you haven't seen it, watch it. THEN (and only then) will you know exactly what "redrum" means. Oh, and my favorite scene in the movie is the bloody hallway. 1. Silence of the Lambs: My fascination with serial killers continues with this movie by Jonathan Demme based on the Thomas Harris novel by the same name. It follows Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), a promising young FBI agent, on her journey to find information about Buffalo Bill...a serial killer that skins his victims. She must face infamous murderer Hannibal Lechter (Anthony Hopkins) to gain the information. Very twisted, and exceptionally well made...there aren't many movies out there this good. Period.  |
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by lindaohio
