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Scream, ReCoil in Terror, HideYour Eyes, Shriek !!! (Not to Be Confused With "Schrek")Aug 14 '01 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Remember the director is the key to what makes great horror (although a good hand held camera can make almost anyone a bit squeamish!) Confining this to only a Top Ten would involve leaving out so many favorites! But I'll try my best here to give you my opinion and mark the ones I prefer with a "*". Because what it comes right down to is not so much the movie but the director. If you see something you like by one of them, then rent another. The next flick may not be as horrifying as the one you originally saw, but they are usually a lot better than a bad "B", even if the back cover sounds good and has a couple of nasty looking pictures. In no particular order then: Alfred Hitchcock is still the king, although apparently, he had a bit of the weird in him. That's why his movies were concerned with mental dissection of death ("Rope"), straight out horror (*"Psycho"), voyeurism ("Rear Window"). He put his leading ladies through hell to get his desired effects. For example, In (*)"The Birds", Tippi Hedren actually was subjected to a roomful of them. He used several different "killers" in the famous shower scene in "Psycho", and to this day Janet Leigh still takes only baths. Perhaps Wes Craven is the prince, making slashers for years, but is probably best known for his (*)"Nightmare on Elm St." and "Scream" trilogy. His "bloody bed" scene in "Nightmare" is among the best for those pre-computer generated effects. By the way, if you who want to impress your friends with a bit of trivia, Freddy's face was conceived when the special effects/make-up man espied his leftover pizza. John Carpenter should be included in this royalty as well and any film created by him (don't be fooled by sequels directed by others). His earlier (*)"Halloween" is a classic, largely due to his use of hand held camera. I think the absolute scariest movie ever made was William Friedkin's "The Exorcist". I'm not sure that qualifies as "favorite" but should be included here. I had a small daughter at the time whom I had left with a roommate when I went to see this. The voice of Mercedes McCambridge coupled with pea soup and other physical manifestations (don't want to spoil it for you) frightened me so much I left the theatre. I haven't done that since, but I still can't view it and when I hear "Tubular Bells" (the theme music) I cringe. The Original Nosferatu (*from Germany 1922) takes the prize as scariest-looking creature. It's full of strange camera angles, eerie music, surprises at every turn. And if your video store doesn't carry it, ask for a copy of the remake made in 1979. Klaus Kinski is pretty creepy! The characterizations Polanski pulled out of his actors in (*)"Rosemary's Baby" were sensational! (yes, Mia Farrow really did eat raw liver). If you have seen that opt for the lesser known (*)"Lair of the White Worm" or for that matter, any Ken Russell flick. He is a bit cultish for most taste but I find him just disturbing enough for fun. Why is it that kids make the scariest monsters? They crop up every few years, the most recent being "The Sixth Sense" and "The Others". If you like your children that way (in the cinema anyway) I recommend the original (*)"The Bad Seed" with a young Patty McCormick that will make you grateful if you have only sons. I can't imagine anyone who likes horror and has yet to see (*)"The Shining". The Johnny Carson scene still scares me! And it never fails that when my kids and I travel at least one of us will write on the mirror. The (*)"Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is for those of you who just like plain blood and gore. It follows in the realm of sheer physical grossness with a fun loving family who do just what the title implies. Last but not least, for the ultimate touch of reality based terror, see Spike Lee's (*)"Summer of Sam". Now THAT'S a scary movie!!  |
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by cdm72
by lindaohio
