Your All-Time Favorite Horror Movies (and Why?)

[lazario]

Now, there have been a lot of list and compilation type posts on this sub-board since everyone first got on this board.

But I don't think we've ever had a Favorite topic and then a - why(?) explanation after it.

Since T thinks there is no difference between a "great" horror film and a horror film you like for personal reasons, I want to prove him wrong.

This post is all about YOU, who you are as a movie fan, and your personal tastes.


Here are a few of mine (I'd do more but it's getting really late and I'm tired) :





My #1 favorite horror film of all-time is Killer Klowns from Outer Space. I like it because it's scary, which it is. But I love it because it's colorful - there's color everywhere, it has a lot of makeup and special effects, there's blood and a little gore, the music is cheesy and organ-driven (see: Carnival of Souls, which I also love), there are a lot of sound effects, it takes place entirely at night, there aren't a lot of people in any given space (remember: one of the PLUSSES I gave to Phantasm II), the two main-character guys are really good looking, Suzanne Snyder is a great screamer. I've been impressed by this movie since the first time I saw it, every time I've watched it, I've been overwhelmed by my deep respect. It never gets old for me. It took a kind of one-shot novelty idea and they did everything a filmmaker could do with it. This movie is almost perfect.




This movie was just MADE for me. It's an anthology where every one of the "stories" have something I love. The movie is bathed in Suspiria-esque color constantly, the comic book feel is surreal and disorienting which I love, the music score is un-fucking-believable. I like the music because it's got a touch of vocal / choiral female siren-wailing, which I always like a touch of in my horror movies whenever I can get it. And a lot of the chords are really distorted. And in fact, the music sounds almost like there's a kind of John Carpenter attempted affect to it. Especially in the 3rd "story" (The Tide one).

The first story has a thick black humor running throughout the whole thing. And again, mean spiritedness. Before HBO's Tales from the Crypt, there was Creepshow. The second "story" has a running theme of insanity / dementia. A story theme I'm obsessed with. Especially the performance of Jordy's father / the "college" doctor guy - "this is going..to be extremely payyyynnful, Mr. Verril..." And the fact that Jordy starts to hallucinate. Which is another of my favorite themes- the music gets trippy, his vision is blurred, a green light really drifts over that bathtub, and everything is colored green (one of my favorite colors).

The third "story" is probably my favorite. Overcast skies (which I LOVE, especially if you're lucky enough to get it in a horror movie / see: Bad Taste, another favorite of mine) while the characters are on the beach, the wind is blowing (I'm a huge fan of wind blowing in a shot as an effect / see: Phantasm), the music is wickedly lush and then it gets synth-heavy. Then, the revenge theme (which I do like when it's built-up well), GREAT-looking zombies, and the main character gets paranoid and starts losing his mind (again, the insanity theme returns).

The fourth "story" has as its' main highlight for me personally... a classic "Bitch" character - Wilma. Adrienne Barbeau's performance is amazing. She plays this as a real kind of "hag" horror role. And, then- GREAT gore. Charlie Gereson's face being bitten and clawed open is a really awesome moment. And the Dexter character starts going insane.

The fifth "story" has another theme I'm a huge fan of - an evil person. This guy isn't a jerk, he's completely heartless, greedy, and absolutely evil. But listen to what he says, especially when Mrs. Castenmeyer asks him how many people he's killed - "Only the stupid ones. Only the ones who handed me a knife and then stretched out their throats. Only the ones who, if you'll pardon the expression, fucked up." That's mean-spirited. But it gives you an amazing villain. Someone you have to hate. But he's just so good at being evil. And he's so bitter. But why, right? He seems to have everything a guy like him could want.




Speaking of movies I like for the storyline. Gremlins takes a completely boring idea, the It's a Wonderful Life picture-postcard town at Christmas time, which all the 'straights' (as Bill Murray refers to "normal" people as in Ghostbusters 2) feel is a real kind of sacred cow, and shows that some people are out of a job and almost homeless. The movie paints a bleak picture of a town struggling... Then, throws a hoard of murderous, anarchic, havoc-inducing little monsters at them. Stylistically, it's colorful because it's got a Christmas theme (which I love, Christmas is my favorite holiday), I love snow so it's fun for me to watch a snowy movie, and the movie has a straight-forward way of shooting and editing the scenes together.

Then, of course, there's the famous stair-climbing chair death scene. Which is such an extremely absurd image that it's funny, amusing, and still horrifyingly morbid at the same time. A combination I think is great. Not to mention these creatures are rampaging and causing a lot of damage to property, which again, is not good for the townspeople - who's going to pay for it all? Everyone's in such hardship that they probably couldn't afford to pay insurance.




This really is not one of Argento's best movies. But it's one of my absolute personal favorites. What I like about it is - the amazing score which has a lot of synth (mixed that cool organ that I love), there's a lot of blood in the death scenes, and I love the architecture. The scenes take place in a lot of ultra-white stylish buildings. I love hospitals and so, that love of white rooms and buildings carries right into this movie. Not to mention, there's glass and breaking glass (which I love), a plotting / deceptive female character with dark hair, movie telephones, a superficial mystery theme, a beach on an overcast day, a crazy character, a theatrical / operatic ending with a great hysterical scream(er), rain - these are all things I love to see in a horror movie.

[piggsy]

In no particular order...

Nosferatu: Eine Symphonie Des Grauens

Despite being an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula, Nosferatu is a very creepy and well-made horror film. What makes it so special is Max Schreck's haunting peformance as Count Orlock, the very representation of plague and death. From his stiff movements like those of a corpse to his rat-like face, I can't imagine how audiences reacted to that in 1922. It certainly scared me.

The Devil's Rejects

Rob Zombie pulled no punches in this killers-on-the-road thriller. From the disturbing opening scene featuring a deformed man dragging a dead woman to the bloody shootout ending, The Devil's Rejects grabs you by the jugular and never lets go. Zombie manages to make it all believable with endearing characters played magnificently by veteran actors such as William Forsythe, Michael Berryman, Sid Haig, and Ken Foree. If anybody knows how to execute 70's style horror, it's Rob.

The Blair Witch Project

You have to give a movie credit when it gives you nightmares after it's been revealed to be completely fake. What makes Blair Witch so compelling is what we do not see. Every kid will tell you that the scary noises in the dark are always scarier than what's making them. Mysterious stick figures, piles of rocks outside tents, and the long-abandoned house of a child killer all play a big part in this heart-stopping arthouse masterpiece.


More to come...

[lazario]

See - I didn't know those were your favorite movies.

Hopefully everyone who posts something here will come back later when they've thought of more examples.

And try to make it as personal as possible. Think about specific things that really 'made' the movie great for you personally.

[piggsy]

Here's a couple more.

Friday the 13th part III

What made this movie the stand out for the series is the feel and style of it. It retains that Friday the 13th aura, but moves it to a new location. That barn was very creepy, and felt like a villain on its own. Plus, Richard Brooker's acting was amazing. He made Jason scary. He made the characte come off as a perverted, sadistic embodiment of evil. Another reason why I believe this is the best of the series is the lead girl. She was very endearing and very attractive without coming off as a bimbo. I also have to mention the creative death scenes, including the infamous "death by walking on hands" scene.

Halloween H20

In 1998, at the tender age of six, I was already a major horror fan. When I heard a new Halloween was coming out, I was very excited. Even though my parents didn't take me to see it, I rented it every chance I could once it hit video. I loved how it traded in a high body count for suspense and character development, like the original. Plus, it turned me on to Creed. Say what you want, but it's one of my favorite bands.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2

Nowadays, filmmakers love to combine horror and comedy, but the results are mostly terrible. Back in the 80's, there were a ton of horror-comedies that were actually good, and this is probably my favorite. Tobe Hooper created an amazing and hugely entertaining script, full of truly twisted moments. A woman being forced to wear her friend's face? That's just messed up, and I love it. Bill Moseley's character Chop Top remains one of my favorite horror baddies, thanks to his charisma and memorable lines ("liiiiiiiick my plate"). And I dare you to look me in the eye and tell me you didn't love seeing Leatherface and Dennis Hopper engage in an epic chainsaw battle!

[tsmooth31]

THE BLOB- its just an overall perfect movie, it has suspense, some pretty good kills, great blob FX for its time, and the surprising scene where the kid gets killed

SEASON OF THE HUNTED- redneck hicks getting killed, plus muse watson play a great role as the main good guy, great little revenge type movie made on about a 100$ budget

INTRUDER- the best slasher ever made hands down, also the best death scene in a movie

SAW- prob the best theater realesed horror movie i have ever seen, some brutal kills, a great soundtrack and an amazing ending, a perfect movie


and yea there is alot more but i dont feel like thinking right now

[piggsy]

I liked Saw, but it's the ending that made it great. I swear to you, the first time I saw it I was in shock.

[tsmooth31]

yea me too, easily one of the greatest twists endings ever, i am never really shocked by endings but this one really got me

[lazario]

Jun 9, 2008 14:58:40 GMT -5 tsmooth31 said:

SAW- prob the best theater realesed horror movie i have ever seen, some brutal kills, a great soundtrack and an amazing ending, a perfect movie

I do want to see that movie, but I refuse to pay money for it. I keep waiting for it to come on Comcast On-Demand.

I really don't have high hopes for it, though.

[piggsy]

I've seen it on Sci-Fi before. I'd definitely recommend at least renting it.

[tsmooth31]

yea it has been on sci fi alot, why are you such a cheap bastard laz, go pick it up im sure its cheap now or just rent it

[shunty]

I hope this topic wasn't made just so you can bash our choices, hopefully not, but anyway here are my favorite horror movies i have seen (so far). Just like everybodys they could change easily.

My favorite horror movie is also my favorite MOVIE of all time. It isn't necessarily horror, but watching it was the most terrifying experience of my life. David Lynch's Inland Empire.

Other movies are:
Session 9 directed by Brad Anderson (the Machinist)

Eraserhead directed by David Lynch (Mulholland Drive)

Suspiria directed by Dario Argento (Tenebre)

The Last House on the Left directed by Wes Craven (Hills Have Eyes)

Jacob's Ladder directed by Adrian Lyne (Fatal Attraction)

Sinful directed by Tony Marsiglia (Lust for Dracula)

Shock-o-rama directed by Brett Piper (Drainiac)

The Thing directed by John Carpenter (Halloween)

The Wicker Man directed by Robin Hardy (The Fantasist)

Rosemary's Baby directed by Roman Polanski (Repulsion)

Creepshow directed by George Romero (Dawn of the Dead)

Ginger Snaps directed by John Fawcett (The Dark)

Hellraiser directed by Clive Barker (Nightbreed)

[lowkey]

Night of the Living Dead (68)--This was the first zombie movie I ever watched, and probably still my favorite, though Dawn runs neck and neck with it. Aside from the zombies, it's just a great film. Good acting, believable characters, and one of the most claustrophobic atmospheres I've seen in a movie.

Dawn of the Dead (78)--I was about 18 or so when I finally watched this. This is the one that really made me start to love zombies. Night had planted the seeds, but Dawn finished the job.

Return of the Living Dead -- Not as great as Dawn or Night, but it perfectly blends horror and comedy. I'd go as far as to say it would be harder to imitate this one than either of those, but fortunately(or not ) everyone wants to imitate Romero instead.

Hellraiser -- I remember when this came out, Freddy and Jason were still in their prime, but they were already starting to get ridiculous. Hellraiser came along, and was sort of promoted as just another slasher. It turned out to be happy surprise that it was far more intelligent than that, and far more brutal and gory on top of that.

Evil Dead 2--LOL another great horror-comedy. This is the one that put the series on the map for me, and kept me laughing all the way. One of my all-time favorite movie scenes comes from this one--the one where the Cabin itself, and Bruce are laughing hysterically.

Friday the 13th 3--This one scared me. It's one of the only movies to ever do that. If I had of been older when I first saw it, I'd probably have laughed at it. Seeing as I was only 5 it scared the shit out of me, and for that I respect it still.

Friday the 13th 7--Not the bloodiest, or most brutal Friday, but I like the fact that the heroine pretty much kicked Jason's ass all over the place. Sure Nancy eventually kicked Freddy's ass, but she was a typical horror movie leading lady until the last 30 minutes or so. Tina on the other hand didn't take any shit from Jason. Once he came for her, she unleashed a psychic ass whooping, unlike any I've seen in any other slasher film. I'd like to see this happen more. I just wish she had of had a much longer battle with him than she did. I did hate that her dead father pulled Jason back into the lake in the end though--Tina should have caused him to spontaneously combust or something, and then pissed on his ashes for good measure.

[piggsy]

Jun 9, 2008 22:11:54 GMT -5 lowkey said:

Tina should have caused him to spontaneously combust or something, and then pissed on his ashes for good measure.

Watching Lar Park Lincoln urinate sounds like good times to me.

[Necroscope]

A lot of the main ones have been covered already, so I won't talk about those. I'll talk about some others that I really enjoyed.

Re-Animator: A great story (adapted from Lovecraft, of course) that incorporated some very dark humor. The stand out of this movie, though, is Jeffery Combs. He manages to take an obsessive, and, at times, despicable character and makes you like, nay root for, him. Brilliant!

Audition: Although not that old, this movie had a great impression on me. A solid 2/3 of this movie is so ordinary, that it's almost a little boring. Then all of a sudden, it u-turns on itself and becomes one of the most fucked up things you've ever seen in your life. I left the theatre shaken. The best part? It introduced me to Takashi Miike...

The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre: This movie achieved its goal so well, that you almost believed you were watching a snuff film. And the scene where Leatherface slams the sliding door shut spelled a change in audience perception of horror from that point on. Beautifully shot and genuinely creepy.

Ravenous: This movie felt like it wanted to be a cannibal film, and a zombie film, and a comedy, and a re-telling of the Wendigo myth. The fucked up thing? It succeeded at all of them. A highly underrated film, with some great performances, that managed to balance horror and dark comedy on a razor's edge.

Near Dark: I am not much of a vampire fan , and I sincerely wish that the last 15 minutes of this film did not exist. However, that being said, leading up to that 15 minutes is my favorite portrayal of modern vampires. The life of the vampire seemed very alluring, until you got down beneath the surface, and it became very apparent that not everyone was cut out for this kind of "life". And, quite frankly,I could watch Lance do his thing all day.

Man Bites Dog: While not technically a horror movie, per se, it is horrific in nature. A simple premise, shot very cheaply, but the performances and the script make all the difference in this one. To watch the main character wax poet one minute, and murder a child the next, speak philosophically about why people live in certain colored houses one minute, then rape a pregnant woman he'd killed the next. It is a roller coaster ride that never quite lets you forget who you're dealing with, despite his charisma...

Brotherhood of the Wolf/Silent Hill: I've put these two together for a reason. That reason being Christophe Gans. I know, I know. Silent Hill is a video game movie, and Brotherhood isn't quite a horror movie. I just love Gans' use of cinematography. That guy knows how to set up a shot, and get maximum effect out it. Two beautifully filmed movies, each of which has their downfalls (SH more than Brotherhood), but are riveting from a visual standpoint.

That's it for my humble contribution to this list. Please let me know what you think of some the movies I've posted, as I don't believe I've seen much talk of some of them around the boards.

[lazario]

Jun 9, 2008 17:46:09 GMT -5 shunty said:

I hope this topic wasn't made just so you can bash our choices, hopefully not

If you tell me the personal reasons you like them (which is the true intention of this topic) - it's impossible for me to bash your choices. ... in this topic.

[piggsy]

Yeah, I was sure you were going to bash me for listing Devil's Rejects or Blair Witch.

[lazario]

Well, they hurt the horror genre. But if you like them for personal reasons, it's taken out of perspective of the genre. Therefore, I can't bash it.

But let's try and remember - details are important. Lets get to know each other's tastes a little better.

[tsmooth31]

lets see how long it takes laz to explode in this topic

one of my alltime fav movies was the texas chainsaw massacre remake, it was superior to the original in every way possible, great acting, cast, FX, editing, lighting, it just blew the original out of the water

[lazario]

Jun 10, 2008 17:44:15 GMT -5 tsmooth31 said:

lets see how long it takes laz to explode in this topic

That's a funny thing to say. It's completely out of place here. But I'll remember that you said it.

Jun 10, 2008 17:44:15 GMT -5 tsmooth31 said:

one of my alltime fav movies was the texas chainsaw massacre remake, it was superior to the original in every way possible, it just blew the original out of the water

Gee, now I get why you said what you said above. But... do you get it??

You are provoking me. You are trying to start an argument. Just like you always do. In fact, look at the way you keep bringing me up in every single topic you post in. Because you always try to start a fight.

You know for a fact that The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a superior film. We already discussed it, and... In fact, you're gonna love this: everyone was on my side and agreed that I was right - the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre is better than the remake. Piggsy agreed. Dave agreed. And at least one other member agreed with me as well. I have won this on Two Levels - I've won on the majority level. And I've won on the detailed explanation, education level. And, you brought up the IMDb... The average rating on the remake is 6.0. The average rating for the original is 7.4. You said you believed they were right - so, I guess in your opinion, you just proved me right.

You may not have liked it as much as the remake. But that doesn't mean the remake is superior.

Plus, I can't believe you even like the remake. It's a completely stupid, idiotic movie with no social relevance - which the original had in spades. No idea of subtlety whatsoever - again, which the original had. And the characters were basically cut-outs from the Friday the 13th movies. I saw the trailers and tv-spots for this remake, I saw the making-of on E! The characters in the original film were not horror movie cliches. And Jessica Alba is a shitty actress. She has no talent. She cannot emote. She was only hired because a bunch of FMH reading straight jerk-offs like her.

The original was ground-breaking. It is literally looked at as a God among films. The remake is a dime-a-dozen piece of shit. They hired a frickin' MTV-type music video director to do a quick-job. The only people who did any work on the movie were the technical crew. Anything artistic or ambitious... they tossed those qualities in the garbage.

And if you think having a bigger crew of people to do "acting," FX, and lighting - than you think a bigger budget makes a better movie. I thought you said that the best horror movies being made today were "low budget." Were you lying? Besides, the fact th

The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre was not designed to have big-time blood and gore FX. So don't you dare give me bullshit about the remake having better FX. The filmmakers didn't want to make it a bloody, gory movie. And look what they made - like Piggsy and others have said just recently, they freaked audiences the fuck out. And they did it without blood and gore. When Pam was hung on the hook, you didn't see anything. But guess what? People FELT it. People felt PAIN sitting there and they did it because the filmmakers made the audience use their brains to feel pain.

To make it bloodier and gorier, again - it would be like a Friday the 13th flick. Now, I love those (and I'll get to them soon on my "Favorite"s). But, this one has its' own unique approach. And again, that's why it's as well known and loved and studied and respected as it is.

And editing... Please, tell me exactly why, in your opinion, the editing in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre isn't great? The editing is one of the reasons it's so fucking famous. The filmmakers had one of the most ambitious plans for editing the movie. For instance, the famous Franklin kill. When he says, "Sally, I hear something, stop. Stop!" and Leatherface JUMPS into the flashlight's beam and goes at Franklin with the chainsaw... That is one of the biggest, most classic SCARES in cinema history. People (the ones who pay attention) NEVER forget that scene. The way the editor timed the beats for that scare are so good, and completely original. We owe that film. Without that scene, at least 2 DOZEN effective horror movie scares coming out after Texas Chainsaw Massacre would never have happened.



So, for everyone who is thinking I am bashing T's choice - I'm not. I'm pointing out something wrong that T did and giving him correct information.

Remember that he did this on purpose. And I won't have him soiling the good name of a horror masterpiece and claiming a shitty movie is great FOR A REASON OTHER THAN the fact he didn't like it.

He didn't say TCM '03 was great, he said the original sucked. So he broke my rules.

[malbowski13]

DAY OF THE DEAD(80's version)- My favorite zombie film (although it could have used the score from Dawn of the Dead). It is depressing and claustrophobic,just like having to live in that kind of world. Bonus points go to the asshole "Barnes" and to the loveable "Bub", the first zombie to make you sympathize with the undead.

NIGHT OF THE DEMONS- This film takes everything cool from the 80's and rolls it up into one nice package. Great tunes,FX,dialogue, and minor-actor performances make this a durable treasure to own or even watch.

MY BLOODY VALENTINE- My favorite slasher. Only one or two red herrings to be found and is still
a powerhouse.(I hate how some slashers just bombard you with creepy character after suspicious character after psychotic character,etc.) The whole setting is appealing to me.Small mining town,local bar,everyone knows each other,etc.

PHANTASM- Other than Jason, my favorite franchise. The score alone is enough to watch all these back-to-back. I love the disco-ness of this late 70's mindfuck. Once again, a cool setting
and likeable characters was enough to hook me. Also contains numerous but effective jump-scares and a killing sphere. 'Nuff said.