Part 2
60: Children of the Corn
Fear of: kids.
The film starts off with what must be the most messed-up thing imaginable: children massacring their parents and taking over a whole town. Things remain tense when a hapless couple drives into the town and falls victim to the children's unholy rituals. Only from the scary mind of Stephen King...
My score: 3.5/5
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59: The Birds
57: Cabin in the Woods
56: Signs
55: Final Destination 2
54: From Beyond
53: Midnight Meat Train
52: Hostel
51: High Tension (Haute Tension)
50: The Hitcher (1986)
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49: Ghost Ship
48: Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
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47: Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
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46: Cabin by the Lake
45: Saw
44: Day of the Dead (1985)
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43: Inside (À l'intérieur)
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42: The Orphanage (El Orfanato)
41: The Skeleton Key
To be continued...
The film starts off with what must be the most messed-up thing imaginable: children massacring their parents and taking over a whole town. Things remain tense when a hapless couple drives into the town and falls victim to the children's unholy rituals. Only from the scary mind of Stephen King...
My score: 3.5/5
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59: The Birds
Fear of: duh, birds!
Alfred Hitchcock flexes his muscle in building suspense and terror in this harrowing scenario. It takes a little while for the bird-pocalypse to get going, and once it does, there's no real explanation or solution given. It's just a thrilling experience to watch these characters cope with the onslaught of the birds and the chaos following. With Hitchcock's competent direction, it remains a solid, respectable classic.
My score: 4/5
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58: Constantine
--------------------Alfred Hitchcock flexes his muscle in building suspense and terror in this harrowing scenario. It takes a little while for the bird-pocalypse to get going, and once it does, there's no real explanation or solution given. It's just a thrilling experience to watch these characters cope with the onslaught of the birds and the chaos following. With Hitchcock's competent direction, it remains a solid, respectable classic.
My score: 4/5
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58: Constantine
Fear of: angels and demons.
From the Hellblazer comic series, John Constantine is a dude who wields a cross-shaped crossbow, small globes of holy water, and other neat toys to vanquish and exorcize evil demons. The film ventures into some visually-fantastic territory, as Constantine travels to hell and back and unravels a mystery that could lead to the apocalypse. The film has some action, but much unlike other comic-book movies, action is not really the selling point: this film is more like a hard-boiled theological mystery, full of atmosphere and thrills.
My score: 4/5
From the Hellblazer comic series, John Constantine is a dude who wields a cross-shaped crossbow, small globes of holy water, and other neat toys to vanquish and exorcize evil demons. The film ventures into some visually-fantastic territory, as Constantine travels to hell and back and unravels a mystery that could lead to the apocalypse. The film has some action, but much unlike other comic-book movies, action is not really the selling point: this film is more like a hard-boiled theological mystery, full of atmosphere and thrills.
My score: 4/5
57: Cabin in the Woods
Fear of: anything you pick.
Yeah yeah yeah, we've all seen movies about cabins in woods, where stupid teens get themselves killed by some evil zombies or something. Cabin in the Woods gives us that, but with a clever twist: it turns out that this particular cabin in the woods is a simulation, with a control room observing the action and herding the hapless characters to their doom. Once the characters realize what's going on and find their way to the control room, they unleashes an incredible bloodbath in the film's last act, which is extremely wicked and imaginative.
My score: 4.5/5
--------------------Yeah yeah yeah, we've all seen movies about cabins in woods, where stupid teens get themselves killed by some evil zombies or something. Cabin in the Woods gives us that, but with a clever twist: it turns out that this particular cabin in the woods is a simulation, with a control room observing the action and herding the hapless characters to their doom. Once the characters realize what's going on and find their way to the control room, they unleashes an incredible bloodbath in the film's last act, which is extremely wicked and imaginative.
My score: 4.5/5
56: Signs
Fear of: crop circles and the aliens that make them.
Crop circles! What are they? What made them? What do they mean? Signs is by far the one and only film I've seen that actually addresses these questions, and on a deeper level, asserts that these things may be "signs" of a greater calling. On the surface, however, the film is a pretty slick thriller with some light humor, plenty of poignant emotions, a lot of style, and some genuinely creepy scares.
My score: 4.5/5
--------------------Crop circles! What are they? What made them? What do they mean? Signs is by far the one and only film I've seen that actually addresses these questions, and on a deeper level, asserts that these things may be "signs" of a greater calling. On the surface, however, the film is a pretty slick thriller with some light humor, plenty of poignant emotions, a lot of style, and some genuinely creepy scares.
My score: 4.5/5
55: Final Destination 2
Fear of: logging trucks, fire escapes, dental offices, panes of glass, barbed wire, explosives, and water.
Continuing the novel premise of Final Destination, a new batch of people escapes a tragedy (a massive car accident involving a logging truck; probably still the most incredible mess of car wrecks ever caught on film), and they all struggle to escape the Grim Reaper's vengeance once again! The deaths in this film are the craziest, wickedest, and most imaginative of the series. The movie moves at a brisk pace and entertains tremendously. Best of all, it does its best to add on to the first film and continue the franchise in a logical direction (much unlike the third, fourth, and fifth films). Final Destination 2 remains my favorite of the series, for it is pretty gnarly.
My score: 4/5
-------------------- Continuing the novel premise of Final Destination, a new batch of people escapes a tragedy (a massive car accident involving a logging truck; probably still the most incredible mess of car wrecks ever caught on film), and they all struggle to escape the Grim Reaper's vengeance once again! The deaths in this film are the craziest, wickedest, and most imaginative of the series. The movie moves at a brisk pace and entertains tremendously. Best of all, it does its best to add on to the first film and continue the franchise in a logical direction (much unlike the third, fourth, and fifth films). Final Destination 2 remains my favorite of the series, for it is pretty gnarly.
My score: 4/5
54: From Beyond
Fear of: stimulating a certain gland that will make you see beings from another dimension!
From Beyond is one of a very few films successfully adapted from the works of HP Lovecraft, by far the scariest writer I've read. The man was well ahead of his time, always speculating on life from other worlds and dimensions, and they were always weird, bizarre, totally inhuman creatures. The film From Beyond presents a total onslaught of such creatures, all very weird and gnarly, and as they terrorize the scientists, a ton of bloodshed ensues. With a slight undercurrent of S&M, the film is very freaky and wicked!
My score: 4/5
--------------------From Beyond is one of a very few films successfully adapted from the works of HP Lovecraft, by far the scariest writer I've read. The man was well ahead of his time, always speculating on life from other worlds and dimensions, and they were always weird, bizarre, totally inhuman creatures. The film From Beyond presents a total onslaught of such creatures, all very weird and gnarly, and as they terrorize the scientists, a ton of bloodshed ensues. With a slight undercurrent of S&M, the film is very freaky and wicked!
My score: 4/5
53: Midnight Meat Train
Fear of: some dude with a hammer.
From one of Clive Barker's stories, Midnight Meat Train is as wicked as it sounds: some murderer whacks people on a train, and hauls the corpses away as meat. It's pretty crazy and inhumane as it is, watching people being butchered like animals, but the finale pulls out a pretty frightening twist that puts it on a wholly different level of creepy. Vinnie Jones plays the killer as wickedly as ever, while the film overall is slick and stylish.
My score: 4/5
--------------------From one of Clive Barker's stories, Midnight Meat Train is as wicked as it sounds: some murderer whacks people on a train, and hauls the corpses away as meat. It's pretty crazy and inhumane as it is, watching people being butchered like animals, but the finale pulls out a pretty frightening twist that puts it on a wholly different level of creepy. Vinnie Jones plays the killer as wickedly as ever, while the film overall is slick and stylish.
My score: 4/5
52: Hostel
Fear of: foreign places.
Hostel definitely has its share of bloody violence and ugly-looking torture. What makes it so frightening, however, is that there are supposedly places actually like this; an underground circle where the rich pay to do whatever they want to a human being (including brutal murder). Despite a cast of really dumb characters, the film is tense and gripping all the way to its bloody conclusion.
My score: 4/5
--------------------Hostel definitely has its share of bloody violence and ugly-looking torture. What makes it so frightening, however, is that there are supposedly places actually like this; an underground circle where the rich pay to do whatever they want to a human being (including brutal murder). Despite a cast of really dumb characters, the film is tense and gripping all the way to its bloody conclusion.
My score: 4/5
51: High Tension (Haute Tension)
Fear of: a serial kidnapper...or is it?
This French film kicks off in pretty standard slasher-movie territory, with a crazy maniac kidnapping a girl and driving off with her. As things go on, though, not all is what it seems. The film pulls out a pretty slick plot twist, which doesn't exactly jive with the events that well, but it is a noble attempt to turn something trashy into something smart. The film is pretty grisly and suspenseful, and it's a wicked experience overall.
My score: 4/5
--------------------This French film kicks off in pretty standard slasher-movie territory, with a crazy maniac kidnapping a girl and driving off with her. As things go on, though, not all is what it seems. The film pulls out a pretty slick plot twist, which doesn't exactly jive with the events that well, but it is a noble attempt to turn something trashy into something smart. The film is pretty grisly and suspenseful, and it's a wicked experience overall.
My score: 4/5
50: The Hitcher (1986)
Fear of: hitchhikers.
The Hitcher is one freaky character. From beginning to the end, the film just throws the main character from one intense situation to the other, right up to a very wicked finale. Rutger Hauer is genuinely creepy, the things he does is seriously crazy, and it's pretty frightening to think about how you'd handle it if you were in this situation
My score: 4/5
The Hitcher is one freaky character. From beginning to the end, the film just throws the main character from one intense situation to the other, right up to a very wicked finale. Rutger Hauer is genuinely creepy, the things he does is seriously crazy, and it's pretty frightening to think about how you'd handle it if you were in this situation
My score: 4/5
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49: Ghost Ship
Fear of: a ship-load of ghosts.
If nothing else, everybody knows this movie for its gnarly opening scene, in which a whole deck-load of people are cut in half by a flying cable. From then on, the film remains consistently fun and intriguing, with plenty of paranormal encounters and fun characters to follow. Above all, it is a solid story with a very clever twist at the end; one that's genuinely rather creepy, and makes the final shot all the more intense.
My score: 3.5/5
--------------------If nothing else, everybody knows this movie for its gnarly opening scene, in which a whole deck-load of people are cut in half by a flying cable. From then on, the film remains consistently fun and intriguing, with plenty of paranormal encounters and fun characters to follow. Above all, it is a solid story with a very clever twist at the end; one that's genuinely rather creepy, and makes the final shot all the more intense.
My score: 3.5/5
48: Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Fear of: going to sleep.
This is the first in a long line of films featuring Freddy Kruger, the psycho, sardonic killer lurking in people's nightmares. Within various dreamscapes, the film successfully digs up some imagery that's fantastically creepy, wicked, and surreal. It makes for a thriller that's both tense and scary.
My score: 4/5
This is the first in a long line of films featuring Freddy Kruger, the psycho, sardonic killer lurking in people's nightmares. Within various dreamscapes, the film successfully digs up some imagery that's fantastically creepy, wicked, and surreal. It makes for a thriller that's both tense and scary.
My score: 4/5
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47: Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Fear of: Leatherface and his family.
This is still one of the most visceral and rough-looking movies I know of. It's not nearly as graphic as its title suggests (although the 2003 remake certainly is), but it's still disturbing and creepy, thanks to the way the film lingers on so many disturbing details in the grungy settings, and the horrific nature of the murderous family. Even though the film has a pretty daft cast of characters, it is genuinely creepy and sick, and full of suspense.
My score: 3.5/5
This is still one of the most visceral and rough-looking movies I know of. It's not nearly as graphic as its title suggests (although the 2003 remake certainly is), but it's still disturbing and creepy, thanks to the way the film lingers on so many disturbing details in the grungy settings, and the horrific nature of the murderous family. Even though the film has a pretty daft cast of characters, it is genuinely creepy and sick, and full of suspense.
My score: 3.5/5
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46: Cabin by the Lake
Fear of: uninspired screenwriters.
Here it is, one made-for-TV movie that really is good enough to be on any top-100 movie list. Originally aired on the USA channel, this short film presents the uniquely satiric and wicked tale of Stanley, the screenwriter whose research for horror scripts leads him to actually kill people. It is pretty creepy to watch this guy (played surprisingly well by Judd Nelson) drowning his victims and arranging them in a demented little underwater garden of death. It makes for one of the funnest, most thrilling, most audience-friendly serial-killer movies available.
My score: 4/5
--------------------Here it is, one made-for-TV movie that really is good enough to be on any top-100 movie list. Originally aired on the USA channel, this short film presents the uniquely satiric and wicked tale of Stanley, the screenwriter whose research for horror scripts leads him to actually kill people. It is pretty creepy to watch this guy (played surprisingly well by Judd Nelson) drowning his victims and arranging them in a demented little underwater garden of death. It makes for one of the funnest, most thrilling, most audience-friendly serial-killer movies available.
My score: 4/5
45: Saw
Fear of: deathtraps.
At its time, Saw was one of the most visceral and most unique pictures, and is the progenitor of the modern "torture porn" craze. Even though the film has some rough-looking parts, Saw is not really all that bloody; it's more successful at suggesting violence, as the audience watches in suspense as the characters struggle through their various deathtraps and are forced to make hard decisions. That's the other neat thing about Saw: the main villain never actually kills anybody, but forces everybody to kill themselves through his diabolical traps. There is a point to it too, revealed with a clever twist that puts the entire story into a decent perspective. Despite being a tad bit trashy, the film is wicked, stylish, and quite well-made, and still offers enough to contemplate. I've seen six of these films, but the first one remains my favorite of the lot.
My score: 4/5
--------------------At its time, Saw was one of the most visceral and most unique pictures, and is the progenitor of the modern "torture porn" craze. Even though the film has some rough-looking parts, Saw is not really all that bloody; it's more successful at suggesting violence, as the audience watches in suspense as the characters struggle through their various deathtraps and are forced to make hard decisions. That's the other neat thing about Saw: the main villain never actually kills anybody, but forces everybody to kill themselves through his diabolical traps. There is a point to it too, revealed with a clever twist that puts the entire story into a decent perspective. Despite being a tad bit trashy, the film is wicked, stylish, and quite well-made, and still offers enough to contemplate. I've seen six of these films, but the first one remains my favorite of the lot.
My score: 4/5
44: Day of the Dead (1985)
Fear of: zombies!
In this follow-up to George A Romero's Dawn of the Dead, the zombie hoard is back! With a slight tongue-in-cheek attitude, the film includes some intriguing scenes where zombies are experimented on, and some of them prove to still be capable of being domesticated. Of course, that still doesn't stop them from eating lots of flesh and having all heck break lose. The film definitely has its interesting parts, and I find it most memorable for a certain zombie named Bub.
My score: 4/5
In this follow-up to George A Romero's Dawn of the Dead, the zombie hoard is back! With a slight tongue-in-cheek attitude, the film includes some intriguing scenes where zombies are experimented on, and some of them prove to still be capable of being domesticated. Of course, that still doesn't stop them from eating lots of flesh and having all heck break lose. The film definitely has its interesting parts, and I find it most memorable for a certain zombie named Bub.
My score: 4/5
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43: Inside (À l'intérieur)
Fear of: some crazy woman will cut you up and steal your baby.
Of all the wickedest things...Inside is a very extreme film with a ton of blood and gore! It has a truly menacing villain who just keeps coming at the main character and just won't stop. It's an intense, morbid, and fast-moving thriller with a lot of painful-looking scenes. It might even be a bit much for many viewers, but I found it quite gripping and intense.
My score: 4.5/5
Of all the wickedest things...Inside is a very extreme film with a ton of blood and gore! It has a truly menacing villain who just keeps coming at the main character and just won't stop. It's an intense, morbid, and fast-moving thriller with a lot of painful-looking scenes. It might even be a bit much for many viewers, but I found it quite gripping and intense.
My score: 4.5/5
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42: The Orphanage (El Orfanato)
Fear of: ghosts.
In this day and age, it seems like blood, guts, sex, and cheap jump-scares drive most horror films, but this Spanish film is one refreshingly original exception. It doesn't rely on scare tactics, it's inherently non-violent, but it is still atmospheric enough to work. It's a pretty decent story with intriguing twists, and it is a well-made piece of work.
My score: 4/5
--------------------In this day and age, it seems like blood, guts, sex, and cheap jump-scares drive most horror films, but this Spanish film is one refreshingly original exception. It doesn't rely on scare tactics, it's inherently non-violent, but it is still atmospheric enough to work. It's a pretty decent story with intriguing twists, and it is a well-made piece of work.
My score: 4/5
41: The Skeleton Key
Fear of: hoodoo!
This is a pretty unique supernatural thriller, set in the deep south, with its focus on the mysterious powers of hoodoo. The film sets up an intriguing mystery. It is a very slick and stylish film, with purposeful pacing, and a decent story attached to it.
My score: 4/5
--------------------This is a pretty unique supernatural thriller, set in the deep south, with its focus on the mysterious powers of hoodoo. The film sets up an intriguing mystery. It is a very slick and stylish film, with purposeful pacing, and a decent story attached to it.
My score: 4/5
To be continued...
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