Part 2
Part 3
40: Cronos
Fear of: robot spiders.
Guillermo Del Toro's debut film is a one-of-a-kind gothic fairy tale, centered around a cool spider-like machine that grants eternal life. It is an endearing story with endearing characters and plenty of endearing ideas. It's a bit small in scope and scale, especially compared to the director's later works, but that's one of the things that makes it all the more charming. I remember it being an excellent story.
My score: 4/5
--------------------Guillermo Del Toro's debut film is a one-of-a-kind gothic fairy tale, centered around a cool spider-like machine that grants eternal life. It is an endearing story with endearing characters and plenty of endearing ideas. It's a bit small in scope and scale, especially compared to the director's later works, but that's one of the things that makes it all the more charming. I remember it being an excellent story.
My score: 4/5
39: Hellraiser
Fear of: Pinhead, tearing your soul apart!
Holy crap, this movie has some really gnarly and wicked blood and guts! Once the otherworldly puzzle-box gets solved, some really freaky extradimensional beings appear and mix things up in really twisted ways. At its core, the film explores some stark themes of sadomasochism.
My score: 4/5
--------------------Holy crap, this movie has some really gnarly and wicked blood and guts! Once the otherworldly puzzle-box gets solved, some really freaky extradimensional beings appear and mix things up in really twisted ways. At its core, the film explores some stark themes of sadomasochism.
My score: 4/5
38: A Serbian Film (Srpski Film)
Fear of: filmmakers.
This film is sick. It very purposefully crosses the line on certain issues, all to prove just how sick it really is to cross such lines; for most audiences, it's just too much, and I can't blame them. However, I've always felt this was a very good-looking picture, with great composition, solid performances, and a heck of a style. I've always been intrigued by the story. Above all, it does have some interesting themes worth exploring. It is, however, a very harrowing and depressing picture that I would never wish upon anybody else.
My score: 4.5/5
--------------------This film is sick. It very purposefully crosses the line on certain issues, all to prove just how sick it really is to cross such lines; for most audiences, it's just too much, and I can't blame them. However, I've always felt this was a very good-looking picture, with great composition, solid performances, and a heck of a style. I've always been intrigued by the story. Above all, it does have some interesting themes worth exploring. It is, however, a very harrowing and depressing picture that I would never wish upon anybody else.
My score: 4.5/5
37: The Devil's Backbone (El Espinazo del Diablo)
Fear of: ghost boy. Pay no attention to the unexploded ordinance in the courtyard.
One of Guillermo Del Toro's earlier and more touching pieces of work, this film focuses on boys in an orphanage, and a ghost with ominous warnings. The plot unfolds beautifully, with a great cast of characters and superb filming. Throughout, it maintains a dark and creepy tone, and it remains one of my favorite ghost stories.
My score: 5/5
--------------------One of Guillermo Del Toro's earlier and more touching pieces of work, this film focuses on boys in an orphanage, and a ghost with ominous warnings. The plot unfolds beautifully, with a great cast of characters and superb filming. Throughout, it maintains a dark and creepy tone, and it remains one of my favorite ghost stories.
My score: 5/5
36: The Wicker Man (1973)
Fear of: cultists.
There is something inherently freaky about cults. Perhaps because they're entire groups of people that are inhumanely conditioned to act and think a certain way. In The Wicker Man, the main character comes across a freaky isolated cult that revels in pagan worship, of which he becomes the centerpiece of their rituals. The film is consistently suspenseful and creepy, but reaches an appropriately somber climax.
My score: 4/5
--------------------There is something inherently freaky about cults. Perhaps because they're entire groups of people that are inhumanely conditioned to act and think a certain way. In The Wicker Man, the main character comes across a freaky isolated cult that revels in pagan worship, of which he becomes the centerpiece of their rituals. The film is consistently suspenseful and creepy, but reaches an appropriately somber climax.
My score: 4/5
35: Misery
Fear of: your biggest fan.
Another fine adaptation from Stephen King's novels, Misery is one unique story that doesn't rely on any outlandish supernatural terror or excessive blood and guts. It's just about a writer trapped in a house with an obsessive fan. Kathy Bates delivers one seriously creepy performance, exuding a stark split personality that's halfway motherly and halfway psychotically fanatical. These strong performances, a few well-placed scenes of pain, and a cold isolated locale makes the film very successfully tense and chilling.
My score: 4/5
--------------------Another fine adaptation from Stephen King's novels, Misery is one unique story that doesn't rely on any outlandish supernatural terror or excessive blood and guts. It's just about a writer trapped in a house with an obsessive fan. Kathy Bates delivers one seriously creepy performance, exuding a stark split personality that's halfway motherly and halfway psychotically fanatical. These strong performances, a few well-placed scenes of pain, and a cold isolated locale makes the film very successfully tense and chilling.
My score: 4/5
34: Martyrs
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33: [REC]
Fear of: an apartment building filled with zombies.
Chances are that you may recognize the Americanized version of this film - Quarantine - which was shot-by-shot the exact same. [REC], however, is at its freshest and most original. Even though it gets really frantic with the camera work and a lot of characters yelling at each other, it maintains good tension and atmosphere as the camera follows the people around during a quarantine, followed by various zombie attacks. [REC] uses a lot of gimmicks to make itself look creditable and real, and it is really successful that way. I actually don't usually like these types of films, but [REC] is a rare exception, and it is a truly freaky experience.
My score: 4/5
--------------------Chances are that you may recognize the Americanized version of this film - Quarantine - which was shot-by-shot the exact same. [REC], however, is at its freshest and most original. Even though it gets really frantic with the camera work and a lot of characters yelling at each other, it maintains good tension and atmosphere as the camera follows the people around during a quarantine, followed by various zombie attacks. [REC] uses a lot of gimmicks to make itself look creditable and real, and it is really successful that way. I actually don't usually like these types of films, but [REC] is a rare exception, and it is a truly freaky experience.
My score: 4/5
32: [REC] 2: Fear Revisited
Fear of: demonically-posessed zombies taking over an apartment.
[REC] is a heck of an experience as it is (remade in America as Quarantine, which is essentially the exact same movie, but swapped out the demonic stuff in favor of glorified rabies). It can be a little too jarring to watch with the erratic camera work, but its composition is top-notch. This sequel manages to continue the story with frightening results: I was seriously freaked out when the characters explored the building's attic spaces and beheld some strange and otherworldly phenomenon. This movie had some damn scary scenes, and if I found them scary, then you'd probably be freaked out too. The hand-held camera work is still dominant, making everything appear authentic and real (even though the camera does bounce around a lot). As good as the first film is, this second one is my favorite of the lot, for it genuinely did creep me out.
My score: 4/5
--------------------[REC] is a heck of an experience as it is (remade in America as Quarantine, which is essentially the exact same movie, but swapped out the demonic stuff in favor of glorified rabies). It can be a little too jarring to watch with the erratic camera work, but its composition is top-notch. This sequel manages to continue the story with frightening results: I was seriously freaked out when the characters explored the building's attic spaces and beheld some strange and otherworldly phenomenon. This movie had some damn scary scenes, and if I found them scary, then you'd probably be freaked out too. The hand-held camera work is still dominant, making everything appear authentic and real (even though the camera does bounce around a lot). As good as the first film is, this second one is my favorite of the lot, for it genuinely did creep me out.
My score: 4/5
31: 28 Weeks Later
Fear of: even more zombies!
28 Days Later has its moments, but I always enjoyed this sequel a grade more; it dispenses with the shakey camera work and tells a straightforward story. Even though it is the exact same type of story that's been told before, it is stylish, exciting, and pretty grisly. Both 28 Days and 28 Weeks Later stand as must-see zombie movies; I just happen to like this one most consistently.
My score: 4/5
--------------------28 Days Later has its moments, but I always enjoyed this sequel a grade more; it dispenses with the shakey camera work and tells a straightforward story. Even though it is the exact same type of story that's been told before, it is stylish, exciting, and pretty grisly. Both 28 Days and 28 Weeks Later stand as must-see zombie movies; I just happen to like this one most consistently.
My score: 4/5
30: The Fly (1986)
Fear of: Brundlefly.
It's easy to think of transporter beams on Star Trek terms, beaming matter all around very cleanly and usually without incident. The Fly presents the scary notion that teleporting matter could fuse things together accidentally. This remake of the classic 1958 film takes things even further to explore the horrifying transformation and decay of the human body after such an experiment. The film tells a tragic story with compelling characters, and a lot of gnarly effects. Even though the classic version is a good story in its own right, I think this remake captures the horror of the situation the best.
My score: 4.5/5
--------------------It's easy to think of transporter beams on Star Trek terms, beaming matter all around very cleanly and usually without incident. The Fly presents the scary notion that teleporting matter could fuse things together accidentally. This remake of the classic 1958 film takes things even further to explore the horrifying transformation and decay of the human body after such an experiment. The film tells a tragic story with compelling characters, and a lot of gnarly effects. Even though the classic version is a good story in its own right, I think this remake captures the horror of the situation the best.
My score: 4.5/5
29: Creepshow 2
Fear of: wooden Indian statues, oil slicks, hitchhikers, and plants.
Even though this sequel to the first Creepshow is not particularly well-liked, I personally always enjoyed it as much as its predecessor. The film presents just a few stories, but they are good ones. There's the story of the wooden statue that comes to life and takes revenge for some murdered store owners. My favorite is the story of a bunch of teenagers stuck on a raft, with a gnarly water creature waiting in the water to eat them. The last is a about a hitchhiker that just won't die. In between, there are some funky animated segments which tell the story of a kid getting bullied, and then getting revenge. It's still one fun thrill ride, and I think it's a decent follow-up to the first film.
My score: 4.5/5
--------------------Even though this sequel to the first Creepshow is not particularly well-liked, I personally always enjoyed it as much as its predecessor. The film presents just a few stories, but they are good ones. There's the story of the wooden statue that comes to life and takes revenge for some murdered store owners. My favorite is the story of a bunch of teenagers stuck on a raft, with a gnarly water creature waiting in the water to eat them. The last is a about a hitchhiker that just won't die. In between, there are some funky animated segments which tell the story of a kid getting bullied, and then getting revenge. It's still one fun thrill ride, and I think it's a decent follow-up to the first film.
My score: 4.5/5
28: Creepshow
Fear of: zombies, grass, the ocean, bugs, a crate monster, and voodoo dolls.
Stephen King and George A. Romero joined forces to deliver Creepshow, an anthology of five creepy stories. The first involves a dead dude rising up to claim his Father's Day cake. My favorite has always been the second story, starring King himself, as a farmer becoming covered in alien grass. The third involves a guy buying his wife and her lover in the beach, where the tide comes in and they see how long they can hold their breath. The crate monster sequence is freaky as heck, and the story of Mr. Pratt with all the cockroaches is genuinely creepy. In between, a little boy also gets a hold of a voodoo doll and takes revenge against his father for taking away his comic books. All of these stories are a blast, told with a cool pulpy style, and featuring quite a broad cast.
My score: 4.5/5
--------------------Stephen King and George A. Romero joined forces to deliver Creepshow, an anthology of five creepy stories. The first involves a dead dude rising up to claim his Father's Day cake. My favorite has always been the second story, starring King himself, as a farmer becoming covered in alien grass. The third involves a guy buying his wife and her lover in the beach, where the tide comes in and they see how long they can hold their breath. The crate monster sequence is freaky as heck, and the story of Mr. Pratt with all the cockroaches is genuinely creepy. In between, a little boy also gets a hold of a voodoo doll and takes revenge against his father for taking away his comic books. All of these stories are a blast, told with a cool pulpy style, and featuring quite a broad cast.
My score: 4.5/5
27: Eden Lake
Fear of: I don't like the looks of those teenagers...
Eden Lake is by far the one movie that's ticked me off the most. I just couldn't stand to watch this poor couple constantly getting harassed and ultimately hurt by these stupid hoodlums. The film takes it to the Nth degree, and that makes it a very hard-hitting experience that underscores just how bad things can get when it comes to the youth in modern society. This film illustrates just how criminally sad things can be.
My score: 4/5
--------------------Eden Lake is by far the one movie that's ticked me off the most. I just couldn't stand to watch this poor couple constantly getting harassed and ultimately hurt by these stupid hoodlums. The film takes it to the Nth degree, and that makes it a very hard-hitting experience that underscores just how bad things can get when it comes to the youth in modern society. This film illustrates just how criminally sad things can be.
My score: 4/5
26: Insidious
Fear of: some ghost stalking a little boy.
Insidious is one of the most recent movies that genuinely frightened me. Although the film is often criticized for having a weak last act (complete with a guest appearance by Darth Maul...I mean, a demon that looks like Darth Maul), the film has a ton of freaky occurrences and imagery that hints at the terror of otherworldly forces. It is truly creepy to see ghostly handprints or images in photos and other stuff. It is pretty standard ghost-story fare, but the film makes the most of its potential and delivers some genuine scares.
My score: 4/5
--------------------Insidious is one of the most recent movies that genuinely frightened me. Although the film is often criticized for having a weak last act (complete with a guest appearance by Darth Maul...I mean, a demon that looks like Darth Maul), the film has a ton of freaky occurrences and imagery that hints at the terror of otherworldly forces. It is truly creepy to see ghostly handprints or images in photos and other stuff. It is pretty standard ghost-story fare, but the film makes the most of its potential and delivers some genuine scares.
My score: 4/5
25: The Re-Animator
Fear of: severed heads.
One of only a few films based on the works of HP Lovecraft, and this film is perhaps most famous for its onslaught of gnarly and crazy bloodshed. With the premise of a student bringing the dead back to life, the film dishes out everything from undead cats to an undead severed head that's extraordinarily horny, shortly followed by a whole hoard of naked zombies running around. It is one fast-moving film with loads of blood and guts, and some truly freaky scenes.
My score: 4.5/5
--------------------One of only a few films based on the works of HP Lovecraft, and this film is perhaps most famous for its onslaught of gnarly and crazy bloodshed. With the premise of a student bringing the dead back to life, the film dishes out everything from undead cats to an undead severed head that's extraordinarily horny, shortly followed by a whole hoard of naked zombies running around. It is one fast-moving film with loads of blood and guts, and some truly freaky scenes.
My score: 4.5/5
24: Sleepy Hollow
Fear of: the headless horseman.
The legend of Sleepy Hollow makes for a fine and dandy Disney film and a seminal folk tale, but in Tim Burton's hands, it is a devilishly awesome adventure flick for Halloween. It gets pretty gnarly, with its images of the headless horseman slicing and dicing his victims, with bleeding trees and foggy forests, and with elements of witchcraft thrown in the mix. The film has a decent story, a strong cast of characters, and a great sense of fun. It is a refreshingly bold re-imagining of the classic legend.
My score: 5/5
--------------------The legend of Sleepy Hollow makes for a fine and dandy Disney film and a seminal folk tale, but in Tim Burton's hands, it is a devilishly awesome adventure flick for Halloween. It gets pretty gnarly, with its images of the headless horseman slicing and dicing his victims, with bleeding trees and foggy forests, and with elements of witchcraft thrown in the mix. The film has a decent story, a strong cast of characters, and a great sense of fun. It is a refreshingly bold re-imagining of the classic legend.
My score: 5/5
23: Event Horizon
Fear of: the ship is alive!
Event Horizon is one scary place. The titular spacecraft is as oppressive-looking as they come, with its dark industrial walls studded in metal spikes, a catwalk cutting across something that looks like a giant meat grinder, and with blood and gore hanging off the walls. It's as if Paul WS Anderson took some inspiration out of the Doom and Quake video games and made his own hellish horror show out of this film (and chances are that's probably the case). The story and characters aren't too terrible, the atmosphere is genuinely creepy, and the overall concept did freak me out when I first saw it. It still is one of the best space-themed horror movies I know of.
My score: 4/5
--------------------Event Horizon is one scary place. The titular spacecraft is as oppressive-looking as they come, with its dark industrial walls studded in metal spikes, a catwalk cutting across something that looks like a giant meat grinder, and with blood and gore hanging off the walls. It's as if Paul WS Anderson took some inspiration out of the Doom and Quake video games and made his own hellish horror show out of this film (and chances are that's probably the case). The story and characters aren't too terrible, the atmosphere is genuinely creepy, and the overall concept did freak me out when I first saw it. It still is one of the best space-themed horror movies I know of.
My score: 4/5
22: House on Haunted Hill (1999)
Fear of: crazy ghosts!
Even though this film is not very well-received critically, it has been a favorite of mine for a long time. In this version of House on Haunted Hill, the ghosts are genuinely threatening, thanks to the wicked deaths and the onslaught of visceral imagery that portrays them as truly inhumane spirits. The story takes a bunch of unlikely turns, the ending does pump out a bunch of special effects that haven't held up well, but it is still one fun thrill ride, with plenty of freakiness to satisfy.
My score: 4/5
--------------------Even though this film is not very well-received critically, it has been a favorite of mine for a long time. In this version of House on Haunted Hill, the ghosts are genuinely threatening, thanks to the wicked deaths and the onslaught of visceral imagery that portrays them as truly inhumane spirits. The story takes a bunch of unlikely turns, the ending does pump out a bunch of special effects that haven't held up well, but it is still one fun thrill ride, with plenty of freakiness to satisfy.
My score: 4/5
21: Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Fear of: mall zombies.
After surviving the Night of the Living Dead, there comes the Dawn of the Dead, a semi-post-apocalyptic vision where the zombies are everywhere now, and a small band of military dudes hole themselves up in a mall infested with these flesh-eating grubs. The movie has its share of blood and gore, which is wicked, but this is also the most classic example of how terrifying classic zombies can be; yeah, they move slow, but in one massive hoard they can overwhelm you and rip your guts out if you make even the slightest lapse in judgement. Above all, the film dips into some amusing satire, showing zombies shuffling around the mall; seriously, aren't all malls like this anyway?
My score: 4/5
-------------------- After surviving the Night of the Living Dead, there comes the Dawn of the Dead, a semi-post-apocalyptic vision where the zombies are everywhere now, and a small band of military dudes hole themselves up in a mall infested with these flesh-eating grubs. The movie has its share of blood and gore, which is wicked, but this is also the most classic example of how terrifying classic zombies can be; yeah, they move slow, but in one massive hoard they can overwhelm you and rip your guts out if you make even the slightest lapse in judgement. Above all, the film dips into some amusing satire, showing zombies shuffling around the mall; seriously, aren't all malls like this anyway?
My score: 4/5
To be concluded...
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