Horror movies are not for everybody. Not only do some people
dislike being scared, but the genre as a whole often asks us to buy into some
high-concepts, most of which border upon ridiculous. This Blogger has always
been neutral on the genre; neither a disbeliever or a die-hard fan…but on occasion
we get a great film that can transcend its horror obligations and work as true
cinema. And like any other film, a horror flick can be judged by story,
characters, acting, and technical merit…with a few added factors such as
scariness and re-watchability.
Now, do you want to see something really scary?
This list is a combination of objectivity and of this
Blogger’s favorites over the years, and that opens the creaky door for WITCHBOARD
(1986). A story about a woman who gets obsessed with a spirit (or two) connected
to a Ouija Board, this film scared the pants off me when the ultimate evil
baddie, called Malfeitor, shows up out of the shadows in the form of a creepy
old guy with a white beard, followed by a bowel-moving evil laugh. Mostly
forgotten and basically obscure, WITCHBOARD is a night-terror for me and an
easy entry into this Top 10.
Rob Zombie’s THE DEVIL’S REJECTS (2005), is also an easy
entry into this list because it is one of the few horror flicks that makes it
into my annual October rotation. A gritty throwback to the brutal and bloody
1970’s era of blunt filmmaking and backed by classic southern rock tracks,
REJECTS tells the story of a family of serial killers who spend the film
becoming some of the most despicable screen-villains in history. And then, in a
genius move, the finale suddenly finds a way to make us feel sorry for them.
It’s a flip-flop that is effective and makes the film memorable and noteworthy.
And the closing scene is the best ever usage of Free Bird in a movie.
M. Night Shyamalan’s THE SIXTH SENSE (1999) gets a little
too much attention for its big-wow twist at the end which turns the entire
viewing experience upside-down. It’s great, but it often overshadows how good
of an old-fashioned ghost story it really is. Heavily influenced by the great
Alfred Hitchcock, M. Night creates plenty of scares, and most of all, a
mystery…which keeps the audience engaged at all times.
It may not be the scariest film ever made (although it has
its moments), but Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA
(1992) has a lot of strong points as a film. It is visually stunning, beautifully
scored, has an iconic look in Gary Oldman’s Count Dracula, and as a
Dracula/vampire story it draws heavily and faithfully from the book while also pulling
material from nearly aspect of the vampire legend; Coppola did his homework
here and it shows. Above all, it serves as a love story…which makes it one of
the most unique entries in the genre.
Isolation is a scary thing. But what’s even more scary is
being isolated with a killer beast hunting you. And what’s even more scary is
being isolated with that killer beast in a place where there is nowhere to run
or hide…and that’s makes Ridley Scott’s ALIEN (1979) a perfect horror flick. A
nice mash-up of sci-fi and Horror, ALIEN brought about some of the most
memorable scares and blood-splashing scenes in history.
Prior to 1984, there was Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy,
and the Wolfman…and then the late and great Wes Craven introduced Freddy
Krueger to the world in A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. A killer who only exists in
people’s dreams, Craven capitalized on the isolation factor, while inserting
some real scares (Freddy’s creepy stretching arms and the body bag moving on
its own scared the shite out of this Blogger) and a character which stands the
test of time.
Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO (1960) is the great-granddaddy of
horror films. Based on the best-selling book, Hitchcock solidified his legend
as the master of suspense with some chilling scenes involving a staircase and a
shower (simple things masterfully turned frightening), and is the earliest example
of the slasher-genre. Coupled with a mystery and some shocking twists and
turns, PSYCHO is a scare-fest and an exquisitely crafted movie.
Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of THE SHINING (1980) often
gets criticized for not being faithful to Stephen King’s book of the same name and
for having an ending which Horror fans and cinema buffs debate to this day.
These criticisms don’t mean much, because Kubrick creates an atmosphere which
creeps those shivers down the spine at all times. From a creepy little kid, ghostly
twin-girls, spectral bartenders, a gut-twisting score…and a performance by a
young Jack Nicholson, who exerts pure evil with just one glance, THE SHINING is
a finely crafted film which still has a presence in pop-culture.
Pop-culture may have been forever altered by Steven
Spielberg’s JAWS (1975) as well, but that’s not the only reason this film,
about a killer shark which terrorizes a resort town, makes the list. JAWS is
often overlooked as a Horror movie because it takes place during the bright
summer and doesn’t involve slashers or any supernatural elements. But the
scares are genuine. In 2015 this Blogger celebrated the film’s 40th
anniversary by seeing the film on the big-screen, and the crowd, which
contained many newcomers, jumped out of their seats in all the places Spielberg
intended 40 years ago. JAWS hasn’t aged a day, and longevity is the best test
of any film in any genre.
Having grown up in a religious family which truly believed
that the Devil existed and could arrive at any moment, this Blogger was not
allowed to watch William Friedkin’s THE EXORCIST (1974) as a child, and that
was probably a good thing. THE EXORCIST, which tells the tale of a young girl
possessed by the Devil and does battle with two priests, taps into that primal
fear deep inside…that feeling and knowledge that pure evil does exist. The film
takes that feeling and gives it a body, a face, and a voice…making for a
frightening experience as good tries to do battle with the ultimate evil. Faith
is shaken, beliefs are tested, and pants are pissed in as the scares come in
doses. Friedkin somehow creates a film in which even during the quieter times,
there is always a feeling of something being off, of something being wrong.
It is un-nerving, disturbing, and gets everything right in horror and in film.
THE EXORCIST is the top of terror.
REEL SPEAK’S TOP 10 HORROR MOVIES
- THE EXORCIST
- JAWS
- THE SHINING
- PSYCHO
- A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
- ALIEN
- BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA
- THE SIXTH SENSE
- THE DEVIL'S REJECTS
- WITCHBOARD
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