The Lady's Revenge

A year before I wrote my Top Ten Zombie Movies list, I wrote this thing. My Top Ten Horror Movies. Sort of. You see, I’m no good at picking favorites. And picking just ten movies out of an entire genre is just too daunting a task. So I wrote a Zombie list. Or, in this case, I went through my DVD collection and picked out my favorites of those movies that I owned.

ONE WEEK UNTIL THE SCARY MOVIE MADNESS BEGINS! Yay. Wait, calendar. I can read that. LESS THAN ONE WEEK. So many scary movies. My dreams are starting to be really bizarre…

My Top Ten Horror Movies

Making a top ten list of my favorite horror films is no easy task. I’m cheating and making this a top ten list of films that I own. So while something like The Re-Animator definitely has a place on my Top Ten Zombie Movie list (which I will write, I promise) it’s not on this list because I don’t yet own the DVD.

So without further ado, My Top Ten Loved and Owned Horror Films (in alphabetical order, because picking ten is hard enough):

Alien (1979) dir Ridley Scott, starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver
Alien is the perfect blend of science fiction and horror, a monster movie in space. Ridley Scott superbly builds the tension to a pulse pounding pace, effectively utilizing every tool at his disposal. There are moments of quiet, there are the jump out at you scares, there’s HR Giger’s insanely cool monster design. While the later films moved more towards action and away from horror, this first installment is the darkest and most frightening entry to the series. Also, Ripley is my favorite female heroine of any movie. I love watching her character grow from this film through the third and I think that Sigourney Weaver does a wonderful job of making her intense, strong and vulnerable all at once. A classic in many senses, Alien is one of my favorite movies ever let alone a top ten horror film.

Audition (1999) dir Miike Takashi, starring Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina
Audition is still my favorite film from the Japanese master of shock Takashi Miike. Miike is all over the place with his films but the typical fare is fast paced, intense, and deeply disturbing. His other classics such as Dead or Alive and Ichi the Killer all start with the gore in scene one and don’t relent until the end credits. Audition is different. It’s a slow meditation of the psychological state of not only its characters, but of Japan itself. Miike uses a full color palette in his cinematography, creating stunning visuals that complement the slowly unfolding story. And then, in what I feel is his most successful shock to date (although Visitor Q is up there), the entire film comes together in one concentrated moment of pure terror.

Dead Alive (1992) dir Peter Jackson, starring Timothy Balme, Diana Penalver, alt. Title Braindead
When I first showed this movie to my mom, her reaction was “they actually let that man direct the Lord of the Rings?” If you’ve ever seen this movie you’ll understand. It’s as insane as it is brilliant. It’s a zombie movie that has such an outlandish use of gore it will make you laugh just as soon as it will make you barf. I find that people tend to be either highly amused (as I am) or deeply traumatized. I believe it also at one point held a record for amounts of gallons of fake blood used. For me, it’s the perfect blend of horror, gore, and humor. The only thing Jackson is taking seriously is the level of gore, and it reaches such an amazingly high level. It’s a top ten for many reasons, including creative use of a lawn mower and the most adorable set of organs ever to crawl across the screen.

The Evil Dead (or all three) dir Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campbell
It started in 1981 (or 1978 if you count the short Within the Woods) and didn’t end until 1993. Sam Raimi has created one of the most loved horror series as well as one of the most loved horror icons. The Evil Dead was one of the first horror movies that I ever willingly watched and it convinced me that horror movies are indeed a good thing. And it just gets better with Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness. There has been speculation that part of Raimi’s goals for these movies is to come up with new and better ways to torture Bruce Campbell and his character Ash. The result? Genuine scares, fountains of blood, and the most amazing one-liners. Gimme some sugar, baby.

The Exorcist (1973) dir. William Friedkin, starring Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller, Linda Blair
The Exorcist is in my opinion the classic of the classics. I don’t care if people say it doesn’t hold up well, I disagree. I think (now I’m talking about the original, 1973 edition. I’m not a huge fan of the extended scenes as I think that they are just unnecessary) that this is possibly the most frightening movie I have ever seen. There are no fancy, flashy special effects, no cheesy monsters. There are strange noises in the attic, there are unexplained cold spots, and there is a little girl who is thrown around, tortured, and quite literally put through hell. There is the terrifying feeling that this is all too real. Regardless of whether or not this story was based on some truth, it feels like it could happen. It gets inside to the things we fear most, strange things we cannot control, things that take us over and turn us into monsters. It chronicles the disintegration of the nuclear family and the loss of faith. And for me at least, it makes me think about how sometimes the most frighten things exist right in my own head.

Night of the Living Dead (1968) dir George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea
Yeah, well, duh. If you want to see a film that is genre defining, this is the film to see. And if you claim to be a fan of zombie movies, you better have at least seen this once. Not to mention the rest of Romero’s Dead movies. Again, Romero isn’t satisfied with just offering up the gore. In fact, as far as gore goes this film is pretty tame. But Romero takes it that extra step that makes us see our own world through the filter of fear. Zombies are frightening because they are overwhelming and they don’t just kill you, they make you one of them. Romero uses his zombies to exploit the common fears of the public and the result is an ingenious blend of frights and social commentary. They’re coming to get you, Barbara!

Opera (1987) dir Dario Argento, starring Cristina Marsillach, Ian Charleson
Dario Argento is one of my favorite horror directors and Opera is my favorite of his films. His work has also been genre defining, especially among the Italian Giallo films. In his classics, such as Suspiria and Deep Red, he reveals a respect not only for horror but also for cinema as a whole. Argento knows how to use the frame, colors, and the mise-en-scene to build masterpieces that go beyond being simply great horror. Opera is my personal favorite of his films because I feel that he successfully brings together all of the elements of his other films. There is mystery, drama, fear, twists, and a subtle sexiness that seduces the audience and plays with out hearts. The revelation of the killer may not be a huge shock, but the rest of the film has enough of those to more than make up for it. Argento knows how to use a camera and his camera tells as much of a story as his script.

Phantasm (1979) dir Don Coscarelli, starring A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Reggie Bannister, Angus Scrimm
If anyone ever wondered about the possibility of succeeding as an independent horror filmmaker, this film proves it can be done. Don Coscarelli weaves a mythology of small town America, chronicling a breakdown from within. Throughout the series (there are four films) we see America slowly disappearing, one small town at a time, with only two people standing as our hope. Phantasm has its different forms of attraction; there’s the campiness of a late seventies horror film, there’s the coolness of the flying sphere, there’s Coscarelli’s ability to use the frame to frighten us with what we don’t see but know is there, and there is one the most frightening horror characters I have ever seen, the Tall Man. Phantasm proves you don’t need a big budget and fancy effects to create a successful horror franchise… now if only others would learn that lesson.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) dir Tobe Hooper, starring Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen
And we’re back to genre defining. Actually, genre defining AND low budget. Seriously, who needs Hollywood? (And don’t even talk to me about the remake. F*ing Michael Bay. I especially hate that whole “based on true story” nonsense, give me a break). I still remember the first time I saw this, it was at a party when I was in middle school and I definitely did one of those cover my eyes but peak through my fingers things. What gets me most when watching this film isn’t the visuals or the gore, although that’s all pretty fantastic, it’s the sounds. Whenever I think of it I can hear the screaming and the buzzing of the chainsaw. The film showcases depravity and proves that, no matter what Hollywood thinks, sometimes simple and gritty is more frightening than the MTV flashiness can ever be.

Halloween (1978) dir John Carpenter, starring Donald Pleasance, Jamie Lee Curtis
I sort of forgot that I do actually own this movie. I’ll admit it, I was only looking at my DVDs and I have this one on VHS. So it’s out of alphabetical order. Anyway…
Halloween is also a low budget classic. And it’s genre defining. I think a pattern has emerged here. Halloween is the ultimate teen slasher film and one of the few that I actually enjoy. For some reason, where creativity runs rampant in other parts of the genre, the slasher sub-genre tends to stagnate, at least in my opinion. Halloween however makes the rules rather than follow them. And Laurie fights back. I’m a sucker for a strong female lead and Jamie Lee Curtis is an awesome one. She herself is genre defining. Also, we can’t forget Michael Myers. His William Shatner turned inside out Halloween mask has made him an icon as well. He’s a brutal, unfeeling, unstoppable, killer who plays with his victims just as John Carpenter plays with the audience. While the Halloween franchise has gotten to be a mess, it had an incredibly strong beginning, several strong sequels (Halloween II, 4, 5) and at least Michael hasn’t ended up in space. John Carpenter has created some fantastic movies and Halloween proves that all you need is an intimidating killer, a smart girl, a sheet, and a big knife.

****

Wow, that took me forever to actually write. Ah, well, that’s my top ten. There are many other movies out there that are also amazing and even some that I like more than those ten. But like I said, this is of my own personal collection. I hope everyone enjoys this list and I welcome any feedback or recommendations! I’m always looking for something new to scare myself with.

Of course it was an incredibly tough decision so I’m not going to leave you with just those ten. Until I get to my next list, which will perhaps be about zombies, I will leave you with these other fine titles to consider:

Battle Royale (2000) dir. Kinji Fukasaku, starring Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Takeshi Kitano
*Playing with the definition of horror a little but I love this movie. It’s great.

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) dir Don Coscarelli, starring Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis

The Faculty (1998) dir Robert Rodriguez, starring Elijah Wood, Josh Hartnett, Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Shawn Hatosy, with many awesome cameos
*GUILTY PLEASURE. NOT A GOOD MOVIE. You have been warned.

Hellraiser (1987) dir. Clive Barker

Jaws (1975) dir Steven Spielberg, starring Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss
*Wait, why wasn’t this in my top ten? Um… I make no sense because this is one of my top ten favorite movies ever and I frequently use this as an answer to the question, what’s your favorite movie? I hate that question by the way. I have no one favorite movie. There are too many to choose from. But yeah, I don’t know.

Ju-on: The Grudge (2003) dir Shimizu Takashi, starring a bunch of people
*I think this is possibly one of the scariest movies I’ve seen in a long time. Ignore that American remake crap, this is the movie to watch.

Sleepaway Camp (1983) dir. Robert Hiltzik, starring Felissa Rose

Slumber Party Massacre (1982) dir. Amy Holden Jones, starring Michelle Michaels, Robin Stille, etc

Suspiria (1977) dir. Dario Argento, starring Jessica Harper

A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) dir. Ji-woon Kim

Zombie (1979) dir. Lucio Fulci, starring Tisa Farrow, Ian McCulloch, Richard Johnson
*Lucio Fulci is a master of gore. While this didn’t make my top ten it was a very close call and it is definitely one of my top ten zombie movies.

And the two that I almost forgot about: The Omen and A Nightmare on Elm Street.