40. The Descent
Neil Marshall, 2006
Neil Marshall’s tale of a group of women trapped in an underground cave is so effective and terrifying that, when the monsters show up halfway through, it’s actually kind of a relief. The violent, action-y movie that follows can’t match the creeping, gnawing dread of the first half, but is still pretty terrific in its own right. Make sure to watch the version with the original, UK ending, even though the apparently terrible sequel picked up from the weaker US ending.
39. Prince of Darkness
John Carpenter, 1987
This is generally considered one of John Carpenter’s minor works, but it’s one of my favorites. I love the central conceit of breaking theology down into quantum physics (er, sort of. . .), and the utterly relentless tension is extremely unnerving to me. Granted, I have a bit of a weakness for stories where people are turned into monsters instead of just killed by them, and this movie is chock-full of that sort of thing.
Plus, don’t even get me started on that creepy-ass tachyon-transmitted dream from the future (no, seriously, there is one of those in the movie).
38. Candyman
Bernard Rose, 1992
Candyman is a movie about an idea – quite literally, as the Candyman himself is an urban legend, a ghost that only exists because people believe in him. It’s an interesting concept that gives the movie more intellectual resonance than most and puts it right on my wavelength. Even if you don't feel the same way, Tony Todd’s booming voice will never leave your skull once you've seen it, and neither will Philip Glass’s mesmerizing score.
37. The Evil Dead
Sam Raimi, 1982
Probably the best example of can-do gumption by a bunch of nobodies who went on to be very big somebodies, The Evil Dead is cheap, nasty, and crude, but also possesses an innocence and charm that can’t be manufactured. The sequels tend to be better-loved, and are certainly better-made, but I don’t think they ever quite recaptured the magic. .
36. Slither
James Gunn, 2006
I’m a big fan of James Gunn, which is kind of weird, when you break it down. I was not a fan of the Dawn of the Dead remake and didn’t see the Scooby-Doo movies (all of which he wrote). I don’t like his Troma work. Really, his reputation is made primarily by The Specials and by this film – and really, that’s enough. Slither is a delicious cornucopia of styles and horror tropes – you have your mutation/body horror, your possession/mind control paranoia, a touch of zombies, and some big gooey latex monsters, all delivered with a razor wit and just a touch of genuine pathos.
2 comments:
oh man, those are some good movies
The big studio era is from the coming of sound until 1950, until I came in... I came in at a crux in film, which was the end of the studio era and the rise of filmmaking.
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