Well, since time is flying by we'll just finish this thing off with the top ten horror movies, all in one post.
10. The Devil’s Backbone
Guillermo Del Toro, 2001
Pan's Labyrinth got all of the attention, but this earlier film is Del Toro's true masterpiece. It's a haunting story (hah! Thank you, I'll be here all week), focusing heavily on the weight of history and the the pain and regret that people feel over their mistakes. The ghosts are really just outward manifestations of that – both metaphorically and, to a surprising degree, literally. As with Pan's, Del Toro wrings a strong set of performances out of a young cast that probably shouldn't be capable of it yet. A triumph on all levels.
9. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Tobe Hooper, 1974
Infamously violent yet shockingly non-graphic, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the most grueling, intense moviegoing experiences you will ever have. It all begins with a very particular sound – that of a flashbulb firing. It's loud, sudden, and totally mundane – yet it puts you right on edge. That sound basically typifies the movie as a whole – it's painfully normal, almost drab, but still just far enough off of center to be unnerving. Even when the movie descends into nightmarish chaos in the last third, that smothering drabness (and I mean this in a good way, despite my choice of word) is still present.
Also, and unrelated – bonus anti-PC points for having the handicapped character be an utterly unsympathetic asshole.
8. Night of the Living Dead
George A. Romero, 1968
This is zombie patient zero – the very first appearance of what we have come to know as zombies. Before this, the only sort of zombies seen on-screen were the Caribbean, voodoo-type of zombies, which are an entirely different creature. Of course, Romero’s movies are never truly about the zombies, but rather what they reveal about us. Even now, 40 years later, the ending still has the ability to enrage and shock.
7. The Thing
John Carpenter, 1982
John Carpenter's The Thing proves two things. First, that remakes can be superior to the source (especially when the source is as ridiculous and backward-looking as it is in this case), and second, that good, old-fashioned latex-based physical effects can accomplish anything. Of course, all of those brilliant effects wouldn't mean much if they were presented poorly, but fortunately, The Thing is a textbook example of how to make this sort of film. It is, essentially, flawless.
6. The Fly
David Cronenberg, 1986
Another remake that blows the original out of the water. Of course, as with The Thing, the movie is so different that it is hardly recognizable as a remake. In this case, Cronenberg has taken the bare bones of the original The Fly and shaped it into a grueling (both emotionally and viscerally) parable about aging and disease. Fantastic stuff.
5. Return of the Living Dead
Dan O’bannon, 1985
Return of the Living Dead manages to do something that very few other movies have ever pulled off – it is both scary and funny. Sure, there have been successful horror comedies in the past (several of which are on this list), but, while they succeed as comedies (which is usually the primary intent) and they succeed as horror movies, they still aren’t really scary. This one is. The zombies are incredibly menacing and frightening, but also provide some of the funniest moments I’ve ever seen on screen (“send more paramedics”). It’s a difficult tightrope to walk, but Return of the Living Dead never falls apart the way it probably ought to. Wrap it all up with that beautifully nihilistic ending, and you’ve got a winner.
4. Don’t Look Now
Nicholas Roeg, 1973
It’s all about the ending with this one, which just might be the single most terrifying moment I’ve ever experienced in a movie. The rest of the movie is terrific as well – a gut-wrenching portrait of a couple trying to move on after the death of their daughter – but there’s not much fear to be had. You could be forgiven for thinking you were watching some sort of prestige drama – which in many ways, it is. But then that moment happens, and it all changes. I shall speak no more of it until you see it for yourselves.
3. Halloween
John Carpenter, 1978
Well, it's Halloween. It's basically the birth of the slasher movie (yes, I know that it bears many similarities to the earlier Black Christmas, but Halloween took the scattered ideas of the movie and really built them into a coherent whole). When John Carpenter was in his prime, no one could wring more suspense out of a few well-chosen shots than him. No one. And this is exhibit A. Watch Laurie's long walk across the street. Watch Annie's excruciating stuck-in-the-window sequence. Watch basically any other sequence in the movie, and marvel at the way that Michael Myers is always present, always lurking in the background, sometimes so subtly you don't notice it until a later viewing.
2. The Abominable Dr. Phibes
Robert Fuest, 1971
Oh, the colors. Oh, the art deco. Oh, Vulnavia. I mean, er, oh, the wicked humor (“I think it has a left-hand thread”). The Abominable Dr. Phibes is a truly one-of-a-kind film. Lacking the use of his voice (at least on-set), Vincent Price goes completely over the top with a flamboyant, theatrical performance that is both riveting and surprisingly affecting on an emotional level. He never feels out of place, though, as the movie careens wrecklessly from bizarre to nightmarish to hilarious and back again, all the while never less than stunning to look at. I can never get tired of this movie.
1. Dawn of the Dead
George A. Romero, 1978
The best of them all, and one of my very favorite movies, period. Romero took the core of the idea he developed in Night. . . (that we are our own worst enemies) and ran with it, creating a treatise on malaise and complacency (as exemplified by consumer culture) that has never been topped. This was also one of the first movies to feature makeup effects by Tom Savini, and while they’re not really realistic at all, they are enjoyable. It’s often considered to be sort of a horror-comedy, but I don’t really think that’s true. There’s comedy to be had, mostly in the satirical aspects of the film, but it’s a wry humor, tinged with sadness. There are several cuts of this movie available, but the one you’ll want to see is the original theatrical, as the festival version drags and the Italian version is missing too much important material. That said, the festival cut does contain one scene that I really miss in the theatrical – when our heroes are procuring the helicopter for their escape, early on, they encounter a soldier who is stealing a boat for the same purpose. He asks if they have any cigarettes, they say no. The next shot is our heroes lighting up in the helicopter as it takes off. Good guys or bad guys, when the end of the world comes, it’s every man for himself.
Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
22. Nomads
Nomads
John McTiernan, 1986
A young doctor (Lesley-Anne Down)receives the memories of a dead anthropologist (Pierce Brosnan), who spent the last week of his life investigating a family of evil, nomadic spirits.
Not great, but oddly memorable - and a breath of fresh air after the crap I've been wading through lately. Once you get past the opening scenes, Down is just terrible, and it's hard to believe that anyone though it was okay to let Brosnan try that French accent. Beyond that, the movie just reeks of the 80's, for better or worse. There's just something about it, though. The core idea is a strong one, and casting the evil spirits as a sort of modern(ish) counterculture merged the supernatural and the natural in an unsettling way. A couple of sequences (Brosnan's first pursuit of the nomads; his encounter with the nun) just creep the hell out of me. I'm not sure if I can really call it a success (although numerically, I'm rating it like one), but I came away somewhat pleased, and may revisit it in the future.
6.5/10
John McTiernan, 1986
A young doctor (Lesley-Anne Down)receives the memories of a dead anthropologist (Pierce Brosnan), who spent the last week of his life investigating a family of evil, nomadic spirits.
Not great, but oddly memorable - and a breath of fresh air after the crap I've been wading through lately. Once you get past the opening scenes, Down is just terrible, and it's hard to believe that anyone though it was okay to let Brosnan try that French accent. Beyond that, the movie just reeks of the 80's, for better or worse. There's just something about it, though. The core idea is a strong one, and casting the evil spirits as a sort of modern(ish) counterculture merged the supernatural and the natural in an unsettling way. A couple of sequences (Brosnan's first pursuit of the nomads; his encounter with the nun) just creep the hell out of me. I'm not sure if I can really call it a success (although numerically, I'm rating it like one), but I came away somewhat pleased, and may revisit it in the future.
6.5/10
21. Crawlspace
Crawlspace
David Schmoeller, 1986
A creepy german doctor (Klaus Kinski) rents out rooms to young women, spies on them from the airducts, and eventually kills them.
Crawlspace has a horrendously sleazy premise - it's just too bad the movie doesn't live up to it. It has all of the narrative weaknesses that you'd expect from an exploitation movie with a premise like that - but almost none of the sex and violence. Honestly, I'm not sure how I stayed awake. What's left? Well, there are some interesting deathtraps (that only sort of come into play), and Kinski is always interesting to watch. So not much.
2.5/10
David Schmoeller, 1986
A creepy german doctor (Klaus Kinski) rents out rooms to young women, spies on them from the airducts, and eventually kills them.
Crawlspace has a horrendously sleazy premise - it's just too bad the movie doesn't live up to it. It has all of the narrative weaknesses that you'd expect from an exploitation movie with a premise like that - but almost none of the sex and violence. Honestly, I'm not sure how I stayed awake. What's left? Well, there are some interesting deathtraps (that only sort of come into play), and Kinski is always interesting to watch. So not much.
2.5/10
20. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
Charles Barton, 1948
Only a pair of railroad baggage handlers can save the world from Dracula's evil plot to re-animate Frankenstein's monster.
This was my first and, I dare say, last Abbott and Costello movie. They turned out to be another one of those old comedy teams that just don't work for me. Even bringing Bela Lugosi back to his signature role wasn't enough to save the movie. Other than Lugosi, the only real enjoyment I got from it was the uncredited cameo appearance at the end (which I won't spoil).
3/10
Charles Barton, 1948
Only a pair of railroad baggage handlers can save the world from Dracula's evil plot to re-animate Frankenstein's monster.
This was my first and, I dare say, last Abbott and Costello movie. They turned out to be another one of those old comedy teams that just don't work for me. Even bringing Bela Lugosi back to his signature role wasn't enough to save the movie. Other than Lugosi, the only real enjoyment I got from it was the uncredited cameo appearance at the end (which I won't spoil).
3/10
19. Messiah of Evil
Messiah of Evil
Willard Huyck, 1973
A young woman comes to a quiet seaside town, looking for her father. She finds zombies. Or an evil cult. Or both. Something like that.
This was an odd one. After watching the whole thing, I'm still not sure what was going on - and I'm pretty sure the pre-credits sequence had nothing to do with anything. What it lacked in sense, though, it made up for in atmosphere, some fantastic art direction, and a couple of really solid setpieces. I think I'll need to see it again to really work out what I think about it, but for now, I'm a fan.
7.5/10
Willard Huyck, 1973
A young woman comes to a quiet seaside town, looking for her father. She finds zombies. Or an evil cult. Or both. Something like that.
This was an odd one. After watching the whole thing, I'm still not sure what was going on - and I'm pretty sure the pre-credits sequence had nothing to do with anything. What it lacked in sense, though, it made up for in atmosphere, some fantastic art direction, and a couple of really solid setpieces. I think I'll need to see it again to really work out what I think about it, but for now, I'm a fan.
7.5/10
Sunday, October 24, 2010
18. Carrie
Carrie
Brian De Palma, 1976
A tormented teen develops telekinetic powers and uses them to take revenge.
Well, it's not the masterpiece it is often made out to be, but it's not too bad, either. The lengthy prom sequence, and much of what follows, is actually pretty good - which is pretty surprising, given the awkward and tone-deaf hour that precedes it. Carrie's mother, who serves as the cause of most of the events of the movie, is written and played so broadly that calling her a cartoon character would be a gross understatement (Apparently, Piper Laurie thought the movie was a comedy, based on the way her character was written). The last half hour goes a long way toward redeeming, though. Just not long enough, really.
4.5/10
Brian De Palma, 1976
A tormented teen develops telekinetic powers and uses them to take revenge.
Well, it's not the masterpiece it is often made out to be, but it's not too bad, either. The lengthy prom sequence, and much of what follows, is actually pretty good - which is pretty surprising, given the awkward and tone-deaf hour that precedes it. Carrie's mother, who serves as the cause of most of the events of the movie, is written and played so broadly that calling her a cartoon character would be a gross understatement (Apparently, Piper Laurie thought the movie was a comedy, based on the way her character was written). The last half hour goes a long way toward redeeming, though. Just not long enough, really.
4.5/10
17. Triangle
Triangle
Christopher Smith, 2010
After their yacht is capsized in a storm, a small group of people find themselves trapped on an abandoned steamship - with a killer.
This was an interesting one. If you go into it expecting the basic stalk-and-kill implied by my one-line synopsis above, you're either going to be very disappointed or very happy - but either way, it won't be what you expected. I won't go into any further detail on that point; it's probably better just to see for yourself. The only reason I don't rate it higher is the excess of cheap CGI (probably unavoidable, under the circumstances) and some very clunky dialogue, particularly anytime exposition comes into play. Still, this is basically the sort of gem you're always hoping for when you dig through the mountains of direct-to-video dreck out there. Because of that, I would definitely give it a higher recommendation than my numerical rating would suggest.
7.5/10
Christopher Smith, 2010
After their yacht is capsized in a storm, a small group of people find themselves trapped on an abandoned steamship - with a killer.
This was an interesting one. If you go into it expecting the basic stalk-and-kill implied by my one-line synopsis above, you're either going to be very disappointed or very happy - but either way, it won't be what you expected. I won't go into any further detail on that point; it's probably better just to see for yourself. The only reason I don't rate it higher is the excess of cheap CGI (probably unavoidable, under the circumstances) and some very clunky dialogue, particularly anytime exposition comes into play. Still, this is basically the sort of gem you're always hoping for when you dig through the mountains of direct-to-video dreck out there. Because of that, I would definitely give it a higher recommendation than my numerical rating would suggest.
7.5/10
16. Paranormal Activity
Paranormal Activity
Oren Peli, 2009
A young couple is terrorized by a demon, and catches it all on tape.
Not the scariest movie of all time, as some would have you believe, nor an utter travesty, as its detractors would claim, Paranormal Activity is a small, unambitious, but mostly successful movie that managed to put me just enough on edge that the slower segments weren't boring. I can't say that the conceit of shooting the whole movie with cameras held by the characters really added anything to it for me, but it didn't really hurt it. Despite the fact that many consider this to be a plotless, arcless thrill ride, I've actually found that the characters and their reactions to things have stuck with me more than anything else.
7.5/10
Oren Peli, 2009
A young couple is terrorized by a demon, and catches it all on tape.
Not the scariest movie of all time, as some would have you believe, nor an utter travesty, as its detractors would claim, Paranormal Activity is a small, unambitious, but mostly successful movie that managed to put me just enough on edge that the slower segments weren't boring. I can't say that the conceit of shooting the whole movie with cameras held by the characters really added anything to it for me, but it didn't really hurt it. Despite the fact that many consider this to be a plotless, arcless thrill ride, I've actually found that the characters and their reactions to things have stuck with me more than anything else.
7.5/10
Monday, October 18, 2010
The 50 Best Horror Movies: #11-15
15. Nosferatu: Phantom Der Nacht
Werner Herzog, 1979
Like much of Herzog's work, Nosferatu is so beautiful and deliberately paced that it's almost hypnotic. While there are no specific images that can match the original Nosferatu for sheer terror, even when they attempt to recreate exact shots, Herzog's film manages to instill a more profound sense of horror – the plague of rats, in particular, is tremendously nightmarish and surreal. This is easily the best version of Dracula on film.
14. The Whip and the Body
Mario Bava, 1963
The Whip and the Body is the ultimate expression of Mario Bava's skills as a director. His use of color is more pronounced, his in-camera trickery more clever. The story falls into the category of many movies on this list, the is-it-or-isn't-it ghost story. Really, the only fault I can find is the fact that Christopher Lee was dubbed by a different actor – and in fact, after this movie, he made it a contractual issue that no one else could ever dub him over for english language tracks.
13. Frankenstein
James Whale, 1931
This is essentially the birth of American horror. While there had been earlier, silent horror films in the states before, they generally turned out to be more like detective stories in the end, with Scooby-Dooesque conclusions. With Frankenstein, however, James Whale took a healthy dose of german expressionism and applied it to an actual tale of horror. He got Jack Pierce to design the most iconic monster makeup ever (even to this day). It was a game-changer, and without it, I doubt much of anything on this list would even exist.
12. Shaun of the Dead
Edgar Wright, 2004
This is what happens when you take a bunch of comedians who have an actual, legitimate affection for a genre and turn them loose on it – not a spoof, not a satire, but an honest, legitimate zombie movie that also happens to be funny as hell. What I love about this movie is that they don’t spend their time condescending to the subject matter (yeah, fuck you, Scream) or criticizing the tropes of the genre, but still find plenty of opportunities to laugh. There’s nothing else quite like it.
11. The Beyond
Lucio Fulci, 1981
This is the most beautiful horror movie I’ve ever seen. It’s a complete disaster as a narrative, but it functions as a weird cross between a painting and a dream, filled with strikingly surreal images and gorgeous compositions that even the occasional shoddy effect (*ahem* tarantulas with teeth) can’t undermine. I often describe movies I love as having a certain sort of indefinable magic; that’s true for this one moreso than most. You really just have to see it.
Werner Herzog, 1979
Like much of Herzog's work, Nosferatu is so beautiful and deliberately paced that it's almost hypnotic. While there are no specific images that can match the original Nosferatu for sheer terror, even when they attempt to recreate exact shots, Herzog's film manages to instill a more profound sense of horror – the plague of rats, in particular, is tremendously nightmarish and surreal. This is easily the best version of Dracula on film.
14. The Whip and the Body
Mario Bava, 1963
The Whip and the Body is the ultimate expression of Mario Bava's skills as a director. His use of color is more pronounced, his in-camera trickery more clever. The story falls into the category of many movies on this list, the is-it-or-isn't-it ghost story. Really, the only fault I can find is the fact that Christopher Lee was dubbed by a different actor – and in fact, after this movie, he made it a contractual issue that no one else could ever dub him over for english language tracks.
13. Frankenstein
James Whale, 1931
This is essentially the birth of American horror. While there had been earlier, silent horror films in the states before, they generally turned out to be more like detective stories in the end, with Scooby-Dooesque conclusions. With Frankenstein, however, James Whale took a healthy dose of german expressionism and applied it to an actual tale of horror. He got Jack Pierce to design the most iconic monster makeup ever (even to this day). It was a game-changer, and without it, I doubt much of anything on this list would even exist.
12. Shaun of the Dead
Edgar Wright, 2004
This is what happens when you take a bunch of comedians who have an actual, legitimate affection for a genre and turn them loose on it – not a spoof, not a satire, but an honest, legitimate zombie movie that also happens to be funny as hell. What I love about this movie is that they don’t spend their time condescending to the subject matter (yeah, fuck you, Scream) or criticizing the tropes of the genre, but still find plenty of opportunities to laugh. There’s nothing else quite like it.
11. The Beyond
Lucio Fulci, 1981
This is the most beautiful horror movie I’ve ever seen. It’s a complete disaster as a narrative, but it functions as a weird cross between a painting and a dream, filled with strikingly surreal images and gorgeous compositions that even the occasional shoddy effect (*ahem* tarantulas with teeth) can’t undermine. I often describe movies I love as having a certain sort of indefinable magic; that’s true for this one moreso than most. You really just have to see it.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
15. Drag Me to Hell
Drag Me to Hell
Sam Raimi, 2009
A loan officer (Alison Lohman) is cursed by a gypsy woman, and has only three days to find a way to avoid being DRAGGED TO HELL.
There was a lot of hype surrounding this movie - it was, after all, a return of one of the greats (Raimi) to the genre he got his start in. What we got, though, was a decidedly mixed bag. There were some wonderfully gooey parts, and the seance in particular was terrifically effective and reminiscent of old-school Raimi. On the other hand, there was a preponderance of cheap-looking CGI (the eye-popping when the anvil falls on the old lady is probably the worst of it), and there was some odd moralizing going on, where the movie seemed to indicate that Lohman's character deserved the curse, which is just stupid. It's a decent way to pass the time, but it's no Evil Dead.
6/10
Sam Raimi, 2009
A loan officer (Alison Lohman) is cursed by a gypsy woman, and has only three days to find a way to avoid being DRAGGED TO HELL.
There was a lot of hype surrounding this movie - it was, after all, a return of one of the greats (Raimi) to the genre he got his start in. What we got, though, was a decidedly mixed bag. There were some wonderfully gooey parts, and the seance in particular was terrifically effective and reminiscent of old-school Raimi. On the other hand, there was a preponderance of cheap-looking CGI (the eye-popping when the anvil falls on the old lady is probably the worst of it), and there was some odd moralizing going on, where the movie seemed to indicate that Lohman's character deserved the curse, which is just stupid. It's a decent way to pass the time, but it's no Evil Dead.
6/10
14. Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Yoshiaki Kawajiri, 2000
A half-vampire, half-human is hired to rescue a young woman from the vampire who kidnapped her. But does she want to be rescued?
Let me break this into pros and cons.
Pros: There's some real inventiveness to some of the monster designs. The aesthetic of merging gothic horror (castles, etc) with post-apocalyptic sci-fi (robot or cyborg horses, tanks) is appealing, if underutilized.
Cons: Every single damn thing about this movie that I didn't mention above.
1/10
Yoshiaki Kawajiri, 2000
A half-vampire, half-human is hired to rescue a young woman from the vampire who kidnapped her. But does she want to be rescued?
Let me break this into pros and cons.
Pros: There's some real inventiveness to some of the monster designs. The aesthetic of merging gothic horror (castles, etc) with post-apocalyptic sci-fi (robot or cyborg horses, tanks) is appealing, if underutilized.
Cons: Every single damn thing about this movie that I didn't mention above.
1/10
13. Without Warning
Without Warning
Greydon Clark, 1980
An alien hunts the most dangerous prey - man. Sadly, Arnold Schwarzenegger is not around to stop him.
Ooh, this was a bad one. Something about the mood felt off, like a sentence that was translated to another language and back again. All of the pieces of the horror movie were there, they just didn't fit together right. Even the presence of veterans like Martin Landau and Jack Palance doesn't help (in fact, Landau is pretty terrible). The design of the alien itself is kind of cool, if a bit boring, but it doesn't fit with the look of the movie at all. Avoid at all costs.
1.5/10
Greydon Clark, 1980
An alien hunts the most dangerous prey - man. Sadly, Arnold Schwarzenegger is not around to stop him.
Ooh, this was a bad one. Something about the mood felt off, like a sentence that was translated to another language and back again. All of the pieces of the horror movie were there, they just didn't fit together right. Even the presence of veterans like Martin Landau and Jack Palance doesn't help (in fact, Landau is pretty terrible). The design of the alien itself is kind of cool, if a bit boring, but it doesn't fit with the look of the movie at all. Avoid at all costs.
1.5/10
12. Dead of Night
Dead of Night
Various directors, 1945
A group of people gather at an old house, and wind up telling each other stories of encounters with the supernatural.
This anthology is best known for the evil ventriloquist dummy segment, and rightly so - it's fantastic. Unfortunately the rest of the segments range from mediocre (the haunted mirror) to downright terrible (the ghostly golfer, the Christmas party). The main problem is that everything is simply too reserved to be at all unsettling, at least until you reach the final segment, where Michael Redgrave gives a wonderfully unhinged performance as the ventriloquist and almost manages to single-handedly salvage the project. It's worth watching that, as well as the deliriously surreal nightmare sequence that serves as the conclusion to the framing story, but it's not really worth watching anything else.
3.5/10
Various directors, 1945
A group of people gather at an old house, and wind up telling each other stories of encounters with the supernatural.
This anthology is best known for the evil ventriloquist dummy segment, and rightly so - it's fantastic. Unfortunately the rest of the segments range from mediocre (the haunted mirror) to downright terrible (the ghostly golfer, the Christmas party). The main problem is that everything is simply too reserved to be at all unsettling, at least until you reach the final segment, where Michael Redgrave gives a wonderfully unhinged performance as the ventriloquist and almost manages to single-handedly salvage the project. It's worth watching that, as well as the deliriously surreal nightmare sequence that serves as the conclusion to the framing story, but it's not really worth watching anything else.
3.5/10
11. Island of Lost Souls
Island of Lost Souls
Erle C. Kenton, 1932
A shipwrecked man winds up on the island of Dr. Moreau (Charles Laughton), who is experimenting with surgically turning animals into people.
This is quite the mess. It's too short to convincingly develop any of the relationships, the hero doesn't really have anything to do with how the plot turns out, and Bela Lugosi is criminally underused. The only thing it really has going for it is Laughton's performance, which is second only to Ernest Thesiger's Dr. Pretorious for effeminate camp value.
2/10
Erle C. Kenton, 1932
A shipwrecked man winds up on the island of Dr. Moreau (Charles Laughton), who is experimenting with surgically turning animals into people.
This is quite the mess. It's too short to convincingly develop any of the relationships, the hero doesn't really have anything to do with how the plot turns out, and Bela Lugosi is criminally underused. The only thing it really has going for it is Laughton's performance, which is second only to Ernest Thesiger's Dr. Pretorious for effeminate camp value.
2/10
10. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
John McNaughton, 1990
Henry (Michael Rooker) kills people. Eventually, he gets his friends to kill people too.
Decent but nothing special. Rooker is very good, but no one else really is. Also, the score doesn't fit the movie and a particular directorial trick (panning across a corpse and playing the sounds of the murder on the soundtrack instead of showing the murder) gets used a few too many times. The ending is pretty good, though, and it's not really bad at all - just kind of blah.
6/10
John McNaughton, 1990
Henry (Michael Rooker) kills people. Eventually, he gets his friends to kill people too.
Decent but nothing special. Rooker is very good, but no one else really is. Also, the score doesn't fit the movie and a particular directorial trick (panning across a corpse and playing the sounds of the murder on the soundtrack instead of showing the murder) gets used a few too many times. The ending is pretty good, though, and it's not really bad at all - just kind of blah.
6/10
Friday, October 8, 2010
The 50 Best Horror Movies: #16-20
20. Alien
Ridley Scott, 1979
As we progress through this list, you're going to start seeing more and more established classics that should come as no surprise – after all, they're on everyone's lists. This is a prime example of such a movie – a spooky old house movie perfectly transposed into outer space, with sets and creatures designed by a crazy European. There is not a moment that feels wrong (unless you watch the newer director's cut).
19. An American Werewolf in London
John Landis, 1981
This is the movie they invented the makeup effects Academy Award for, and once you see the central werewolf transformation scene, you’ll know why. It’s not all about werewolves, though – there’s a very prominent ghost element as well, which provides most of the funniest moments (although nothing can top “Mummy, a naked American man stole my balloons”), and some random nightmare monsters too. There has never been a better werewolf movie, although to be fair, that's not all that difficult.
18. I Walked with a Zombie
Jacques Tourneur, 1943
The movies of producer Val Lewton are often credited largely to him, creatively speaking. This is not unreasonable, as there is a certain consistency to them, despite the several different directors who worked on them. Still, his collaborations with Jacques Tourneur do displace a certain visual panache that the other films tend not to match. This, then, is not only the best of their collaborations, but also the best of Lewton's films, period. It's a gorgeous, moody piece that somehow, despite its short length, feels almost like a novel, particularly of the gothic era.
17. Dellamorte Dellamore
Michele Soavi, 1996
The first time I was asked to describe this movie, I said it was Dawn of the Dead crossed with Brazil. I'm not a huge fan of describing movies in that way, but it's pretty spot-on in this case. You have Brazil's surrealism, its bubbly, quirky, yet still depressing humor, and its obsession with bureaucracy, coupled with Dawn's social criticism, sense of malaise, and, of course, zombies. It's a potent combination, and makes for an unforgettable movie.
16. The Shining
Stanley Kubrick, 1980
Stephen King wishes he could write a book as good as this movie. Yes, the character arc is truncated compared to the novel. Yes, it skews more in the direction of standard horror tropes than the novel (axe vs. croquet mallet). But it also trims a lot of fat, and those tropes are wielded as surely and effectively as possible. Is there anything that has ever been as nerve-wrackingly creepy as the long tracking shots as Danny rides through the hallways? OR the woman in the bathtub? Plus, hedge maze beats topiary animals any day. King is right about one thing – it's not a good adaptation of the novel. But we're all better off for it.
Ridley Scott, 1979
As we progress through this list, you're going to start seeing more and more established classics that should come as no surprise – after all, they're on everyone's lists. This is a prime example of such a movie – a spooky old house movie perfectly transposed into outer space, with sets and creatures designed by a crazy European. There is not a moment that feels wrong (unless you watch the newer director's cut).
19. An American Werewolf in London
John Landis, 1981
This is the movie they invented the makeup effects Academy Award for, and once you see the central werewolf transformation scene, you’ll know why. It’s not all about werewolves, though – there’s a very prominent ghost element as well, which provides most of the funniest moments (although nothing can top “Mummy, a naked American man stole my balloons”), and some random nightmare monsters too. There has never been a better werewolf movie, although to be fair, that's not all that difficult.
18. I Walked with a Zombie
Jacques Tourneur, 1943
The movies of producer Val Lewton are often credited largely to him, creatively speaking. This is not unreasonable, as there is a certain consistency to them, despite the several different directors who worked on them. Still, his collaborations with Jacques Tourneur do displace a certain visual panache that the other films tend not to match. This, then, is not only the best of their collaborations, but also the best of Lewton's films, period. It's a gorgeous, moody piece that somehow, despite its short length, feels almost like a novel, particularly of the gothic era.
17. Dellamorte Dellamore
Michele Soavi, 1996
The first time I was asked to describe this movie, I said it was Dawn of the Dead crossed with Brazil. I'm not a huge fan of describing movies in that way, but it's pretty spot-on in this case. You have Brazil's surrealism, its bubbly, quirky, yet still depressing humor, and its obsession with bureaucracy, coupled with Dawn's social criticism, sense of malaise, and, of course, zombies. It's a potent combination, and makes for an unforgettable movie.
16. The Shining
Stanley Kubrick, 1980
Stephen King wishes he could write a book as good as this movie. Yes, the character arc is truncated compared to the novel. Yes, it skews more in the direction of standard horror tropes than the novel (axe vs. croquet mallet). But it also trims a lot of fat, and those tropes are wielded as surely and effectively as possible. Is there anything that has ever been as nerve-wrackingly creepy as the long tracking shots as Danny rides through the hallways? OR the woman in the bathtub? Plus, hedge maze beats topiary animals any day. King is right about one thing – it's not a good adaptation of the novel. But we're all better off for it.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
The 50 Best Horror Movies: #21-25
25. The Ring
Gore Verbinski, 2002
One of the few cases where a remake improves on the source (you’ll see a couple more later in the list), The Ring pales in comparison to Ringu only in the visualization of the infamous climax. That lapse is forgivable, however, since it comes with stronger characters, a better-fleshed out backstory, and the fact that this time, every second character in the movie is not a psychic. There’s also a really tremendous feeling of sadness and regret hanging over the movie, giving it a lot more emotional resonance than I would have expected. It turned out to be a real, honest, character-driven movie, so the fact that (SPOILER) isn’t as scary as in the original hardly even matters.
24. The Creature from the Black Lagoon
Jack Arnold, 1954
By the fifties, the gothic horror boom that birthed the classic Universal stable of monsters had run its course, replaced with scientific horrors – aliens, giant bugs, you name it. Nonetheless, they managed to squeeze out one final creature worthy of standing amongst the greats, combining the pathos of Frankenstein’s monster with a more modern background and what is probably the greatest black and white monster design ever committed to film. The story is, basically, an old standby – people go exploring and find a monster, monster falls in love with the girl, people have to rescue the girl from the monster – but the details make it sing.
23. Re-Animator
Stuart Gordon, 1985
Re-Animator is best known for the infamous naked girl/zombie head scene, as referenced in American Beauty. While that bit definitely typifies the tone of the movie, it would be a shame to reduce it all down to that moment. You’d miss out on the slyly clever script, the (rest of) the exquisitely crafted gore, and most of all, Jeffrey Combs’ career-making, brilliantly twitchy performance as Dr. Herbert West. It may be the least Lovecraftian of all the H.P. Lovecraft adaptations out there (it’s debatable), but when it’s this good, who cares?
22. Black Sabbath
Mario Bava, 1963
If you only have a half hour and you want to watch something from this list, watch the third segment (or the first segment if you’re watching the American dubbed/re-edited version, which I have not seen) of this film, “A Drop of Water.” The rest of the movie is great as well – perhaps a tad workmanlike, but still enlivened by Bava’s unmatched visual instincts and use of color – but it’s all about “A Drop of Water.” There is no more terrifying short subject out there.
21. Stagefright
Michele Soavi, 1987
Sleek and stylish, Stagefright manages to be incredibly surreal without ever disrupting the sense of reality. There’s never a point where you actually question what you’re seeing (at least until the very end. . . maybe), but it still feels very bizarre – after all, it’s about an avant-garde acting troupe trapped inside of a theater with a killer wearing a giant owl head. The English dub is a tad over-baked (just listen to Giovanni Lombardo Radice’s utterly ridiculous gay stereotype), although there are those who would claim that it makes it better.
Gore Verbinski, 2002
One of the few cases where a remake improves on the source (you’ll see a couple more later in the list), The Ring pales in comparison to Ringu only in the visualization of the infamous climax. That lapse is forgivable, however, since it comes with stronger characters, a better-fleshed out backstory, and the fact that this time, every second character in the movie is not a psychic. There’s also a really tremendous feeling of sadness and regret hanging over the movie, giving it a lot more emotional resonance than I would have expected. It turned out to be a real, honest, character-driven movie, so the fact that (SPOILER) isn’t as scary as in the original hardly even matters.
24. The Creature from the Black Lagoon
Jack Arnold, 1954
By the fifties, the gothic horror boom that birthed the classic Universal stable of monsters had run its course, replaced with scientific horrors – aliens, giant bugs, you name it. Nonetheless, they managed to squeeze out one final creature worthy of standing amongst the greats, combining the pathos of Frankenstein’s monster with a more modern background and what is probably the greatest black and white monster design ever committed to film. The story is, basically, an old standby – people go exploring and find a monster, monster falls in love with the girl, people have to rescue the girl from the monster – but the details make it sing.
23. Re-Animator
Stuart Gordon, 1985
Re-Animator is best known for the infamous naked girl/zombie head scene, as referenced in American Beauty. While that bit definitely typifies the tone of the movie, it would be a shame to reduce it all down to that moment. You’d miss out on the slyly clever script, the (rest of) the exquisitely crafted gore, and most of all, Jeffrey Combs’ career-making, brilliantly twitchy performance as Dr. Herbert West. It may be the least Lovecraftian of all the H.P. Lovecraft adaptations out there (it’s debatable), but when it’s this good, who cares?
22. Black Sabbath
Mario Bava, 1963
If you only have a half hour and you want to watch something from this list, watch the third segment (or the first segment if you’re watching the American dubbed/re-edited version, which I have not seen) of this film, “A Drop of Water.” The rest of the movie is great as well – perhaps a tad workmanlike, but still enlivened by Bava’s unmatched visual instincts and use of color – but it’s all about “A Drop of Water.” There is no more terrifying short subject out there.
21. Stagefright
Michele Soavi, 1987
Sleek and stylish, Stagefright manages to be incredibly surreal without ever disrupting the sense of reality. There’s never a point where you actually question what you’re seeing (at least until the very end. . . maybe), but it still feels very bizarre – after all, it’s about an avant-garde acting troupe trapped inside of a theater with a killer wearing a giant owl head. The English dub is a tad over-baked (just listen to Giovanni Lombardo Radice’s utterly ridiculous gay stereotype), although there are those who would claim that it makes it better.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The 50 Best Horror Movies: #26-30
30. The Fall of the House of Usher
Roger Corman, 1960
The first and best of the Corman/Poe/Price movies, this movie succeeds largely on the back of a truly creepy premise (courtesy of Poe) and Corman’s half-baked but still very interesting application of Freudian theory to his mis-en-scene and cinematography. It’s also the source of the infamous “burning house” footage, which you’ve seen, possibly many times, if you’ve ever come across a Corman movie made after this.
29. The Orphanage
Juan Antonio Bayona, 2007
One of the best things about The Orphanage is that, while it’s very much a ghost story, it could very possibly not be – that is to say, everything supernatural in the movie can be explained away. The very best thing about it is that it doesn’t matter. There’s a strong, tragic story that works just as well with or without the involvement of ghosts. Really, the only reason to decide for sure on an interpretation is because, depending on your personal biases, one or the other reading will make it that much more powerful.
On the other hand, if you’re not interested in having your heart torn to metaphorical shreds, the very best thing about The Orphanage is the part where they bring the psychic to the house. Brrr.
28. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Philip Kaufman, 1978
Kaufman takes a movie that was very much of its time (50’s paranoia) and updates it to pass judgment on the alienation of the 70’s. It’s easy to imagine aliens invading a small, isolated town, but the remake shows us, very plausibly, how the invasion could work even in a bustling metropolis. It’s quite terrifying, even without any real monsters or killers (unless you count the dog with a human head). Kaufman also manages to work in a cameo from Kevin McCarthy that presents the option of viewing this as a sequel, not a remake. The invasion continues. . .
27. May
Lucky McKee, 2003
The horror at the heart of May is loneliness. Most of the movie plays out without the usual trappings of a horror film, but it’s still incredibly difficult and uncomfortable to watch. By the time the killing starts, it’s more sad than scary, and actually feels like a bit of a let-down – but the movie is redeemed by the final shot, a heartbreaking non-sequitur that is, paradoxically, the only way the movie could have ended.
26. Deep Red
Dario Argento, 1975
More of a mystery than anything else, Deep Red still contains enough brutal murders and intense, frightening setpieces to qualify for this list. The greatest thing about this movie is Argento’s ballsy decision to hand the solution to the mystery to you very early on, but in such a way that you’ll never pick up on it until it’s much too late. After my first viewing, I had to go back and make sure that he really did show me what he claimed to have shown me – and there it was. Argento’s finest hour, perhaps not as inspired as the somewhat sloppier Suspiria or Inferno, but executed with the precision and skill of a true master.
Roger Corman, 1960
The first and best of the Corman/Poe/Price movies, this movie succeeds largely on the back of a truly creepy premise (courtesy of Poe) and Corman’s half-baked but still very interesting application of Freudian theory to his mis-en-scene and cinematography. It’s also the source of the infamous “burning house” footage, which you’ve seen, possibly many times, if you’ve ever come across a Corman movie made after this.
29. The Orphanage
Juan Antonio Bayona, 2007
One of the best things about The Orphanage is that, while it’s very much a ghost story, it could very possibly not be – that is to say, everything supernatural in the movie can be explained away. The very best thing about it is that it doesn’t matter. There’s a strong, tragic story that works just as well with or without the involvement of ghosts. Really, the only reason to decide for sure on an interpretation is because, depending on your personal biases, one or the other reading will make it that much more powerful.
On the other hand, if you’re not interested in having your heart torn to metaphorical shreds, the very best thing about The Orphanage is the part where they bring the psychic to the house. Brrr.
28. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Philip Kaufman, 1978
Kaufman takes a movie that was very much of its time (50’s paranoia) and updates it to pass judgment on the alienation of the 70’s. It’s easy to imagine aliens invading a small, isolated town, but the remake shows us, very plausibly, how the invasion could work even in a bustling metropolis. It’s quite terrifying, even without any real monsters or killers (unless you count the dog with a human head). Kaufman also manages to work in a cameo from Kevin McCarthy that presents the option of viewing this as a sequel, not a remake. The invasion continues. . .
27. May
Lucky McKee, 2003
The horror at the heart of May is loneliness. Most of the movie plays out without the usual trappings of a horror film, but it’s still incredibly difficult and uncomfortable to watch. By the time the killing starts, it’s more sad than scary, and actually feels like a bit of a let-down – but the movie is redeemed by the final shot, a heartbreaking non-sequitur that is, paradoxically, the only way the movie could have ended.
26. Deep Red
Dario Argento, 1975
More of a mystery than anything else, Deep Red still contains enough brutal murders and intense, frightening setpieces to qualify for this list. The greatest thing about this movie is Argento’s ballsy decision to hand the solution to the mystery to you very early on, but in such a way that you’ll never pick up on it until it’s much too late. After my first viewing, I had to go back and make sure that he really did show me what he claimed to have shown me – and there it was. Argento’s finest hour, perhaps not as inspired as the somewhat sloppier Suspiria or Inferno, but executed with the precision and skill of a true master.
9. Pontypool
Pontypool
Bruce McDonald, 2009
A morning radio host (Stephen McHattie) and his crew begin to receive reports of an epidemic of violent insanity, which begins to move closer and closer to their studio. . .
Wow. The first forty-five minutes of this movie are perfect. Utterly, impeccably flawless. That the second half can't live up to the first is inevitable, but the fall-off is not nearly as severe as it could have been. In a way, it's almost like there are two different movies - the first is a tense, claustrophobic thriller, while the second is slightly more comedic and considerably more conceptually ambitious. Once the fantastic central idea is revealed (and I won't spoil it here, despite the fact that just about every review or synopsis you come across most likely will), the filmmakers suddenly have a wealth of interesting material to play with, and it's enough to make up for the fact that the movie isn't as scary as it was, or that the exposition gets kind of clunky, or that the only real action sequence in the whole production has a really, really awkward edit right in the middle of it.
The real stars of Pontypool, however are. . .well, the stars. The actors. The entire movie, barring the first scene, takes place inside the broadcast studio, and much of it occurs on the air. Initially, I began to wonder why they didn't just make a radio show of it instead of a movie (apparently, they did both) - but then I began to notice all of the little details that the actors were displaying non-verbally. The story seems tailor-made for radio, but the actors bring so much to the table on a visual level that it would be a real tragedy to lose that dimension. This one's really something special.
9/10 (and I'll probably bump it up a notch after I let it stew for a bit).
PS - Pontypool is something special for an entirely unrelated reason as well - it's my 2000th movie! That's 2000 movies seen and scored, and while it pales in comparison to, say, Roger Ebert's lifetime viewing record, I'm pretty pleased.
Bruce McDonald, 2009
A morning radio host (Stephen McHattie) and his crew begin to receive reports of an epidemic of violent insanity, which begins to move closer and closer to their studio. . .
Wow. The first forty-five minutes of this movie are perfect. Utterly, impeccably flawless. That the second half can't live up to the first is inevitable, but the fall-off is not nearly as severe as it could have been. In a way, it's almost like there are two different movies - the first is a tense, claustrophobic thriller, while the second is slightly more comedic and considerably more conceptually ambitious. Once the fantastic central idea is revealed (and I won't spoil it here, despite the fact that just about every review or synopsis you come across most likely will), the filmmakers suddenly have a wealth of interesting material to play with, and it's enough to make up for the fact that the movie isn't as scary as it was, or that the exposition gets kind of clunky, or that the only real action sequence in the whole production has a really, really awkward edit right in the middle of it.
The real stars of Pontypool, however are. . .well, the stars. The actors. The entire movie, barring the first scene, takes place inside the broadcast studio, and much of it occurs on the air. Initially, I began to wonder why they didn't just make a radio show of it instead of a movie (apparently, they did both) - but then I began to notice all of the little details that the actors were displaying non-verbally. The story seems tailor-made for radio, but the actors bring so much to the table on a visual level that it would be a real tragedy to lose that dimension. This one's really something special.
9/10 (and I'll probably bump it up a notch after I let it stew for a bit).
PS - Pontypool is something special for an entirely unrelated reason as well - it's my 2000th movie! That's 2000 movies seen and scored, and while it pales in comparison to, say, Roger Ebert's lifetime viewing record, I'm pretty pleased.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
8. The Legend of Hell House
The Legend of Hell House
John Hough, 1973
Two psychics and a scientist journey into a legendary haunted house to try to prove the existence of life after death.
A fair to middling haunted house movie, The Legend of Hell House has some promising ideas (the intersection of science and superstition) and a solid cast that seem game for anything, but it all just kind of dies on the screen, largely due to a staid and uninspired look, including the least frightening haunted house I've ever seen (from the inside, anyway. The few location shots of the exterior look pretty good). It's based on a novel by Richard Matheson, and I understand that he toned down the sex and violence considerably when turning it into a script. That was probably the point at which the project went awry, as a little bit of lurid sensationalism might have done wonders for waking everyone up. At least the final reveal of the villain was suitably creepy, but it doesn't alleviate the sense that the movie is just kind of. . . there.
4/10
John Hough, 1973
Two psychics and a scientist journey into a legendary haunted house to try to prove the existence of life after death.
A fair to middling haunted house movie, The Legend of Hell House has some promising ideas (the intersection of science and superstition) and a solid cast that seem game for anything, but it all just kind of dies on the screen, largely due to a staid and uninspired look, including the least frightening haunted house I've ever seen (from the inside, anyway. The few location shots of the exterior look pretty good). It's based on a novel by Richard Matheson, and I understand that he toned down the sex and violence considerably when turning it into a script. That was probably the point at which the project went awry, as a little bit of lurid sensationalism might have done wonders for waking everyone up. At least the final reveal of the villain was suitably creepy, but it doesn't alleviate the sense that the movie is just kind of. . . there.
4/10
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