bobafred

I love this time of year. The weather starts to cool off (which is pretty huge here in hot ass Atlanta) and my favorite movie genres, horror and suspense, are being shown all over the place. Horror movies are great. Not only do they entertain and innovate, but they are breeding grounds for some of today’s greatest movie minds (ex. Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson). So, in the spirit of the season, here is my Top 10 Horror/Suspense Movie List. I’ll do my best to not spoil too much.

1. The Shining:
   The very first time I saw this film I had to be around 9 or 10 years old. It has stuck with me ever since. The ‘Here’s Johnny’ scene is one of the best in the history of film. Plus, those little girls are freaky. Pure crazy horror.
   ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.’
2. Evil Dead II:
   While the first Evil Dead is scarier, this one is a better movie. With the perfect blend of horror and comedy this is a classic. Bruce Campbell was born for the role of Ash. People who have only seen Army of Darkness really owe it to themselves to see the origins of the Ash character and his trusty chainsaw.
   ‘Then let’s head on down into that cellar and carve ourselves a witch.’
3. Psycho:
   Of course I’m talking about the original Hitchcock version here. The shower scene scared an entire generation of grown adults. What more needs to be said?
   ‘We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven’t you?’
4. The Evil Dead:
   As mentioned earlier, scary has hell. I was 22 the first time I saw this and it freaked me out. That’s fantastic. Ash hasn’t quite stepped into his hero role yet, but it is very enjoyable watching him stumble around. Scotty is also a great character.
   ‘Join us!’
5. The Sixth Sense:If your friend who saw this movie before you spoiled the ending for you, I feel truly sorry for you. This is one of the greatest movie twists in recent memory. M. Night Shyamalan not only crafts an excellent mindgame, but the movie remains very rewatchable even after you know the ending.
   ‘I see dead people.’
6. The Ring:
   For a PG-13 movie, this is pretty dang scary. Watch a video, the phone rings, 7 days later bad things happen. There are some really interesting developments along the way. Best of all, Naomi Watts is super hot.
   ‘Everyone will suffer.’
7. Cabin Fever:
   I’ve posted about this one before. It combines all the classic horror elements: gore, boobs, teens, drinking, a cabin in the woods. I look at this as an homage to the great horror movies of the past. I expect great things from director Eli Roth in the future.
   ‘Goodnight, f*cker.’
8. A Nightmare on Elm Street:
   Wes Craven introduces us to one of my all time favorite villains, Freddy Krueger. Krueger haunts you in your most vulnerable state: sleep. Plus, he has great one liners. The series goes down hill from here with the notable exceptions of New Nightmare and Freddy vs. Jason.
   ‘Come to Freddy.’
9. Candyman:
   Having to say his name 5 times is a little lame, but Candyman is an excellent movie. Tony Todd excels in the role of the villain. A great mix of urban legend, gore, and Virginia Madsen make for a very enjoyable scare.
   ‘Be my victim.’
10. The Blair Witch Project:
    I think this movie is very underrated. The scares are based more on the audiences imagination and what happens when it gets away from them. Everyone has been alone someplace and heard weird sounds. Now, imagine being lost in the woods and hearing weird sounds. That scares the hell out of me.
    ‘I’m scared to close my eyes. I’m scared to open them.’

I’ve spent the past few days thinking about this post and I feel really good about my list. So where are movies like the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Exorcist? Good question. I thought the original TCM was crap. Not scary and really pretty boring. And, I’ve never seen The Exorcist. Yeah I know, that is pretty weak. Not sure why, just never have. Maybe I should make a point of watching it this season.

On a related note, an excellent source for new horror movie news is Bloody-Disgusting.com.

If you have some time and are looking for a good scare, check out some of these selections. They all exist in better than average to excellent DVD releases.