100 Horror Movies in October
take the horror challenge
An undertaking like this naturally makes me wonder what, exactly, constitutes a 'horror' movie. Where does a 'thriller' end and a 'horror movie' begin? Does it necessarily include a great deal of gore and gratuitous nudity? Is it just what IMDB classifies as belonging in the genre? Most importantly, can I watch the Hannibal Lecter four-film saga for the count?
For my own purposes, I've decided upon the following (and perhaps obvious) requisite: that one of the movie's primary intents is to horrify me.
HORRIFY (v) : to cause to feel extreme apprehension or unease; to cause to experience horror
HORROR (v) : an intense painful emotion of fear or repugnance; an intense dislike or aversion; an abhorrence
Now, certainly an Obama campaign commercial will cause, in me, an intense feeling of repugnance, an intense dislike and aversion, even an abhorrence. (And like many horror movies, they also often make me laugh). However, presumably his ads are not intended to provoke such a reaction in the audience, so they don't count. Intent is key. Obviously, it might at times be a toss-up what a film's main intent is, but I think it's easiest to tell this within the horror genre, which is convenient. I also think it's the best standard I can use to distinguish the horror movie from the not, for the purposes of this challenge.
In summation, does IMDB list The Silence of the Lambs as belonging to the 'horror' genre? No. Does it seem to be the film's intent to cause extreme unease, fear, repugnance, and abhorrence? Absolutely, hell yes, and so, this little thought experiment is a success!
The List
-the italicized are movies I've seen before-
01. The Exorcist (1973)
02. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
03. Thir13en Ghosts (2001)
04. Ghost Ship (2002)
05. Bruce Campbell vs. Army of Darkness (1992)
06. Godsend (2004)
07. Identity (2003)
08. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
09. Event Horizon (1997)
10. Planet Terror (2007)
11. Alien (1979)
12. The Wolf Man (1941)
13. Funny Games U.S.(2007)
14. Saw (2004)
15. Funny Games (1997)
16. Shutter (2008)
17. Insanitarium (2008)
18. Halloween (1978)
19. Dracula 2000 (2000)
20. The Shining (1980)
21. Interview With The Vampire (1994)
22. The Fly (1986)
23. Freddy vs Jason (2003)
24. Joshua (2007)
25. Cube (1997)
26. Frailty (2001)
27. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
28. August Underground (2001)
29. Blood Diner (1987)
30. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
31. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)
32. The Grudge (2004)
33. Red Dragon (2002)
34. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
35. Hannibal (2001)
36. Cannibal! The Musical (1996)
37. The Last House on the Left (1972)
38. I Spit On Your Grave/Day of the Woman (1978)
39. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
40. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
41. The Ring (2002)
42. The Order (2003)
43. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
44. Suspect Zero (2004)
45. House (2008)
46. Closet Land (1991)
47. Love Object (2003)
48. The Ruins (2008)
49. The Fun Park (2007)
50. eXistenZ (1999)
51. Dog Soldiers (2002)
52. The Brood (1979)
53. The Midnight Meat Train (2008)
54. Wrong Turn (2003)
55. Martin (1977)
12:11 AM, November 1st - I have to say that I am thrilled/excited/relieved to be 'able' to watch non-horror movies again. The truth is, when it comes down to it, evil gets boring. I think that's why I wasn't at all impressed with The Joker in TDK as a villain: chaos and pure evil is so incredibly dull. And you can only watch so many heads roll before you start to wish people would use their brains instead of eating them.
That said, there were a few really, really good movies here that I'd never seen before: Funny Games (I preferred the remake, actually), The Last House on the Left, eXistenZ, and Martin.
The worst were definitely Blood Diner and The Fun Park, although the latter had an interesting bit toward the end - more than 20 minutes without dialogue, while you're watching this guy in clown makeup peel the faces off some teenagers. Halloween was a big letdown, considering it's a classic.