Top Ten Favorite Scary Movies
I decided to come up for air in honor of my favorite holiday, Halloween.
We're not having our party until next week, but I've already been spreading the word that people should bring a scary movie that they really want to watch, a favorite or otherwise. I'll be making Trick 'r Treat my choice for the evening, but since I haven't actually seen it (just really longing to), I figured I'd put some time into making a list of my actual favorite scary movies.
Note that this isn't an all-time list, just my personal favorites. Here's the Top Ten:
10. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
I've been a fan of zombie movies for a long time (likely since seeing Romero's Night of the Living Dead which made the HM list), and it was very hard to pick just one. But as of late, I've been really enjoying Zack Snyder's remake/revision of Romero's other classic. It's fun, gore-filled, and has everything a great zombie movie needs-including a look at the effect an outbreak would have on the survivors.
9. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
I actually read all of the Thomas Harris books in the series back in college (with the exception of Hannibal which I started, but gave up on). While Red Dragon was my favorite book, it's really hard to top the craftsmanship involved in Demme's classic film. Revenge, catharsis, and well...cannibalism never tasted so sweet. Sidebar: how did "It puts the lotion in the basket" become so mainstream? It used to be creepy.
8. Frailty (2001)
I often find scariest the films that have some kind of basis not only in reality, but also religion and the nature of good vs. evil. That kind of supernatural stuff freaks me the most. Naturally, then, Bill Paxton's little film about a serial killer and his family's attempt to purge the "demons" of the community rattled me more than a tad. If you're a fan of Paxton (who also stars), you have no excuse for not seeing this movie.
7. Psycho (1960)
I'm pretty sure this is the movie that got me hooked on Hitchcock. Also pretty sure that I watched it with my Dad many years back, almost before I could really understand the depth of the film. Each scene is crafted with care and precision that defined the masterful director. And perfect casting in Anthony Perkins; with his boyish good looks, you really believe he wouldn't harm a fly.
6. Scream (1996)
A staple of my high school years, and the cause for my first celebrity crush: Neve Campbell. Not so scary by itself, but a wonderful take on the state of the scary movie and a herald of the next generation of slasher film. Lots of fun, and very quotable to boot.
5. Se7en (1995)
I saw this and have been a fan of David Fincher ever since. Pitch perfect casting all around, dark and deliberate directing, and more twists than a pretzel. John Doe is a wonderful villain, but I'd argue that he's not the only one. So would he. To this day, the scariest sin is the one we don't get to see-lust. Shit still gives me chills.
4. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
I remember the first time I saw this, staying up late one night with a girlfriend. That was a mistake. It succeeded in keeping me awake nights, fearful that my nightmares would actually be reality. Some argue that it's too slow or cheesy to really be scary, but as I mentioned, it's the stuff with basis in reality or supernatural aspects of religion that really affects me on a deeper level. And it's the people here that are, in fact, the most frightening.
3. The Descent (2005)
Easily my favorite scary movie of the last ten years. Cave diving with six hot chicks almost sounds like the premise for a porno, but what follows is a claustrophobic nightmare where what you can't see is scarier than what you can. People that focus on the creatures are looking for fright in the wrong place. Watch it unrated (i.e. the original UK ending) in the dark for the full effect...if you dare.
2. Halloween (1978)
One of the most recognizable horror movie themes ever sets the tone for this holiday classic. All the right scares (the "sitting back up" one is my favorite), an unstoppable, nightmare of a villain, and a hottie in the lead role may be staples of the genre now, but this movie is the reason for it. Slashers wouldn't be the same today without John Carpenter's masterpiece.
1. The Exorcist (1973)
It tops horror lists every year for good reason. This movie is so scary to me that you really have to twist my arm to get me to sit down and watch it. Chilling in every regard, it throws the viewer into Hell with reckless abandon. There's no going back home after this one-the images are burned into your mind. And that subliminal shit fucks with me for reasons I can't begin to comprehend.
Honorable mentions (in no order):
The Shining (1980)
28 Days Later (2002)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Funny Games (1997)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Grindhouse (2007)
Saw (2004)
The Ring (2002)
The Mist (2007)
Cube (1997)
We're not having our party until next week, but I've already been spreading the word that people should bring a scary movie that they really want to watch, a favorite or otherwise. I'll be making Trick 'r Treat my choice for the evening, but since I haven't actually seen it (just really longing to), I figured I'd put some time into making a list of my actual favorite scary movies.
Note that this isn't an all-time list, just my personal favorites. Here's the Top Ten:
10. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
I've been a fan of zombie movies for a long time (likely since seeing Romero's Night of the Living Dead which made the HM list), and it was very hard to pick just one. But as of late, I've been really enjoying Zack Snyder's remake/revision of Romero's other classic. It's fun, gore-filled, and has everything a great zombie movie needs-including a look at the effect an outbreak would have on the survivors.
9. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
I actually read all of the Thomas Harris books in the series back in college (with the exception of Hannibal which I started, but gave up on). While Red Dragon was my favorite book, it's really hard to top the craftsmanship involved in Demme's classic film. Revenge, catharsis, and well...cannibalism never tasted so sweet. Sidebar: how did "It puts the lotion in the basket" become so mainstream? It used to be creepy.
8. Frailty (2001)
I often find scariest the films that have some kind of basis not only in reality, but also religion and the nature of good vs. evil. That kind of supernatural stuff freaks me the most. Naturally, then, Bill Paxton's little film about a serial killer and his family's attempt to purge the "demons" of the community rattled me more than a tad. If you're a fan of Paxton (who also stars), you have no excuse for not seeing this movie.
7. Psycho (1960)
I'm pretty sure this is the movie that got me hooked on Hitchcock. Also pretty sure that I watched it with my Dad many years back, almost before I could really understand the depth of the film. Each scene is crafted with care and precision that defined the masterful director. And perfect casting in Anthony Perkins; with his boyish good looks, you really believe he wouldn't harm a fly.
6. Scream (1996)
A staple of my high school years, and the cause for my first celebrity crush: Neve Campbell. Not so scary by itself, but a wonderful take on the state of the scary movie and a herald of the next generation of slasher film. Lots of fun, and very quotable to boot.
5. Se7en (1995)
I saw this and have been a fan of David Fincher ever since. Pitch perfect casting all around, dark and deliberate directing, and more twists than a pretzel. John Doe is a wonderful villain, but I'd argue that he's not the only one. So would he. To this day, the scariest sin is the one we don't get to see-lust. Shit still gives me chills.
4. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
I remember the first time I saw this, staying up late one night with a girlfriend. That was a mistake. It succeeded in keeping me awake nights, fearful that my nightmares would actually be reality. Some argue that it's too slow or cheesy to really be scary, but as I mentioned, it's the stuff with basis in reality or supernatural aspects of religion that really affects me on a deeper level. And it's the people here that are, in fact, the most frightening.
3. The Descent (2005)
Easily my favorite scary movie of the last ten years. Cave diving with six hot chicks almost sounds like the premise for a porno, but what follows is a claustrophobic nightmare where what you can't see is scarier than what you can. People that focus on the creatures are looking for fright in the wrong place. Watch it unrated (i.e. the original UK ending) in the dark for the full effect...if you dare.
2. Halloween (1978)
One of the most recognizable horror movie themes ever sets the tone for this holiday classic. All the right scares (the "sitting back up" one is my favorite), an unstoppable, nightmare of a villain, and a hottie in the lead role may be staples of the genre now, but this movie is the reason for it. Slashers wouldn't be the same today without John Carpenter's masterpiece.
1. The Exorcist (1973)
It tops horror lists every year for good reason. This movie is so scary to me that you really have to twist my arm to get me to sit down and watch it. Chilling in every regard, it throws the viewer into Hell with reckless abandon. There's no going back home after this one-the images are burned into your mind. And that subliminal shit fucks with me for reasons I can't begin to comprehend.
Honorable mentions (in no order):
The Shining (1980)
28 Days Later (2002)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Funny Games (1997)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Grindhouse (2007)
Saw (2004)
The Ring (2002)
The Mist (2007)
Cube (1997)