Have you ever watched a movie that freaks you out for reasons that even you cannot fully understand? Maybe it's the atmosphere of the film? Perhaps it's the music? The lighting maybe? Whatever it may be it definitely leaves even the most hardcore of Horror enthusiasts with a feeling of unease. That to me, is what makes a Horror film.
I have compiled a short list of the top 10 movies that even I think twice about watching alone at night.
10. Suspiria (1977)
Oh Dario Argento, you know exactly what makes nightmares so terrifying. The trailer for this movie alone, is stuff of bad dreams. The lighting, the use of color and the soundtrack grouped together with the story of witches running a ballet school in Rome, make for one hell of a scary movie. Too bad it's being remade.
9. Zombi 2 (1979) AKA Zombie AKA Zombie Flesh-Eaters AKA Woodoo AKA...aww forget it!
Yes, I love Italian Horror films. As a matter of fact, the Italians rule the list of my favorite Horror films(for now). Lucio Fulci had an eye(pun intended) for gore, and this movie is littered with it. It isn't, however, what makes this film so creepy. It really is the overall feeling of dread that this movie conveys. It's haunting theme, so simple but so eerie is enough to make the hairs on your arms stand up. It truly is an iconic Horror film and as far as I know, it is the only film to feature a fight between a zombie and a shark.
Take that Jaws!
Fulci's shark was real!
8. The Mist (2007)
Oh Wow, a modern horror film! How did that get in there? Oh I dunno?...Maybe because it's GOOD!
What is even scarier to me than witches and zombies, is how quickly civilization can collapse all because of human nature. And that is exactly what happens to the people in this film. The Mist is based on a short story by Stephen King, who appears twice in this list, and is in fact the best adaption of his work, in my opinion. Even the films ending is better than the one in the book.
The deaths are great, the tone is tense and the ending is...
...just watch it yourself.
7. The Brood (1979)
Don't trust psychologist.
That's what David Cronenberg's The Brood has taught me.
This movie is a great example of what a Cronenberg film is: atmospheric, disturbing and just straight out mind-bending.
And those creepy hooded kid-things! Really redefines the meaning of "Inner Child".
6. Ju-on (2002)
Before the image of a dead, pale skinned girl with long black hair draped over her face became a tired horror movie cliche, there was Ju-on.
Funny thing is Ju-on has been remade quite a bit, but it is ultimately the Japanese Theatrical version that is the most memorable and is actually not even the first version.
Originally made for Television, Ju-on is a story of vengeance from beyond the grave. It is a haunting film in both the way it is presented and the spirits themselves. As a fan of Japanese folklore, the ghosts in this film almost take a form very similar to those of Yokai or Kaidan, which you can bet your eyeballs I will cover on this blog. I think that is one reason why this film resonates so much with me.
That and maybe the fact that it's creepy as all hell too.
5. The Exorcist (1973)
What can I say about this film that hasn't been said before? It is a modern Cinema Masterpiece. It really is the film that has it all.
Iconic, horrifying and just a damn good movie, The Exorcist does everything right.
So why isn't it number one?
Because as disturbing and classic as this film is, it would just be too predictable to put it at the number one spot...and who wants that???
4. The Beyond (1981) AKA E tu vivrai nel terrore - L'aldilà AKA Seven Doors Of Death AKA...Damn it Fulci!...AKA Fuller...DAMN IT!!!
Lets say Christmas rolls around. Is there a movie you pop in only around that time of year to get you into the Christmas mood? Is it "A Christmas Story"? "It's A Wonderful Life"? Or maybe even "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation"?
Me? I usually have to watch "Silent Night, Deadly Night" and "Black Christmas". But lets get off of Christmas and move to another favorite time of mine: Halloween!
When that calender hits September I am already in the mood for a massive Horror movie marathon all the way up until November 1st. Lately I haven't been able to do that as much as I had in past years, but there is one movie that has become a Halloween staple of mine since the first time I watched it at a friend's Halloween party, so many years back. That film is Lucio Fulci's Schlock masterpiece, The Beyond.
This film is AMAZING!
Is it critically acclaimed?
Hell no!
Roger Ebert called it one of the worst movies ever. Which is why it is so damn good, because it isn't The Exorcist. The effects are dated, the music is dated, the dubbing is bad and the gore is by the bucket load. And it is a great movie to bust out and watch as a group.
So what makes it scary?
The ending, without giving too much away...who am I kidding, it's not the ending that matters here, it's the ride there, because the ending leaves us with the feeling that all hope is gone and evil has won. I would also like to mention that this film is very unsettling in tone. I would also add that the soundtrack, although cheesy by modern standards, is eerie in a 70s horror kind of way and only adds to the uneasiness. There is no way it's sound could be duplicated today.
In short, is it bad? Yes. Is it dated? Yes. Would you have the balls to watch it alone at night all by yourself?
Probably not. If you do, oh the dreams you will have!
3. Creepshow (1982)
Hey look it's our old pal, Stephen King, again!
I first saw Creepshow when I was 7. Thanks Mom! It scared the living crap out of me and gave me all kinds of nightmares. I never looked at roaches or our Aquarium the same again. So as an adult it can't be as scary as it was when I was a kid right?
Wrong.
Although I no longer fear Cockroaches coming out of my face and waterlogged zombies coming to kill me, there is seriously something creepy about Creepshow that even as a grown-ass man, gives me the willies.
Directed by the Father of the modern zombie film, George Romero, Creepshow is an homage to the old EC Comics of the fifties that he and his buddy, Stephen King, loved so much. I also have to admit that if it wasn't for the EC Comics reprints that I read as a kid, I would never have gotten into Comics or even Horror. They were just that influential.
Creepshow is made up of five short stories, all of varying quality. All of which have the same eerie lighting and creepy live action to comic transition in them. Maybe it's just me, but this film still holds up very well. And like the other films on this list, Creepshow is just one of those movies that supplies the good ole fashion NIGHTMARE FUEL.
2. Profondo Rosso (1975) AKA Deep Red
Now we are talkin.
Deep Red, it's US title, is a silly little creature of a film. Not so much a Horror movie, as it actually is a Giallo film. An Italian "Who done it", crime film if you will.
Similar to Suspiria in it's use of nightmarish set pieces, Deep Red is a haunting film and just one example of Dario Argento's master of the art of cinema.
The theme song, again, is haunting. The death scenes do not hold back. And the claustrophobia of the film is nightmarish.
This is easily one of my favorite movies of all time.
A must see before bedtime.
1. Demoni(1985) AKA Demons
I'm so sick of zombie movies.
I just had to put that out there.
The Horror shelves at Best Buy are over saturated with zombie flicks. Hollywood all of a sudden thinks all Horror fans are clambering for all things zombie, when in fact, we have seen it all.
You know what I want more of? Demon movies.
And why not? All these modern zombie movies they keep cramming down our throats, have zombies that run. Demons can run too. And Demons are way more scary than an ordinary zombie. They have claws, sharp teeth and are from Hell.
Can it get any scarier?
This movie proves that one of the worse places to be in a Demon outbreak, is locked inside of a movie theater.
Demons(again it's US title) has it all. Creepy music, creepy lighting, gore and an incredibly bleak ending. It really is a Horror movie fans dream.
I remember watching this with my Sister and she got so grossed out by it she had to walk away into the other room...with her hands over her ears! That had never happened and has never happened since. My Sister can usually handle it all.
This film is definitely not for everyone. The sequel, simply titled "Demons 2", is actually pretty good.
Demons is not a film that you would dare watch alone, but it is the kind of movie that just doesn't get made anymore, and it's a damn shame.
I recommend it to anyone with a strong stomach and a love for watching Horror movies.
That wraps it up for now.
There are just so many films out there, and this was kind of hard to do.
There's always other lists...
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