I was recently asked by two of my friends "Have you made a top 10 Horror movie list?" and I without any hesitation said "Yeah it was probably a while ago." I checked through my blog and results came back empty.
I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE NOT DONE A TOP 10 HORROR MOVIES LIST!!!!
My rules for this list are to bring you 1 film per franchise, so no I cannot pick Alien and also pick Aliens, It has to be one or the other to qualify. Ok so that's my rules. Also, this is my list, and I am basing it on horror films that scared me or disturbed me at some point and also ones which I like because of the stories etc.
IT'S TIME TO BRING YOU THAT LIST!
10: IT FOLLOWS
Infections in horror go one of two ways and are spread one of two ways, through bites and some zombie like disease or some foreign alien parasitic thing entering your blood stream BUT, It follows breaks that norm and well you get some creepy thing following you looking to kill you if it touches you and you of course get this infection through sex. Yep! Creepy premise, unsettling score, this has stuck with me in my mind since my first viewing, it's a modern masterpiece of horror.
9: The Descent
A group of teens go spelunking and run into dark tight cramped spaces, OH and of course scary creatures who can climb walls and smell and hear you from a mile off. This British made horror film scared the crap out of me for ages when I have first seen it, it made me stay away from dark places and caves for a while, not that I even like going spelunking anyway.
8: Insidious
A recent online survey has shown that this has been voted the scariest movie and for me this is largely true but most of all I have only ever seen this film twice and the score is so unsettling, the entire title sequence gets my anxiety levels through the roof. The entity and scares are well done and even though the entity has gone on to be named Lipstick Man it takes away nothing from his scary appearance, and you can call him a Darth Maul lookalike all you want but if he invades your mind well you don't want to see what happens next.
7: REC 2
First off, the English remake of the rec films (Quarantine) does not exist, haha. So this Spanish horror Zombie film is tense and unnerving and well I found scary and really disturbing and worse of all was the female mutated zombie and that whole bit in the dark. Seriously, that gets me covering my eyes with my hands every time.
6: Predator
Alright so this one is more Action than horror I would say but alas it is still one with the horror genre and between this and Halloween they are two of the first horror films I have ever watched. This film gave us one of the most iconic aliens ever made. A tough buff squad was not a match for The Predator alone or apart with their military arms, and you will see why. The soundtrack is wicked and that tense theme is something else.
5: A Nightmare On Elm St
1,2, Freddies coming for you. You know the song, and you have most likely stayed awake or tried to for as long as you could when you have first seen or heard the tales of Mr. Freddy Kruger. Bed is supposed to be a safe space, so nothing was the same when this Boogeyman invaded our dreams and tore people asunder. Rob Englund does a phenomenal job as the menacing Freddy, and it's an iconic role that has lasted a lifetime, not even a rebooted Freddy could top the O.G.
4: The Conjuring
James Wan brought the real life paranormal investigators The Warrens to the big screen, and he went all out with this and with the sequel. Wan directs with old-school verve, swinging his camera around in glorious tracking shots that trace the geography of the Perron family home, orchestrating spine-tingling set pieces with perfectly-timed jolts – and delivering a stellar, self-contained mini horror flick in that opening Annabelle sequence. But the real secret to The Conjuring's success is the Warrens themselves, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga – it's so rare to see a loving, married couple lead a horror film, and their palpable bond adds real heart to the hauntings.
3: Saw
A twist that still lingers strong in my mind since the first time I watched this. The iconic Zepp theme song is just so intertwined excellently with the scene, and it lingers for hours. Considering this film was made on a shoestring budget, it has made such a big impact and pretty much brought back that whole "torture porn" horror scene and genre. The series that followed Saw became a massive hit and even though to me none come close to the first film this series overall I still love and enjoy.
2: The Shining
A legendary film, you will know of its events by its fame and depictions in so many various media settings and parodies over the years. This one feels like it's driven by a mad man because you don't know what he will hit next on his course because this one never makes you feel safe. Stellar and iconic performance from Jack Nicholson. You got the iconic, brooding theme song that follows the descent into madness and into this insane hotel. A Kubrick/King classic.
1: Halloween (1978)
Halloween started the slasher genre of horror and for me this has always held a special place in my heart, from it's chilling memorable score, to its characters and murderous silent akin supernatural masked character. I love how Carpenter scored and shot this iconic horror film and for me this is my number one.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Chucky, Final Destination, Hellraiser, Alien, The Thing, The Mist, Texas Chainsaw
Friday 13th, Scanners, Re-Animator, 28 Days Later, Exorcist, Poltergeist,
IT, Ready Or Not, You're Next, The Evil Dead.
Alright and that is mah list. Whatcha think?
Got any suggestions or a film for me to check out? Hit me up!
Thanks for reading!
Stay Shiny!
