Brian
Oh how we love seeing the sexually active camp counselors getting slashed in their tent, the shaky-handed sidekick who enters a dark room they have no business going in, or a slasher raise from the dead for the 20th time. This is a fun list to do because my brother and I have always been huge fans of slasher films. Once we were old enough, we would convince our Mom to sign us in at the R-rated screenings so we could see the newest sequels and greatest horror flicks. I’d love to see Matt’s list too but here’s mine:
10. Child’s Play:
This was an enormous hit in its day and was a huge success because of the fabulous special effects that truly made Chucky the killer doll come to life and that chilling voice provided by Brad Dourif. This series, like many others, got worse and worse with each sequel but the original is a great ride.
9. Friday the 13th part 2:
I know what you’re thinking. What about part 1? Well, I’ve always been a bigger fan of Jason’s first appearance wearing that spooky looking hood like he’s on his way to be hanged. This one has some terrific suspense and the final chase and confrontation are terrific. It’s also extremely dark and atmospheric as you feel the isolation of the woods.
8. When a Stranger Calls (1979):
Why haven’t you checked the children? That line will never make you feel the same again. The first 30 minutes of this film are absolutely brilliant. In fact, it would be considered one of the great short films in history that Edgar Allen Poe would be proud to call his own. The last hour doesn’t hold up as well but it’s still worthy of top 10 status.
7. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984):
The original film made my brother terrified of taking baths for about 6 months. And, boy, did he smell like shit. It brought us one of the greatest horror icons ever in Freddy Krueger. And, like Friday the 13th, it’s easy to forget how effective the original was in its day.
6. Black Christmas (1974):
This is the granddaddy of all slasher films and creates a wonderful sense of suspense. It also was the precursor to all of the holiday based slasher films to follow but few have ever been as effective. It’s also on watch it now from Netflix.
5. Hellraiser:
I love Clive Barker. The guy just comes up with the most twisted ideas with weird moral arguments. Hellraiser isn’t your typical slasher film because it has a lot of supernatural and demonic elements but once Pinhead shows up, all gory hell breaks loose.
4. The Fog (1980):
A cross between a slasher film and a ghost story, the Fog was John Carpenter’s first film after Halloween and an extremely underrated horror classic. His camera work, music, and actors all come together to tell a truly horrifying tale of people trapped on an island when that fog comes rolling in with bloody results.
3. Halloween II (1981):
My favorite horror sequel of all time picks up right where the first one left off creating one long night of terror for Laurie Strode. The blood and gore are definitely higher this time around but the mood and suspense never left. The hospital is lit perfectly by Director of Photography Dean Cundey who makes great use of the locale as the story shift to Haddonfield Hospital. The last 30 minutes will leave you breathless.
2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974):
Tobe Hooper’s bloody and brilliant low budget masterpiece is newly restored on Blu-ray and I highly recommend renting it if you’ve never seen it. It starts slow but once Leatherface and his demented family start the carnage, this thrill ride never takes its foot off the gas.
1. Halloween (1978):
What more can I say about this masterpiece that hasn’t already been said? It contains the most atmospheric horror imagery ever committed to film and single handedly made Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Myers a household name. It’s in my top 10 films of all time regardless of genre and here, I consider it the finest horror or slasher film ever made. ( themoviebros.wordpress.com )
No comments:
Post a Comment