A Bloody Good Time 10.15.09: The Twenty Greatest Horror Franchises (Part 3)

Posted by Joseph Lee on 10.15.2009

Four different takes on Hell are present in this installment.

Logo courtesy of Benjamin J. Colón (Soul Exodus)

Welcome again to A Bloody Good Time.

Just as I did last week, I'd like to link you to Trevor Snyder's Zombie-Thon. No man should suffer through thirty-one bad to mediocre zombie films. But Trevor does for your entertainment. Read and be amazed.

Let's look at some feedback before we get started.

Guest replied with: Ah the Puppet Master. That franchise is special to me because it made my first Comic Con experience memorable. I was just gonna buy that box set and a great b-movie called "Intruder." Well, Robin Sydney (starred in Evil Bong)talks me into getting the Full Moon Archives set as well and I'd get everything autographed from Charles Band. He gave me Intruder and Blood Dolls (autographed as well) for free! Robin gave me a free autographed picture of her too! Puppet Master is a fun set overall, with the first 3 being my favorite ones.

I think the second is crap, but yes, I still love it. The Puppets lose two but gain Torch, arguably one of the most powerful.

TheHomewrecker had this to ask: God help me, but I love the Puppet Master series, do they sell action figures?

You bet they do, as well as full-size replicas. Although the replicas are expensive I hope to own them one day. Full Moon's official website would have all the details about that.

As with every other entry in this series, I'm repeating the introduction so you know my thought process going into this month. So read that if you are new to this, and click the links for Part 1 and Part 2.

The 20 Greatest Horror Franchises

There are a lot of franchises out there. Hollywood tries to make a sequel out of anything, sometimes even if it's not successful. Who would have thought Wrong Turn would be a trilogy? Not that I have any problems with that movie. Did anyone think that the terrible Pulse remake would get it's own trilogy? So anything can be a franchise, and there are many out there to choose from. But what are the best?

What I've done is take three things into consideration when choosing these twenty. The first is how much success the franchise has had. It doesn't have to be huge financial success, as there have been quite a number of low-budget franchises (like anything from Full Moon) that keep getting made because of a small but loyal fanbase and enough success to warrant more entries. Some of them may be hated by fans and critics alike, but somehow keep making money. That's a successful franchise.

The second factor is critical acclaim. I don't mean critical acclaim as just from the critics, but the general consensus of the quality of the films. Some franchises can be half and half, some can have a series that completely sucks and in some rare cases, have one film that's unquestionably great but have a series of bland, uninspired sequels to drag it down. You will see a variety of franchises here, and they will all have different qualities that may have you question why there are on here. But if they are successful or have one really good movie, it's enough to earn a spot.

The final factor is my own personal preference. I'm not going to hide it from you. Every single list I've ever written for 411 has been my own personal opinion. In fact, this is the only time where I've taken other considerations into account. I may think Leprechaun is the greatest series of horror films ever produced (I don't), but this time that's not going to slide. I'm taking the franchises success and quality into account, as well as my own tastes.

So far in this countdown we've seen monsters both big (The Tall Man, Jaws) and small (Chucky, The Puppet Master dolls) come in with their respective franchises. We've seen Death itself manage to rank, as well as Hammer's interpretation of Dracula. We've seen beasts both extraterrestrial (Aliens and Predators) and human (Hannibal Lecter). This week, we start getting into more established and iconic franchises as we journey through four different types of Hell. Sit back, relax and take a look at #12-9 as we reach the halfway point!

#12


Reign of Terror: 1973-2005
# of Films: Five
Total Theatrical Gross: $589m
Recurring Stars: Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow, Stellan Skarsgård, Ralph Brown
Story: A series of films dealing with the demon Pazuzu as he possesses various people and confronts different priests along the way.

Like Jaws, this would have ranked based on the financial gross and the strength of it's first film. Unlike Jaws, which had one good film and three terrible sequels, The Exorcist only manages to have two really bad sequels, one of the best horror films of all time and two worthy follow-ups. It's a hit or miss series, you could say, but when it hits, well it produces the 2nd greatest horror film of all time, according to my countdown last year.

What else do I need to say about the original? Probably nothing. It speaks for itself and is one of the most influential and critically acclaimed horror films of all time. The sequels? Well it depends on who you talk to. Personally I love The Exorcist III and think it's high up the list of horror films. I also didn't mind Dominion. But I absolutely hated both Exorcist II: The Heretic and Exorcist: The Beginning. I'll let you in on a secret, I actually hate The Beginning a lot more than The Heretic, but I think I'm in the minority on that one.

The first film deals with a girl being possessed by a demon and her mother's quest to do anything to save her. So she calls in a priest, who calls in another priest and it's a battle of good vs evil. The second film of the series sees Reagan have another encounter with the same demon after she's a little older and in an institution of some kind. The third film focuses on a policeman from the first as he encounters a serial killer that may or may not be Father Damien Karras, the man who gave his life to save Reagan's. The fourth and fifth are prequels.

Why do they have two prequels? Well it's because of a huge creative clash between Warner Brothers and the producers of what was supposed to be one film. Actually the entire production of what would have been Exorcist: The Beginning was very troubled. John Frankenheimer was supposed to direct, but stepped down due to health issues. He died shortly after. Paul Schrader took over and created a very psychological film, but it wasn't what the financial backers wanted. In other words, they wanted more pea soup and less story about Father Merrin's crisis of faith. So they hired Renny Harlin, who is good for mindless films (see: Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger). The soul of the film was removed and we got that terrible prequel that AMC likes to show over the original, for some reason.

Schrader's cut ended up being Dominion: A Prequel to the Exorcist and by all accounts is much better than Renny Harlin's version. After the debacle surrounding the prequel, the story of Reagan, Merrin and the demons lies dormant. I don't think Warner Brothers would dare attempt a remake so it's probably going to stay that way.




#11


Reign of Terror:1974-2006
# of Films: Six
Total Theatrical Gross: $203m
Recurring Stars: Edwin Neal, Andrew Bryniarski, R. Lee Ermy, Kathy Lamkin, Terrence Evans, Mareitta Marich
Story: A series of films set in Texas, where a psychotic family of cannibals feeds on groups of strangers.

I don't think Tobe Hooper and the crew behind the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre would have have envisioned their series receiving three sequels, a remake and a prequel to that remake. But here we are in 2009 and that's exactly what has happened. Not only that, but Twisted Picture of Saw infamy have acquired the rights from Dimension, and we'll be seeing a brand new Leatherface outing sometime in the next two years...in 3D. Expect that chainsaw to fly at you.

The original is an independent masterpiece, a film that is so low-budget it resembles a documentary more than a slasher film. That and the very few musical notes are probably why it's so scary. Yes, even to this day the original Massacre, along with a few other films still scare me. Maybe not as much as they used to due to the fact I've seen them so many times, but they still do. Leatherface, a man who wears human skin for a mask sneaks up on his victims before the roar of a chainsaw dispatches them for good.

The second entry dived straight into camp and the original series never really looked back. Dennis Hopper chews on the scenery (although really, when does Dennis Hopper not do this?) and there is an anticlimactic chainsaw battle. The original family is dead, but Leatherface somehow survives so we get Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. This is a seriously unappreciated sequel that is pretty decent if you watch the uncut version. Finally the original series features one of the worst horror films ever made in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation. I watched this film a long time ago and even with all of the bad movies I've seen since, it still holds up one of the worst.

In 2003, Platinum Dunes would remake the classic into a more contemporary remake. The 2003 version has it's detractors, but I think it's a worthy follow-up that may not be better than the original, but it is certainly worthy of existing. In fact, of all the movies in the series, I'd consider the remake the second best. The next film is a prequel, supposedly, but it might as well be another remake because it's almost the exact same movie, but not as good. It did benefit from revealing how certain things in the remake came to be, but it was on a lesser level and if not for The Next Generation, it would be the worst.

Leatherface is in retirement right now, but with Twisted Pictures working on a new feature, I think he'll be welcome back soon.





#10


Reign of Terror: 1987-2005
# of Films: Eight
Total Theatrical Gross: $48m
Recurring Stars: Doug Bradley, Ashley Laurence, Claire Higgins, Sean Chapman, Oliver Smith, Nicholas Vince, Simon Bamford
Story: A mysterious box opens the door to Hell, and calls forth a group of demons known as Cenobites to torture and kill the unlucky person who opens it.

As I've mentioned in previous installments of this column, I love the Hellraiser franchise. I love everything about it. Even the worst entries still hold my curiosity because of the mythology and characters within. Yes, even when Pinhead is at his most talkative, I still enjoy watching him. Or in the cases where Pinhead is barely in the film, I enjoy the trip to Hell the main character has to undergo.

The first two films focus on the Cotton family and their encounters with the Cenobites. The Lament Configuration (the box) tears them apart, killing all but one, Kirsty. She proves to be a tough heroine, stopping the cenobites and saving herself not once, but three times. Talk about a worthy advisary for Pinhead. Most people barely last five minutes with these beings, but she beats them three times and lives. The best part about it is that she doesn't do this through violence or running away, but by using her brains and outsmarting them. How often do you see that in a horror film?

The next film would focus entirely on Pinhead and his attempt to conquer the world. Hellraiser: Bloodline, the worst in the series, would serve as a sort of prequel story. Not for the cenobites, but for the box itself. The next four films all serve as trips into hell for unlucky people who happen to play with fire and get burned. Of these, Hellraiser: Inferno is the best. It is a tense atmospheric story that plays to it's strengths of story rather than try for extensive gore and special effects with a low budget (although it still has plenty for you to enjoy).

While the Hellraiser franchise is the lowest grossing on this list (not accounting for Puppet Master, which has been mainly direct-to-video since it's inception and that makes it hard to find the gross), it is still one of the most popular. Pinhead has his fans and has made the jump from film into graphic novels, comic books, toys and clothing. You can even buy a Pinhead costume at Wal-Mart for Halloween.

There was a remake in the works for a while, but it has since stalled and it seems unlikely that it will be put back on track any time soon. We'll have to settle for going back through our DVD collections and watching these films again...or maybe Clive Barker's "The Scarlet Gospels", assuming he ever gets off his ass and finishes it. I'm watching you, Clive.





#9


Reign of Terror: 1968-2009
# of Films: Six
Total Theatrical Gross: $182m
Recurring Stars: N/A
Story: The dead rise from their graves and give way to an apocalyptic world due to the zombie menace.

You may be asking why I included the remakes to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series and not the remakes of Romero's original Dead trilogy. My answer is this: Romero's series is still ongoing, and this accounts for the series of films that he directed about zombies. I could have included the various remakes, or the spin-offs, but that would muddy the waters and basically this entry is strictly for Romero's films.

George A. Romero is a horror legend. He is one of the best directors working in the genre and even today at the age of 69, the Grandfather of Zombie is still doing a great job behind the lens. He even has a new entry in this series coming out this year called Survival of the Dead. Early word isn't good, but as I've always said: "If it's a Romero Zombie film, I'll love it". I'll be sure to let you guys know exactly what I think when I get to watch it.

The first film in the series is one of, if not the most influential horror films ever. It defined how we look at zombies today, similar to how Lugosi's Dracula and Karloff's Frankenstein monster defined the look of those creatures thirty years before. When you think of zombies, you don't think about the voodoo style creature of White Zombie or the running infected of 28 Days Later. You think of the slow, shuffling throngs of the undead that were given live thanks to Romero. Night of the Living Dead is an iconic film and yet Romero was somehow able to top it.

Dawn of the Dead is the best horror sequel of all time. I don't think there is any way of denying that. It's in color, with more zombie carnage and more gore, while still focusing on the human story and social commentary that Romero likes to use in his films. The next entry Day of the Dead is long after the zombies have taken over and focuses on humanity's attempt to recover. Land of the Dead continues the original story and is about an attempt to rebuild after the events, but the zombies are still a threat. Diary of the Dead would be a story set in modern times with an outbreak just starting. It was shot with hand-held cameras similar to The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield.

Think about this. Since 1968, George A. Romero has released a zombie film every decade except the 90's. Even then, Land of the Dead was originally supposed to come out in 1998, I believe. This decade we've seen three new zombie films. Now we have Survival of the Dead arriving in 2009. Romero has been doing this for forty years and his zombies have yet to disappoint.



That's it for this week. Next week we're hitting some of the slasher franchises, as well as a more modern one that doesn't have the longevity of other series, but it does have it's fans and money. See you then.