A Bloody Good Time 10.22.09: The Twenty Greatest Horror Franchises (Part 4)

Posted by Joseph Lee on 10.22.2009

The slashers make their presence known...

Logo courtesy of Benjamin J. Colón (Soul Exodus)

Welcome again to A Bloody Good Time.

Before we get started, let me link you to Trevor Snyder's Zombie-Thon. Will he find a zombie film worth 4 Bubs? Tune in to find out!

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

John says: Fun Fact: The Exorcist III was Jeffry Dahmer's favorite movie. He would watch it (or at least particular parts of it) several times a week, often times as a part of his killing ritual. He was obsessed with the idea of fully controlling another human being.

Well, at least the man had good taste in films and poor taste in everything else.

YepYep had a recommendation: Digging the columns so far, Joseph, though I'd like to see Hellraiser a bit higher, but I understand why its not. I do have a suggestion for a future column, if you don't mind (though maybe you've already done it). In the wake of the veritable glut of direct to video horror films we've seen the past few years, I'd be interested in seeing you list off a few of the gems. It wouldn't have to necessarily be a top-whatever thing, but with the dtv crowd (or even the limited theatrical releases) it can be hard to discern crap from gold. For example, I took a chance on a DVD the other day titled Splinter, and it was fantastic, though I knew nothing about it. Just interested in what you'd say is good, since our horror tastes seem to be in line with one another.

Well, as part of my "Top Ten Terrors" list at the end of the year I try to give every horror I come across a viewing. So usually there will be a couple to make the list. For example, last year's list had Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer, which I'm almost positive didn't get a theatrical run but was really fun. Splinter is amazing too, as I've brought it up several times in this column and even reviewed it for 411 when it came out on DVD.

AndrewCrow had a complaint: I'd say that Romero's films should be WAAAAAAAAAAY higher, if only for the first 4 (Diary was a pile o' crap). It'll be interesting to see what you've ranked higher (and I know that F13 and NOES will be there, which quality-wise don't come anywhere NEAR Romero's work, but popularity-wise I could see you justifying) than the series that starts with what you call "one of the most influential horror films ever."

I thought that Romero's "Dead" films were ranked perfectly in the top ten. They're not beloved by everyone (except for the first two) and considering their independent status, never really made that much money. Whatever makes the top eight will surpass it in some fashion or another. One movie does not a franchise make.

If you want to know what happened in the previous parts of this month-long special, click the following links:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

And as I've done in previous weeks, I'm repeating the opening so you will know my thought process going into this countdown. Skip past it if you've read it already and don't need a refresher.

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.

No need to recap the previous weeks but we are beyond the halfway point now and entering our "Elite Eight". The movies here either have a higher cult status, more longevity or more cultural relevance than the preceding films. Or maybe I just like them better. Let's get started with #8-5!


#8


Reign of Terror: 2004-2011
# of Films: Six (two films in production)
Total Theatrical Gross: $668m
Recurring Stars: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Dina Meyer, Donnie Wahlberg, Lyriq Bent, Leigh Whannell, Angus MacFayden, Mark Rolston, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell
Story: A madman sets up a series of a traps and games so elaborate that they are even able to continue long after his own death. He also has apprentices take over at various points.

I'm going to get some hate for not only having the Saw franchise on this list, but having it so high. But the reason it's on here is simple. It's a very, very successful horror franchise. The first five movies have earned over 600 million, with a sixth on the way this Friday and two more in 2010 and 2011. Considering the fact that these movies earn a lot of money for little budget, this series is well on it's way to being the highest-grossing horror franchise ever. That means somebody likes these movies, even if you don't.

I'm a fan of the Saw series myself. I've seen almost all of them in theaters and own all the ones that are on DVD. Ever since the original film knocked me for a loop with it's layered story that featured multiple twists and turns and it's clever, inventive traps with unique methods of offing it's victims. Like the Final Destination films, this seems to be about death, and one of the main reasons for watching is to see how these people are going to get it. But it also has a good story to go along with it.

I know that some of you may be thinking: "What story? It's just torture porn". Not only is that term ridiculous (and shame on you for using it) but there is a good story here. Jigsaw has a serious problem with humanity and has set up traps to test people to see if they are worthy of life. But he has such an elaborate plan that even past his death people continue to die and no one really knows when it will end and what his grand, ultimate scheme will end up being. Every movie ends on a cliffhanger, leaving it's fans wanting more. At this point in the series, you'd have to be a fan to keep watching. So that's the only people the films get made for anymore.

I refer to each movie as one chapter of a long story or episodes of a serial. When the Saw series is over, hopefully the story will be told, all loose ends will be wrapped up and Jigsaw's legacy will be immortalized. This Friday, the world gets Saw VI and we have more questions: Will Agent Strahm really be remembered as Jigsaw's apprentice? Will Hoffman finally get caught? What's in the box? How can Tobin Bell keep appearing in a series that killed him off three films ago? At this point, I'll watch anything with the Saw name attached because I love the series so much. The only way I'd stop watching is if Jigsaw's still alive somehow or he has a twin brother. That's a little too ridiculous in my opinion.

Saw fans, how do you hope this thing finally finishes up when we reach Saw VIII? I'm hoping for the return of Dr. Gordon and one giant trap that involves maybe half of the city. Maybe Jigsaw had all these people working on it. At this point anything but a grandiose finale may just end up disappointing the core audience.




#7


Reign of Terror: 1981-1993
# of Films: Three
Total Theatrical Gross: $52m
Recurring Stars: Bruce Campbell
Story: A man loses his friends, his hand and maybe even a bit of his sanity as he wages war against a group of demons known as the Deadites.

Here's a fun fact for you: With only three films it still manages to top Hellraiser's eight films in theatrical gross. Of course that's not a slight on Hellraiser but an attempt to praise this trilogy. It hasn't made that much money, compared to everything else, but considering it's very low budget it's still very successful. The Evil Dead films have a cult following that surpasses many films on this list. It's still relevant today because the hardcore group of fans have made it that way. The video games, Broadway show and comics were all made by fans and for fans. Even though it's been sixteen years since Ash last stood on the silver screen battling hordes of Deadites, fans continue to keep this series alive.

The franchise actually began with a short film called Within the Woods but that was made solely to get financing (what little was available) for The Evil Dead. Using unique camera angles, terrifying imagery and even some claymation and stop-motion effects, Sam Raimi and crew created a cult masterpiece that was immediately embraced by genre fans (including guys like Stephen King and Wes Craven). This led to a sequel, which added some comedic value and may be even more loved than the original. Finally, in 1993 we had the finale, Army of Darkness.

Army of Darkness abandoned any sense of horror and was pure slapstick comedy. Ash went from battling demonic possessions to miniature versions of himself while singing "London Bridge is falling down". But unlike Freddy Krueger turning into a joke, this felt more natural. It just made sense to laugh at Ash while at the same time cheering for him. If you tried that with any other franchise, you would get destroyed by fans. Go ahead, Lionsgate, make the next Saw film a horror-comedy. I dare you. I think that maybe the perfect combination of chills and chuckles in Evil Dead 2 may have prepared fans for what followed.

So here we are, sixteen years later and these three low-budget movies have legions of fans who have nothing but love for it. They launched the career of Sam Raimi into a director who makes blockbusters and Bruce Campbell became a horror hero. Will we ever see an Evil Dead 4? Probably not. What about a remake? I doubt it. Hollywood tried that and fan reaction ended it pretty quickly. Hopefully we get more games though. And as I've suggested before, a film version of the musical would be amazing if done right.




#6


Reign of Terror: 1996-2000
# of Films: Three
Total Theatrical Gross: $507m
Recurring Stars: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Jamie Kennedy
Story: A group of people are stalked by different killers who have seen one too many horror films.

Our Lance Henriksen count is up to three, in case you were interested. He was in Scream 3, three Alien films and Hellraiser: Hellworld. The man gets around in the horror genre. That's not even including his appearances for the Pumpkinhead and Prophecy films. I'm sure he'll make it into all of these others before his career is over.

So now we bring ourselves to the Scream trilogy. With only three films (although it's rumored that a fourth one will be in production soon), it has become the highest grossing slasher franchise ever. Yes, that's more money than Freddy, Jason or Michael, who all have many more films. This series was a phenomenon when it was released and it pretty much defined 90's horror. Even today, if you ask someone "What's your favorite scary movie", it's very likely they'll know exactly what you're referring to. Unless you're not referring to anything at all...you get my point.

The original Scream was not only a great film, but it was also incredibly influential. It created an entire series of self-referential horror films and single-handily defined a period of horror. Even today there will be the occasional tongue-in-cheek horror film that tries to rip off what Scream did so effortlessly. Do you remember how many ripoffs and clones of this formula were created after Scream became a blockbuster success? Too many to count. Even a struggling series like Child's Play or Halloween would take on the same tone as Scream in order to try and revitalize their respective franchises, usually to success.

Scream actually attempted to make a statement on how society sees horror films by making the killers two kids who had watched way too many films within the genre. That is partially why there are so many references within the movie. It's usually the killers who instigate it, as they do in the opening scene with their "little game". Although there's also the character of Randy, who has probably seen just as much horror but isn't psychotic. Of course this did nothing to quell things like "horror films cause psychotic behavior" within the media (which thanks to the tragedy and Columbine, became all the rage).

The series focuses on Sydney Prescott, a troubled young girl who lives with her dad after the brutal murder of her mom. She somehow manages to become the target of five different killers in three different location of the course of the films. That is some serious bad luck. The third film attempted to create a huge backstory and explanation for this, which is one of the only things I like about it. Along for the ride was Officer Dewey and reporter Gail Weathers (yes, that is a pun.). The film series kept it's style and tone through each entry, even going as far as to mock sequels and trilogies in the process.

What will happen with Scream 4? Will remakes get the same treatment (as I've been hoping for). I think with the rumored "passing of the torch" approach, a couple of copycat killers who have seen one too many remakes would be a great story. Who knows what Kevin Williamson has in store, but I'm actually eager about it. He's had six years to recharge his batteries after the third film, and I think with the current horror environment, a new Scream will be a breath of fresh air.




#5


Reign of Terror: 1978-2009
# of Films: Ten
Total Theatrical Gross: $361m
Recurring Stars: Donald Pleasance, Jamie Lee Curtis, Scout-Taylor Compton, Charles Cyphers, Brad Dourif, Malcolm McDowell, Danielle Harris, Ellie Cornell, Tyler Mane, Sherri Moon-Zombie, George P. Wilbur
Story: Every Halloween, Michael Myers kills a bunch of people.

The series that contains the greatest horror film ever made just barely misses the top four due to one or two really bad sequels. Okay, make that three or four. But the number of films within the Halloween franchise that are good (personally I'd rank it with seven good and three bad). It's had ten films now and has lasted thirty-one years. A new one is in development and apparently will be in 3D. It seems that Michael Myers will not die and not even a bad movie can keep him down.

The series started in 1978 with Halloween, which as I've said before is my pick for the greatest horror film ever made. Really, I don't need to say any more about it. But the series went on from the success of the original with a story about a psychopath that for some reason wanted to murder his entire family, and anyone who got in the way. After six films, the series rebooted itself with Halloween H20, dropping the preceeding four films from it's continuity and picking up twenty years after the events of the first two (which happened in the same night). After an abysmal seventh sequel, the series would start over again, this time retelling the story through new eyes: Rob Zombie's eyes. That film would also get a sequel and that brings us to 2009.

This series has had a modest amount of money. Not as much as other franchises on this list but enough to warrant the need for sequels in Hollywood's eyes. While Halloween certainly is a great film, for some reason Michael Myers was never as popular as Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees. He still has his fans, and he's a household name like anyone else, but he never quite beat the other two in popularity. At least he can say he has more films than Freddy. Michael Myers is a shapeless killer, hiding his face behind a pure white mask and more often than not disappearing in the shadows. He doesn't need one-liners or different weapons and brute strength. Michael is just fine with stabbing you a lot with a kitchen knife.

The Halloween films have also benefited from a steady group of cast members, such as the great Donald Pleasance appearing in five films or Jamie Lee Curtis appearing in four. Even Michael Myers, a character who has been played by a revolving door of stuntmen, had two men play him twice: George Wilbur and Tyler Mane. Two directors also returned twice in Rick Rosenthal and Rob Zombie. John Carpenter came back for the second and third films, but only as a writer and producer. You don't see that level of devotion for many horror franchises, but the character of Michael Myers has it.

Where does Michael go from here? Where can he go from here? We're already two entries into the remake series and the character has done everything he can. Even if the next entry ignores what Rob Zombie built and starts over or goes back to the original continuity (there would be an interesting turn of events), Michael has pretty much done all a non-supernatural killer can do. We'll see what Dimension has to offer, and whether Michael making the jump to 3D will be worth it.



That's it for me. Next week is the last part of this series as we present the final four. Feel free to offer predictions below. Only I know what will make it, but you will find out on the week of Halloween. See you then.