A Bloody Good Time 10.09.08: The 100 Greatest Horror Films Ever Made, Part 2: #80-61

Posted by Joseph Lee on 10.09.2008

The countdown continues with more monsters, aliens and psychopaths!

Welcome to A Bloody Good Time. Last we I began my epic countdown of the 100 greatest horror films ever made, and that continues this week. But first, I'm going to take some time to respond to your comments, sort of a way to make up for not responding to the huge amount for the worst of list two weeks ago. Obviously I won't get to them all, as there were 42.

Andrew Barbarash says: Wow that made me realise how many crap but fantastically fun horrors have been made.

Yeah, Andrew, that's how I feel. A lot of the movies on this list, especially last week in the low ranking part, were on there because they were a ton of fun. People complaining about the likes of Wishmaster and Dr. Giggles can feel free to do so, that's their right. I'm going to stand by them, because every time I watch them I find them immensely entertaining.

matrix1004 commented: Well, he (Jason) wasn't in Part I either, so make that "the damage he'd taken in the prior 4 movies".

Well there was the fact he drowned in Part 1 and stayed in the lake for an undetermined amount of time. So water damage plus whatever he had over time as he lived alone in the woods. The later sequels would show that Jason wasn't featured in Part 1 but he was definitely in the Crystal Lake area, which is why he goes out of his way to kill Alice at the beginning of Part 2.

Guest #2271 says: I'd rather watch Cena win for 18 months because at least the crowd are into it. As it is, we have to cope with 18 months of Triple H squashing the whole WWE, while he's protected from looking weak, even in magazines as he plays to dead crowds who only pop for his entrance and his finisher. They pop for the finisher because it means they can go home.

Yeah, HHH just likes to dominate everyone, and he proved that when he....oh wait. We're in the movies section. I have no idea how this got here.

The man they call Jed says: "Carrie" gets beaten out by "Puppet Master", "Re-Animator" and "Dr. Giggles". What was that noise? Oh, it was this list's credibility, running away.

I'm writing an internet column about my personal favorite 100 films. I'm not sure, but I don't think I have any more credibility than any other horror fan. I'm just the one with the cushy writing job.

With that cushy writing job, I will continue to give you more of the greatest horror films of all time. Last time we had evil doctors, monsters, Jason and disturbed girls. What will appear on Part 2, #80-61?



#80: Grindhouse(2007)

Directed By: Robert Rodriguez, Quintin Tarantino, Eli Roth, Rob Zombie, Edgar Wright

Starring: Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Josh Brolin, Michael Biehn, Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Jordan Ladd, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Bruce Willis, Nicolas Cage, Danny Trejo

Plot: In Planet Terror, a chemical causes an outbreak of zombies. In Death Proof a psychopathic stuntman kills women with his car.

I know exactly what this movie is paying homage to. As a horror fan, I've spent plenty a time grabbing cheap video rentals of poorly made movies(whether they be slashers or exploitation) and this movie was a huge throwback to not just those types of movies in the horror genre, but in all genres. The poorly made low-budget movies that many people used to watch. So I was excited from the overall idea, not to mention that one of them was a zombie movie. Then the trailers came out and you could definitely see the love for these types of movies that was presented. So I was very excited as I sat down in my seat awaiting this double feature. It was my pick for best horror film of 2007, and it's #80 on this countdown.



#79: Anatomie (2000)

Directed By: Stefan Ruzowitzky

Starring: Franka Potente, Benno Furmann, Rudiger Vogler

Plot: A medical student begins to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding a cadaver's death, uncovering a gruesome conspiracy perpetrated by an Antihippocratic secret society operating within the school.

I was a little unsure of whether or not this movie would be good, but then I saw a scene which sent chills down my spine. A guy was being given an autopsy while he was still alive. I knew that the Germans knew horror and I was in for a good ride, dubbing be damned. This movie has a lot of gore, a lot of greatness and it's something that I've been wanting to track down again for a while. Franka Potente provides a strong show as the lead, and while there may be some problems (bad dubbing, some plot holes), it's still a very enjoyable slasher and really fun.



#78: The Omen(1976)

Directed By: Richard Donner

Starring: Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Patrick Troughton, Billie Whitelaw, Harvey Stephens, Leo McKern

Plot: An American diplomat and his wife become parents to the anti-Christ.

Didn't I say this was the most overrated horror film of all time? Yes I did. However I never said I hated it. I do have some problems with it, and I do think it's overrated, but I'm not stupid enough to not include it on this list. It's a well-acted horror film with memorable scenes and a disturbing child's portrayal of Damien, the anti-Christ. Gregory Peck, one of the finest actors of his generation, provides an engaging performance as Robert Thorn. The kid, as I just mentioned, is a very frightening Damien. He doesn't really do anything but is just creepy. This is something the remake couldn't capitalize on, as the child in that one acted creepy…this one just *was* creepy.



#77: Session 9 (2001)

Directed By: Brad Anderson

Starring: David Caruso, Paul Guilfoyle, Josh Lucas, Peter Mullan, Brendan Sexton III

Plot: Five asbestos removers come to Danvers State Mental Hospital to completely remove the asbestos. As the days go on, each man begins to distrust the others and the situation isn't helped by an evil presence inside the old mental hospital.

Slow pace or not, Session 9 is an interesting look at the psyche of five men who are overworked and very paranoid. This movie tends to make excellent use of it's atmosphere, an abandoned mental hospital. Sure there are some instances when this isn't played up to it's full potential, but for the most part it works. My favorite aspect is the back story told through the therapy sessions. As each tape is played, more creepy layers are added until the final revelation at the end of the movie that echoes in your mind long after the movie is over. The cast (Caruso excluded) gives solid performances and overall it's a strong psychological horror movie.



#76: A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors(1987)

Directed By: Chuck Russell

Starring: Heather Langenkamp, Craig Wasson, Patricia Arquette, Robert Englund

Plot: As Freddy Krueger continues his murdering, the kids, led by Freddie's main opponent in the first film, prepare to fight back.

It's about time Freddy makes an appearance on this list. In a series with a lot of hit or miss sequels, this is one of the hits. It features two of the greatest kills in Nightmare history, Freddy's iconic line of "Welcome to primetime, bitch!" as well as the return of Heather Langenkamp as Nancy, leading a group of kids with dream powers against Freddy. Is the plot a little silly? Sure, but the original wasn't that sane either. There are some very creepy visuals, and while there are a few bad puns from Freddy, he's not even close to the level he gets to later. He's still an effectively menacing killer, especially since it's revealed he's even stronger now. Strong enough to invade the real world and stop a burial. Say what you will about this series, but this is one of the best.



#75: Final Destination(2000)

Directed By: James Wong

Starring: Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith, Kristen Cloke, Seann William Scott

Plot: After having a vision of his friends crashing in a plane, he tells them not to get on only later his friends start getting killed one by one.

Final Destination is one of the most brilliant and original horror movie ideas that's ever been created. Why is it that no one thought of this before? Someone cheats death so death wants payback. I mean, the plot is good enough but the suspense comes from the question that is raised, "how can you avoid death"? Everyone dies, so when Death comes for you there is no escape. Very original and very suspenseful story, which always gets points from me. Unlike most horror films of this year, you can't see the plot twists coming and the teen cast is actually smartly cast and well written. This movie also has some nasty kills. There's plenty of dark humor here and there as well. Even though the series has been bogged down with sequels, the original is still great and shouldn't be forgotten.



#74: Ginger Snaps(2001)

Directed By: John Fawcett

Starring: Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle

Plot: Two young girls about to enter womanhood are attacked by a werewolf. Ginger is bitten and slowly shows the signs that she too may be becoming a werewolf.

For the most part, everyone that has watched this movie has enjoyed it. The DVD success and mostly critical acclaim can support that. Ginger Snaps has everything that horror fans can appreciate. It has strong characters in the two stars, a decent story, and some grisly special effects. The werewolf transformation in particular is one of the best in some time. The metaphors may not have been enjoyed by some, but I felt they were decent and a clever way to show lycanthropy. Wes Craven's Cursed attempted something similar a few years later, and failed miserably. It's very rare that horror fans get good werewolf films (there's a lot of crap out there), so if you want one, try to pick this up.



#73: The Hills Have Eyes(2006)

Directed By: Alexandre Aja

Starring: Aaron Stanford, Emilie de Ravin, Ted Levine, Dan Byrd

Plot: A suburban American family is being stalked by a group of psychotic people who live in the desert, far away from civilization.

This is going to get me some hate but I don't care. Not only do I believe that this remake is much better than the insipid original, but it's a damn good horror film in it's own right. The script and acting are better than it's predecessor. First of all we are graced with the presence of Ted Levine, who plays Big Bob. The rest of the cast does well too, for the most part. Aaron Stanford does a much better job as Doug than the guy in the previous movie, as he doesn't OVERACT. This movie also features it's fair share of gore and genuinely creepy moments that make you squirm. The make-up effects used to create the mutants(especially Big Brain) are nothing short of spectacular. You can tell a lot of work went into it and it pays off. Some of the mutants are just disgusting, which is how they should be. It takes the creepy factor to a new level.



#72: Jaws(1975)

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary

Plot: When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and grizzled fisherman set out to stop it.

Another film that made my overrated list, but I actually have a lot of love for Jaws, even if I feel the way about it's status that I do. The first half is one hell of a ride from the quiet opening scene of a teenage girl being attacked while swimming, to the less subtle but more terrifying scene of a boy being swallowed completely while on a raft in broad daylight. Plus the shot of everyone running and screaming out of the water is historic, among other things. This movie also made me feel for the characters involved. Whether it was the main star, who just wanted to help everyone but didn't have the respect or the support, or the shark expert, or even crazy man Quint. All characters had something about them to make you genuinely care whether or not Jaws had them for lunch or not. It built them all up solidly, even Quint who before he went after the shark didn't have much screen time. The finale is also quite explosive (see what I did there?) and memorable.



#71: King Kong vs Godzilla(1962)

Directed By: Ishiro Honda

Starring: Haruo Nakajima, Katsumi Tezuka, Shoichi Hirose, Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, Yu Fujiki, Ichiro Arishima

Plot: A pharmaceutical company captures King Kong and brings him to Japan, where he escapes from captivity and battles a recently released Godzilla.

Take two of the greatest movie monsters of all time. One is King Kong, a giant ape who created havoc in New York City. The other is Godzilla, King of the Monsters. Let Toho use the Kong character (and make some changes like making him really big and having electrical powers) and put him against Gojira for a battle of the ages. Godzilla movies after the original tended to be very silly, and like most monster movies, this one is silly. But it's Kong vs Godzilla. There is nothing about this matchup that any fan of either character would not want to see. Like Freddy vs Jason or Alien vs Predator, it's two similar monsters battling it out to see who is the best. Godzilla lost, but I think in the long run he proved he was better than Kong.



#70: In The Mouth of Madness(1995)

Directed By: John Carpenter

Starring: Sam Neill, Julie Carmen, Jurgen Prochnow, David Warner

Plot: An insurance investigator begins discovering that the impact a horror writer's books have on his fans is more than inspirational.

"Do you read Sutter Cane?" This movie tends to get forgotten a lot, and I'm not sure why. It's a loving homage to all things Lovecraft, and for once it's not directed by Stuart Gordon. John Carpenter lends his horror skills along with great actor Sam Neill to give us a bizarre, horrific tale about a small town that's devoured by the demonic works of the author mentioned in the quote. It challenges the viewer to come up with with an explanation and try to wrap their brain around some of the very out-there things that occur. If you like Lovecraft, and you like trippy movies, then you'll love this one. It's probably one of the last good movies Carpenter ever made.



#69: Army of Darkness(1993)

Directed By: Sam Raimi

Starring: Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, Marcus Gilbert

Plot: Ash is back and is accidentally transported to 1300 A.D., where he must battle an army of the dead and retrieve the Necronomicon so he can return home.

This is a bigger budget Evil Dead. It's no horror, all comedy & action. This is what Raimi does with Bruce Campbell once he has the money to make him look like an idiot. Yes, Bruce Campbell is still awesome, he's still the hero, but now he's like the three stooges rolled up into one. This entire movie is one big slapstick comedy, even the gore, while not non-existent, is not that noticeable because you'll be laughing so hard. We do get plenty of special effects, and some are cheesy but I could care less. Plus the whole medieval crew plays it dead on, with Shakespearean-like dialogue, which just makes the movie even more funny than one would think. Army of Darkness's only flaw is that it completely ditches the scares in the efforts to be a little more mainstream and go for comedy. However, it's still great.



#68: Predator(1987)

Directed By: John McTiernan

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Elpidia Carrillo, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, Kevin Peter Hall

Plot: A team of commandos, on a mission in a Central American jungle, find themselves hunted by an extra-terrestrial warrior.

Some may cry foul and say this is an action movie, and I say yes it is. But if you don't think being hunted by an alien with superior technology is horrific, then maybe you should get a CAT scan for amygdala damage. Predator has it all. Lots of action, lots of great special effects, and lots of blood. Skinned guys hanging from trees. That's pretty great. Eventually the whole movie boils down to Arnold vs The Predator, and it's a spectacular battle between man and alien. The Predator also has an arsenal of mind games, whether it's camo or the ability to record people's voices and use them later. The Predator will hunt you down relentlessly, and it doesn't care about whether or not you're scared, or didn't harm it, it's hunting you for sport. This movie was great by keeping that theme, and setting it in a jungle was top-notch, because it's somewhat isolated.



#67: Creepshow(1982)

Directed By: George A. Romero

Starring: Adrienne Barbeau, Leslie Nielsen, Ted Danson, E.G. Marshall, Stephen King, Fritz Weaver, Ed Harris, Tom Atkins

Plot: Inspired by the E.C. comics of the 1950s, George A.Romero and Stephen King bring five tales of terror to the screen.

Creepshow is a horror anthology with five distinct stories, all told with tongue planted firmly in cheek. The wrap-around story of the abusive father not letting his son read those "trashy comics" is decent, with a nice payoff. "Father's Day" is a very silly story about a corpse killing it's former family members because it really wants it's father's day cake. "The Lonesome Death of Jody Verrill" is Stephen King, by himself as he becomes covered with a strange plant. "Something to Tide You Over" is another zombie tale, this time about revenge. "The Crate" is a great monster story, even if the monster is really stupid looking. That's all part of the comic feel. Finally, the best story of the lot is "They're Creeping Up On You", a tale about a cruel man who hates bugs getting his comeuppance when his apartment becomes full of them. All of the stories are great and none of them should be taken too seriously.



#66: Tremors(1990)

Directed By: Ron Underwood

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Finn Carter, Michael Gross, Rebe McEntire, Victor Wong

Plot: Natives of a small isolated town, defend themselves against strange underground creatures which are killing them one by one.

Tremors could be classified as a horror-comedy, but I just think it's a great monster movie. This time, the monsters are underground. This movie is a tribute of sorts to all of the classic 1950's monster movies such as Them! or even The Blob. Is the movie funny? Yeah, it is, Fred Ward and Kevin Bacon have great chemistry onscreen and play off of each other very well. The monsters are appropriately menacing and gooey when they explode. However, there is some tension too, as the graboids drive everyone to the roofs, and begins to bring down the buildings from the bottom down. Everyone is trapped in this small town, and open ground equals death. However, it knows how silly the situation is so it doesn't take itself too seriously, which means plenty of jokes.



#65: 28 Weeks Later(2007)

Directed By: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

Starring: Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau, Catherine McCormack, Idris Elba, Imogen Poots

Plot: Six months after the rage virus was inflicted on the population of Great Britain, the US Army helps to secure a small area of London for the survivors to repopulate and start again. But not everything goes to plan.

It's very rare for a sequel to match the original. It's very pleasing when it does so. 28 Weeks Later manages to do this without the efforts of Danny Boyle in the director's chair or any of the original cast. This movie really didn't need any of them. We have a very capable director, a new cast and somehow an even bleaker story than the one before. One in which the mistakes of a few can lead to the deaths of many and two children are left to survive amongst hundreds of infected people. This movie works because of it's cast being able to provide credible acting and do so in a strenuous situation in which they're all placed. This movie doesn't let up for one second. It's a depressing and bleak world, which soon becomes a horrifying one as the virus breaks out again and loved ones become infected and try to kill you. The movie also doesn't let up on the gore, which it provides plenty of. The shots are somehow beautiful in the middle of all this, as Frenadillo's direction style is one that is very enjoyable. It is very well-made, and one of those rare occasions where a sequel almost tops everything the original tried to accolmplish, but definitely comes very close.



#64: Alien(1979)

Directed By: Ridley Scott

Starring: Veronica Cartwright, Ian Holm, John Hurt, Yaphet Kotto, Tom Skerritt, Harry Dean Stanton, Sigourney Weaver

Plot: A mining ship, investigating a suspected SOS, lands on a distant planet. The crew discovers some strange creatures and investigates.

Ridley Scott's space opus that gave us both Sigourney Weaver and the menacing Alien. This simple sci-fi film focused on the terror of the situation, not the big-budget action that would follow. It is about a crew of the spaceship Nostromo who land on a nearby planet, where there happens to be an alien egg. Soon the alien hatches and runs amok on the ship. This played up the monster-on-the-loose story and kept it mostly in the shadows until the climatic reveal. Alien was also extremely influential for the genre and movies in general. Roger Ebert even called it "the most influential of modern action pictures". It can be looked at for influencing many sci-fi conventions such as the "Blue-collar" space hero, dark and claustrophobic conditions in space and the feelings of isolation with some danger on the loose. The best part is that it still works. It's a classic.



#63: The Stepfather(1987)

Directed By: Joseph Ruben

Starring: Terry O'Quinn, Jill Schoelen, Shelley Hack

Plot: All about a "family values" man Jerry Blake who marries widows and divorcées with children in search of the perfect family...

A very original and unique horror film with a one-man show from Terry O'Quinn that seems to be lost in the shuffle with all of the 80's slasher films. O'Quinn carries this movie on his back and gives a great show as a very deranged man who loves family values but will kill you and your family if you don't measure up to his standards. The best moment is when Jerry actually forgets which role he's playing. This isn't the first moment you realize he's crazy, but the main characters do and the suspense really sets in. The suspense is there for the majority of the film, because you never know when something's going to happen to make Jerry Blake snap and kill another family. He could easily be someone you know, and that's scary.



#62: Saw(2004)

Directed By: James Wan

Starring: Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson, Tobin Bell

Plot: With a dead body laying between them, two men wake up in the secure lair of a serial killer who's been nicknamed "Jigsaw" by the police because of his unusual calling card.

The Jigsaw killer concept was truly amazing. He actually never kills anyway. Not once. He sets up traps to help them "appreciate life". One girl has a device strapped to her head which will rip her jaws open if she doesn't find the key inside of the dead man's stomach. One guy has to escape by crawling through razor wire. The situation the two men find themselves in is that they have to find a way to escape or be trapped, and one of them has to kill the other or lose his family. I thought the voice work in particular for the Jigsaw killer was creepy. And his motives, which we find out in the end, are very unique. The movie had me drawn in from the very opening frame and kept me engrossed throughout the whole thing in it's suspense filled story. Not only that, but there was many a twist and turn which made me think one thing, but then turned around and gave me a truth of something else! Forget the sequels that watered the series down, the original is the best and is a very solid horror film.



#61: The Creature From the Black Lagoon(1954)

Directed By: Jack Arnold

Starring: Richard Carlson, Julia Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno

Plot: A scientific expedition traveling up the Amazon River encounter a dangerous humanoid amphibious fish creature.

Finally, some Universal horror makes the list. The Gill-Man, as he's also called, has only appeared in three movies and was one of the last memorable Universal monsters that appeared during their heyday. He was one of the more unique monsters, in my opinion. Frankenstein and Dracula had been seen before in earlier incarnations, and were based off of books. The Wolf Man was fairly unique but was only a monster part of the time. The Creature was just strange, and he was the one that stuck with me when I used to watch these movies growing up. Sharp claws, gills, scale-covered body…he had it all. The movie plays to its strengths and doesn't even reveal the creature until later on, as it takes a liking to a woman and kidnaps her. The rest of the movie becomes man vs gill-man as the deadly creature does battle with a bunch of scientists.

With that we conclude Part 2. We're almost at the halfway point, which we will reach next week. Next week we have some classic films, some recent films and some forgotten ones that should always be remembered!