My Top Horror Movies...

Stardate Terror

Since it is that spookiest of times again, I have decided to list my al time favorite ten horror movies. It was difficult leaving a few off of the list, but in the end, I think it pretty much covers it.

10 - "Dagon" - A tongue-in-cheek remake of H.P. Lovecraft's classic "Shadow over Innsmouth" story. This was tied with "Scanners" on my list, but I really enjoy the background and mythos of Lovecraft's works. The movie is based in Spain but the story is much the same. The main character nails Lovecraft's image of the normal guy turned insane character, and will make you laugh as well as scare you.



9 - "In the Mouth of Madness" - John Carpenter is one of my favorite movie makers. This story features an interesting twist on horror writing and some brief appearances of yet more Lovecraftian mythos. Jurgen Prochnow is in this, along with Sam Neil. What is reality and what is fantasy? It depends on your point of view I suppose.



8 - "Event Horizon" - Sci-Fi Horror featuring Sam Neil and Lawrence Fishburne. Good suspense and some real scares, this show is a good one to see. Outstanding effects, and an interesting look at FTL space travel. The problem with "folding space" is that one cannot be totally sure where they are going, or where they have been...



7 - "Aliens" - 'I say we take off, and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure...' Classic space bug hunt movie with a slew of good scares and effects. Amazing that any of the characters made it out alive in this one. Naturally, the best performance is by Michael Biehn. Who would have colonized that planet anyhow...



6 - "Phantasm" - 'Boooooooyyy!' The tall man and his collection of deadly ball devices made for a good old fashioned horror flick. I cringe every time the Hemicuda gets blown up. There were several follow-up films to this, but none as good as the first.






5 - "Hellraiser II: Hellbound" - Nothing against the first Hellraiser, but this one had better effects, and a little more time with your favorite Cenobytes. After the 3rd movie, this franchise turned into utter trash. It's amazing how people wish for something, but when they are finally presented with their desires, everything changes...



4 - "Evil Dead" - This movie was a project with nearly no budget (only about $350,000). It really showcases Bruce Campbell and led to the classic "Army of Darkness" much later. If this show was done with modern special effects, I have no doubt it would scare the crap out of anyone. Everything about this movie screams terror...



3 - "The Serpent and the Rainbow" - Bill Pullman craps his shorts countless times in this Wes Craven thriller delving into the heart of Voodoo. Loosely based on facts, this show is not only terrifying in parts, but very interesting historically as well. Haitian zombie powder is the key to everything...




2 - "The Exorcist" - The classic. This story still scares me. The progression of the possession is truly terrifying, and the implications are definately disturbing. The second movie ended up being pretty bad, but the third returned with a vengeance that nearly rivalled the first. Linda Blair became famous for her role in the movie.



1 - "The Thing" - John Carpenter's classic remake featuring Kurt Russell. Undoubtedly my favorite movie of all time, this show has it all, except screaming women (since there are none in the movie)... the men do a good enough job. Stunning special effects and an eerie and moody soundtrack by Ennio Morricone make this movie worth watching for sure.