Most Important Horror Films of the Past Decade? - Page 2

Mike Farley · June 30 2009, 02:33 AM

Horror is just as "important" as any other genre. As far as I'm concerned Anthony Perkin's Norman Bates is every bit as good as Marlon Brando's Vito Corleone.

Too Much Fun · June 30 2009, 09:11 AM

Glad to see others giving props to "The Descent" and "The Devil's Rejects". I would have mentioned "28 Days Later" too, but it totally slipped my mind! I agree it's a really awesome horror movie...not a straight "zombie movie", but very much in the tradition of those, but actually more serious and intense than a lot of them (which tend to have intentional and unintentional camp in them), and I personally liked it better than both versions of "Dawn of the Dead".

I'm not sure what to make of "The Blair Witch Project", I was totally fooled by the ad campaign when I first went to see it, so I really loved it, but I wonder if I would like it as much watching it again without being under the delusion that it's a true story.

Deckerd · June 30 2009, 09:31 AM

Spaceman Spiff wrote:

Mr. B wrote:

david g wrote:

Most Important Horror Films

I'm reasonably sure there is no such thing.

That's just ignorance. It's debatable whether there have been important horror films in the last decade, but there's no doubt to the importance and influence of horror films from the golden age of Hollywood.

Indeed. Nosferatu still scares the living daylights out of me.

NileQT87 · June 30 2009, 09:33 AM

The closest films to "horror" of the last 10 years that I like are Sleepy Hollow (1999) and Sweeney Todd (2007). Burton's darker works, basically.

The only horror I really like is from about the '20s to the '60s with a handful in the '70s. The '30s stuff is overall the best.

As I've stated before, Freaks (1932), The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), House of Wax (1953) and Night of the Living Dead (1968) are my personal favorites.

Too Much Fun · June 30 2009, 09:59 AM

david g wrote:

Too Much Fun, thanks in particular for your feedback.

Much obliged! Always happy to contribute and I appreciate the thanks. Great choices, Nile, I haven't seen Freaks or House of Wax yet, but I love the other two...especially "Bride of Frankenstein".

I almost think it's too romantic to simply be called a horror movie. It's my oldest favourite movie and really opened me up to older movies as I was reluctant to watch movies from such a long time ago until I saw it and it blew my mind with how fantastic it was. I'm tempted to call it one of my favourite love stories more than a favourite horror movie!

I just saw Night of the Living Dead for the first time recently and was surprised by how good it was. I actually think despite its low-budget look and more limited scope, it's superior to its "Dawn of the Dead" sequel and even the remake...it just has so much more effective suspense, excellent use of location (I got really sick of the people running around the mall), and more interesting characters.

Silent_Bob · June 30 2009, 10:29 AM

The only film that sprang to mind was 28 Days Later, that along with Shaun of the Dead reanimated the Zombie genre. Everything else seems to be bad remakes or torture porn at the moment. Stuff like Hostel in particular i wouldnt even classify as horror. It takes more than disgusting imagery to make something a horror film.

28 Days Later stands out as true horror, because it doesnt rely on shoving gore and tits at the audience. It actually has more depth - like the fact that its not the Infected that are the real monsters, its Christopher Ecclestons gang of thugs in Tatton Hall.

NileQT87 · June 30 2009, 01:02 PM

If you want a horror film with a brain and something that actually makes you think... Watch Freaks. And like The Bride of Frankenstein, it isn't much of a horror film at all (in fact, it's been described as a bit of a soap opera). Mostly you just sort of fall in love with or empathize with the oddball cast. They come across more "normal" than the so-called "normal" villains of the piece and there probably isn't a person who isn't 100% behind them when they take their revenge, even if it's the monsters actually becoming monsters as they crawl 'inhumanly' in the mud on a rainy night and chase through the woods after the villain that they literally turn into one of them.

"We'll make her one of us! A loving cup! A loving cup!" "We accept her. One of us. We accept her. One of us." "Gooble, gobble. Gooble, gobble."

Some of the most haunting scenes ever put on film. It's a movie you will not be able to forget. It's that unique.

The film reminds me of a play on the famous Frankenstein mentality of the angry, righteous mob chasing after the monster, but the cliché is turned on its head with the righteous monsters chasing the normal people who have humiliated them and tried to kill one of them. Edward Scissorhands has a similar play on this motif, except it has the suburbanites, who have been nothing but cruel to poor, sweet, innocent Edward, be the ones chasing the good monster. Who is the monster? The ones who look like monsters or the ones who act like it? It's one of my favorite horror motifs. It's the story of the outsider. People are afraid of or shun what is different. Freaks is the ultimate example of it. So much so, that even 77 years later, there are people who can't bear to look at it long enough to realize that these people are just like us with the same wants, desires and feelings that we have. Your reaction to the film says more about you than about the actual film. 77 years later it can still cause very strong reactions.

There's a reason that it is *the* cult film. It's the thinking man's horror film that doesn't even deserve to be classified as "horror". It's a drama.

House of Wax, of course, is a showcase for the amazing Vincent Price. It, too, is largely drama with a touch of a horror element.

A lot of the best horror films are actually more drama than horror.

Night of the Living Dead is one of the few knock-off-the-main-characters-one-by-one type films that really stands up past being mindless fun. Of course, who can forget the legendary "They're coming to get you, Barbara." One of the most memorable lines in film history. And I love the no-budget look of it. It actually makes it much more frightening than if it had anything even close to a polished look. It's still one of the most effective horror films. I remember when I was 9 having nightmares of arms coming through the windows... And yet, I couldn't stop watching it or showing it to my friends (with a blanket to hide under!).

Too Much Fun · June 30 2009, 01:38 PM

Who is the monster? The ones who look like monsters or the ones who act like it? It's one of my favorite horror motifs. It's the story of the outsider. People are afraid of or shun what is different.

Yeah, I think this was the point of "The Elephant Man" too. Thanks for the recommendations. I will definitely check them out. I had been planning to watch "Freaks" anyway and am anxious to see a movie that really showcases Vincent Price.

I've seen him be entertaining on the old Batman TV show, but want to see him with a really juicy role in a horror movie. I saw him in the 50s version of "The Fly" and while I enjoyed the movie, I didn't think it gave him much to do. He was pretty much playing it straight there, in a role that didn't require him to be very expressive or show off his oddly unique charisma.

Mike Farley · June 30 2009, 04:14 PM

One of the biggest problems with recent horror movies--indeed with most genre fiction these days--is that they are being made with idea of "franchise" foremost in mind. This is at the core of the recent spat of remakes that have been plaguing our theaters. Hollywood doesn't want a good scary movie...they want a brand name. They want a Freddie or a Jason or a Michael Myers. Sure most of the classic great horror flicks spawned sequels...but they were more of the "Hey that did well, let's make another one" variety rather than the planned as a series from the beginning variety.

I've seen some good horror movies over the last decade (glancing at my DVD shelf I can pick out Dead End with Ray Wise and May with Angela Bettis) but they don't end up getting any real studio support...they get a tiny theatrical release (if they're lucky) and get thrown onto video where their audience consists mainly of people who are already inclined to seek out those kind of movies. The general public never even gets to see them and so they never get a chance to become "important".

Mr Light · June 30 2009, 04:41 PM

SAW has been a huge cash-cow and I think a very well written series that is a lot more than just torture-porn. 28 DAYS LATER basically recreated the zombie genre. I'd include SCREAM but that's over a decade old.

Goliath · June 30 2009, 07:59 PM

Silent_Bob wrote:

The only film that sprang to mind was 28 Days Later, that along with Shaun of the Dead reanimated the Zombie genre. Everything else seems to be bad remakes or torture porn at the moment. Stuff like Hostel in particular i wouldnt even classify as horror. It takes more than disgusting imagery to make something a horror film.

I know this isn't a popular opinion--at least, not around here--but I thought Hostel had a lot more going for it than people seem to think.

In fact, I suspect that a lot of people who brush it off as "torture porn" haven't even seen it.

Unlike a lot of horror movies, Hostel had a brain, and something interesting to say about a wide range of issues, ranging from traditional Gothic themes like the return of the repressed, to more modern concerns like sex tourism. And in the process, it re-worked the traditional Gothic imagery of the crumbling castle into the crumbling post-Soviet factory--an interesting comment on our place in history, at present.

I also found Hostel's tale of confinement, objectification, and sadistic torture just as timely in 2005, in the wake of the Abu Ghraib scandal, as Night of the Living Dead was back in 1968. And it's worth noting that Romero's film was subjected to much the same criticism forty years ago as Roth's is today.

Now, that said--the sequel was pretty weak. And like George Romero's vision of a zombie apocalypse, Roth's post-modern 120 Days of Sodom seems to have inspired a rash of less-thoughtful imitators. But an artist can hardly be blamed for other people's cheap knock-offs.

Davros · June 30 2009, 08:06 PM

Sagart wrote:

I'd go for 'The Blair Witch Project' as an example of what can be done with a low budget and a smart internet campaign.

I am in full agreement

sidious618 · June 30 2009, 08:10 PM

Funny Games

barnaclelapse · June 30 2009, 10:36 PM

Too Much Fun wrote:

david g wrote:

Too Much Fun, thanks in particular for your feedback.

Much obliged! Always happy to contribute and I appreciate the thanks. Great choices, Nile, I haven't seen Freaks or House of Wax yet, but I love the other two...especially "Bride of Frankenstein".

I almost think it's too romantic to simply be called a horror movie. It's my oldest favourite movie and really opened me up to older movies as I was reluctant to watch movies from such a long time ago until I saw it and it blew my mind with how fantastic it was. I'm tempted to call it one of my favourite love stories more than a favourite horror movie!

I just saw Night of the Living Dead for the first time recently and was surprised by how good it was. I actually think despite its low-budget look and more limited scope, it's superior to its "Dawn of the Dead" sequel and even the remake...it just has so much more effective suspense, excellent use of location (I got really sick of the people running around the mall), and more interesting characters.

Carnival of Souls is another good one from that era that went about its business in much the same way as Night did.

david g · July 1 2009, 01:43 AM

Too Much Fun wrote:
"I just saw Night of the Living Dead for the first time recently and was surprised by how good it was. I actually think despite its low-budget look and more limited scope, it's superior to its "Dawn of the Dead" sequel and even the remake...it just has so much more effective suspense, excellent use of location (I got really sick of the people running around the mall), and more interesting characters.[/QUOTE]"

Too Much Fun, here we differ! While I love the original Night of the Living Dead, I think that Romero's sequel Dawn of the Dead is the greatest of all horror movies. I think the first 40 min of the Zach Synder remake are masterly and it totally falls flat afterward.

June 30 2009, 02:33 AM	#16
Mike Farley Commodore Location: Lost Vegas	Re: Most Important Horror Films of the Past Decade? Horror is just as "important" as any other genre. As far as I'm concerned Anthony Perkin's Norman Bates is every bit as good as Marlon Brando's Vito Corleone.

June 30 2009, 09:11 AM	#17
Too Much Fun Commodore	Re: Most Important Horror Films of the Past Decade? Glad to see others giving props to "The Descent" and "The Devil's Rejects". I would have mentioned "28 Days Later" too, but it totally slipped my mind! I agree it's a really awesome horror movie...not a straight "zombie movie", but very much in the tradition of those, but actually more serious and intense than a lot of them (which tend to have intentional and unintentional camp in them), and I personally liked it better than both versions of "Dawn of the Dead". I'm not sure what to make of "The Blair Witch Project", I was totally fooled by the ad campaign when I first went to see it, so I really loved it, but I wonder if I would like it as much watching it again without being under the delusion that it's a true story. __________________ Movies/Movie People Lists / IMDB Top 250 Tracking

June 30 2009, 09:33 AM	#19
NileQT87 Commander Location: San Diego, CA, USA	Re: Most Important Horror Films of the Past Decade? The closest films to "horror" of the last 10 years that I like are Sleepy Hollow (1999) and Sweeney Todd (2007). Burton's darker works, basically. The only horror I really like is from about the '20s to the '60s with a handful in the '70s. The '30s stuff is overall the best. As I've stated before, Freaks (1932), The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), House of Wax (1953) and Night of the Living Dead (1968) are my personal favorites.

June 30 2009, 10:29 AM	#21
Silent_Bob Fleet Captain	Re: Most Important Horror Films of the Past Decade? The only film that sprang to mind was 28 Days Later, that along with Shaun of the Dead reanimated the Zombie genre. Everything else seems to be bad remakes or torture porn at the moment. Stuff like Hostel in particular i wouldnt even classify as horror. It takes more than disgusting imagery to make something a horror film. 28 Days Later stands out as true horror, because it doesnt rely on shoving gore and tits at the audience. It actually has more depth - like the fact that its not the Infected that are the real monsters, its Christopher Ecclestons gang of thugs in Tatton Hall. __________________ "Does the cold of deep space make your nipples go pointy Bowie? Do you use your pointy nipples as telescopic antennae to transmit data back to Earth? I bet you do, you freaky old bastard you"

June 30 2009, 01:02 PM	#22
NileQT87 Commander Location: San Diego, CA, USA	Re: Most Important Horror Films of the Past Decade? If you want a horror film with a brain and something that actually makes you think... Watch Freaks. And like The Bride of Frankenstein, it isn't much of a horror film at all (in fact, it's been described as a bit of a soap opera). Mostly you just sort of fall in love with or empathize with the oddball cast. They come across more "normal" than the so-called "normal" villains of the piece and there probably isn't a person who isn't 100% behind them when they take their revenge, even if it's the monsters actually becoming monsters as they crawl 'inhumanly' in the mud on a rainy night and chase through the woods after the villain that they literally turn into one of them. "We'll make her one of us! A loving cup! A loving cup!" "We accept her. One of us. We accept her. One of us." "Gooble, gobble. Gooble, gobble." Some of the most haunting scenes ever put on film. It's a movie you will not be able to forget. It's that unique. The film reminds me of a play on the famous Frankenstein mentality of the angry, righteous mob chasing after the monster, but the cliché is turned on its head with the righteous monsters chasing the normal people who have humiliated them and tried to kill one of them. Edward Scissorhands has a similar play on this motif, except it has the suburbanites, who have been nothing but cruel to poor, sweet, innocent Edward, be the ones chasing the good monster. Who is the monster? The ones who look like monsters or the ones who act like it? It's one of my favorite horror motifs. It's the story of the outsider. People are afraid of or shun what is different. Freaks is the ultimate example of it. So much so, that even 77 years later, there are people who can't bear to look at it long enough to realize that these people are just like us with the same wants, desires and feelings that we have. Your reaction to the film says more about you than about the actual film. 77 years later it can still cause very strong reactions. There's a reason that it is the cult film. It's the thinking man's horror film that doesn't even deserve to be classified as "horror". It's a drama. House of Wax, of course, is a showcase for the amazing Vincent Price. It, too, is largely drama with a touch of a horror element. A lot of the best horror films are actually more drama than horror. Night of the Living Dead is one of the few knock-off-the-main-characters-one-by-one type films that really stands up past being mindless fun. Of course, who can forget the legendary "They're coming to get you, Barbara." One of the most memorable lines in film history. And I love the no-budget look of it. It actually makes it much more frightening than if it had anything even close to a polished look. It's still one of the most effective horror films. I remember when I was 9 having nightmares of arms coming through the windows... And yet, I couldn't stop watching it or showing it to my friends (with a blanket to hide under!). Last edited by NileQT87; June 30 2009 at 01:13 PM.

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June 30 2009, 04:14 PM	#24
Mike Farley Commodore Location: Lost Vegas	Re: Most Important Horror Films of the Past Decade? One of the biggest problems with recent horror movies--indeed with most genre fiction these days--is that they are being made with idea of "franchise" foremost in mind. This is at the core of the recent spat of remakes that have been plaguing our theaters. Hollywood doesn't want a good scary movie...they want a brand name. They want a Freddie or a Jason or a Michael Myers. Sure most of the classic great horror flicks spawned sequels...but they were more of the "Hey that did well, let's make another one" variety rather than the planned as a series from the beginning variety. I've seen some good horror movies over the last decade (glancing at my DVD shelf I can pick out Dead End with Ray Wise and May with Angela Bettis) but they don't end up getting any real studio support...they get a tiny theatrical release (if they're lucky) and get thrown onto video where their audience consists mainly of people who are already inclined to seek out those kind of movies. The general public never even gets to see them and so they never get a chance to become "important".

June 30 2009, 04:41 PM	#25
Mr Light Admiral Location: Pennsylvania	Re: Most Important Horror Films of the Past Decade? SAW has been a huge cash-cow and I think a very well written series that is a lot more than just torture-porn. 28 DAYS LATER basically recreated the zombie genre. I'd include SCREAM but that's over a decade old. __________________

June 30 2009, 08:10 PM	#28
sidious618 Admiral Location: New York, US	Re: Most Important Horror Films of the Past Decade? Funny Games __________________ We've met before, haven't we?

July 1 2009, 01:43 AM	#30
david g Commodore Location: cambridge, ma, usa	Re: Most Important Horror Films of the Past Decade? Too Much Fun wrote: "I just saw Night of the Living Dead for the first time recently and was surprised by how good it was. I actually think despite its low-budget look and more limited scope, it's superior to its "Dawn of the Dead" sequel and even the remake...it just has so much more effective suspense, excellent use of location (I got really sick of the people running around the mall), and more interesting characters.[/QUOTE]" Too Much Fun, here we differ! While I love the original Night of the Living Dead, I think that Romero's sequel Dawn of the Dead is the greatest of all horror movies. I think the first 40 min of the Zach Synder remake are masterly and it totally falls flat afterward.