Happy Halloween everyone! We’ve finally made it here, through 9 films from arguably the greatest horror franchise to ever grace the screen. It is a shame that we have to end on such a sour note.
Rob Zombie follows up the original Halloween reboot with H2. At first glance this film appears to be a direct remake of Halloween II, with Laurie in the hospital and Michael showing up to exact his revenge. However, Laurie awakens from a dream and H2 actually takes place one year after the events of the first film. Laurie is now living with the Brackett family and Michael has been missing since he was shot by Dr. Loomis. Laurie begins acting out, mirroring more of the lifestyle of the Myers family from which she came.
Meanwhile, Michael is living in the woods, recovering from the injuries he sustained in the first film.
And Growing A Ridiculous Beard
Michael begins having hallucinations of a younger self and of his mother, encouraging him to return to Haddonfield to kill again on Halloween. Michael follows the orders of his visions and begins to kill again in search of Laurie.
Now that the synopsis is out of the way, let me begin my review: this film sucks. Rob Zombie completely butchers everything that the Halloween franchise stood for and turned this film into more of the shock and gore that is his other films. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed The Devil’s Rejects and I love House of 1,000 Corpses, but this franchise is not those movies and you can’t mess with the fundamental elements of Halloween, no matter how much you want to make the film your own.
Laurie is not a reflection of her messed up family and brother, she’s exactly the opposite. Halloween in its purist form is good vs. evil; in Rob Zombie’s world everything is evil. Also, Michael Myers is who he is because his actions are inexplicable, when you start using psycho babel to explain why he kills, you kill your movie. You would think Zombie would have learned from the poor acclaim of the 4-6 films; but if at first you don’t succeed.
And where's the mask? Why the Beard?
What H2 does do well is tip its hat to Halloween II and its sequels, sometimes even at the expense of this film. In H2 the viewer is treated to Michael coming to life in the ambulance, attacking the hospital, and having a psychic connection to a relative (Laurie this time and not Jamie). The highlight of this film’s performances again were McDowell and Dourif (horror’s greatest male icon) but Scout Taylor Compton falls short of Jamie Lee Curtis once again.
Finally, not to spoil the film for anyone, but I want to speak briefly about the ending (no spoilers). I understand why Zombie ended the film the way he did, it was a cute wink that you often see in today’s slashers, but like I said before it completely ruins the mythos of the franchise.
So now we’ve come to an end of our 10 Days of Halloween. A tip of the Shatner mask to those of you who’ve stayed with us through the entire series, and I hope you enjoyed the Halloween season.
I didn’t realize until I watched Halloween: Resurrection how lucky of a draw I had getting the even numbers of the Halloween franchise. Sure, Chris reviewed the original, by far the best film, but I wasn’t forced to sit through Season of the Witch or Revenge of Michael Myers. My good fortunes ended, however, with the 8th installment of the franchise.
Halloween: Resurrection picks up three years after H20 but not before explaining why there is a sequel to H20 in the first place. Apparently, Michael crushed a paramedic’s larynx so he couldn’t speak, dressed him up like Michael and left him to get decapitated by Laurie.
Lesson: Don't dress up like this guy for Halloween
After explaining this ridiculous reasoning for Michael’s survival, the film cuts to Laurie in a mental hospital, apparently grief-stricken over her mistake. In comes Michael, returning to kill Laurie. For a moment, Laurie gets the better of Michael and has an opportunity to end it for good. But what would we watch for the next 80 minutes? So of course Laurie tries to unmask Michael and “gets got”.
Everything from this point on is crap. The premise for the rest of the film has nothing to do with the introductory scene. Why explain what happened to Michael and Laurie at all if the rest of the movie has nothing to do with it?
You didn't know what happened to these two.
Busta Rhymes and Tyra Banks run an internet reality channel and have rigged the old Myers house with cameras. They then paid six dumb college students to stay the night in the house and investigate what happened there when Michael was a child. Needless to say, Michael returns and starts picking them off one-by-one. Also, Tyra dances, Busta does karate, some unknown actress shows her breasts.
And Sean Patrick Thomas dies in yet another horror movie.
It’s getting close to Halloween now, so if you haven’t been watching all the Halloween films like we have and you can only watch one or two, skip Resurrection. The plot is dumb, the acting is terrible, and none of the terror is terrifying. This is the worst of the films I’ve reviewed …
After a streak of Halloween films with cheap thrills, it was refreshing to see one that still had cheap thrills but had better production value. While Halloween: H20 is no classic, it still is one of the better Michael Myers films in the series.
The film opens with Marion Whittington (Nancy Stephens), returning home and finding her office was raided and that the file for Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis finally reprising the role) was missing. When she flees next door out of fear she finds the neighbor children dead and that Michael Myers has returned. Michael quickly kills her and goes off to find Laurie in California, where she is in the witness protection program, under the name of Keri Tate and currently employed as the headmistress of a prep school. On Halloween night she is finally conquering her age old fears of Michael Myers, when he returns again to finish what he started 20 years before.
Halloween: H20 gives a nod to the Scream films (which were also paying tribute to Halloween in turn) even though it had only been out for two years before that, and acknowledges that it is a film that will play in the conventions of the slasher genre. For example, there is the idiot kid that says, “I’ll be right back,” and of course Michael comes back for one final kill after everyone thinks he’s dead…etc. Also, I thought it was great how Janet Leigh (Marion from Psycho) makes an appearance, and the car from Psycho is in the film with the same license plate that has Norman Bates‘ initials on it was in there as well.
What I liked about this film is that it moved on from the whole supernatural Michael premise and the cult undertones that Halloween 5 and 6 had and it was more about the creepiness of Michael’s psychopathic nature. He is just a stalking machine, bent on killing his bloodline and anything that gets in his way. The writers decided to act as if Halloween 3-6 never happened to keep things simple, and probably from sheer embarrassment to be associated with them.
While the production value was much better, it didn’t offer a whole lot in the way of scares, and what it did offer was nothing new. There wasn’t much gore, the body count was a lot lower, and most of the kills were pretty lame, even by cheap horror movie standards. Also, I thought that the mask this time wasn’t as scary and took away some of the dread of seeing Michael Myers.
He kind of looks like Ronald McDonald's crackhead brother.
But, I think this installment had accepted its cheesiness to an extent and played with it and because it didn’t take itself so seriously, it was easier to accept than Halloween 4-6.
My favorite cheesy horror movie moment is when Josh Hartnett and Michelle Williams are running away from Michael. Granted, Michael moves slow as molasses, but these kids run down a hallway and out a window and Michelle Williams is all of a sudden completely out of breath and it is time to stop and talk about the next move, when he is still pretty much in sight of them.
Man, it is exhausting running 50 feet.
How were they that tired, that fast? If Michael Myers moves so slow, wouldn’t it behoove them to run as far away as possible since he really had no chance of catching up?
(SPOILER ALERT)
At the end of the film Laurie seems to decidedly destroy Michael by cutting off his head. This does seem very logical, seeing as they have tried only three other ways of killing him before this:
I know stabbing him didn't work the last 20 times..but...it might work this time!
What is interesting to note about this is that there is still one more film to watch before the Rob Zombie reboots. How do they have him come back from a beheading? Hmmmm…..tune in to Pac’s next review to find out.
Joe Chappelle and Daniel Farrands had a lot going against then when they began the creation of this film. Let’s recap:
Halloween 5 provided the mythos of Michael Myers with some sort of supernatural ability and explanation that killing his entire blood line would put him to rest
Jamie’s fate is not fully explained in Halloween V
Everyone (including Chris) is dying to know who the mysterious man in black is
Grunge music was really popular in 1995
All of that being said, Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myersdoes pretty well with what it has to work with. The Movie opens up with Jamie, approximately 16 or 17 given time between this film and Halloween V, giving birth to an unexplicable child. After Jamie and her newborn child escape her kidnappers, Michael is released upon the town to kill Jamie and retrieve the child.
Meanwhile, The Strode family is living in the previous home of Michael Myers, unbeknownst to everyone but their a**hole father. Next door to the Strode family lives Tommy Doyle (Paul Rudd), and when Tommy overhears Jamie’s phone call to a radio program asking for help Tommy tracks down the newborn son of the now deceased Jamie (thanks to Michael of course).
Oh yeah, he gets Dr. Loomis to help him too
Are you still following me? Good. Now, with baby in hand, Tommy finds Kara Strode and her son Danny at the old Myers home and tells them to take the baby and hide in his house (yeah, next door.). Tommy suspects that some ancient curse requires Michael to kill everyone in his blood line and it occurs on Halloween because of the alignment of some stars to make a constellation that only shows up every few years during Samhain (a.k.a. Halloween).
Eventually we discover who the man in black is, the big reveal of this movie, and it is a major letdown. I’m sure it was because of the demand to tie ends from the previous film, but this movie would have worked a lot better without the cult angle. Say instead Jamie survived and like any teenager on an MTV reality show, she thinks she’s in love and gets knocked up. She has a baby and the next time the thorn constellation appears, Michael comes back to claim her and her child. This sounds much better than some cult controlling Michael, because Michael is much scarier when he appears uncontrollable (SPOILER ALERT: he is uncontrollable).
Much like the resulting blood spatter.
In an attempt to tie together all the loose ends from the previous film, Halloween 6 created some pretty glaring plot holes of its own. However, if you can overlook them this is not a terrible horror movie. The pacing of this film is much better than most, the acting in this film is not as bad as some other installments in the series (III & V to be more precise), and the suspense of Michael’s terror is at its highest since the Halloween II. I wish they would have used less light on Michael, he’s a creature of the shadows and he appears less menacing when there are bright flourescent lights on him; but now I’m nitpicking. Also, the iconic score is often replaced with guitar riffs.
It is also worth noting that this is the last appearance of Donald Pleasence prior to his passing, so the film is worth watching for that reason alone (though he’s only briefly on-screen).
Look for Chris’s review of Halloween: H2O, a film he’s sure to enjoy more than the past two Halloween films he was stuck with.
The Halloween series at this point has reached the level of “preposterous”.
Halloween 4 only made it to the "ridiculous" level.
They keep finding new relatives that he may or may not have to kill and their attempts to destroy him seem to have run out after he has been shot, burned and exploded. What could be next to bring back the dread of Michael Myers?
Halloween 5, picks up right where Halloween 4 left off, with a bullet-laden Michael crawling out of a convenient secret tunnel, into a creek. He stumbles upon an old man, who apparently feels inclined to nurse back to health people that try to choke him, and once recovered attempts to track down his niece, Jamie (Danielle Harris), who he has developed an unexplained psychic connection with, and kill her. This time Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance) has the police convinced of Michael’s evil and they come prepared, but is it enough to stop him before he massacres again?
This one has been my least favorite excursion into the Michael Myers story.
Notice how I rephrased it to exclude this piece of cinematic excrement.
The acting is sub par, even from Donald Pleasance, who seems to be overacting just to make up for everyone’s lack of skill.
"I used to have a career dammit!"
The scares and suspense seems to be gone and seems to be slipping more into the type of horror film that is ripe for parody. The only scene that seems to provide any sort of thrill is when Jamie is trapped in a laundry chute and Michael is trying to stab her through the vent.
One of the main things that I did not like was the fact that it started to develop a supernatural undertone with the psychic connection between Michael and Jamie. Halloween worked best when there was no supernatural involvement and Michael was just a psychopath who killed out of pure instinct and without remorse. Now, they seemed to be working into the story that killing Jamie would stop him from being a killer and that he could put it to rest through some sort of ritualistic ceremony.
The sad thing is that with as much as I disliked the direction this series is going, I can’t help but want to figure out what is going on with the mysterious man in black that was in the background of many scenes of the film and obviously set Michael free from prison at the end of the film. I understand that they were trying to instill fear by leaving it open ended, but all I could think about is:
"Crap, I have to watch the next one to answer the questions from this one."
Unfortunately, there is not much more to comment on for Halloween 5, it is a part of the series that is bland and disappointing on almost every level. I hope it picks up again and there is hope for my next review since Halloween H20 apparently salvaged the franchise after it had been faltering. Until next time…….(cue Halloween theme music).
Here is a link to some fun facts about Halloween 5:
After the Halloween series diverted away from Michael Myers in Halloween 3: Season of the Witch, the public demanded his return and 1988 the franchise released its fourth installment: Halloween IV: The Return of Michael Myers. In correspondence to its release date, Halloween IV takes place ten years after the original two films and follows the events surrounding Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris), the nice of Michael Myers and daughter to the now deceased Laurie Strode (the movie suggests she and her husband died 11 months prior).
Jamie can’t sleep because of the presence of a figure in her dreams who she refers to as “the nightmare man” and she is still struggling to adjust to her new life without her mother. simultaneously, the comatose body of Michael Myers is being transported back to Smith’s Grove hospital until Michael abruptly wakes up in the ambulance, kills everyone on board and escapes.
Once he learns about the transport of Michael Myers and the accident on the ambulance en route, Dr. Loomis starts trailing Michael back to Haddonfield where he believes Michael is headed. It becomes more and more clear to Dr. Loomis that Michael is returning to Haddonfield to kill his niece, Jamie, and only Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) can stop him.
Weapon of Choice: Gun, because it has to work eventually
Halloween IV stands as probably the best sequel to this franchise with the exception of Halloween II. Though no longer aided by the hand of John Carpenter, Halloween IV still maintains the integrity of the first two films, winks to the first movie often, and at times even mimics it very well. Just as Carpenter did in the original, a lot of the suspense of Michael terrorizing Jamie and her adoptive sister comes from Michael lurking in the shadows. The action of the film takes a while to pick up but once the sun sets on Haddonfield on Halloween night the film is really entertaining to watch.
That being said, there’s a lot about this film that just makes it OK. The Halloween films are at their best when Dr. Loomis is involved as a “Van Helsing” type character, but it’s a little difficult to get over the fact that he survived the events of Halloween II. Additionally, while the gore of this film is another notch up from Halloween II, this film was made in 1988 and the kills can look a little campy (i.e. the thumb through the forehead).
The fairest way to gauge this sequel is compared to others of the franchise and other 4th installments of popular horror franchises. …The Return of Michael Myers ranks 3rd amongst the Halloween movies and for the most part surpasses all other franchises at this point in their lifespan.
Fun Fact: Danielle Harris, the actress who plays Jamie Lloyd in this film also plays Annie Brackett in Rob Zombie’s Halloween and Halloween II.
from Halloween 4, all pictures of Harris from Rob Zombie's films are NSFW
One of the most incriminating opinions against the quality of horror movies over the years has been the degeneration of a franchise due to its sequels. Often times original movies are not intended to have sequels but are turned into money-making franchises at the expense of their quality; this often begins with part II. Examples of this include: The Exorcist II, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre II, and The Hills Have Eyes II.
Is this considered horror?
This Halloween season, if you are looking for a horror movie sequel that honors the original, maintains its continuity, and gives the audience more without losing the seminal works integrity, then Halloween II is the movie you need to watch. Though not directed by John Carpenter (though he did shoot a few scenes before the release), Halloween II was written by Carpenter and maintained the primary cast members including Donald Pleasance and Jamie Lee Curtis. Keeping Carpenter on to write this sequel was the saving grace for this film because he was able to seamlessly transition from the original.
Taking place immediately after the events of the first movie, Halloween II opens with Laurie sending the children she is babysitting off for help. Events unfold just as they did in the original until Dr. Loomis (Pleasance) finds Michael’s body missing. Laurie is then taken to the hospital to be treated after battling Michael, and Dr. Loomis is escorted by Marshalls out of Haddonfield. It’s no surprise that Michael has followed Laurie to the hospital and begins his routine of stalking her and killing those who get in her way. The biggest plot element of this film is revealed to Dr. Loomis, which prompts his return to Haddonfield to save Laurie and provides motive for Michael’s desire to kill Laurie. I don’t want to ruin the film for any readers who haven’t seen it, but it’s a Halloween movie so I’m sure you can figure out what transpires from then on.
Hint: she dies.
Halloween II provides the viewer with everything they could want in a sequel. It maintains the integrity of the original by developing the original plot without compromising it, and it keeps a lot of the elements that made the original so successful. Michael is the same menacing shadow he was in the previous film, stalking Laurie and quietly killing those who get in his way (all fueled by suspense and the awesome score). Halloween II also does what every sequel is required to do, turn up the violence. There is a lot more gore in this film than the original and the body count is higher (though by today’s standards the gore is minimal). One scene that sticks out in my mind is when Michael kills off one of his victims by drowning her in a scalding hot tub, her skin peeling off her face as she’s removed from the water.
Halloween II is not as good as the original but should be considered one of the better horror sequels of all time. If you disagree I would love to hear your rebuttals in the comments. Keep reading for reviews on the next 8 Halloween movies as well as other horror movies to watch this season.
In lieu of this festive time of year, and to pander to my guilty pleasure, horror films, and after carving pumpkins and drinking some fall beers, Pac and I decided that we would review one film in the Halloween franchise each day until Halloween. I have drawn the lucky straw of getting to watch the first installment, which is obviously the best, but I will also get to share in the joy that is Halloween III: Season of the Witch.
Oh joy!
Halloween, for the three of you that don’t know what it is, is the quintessential slasher film. The film, written and directed by John Carpenter, combines the best elements of a horror film: the fear of an unknown and unrelateable evil, an ominous soundtrack, a signature horrific figure, and a great ending. From the shocking reveal during the opening sequence, to the ominous conclusion, Halloween sets the horror bar high.
Before continually lowering until it reaches this level.
I am not going to go into the intricacies of the plot because most of my readers already know it, but for the sake of those few, here is a brief synopsis:
After brutally murdering his family on Halloween, six year old Michael Myers is placed in a mental institution under the care of Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance). Fifteen years later, on Halloween, he escapes and returns to his home in Haddonfield, Illinois to go on a mindless rampage of the small town.
A seemingly stock slasher becomes something much more disturbing when given a brief background of his psyche and a mask that provides him a look that is as empty as his soul. One of the best monologues the film by Dr. Loomis best describes him,
“I met him, fifteen years ago. I was told there was nothing left. No reason, no conscience, no understanding; even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, good or evil, right or wrong. I met this six-year-old child, with this blank, pale, emotionless face and, the blackest eyes… the *devil’s* eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized what was living behind that boy’s eyes was purely and simply… *evil*.”
There is no motive like Jason Voorhees trying to avenge the death of his mother, or Freddy Kreuger trying to torment the children of a town that burned him alive, he just….is. There is no reasoning with him or with his instincts, he is dead inside, and the eyes in the mask reflect that, and that is what makes this film disturbing and sets it apart from many other slasher films. His walk, echoes his singular purpose. He has no reason to run or quicken his pace, he has no sense of time and he will eliminate anything (including animals) that crosses his path.
I wish the young Nickelback would have crossed his path.
The most unsettling part to me is when he murders Bob by sticking the butcher knife through him and into the wall. While Bob is stuck there suspended on the knife, blood dripping from his body, Michael just takes a step back and turns his head to the side as if studying him like a work of art, looking at the terror on his face in a futile attempt to relate or understand what is happening. Carpenter himself even said that his goal was to make such an evil character that there was no one that could relate or root for him.
While the acting by the supporting cast is very campy and sub par (Donald Pleasance excluded), Jamie Lee Curtis solidifies her family legacy as a great damsel running from a butcher knife, just like her mother, Janet Leigh, in another horror classic, Psycho. She does a great job of effectively portraying her fear and just barely avoids the cliché of what has become excessively silly screaming in today’s slasher films. Donald Pleasance, who at the time was a top-billed actor, makes a strong appearance (all 18 minutes of it filmed over the course of five days), as Dr. Loomis. He delivers his lines perfectly, especially when he says, “the devil’s eyes” with such chill.
The ending stands out as one of the best of any horror film. While they may have survived their brief encounter with Myers, there is still the uncertainty of where he is and that the terror is still lurking somewhere in the shadows. Again, this is another aspect of horror films that gets exploited today, the open ending, but Halloween does it perfectly, with Curtis still sobbing and the overall sense of dread still left on the audience.
Halloween stuck with me after I watched it the first time and it was still just as equally disturbing this time around. There is just so much of this film that I enjoy and it seems like I find a new favorite part every time I watch it. While this one is by far the best in the series, I look forward to reviewing the rest of them, because I haven’t seen all of them yet. Like my Mom used to say, “If it isn’t a good time, it’s a good story,” I am sure that while I may not enjoy watching the rest of them, they will be a heck of a lot of fun to review and tear apart (if they so deserve it).
Here is a link to some cool trivia about the film, which for the sake of brevity, I left out:
If you’ve read the first half of this post, welcome back and thanks for reading. If not, I recommend you check it out as well as the movies on this list; but also thanks for reading.
5. Paranormal Activity (2007)
What made it scary good:
I am probably going to be ostricized early on in this post for including this movie in my top five and leaving out some very highly regarded horror movies. Paranormal Activity seems to be a very polarizing movie, but I’m a strong supporter.
I remember trying to watch the Blair Witch Project in theaters when it was released and then again on DVD and never made it past the first 30 minutes because of how terribly slow and boring the 1st act was. At that point I was not convinced the documentary style could work for horror and didn’t see Paranormal Activity until 2009. Paranormal Activity may not be the seminal work for documentary horror but it is the benchmark for the genre. It created a great “false documentation” that enhances the fear in a way no other film has, and like The Strangers it does not often rely on jump scares but rather the suspense of the two main characters being stalked by an entity. See it with others who also are watching for the first time, it’ll definitely enhance the experience.
Why it’s not ranked higher:
The most likeable character in this movie is the entity. It is completely plausible that the entire time Katie and Micah think a paranormal entity is stalking and harassing them, it is really their neighbors trying to scare them into moving as far away as possible because they simply can’t stand these two anymore.
A less successful attempt at the same idea.
After the first viewing, the scare this movie is able to provide does not stick as well, and one scene in this film is so over the top that it is laugh out loud funny. Paranormal Activity 2 is about to be released, which will likely dilute the credibility this film carried. Chances are this film is likely to move down the list rather than up it as time passes. Finally, if you haven’t seen this movie make sure you do not see the Steven Spielberg theatrical ending; look for the online ending instead. I’m do not want to promote the illegal downloading of movies on this blog but the ending attached to most torrent copies of Paranormal Activity is by far the best.
Also Recommended:
The Ammityville Horror (1979, 2005 remake), The Shining (1980)
4. Carrie (1976)
What made it scary good:
Adapted by the novel written by Stephen King (his first novel) and directed by Brian DePalma (Scarface, The Untouchables); Carrie stars Sissy Spacek in the titular role of a high school girl sheltered and isolated by her fundamentally religious mother (Piper Laurie). Carrie is picked on incessantly at school and desperately seeks friendship, all the while Carrie is discovering a gift she possesses. When a prank at the senior prom pushes Carrie to her breaking point, she uses her gift to seek revenge on her fellow students.
A ginger prom queen, what a cruel joke!
There are a lot of things that separate Carrie from the other movies on this list and make it one of the best horror movies of all time. Carrie is the monster/killer in this movie but she is also the protagonist. The audience sympathizes with her character to a point that when the pig’s blood is dropped on her at prom (no spoiler here, it’s on the DVD cover) they’re almost cheering for her to burn the place down.
We don't need no water...
Carrie represents the angst and coming-of-age of the teenage girl. She is struggling to understand the changes her body is undergoing, she’s desperate to be liked by her peers and by boys, and she is rebelling against her parent(s). Carrie is a completely relatable character, and possibly the most developed character of any horror movie, ever.
Why it’s not ranked higher:
You could rewrite the last 30 minutes of the script and have a kind of twisted Molly Ringwald movie. However, this is also what makes the last 30 minutes of Carrie so fun to watch, it’s well worth the wait. This movie is exceptional and near perfect, it just barely missed my top 3.
The Exorcist (1973), Psycho (1960): The Exorcist is one of the best horror movies ever made and probably cracks most horror fans top 10, top 5, and top 3; just not mine. It also has some of the same religious and supernatural elements present in Carrie.Psycho, like Carrie, is an excellent character piece; the protagonist however is not as relatable.
Unless you're this guy
3. Scream (1996)
What made it scary good:
The 2nd of the Wes Craven films on this list, Scream is the story of Sidney Prescott (Nev Campbell), a high school girl who is stalked by a killer by the pseudonym “Ghostface” as well as her past.
Cash Rules Everything Around Me
Craven reinvented the slasher genre with this, his first installment of the Scream trilogy. Ghostface was a Scooby-doo like villain and part of the fun of this movie is not only the scares and kills but also the whodunit approach that added to the films suspense.
I always had a thing for ya Sid!
What sets this film apart from many of the other classics in the slasher sub-genre is its satirical portrayal of the horror genre. Randy’s (Jamie Kennedy) entire existence in the Scream universe is to spit off the rules to surviving a horror movie, and clichés that exist in a typical horror film. Scream then proceeds to break most of these clichés and rules of the horror movies it pays homage to, a perfect example of this is that the killer actually runs after his victims. The sequels to this movie are not as impressive as the original but the entire first trilogy (the beginning of the second trilogy, Scre4m, releases in April) maintains the continuity and integrity of the original.
Why it’s not higher:
Scream relies a little too much on the jump scare to terrorize the audiences and while definitely a scary movie is a little more light and fun than the rest of the movies on this list. Ghostface does not leave the lasting impression of a terrifying iconic horror villain. Still, #3 aint bad.
Also Recommended:
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), Urban Legend (1998):
Riding the revival of the teen slasher flick that Scream produced, both of these movies by far fall short of Craven’s work but both have their redeeming qualities. Urban Legend provides a solid concept, some good scares, and some solid performances. While I Know… provides Jennifer Love Hewitt in her prime.
This movie is based on a note I once wrote JLH. The real story ended in a restraining order.
2. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1985)
What made it scary good:
Wes Craven’s golden goose, Freddy Krueger is brought to life in A Nightmare on Elm Street, a film about a group of teenagers who live on the titular street and are stalked in their nightmares by a burned and disfigured man named Freddy Krueger. What the teens soon learn is that if Freddy kills you in your dream, you die in real life. A Nightmare on Elm Street explores an uncharted territory for horror movies, your nightmares, brings Johnny Depp to the silver screen for the first time, and introduces arguably the most iconic villain of all time.
Seen Above: Not Freddy Krueger
I won’t delve into the coming-of-age metaphors associated with this story because, unlike Carrie, I don’t think they contribute that much to the quality of the film. What sets this movie apart is the suspense and fear, the groundbreaking special effects (for its time), and of course Freddy Krueger.
Why it’s not higher:
The special effects were groundbreaking for its time, but now they are outdated and at times distracting. Additionally, A Nightmare on Elm Street touts seven sequels (including Freddy vs. Jason) which have turned Freddy Krueger into a campy and comedic character. The reboot has tried to bring Freddy back to his roots but has not been received well by audiences. This wouldn’t be a problem if you didn’t know who Freddy Krueger was before watching this movie, but if you don’t know who Freddy Krueger is they probably don’t have televisions on your planet.
Also Recommended:
Friday the 13th (1980): I debated with myself for a long time as to whether or not I should include this movie on my list. Ultimately I couldn’t find a definitive reason not to, but I also couldn’t choose a movie to omit in its place. Ultimately, this movie is great and spawned one of the most sucessful franchises in horror movie history; but I feel it lacks some depth, so I’m putting it here.
and the #1 movie on my list…
1. Halloween (1978)
I’d like to share a personal story. When I was growing up a homeowner on my neighboring street dressed up as Michael Myers every year for Halloween and stood at the end of his driveway while the theme music for the movie blared out of his garage. My little brother was so terrified of this man that not only would he not go to this house for Halloween candy; he wouldn’t even go down that street. My brother had never even seen a Halloween movie and he was terrified for years whenever he even heard the Halloween theme song. Michael Myers is pure terror right down to the William Shatner mask.
Saving you money on hotels, flights, and Halloween candy
Once you see Halloween this character becomes even more terrifying. Michael Myers stalks and kills the teens of this town for no apparent reason, he doesn’t speak and he doesn’t run. He just finds you, catches you, and kills you. This movie was made in 21 days for $320,000, grossing $47 million dollars in the box office; it is the gold standard of slasher movies and launched the career of Jamie Lee Curtis as the all time scream queen.
Halloween has stood the test of time and survived 7 sequels involving Micheal Myers (Halloween 3 does not count). It has also survived a 2 movie reboot from Rob Zombie that was so bad he turned Michael Myers into Rob Zombie himself.
Rob Zombie or Michael Myers?
Halloween uses everything from jump scares, to suspense, great cinematography, and an excellent score to scare the **** out of first time viewers, and it gets better with each additional viewing.
Why it’s not higher:
Halloween has been on many prestigious “all time” lists and was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for its cultural and historical significance. It has also influenced almost every slasher that followed it and has been mentioned on various “all-time” lists. However, it has pretty much been snubbed by the AFI, not making its greatest films list, and only being ranked #68 on its 100 Years…100 Thrills list. Why it’s not higher? I don’t know.
Also Recommended:
I recommend you see this movie again, and don’t see or forget about the reboot. And keep checking back for new blog posts on this site.
Honorable Mentions:
Dawn of the Dead (1978, 2004 remake): Why do the zombies go to the mall? It’s a metaphor, and how much does it still resonate in today’s economy? The remake is actually a pretty stand up movie as well.
Child’s Play (1988): You know what’s scary? A killer ginger doll.
Children of the Corn (1984): You know what’s scarier? Killer ginger children.
Rosemary’s Baby (1968): Almost as terrifying as Roman Polanski’s real life.
The Shining (1980): Some movies are like people, some shine and some don’t. This movie shines.
Thank you to everyone who read both parts of this list and I’m sorry if I left off one of your favorite horror movies. Please feel free to comment and let me know what you think I missed or what I got right.
Happy Halloween everyone! We’ve finally made it here, through 9 films from arguably the greatest horror franchise to ever grace the screen. It is a shame that we have to end on such a sour note.
Brian Pac Sostak
Chris Petersen
Sarah Higgins
stjerome03
Chris and Pac Take on Hollywood 
