THE 50 GREATEST HORROR MOVIES YOU'VE NEVER SEEN
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The Last Man on Earth -
Much closer in spirit to Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend" than The
Omega Man, LMOE stars Vicent Price as the one human who survived a horrbile
plague and defends himself nightly against a legion of the undead. (The movie
seems to indicate that they're vampires, where I Am Legend is a little murkier)
Much of the movie is Price coping with the day to day practicalities of being
the only human survivor, and while it takes some time for things to get going,
The Last Man on Earth has more impact than the cartoonish Charlton Heston
remake down the line.
Freaks -
The film that ended the career of Tod Browning (Dracula), Freaks has the distinction
of being the first film of its kind to use actual circus freaks (many of whom
couldn't act) and was banned in the UK for more than sixty years. While the
unedited version no longer exists, what remains is still a fascinating morality
tale that provides a glimpse inside of the world of a carnival side show.
I'm not going to lie to you, the acting isn't spectacular (in fact, you may
want to turn captions on whenever the german dwarves are speaking) and the
plot is essentially that of a soap opera, Freaks remains unnerving to this
day because of the relentlessly bleak tone and the shocking (if truncated)
conclusion.
Cemetary Man -
Arguably the best piece of Italian horror cinema not filmed by Dario Argento.
The lead of
the film (played by Rupert Everett), works essentially as a guardian to a
cemetary. In this reality,
one week after their death, absolutely everyone rises from the grave. It is
his job to force back the
tide of zombies, by sending them back to whence they came the very moment
they rise. Clever and
artfully directed, this film has as much to do with the nature of love and
destiny as it does zombies
and gore.
Last House on the Left -
The only direct collaboration between the creators of two of horrors most
successful franchises (Wes Craven's Nightmare on Elm Street and Sean Cunningham's
Friday the 13th) Last House on the Left is rivaled only by the original Texas
Chainsaw Massacre for its visceral depiction of violence and torture. Many
declared the movie to be a snuff film upon its release, and to this day the
story of two girls being tortured by madmen packs the raw punch and low budget
aesthetics you just don't get anymore.
Monster Squad -
While not a horror movie in the strictest sense, this little homage to the
classic Universal
monsters is still a lot of fun. This movie follows a Goonies-esque group of
kids who become
aware that Dracula, the Mummy, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein's
monster, and the
Wolf Man are real and have come to town to get into monster shenanigans. Genuinely
charming
and funny, this movie is ideal for a family or anyone who enjoys those Universal
classics.
Near Dark -
An early effort from director Kathryn Bigelow (better known for Point Break
and Strange Days),
Near Dark is a clever and stylish vampire movie that is more about the characters
than the gore. Some
rough dialog work throughout the film is more than made up for by it's artful
cinematography and it's
basis in classic Film-Noir themes and imagery. This is quite possibly one
of the best, most well
thought vampire movies out there.
Ginger Snaps -
This film easily joins the ranks of the elite in werewolf cinema. Outside
of An American
Werewolf in London and The Howling, I am hard pressed to think of any that
even come close.
This film flies in the face of tradition by not only having female leads,
but by eliminating the cliches.
The cycle of the moon is a non-issue (much of the movie takes occurs during
the day) and wolfsbane
is much more effective than any silver bullet. This movie is well acted, gorgeously
shot, and
genuinely well written. Not to mention more than a little sexy. This movie
was followed by two
sequals by the same writers and director and do not fail to deliver any expections
built with the first
movie.
Basket Case -
A touching story about a young man who moves to New York to find his way in
the world
with little more in the way of posessions than his psychotic, deformed, telepathic
twin brother in
a basket. A funny movie with some pretty nice gruesome low budget special
effects. This movie has
two sequels, both of which are simultaneously terrible and hilarious.
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man -
The first official sequel to The Wolf Man brings Lon Chaney Jr. back into
the fold as Larry Talbot, a man who desperately wants to die and never again
become a wolf by the full moonlight. From the grave robbing revival of Talbot
to the final duking it out between the Wolf Man and Frankenstein, the pace
is always brisk and no time is left for logic gaps. The only regrettable bit
of the film is that Boris Karloff had left the role of Frankenstein and is
played here by Glenn Strange. However, Bela Lugosi reprises his role as Ygor,
and the results are good fun for all.
The Stuff -
What do a smooth talking private detective, an ass-kicking cookie making entrepeneur,
a right wing militant nut, and a tasty dairy treat that is low in fat and
high in evil have in common?
They're all in this movie. While little more than an Invasion of the Body
Snatchers rip off, this movie
has a lot of charm and self-reflexive humor. And for a movie of it's....calibre,
it boasts a pretty
good cast with Michael Madsen, Danny Aiello, and Paul Sorvino.
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