It is Friday the 13th and to celebrate, I wanted to share my list of my personal top ten horror films. This isn’t to say these are the best of all time, but simply my own choices.
10) Friday The 13th part 3
I had to have one entry from the series on the list, and this was the best choice. Friday the 13th part 3 was where the series really picked up steam and established its brand and identity. Jason became an identifiable figure, and all the pieces fit perfectly into place. The series continued on from here, but this was the best one in my opinion. I do like the later entries as well, but this was the film where every bit ffelt just right. The kills were good, the acting was good, and the writing was good. Its a great film to watch today!
9) Night of the Living Dead
Another all time classic, Night of The Living Dead was a horror film that showed the true horror enemies weren’t the monsters but the humans. It broke ground by casting a black man as the lead, which further helped its message about the real issues going on. This was also in many ways a film that bridged one era of horror to the next, being the last major black and white horror film before color became the norm. Romero’s zombies were a brilliant part of social commentary and the message remains strong today.
8) phantom of the opera (1925)
Lon Chaney at his best. This silent film classic is one that everyone should see. It is the film that best captured the character of the phantom as he was in the book, and Chaney’s portrayal is iconic. In fact for many, the image of Chaney as the phantom is what comes to mind when they picture either the phantom, or Chaney himself. He pulled off a spectacular performance that truly terrified and mesmerized audiences, and did it all without spoken dialogue.
7) Halloween
Another slasher film, this film and Black Christmas were the start of the slasher genre proper. It is hard to imagine now, but this was actually an independent movie that spawned a major franchise that is receiving a new entry very soon. A memorable villain, heroine, the doctor pursuing the killer….all the ingredients for a classic were here and put to good use. And in the excellent soundtrack and disturbing visuals, and you will understand why Halloween is regarded as well as it is today.
6) Dracula 1931 (Spanish Version)
Most know of Universal’s film adaptation of Dracula staring Bela Lugosi, but not as many know of the Spanish Language version filmed at the same time and with a different cast. Most of the dialogue is the same, but the film was able to get away with a lot more due to different censorship rules in foreign countries. In addition, the cinematography was spectacular and far above what was done in the English language version. The English version felt static at times, but here, everything felt alive and always moving. It is very much worth checking out.
5) Evil Dead II
The Evil Dead trilogy is an all time classic, and introduced us to As Williams, the chainsaw wielding smartass who fought the undead. This film was both a sequel and partial remake of the first film, and went much further this time. We see Ash be driven to his breaking point by the Evil Dead but he overcomes them with help, and becomes the badass we all know and love. Sam Raimi’s directing was superb here and influenced almost all of his later films as well.
4) John Carpenter’s The Thing
A remake of “The Thing from Another World”, this film went much further than the original. It was a truly disturbing sight at times and created the perfect atmosphere of paranoia and suspicion. There have been numerous theories ever sine its release, as to what the ending implied, but I won’t touch on that here. I will say that this is John Carpenter’s best film and should be essential viewing to all.
3) The Mummy 1932
The second best Boris Karloff film, The Mummy was unlike all the films that came after it. Dark and somber, but menacing at the same time. Priest Imhotep was a truly fascinating character brought to life by Karloff. He wasn’t a slasher like the later universal mummy films had, but was far more complex and had deeper motivations. The film is often referred to as a love story spanning thousands of years, but it is a true classic of the horror genre.
2) Son of Frankenstein
I was debating which of the Universal Frankenstein movies to have on this list, and I had to go with the best one. Son of Frankenstein was made years after the first two films, but doesn’t miss a beat whatsoever. Strong acting, including Bela Lugosi as Ygor, a man with a broken neck ( not a hunchback) who convinces the son of Doctor Frankenstein to revive the monster. This was an amazing outing for Karloff and Lugosi and was a true highpoint of the universal monster films. I said before it was the best one they did, and I stand by that as it tells a complete story with new memorable characters that had a lasting impact on the mythos.
And no. 1 is…..
Curse of Frankenstein
The first Frankenstein film from Hammer Studios, it was also their best. Peter Cushing played Dr. Frankenstein differently from most portrayals and made him an utter sociopath who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. His pursuit of the scientific endeavor was just a mask however, for his own sadistic nature. The monster was played by Christopher Lee, but the real monster was Dr. Frankenstein himself. It is no wonder then, that Hammer focused the series on Dr. Frankenstein and not the monster unlike Universal.
Well there we go, my top ten horror films. Let me know what you think, and what your favourites are.
Disclaimer: The above editorial is this week’s installment of Thursdays at The Cinema pushed off one day.