They Shoot Zombies, Don't They?

#801-#900

The 1,000 Greatest Horror Films: #801-#900

The 1,000 Greatest Horror Films: Introduction | #1-#100 | #101-#200 | #201-#300 | #301-#400 | #401-#500 | #501-#600 | #601-#700 | #701-#800 | #801-#900 | #901-#1000 | Full List | Sources | The 21st Century’s Most Acclaimed Horror Films | Top 50 Directors

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

801. (-44) A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

Renny Harlin

1988 / USA / 93m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Lisa Wilcox, Andras Jones, Danny Hassel, Rodney Eastman, Tuesday Knight, Ken Sagoes, Brooke Bundy, Nicholas Mele, Toy Newkirk, Brooke Theiss


“Though patently silly, the film is certainly gory enough to offer some halfway decent chills, even if the deaths themselves seem relatively un-scary and low-risk. (Besides, how many surviving characters are likely to make it through the next movie?) But with an overstuffed frame and a relentless soundtrack featuring The Fat Boys, Billy Idol, and — you guessed it — Tuesday Knight herself, does the film really need to add genuine fear to the sensory overload?” – Leo Goldsmith, Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Genres:

Final Destination 3

802. (-2) Final Destination 3

James Wong

2006 / USA / 93m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ryan Merriman, Kris Lemche, Alexz Johnson, Sam Easton, Jesse Moss, Gina Holden, Texas Battle, Chelan Simmons, Crystal Lowe


“Like the plot, the cast is fairly dispensable (!), but at least these actors invest subtext into their characters, especially Winstead and Merriman, who realistically portray Wendy and Kevin’s reluctant journey from animosity to reliance. Otherwise it’s the usual assortment of high school nerds, freaks, jocks and sluts. But they’re engagingly funny, and we almost cheer each on to his or her grisly doom, played out with a perfect balance of dark hilarity and gruesome suspense. Wong directs with a slick attention to detail and a wonderfully deranged sense of humour, especially when it comes to picking songs for the soundtrack. It looks terrific, and is superbly well-paced.” – Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall

Genres:

Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead

803. (-23) Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead

Lloyd Kaufman

2006 / USA / 103m / Col / Splatter | IMDb
Jason Yachanin, Kate Graham, Allyson Sereboff, Robin L. Watkins, Joshua Olatunde, Caleb Emerson, Rose Ghavami, Khalid Rivera, Joe Fleishaker, Lloyd Kaufman


“Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead is a soft-core scatological zombie kitsch musical complete with social commentary. It was directed and co-written by Lloyd Kaufman, the company’s fabled president, who packs every skeevy genre in history into this mad, mod exploitation mishmash. Poultrygeist is as savage as Dawn of the Dead, as slapstick nutzoid as Evil Dead 2, as gag-on-your-popcorn gross as Pink Flamingos, and as dementedly foulmouthed literate as a Kevin Smith raunchfest. It’s genuine sick fun, and there isn’t a boring moment in it.” – Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

Genres:

Creepshow 2

804. (-12) Creepshow 2

Michael Gornick

1987 / USA / 92m / Col / Anthology | IMDb
Domenick John, Tom Savini, George Kennedy, Philip Dore, Kaltey Napoleon, Maltby Napoleon, Tyrone Tonto, Dorothy Lamour, Frank Salsedo, Holt McCallany


“The stories in “Creepshow 2” improve upon each other, and they’re all pretty good. “Old Chief Wood’nhead” and “The Raft” deliver the twists and carnage anticipated while still being dramatically cohesive, but it is “The Hitchhiker” that runs off with the glory. Fiendishly horrifying and hilariously acerbic, this third offering features one classic line and hair-raising situation after the next. – Dustin Putnam, The Movie Boy

Genres:

From Beyond the Grave

805. (-19) From Beyond the Grave

Kevin Connor

AKA: Tales from the Beyond

1974 / UK / 97m / Col / Anthology | IMDb
Ian Bannen, Ian Carmichael, Peter Cushing, Diana Dors, Margaret Leighton, Donald Pleasence, Nyree Dawn Porter, David Warner, Angela Pleasence, Ian Ogilvy


“The first of this film’s strengths is that it takes itself seriously. The stories could easily lend themselves to parody or black comedy, but Connor and his screenwriters never fall for that temptation. With the exception of “The Elemental,” which does have one broad, comic character, the stories in this film are presented as straightforward ghost stories. This presentation lends the film a foreboding quality that inculcates a sense of unease that pervades all of the stories. We never get the feeling that the cast or the filmmakers feel that they are above this kind of film, and this adds a sense of believability to the stories.” – Eric Miller, Classic-Horror

Genres:

Magic

806. (-16) Magic

Richard Attenborough

1978 / USA / 107m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Anthony Hopkins, Ann-Margret, Burgess Meredith, Ed Lauter, E.J. André, Jerry Houser, David Ogden Stiers, Lillian Randolph, Joe Lowry, Bob Hackman


“Magic is an exceptional work of cinema that has much to offer to the viewer who is willing to indulge at different levels. Attenborough and Goldman conjure up a nightmarish world that grows creepier with every passing moment. Slowly but relentlessly, the viewer is sucked into the eerie world of endless uncertainties wherein he must come face to face with his deepest fears and innermost desires before being plunged into a psychological maelstrom of varied emotions. Magic is indeed magical! And it’s the dream-like director-actor pairing of two great English thespians, Richard Attenborough and Anthony Hopkins, which lifts the film above the other cinematic products of its kind.” – Murtaza Ali, A Potpourri of Vestiges

Genres: Psychological Thriller, Psychological Horror, Drama, Romance, Black Comedy, Evil Doll

La chiesa

807. (-24) La chiesa

Michele Soavi

AKA: The Church

1989 / Italy / 102m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Hugh Quarshie, Tomas Arana, Feodor Chaliapin Jr., Barbara Cupisti, Antonella Vitale, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Asia Argento, Roberto Caruso, Roberto Corbiletto


“Only Michele Soavi has ever come close to matching the breathtaking awe of a hyper-stylized Argento set piece. Soavi and Argento are no strangers to perfunctory storytelling, but while a Soavi tableaux may be considerably less colorful than Argento’s stained glass cinema, the man possesses a singular attentiveness for the poetry of signs and symbols. Though sometimes referred to as Demons 3, La Chiesa (The Church) is too visually breathtaking to be treated as another entry in Lamberto Bava’s schlocky Demons series… Soavi’s horror is terrifyingly suggestive, so much so that its difficult to determine what is real and what is the product of subconscious sexual desire and altered consciousness. There’s plenty of schmaltz to go around but there is no denying the dreaminess of Soavi’s stream-of-conscious horror show.” – Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine

Genres:

Body Parts

808. (-14) Body Parts

Eric Red

1991 / USA / 88m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Jeff Fahey, Lindsay Duncan, Kim Delaney, Zakes Mokae, Brad Dourif, John Walsh, Paul Ben-Victor, Peter Murnik, Nathaniel Moreau, Sarah Campbell


“One of the things about Body Parts that makes it so different from other horror films of the early nineties is its killer action sequences. Of course, there are tense and suspenseful moments in the film, but while other movies toil away in the undercurrent of dread that they work so hard to create, Body Parts leans on the gas with bar fights, car wrecks, and footraces. The whole film culminates in one of the most awesome car chases ever committed to film… Dikker’s score won him the 1992 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Saturn Award for Best Music, and the award is well-deserved” – James Jay Edwards, FilmFracture

Genres:

X

809. (+169) X

Ti West

AKA:

2022 / USA / 105m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, Kid Cudi, Martin Henderson, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure, James Gaylyn, Simon Prast, Geoff Dolan


“It is a film that kills both in its comedic sensibility and gruesome inclinations. At my screening, you could both feel the audience release all their pent-up energy and hear them exclaim in joy at these moments. It all reveals how West is completely in control, both narratively and formally, as he wrenches the maximum amount of payoff out of every single moment he can. From the way the headlights of a car change color in an extended violent outburst to a more reserved subsequent scene where a character remains asleep, everything is impeccably attuned to create maximum impact. It makes for one of the most fully realized pieces of horror cinema in recent memory that never sets a wrong foot even as its characters do nothing but. It is a dynamic, deadly work of filmmaking that achieves all its lofty ambitions and then some to become an absolute masterwork.” – Chase Hutchinson, Collider

Genres: Slasher, Hixploitation, Sexploitation, Black Comedy, Southern Gothic

Annihilation

810. (-61) Annihilation

Alex Garland

2018 / UK / 115m / Col / Science Fiction | IMDb
Natalie Portman, Benedict Wong, Sonoya Mizuno, David Gyasi, Oscar Isaac, John Schwab, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tuva Novotny, Tessa Thompson


““Annihilation” is an exercise in maintaining tone and keeping the action of the piece relatable enough so that it doesn’t spin off into something easily dismissible. Cinematographer Rob Hardy, who also shot “Ex Machina,” works with Garland to use the natural world as effectively as the pair used those sleek lines and reflections of the lab in their previous film. And the sound design, especially in the climax, is spectacular, keeping us disoriented and frightened with atonal noises that almost sound like they’re turning in on themselves. Most of all, the artistic success of “Annihilation” comes down to the way Garland metes out information visually. He’ll often show us one thing and then subvert it with the next image, which is an ambitious but perfect way to tell a story about duality and corruption.” – Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

Genres:

What Lies Beneath

811. (-49) What Lies Beneath

Robert Zemeckis

2000 / USA / 130m / Col / Haunted House | IMDb
Michelle Pfeiffer, Katharine Towne, Miranda Otto, James Remar, Harrison Ford, Victoria Bidewell, Diana Scarwid, Dennison Samaroo, Jennifer Tung, Eliott Goretsky


“A slick cross between a Hitchcock movie (two in particular, but to identify them would give away too much) and Stir of Echoes, What Lies Beneath is a supernatural thriller whose plot struggles to hold water. It’s the sort of thriller where the twists and surprises are decided first, and then the writers hang the story around those twists as best they can… What Lies Beneath works – to the extent that it works – because of Robert Zemeckis… Zemeckis is synonymous with slick, but he does have an impressive record of making the most out of material even when it’s weak. He gets an audience to care about what’s going on in a story rather than think about what’s wrong with the story. He knows how to entertain.” – Carlo Cavagna, AboutFilm.com

Genres:

Bone Tomahawk

812. (-58) Bone Tomahawk

S. Craig Zahler

2015 / USA / 132m / Col / Western | IMDb
Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, Richard Jenkins, Lili Simmons, Evan Jonigkeit, David Arquette, Fred Melamed, Sid Haig, Maestro Harrell


“There’s an elegance to Bone Tomahawk that doesn’t let up even when it veers into cult-movie territory. Zahler is a patient director, willing to let scenes unfold, with tension developing organically. He uses music sparingly; the early scenes in town are almost unnaturally quiet, with the moody, minimalist score (credited to Jeff Herriot and Zahler himself) only kicking in once the search party strikes out for the territory. As the men become more and more desperate, the camera comes in closer and closer. But even the final act is devoid of the kind of unhinged stylistic hysteria that can take over films that upend genre. You could even say that’s what makes it so disturbing — the director’s unflinching eye reveals both character and violence.” – Bilge Ebiri, Vulture

Genres:

I corpi presentano tracce di violenza carnale

813. (-24) I corpi presentano tracce di violenza carnale

Sergio Martino

AKA: Torso

1973 / Italy / 89m / Col / Giallo | IMDb
Suzy Kendall, Tina Aumont, Luc Merenda, John Richardson, Roberto Bisacco, Ernesto Colli, Angela Covello, Carla Brait, Conchita Airoldi, Patrizia Adiutori


“So overloaded with red herrings that even Scandinavians would find it excessive, Torso is not the most complicated of whodunits. About an hour into the narrative, the identity of our villain is nothing more than a process of elimination. In essence, take whoever’s left alive, subdivide out the possible motives, and make with the Holmesian deductions. The answer, sadly, will seem pretty obvious. That doesn’t mean Martino can’t have a little frisky fun getting to the conclusion. If you like Me Decade ladies unclothed and submission, this movie is your ticket to titillation. Female mammaries are featured so often that they almost become a plot point. Similarly, Martino does his slasher genre best to handle every death from the killer’s bloody perspective. As the knife blade threatens another topless honey, it’s all so gratuitous and sleazy.” – Bill Gibron, Pop Matters

Genres:

We Are What We Are

814. (-71) We Are What We Are

Jim Mickle

2013 / USA / 105m / Col / Drama | IMDb
Kassie Wesley DePaiva, Laurent Rejto, Julia Garner, Ambyr Childers, Jack Gore, Bill Sage, Kelly McGillis, Wyatt Russell, Michael Parks, Annemarie Lawless


““We Are What We Are” is mostly not terrifying, offers almost nothing in the way of traditional horror-movie shocks and jolts, and does not get bloody until the last 20 minutes or so. (At which point, whoo-boy.) It’s a sinister, wistful and even sad portrait of one family that has followed the insanity and bloodthirstiness of American history into a dark corridor with no exit. There’s a hint of Terrence Malick (or David Lowery, of “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”) in the often-gorgeous photography of Ryan Samul, and a hint of Shakespearean grandeur in Sage’s portrayal of a dignified and honorable American father infused with an ideology of madness. I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen an exploitation film played so effectively as human tragedy.” – Andrew O’Hehir, Salon

Genres:

Vuelven

815. (-46) Vuelven

Issa López

AKA: Tigers Are Not Afraid

2017 / Mexico / 83m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Paola Lara, Juan Ramón López, Hanssel Casillas, Rodrigo Cortes, Ianis Guerrero, Tenoch Huerta


“Opening with silent statistics for the missing and dead in Mexico, paired with a teacher instructing her class to write a fairy tale, there’s no denying what López wants to say here. Like her producing-partner-to-be, López uses genre elements to frame a real, devastating story, this one being about children who learn to fend for themselves in a world that has abandoned them. The themes inherent in this narrative are often bleak, but like the best fairy tales, there is triumph as well. Beyond sociological truth, López infuses her narrative with acceptance and solidarity, friendship and comfort in the face of death. The abstract symbols serve the story, but its core rests in the small, intimate moments, which build to a finale that’s both thrilling and deeply emotional. López is a voice that should make us pause, one whose certainty and passion seem essential in a world that often lacks both.” – Ben Larned, Daily Dead

Genres:

Child's Play 2

816. (-3) Child’s Play 2

John Lafia

1990 / USA / 84m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Alex Vincent, Jenny Agutter, Gerrit Graham, Christine Elise, Brad Dourif, Grace Zabriskie, Peter Haskell, Beth Grant, Greg Germann, Raymond Singer


“An inevitable sequel that’s not as good as its progenitor, but better than most movies with the numbers 2 through 8 in their titles… “2” actually gets clever at the end, when Andy (Alex Vincent) and sidekick Kyle (Christine Elise) battle Chucky in the Good Guys factory amid moving conveyor belts, hydraulic presses and molding units. As surreal as it is suspenseful, the climax may be a little too sophisticated for the genre, but it manages to lower its expectations at the last minute.” – Richard Harrington, Washington Post

Genres: Slasher, Supernatural Horror, Black Comedy, Puppetry, Evil Doll

[Rec]³: Génesis

817. (-39) [Rec]³: Génesis

Paco Plaza

AKA:

2012 / Spain / 80m / Col / Zombie | IMDb
Leticia Dolera, Diego Martín, Ismael Martínez, Àlex Monner, Borja Glez. Santaolalla, Emilio Mencheta, David Ramírez, Miguel Àngel González, Ramón Agirre, Xavier Ruano


“It follows the basics of the zombie genre, going back at least to George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” (1968). But director Paco Plaza throws in more than enough ludicrous touches of his own to grab viewers by their arteries and never let go. The movie’s highlight is punk-haired Leticia Dolera as the bride. When matters get drastic, she grabs a chain saw, cuts off part of her wedding dress, exposing a red garter, and goes on the offensive. Blood flows, limbs fly. There has never been another wedding day like this. “[REC] 3 Genesis” is a prequel to the first two “[REC]” movies, but that doesn’t much matter. You don’t need to have seen them to enjoy this film, which provides fresh blood for a tired genre.” – V.A. Musetto, New York Post

Genres:

Under the Shadow

818. (-76) Under the Shadow

Babak Anvari

2016 / Iran / 84m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi, Arash Marandi, Aram Ghasemy, Soussan Farrokhnia, Ray Haratian, Hamid Djavadan, Behi Djanati Atai, Bijan Daneshmand


“Those cracks in the ceiling are hiding a lot more than dry rot in “Under the Shadow,” a satisfyingly tense and atmospheric thriller set in a haunted Tehran apartment during the terrifying final days of the Iran-Iraq War. Slyly merging a familiar but effective genre exercise with a grim allegory of female oppression, Babak Anvari’s resourceful writing-directing debut grounds its premise in something at once vaguely political and ineluctably sinister; imagine an Asghar Farhadi remake of “The Babadook” and you’re halfway there… In its harrowing final moments, “Under the Shadow” reveals itself as a horror story rooted in the dreams and pathologies that mothers pass down to their daughters, and the defiant gestures it may take for cycles of persecution to be broken.” – Justin Chang, Variety

Genres:

Prom Night

819. (-16) Prom Night

Paul Lynch

1980 / Italy / 92m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Leslie Nielsen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Casey Stevens, Anne-Marie Martin, Antoinette Bower, Michael Tough, Robert A. Silverman, Pita Oliver, David Mucci, Jeff Wincott


“Lynch’s Prom Night is quite chilling, entertaining, and absolutely not a boring film, which surely will be appreciated by horror film lovers and others as well. This film does aim to terrify the audience and makes them want to stop watching it somewhere in the middle due to way too many blood and violent scenes… But, you will still watch since it is smartly executed, with interesting lines, and solid performances by the entire cast, This refreshes our memory and reminds us, once again, why we love so much the films of the sweet 80s.” – Ulkar Alakbarova, Movie Moves Me

Genres:

Vampire Circus

820. (-21) Vampire Circus

Robert Young

1972 / UK / 87m / Col / Vampire | IMDb
Adrienne Corri, Thorley Walters, Anthony Higgins, John Moulder-Brown, Laurence Payne, Richard Owens, Lynne Frederick, Elizabeth Seal, Robin Hunter, Domini Blythe


“Modern viewers will indeed be amazed at the level of grue here. Throats are slashed, human beings torn limb from limb by ferocious beasts. Said vivisected bodies are discovered in horrific fashion, and gunshots blow holes in the back of hunky henchmen. This isn’t your pathetic piecemeal PG-13 shocker. From a crucifix to a cutlass, weapons draw gallons of blood here, and Young shows a real flare for fatalistic invention. Indeed, the director is Vampire Circus‘s certified wild card here. While sticking to the storytelling conventions rather well, he adds unique visual elements to the mix, including obvious homages to then arthouse cinema hits and moments of his own unique invention (a pair of aerialists are shot from below as they spin and contort in the air, giving their performance a surreal, hallucinogenic aura).” – Bill Gibron, Pop Matters

Genres:

American Mary

821. (-51) American Mary

Jen Soska & Sylvia Soska

2012 / Canada / 103m / Col / Body Horror | IMDb
Katharine Isabelle, Antonio Cupo, Tristan Risk, David Lovgren, Paula Lindberg, Clay St. Thomas, John Emmet Tracy, Twan Holliday, Nelson Wong, Sylvia Soska


“We’ve seen medical gear — gurneys, rubber aprons, cutlery — in myriad horror movies, “The Human Centipede,” “Dead Ringers” and “Audition” among them. But maybe not metaphors like the caged bird Mary keeps, in a nod to Jean-Pierre Melville, or her uncommon path to self-sufficiency (at one point she literally sews up her own wound), a transformation skillfully elucidated by Ms. Isabelle. This film — the second from the Soskas, and shot in their hometown, Vancouver, British Columbia — combines gore, quiet dread, feminist conviction and a visual classicism, often using a red palette, with impressive, unbelabored dexterity. (In an amusing sequence, the Soskas play goth twins who want to surgically exchange their left arms.)” – Andy Webster, The New York Times

Genres:

Halloween

822. (-49) Halloween

Rob Zombie

2007 / USA / 109m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Malcolm McDowell, Brad Dourif, Tyler Mane, Daeg Faerch, Sheri Moon Zombie, William Forsythe, Richard Lynch, Udo Kier, Clint Howard, Danny Trejo


“The good news is, Zombie in no way diminishes our nightmares. While not so much a unique vision as a loving tribute, director Zombie updates the classic with a tighter script, re-thought locations for some key scenes, and a decent cast willing to to make a true slasher film, teen nudity and all. Unlike The Fog remake that threw out all the elements that made the original so scary and watchable, Zombie lifts scenes and lines from the original while making better sense and setting a better pace. Amazingly, Zombie’s Halloween is an improvement over the original film, exactly the kind of film one expects when lamenting, “Wow, can you imagine what this movie would be like if they made it today?”” – Kevin A. Ranson, MovieCrypt

Genres:

Revenge of the Creature

823. (-15) Revenge of the Creature

Jack Arnold

1955 / USA / 82m / BW / Science Fiction | IMDb
John Agar, Lori Nelson, John Bromfield, Nestor Paiva, Grandon Rhodes, Dave Willock, Robert Williams, Charles Cane


Revenge of the Creature is surpassed by its predecessor in all but one regard: the Gill-man becomes a clear victim of circumstance and will thus evoke compassion from those of a sensitive inclination. Specifically, the creature is abducted from his natural environment and put on display for exploitative purposes; therefore, the Gill-man’s savagery in the final act occurs within a decidedly justifiable context—much in contrast to Creature from the Black Lagoon, wherein the ethics of invading an animal’s territory and suffering the consequences thereof are presented through an ambiguous perspective.” – Jon Davidson, Midnite Reviews

Genres:

Body Melt

824. (-27) Body Melt

Philip Brophy

1993 / Australia / 81m / Col / Body Horror | IMDb
Gerard Kennedy, Andrew Daddo, Ian Smith, Regina Gaigalas, Vincent Gil, Neil Foley, Anthea Davis, Matthew Newton, Lesley Baker, Amy Grove-Rogers


“The trouble is that, by doing his thing so well, director Philip Brophy has left audiences unsure if his film is a spoof – but you only have to pay attention to its innovative camerawork, perfectly arranged lighting and seamless continuity to realise that there’s a lot of talent behind it. Whilst it would be entertaining either way, it’s clearly more than just a halfhearted slice of exploitation movie-making – it’s a hilarious tribute to the best-loved cliches of the genre, and the affection and understanding that have gone into it mean it has real spirit, energy and character.” – Jennie Kermode, Eye For Film

Genres:

The Car

825. (-16) The Car

Elliot Silverstein

1977 / USA / 96m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
James Brolin, Kathleen Lloyd, John Marley, R.G. Armstrong, John Rubinstein, Elizabeth Thompson, Roy Jenson, Kim Richards, Kyle Richards, Kate Murtagh


“As you watch The Car, pay attention to how the cinematography and the music propel the film to something far more artistically adept than it has any right to be. The use of sweeping vistas, and the gorgeous framing of specific sequences, make The Car as beautiful as it is entertaining. The music may sound familiar to horrorphiles; harboring tinges of the eerie French horn arrangement from the beginning of The Shining, which would be released three years later. They both seem to be formidable iterations of the Gregorian chant “Dies Irae.” Despite its b-movie trappings, The Car is high-quality horror from start to finish and film deserving of far more attention and accolades than its unfortunate obscurity affords.” – Brian Salisbury, Film School Rejects

Genres:

The Incredible Melting Man

826. (new) The Incredible Melting Man

William Sachs

1977 / USA / 84m / Col / Science Fiction | IMDb
Alex Rebar, Burr DeBenning, Myron Healey, Michael Alldredge, Ann Sweeny, Lisle Wilson, Cheryl Smith, Julie Drazen, Stuart Edmond Rodgers, Chris Witney


“It’s clear that the real star here is Rick Baker, here coming into his own as one of the premiere effects artists of his generation after serving on crews for a handful of films. The Incredible Melting Man truly marked his arrival as a talent whose genius could elevate an otherwise ordinary (if not downright poor) film. At the time of its release, no one could have ever imagined that anyone would ever refer to it as “a Rick Baker film,” but that’s exactly what it is. His pièce de résistance here is the title character himself, who lives up to his name in that he’s melting and looks absolutely incredible while doing so. West is utterly transformed into a molten, gelatinous blob left to drip puss and body parts all over the countryside. Both hideous and alluring, the effect especially captures the juvenile thrill of reveling in something that’s gross for the sake of being gross.” – Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

Genres:

Deadgirl

827. (-25) Deadgirl

Marcel Sarmiento & Gadi Harel

2008 / USA / 101m / Col / Zombie | IMDb
Shiloh Fernandez, Noah Segan, Candice Accola, Eric Podnar, Jenny Spain, Andrew DiPalma, Nolan Gerard Funk, Michael Bowen, David Alan Graf, Susan Marie Keller


“A good deal of the effect of “Deadgirl” rests on the atmospheric widescreen cinematography by Harris Charalambouse, which belies what must have been an extremely low budget (the long tracking shots in which the camera prowls the underground tunnels beneath the asylum are honestly gripping), and Phillip Blackford’s editing, which isn’t afraid to take things slowly, though in the action moments it’s appropriately swift and abrupt. Effects-wise, the picture is hardly state-of-the-art, and in fact the level of gore is pretty modest compared to the avalanche of blood and innards that fans of torture-porn are accustomed to. The fact that it’s relatively subdued by modern standards may, in fact, limit the movie’s popularity among the gross-out crowd, at the same time that its storyline turns off more mainstream viewers. That would be too bad, because “Deadgirl” is, despite some weaknesses, a surprisingly effective character study dressed up as a grisly horror movie.” – Frank Swietek, One Guy’s Opinion

Genres:

Count Yorga, Vampire

828. (-27) Count Yorga, Vampire

Bob Kelljan

1970 / USA / 93m / Col / Vampire | IMDb
Robert Quarry, Roger Perry, Michael Murphy, Michael Macready, Donna Anders, Judy Lang, Edward Walsh, Julie Conners, Paul Hansen, Sybil Scotford


“Count Yorga – Vampire (originally conceived as a soft-core porn film entitled The Loves of Count Iorga) is a nifty little low-budget exploitation effort that uses its resources to good effect. The shocks are crude but effective. Although relatively tame by later standards, the gore has a nasty edge to it, underlining the film’s cynical sensibility and downbeat ending… [it] survives on the strength of its title performance and on the inventiveness of its approach to modern day vampirism. Yorga may not be a very refined film, but it packs a lot of attitude, and there’s no denying that the surprise ending is like a wicked little punch in the face.” – Steve Biodrowski, Cinefantastique

Genres:

Shiryô no wana

829. (-23) Shiryô no wana

Toshiharu Ikeda

AKA: Evil Dead Trap

1988 / Japan / 102m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Miyuki Ono, Aya Katsuragi, Hitomi Kobayashi, Eriko Nakagawa, Masahiko Abe, Hiroshi Shimizu, Kyôko Hashimoto, Yûko Maehara, Yûko Suwano, Mari Shimizu


“The plot of Evil Dead Trap moves at the speed of sound. Gone are the drawn out scenes of characters discussing their predicament. Who needs those when there are pretty eyeballs to puncture? This film definitely knows where its priorities are. It’s definitely not for the squeamish or for those looking for a cerebral experience. Like the films that influenced it, Evil Dead Trap is a rollercoaster ride of blood and mayhem, with characters becoming isolated and disposed of in various gruesome ways. Don’t let the film’s early predictability get you down—the surprise ending is well worth the wait.” – Ross Chen, Love HK Film

Genres:

Cat's Eye

830. (+11) Cat’s Eye

Lewis Teague

1985 / USA / 94m / Col / Anthology | IMDb
Drew Barrymore, James Woods, Alan King, Kenneth McMillan, Robert Hays, Candy Clark, James Naughton, Tony Munafo, Court Miller, Russell Horton


“As a whole, CAT’S EYE is a well-written and well-produced slab of 80’s horror nostalgia, and aside from some of the music and dated special effects, there’s not much that prevents the film from being timeless. There’s a certain amount of black humor present that Stephen King was so good at, and there are brilliant callbacks throughout the film, be it portions of the film referencing earlier segments, or subtle things that reference scenes or bits of dialogue that didn’t initially seem noteworthy.” – Aaron Duenas, The Death Rattle

Genres:

Father's Day

831. (-1) Father’s Day

Adam Brooks et al.

2011 / USA / 99m / Col / Black Comedy | IMDb
Adam Brooks, Matthew Kennedy, Conor Sweeney, Amy Groening, Garrett Hnatiuk, Brent Neale, Kevin Anderson, Meredith Sweeney, Zsuzsi, Lloyd Kaufman


“Like a secret society of demented magicians, the film-making collective known as Astron-6 has pulled off an amazing slight of hand with their new new horror/exploitation/comedy masterpiece: Father’s Day. Everything about Father’s Day would lead you to believe it’s a slightly tongue-in-cheek homage to grindhouse exploitation à la Hobo with a Shotgun. But this is only a misdirection. In reality, Father’s Day is an epic farce of sheer lunacy and unbridled special FX mania in the true independent spirit and envelope-pushing tradition of Troma (which is releasing the film).” – ZedWord, Monster Chiller Horror Theatre

Genres:

Dracula Has Risen from the Grave

832. (+7) Dracula Has Risen from the Grave

Freddie Francis

1968 / UK / 92m / Col / Vampire | IMDb
Christopher Lee, Rupert Davies, Veronica Carlson, Barbara Ewing, Barry Andrews, Ewan Hooper, Marion Mathie, Michael Ripper, John D. Collins, George A. Cooper


“Fortunately, the production values and Gothic atmosphere remain as lush as ever, and former cinematographer Freddie Francis does a spectacular job in the director’s chair, milking every scene for maximum visual impact, emphasizing not only the Gothic horror but also the romance. He puts the camera in close during Dracula ravishment of Maria, creating a seductive intimacy that goes even a little bit beyond what director Terence Fisher had focused on in HORROR OF DRACULA and DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS.” – Steve Biodrowski, Cinefantastique Online

Genres:

The Forgotten

833. (new) The Forgotten

S.F. Brownrigg

1973 / USA / 89m / Col / Exploitation | IMDb
Bill McGhee, Jessie Lee Fulton, Robert Dracup, Harryette Warren, Michael Harvey, Jessie Kirby, Hugh Feagin, Betty Chandler, Camilla Carr, Gene Ross


“One of Brownrigg’s strong points, one that most of his fellow regional filmmakers did not possess, was always employing talented local actors and getting good performances out of them. Regardless of how cheap his movie looks, how the location never changes and how there’s little in the way of action or excitement, the actors themselves are good enough to keep the proceedings reasonably entertaining. There’s not a single cast member here who’s not at least somewhat effective in their part. The clear standouts here are the likable McGhee, Ross, who is brilliant at conveying madness using only his eyes (something the director also realizes considering the amount of eyeball close-ups he gives the actor) and, most especially, Weenick, who has the film’s most challenging role and does an exceptional job playing it.” – Justin McKinney, The Bloody Pit of Horror

Genres:

The Last Exorcism

834. (-49) The Last Exorcism

Daniel Stamm

2010 / USA / 87m / Col / Found Footage | IMDb
Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Iris Bahr, Louis Herthum, Caleb Landry Jones, Tony Bentley, John Wright Jr., Shanna Forrestall, Justin Shafer, Carol Sutton


“The movie’s first forty-five minutes acts as a legitimately witty satire of religious fundamentalists and the now-totally-lame concept of exorcisms (“the spirit of Christ compels you … yawn”). When the stakes are raised in the final act, the audience has been utterly disarmed. And instead of winking at us and promising that it will be all right, they trust that we want to feel terror.” – Simon Miraudo, Quickflix

Genres:

The Collector

835. (new) The Collector

William Wyler

AKA: The Butterfly Collector

1965 / UK / 119m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Terence Stamp, Samantha Eggar, Mona Washbourne, Maurice Dallimore


“If you’re looking for the conventional thriller you may be disappointed as the emphasis is more on the psychological than the suspenseful. There are a few good tense moments including Miranda’s final attempt to escape during a nighttime rain storm, but for the most part the compelling element comes from the way these two multi-layered people deal with each other and ultimately reveal things about themselves that they didn’t know existed. The story also makes an excellent point of how everyone to a certain degree is trapped in a prison and the challenging if not impossible effort it can sometimes be to bond with others especially when reaching across different social-economic lines.” – Richard Winters, Scopophilia

Genres:

We Need to Talk About Kevin

836. (-41) We Need to Talk About Kevin

Lynne Ramsay

2011 / UK / 112m / Col / Drama | IMDb
Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller, Jasper Newell, Rock Duer, Ashley Gerasimovich, Siobhan Fallon, Alex Manette, Kenneth Franklin, Leslie Lyles


“Tilda Swinton is the support of this film, offering a complicated look at a woman in trouble who has no idea how to deal with the problems life has dealt her. She rarely does the best thing for herself, her family and her community, but these choices are realistic. And that’s part of what’s so terrifying. The most chilling aspect of this film is how dangerous the world can be for anyone, even in the safest environments we can imagine. Even if you do everything right, tragedy can strike and do irrefutable harm to you and your loved ones. And there’s often no one to blame for this. It’s not an easy film to watch, but it’s a significant one. It will challenge your thoughts on family and humanity, and to keep ourselves vigilant, those thoughts should be challenged periodically.” – Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures

Genres:

Vampire's Kiss

837. (-89) Vampire’s Kiss

Robert Bierman

1988 / USA / 103m / Col / Vampire | IMDb
Nicolas Cage, Maria Conchita Alonso, Jennifer Beals, Elizabeth Ashley, Kasi Lemmons, Bob Lujan, Jessica Lundy, Johnny Walker, Boris Leskin, Michael Knowles


“Practically nothing happens other than gradual deterioration of any distinction between reality and fantasy, and the theme is closer in some ways to Jekyll and Hyde (with the emphasis almost entirely on Hyde) than to Dracula or Nosferatu. What really makes this worth seeing is Cage’s outrageously unbridled performance… Even for viewers like myself who have never been especially impressed with Cage, his over-the-top effusions of rampant, demented asociality are really something to see, and they give this quirky, somewhat out-of-control black comedy whatever form and energy it has.” – Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Genres:

Byzantium

838. (-45) Byzantium

Neil Jordan

2012 / UK / 118m / Col / Vampire | IMDb
Saoirse Ronan, Barry Cassin, Gemma Arterton, David Heap, Warren Brown, Ruby Snape, Thure Lindhardt, Jenny Kavanagh, Glenn Doherty, Edyta Budnik


“Nearly 20 years after Interview with the Vampire, director Neil Jordan returns to the land of the living dead with Byzantium, the tale of a mother-daughter vampire duo whose 200-year history is threatened when their existence comes to light. Though much surer in tone than its predecessor, this is not quite as far from the Tom Cruise-Brad Pitt, big-budget razzle-dazzle as it would appear on the surface. While certainly made on a much smaller scale, Byzantium shares the earlier movie’s gorgeous look, signature Jordan lyrical touches and the material again focuses on the brooding nature of its central characte… this is a romantic, sensual, bloody good time of a movie for sophisticated adults.” – Richard Knight, Windy City Times

Genres:

Jennifer's Body

839. (-34) Jennifer’s Body

Karyn Kusama

2009 / USA / 102m / Col / Comedy | IMDb
Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, Adam Brody, Sal Cortez, Ryan Levine, Juan Riedinger, Colin Askey, Chris Pratt, Juno Ruddell


“The movie could have explored its intriguing ideas in even more depth, and it certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel. Jennifer’s Body is still a better-than-average horror movie, and considerably more pointed too. Several moments are genuinely creepy. Other moments are darkly funny. Cody’s script – under the director of Girlfight’s Karyn Kusama, who brings a top-notch visual style – manages to combine those things into something that is a lot of wicked fun. The message: inside every adolescent girl is a figurative man-eater waiting to be unleashed. And inside every teen boy is a desire to be feasted on by the hottest girl in school. You can agree with that sentiment or not, but it may just define adolescent sexuality. If nothing else, it makes for a hell-raising good time at the movies.” – Mike McGranaghan, The Aisle Seat

Genres:

Creep

840. (-36) Creep

Christopher Smith

2004 / UK / 85m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Vas Blackwood, Ken Campbell, Kathryn Gilfeather, Franka Potente, Grant Ibbs, Joe Anderson, Jeremy Sheffield, Sean De Vrind, Ian Duncan, Debora Weston


““Creep” is a very atmospheric film, both in its early depiction of instantly recognisable London life, and its latter scenes of dark, oppressive tunnels that seem to have been influenced by the “Resident Evil” series of videogames. There are a good number of genuine scares, and the whole film has a claustrophobic feel which the director exploits to the full with uncomfortable moments, often involving the legions of rats which the creep seems to command. Similarly, in terms of blood, the film will certainly satisfy fans, with a good amount of splatter, and a couple of genuinely foul scenes that are sure to raise a shudder.” – James Mudge, Beyond Hollywood

Genres:

The Toolbox Murders

841. (-23) The Toolbox Murders

Dennis Donnelly

1978 / USA / 93m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Cameron Mitchell, Pamelyn Ferdin, Wesley Eure, Nicolas Beauvy, Tim Donnelly, Aneta Corsaut, Faith McSwain, Marciee Drake, Evelyn Guerrero, Victoria Perry


“Simply put, The Toolbox Murders is everything you’d expect it to be for the first third of the film. The gore might not be enough to satiate the staunchest of gore-hounds, but it is rather blunt and brutal. The rest of the film chooses to be psychologically disturbing and unsettling with a story that engages a viewer just enough. While you might be a bit put off by the change in pace and tone, you should definitely stick with this one.” – Brett Gallman, Oh, The Horror

Genres:

Monkey Shines

842. (+14) Monkey Shines

George A. Romero

AKA: Ella

1988 / USA / 113m / Col / Natural Horror | IMDb
Jason Beghe, John Pankow, Kate McNeil, Joyce Van Patten, Christine Forrest, Stephen Root, Stanley Tucci, Boo, Janine Turner, William Newman


“Horror fans have seen these things before, but to Romero’s credit where many filmmakers would use this story as a launching pad for gory set pieces and offer up a symphony of murder at the monkey’s hand, here the emphasis is more on the psychological aspect of things. As Allan breaks down we get inside his head a bit thanks to the genuinely strong performance from Jason Beghe. We don’t always like him but the movie is calculating enough to ensure that we do always understand him. This makes the more macabre scenes in which the murders do take place considerably more suspenseful than they would be had they just been simple gore films. As Allan’s anger grows and he starts to crack, the film does grow in intensity thanks to the character development that came before it starting to pay off in interesting ways.” – Ian Jane, DVDTalk

Genres:

Critters

843. (-29) Critters

Stephen Herek

1986 / USA / 86m / Col / Monster | IMDb
Dee Wallace, M. Emmet Walsh, Billy Green Bush, Scott Grimes, Nadine Van der Velde, Don Keith Opper, Billy Zane, Ethan Phillips, Terrence Mann, Jeremy Lawrence


“While Critters rarely does any one thing good, its committment to the premise and its willingness to throw every idea at the camera makes it pretty entertaining. Sometimes it’s funny on purpose; sometimes it’s funny because it fails so bad at being scary. I guess it’s a long shot to make furballs and small hand puppets truly terrifying, but I think the creators were intentionally going for a 50s B-movie vibe. It’s the type of horror film that’s in no danger of freaking its audience out, so it splurges on goofy Critter antics (the alien subtitles are pretty hilarious) and the occasional exercise in gore FX.” – Mutant Reviewers

Genres:

Doctor Sleep

844. (+123) Doctor Sleep

Mike Flanagan

2019 / USA / 152m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis, Zahn McClarnon, Emily Alyn Lind, Selena Anduze, Robert Longstreet, Carel Struycken, Catherine Parker


“It’s typical King stuff, really, with small-town intrigue, sharply drawn and instantly recognizable players, and enough chewy New England accents to fill Boston Garden. But from the opening shots and synth notes — which build a bridge between the tone of “The Shining” and Flanagan’s own, thoughtfully constructed edifice — to a spectacularly chilling closing scene, “Doctor Sleep” makes a convincing case for its own greatness. Part of that is allowing the characters to breathe as they rapidly develop from one ominous scene to the next. “Doctor Sleep” may be a terrifying reminder that the world is a hungry place, that the darkness wants nothing more than to swallow up the light. But the wordless moments of humor and heart in the quieter scenes show Flanagan’s deft way with storytelling.” – John Wenzel, The Denver Post

Genres:

Silent House

845. (-49) Silent House

Chris Kentis & Laura Lau

2011 / USA / 86m / Col / Home Invasion | IMDb
Elizabeth Olsen, Adam Trese, Eric Sheffer Stevens, Julia Taylor Ross, Adam Barnett, Haley Murphy


“Co-directors Chris Kentis and Laura Lau, who were previously responsible for the low-fi video thriller Open Water (2004), stick close to La casa muda, the 2010 Uruguayan film they are remaking, including its gimmick of making the entire film appear to be a single, unbroken shot. Kentis and Lau display a real knack for how to milk goosey tension and a few genuine scares out of manipulating our perspective and without relying too heavily on musical accompaniment (they judiciously avoid slamming on the instruments when something suddenly appears in the frame). The single-take aesthetic eliminates one of the horror genre’s best (and most abused) tricks—the shock cut—but it creates a relentless vibe that more than makes up for it.” – James Kendrick, Q Network

Genres:

A Horrible Way to Die

846. (-23) A Horrible Way to Die

Adam Wingard

2010 / USA / 87m / Col / Thriller | IMDb
AJ Bowen, Amy Seimetz, Joe Swanberg, Brandon Carroll, Lane Hughes, Holly Voges, Kelsey Munger, Michael Anthony Miller, Ed Hanson, Frank Stack


“The film is mostly riveting, and remarkably unique, especially for a horror sub-genre that seldom offers anything new but the ways in which characters are killed… it operates on a simple, but not simplistic, level of interaction that allows us to identify with the characters and their struggles on an immediate, human level. And within a genre replete with over-the-top ideas and gratuitous violence, a film that functions in a way that’s not only believable, but actually somewhat realistic, is itself a small triumph. In which case, A Horrible Way To Die may promise – and deliver – intensely powerful depictions of some terrible things, but as a moviegoer, and whether or not you’re a fan of horror films, there are significantly worse ways to sit through two hours in a theater.” – Todd Gilchrist, ShockTillYouDrop.com

Genres:

The Cell

847. (-37) The Cell

Tarsem Singh

2000 / USA / 107m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Jennifer Lopez, Colton James, Dylan Baker, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Gerry Becker, Musetta Vander, Patrick Bauchau, Vincent D’Onofrio, Vince Vaughn


“The Cell is a clear, classic case of a director’s vision invigorating standard material. The film moves at an effectively erratic pace: action in the real world moves fairly swiftly, but once it’s in the world of the mind, the pace becomes more languid, befitting the surrealism of dreams. It is in this latter realm that the film really soars. Dream worlds in movies are nothing new–witness the oeuvre of David Lynch or, for a less highfalutin example, the Nightmare on Elm Street series–but the visual ideas put forth by Singh are spectacular and unique; there’s an atmosphere of excess that hasn’t even been reached in Lynch’s famously bizarre work.” – Michael Dequina, The Movie Report

Genres:

Zeder

848. (new) Zeder

Pupi Avati

AKA: Revenge of the Dead

1983 / Italy / 98m / Col / Zombie | IMDb
Gabriele Lavia, Anne Canovas, Paola Tanziani, Cesare Barbetti, Bob Tonelli, Ferdinando Orlandi, Enea Ferrario, John Stacy, Alex Partexano, Marcello Tusco


“Though it doesn’t rank as a peerless masterpiece, Avati’s impressive grip of cinematic vocabulary is quite evident in Zeder, and he manages to produce some genuinely unnerving sequences particularly the finale in which a camera hidden inside a buried coffin produces some horrific results. The filmmaker’s use of light and shadow is especially effective here, with sunlit exteriors suddenly being swallowed up by eerie dark spaces that physically convey the same feeling of entrapment and diminishing hope within the story itself.” – Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital

Genres:

Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary

849. (-37) Dracula: Pages from a Virgin’s Diary

Guy Maddin

2002 / Canada / 73m / Col / Vampire | IMDb
Wei-Qiang Zhang, Tara Birtwhistle, David Moroni, CindyMarie Small, Johnny A. Wright, Stephane Leonard, Matthew Johnson, Keir Knight, Brent Neale, Stephanie Ballard


“Knowing irony infuses Guy Maddin’s use of such long-moribund silent cinema techniques as masks, irises and tinting in this ballet inspired by Bram Stoker’s novel, as it complements both the Victorian setting and the notions of ‘undeath’ and resurrection… Zhang Wei-Qiang is imposing as the Count, bringing menacing sensuality to his seductions, and ruthless tenacity to his joust with Van Helsing. This arty approach may dismay hard-core horror fans, but it captures the dark grace of the original with wit and style… A fevered, sexy take on the material, it plays up the desires of the female players, the repression of the men and Dracula’s status as all-purpose object of dread and desire.” – Patrick Peters, Empire Magazine

Genres:

Hellbent

850. (-23) Hellbent

Paul Etheredge

2004 / USA / 84m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Dylan Fergus, Bryan Kirkwood, Hank Harris, Andrew Levitas, Matt Phillips, Kent James, Wren T. Brown, Nina Landey, Samuel A. Levine, Kris Andersson


“All [the killings] are executed (pardon the pun) with above-average flair, wisely avoiding the genre’s mainstream equation of sex-equals-death. When the twitch of a headless corpse gets the movie’s biggest laugh, it’s clear that Etheredge-Ouzts knows what he’s doing. As a generic slasher film with a difference, “HellBent” should neither be dismissed out of hand nor overpraised for its uniqueness. Still, there’s something refreshing about its likable cast and B-movie vitality, recalling bygone days when cheap, independent horror films could get theatrically released and deservedly appreciated. And even though the killer’s motives are never explained, he still gets the last laugh, and it’s a good one.” – Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times

Genres:

Final Destination 5

851. (-25) Final Destination 5

Steven Quale

2011 / USA / 92m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Nicholas D’Agosto, Emma Bell, Miles Fisher, Ellen Wroe, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, P.J. Byrne, Arlen Escarpeta, David Koechner, Courtney B. Vance, Tony Todd


“Fans of this franchise know precisely what to expect, and the film delivers it with wit and flair. The Final Destination movies are like inspired Kentucky Fried Movie sketches, but also like deadpan satires of a particular sub-genre they invented in the first place… This being a 3D movie, there are loads of sharp objects flying directly out of the screen. A group of youthful interns are employed at a drab office, presided over by a managerial nerd, adjoining a factory shopfloor. (So to the list of American institutions indirectly influenced by Ricky Gervais we can now add the Final Destination movies.)” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Genres:

Swamp Thing

852. (-1) Swamp Thing

Wes Craven

1982 / USA / 91m / Col / Science Fiction | IMDb
Louis Jourdan, Adrienne Barbeau, Ray Wise, David Hess, Nicholas Worth, Don Knight, Al Ruban, Dick Durock, Ben Bates, Nannette Brown


“This is one of those movies like “Infra-Man” or “Invasion of the Bee Girls”: an off-the-wall, eccentric, peculiar movie fueled by the demented obsessions of its makers. “Swamp Thing” first saw the light of day, so to speak, as a hero in a celebrated series of DC Comics… [Wes Craven] betrays a certain gentleness and poetry along with the gore; in fact, this movie is a lot less violent than many others in the same genre. Craven’s inspiration seems to come from James Whale’s classic “Bride of Frankenstein” (1935), and he pays tribute in scenes where his swamp monster sniffs a flower, admires a young girl’s beauty from afar, and looks sadly at a photograph in a locket.” – Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com

Genres:

The Cat and the Canary

853. (+11) The Cat and the Canary

Elliott Nugent

1939 / USA / 72m / BW / Comedy | IMDb
Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, John Beal, Douglass Montgomery, Gale Sondergaard, Elizabeth Patterson, George Zucco, Nydia Westman, John Wray, George Regas


“This adaptation of John Willard’s 1922 play is notable for providing Bob Hope his starring debut, and for offering Paulette Goddard a chance to show off her sadly under-utilized comedic chops. The film’s “let’s scare the heroine to death” storyline — while imitated ad nauseum by countless later “old dark house” horror flicks — remains solidly suspenseful; you’re guaranteed to be kept in the dark (literally) about the identity of the killer. Director Elliott Nugent and cinematographer Charles Lang do a fine job keeping the proceedings appropriately spooky and atmospheric, though with Hope on board, there’s naturally plenty of corny levity (“Let’s all drink scotch and make wry faces.”).” – FilmFanatic

Genres:

Repo! The Genetic Opera

854. (-21) Repo! The Genetic Opera

Darren Lynn Bousman

2008 / USA / 98m / Col / Musical | IMDb
Alexa PenaVega, Paul Sorvino, Anthony Head, Sarah Brightman, Paris Hilton, Bill Moseley, Nivek Ogre, Terrance Zdunich, Sarah Power, Jessica Horn


“Cult films are best when they sneak up on the fringe audience, battling failure and disgrace to become something special, appreciated by a select few willing to cherish imperfection. “Repo! The Genetic Opera” is a motion picture that thirsts for alternative acceptance, positioning itself as a juicy piece of unlovable gothic muck that’s guaranteed to turn off mainstream audiences, thus assuring it life beyond the normal distribution timetable. “Repo!” is horrifically calculated to appeal to outsider mentality, but it clicks together rather marvelously, riding an offbeat sense of the macabre to peculiar, yet quite interesting results.” – Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com

Genres:

Halloween II

855. (-6) Halloween II

Rob Zombie

2009 / USA / 105m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Sheri Moon Zombie, Chase Wright Vanek, Scout Taylor-Compton, Brad Dourif, Caroline Williams, Malcolm McDowell, Tyler Mane, Dayton Callie, Richard Brake


“Despite the limitations inherent in the genre, it actually delivers. It’s not about the pure scares in a movie like this (almost any junky spookfest can get those, with the old face-in-a-mirror trick and various hoary techniques). No, a “character-based” monster flick – and Michael Myers is in that first generation, make no mistake – needs to play with that conceit, and Zombie’s dirty, disturbing, even dream-based approach works perfectly. And McDowell, that old pro, is a real hoot as Dr. Loomis… in a world where the “Hostel” and “Saw” films are the norm, and the recent remake of “Last House on the Left” set the bar nauseatingly low, Zombie knows a thing or two about keeping it pure.” – Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News

Genres:

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

856. (-39) Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare

Rachel Talalay

1991 / USA / 89m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Robert Englund, Lisa Zane, Shon Greenblatt, Lezlie Deane, Ricky Dean Logan, Breckin Meyer, Yaphet Kotto, Tom Arnold, Roseanne Barr, Elinor Donahue


“The Nightmare movies have also, to this point, refused to take themselves too seriously, walking a line between absurd and creepy and placing a toe (or ten) on either side every once in a while. This movie goes whole hog into a tone that bordered on slapstick in more than one scene. Freddy is also back to his old self, quipping with his victims and vogueing as though he is, on some level, aware of the film audience. Even with much more history and backstory than we’ve gotten so far, this movie manages to stay squarely in the kind of territory that Nightmare does best.” – Sophie Day, Bloody Good Horror

Genres:

10 Cloverfield Lane

857. (-104) 10 Cloverfield Lane

Dan Trachtenberg

2016 / USA / 103m / Col / Thriller | IMDb
John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr., Douglas M. Griffin, Suzanne Cryer, Bradley Cooper, Sumalee Montano, Frank Mottek


“Long before 10 Cloverfield Lane gets to the issue of whether or not there are monsters above ground, it’s evident that Howard is monster enough below it: a figure of frustrated, resentful masculinity (he alleges, offhand, that his ex-wife turned his daughter against him) finally crowned with the authority he feels has long been denied him. While the original Cloverfield deliberately positioned its cast of twentysomethings to be dwarfed by a largescale disaster, 10 Cloverfield Lane is rewardingly claustrophobic, keeping its focus tight on the characters and their cramped space while whatever disasters there are loom outside the bunker.” – Allison Willmore, Buzzfeed News

Genres:

The Crow

858. (-37) The Crow

Alex Proyas

1994 / USA / 102m / Col / Action | IMDb
Brandon Lee, Rochelle Davis, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott, Bai Ling, Sofia Shinas, Anna Levine, David Patrick Kelly, Angel David, Laurence Mason


“One key to the surprising success of “The Crow,” a movie adaptation of J. O’Barr’s comic book saga of a vengeful spirit in a murderous city, is the way its violence is capable of shocking us. The movie has a wild, shivery impact. It’s incandescently brutal and gory-and not just because it’s the infamous film whose star, Brandon Lee, died in a shooting accident on the set. The Lee tragedy-effectively disguised in the film, which was completed after his death-simply makes the picture obvious fodder for op-ed pieces about media violence and Hollywood irresponsibility. What’s scary about “The Crow” is the story and the style itself: American Gothic, Poe-haunted nightmare, translated to the age of cyberpunk science fiction, revenge movies and outlaw rock ‘n’ roll, all set in a hideously decaying, crime-ridden urban hell, populated by victims, cops and psychos.” – Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

Genres: Action, Low Fantasy, Thriller, Vigilante, Gothic, Superhero, Gothic Horror, Halloween

Cannibal ferox

859. (-39) Cannibal ferox

Umberto Lenzi

AKA: Cannibal Ferox

1981 / Italy / 93m / Col / Cannibal | IMDb
Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Lorraine De Selle, Danilo Mattei, Zora Kerova, Walter Lucchini, Fiamma Maglione, Robert Kerman, John Bartha, Venantino Venantini


“Cannibal Ferox is a popcorn cannibal flick, if such a thing can exist. Sure, Lenzi throws in the “we’re the savages” type dialogue that cannibal films seemingly all have, but the focus of the film is the gore and nothing else. A lot of dialogue is cheesy in the good way and there are a handful of familiar Italian horror faces to reminisce about and try to decipher just what the hell you’d seen them in before. The score and music in the film is great fun as well and fits the tone of the film perfectly.” – Brett H., Oh, The Horror

Genres:

Talk to Me

860. (new) Talk to Me

Danny Philippou & Michael Philippou

AKA:

2022 / Australia / 95m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Ari McCarthy, Hamish Phillips, Kit Erhart-Bruce, Sarah Brokensha, Jayden Davison, Sunny Johnson, Sophie Wilde, Marcus Johnson, Kidaan Zelleke, James Oliver


“The crepuscular palette of It Comes at Night meets the teen-friendly curses of Ringu and the cackling demonic infestations of The Evil Dead in this sprightly debut feature from Australian twins Danny and Michael Philippou. A sharp blend of psychological reality (bereavement, guilt), potent topicality (addiction, dependency) and phantasmagorial invention (a gateway to the beyond) create an intelligently entertaining chiller that packs a crowd-pleasing wallop without succumbing to quiet, quiet, LOUD jump-scare cliches.” – Mark Kermode, The Guardian

Genres: Supernatural Horror, Psychological Horror, Teen Movie, Psychological Thriller, Body Horror

Creep

861. (-39) Creep

Patrick Brice

2014 / USA / 77m / Col / Found Footage | IMDb
Patrick Brice, Mark Duplass


“More or less a two-hander for co-stars Patrick Brice and indie-cinema multihyphenate Mark Duplass, who reportedly improvised from a jointly written bare-bones outline under Brice’s direction… Right from the start, “Creep” primes viewers to suspect that nothing is what it seems. Indeed, even before Aaron actually begins shooting Josef’s monologues, he comes across as dangerously naive, if not downright clueless, simply by agreeing to spend a long day alone with a much-too-ingratiating stranger in and around a cabin in a remote mountain town. Sure enough, there’s an entirely predictable revelation of deception around the midway point. But then something else happens, followed by some other, far more unexpected things.” – Joe Leydon, Variety

Genres:

Valkoinen peura

862. (+11) Valkoinen peura

Erik Blomberg

AKA: The White Reindeer

1952 / Finland / 74m / BW / Supernatural | IMDb
Mirjami Kuosmanen, Kalervo Nissilä, Åke Lindman, Jouni Tapiola, Arvo Lehesmaa


“When it comes to sex or death, The White Reindeer’s American and European contemporaries generally traipse in darkness; in this rare collaboration, a husband-and-wife team managed to make daylight more terrifying. By endowing its fairy tale gimmick with the fruits of documentary filmmaking, The White Reindeer neutralizes the usual kill-the-monster anxieties that loom over 50s gothic, instead giving grandeur and melancholy to its feminist subtext by burying it – as countless other stories must be buried – in the frozen wilderness.” – Steve MacFarlane, Not Coming

Genres:

Mother!

863. (-34) Mother!

Darren Aronofsky

2017 / USA / 121m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer, Brian Gleeson, Domhnall Gleeson, Jovan Adepo, Amanda Chiu, Patricia Summersett, Eric Davis


“mother! is more successful in how it goes about its concerns as opposed to what it’s about. This speaks to Aronofsky’s filmmaking in general, which is defined by its confrontational, oft-times discomforting qualities… But the virtuosity of his filmmaking, a kind of sensibility that combines cinema vérité with a distinct spiritual omnipresence, gives the auteur a distinct voice. He’s a filmmaker that is capable of projecting anxious gestures from the movement of his camera. The way he spirals around his characters suggests an apprehension that’s unspoken but felt… However uneasy or discomforting mother! may be thematically, Aronofsky’s formal bravura has reached an apex.” – Daniel Nava, Chicago Cinema Circuit

Genres:

As Above, So Below

864. (+85) As Above, So Below

John Erick Dowdle

2014 / USA / 93m / Col / Found Footage | IMDb
Perdita Weeks, Ben Feldman, Edwin Hodge, François Civil, Marion Lambert, Ali Marhyar, Cosme Castro, Hamid Djavadan, Théo Cholbi, Emy Lévy


“This is a tidy little horror film heavy on mood, light on gore, and bursting with a refreshing originality of story line. Fans of alchemy will find much to reward them here, including the true meaning of vitriol. Fans of the Lovecraftian school of weirdness will also find much to enjoy. Plus, there’s a dash of Dante, and a hint of Templars that make the mix of hubris and guilt that much more piquant… AS ABOVE SO BELOW gifts us with a lively history lesson on the catacombs of Paris, the history and practice of alchemy, and some nifty insights into ancient engineering practices even as it makes our pulses races. It’s a fun flick that is clever, surprising, and satisfyingly well-executed.” – Andrea Chase, Killer Movie Reviews

Genres:

Happy Death Day

865. (-30) Happy Death Day

Christopher Landon

2017 / USA / 96m / Col / Comedy | IMDb
Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine, Charles Aitken, Laura Clifton, Jason Bayle, Rob Mello, Rachel Matthews, Ramsey Anderson, Brady Lewis


“Landon is careful not to let his focus stray too much, though, nor does he allow that schmaltzy sentiment to overwhelm the horror sensibilities here. In fact, he and co-writer Scott Lobdell deviously play against audience expectations, gleefully stringing them along with an increasingly unhinged murder mystery with outrageous twists and turns that would feel quite at home in a giallo. Despite taking an obvious cue from Ivan Reitman’s seminal film, the script isn’t expressly concerned with capturing existential angst of Groundhog Day, preferring instead to send audiences on an unrelenting thrill ride full of deviations, red herrings, and a wildly trashy finale.” – Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

Genres:

Split

866. (-41) Split

M. Night Shyamalan

2016 / USA / 117m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley, Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula, Izzie Coffey, Brad William Henke, Sebastian Arcelus, Neal Huff, Ukee Washington


“Though the central character of “Split” is a man with a split personality, the film also tells the story of a split in the world. Just as “Unbreakable” suggested the origins of a superhero in a near-death childhood experience, so “Split” shows a young woman able to combat evil because of the strength she has developed from horrific personal trauma. With its crude realization of the shibboleth that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, the movie is more than a story of feminist survivalism; it also makes the perversely tawdry suggestion that a woman’s tragic knowledge—and necessary power—comes with an unbearably high price.” – Richard Brody, The New Yorker

Genres:

Buio Omega

867. (-22) Buio Omega

Joe D’Amato

AKA: Beyond the Darkness

1979 / Italy / 94m / Col / Splatter | IMDb
Kieran Canter, Cinzia Monreale, Franca Stoppi, Sam Modesto, Anna Cardini, Lucia D’Elia, Mario Pezzin, Walter Tribus, Klaus Rainer, Edmondo Vallini


“A hypnotically gruesome cult hit that may not be for everyone in the genre, especially the squeamish (and the very impatient), Beyond the Darkness is as close to Italian-gore-trash perfection as you’re going to get. Accompanied with a groovy score by Goblin that perfectly juxtaposes Frank and Iris’ evil nature, Beyond the Darkness is a true thrill that will leave you genuinely creeped out and disturbed.” – Juliana Bennett, Horror in the Attic

Genres:

Gerald's Game

868. (+43) Gerald’s Game

Mike Flanagan

2017 / USA / 103m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Chiara Aurelia, Carel Struycken, Henry Thomas, Kate Siegel, Adalyn Jones, Bryce Harper, Gwendolyn Mulamba, James Flanagan


Gerald’s Game is a single-setting thriller for the majority of its runtime, so Flanagan and his longtime cinematographer Michael Fimognari use constrictive camera shots and precise editing (which Flanagan also handled) to maintain a suffocating sense of atmosphere throughout the scenes set in Jessie and Gerald’s bedroom, in spite of the unchanging scenery… Gerald’s Game generates horror more through suggestion that onscreen imagery for much of its runtime, but be warned: when things do get explicit, the movie becomes rather graphic and very disturbing, very quickly.” – Sandy Schaefer, ScreenRant

Genres:

Hei tai yang 731

869. (-45) Hei tai yang 731

Tun Fei Mou

AKA: Men Behind the Sun

1988 / Hong Kong / 105m / Col / War | IMDb
Jianxin Chen, Hsu Gou, Linjie Hao, Haizhe Jin, Tie Long Jin, Yuanrong Jin, Bolin Li, Pengyu Liu, Xuhui Liu, Zhaohua Mei


“In spite of the relentless death, mutilation and suffering, Men Behind The Sun is actually a very watchable, extremely well-made film. The cinematography is superb with lots of moody, effective lighting, great framing and excellent use of long lenses. The production design is very good – some scenes have thousands of soldiers in uniform. The locations and sets are above what you might expect from a film such as this. The actors all give good performances – especially the ‘evil’ Japanese top brass. And the special effects vary from very good to gruesomely outstanding. The sum of the parts, in this case, definitely do equal more than the whole. Men Behind The Sun may be ‘propaganda’ in the eyes of some; completely true in the eyes of others; but to us it is controversial film-making par excellence. The kind of film that will never be made again – a true sick, chunk-blowing classic.” – The Chelsea Ripper, Sick-Films

Genres:

Jason X

870. (-20) Jason X

James Isaac

2001 / USA / 91m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Kane Hodder, Jeff Geddis, Lexa Doig, David Cronenberg, Markus Parilo, Jonathan Potts, Lisa Ryder, Dov Tiefenbach, Chuck Campbell, Melyssa Ade


“A brief summary of the plot: after authorities found it impossible to execute Jason Vorhees for his crimes, they opted the route of containment via cryogenic freezing. One poorly planned transfer and some 450 years later, Jason is now running amok on a futuristic spacecraft. Truly, the film is something of a marvel: bad by all traditional standards, but standing as something of a perfect distillation of schlocky 80’s horror trends, with horrendous one-liners and cheap synthesizer scoring to boot. I kind of love it, in a McDonald’s-ball-pit-version-of-Aliens sort of way… One hopes that Jason X will become an underdog classic of camp, what with its shameless death scenes and ridiculous climax” – Rob Humanick, Projection Booth

Genres:

Starry Eyes

871. (-40) Starry Eyes

Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer

2014 / USA / 98m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Alex Essoe, Amanda Fuller, Noah Segan, Fabianne Therese, Shane Coffey, Natalie Castillo, Pat Healy, Nick Simmons, Maria Olsen, Marc Senter


“A savage allegory about the sacrificial, soul-crushing price of fame and recognition in a town notoriously guilty for building up its talent only to tear them down, the perfectly titled “Starry Eyes” spares no one. Shooting on location in Los Angeles… writer-directors Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer paint a despairing but, from certain angles, accurate portrait of Hollywood’s grim underbelly. Beyond the sunshine and palm trees is an imminent danger that nears, each callback Sarah receives taking her closer to the part and further from her identity… Soaked in viscera and complemented by composer Jonathan Snipes’ phenomenally foreboding old-school, synth-heavy music score, the powerful finished product announces Kolsch and Widmyer as filmmaking forces to watch and remember.” – Dustin Putman, TheFrightFile.com

Genres:

World War Z

872. (-36) World War Z

Marc Forster

2013 / USA / 116m / Col / Zombie | IMDb
Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale, Ludi Boeken, Matthew Fox, Fana Mokoena, David Morse, Elyes Gabel, Peter Capaldi


“Gone are the slowly stumbling zombies of earlier generations, replaced by a frantic horde who dive, tackle and bite like a snarling biblical horde of rats, a mass of bodies that wail and gnash teeth, thrashing insatiably in search of human flesh. And although plenty are slaughtered by Pitt and company, the gory details are spared, Foster wisely playing this as thriller rather than splatter. With all the action, there’s little time for character development or heart, but Pitt holds his own as an hero with a mission to save the world. And given what he goes through, it’s just as well he’s more indestructible than the average zombie.” – Simon Weaving, Screenwize

Genres:

Black Death

873. (-20) Black Death

Christopher Smith

2010 / UK / 102m / Col / Historical Drama | IMDb
Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, John Lynch, Tim McInnerny, Kimberley Nixon, Andy Nyman, David Warner, Johnny Harris, Emun Elliott, Tygo Gernandt


“As it turns out, no one is without sin in “Black Death,” a grungy, cynical little number from the British director Christopher Smith that slams Christians against pagans with little love for either… With old-fashioned style and old-school effects — you can feel the weight of the broadswords and the crunchy resistance of every hacked head — “Black Death” takes Dark Ages drama to the limits of moral ambivalence. Here, excessive piety and rampant paganism are equally malevolent forces, the film’s baleful view of human nature mirrored in Sebastian Edschmid’s swampy photography. As is emphasized in a nicely consistent coda, the Lord’s side and the right side are not necessarily one and the same.” – Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

Genres:

Oldeuboi

874. (-58) Oldeuboi

Chan-wook Park

AKA: Oldboy

2003 / South Korea / 120m / Col / Crime | IMDb
Min-sik Choi, Ji-tae Yu, Hye-jeong Kang, Dae-han Ji, Dal-su Oh, Byeong-ok Kim, Seung-Shin Lee, Jin-seo Yoon, Dae-yeon Lee, Kwang-rok Oh


“The violence remains appalling, but it’s an essential element in this brutally inspired mystery. The low-tech dentistry, the masticated octopod, they’re part of the modern hell in which a Korean businessman finds himself… [Oldboy] tantalizes and tortures you as it lures you into its mysterious vortex. You die from what you see and from what you don’t know. And it takes looking beyond the violence to realize the power of Choi’s performance… There is a conclusion to all this, an existential punch line that explains everything in a climactic pileup of melodramatic detail. But whatever you make of that, you will surely leave this movie shocked, shaken and surprisingly moved. And definitely stuck on that poor octopus.” – Desson Thomson, Washington Post

Genres:

Threads

875. (-41) Threads

Mick Jackson

1984 / UK / 112m / Col / Post-Apocalyptic | IMDb
Karen Meagher, Reece Dinsdale, David Brierly, Rita May, Nicholas Lane, Jane Hazlegrove, Henry Moxon, June Broughton, Sylvia Stoker, Harry Beety


“Threads is perhaps the strongest anti-nuclear film ever made, the closest thing available to a documentary on post-apocalyptic life. The film takes its title from the concept that all life on earth is interconnected as if by invisible “threads.” The ultimate message of the film is that nuclear war is not simply an issue for politicians to debate, or for just the major nuclear powers. The threat of nuclear war affects all individuals equally and, as such, each individual is responsible for doing something about it. Even in the post-Cold War world of today, it is difficult to imagine anyone viewing Threads and not walking away from the film with that massive burden in the forefront of their minds.” – David Carter, Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Genres: Post-Apocalyptic, Disaster, Drama, War, Docudrama, Survival, Dystopian, Political Drama, Psychological Horror

The Man They Could Not Hang

876. (+13) The Man They Could Not Hang

Nick Grinde

1939 / USA / 64m / BW / Science Fiction | IMDb
Boris Karloff, Lorna Gray, Robert Wilcox, Roger Pryor, Don Beddoe, Ann Doran, Joe De Stefani, Charles Trowbridge, Byron Foulger, Dick Curtis


“The Man They Could Not Hang is a crime drama with dark horror elements; the only thing keeping it from being a complete murder mystery is the fact that the murderer is not a mystery at all. Truth be told, the movie follows a pretty predictable path. Nevertheless, the screenplay, adapted by Karl Brown… drips with tension and suspense… Although Dr. Savaard is one of Karloff’s least sympathetic characters, his performance is both subtle and melodramatic, and the audience still finds itself wanting to root for him, even when he makes the jump from hero to villain for the second half of the movie. It may not have been as big of a hit as some of his other films, but The Man They Could Not Hang helped to transform Boris Karloff from horror icon to legitimate movie star.” – James Jay Edwards, FilmFracture

Genres:

Troll 2

877. (+6) Troll 2

Claudio Fragasso

AKA: Trolls

1990 / Italy / 95m / Col / Monster | IMDb
Michael Stephenson, George Hardy, Margo Prey, Connie Young, Robert Ormsby, Deborah Reed, Jason Wright, Darren Ewing, Jason Steadman, David McConnell


“Film is an inherently collaborative medium that relies on the smooth functioning of a complex array of interconnected artistic and narrative components… The worst movies usually fumble in several of these categories simultaneously, but in some very rare, very special cases, everything goes wrong in perfect concert, thus producing a literal sympathy of ineptitude, a movie of such abject badness that its incompetence becomes a virtue, a source of unintended entertainment that transcends its many faults and stumbles into the realm of the sublime. Troll 2, which disappeared quickly after its straight-to-video release in the U.S. in the early 1990s but has since developed a rabid cult following, is such a movie. In fact, it may be the very epitome of the bad movie… one of the most uproarious unintentional comedies ever made.” – James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk

Genres:

Riget

878. (-34) Riget

Lars von Trier & Morten Arnfred

AKA: The Kingdom

1994 / Denmark / 561m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Ernst-Hugo Järegård, Kirsten Rolffes, Holger Juul Hansen, Søren Pilmark, Ghita Nørby, Jens Okking, Baard Owe, Birgitte Raaberg, Peter Mygind, Vita Jensen


“The horror aspects of the show are compelling, but in many ways Riget is a somewhat generic hospital soap opera, drawing you in to the lurid goings-on that happen once the rubber gloves come off. It’s a familiar format, and an effective one, but in much the same way that Twin Peaks lured unsuspecting viewers in with a murder mystery and a seemingly recognizable small town setting, Von Trier uses the power struggles and trysts of the medical staff as a springboard into the surreal and fantastic. In fact, the influence of David Lynch’s TV masterpiece, which aired a few short years before, permeates the show […] There’s also something very Lynchian about its disorienting tonal shifts, going from corporate thriller to gruesome darkness to offbeat comedy in the blink of an eye, which adds a bitingly satirical dimension to the proceedings.” – Thomas Michalsky, WFMU’s Beware of the Blog

Genres:

House on Haunted Hill

879. (-41) House on Haunted Hill

William Malone

1999 / USA / 93m / Col / Haunted House | IMDb
Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Taye Diggs, Peter Gallagher, Chris Kattan, Ali Larter, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, Max Perlich, Jeffrey Combs, Dick Beebe


“House on Haunted Hill revels in the earthy limits it sets for itself, and its infectious tone makes for good cheesy fun for those in the right mindset. And though it dates itself a bit here and there, it holds up quite well in comparison to plenty of more recent horror films. The film was made when computer effects were still getting their feet under them, and the combination of practical make-up and sophisticated optical effects makes for some supremely creepy moments.” – Rob Vaux, Mania.com

Genres:

Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood

880. (-25) Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood

John Carl Buechler

1988 / USA / 88m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Jennifer Banko, John Otrin, Susan Blu, Lar Park-Lincoln, Terry Kiser, Kevin Spirtas, Susan Jennifer Sullivan, Heidi Kozak, Kane Hodder, William Butler


“[It] really wants to do something different. “Different,” in this case, means gene-splicing elements from another film into the familiar formula, and the result – about a face-off between the hulking masked maniac and a troubled teen with telekinesis – is fondly if not quite respectfully called “Carrie Meets Jason.” You cannot really take the results seriously, but they are fun, offering both an interesting subplot and a chance to see something never really shown in a Friday film before: Jason getting his ass handed to him on a platter. “Purists” might object to seeing their favorite anti-hero dissed so badly, but anyone looking for a good time should be able to get at least a few chuckles out of seeing Jason meet his match.” – Steve Biodrowski, Cinefantastique

Genres:

The Purge

881. (-39) The Purge

James DeMonaco

2013 / USA / 85m / Col / Home Invasion | IMDb
Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge, Rhys Wakefield, Tony Oller, Arija Bareikis, Tom Yi, Chris Mulkey


“Although The Purge is genuinely terrifying at times, even with its basic genre tricks like turning off the lights and freaky face masks, it effectively leaves you asking yourself the all-valid question, what would you do in this situation? Would you sacrifice your life for another, or vice versa? This is where the film succeeds. It isn’t the conversation that it should be on its own, but it encourages you as the moviegoer to start this kind of conversation on your own.” – Candice Frederick, Reel Talk Online

Genres:

Castle Freak

882. (-12) Castle Freak

Stuart Gordon

1995 / USA / 90m / Col / Splatter | IMDb
Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Jonathan Fuller, Jessica Dollarhide, Massimo Sarchielli, Elisabeth Kaza, Luca Zingaretti, Helen Stirling, Alessandro Sebastian Satta


“It’s a tight, taut little tale fraught with emotion and nail-biting terror. When things come to a head, it can only end in tragedy – though redemption is found as well. This, despite the corny name, is quite a powerful drama, with wonderful performances from Combs and Crampton. Jeff Combs, whose antihero drives the piece, really shines here and shows that he’s not just some over-the-top cult actor. The man is an accomplished and captivating performer.” – Dave Dunwoody, Oh, The Horror

Genres:

Monsters

883. (-35) Monsters

Gareth Edwards

2010 / Netherlands / 94m / Col / Science Fiction | IMDb
Scoot McNairy, Whitney Able, Mario Zuniga Benavides, Annalee Jefferies, Justin Hall, Ricky Catter, Paul Archer, Kerry Valderrama, Jonathan Winnford, Stan Wong


“Monsters’ strengths lie in its simplicities; the aliens are rarely seen and the action is sporadic, which is admittedly frustrating yet effective in equal measure. Overuse of CGI effects could have potentially rendered the film as a bog standard “B movie” spectacle. Thankfully, Monsters gives its other-worldly creatures just the right amount of exposure to keep the audience on the edge of their seats throughout its slender 90 minute runtime. Beautifully shot and capably handled, Edwards’ cinematic directorial debut is a heartfelt and touching exploration of two well-drawn, troubled characters, which just happens to feature extraterrestrials as a backdrop to the central narrative.” – Edward Frost, CineVue

Genres:

The Final Girls

884. (-47) The Final Girls

Todd Strauss-Schulson

2015 / USA / 88m / Col / Comedy | IMDb
Taissa Farmiga, Malin Akerman, Alexander Ludwig, Nina Dobrev, Alia Shawkat, Thomas Middleditch, Adam DeVine, Angela Trimbur, Chloe Bridges, Tory N. Thompson


““Final Girls” isn’t the first movie to show self-aware characters using their knowledge of horror films to plot an escape. Drew Goddard’s “Cabin in the Woods” and Wes Craven’s “Scream” mined that ground a while back. But give director Todd Strauss-Schulson some serious credit here. “Final Girls” still manages to use a quick wit and a few surprises to keep things interesting for the audience… The most surprising thing about “Final Girls” is how sweet it is. The subplot about Max and her mother leads to a number of tender scenes, and “Final Girls” has a genuine heart in the middle of all of its experimentation and social commentary. None of the characters are especially deep, but almost all of them are easier to cheer for than the cannon fodder of the “Friday the 13th” films.” – Josh Terry, Deseret News

Genres:

Wake in Fright

885. (-42) Wake in Fright

Ted Kotcheff

AKA: Outback

1971 / Australia / 109m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Donald Pleasence, Gary Bond, Chips Rafferty, Sylvia Kay, Jack Thompson, Peter Whittle, Al Thomas, John Meillon, John Armstrong, Slim DeGrey


“For decades, Wake in Fright (aka Outback in the UK and US) was cinema’s pre-Cern Higgs Boson particle, a theoretical keystone in the construction of the New Australian Cinema of the 1970s, and its gap-toothed relative, the Ocker Comedy. Released in the same year – 1971 – as Nicolas Roeg’s Walkabout, Ted Kotcheff’s psychodrama has been variously cited as a precursor for Mad Max, a jumpstart for a national film industry, and, by the reckoning of Rex Reed and Nick Cave, the greatest Australian film ever made… John Grant’s odyssey, for all its excesses, forms a neatly symmetrical, perfectly Kafkaesque narrative.” – Tara Brady, Irish Times

Genres:

The Call of Cthulhu

886. (-40) The Call of Cthulhu

Andrew Leman

2005 / USA / 47m / BW / Supernatural | IMDb
Matt Foyer, John Bolen, Ralph Lucas, Chad Fifer, Susan Zucker, Kalafatic Poole, John Klemantaski, Jason Owens, D. Grigsby Poland, David Mersault


“[A] rousing throwback to the silent film era, the time where horror meant the twang of the score, and actually paying attention, focusing on the horror of our actors as they face this menace. In the silent era, actors were more based upon their facial expressions and presence upon the screen, and “The Call of Cthulhu” captures the mood of those old silent films, with the sheer goth of HP Lovecraft… Leman’s direction is gorgeous with wonderful set pieces, and beautiful cinematography, while the story’s tension mounts minute to minute for the big pay off. For a film that didn’t really seem to have a big budget, it sure had some fantastic special effects, especially in the climax where the sailors finally go above and beyond this legend.” – Felix Vasquez Jr., Film Threat

Genres:

The Lodge

887. (-40) The Lodge

Severin Fiala & Veronika Franz

2019 / UK / 108m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Richard Armitage, Riley Keough, Alicia Silverstone, Jaeden Martell, Lia McHugh, Rebecca Faulkenberry, Danny Keough, Katelyn Wells, Lola Reid


“Austrian writer-directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz, who also made 2014’s deeply creepy “Goodnight Mommy,” serve up a disturbing story where shock factor plays an outsized role… “The Lodge” is first and foremost a mood piece. Religion, sin and repentance are major themes, and the film grows more disquieting as the situation inside the cabin becomes increasingly dire. If “The Lodge” doesn’t answer all the questions it poses, that’s okay. Its strength lies in its ability to stir a reaction, and that feeling lasts longer than its explanations. It’s a trip you won’t forget.” – Adam Graham, Detroit News Film Critic

Genres:

The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)

888. (-25) The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)

Tom Six

2011 / USA / 91m / BW / Body Horror | IMDb
Laurence R. Harvey, Ashlynn Yennie, Maddi Black, Kandace Caine, Dominic Borrelli, Lucas Hansen, Lee Nicholas Harris, Dan Burman, Daniel Jude Gennis


“If you are a true fan of horror then you will appreciate what Six is doing. If you are not you may ask why put yourself through the grinder and watch something as uncomfortable and disturbing as this? Well the answer for a horror fan is that there’s something deeply satisfying about going to the dark side, to looking as what can lurk inside a person and discover that the most terrifying thing is the darkness that can lie within the human soul. It’s also a carefully constructed work of art that makes us think about how we view violence, about how we have been lulled into numbness by horror films that sanitize violence and make it palatable so that you can walk out of a Hollywood horror film and only talk about where to go to dinner. Six wants to jolt you in order to remind you that violence in films should offend you, should upset you.” – Beth Accomando, KPBS

Genres:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

889. (-32) Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Fran Rubel Kuzui

1992 / USA / 86m / Col / Vampire | IMDb
Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland, Paul Reubens, Rutger Hauer, Luke Perry, Michele Abrams, Hilary Swank, Paris Vaughan, David Arquette, Randall Batinkoff


“Those who look for political import in prom-queen movies may be interested to note that Buffy (Kristy Swanson), the cheerleading, bubble-headed heroine of the blithe teen-age comedy “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” kicks and backflips her way to martial-arts mastery before the story is over. As for other things worth noticing, you may be too old to appreciate one of this film’s main selling points if you’re distracted by its efforts to enhance Luke Perry’s hair. Luckily, there are better reasons for watching “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” a slight, good-humored film that’s a lot more painless than might have been expected.” – Janet Maslin, The New York Times

Genres:

Trick or Treat

890. (-24) Trick or Treat

Charles Martin Smith

1986 / USA / 98m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Marc Price, Tony Fields, Lisa Orgolini, Doug Savant, Elaine Joyce, Glen Morgan, Gene Simmons, Ozzy Osbourne, Elise Richards, Richard Pachorek


“[Trick or Treat] is about a deceased heavy-metal star who returns to wreak havoc at a small-town high school. The rock star is played most energetically by Tony Fields, who stomps through the film in studs and low-cut black leather, scaring everyone he sees. Ozzy Osbourne, who does this kind of thing in real life, appears in the film briefly (and none too convincingly) as a minister. ‘Trick or Treat’ was directed by Charles Martin Smith, who played the likable nerd in ‘American Graffiti’ and has given his own film something of a likable nerd quality. It’s genial, not too frightening and even rather sweet.” – Janet Maslin, New York Times

Genres:

The Girl Next Door

891. (-32) The Girl Next Door

Gregory Wilson

2007 / USA / 91m / Col / Crime | IMDb
William Atherton, Blythe Auffarth, Blanche Baker, Kevin Chamberlin, Dean Faulkenberry, Gabrielle Howarth, Benjamin Ross Kaplan, Spenser Leigh, Daniel Manche, Mark Margolis


“Daniel Farrands and Philip Nutman’s screenplay sticks close to Ketchum’s novel, which was inspired by the notorious 1965 torture-murder of Indiana teenager Sylvia Likens. Neither Ketchum nor the filmmakers take an exploitative approach to the material; their focus is the way the youngsters’ petty cruelty erupts into murderous sadism through exposure to Ruth, whose homey manner conceals a sociopath’s warped worldview. Baker is chilling as Ruth and young actress Auffarth gives a strong performance as the brutalized Meg, which only makes the film’s unsettling subject matter more difficult to watch.” – Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide

Genres:

The Stand

892. (-32) The Stand

Mick Garris

AKA: Stephen King’s The Stand

1994 / USA / 361m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Jamey Sheridan, Ruby Dee, Miguel Ferrer, Corin Nemec, Matt Frewer, Adam Storke, Ray Walston, Rob Lowe


“It doesn’t have anything like the usual steady, predictable rhythms of a miniseries-its scenes are of uneven lengths, and sometimes important characters disappear for hours at a time. The unexpected structure of the film-sort of an artful jumble-helps build suspense, because you realize very quickly that this movie doesn’t behave like other TV shows; anything can happen at any time. Garris also takes more care with the look of his film than most TV-movie directors-surely this is one of the prettiest scary movies ever made-and some entire scenes unfold without dialogue, a great rarity in television land.” – Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly

Genres:

Friday the 13th

893. (-24) Friday the 13th

Marcus Nispel

2009 / USA / 97m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Jared Padalecki, Danielle Panabaker, Amanda Righetti, Travis Van Winkle, Aaron Yoo, Derek Mears, Jonathan Sadowski, Julianna Guill, Ben Feldman, Arlen Escarpeta


“Marcus Nispel’s remake… isn’t really a remake at all. After dispensing with Mrs. Voorhees before the opening credits, it launches into a brand new slaughterfest that sporadically pays homage to scenes from the first three films but stays truest only to their formula. And yet it works. It is easily the best Friday the 13th ever made, if only by virtue of the fact that it’s actually pretty good. How good? That depends what you’re looking for. By now, you know whether Friday the 13th is your kind of movie, and if it’s not, you’ve probably stopped reading by now. If it is, be assured that the acting is passable, the effects are impressively convincing, and the suspense is real. It’s not a great film, but it is a frightening one, and what more do you need to know?” – Rossiter Drake, San Francisco Examiner

Genres:

The Terminator

894. (+16) The Terminator

James Cameron

1984 / USA / 107m / Col / Science Fiction | IMDb
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, Paul Winfield, Lance Henriksen, Rick Rossovich, Bess Motta, Earl Boen, Dick Miller, Shawn Schepps


“As an action film, The Terminator remains a surprisingly meditative work, its concentrated visceral bursts not unlike punctuation marks among something more brooding, even prayerful… It’s one of the most hopeful films ever made, and its one that we can yet take much from. Knowing what she does of the future, Sarah driving off into the coming storm in the films final shot is a profound acceptance of unimaginable responsibility, but the film argues further that every life is meaningful, even vital, in the final equation. Even on the eve of self-destruction, mankind is still worth saving, and the most complex machine can yet fall to the simplest.” – Rob Humanick, Slant Magazine

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Môjû

895. (+94) Môjû

Yasuzô Masumura

AKA: Blind Beast

1969 / Japan / 86m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Eiji Funakoshi, Mako Midori, Noriko Sengoku


“Given the rather static nature of the mise-en-scène, Masumura must be admired for stretching out such an elementary idea to feature length, yet the most overwhelming impression of this film is its deliciously overwrought visual style, conjuring up such a vivid and endlessly interesting, self-contained cinematic world inside the claustrophobic confines of Michio’s studio. Yes, The Blind Beast really is as outlandish as it sounds, and must rank as one of the most powerful and potently disturbing horror films ever conceived.” – Jasper Sharp, Midnight Eye

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Mute Witness

896. (-8) Mute Witness

Anthony Waller

1995 / Russia / 95m / Col / Thriller | IMDb
Marina Zudina, Fay Ripley, Evan Richards, Oleg Yankovskiy, Igor Volkov, Sergei Karlenkov, Alec Guinness, Aleksandr Pyatkov, Nikolai Pastukhov, Aleksandr Bureyev


“Mute Witness has a keen sense of geography, and the camera movement is choreographed against the positions of the actors to sustain a remarkable cinematic tension. Sudina has a keen sense of her character, too, playing Billy as determined but terrified, smart but vulnerable. Her performance, along with Waller’s sure, straightforward direction, render some of the script’s more obvious implausibilities irrelevant in favor of sharp audience identification with Billy. And when the veracity of what she saw is called into question — was the ‘murder’ she witnessed really just a clever special effect? — the audience, too, is forced to reconsider its own experience of the murder on screen.” – Bryant Frazer, Deep Focus

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Ganja & Hess

897. (-86) Ganja & Hess

Bill Gunn

AKA: Black Evil

1973 / USA / 110m / Col / Vampire | IMDb
Duane Jones, Marlene Clark, Bill Gunn, Sam Waymon, Leonard Jackson, Candece Tarpley, Richard Harrow, John Hoffmeister, Betty Barney, Mabel King


“Pieced together in a disjointed, nonlinear fashion, Ganja & Hess is a strange, heady blend of grindhouse horror and avant-garde experimentation. Writer/director Bill Gunn was apparently tasked with creating a blaxploitation vampire movie in the vein of Blacula, but he instead managed to make something that feels wholly separate from any one genre- something bizarre and beautiful and horrible and totally unexpected. It is not an easy film to follow, with its story jumping back and forth, seemingly unfinished scenes, and unstable characters, but its imagery is so potent I found myself transfixed.” – Alex Kittle, Art, Film and Over-Enthusiasm

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Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse

898. (-117) Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse

Fritz Lang

AKA: The Testament of Dr. Mabuse

1933 / Germany / 122m / BW / Crime | IMDb
Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Gustav Diessl, Rudolf Schündler, Oskar Höcker, Theo Lingen, Camilla Spira, Paul Henckels, Otto Wernicke, Theodor Loos, Hadrian Maria Netto


“What is perhaps most striking about Das Testament des Dr Mabuse is its scale and sophistication. Not only does it qualify as a masterpiece on artistic grounds (some of its imagery is the stuff of film legend), but it is by far and away the most ambitious dramatic thriller of its time, thanks to some extraordinary action sequences (which incudes one of cinema’s most imaginative car chases). Lang uses sound almost as effectively as he uses image to tell his story and create an unsettling mood of paranoia and anticipation.” – James Travers, French Film Site

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Terror Train

899. (-34) Terror Train

Roger Spottiswoode

AKA: Train of Terror

1980 / Canada / 97m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Ben Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hart Bochner, David Copperfield, Derek McKinnon, Sandee Currie, Timothy Webber, Anthony Sherwood, Howard Busgang, Steve Michaels


“And damn me, but I left Terror Train feeling not just satiated as one will after watching a slasher film, full but slightly queasy and aware of the imminent fact of indigestion, as after the final bite of a Big Mac with large fries; I was engaged, and delighted. It’s such a snazzy way to end what was already an irreproachably decent flick that it’s even easy to overlook that Terror Train has effectively no gore to speak of and blandly-staged killings: amazingly, when you have compelling, entertaining filmmaking on your side, you don’t need to do anything tawdry to keep things interesting.” – Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy

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The Cottage

900. (-29) The Cottage

Paul Andrew Williams

2008 / UK / 92m / Col / Black Comedy | IMDb
Andy Serkis, Reece Shearsmith, Jennifer Ellison, Steven O’Donnell, James Bierman, Cat Meacher, Danny Nussbaum, Logan Wong, Jonathan Chan-Pensley


“The Cottage improves immeasurably following an out-of-left-field plot twist that hits at around the 55-minute mark – as the film, in a manner reminiscent of From Dusk Till Dawn, essentially morphs into a far more entertaining and altogether horrific endeavor than its comparatively sedate opening might’ve indicated. The degree to which the movie is redeemed by its impossible-to-anticipate third act is consequently quite staggering, as one can’t help but derive a fair amount of enjoyment from the downright brutal situation the central characters find themselves embroiled in. The inclusion of an appropriately grisly finale only cements The Cottage’s effective late-in-the-game turnaround.” – David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

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