Scaaaaaaary Movies

[brigdh]

The Guardian came out with a list today of The 25 Best Horror Movies. So I'm inventing a meme! Instructions: Bold the ones you've seen, italicize those you've seen part of.

1) Psycho
2) Rosemary's Baby
3) Don't Look Now
4) The Wicker Man*
5) The Shining
6) The Exorcist
7) Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror
8) Let the Right One In
9) Vampyr
10) Peeping Tom
11) The Innocents
12) Ringu**
13) The Haunting (1963)
14) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)+
15) Dead of Night
16) The Cabinet of Dr Caligari
17) Halloween (1978)
18) Bride of Frankenstein
19) Les Diaboliques
20) Dracula (1958)++
21) Audition
22) The Blair Witch Project
23) The Evil Dead/Evil Dead II
24) Carrie
25) Les Vampires

I didn't do very well, considering how much I love horror movies. I will pretend this is because The Guardian has no taste. I think a top 25 list definitely needs some of these: A Tale of Two Sisters (SO SCARY), Jaws, Night of the Living Dead (I mean, come on, not one zombie movie?), Silence of the Lambs (LOVE IT), 28 Days Later, Scream (since it basically recreated the slasher-if not all horror- genre), Young Frankenstein (if you're going to do horror-comedy, I much prefer this to the Evil Dead series), and [Rec].

So tell me, O LJ: which of the movies I haven't seen should I watch first?

* the 1973 version, not the remake, in case that isn't obvious. I have seen the remake! It is hilariously awful.
** I actually think the US remake is the scarier movie. But it's true that the Japanese original makes more sense (usually not an attribute of Japanese horror movies!).
+ Another one that, eh, didn't work so much for me. I think I was too jaded by the time I got around to watching it.
++ I have seen several other film versions of Dracula, but not this one. Still, I can't believe they didn't go with the original Bela Lugosi one! That moment when they find Renfield on the ship and he just laughs... *shudders*

Comments

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Let The Right One In is hands down one of the most haunting things I've seen. It's beautiful.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

I have now seen it! You're right, it is amazingly gorgeous.

[keelieinblack.livejournal.com]

Both The Innocents and The Haunting are good if you like slow-burn psychological horror. I'm...not sure I can promise they'll be super-scary to you, but they're both good at creating a very unsettling mood, and have some beautiful and interesting cinematography to boot.

I think I've seen nearly everything on the list, but it does feel uneven--like they were trying to fit in all the culturally well-known horror films that such lists 'must' include and still make the appropriate nods to German Expressionism, Asian horror, slasher films, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if they reason they chose that version of Dracula was because they felt like they had to put at least one Hammer Horror film on the list.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Alas, neither of those is on Netflix streaming, so I cannot remedy my lack. But I will keep them in mind next time I am in a place to rent movies!

*nods* I think part of the problem is they chose to title it the "Best" horror movies, rather than "Most Influential" or "Most Important" or something like that. Best is so subjective.

[pukingtoreador.livejournal.com]

WHY ISN'T THE THING ON THE LIST? RAGGGGGGEEEEEE.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Another one I haven't seen, actually! I will put it on my to-watch list.

[airspaniel.livejournal.com]

The 1973 Wicker Man is kind of dated now, but is still one of the more awesome and insidiously creepy movies ever. And Audition is FUCKED UP. I can't even really recommend it, but man... it is an intense mindfuck.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

I've wanted to see the original Wicker Man for a while now, but as it is not on Netflix streaming, I will have to wait a while longer, alas. And 'Audition', I am intrigued!

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

The Haunting. Seriously. It's fantastic.

Audition is...interesting. It's not my favorite of the Japanese horror genre. (Which would be 2002's Dark Water, if you're curious.)

ETA: Also, I was in denial about you not having seen Let The Right One In. Run. Do not walk.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Hee. I have now seen Let the Right One In! And you are right, it is an amazing movie.

I am making my through the rest of this list- the ones available on Netflix streaming. Which does not include The Haunting, unfortunately, but does have Audition. I saw the US remake of Dark Water (very bad), but not the original. I'll have to seek it out!

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I ever saw the American version of Dark Water, but I've got the DVD of the Japanese one.

The things I like about it is the atmosphere, the slow creep, and just how horrible (in concrete terms) the payoff really is. The occurrences are unsettling, sure, but the realization about what's been happening/present the entire time is really effective for me.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

I have seen the remake of Dark Water only, also.
OMG, the bad suck! Flee! Save yourself!

Meme, Meme,Tekel, Upharsin

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

1) Psycho+
2) Rosemary's Baby++
3) Don't Look Now
4) The Wicker Man*
5) The Shining
6) The Exorcist+++
7) Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror
8) Let the Right One In
9) Vampyr
10) Peeping Tom
11) The Innocents
12) Ringu
13) The Haunting (1963)
14) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
15) Dead of Night
16) The Cabinet of Dr Caligari
17) Halloween (1978)
18) Bride of Frankenstein
19) Les Diaboliques
20) Dracula (1958)
21) Audition
22) The Blair Witch Project
23) The Evil Dead/Evil Dead II++++
24) Carrie
25) Les Vampires

+Perfect scary movie.
++Really only scary to Protestants
++Really only scary to Protestants. My (Anglican) mother saw this in the theatre with a (Catholic) co-worker and said I wouldn't like it:it wasn't very scary. Catching it on TV confirms.
++++ I like
Army of Darkness. DON"T JUDGE ME!

Re: Meme, Meme,Tekel, Upharsin

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Ha, Army of Darkness is actually the only one of the Evil Dead trilogy I've seen! Though I feel asleep during part of it, but in my defense, I was sick at the time.

The Guardian is have no taste.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

1)A Tale of Two Sisters+
2)Jaws (Saw in theatre. Scared bejeebers out of me.)
3)Night of the Living Dead
4)Silence of the Lambs
5)28 Days Later (Want see. Much.)
6)Scream
7)Young Frankenstein ++

wordsofastory ARE HAS TASTE!

+Never even heard of this one. Owe you one, given your known tastes.
You may rec horror movies to me anytime.
++ Saw this in theatre, along with entire Theatre school(One van, no waiting!!!) BEST horror comedy EVER. The monster should always get the girl.(WHAT?)

Recs:Doctor Giggles. An American Werewolf in London. Dagon. The Birds.
By all means see Don't Look Now from the list first. I have wanted to see it all the way through since before you were born. If it is a sequel to Jaws, ignore.

Re: The Guardian is have no taste.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Hee, thank you.

You should definitely see Tale of Two Sisters! It's a Korean movie and it SO SCARY OMG. There was an American remake called 'The Uninvited' but apparently that was terrible and changed a lot of the plot. I don't know if you have Netflix (actually, thinking about it, I'm not sure Netflix even delivers to Canada), but if you do, it's available there.

I will definitely check out Don't Look Now! Thanks for the rec.

Re: The Guardian is have no taste.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

I will definitely see it.
We got just Netflix in Canada, starting 18n September. I took October as my free month, and found it to be like late night TV with Resume.(I have watched about 2-20 minutes of over sixty films!)
The Canadian version has only the live streaming service only, not the DVD rental. Not enough population per geographic distance. I should think. The selection isn't extensive yet, but some good stuff, and muy, muy average stuff, plus things I would never give money to! This my first paid month. Cheap like borscht!

Alas they have only the (Bad?) remake, not the Korean original.
They do have Audition, and Don't Look Now, which I am finally going to see all in order, perhaps in one sitting.
It's reasonable to assume that most of what is available is available to you, so:I really recommend Dead Like Me, in case you haven't watched it, and a film called Netherbeast Incorporated(Very low budget comedy.)

Re: The Guardian is have no taste.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

There are late night typos in the above. Future historians will want to know that I knew.

Re: The Guardian is have no taste.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

They don't have it? Alas, I thought for sure that was where I watched it. Must have been somewhere else , I guess.

But good to hear you've got it! I adore Netflix (even if there is a lot of bad movies there). And thanks for the recs!

Re: The Guardian is have no taste.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

You might have seen it there. Operating in Canada would involve completely different licensing agreements.

I don't mind bad movies as long as I can leave!

Re: The Guardian is have no taste.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Hahahaha, yes, that is an excellent point!