A few years ago my room mate and I rewatched both the 1978 and 2004 versions of
Dawn of the Dead, and I wouldn't recommend watching them back-to-back like that. We actually watched the newer one first, so we were getting fidgety during the Romero film's longer runtime. That same runtime prevented me from rewatching it for this Countdown, though honestly it didn't really have a chance of making my list anyway.
The Innocents was however on my list at #19. Since I'm in a rush right now, I'll just post what I wrote about it for the 17th HoF:
The Innocents manages to establish a haunting atmosphere before the opening credits roll, with a child's voice singing over a pitch black screen. That mood carries through the rest of the film, amplifying in intensity at times, and never truly subsiding completely. Despite being set in a house with large, lush grounds, there is a feeling of claustrophobia hanging over the film, which cleverly mirrors the isolation caused by the estate's rural location and the intimate proximity of those living there.
Many scenes had blackened edges, causing darkness to surround and occasionally start to suffocate the main character. Figures often felt unbalanced on the screen, which worked incredibly well with the film's more psychological elements. Stylized lighting helped create a beautiful but creepy aesthetic, and the frequent use of strange background noises or whispering voices perfectly complemented the film's eerie tone.
This is exactly the type of supernatural horror that I enjoy to watch. The story lends itself well to a number of different interpretations, so the film's ambiguity is greatly appreciated. Even if it had definitively decided for us which aspects were real, I would only be slightly disappointed since the whole of the film was incredibly well executed. The performances were exactly what they needed to be, with Deborah Kerr doing a phenomenal job drawing me in and engaging me with her character, even if she did sometimes look a little old to be a young governess.
Seen: 63/82
My List: 12
02. Re-Animator (1985) - #88
...
07. Cabin in the Woods (2011) - #52
09. The Innocents (1961) - #19
11. The Descent (2005) - #40
12. Saw (2004) - #32
13. The Conjuring (2013) - #29
...
16. Event Horizon (1997) - #49
17. The Wailing (2016) - #69
18. It Follows (2014) - #78
20. The Babadook (2014) - #63
21. Videodrome (1983) - #42
22. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) - #25
...
25.
The Void (2016) - DNP/1 Pointers List