Best Movie In a Horror Series

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Agree with all that. I was being overly simplistic in calling it a straight horror. Haven’t read the book but I am very intrigued now. Recently read Jaws which was also quite different. I will be seeing the movie in theatres (because of my partner - who loves the original) so I’ll do my best to stay even and positive haha.

The only thing I’d like to add about Jurassic Park is - yes I agree it’s all those genres. All the science fiction, all the wonder and beauty of it all builds and builds up things to the horrific finale much like a slow burning horror.



The book and movie are very different, but the former is absolutely worth a read. There's great moments omitted from the film. Great as the T-Rex attack in the film is, it's arguably even better in the novel. It's also much more graphically violent than the film and the movie would've been an easy NC-17 rating had it been more like the book. I think the movie overall is superior, but the novel is still a top-notch read. It's interesting to compare the two with how they're a lot alike but still very different.


Very much agreed. It's very similar to Jaws in that respect with how Spielberg masterfully cranks up the tension and suspense, and then lets loose when you reach the end. I think in some respects it's underappreciated as a Horror film. Thrilling as it is with it's visuals and many excellent dinosaur attack and chase scenes, it also excels at suspense and scares better than many other straight-up Horror films.



Well said. Will give the book a read - in time.



Thanks. I'm sure you'd enjoy the book. It's very different from the film but still effective in it's own right. I recall enjoying it's sequel as well but haven't read it in a long time, although I plan to very soon after I'm done going through the original. Definitely been in a Jurassic mood with the new film coming out. Here's to hoping it's worthy of the Jurassic name.



There's moments of the book that are downright shocking with how graphic it gets. I think Spielberg's approach to the movie was right with the PG-13 rating and how he left a lot of the more graphic aspects to the imagination, but I always got to wonder how it might've been had it been much gorier.



The text under Larry's avatar actually reminds me of the Scary Movie series, which would be a funny addition for this. Debatable if they're outright Horror. The only one I've seen is the second which was on cable years ago and I don't remember it that well.



mattiasflgrtll6's Avatar
The truth is in here
It's also much more graphically violent than the film and the movie would've been an easy NC-17 rating had it been more like the book.
NC-17?! What does the dinosaurs do, bite people's dicks off?



It's also much more graphically violent than the film and the movie would've been an easy NC-17 rating had it been more like the book.
NC-17?! What does the dinosaurs do, bite people's dicks off?
That brings a whole new dimension to the outhouse scene in the first one.



Yes I see the original Jurassic park as a horror too. Genuinely tense and scary moments. Very good to great film...I’m not as optimistic as you regarding the new one.



I see the series as a Natural Horror/Sci-Fi/Adventure/Techno-Thriller hybrid. Blends aspects of those genre into one cohesive whole.
Yeah, I kinda-sorta see the horror aspect in the second one, with its much darker and more foreboding mood. And the night scene at the harbor, with the dead ship looming out of the fog (complete with "monster" aboard) reminded me irresistibly of Dracula.



NC-17?! What does the dinosaurs do, bite people's dicks off?



Haha, no. Here's a sampling of some of the book's more graphic moments:




WARNING: spoilers below

  • A wounded park worker is brought into a hospital at the beginning and his claw/slashing wounds are described in graphic detail. He vomits blood before dying from his injuries.
  • Compies feast upon a baby sleeping in a crib, with blood dripping down from their jaws.
  • Dennis Nedry is disemboweled and his innards ooze out of him in a gory mess. Later his corpse is found being eaten by compies.
  • Dr. Wu is disembowled by a Velociraptor which also uses it's jaws to tear his innards out even more.
  • A baby raptor is eaten alive by adult Raptors.






The book is decidely far less family-friendly than the film.



Ghoulies would be a funny addition. I remember them being very low-rent Gremlins knock-offs. Funny to watch when you're in the right mood.



Child's Play 2 was the best in the series, hands down. It had the original 80's vibe, Chucky was still very serious, it had awesome practical effects and an unusually feel-good ending.



Ghoulies would be a funny addition. I remember them being very low-rent Gremlins knock-offs. Funny to watch when you're in the right mood.
LOVE Ghoulies man, but only part 1. Part 2 was a total Gremlin's rip and 3-4 were just bizarre.



Child's Play 2 was the best in the series, hands down. It had the original 80's vibe, Chucky was still very serious, it had awesome practical effects and an unusually feel-good ending.



I always go back and forth on this and the original. I love both for their own reasons and in some ways part 2 is better, it's a close call for sure. I think 2 hands down has the best music score, climax and puppetry. Chucky is at his most evil in 2 as well.


What about the other series listed, what's your favorite movie in each?



There are so many but I like Paranormal Activity as they don't show any ghost face still people get afraid, what an idea?



I always go back and forth on this and the original. I love both for their own reasons and in some ways part 2 is better, it's a close call for sure. I think 2 hands down has the best music score, climax and puppetry. Chucky is at his most evil in 2 as well.


What about the other series listed, what's your favorite movie in each?
Ok, it's been awhile since I've seen some of these, but off the top of my head I'm thinking:

Friday The 13th - Jason Takes Manhattan
Halloween - Original
A Nightmare On Elm Street - Dream Warriors
Saw - Saw 2
Scream - Original
Alien - Original
Predator - Original
Evil Dead - Reboot
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Original
Hellraiser - Never seen
Final Destination - Part 3
Paranormal Activity - Original



Ok, it's been awhile since I've seen some of these, but off the top of my head I'm thinking:

Friday The 13th - Jason Takes Manhattan
Halloween - Original
A Nightmare On Elm Street - Dream Warriors
Saw - Saw 2
Scream - Original
Alien - Original
Predator - Original
Evil Dead - Reboot
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Original
Hellraiser - Never seen
Final Destination - Part 3
Paranormal Activity - Original



Interesting choices for some of those for sure. Some of those aren't common picks among fans.



The new Halloween was awesome and one of my favorites of the series, but Carpenter's original will always easily be the best to me.



After going through the first three Hellraiser movies as part of my Halloween Horror viewing this past October, I think Hellraiser III might actually be my favorite one. Not a popular opinion I'm sure, but I find it's probably the all-around most entertaining one, even if it was a bit of a tonal departure from the first two. I'm behind on the series a bit as I haven't seen any past Hellseeker, but it seems the last few films are of low-quality and the series sadly was never quite the same beginning with the fourth film and it's infamously difficult production.



Bringing this back with a slightly updated list from what I originally posted:


Halloween - 1978 Original
Friday The 13th - Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter
A Nightmare On Elm Street - New Nightmare
Saw - Saw II
Scream - Original
Child's Play - Original
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - 2003 Remake
Evil Dead - Evil Dead II
Hellraiser - Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth
Phantasm - Phantasm II
Alien - Aliens
Predator - Predator 2
Final Destination - Original
The Purge - The Purge: Anarchy
Insidious - Insidious: Chapter 3
Paranormal Activity - Original
Conjuring Universe - The Conjuring 2
Jaws - Original
Jurassic Park - Original
It - Chapter One (2017)
Tremors - Original
Candyman - Original
Romero's Living Dead - Day Of The Dead (1985)
Return Of The Living Dead - Return Of The Living Dead Part II
Puppet Master - Puppet Master 4
Pumpkinhead - Original
Wishmaster - Original
Maniac Cop - Maniac Cop 2
Leprechaun - Original
Critters - Original
Cube - Original
Poltergeist - Poltergeist II: The Other Side
I Know What You Did Last Summer - Original


Some might argue Jurassic Park isn't really Horror but I've always considered them a bit of a Sci-Fi/Natural Horror hybrid.