MovieMeditation presents... &quot;His Top 50 Favorite Horror Films!&quot;

Friendo.

04-29-15

Thanks for all those nice heartwarming comments guys, I'm glad you're enjoying the list, the format, and the films I throw on it!

MovieGal

希

04-29-15

MM, Im happy you have good taste in horror...

Now, if I could only get you to watch horror from your own country!

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

04-29-15

Originally Posted by MovieGal

MM, Im happy you have good taste in horror...

Now, if I could only get you to watch horror from your own country!

I'm pretty sure I have watched all, like, 3 horrors that have been made here in Denmark to this day.

haha

MovieGal

希

04-29-15

Originally Posted by MovieMeditation

I'm pretty sure I have watched all, like, 3 horrors that have been made here in Denmark to this day.

haha

Oh you got to be kidding??? just 3.. then I must have seen them all... lol Im sure there is more!

Swan

CIA Spook

04-29-15

Watch more giallo. Become a badass.

It's an equation.

MovieGal

希

04-29-15

Originally Posted by Swan

Watch more giallo. Become a badass.

It's an equation.

You mean drama thriller films from the 70's ...thats what giallos are to me...

Swan

CIA Spook

04-29-15

honeykid

MoFo Whisperer

04-29-15

I adore An American Werewolf In London.

__________________
5-time MoFo Award winner.

False Writer

NJPW: King of Sports

04-29-15

All three are amazing MM! With American Werewolf being one of my favorite movies ever. Excellent choices!

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

04-29-15

Originally Posted by MovieGal

Oh you got to be kidding??? just 3.. then I must have seen them all... lol Im sure there is more!

3 was just a fictionized number, I haven't got a true count. But I know we don't really do horror here, so...

I mean, there's like Nattevagten, Opstandelsen, Kollegiet and N�r Dyrene Dr�mmer, and that's it. I have seen all of those except the last one.

MovieGal

希

04-29-15

Originally Posted by MovieMeditation

I have seen the first two...

there is also "Nattens Engel".. which you didnt mention... the vampire film... and I think I seen a few others...

MovieGal

希

04-29-15

and Natten's Engel .. has 4 of Denmark's greatest actors.. Thomas Bo Larsen, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Ulrich Thomsen and Mads Mikkelsen

Im adding another horror film.. Flaenset which has Thomas Bo Larsen and Lars Mikkelsen it it.. which I have seen.

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

04-29-15

Impressive line-up for what seems to be an unimpressive movie.

but yeah haven't seen or even heard of that one...

cricket

Msg

Registered User

04-29-15

American Werewolf is my favorite, so too low here

I was hoping someone would nominate TCM for the slasher thread because I need/want to see it again.

I like Videodrome.

I'd like to go more in-depth sometimes but I'm running on fumes most nights.

Daniel M

...

04-30-15

I love Videodrome. I remember watching it one night, it gave me this weird uncomfortable feeling from the start, it really got under my skin. I wouldn't call it scary, but spooky perhaps, I felt dirty after I watched it. I enjoy watching Cronenberg's fascination with the human flesh and interactions, transformations and transportation, and when I watched the film I felt like I myself had been pulled in through the TV to this slimy world.

I like An American Wereworlf In London a lot, although it's been a while since I saw it in full, maybe it could become a real favourite in the future. Not a fan of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, it irritated me for most the part, but I can appreciate the influence it has had, and it certainly has some iconic characters and scenes, it's no surprise to see it on such a list.

__________________

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

05-01-15

~His Top 50 Favorite Horror Films~
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35. The Scream Franchise (1996-2011)
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And along comes the second assembled collection of movies, all emerging from the same film franchise. This time it is no other than the witty satirical look at the state of horror and their reputation, all delivered in grand style by the master himself, Wes Craven. The very first �Scream� brought something fresh and original to the tired slasher genre, and threw in a bunch of fun references for hardcore horror lovers to have fun with, while also delivering a solid piece of horror filmmaking on its own. Despite all this, you would think that sequels to this franchise would be a weird way of back-talking your own creation, but surprisingly it pretty much worked. That said, I pretend like the Scream franchise doesn�t consist of that awful third entry�

As mentioned above, the first �Scream� was a nice welcome to a new kind of horror film, which succeeded in being frightening in new ways and making fun of the old ways, respectively. There are plenty of memorable scenes scattered throughout the film, and already by the very opening, you know that you have something different and yet familiar on your hands. Surprisingly, when the first sequel came along you would expect some kind of silly recreation or laughable spoof of the first one, but instead the film played it clever and was aware that it could easily miss the spot. But while the first one was a great modern take on the horror genre � with a story that is probably the most consistent and well structured of them all � the second film took the natural route of poking fun at the sequels, which worked great, but eventually it did get quite lost in its own �spoofing madness�. Overall I don�t mind it, but it does loose a bit of that value, which the first one had� The third film we will just skip right over� Now, the fourth film did not only cover the usual horror reference race that it had become known for, but it actually took the chance of spoofing itself on the way as well; even more clearly and dominantly than any of the other films in the franchise. The old characters came back and their presence and chemistry on screen was better than ever, and together with a story bringing two generations together, this franchise suddenly felt new and fresh again � even with a main story and theme, which could easily fall through. And despite a weak twist ending, this fourth film feels very strong and also just happens to be my favorite in the franchise!
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Why is it on my list?
The tired slasher genre received one hell of a makeover in the hands of Wes Craven, who, with the �Scream�-series, created yet another revolutionary hit franchise to write under his name. These films are a strange combination of modern and classic horror, which happens to be just as smart and witty as they are stupid and laughable. In general though, they are a great success in horror and they are a whole lot of fun to watch, with the mixed bag of hits and misses working as a perfect part of this huge thrill-and-kill experience!

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34. The Mothman Prophecies (2002)
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The wide-ranging reception for this film hasn't exactly been that good, but I can easily see why this film may not appeal to everyone. It plays out a lot like some kind of mystery drama with the horror lying firmly placed underneath of it all. And for those hardcore horror fans expecting to see an actual mothman monster swing by and eat the people�s souls will also leave disappointed. Honestly, I didn�t even think this film would hold up on a second viewing, but when I watched it again I still thought it was good. It also has that perfect blend of horror that I like, consisting of a solid drama story with some mysterious horror elements mixed expertly into it all�

It is a lot about the general atmosphere to me, and this film certainly plays on all strings in that area. The actual story maybe doesn�t evolve in the same way that you would expect, but instead it worked more like an examination and experimental investigation on the myth behind the movie, and for that, I loved it. Even when everything began to feel a little weird and strange, it was mostly consistent throughout. Arguably it looses a bit of steam towards the end, where it perhaps plunges into the more melodramatic aspect of the story, but the actual horror core of this terrifying myth is mostly present in the film, and ultimately it makes it all work for the benefit of the story.
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Why is it on my list?
I love movies that holds a very mysterious kind of vibe to it, and doesn't exactly cut everything out for you in nice eatable pieces so you walk away feeling stuffed. This film is never about exposing the non-existent or unproven aspect of the myth, but instead it uses the very effect that it had on actual people, and try to cast that onto its audience. I admire the movie for its calmer tone and atmospheric approach and it is a very interesting and exciting movie to watch in my opinion. To all the haters, I hope you will have your brains eaten by the mothman monster. Beware!

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33. Orphan (2009)
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This is one of those films that I kind of wished I had given a rewatch before putting together my final list. I�m still pretty sure that it would be on my list no matter what, but where it would land could be debatable, especially because it has been so long since I last watched it. But looking through various reviews of this film, it does seem like it is a pretty popular pick among critics and especially horror fans alike. Even though I have definitely watched this film more than once back in the days, this will still be a review being produced from a fractured memory, unfortunately. But thankfully, I do remember the most prominent parts of the film, so it isn�t like I will fumble in the dark from beginning to end�

�Orphan� is yet another one of those films, which holds a very dramatic core to keep the audience interested and the story more close to heart, while underneath it all this is a very terrifying film. It is basically about this girl who gets adopted, but she isn�t at all this little pretty and innocent girl who she appears to be at first. What I really remember to love about this film is how it evolves and constantly builds upon its central story. You are constantly afraid of what will happen next, and what kind of gruesome degrees of evil this problem child might cause. The film does a fine job at telling a story about a family�s tragedy and their struggle of coming together again. It is also a great film when it focuses on the children and their interpretation of what is happening, as well as them trying to convince the adults about what is actually going on. Oh, and the twist is pretty clever as well, though I could imagine it would throw some people off.
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Why is it on my list?
A very frightening tale of disturbing propositions, with a very strong dramatic story and a great assemble of very believable characters. The horror aspects comes sneaking up on you when you are least expecting them, and the scenes that hits you the hardest are perhaps not even those that appear to be the scariest. You are never quite sure where the story takes you and the film truly knows how to tell its story to great effect.

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MovieMeditation's Cinema Reviews // Film Diary 2015 // Letterboxd Profile // MovieMeditation's Top 50 Horror

Last edited by MovieMeditation; 05-01-15 at 10:42 AM.

rauldc14

2022 Mofo Fantasy Football Champ

05-01-15

I just saw Scream and Scream 2 last month. Fun flicks certainly, especially the first.

Gatsby

Msg

Master of My Domain

05-01-15

Rep for Scream alone, not the franchise. I've seen the second and third one and they all sucked imo, that's why I'll never watch the remaining two. The first one which I love is hilarious, clever and does a good job of being self-aware of it's cliches and dangers about to happen and at the same being a proper horror.

Haven't seen the other two. Orphan looks decent though.

Beware MM, now that I have time I'll be stalking this thread. Probably creating my own horror masterpiece in the process. Great list so far even if I disagree with and haven't seen a lot of your choices, still a few great films here and there. Hoping it will get better around the Top 20 mark.

honeykid

MoFo Whisperer

05-01-15

I have Orphan, but haven't watched it yet. However, should that ever happen and I like it, that'd be another three in three for you, MM. Time to worry?

MovieMeditation