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I can't really comment on the original, but they did the same for The Hills Have Eyes and the remake was quite a bit better than the original, for me anyway!
CiCi's Top 50 Horror Films!
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I Spit on Your Grave is a hard film to sit through, but in the end it feels worth it. The remake, on the other hand, is a turd.
I enjoyed The Crazies when I saw it around the time it was released on dvd, but I don't remember much about it. I'd like to see it again, and I'd like to see the original too.
I enjoyed The Crazies when I saw it around the time it was released on dvd, but I don't remember much about it. I'd like to see it again, and I'd like to see the original too.
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Haven't seen I Spit on Your Grave but obviously know about its reputation. Gotta see it some time for sure...
The Crazies was on my own horror list, as you might remember. I pretty much loved exactly the things you did. I recently tried to rewatch it but didn't quite click with it at that viewing, which is a shame. I hope to give it a proper watch soon and hopefully still dig it.
The Crazies was on my own horror list, as you might remember. I pretty much loved exactly the things you did. I recently tried to rewatch it but didn't quite click with it at that viewing, which is a shame. I hope to give it a proper watch soon and hopefully still dig it.
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38. Ils (Them) (David Moreau and Xavier Pauld - 2006)
The French film that would heavily inspire The Strangers is similar, but superior, in every way for me.
It's a quick thriller, but it delivers. I nearly had several nervous breakdowns watching this whilst waiting for, quite literally, them. But the reason this happened was due to its preference to build and maintain suspense over gore, which it contains very little of. We only get glimpses of the attackers, who swiftly glide in and out of the shadows of a desolate house that seems over sized for just a couple to live in. That, mixed with the sounds they deliberately make to taunt them and us just ramps up the tension even further!
It is light on plot, but the characters are still interesting enough and I wasn't really expecting the reveal at the end, either!
37. The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (Dario Argento - 1970)
Argento's decision to direct his screenplay after other people were messing it up too much is rather strong for a first effort, even though he was nearly sacked during production.
The plot follows an artist who unwillingly gets himself embroiled in a series of murders that target young models. Unlike Ils this actually has a plot, and a rather layered and coherent one at that. The characters are complex, unique, and authentic. It also features some incredibly creative kills and the soundtrack, although not really to my taste, is experimental. It magnificently foreshadows what would follow for Argento.
And yes, Swan, this one has some shocking dubbing in it
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There's already a number of movies on your list I haven't seen, but seem interesting. Usually I have a hard time finding horror movies to watch in October, but apparently I was looking in the wrong places. I'm going to have a busy October this year. 
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There's already a number of movies on your list I haven't seen, but seem interesting. Usually I have a hard time finding horror movies to watch in October, but apparently I was looking in the wrong places. I'm going to have a busy October this year.
Why thank you, I do try
If you're looking to be scared sh!tless though, definitely go for Ils!
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^^ wrong Queen B 
and i deeeefinity have to see the first one,i absolutely LOVED the strangers! is it difficult to find with subs?
and i deeeefinity have to see the first one,i absolutely LOVED the strangers! is it difficult to find with subs?
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^^ wrong Queen B
and i deeeefinity have to see the first one,i absolutely LOVED the strangers! is it difficult to find with subs?
and i deeeefinity have to see the first one,i absolutely LOVED the strangers! is it difficult to find with subs?
I have those last 2 on my watchlist.
I didn't like The Strangers for what it's worth.
I didn't like The Strangers for what it's worth.
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40. I Spit on Your Grave (Meir Zarchi - 1978)
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" is the message of Meir Zarchi's pivotal rape-and-revenge flick. Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel proclaimed this as the "worst film ever made, without a shred of artistic distinction" and to put it bluntly, Siskel was a bit of a kiss arse, and Ebert was inconsistent (he hailed The Last House on the Left which has the slightest of differences from this).
That aside, this film depicts rape in its true form, to silence films like Gone With the Wind and even Straw Dogs that almost glossed over sexual violence. To deliver its message, it therefore contains the longest rape scene in cinematic history at around 42 minutes. It's absolutely brutal, but Jennifer's (Camille Keaton) revenge is even more violent.
In all honesty, it would probably be quite forgettable, even campy, if it weren't for the lead actress Camille Keaton. She takes the role seriously, and outshines her attackers in every scene, and she manages to maintain our support for her no matter how psychotic or deranged she becomes.
You'd think this was just an excuse for boobs and violence at the end of the day, but Zarchi also manages to make it pretty obvious that he employs an anti-violence message throughout. Something most exploitation films can't be bothered to do
39. The Crazies (Breck Eisner - 2010)
I'll admit it now, I haven't seen the original by George Romero!
Nevertheless, for a remake, this is pretty exceptional. I found this film genuinely terrifying, the scene with the man wandering down the hospital ward with a pitchfork had my heart rate through the roof. That's why this film works, it manages to implement an overwhelming sense of tension and dread in a large amount of sequences.
The fact that the villains aren't mindless fiends, but are actually rational, lucid, whilst still being incredibly psychotic made them pretty deliciously wicked antagonists, who you'd dread to actually encounter. Obviously, a lot of this is due to the original film and its ideas, but it was well executed overall, especially the bleak direction that created an atmospheric, depressing ambiance from the get go. Brilliant!
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38. Ils (Them) (David Moreau and Xavier Pauld - 2006)
The French film that would heavily inspire The Strangers is similar, but superior, in every way.
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nevermind,i thought it was LLS then IIS no wonder i couldnt find it
no wonder i couldnt find it And so true, Monno M
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That's all that really needs to be said about it.
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I love your taste in horror, CiCi!
I've seen both the original and the remake of Ils. Unfortunately I don't remember much about either. I would like to rewatch the original though.
I've seen both the original and the remake of Ils. Unfortunately I don't remember much about either. I would like to rewatch the original though.
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I love your taste in horror, CiCi!
I've seen both the original and the remake of Ils. Unfortunately I don't remember much about either. I would like to rewatch the original though.
I've seen both the original and the remake of Ils. Unfortunately I don't remember much about either. I would like to rewatch the original though.
And I think you should, just be near a toilet if you do!
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36. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper - 1974)
The quintessential teen slasher flick. Iconic doesn't begin to cover it, it defined a genre and its influence still determines large parts of the horror scene.
But the film itself is actually not as violent as the title suggests. A lot of it is implied, and it's why the film works so well, it's horrifying, because it lets you imagine the extent of the brutality that it not so subtly hints at.
Marilyn Burns (who shares a birthday with me!) basically screams her way through the film, and she too would determine what was to be expected of scream queens in the future. But the original is often the best, and the late Marilyn Burns is certainly up there amongst them. She literally poured blood, sweat, and tears into the role, and it's conveyed brilliantly. She might have screamed for 80 odd minutes, but she's utterly compelling and manages to construct the fear her character is experiencing to an extent rarely replicated.
That being said, I found some scenes to drag a little bit. Leatherface chases Sally (Marilyn) for about 5 uninterrupted minutes.
Yet despite its faults, it has a raw, gritty tone that shrouds the film in tension and an atmospheric quality that remains peculiar and intriguing 40 years since its creation!
35. The Last House on the Left (Wes Craven - 1972)
The film that wasn't released in its entirety in my native Britain until just 2008!
It's certainly something. It's exploitation with genuine emotion implemented into it. Seeing a pair of young 17 year olds being sexually abused with cut aways to one of the girls' parents baking cakes and setting up banners to wish her a happy birthday is simply heartbreaking. Subsequently, I don't think I've ever detested a bunch of characters as much as I have for the rapists in Wes Craven's debut.
The humour in it was not necessary whatsoever, though, preventing this from rising higher to the top! But it is one hell of an experience being exposed to this, be it a first viewing, or a tenth.
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Haven't seen 38 or 37. TCM was a lot higher on mine but i suppose it is a pretty typical choice so i'm actually glad to see it lower down than usual. Haven't seen the original but i watched the remake of Last House when it just came out and i liked it at the time, no idea what i'd think of it now. Have you seen The Virgin Spring?
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