October 21, 2008

The 31 Days of Horror- #11

We are one movie away from the top 10 of all time!!! What will they be?...

Fulci zombies, Redrum, a hobbling, and a French mind-f**k...


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The 70's
Lucio Fulci's Zombie (1979)- According to many, this is Lucio Fulci's masterpiece. Banned in several countries because it was so excessively violent, Zombie (or Zombi 2 overseas) gave us a few of the most memorable scenes in Horror History; A zombie fighting a shark underwater; A mass of zombies walking across the Brooklyn Bridge; and most famous of all, the eyeball gouging scene, involving a closeup of an eye and a splintered piece of wood. The Zombies look great, the music adds to the typical Fulci atmosphere, and overall, this is one of the best Zombie epics ever made.

The 80's
The Shining (1980)- Not only was The Shining written by insane-genius Stephen King, directed by insane-genius Stanley Kubrik, and starred insane-genius Jack Nicholson as a man driven slowly insane by ghosts, but it was one of the most culturally important Horror films of it's time. "Here's Johnny!", "Redrum" and "All work and no play make Jack a dull boy" are all phrases that caught on in the mainstream, and have been repeated many times since, the world over. Also, Room 237 and the twins in the hallway gave us two of the most terrifying and memorable Horror scenes ever. A classic in every sense of the word, though very different from the book, this movie belongs in every Horror collection, if only as a study of Kubrick's mad genius.

The 90's
Misery (1990)- How in the world can Kathy Bates be terrifying? Easily; imagine her kidnapping you, drugging you, making you her "lover", and hobbling your ankles with a sledgehammer. Annie Wilkes is one of the most terrifying characters of all time, even earning Bates an Oscar for best actress for her depraved portrayal. Many look at this film as a thriller or drama, but make no mistake, this is Horror of the psychological kind, even if Rob Reiner did direct it. If you fear stalkers or the thought of being kidnapped by unattractive middle aged women, this one will make you cry.

The 2000's
Haute Tension (2003)- Many people poo-poo this movie because of its "twist" ending. While I didn't particularly like the ending either, I can't ignore the brilliance of this film. I got this one on region 2 DVD before it came out here, and when I watched it, I was blown away by the sick and unrelenting blood and gore, and the fact that it was actually a well made movie. It was something that American Horror hadn't given us in quite some time. The French have been on a twisted role this decade, bringing us a bunch of messy, well made, and disturbing Horror flicks, and this is the one (in my mind) that began it all. Not for the squeamish.

See you tomorrow with the beginning of the top 10!!!!

1 comment :

  1. I, too, received this movie way before it came out and when we started the movie I was basically quoting the movie as it played. I had just read Dean Koontz's book, Intensity and it is almost exactly like this film and the story changes immediately after the convenience store scene. There was never any mention of an homage to Dean Koontz's story. Anyhow, I loved it!!!!

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