100 FAVORITE HORROR FILMS 60 - 51

60. THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD (1971)

Dir - Peter Duffell

A real-estate agent's nightmare

The first though certainly not last Amicus anthology horror film to appear on this list is the one with that excellently tongue-firmly-in-cheek Jon Pertwee/Ingrid Pitt vampire episode “The Cloak”.  Definitely the most fun segment in the bunch as the Third Doctor Pertwee is clearly enjoying himself as an utter hambone horror film star and Ingrid Pitt and her glorious cleavage are bountifully on display.   Yet Dripped Blood is also noteworthy for having both Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing once again on board, each in a different story.   Cushing’s “Waxworks” with its mysterious wax museum and Lee’s “Sweets To the Sweet” with his not-so-innocent daughter are both excellent.  Indiana Jones’ Denholm Elliott starts the whole thing off as a going-slightly-mad author in the very Tales From the Crypt-esque “Method for Murder”.  So basically, the fantastic cast is what sells it.  Though that being said, Robert Bloch, (the guy who wrote Psycho), cannot go without praise here as he penned all four stories.

59. NOSFERATU (1922)
Dir - F.W. Murnau

All hail Max Schreck!

Long before What’s-Her-Twilight-Fuck-Name turned vampires into sparkling pussies, the undead looked like demonic, venomous rodents.  Max Schreck’s iconically wretched make-up is still the most grotesque Dracula presentation to date and it is hard not to chuckle when the Thomas Hutter (or Jonathan Harker), character does not immediately run screaming to the hills when he lays eyes on him.   My favorite silent horror film by a mile, F. W. Murnau’s 1922 German Expressionist classic Nosferatu is a mainstay on almost all horror movie lists and one of four Dracula adaptations appearing on this one.  Many liberties were taken with the source material as is always the case, down to the Count’s name, (Orlok here) and setting, (England switches to Germany), as this was due to Bram Stoker’s still-living widow successfully suing over copyright infringement at the time.  The 1979 Werner Herzog remake almost made my list as well and is a far more surreal experience, (though the great Klaus Kinski’s Count is a bit weaselly).

58. HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB (1972)
Dir - Carlos Aured

The Naschy rises

Any fan of 70s and/or European horror is bound to know and bow down to the name Paul Naschy.  The actor has the distinction of playing every monster ever and a werewolf particularly more times than anyone, (twelve to be exact), hence the long-running nickname of the “Spanish Wolfman”.   It is therefor rather ironic that his only appearance on this list is one of his non-werewolf films, but nevertheless his best in Horror Rises from the Tomb.  I am as big a Naschy fan as anyone, but there is no denying that all of his films are rather flawed.  Nearly all of them only exist in (terribly) dubbed versions and ridiculous scripts that weave in and out of logic are very much the norm.  Just about every Waldemar Daninsky film recycles an almost identically silly plot, yet do not let any of this deter you.  They are all varrying levels of awesome.  Horror Rises’ tale of a resurrected evil sorceress and her warlock lover reaping their vengeance on the modern world has all the Gothic, gory, sex laden carnage that Naschy movies relish in.  Missing lycanthropian shenanigans be damned.

57. DR. TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS (1965)
Dir - Freddie Francis

Five guys walk into a train carriage...

The other great British horror company Amicus Production made eight anthology horror films between 1965 and 1980 and they kicked off their fantastic run with Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors.  These films utilized many of the same actors as Hammer Studios did, primarily Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, who both appear here.  Whereas Hammer mastered the old period Gothic thing, Amicus set almost all of their films in the present day for budgetary reasons.  Both companies produced some utter classics though, Dr. Terrors easily one of the finest.  As is always the case with these “multiple stories” features, some are weaker than others, (the killer plant story “Creeping Vine” takes the turkey prize here), but “Voodoo” and Lee’s “Disembodied Hand” are pure awesomeness.  We even get both a werewolf and a vampire in the remaining two tales.  Cushing does killer work in the title role, (with German accent and all), and Lee’s douchebag art critic is pitch perfect.  Amicus produced one better than this one, but Dr. Terror’s is certainly a good enough place to start as any.

56. AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (1981)
Dir - John Landis

Bad moon a-risin'

John Landis is a man well known for directing some of the greatest comedies ever made, (Blues Brothers, Coming to America, Kentucky Fried Movie), so it is hardly surprising that he laces his very best horror movie An American Werewolf In London with enough humor to remind us it is still him.  Really though, Werewolf packs a hell of a lot bigger wallop as a horror movie than anything else.  Many of its moments, (particularly those strange dream sequences), are rather frightening indeed.  The film’s greatest triumph is in its ability to balance the humor throughout the horror.  The career-making transformation scene by Rick Baker is easily the best human-to-beast moment ever filmed, made all the more unsettling by Sam Cooke softly crooning “Blue Moon” in the background.  I personally dig that once he goes full wolfman, we only catch quick glimpses of him crawling on all fours as he brutally mauls a handful of people to death.  This is as perfect an example as one can find that good ole fashioned make-up, animatronics, and puppets come off so much better than CGI cartoon horseshit any day of the week.

55. THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE (1973)
Dir - John Hough

Another evil old house that was born bad

As sort of a second cousin to Robert Wise's The Haunting, The Legend of Hell House is yet another haunted abode film and from that golden early 70s era of horror no less.  Richard Matheson's script, (based off his own novel of the same name), shares an almost identical premise with that of The Haunting, with a physicist, his wife, and a couple of psychics going to investigate another old creepy castle which was built by an eccentric madman.  Not to keep comparing the two, but this movie is a little more heavy and graphic than the aforementioned The Haunting, (which makes sense as it was made ten years later), particularly in the sexual overtones which become pretty creepy in some intense possession sequences.  The finale is a tad over the top with perhaps too much explanation and “science vs. the supernatural” jargon, but none of this deters from the end result.   It certainly helps that the always wonderful Roddy McDowall and hella robo-babe Gayle Hunnicutt are present, but in the end it is that good ole nasty Hell House itself which is the star of the show.

54. RINGU (1998)
Dir - Hideo Nakata

Good thing VCRs are not around anymore, eh?

The ultimate “J horror” movie and highest grossing film ever in Japan, Ringu very much got the ball rolling for the hugely popular resurgence of the sub-genre.  The ghost of a pissed-off girl who uses technology to reap her vengeance upon the unsuspecting living is as standard as contemporary Japanese horror stories can get and it was arguably never been better done than here.  I am very much a fan of most Japanese horror films that I have seen and Ringu takes the prize with a memorable premise and many outstandingly creepy moments.  Director Hideo Nakata, (whose Dark Water is also excellent and also got an American remake), creates an eerie tension throughout that ultimately climaxes with one of horror cinema’s finest moments.  You know, the one that makes you not want to keep a TV in your bedroom.  The American The Ring did a rather exceptional job at delivering the scares, (perhaps not surprising as it is very similar), but I can read just fine so subtitles are never a problem, therefore making this the superior version.

53. HORROR EXPRESS (1972)
Dir - Eugenio Martín

"Satan lives! The unholy one...is among us!"

A rare Spanish horror/sci-fi film set on a train from China to Moscow and staring the classic British paring of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, (all with a side of Telly Savalas), Horror Express is certainly daft on paper yet oh so much fun on film.  It is almost even more of a 70s horror fan’s wet dream as Alberto de Mendoz’s mad monk looks uncannily like the great Spanish every-monster-ever star Paul Naschy, so much that me and my cousin both just pretend it is him when watching it.  Speaking of Naschy, the sultry Helga Line who stared in both The Mummy’s Revenge and more importantly Horror Rises From the Tomb also makes an appearance, (though unfortunately her clothes stay on this time for those seeking birthday suits).  All this and more combine to make one of the better low budget foreign horror films I think ever made, with a “monster on the loose in close quarters, picking off people one by one” framework expertly and even humorously done.  As good as Cushing and Lee are, Mendoz’s fanatically disturbed monk steals the show, uttering forth some of the most quotable lines ever for a metal band to sample.

52. BRAINDEAD (1992)
Dir - Peter Jackson

"Your mother ate my dog!"

Behold the goriest film of all time!  Now I am sure the Japanese have made a few attempts to top it, bless their hearts, but there comes a point in cinema, (I would call this the “lawnmower scene”), where the amount of blood and guts per second that can possibly be shown on screen simply reaches its limit.  Braindead, (or Dead Alive as us Americans like to call it), is such an over-the-top, cartoony spatterfest that it qualifies way more as a comedy than a horror movie.  Me and anyone I have ever watched it with have certainly found ourselves laughing to the point of tears far more than cowering in fear at the grotesqueness being spewed forth in nearly every frame.  This makes it probably the silliest zombie film ever made, (Return of the Living Dead a close second).  As everyone I hope knows, the great Peter Jackson has gone on to much more profitable and respectable blockbuster territory with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but I for one fell in love with his early disgust-fests such as this, Bad Taste, and Meet the Feebles long before.  It still belongs on a horror list for all the astronomically ridiculous zombie liquification that goes down.

51. BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA (1992)
Dir - Francis Ford Coppola

All hail Gary Oldman!

Francis Ford Coppola’s supposedly “faithful” take on the Bram Stoker novel that started it all was a movie I was literally obsessed with as a kid.  I made my own Bram Stoker’s Dracula board game for a science project in 6th grade, for one.  So more than some others on this list, this movie holds a nostalgic place in my heart as I was at the perfect age and already a bona-fide monster movie fanatic when it came out.  All that aside and despite Keannu Reeve’s infamously lackluster efforts, the film holds up just as well today.  In fact I appreciate more things about it now than I ever did, for instance Coppola’s insistence on going all retro with the special effects which are all are fantastic.  With a budget like this, Coppola did not hesitated in going over the top, with everything from werebeast rape to baby eating thrown violently into the mix.  Also, let us not forget the Count’s occasionally ridiculous and almost laugh out loud funny costume choices.  The cast, (minus Reeve of course), is all kinds of fun, with Anthony Hopkins and certainly Gary Oldman delivering rather iconic performances to say the least.  I am calling it that this is the most entertaining Dracula pic yet made and naturally a movie that I cannot wait to show my little ones.  Though I will certainly wait until it is at least 6th grade science project time.

100 FAVORITE HORROR FILMS 70 - 61

70. SUICIDE CLUB (2002)
Dir - Sion Sono

"Mail me, mail me"

Another uniquely Japanese horror movie, this one baffled me a bit at first until I did some quick research and learned that it is simply a modern and ultra-violent twist on the Pied Piper legend.  Right from the get go, Suicide Club, (or Suicide Circle as it was known in its native Japan), kicks off with a bloody bang, gripping your attention and pretty much assuring that you will very much want to find out what in the hell is going on for the rest of the proceedings.   Equal parts disturbing, creepy, gory as hell, and head-scratchingly strange, (Japanese musician Rolly’s appearance sparks one of the HIIIIIIIIGHEST scenes I have ever seen), this film did not lose my attention for a second.  Leave it to director Sion Sono to take a five-piece, dancing teen girl pop group and make them one of the most increasingly unsettling things in any movie.

69. ERASERHEAD (1977)
Dir - David Lynch

WTF? - The Movie!

My favorite filmmaker, (along with a Mr. Stanley Kubrick of course), David Lynch obviously had to be represented on this list.  Though all of his films defy genre classification, (hence the term “Lynchian” being born), all of them also contain horrific elements.  As Eraserhead makes many a horror movie list out there, well, that is good enough for me then.  I had to split hairs very much here with Lynch since in all honestly, I could have included almost all of the man’s films along with this one.  If I did that though then he would have utterly dominated the top ten and Lost Highway probably would therefore be my “favorite horror movie”.  Which is just silly.  So, selective I chose to be and as far as Eraserhead goes, well, can one truly describe this film?   I will try.  A slow-moving, astonishingly bizarre, “plot-less”, ninety-minute nightmare that weaves in and out of so many horrifying, funny, and batshit crazy scenes that if anything else, it is bound to leave one hell of an impression on you.  I would not call it Lynch’s best (Mulholland Drive) or believe it or not even his weirdest, (Inland Empire), but it is undoubtedly “Lynchain” and undoubtedly awesome.

68. THE DESCENT (2005)
Dir - Neil Marshall

"There's something down here"

The Descent set the bar pretty high as one of the best horror films of the 2000s.  In the midst of brain-dead torture porn and gazillions of remakes and sequels, here was a fantastically executed, original British gem that deservedly scored big this side of the Atlantic.  The film takes longer than most to get going, but I very much appreciated the extended set-up, not only to have so much time to get to know the characters, but to slowly ease you into a film that basically pulls a 180 on you and does not let up once the good stuff starts.  I always dig the abrupt about-face in horror films and when “that moment” in the cave hits and the gloves fly deliciously off, I was on the edge of my seat digging every bloody moment of it.   I must admit though that I am not too wild about the ending, (I never got the impression that the Natalie Mendoza was supposed to be the film’s “villain” somehow), but everything else works so well that it hardly damages the end product.

67. HAUSU (1977)
Dir - Nobuhiko Ôbayashi

Death by mattress
 

One has to love Japan.  The way over-the-top, stylistic insanity that occupies most every frame in Nobuhiko Obayashi's Hausu is something no other country's singular aesthetics could have produced, let alone even dreamt of.  I found it on a list of the “5 Most Baffling Horror Films From Around the World”, (thank you cracked.com), and it most certainly belongs there.   Based on a story written by Obayashi’s daughter, Hausu is as much fun as you can possibly have watching a horror film and another nightmare-come-to-life movie where the “plot” is hardly as important as how much bananas shit you can throw on screen.  Hausu is staggeringly ridiculous yet in a wildly entertaining way.   What other film can you see a piano eat a girl, a decapitated floating head bite the ass of another girl, severed legs kung-fu fight a painting that bleeds so much it floods a room, and possessed lampshades, mattresses, and a grandfather clock?  None other film, that is what.

66. THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957)
Dir - Terence Fisher

Here comes the Hammer

On to round two of the classic monster movies, Hammer Film Studios kicks off their prolific run with The Curse of Frankenstein, the first in a series of seven films starring that diabolical doctor.  Peter Cushing, (who played the Baron in all of them except 1970s The Horror of Frankenstein), delivers arguably his finest performance here as a far more egomaniacal and villainous Doctor Frank than in any of the the Universal series or really in any future Frankenstein adaptations come to think of it.  This was hardly the only thing that separated Hammer's version from the others.  It was the first adaptation of the story in living, bloody color and the then graphic violence garnished most of the attention for the day.  Hammer really establishes themselves as the masters of Gothic horror here more than anything else, all of which further helped inspire Roger Corman's later Edgar Alan Poe films amongst quite a few others.

65. CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954)
Dir - Jack Arnold

Must be something in the water

The Creature From the Black Lagoon is the last great Universal monster movie and the best “man in a rubber suit” monster movie ever made.  Portrayed gracefully in the water by Ricou Browning and hulkingly on land by Ben Chapman, the iconic Gill Man is a type of sympathetic monster more akin to Frankenstein’s creation or even Larry Talbot by moonlight.  Julia Adams, (who spends most the entire film in a wet bathing suit), is a golden era robo-babe and certainly helps the film's, ahem, view-ability.  Two more Creature sequels followed this one, but Universal had by this point retired the Wolf Man, Dracula, the Mummy, and the Frankenstein monster after copious amounts of sequels.  Creature may be a graceful homage of sorts then, as it emerged in an era where UFOs and giant animal/thing monsters were the horror stuffs of the day.   If the Gill Man would have debuted perhaps only a decade earlier, it is amusing to think how they would have fit him into such “monster mash” pairings as House of Dracula or House of Frankenstein.  House of the Creature From the Black Lagoon mayhaps?

64. THE EXORCIST (1973)
Dir - William Friedkin

That is not where a crucifix goes

So low I know, but alas, let me explain.  Like most people, I have a history with William Friedkin’s The Exorcist.  It was my dad’s favorite horror movie and he waited until me and my brother were in Jr. High to let us watch it, (and this is coming from a man who used to take us to see every rated-R, gore-filled, profanity and nudity-ridden action movie that came out every Friday since the age of say six?).  So obviously it was serious business and yes it scared the ever-loving shit out of me the first time I saw it.  As well as the second and third time.  These viewings were all quite spread out as I kept telling myself I would never watch it again.  Then a funny thing happened just a year or two ago when I viewed it for the first time in ages.   It was not only not scary anymore, but I in fact found myself rather bored.  I have no explanation for this as the film is intentionally slow building which I almost always thoroughly enjoy.  Also, one could not possibly say it does not “deliver” when good ole Pazuzu takes the kid gloves off and lets the unholy fury run amok.  Though it may not keep me up at night anymore, I can still call it a favorite for all those classic scenes alone.

63. UZUMAKI (2000)
Dir - Higuchinsky

Snails on the walls go round and round...

This film is based on Junji Ito’s manga series of the same name about a Japanese village that is cursed by circles.  Don't ask.  There are some giddily fantastic visuals on display here, more and more as the whole thing rolls along.   It is rather a kindred spirit to another utterly bonkers Japanese horror classic from over two decades prior, Hausu, (see number 67), mostly in the rather goofy tone and fast pace.  Yet it is not as crazy, (hardly any movie is), and is in fact rooted in characters we actually can find ourselves caring about.  Uzumaki’s final moments are just as bizarre as they are heartbreaking and they are likewise just as creepy as they are funny.  It is all over the place in that respect yet ever so much fun.  I have not read the manga comics source material yet, but one can only imagine even more death-by-circles moments are packed inside.

62. FASCINATION (1979)
Dir - Jean Rollin

Mmm...sexy blood wenches

Though Jean Rollin's film output is far from flawless (Le Frisson des Vampires is atrociously ridiculous), his style is admirable.  Very slow moving, (he sure does like to use quality film time showing people walking around), low-key, Gothic eroticism is the man’s stock ‘n trade.  Be it lesbian vampires, zombies, ghosts, or just sadistic blokes running amok, his films are highly stylized and usually fascinating to watch.  Speaking of the “f word”, Fascination, which falls into the erotic lesbian vampire category, is certainly my bet for his masterpiece.  Rollin’s films always delivered with the beautiful French maidens and Brigitte Lahaie is undoubtedly at the top of the heap.  For those who wish to penetrate further, (huh huh), Miss Lahaie also had a prolific pornographic career around this time.  Rollin’s filmmaking career spanned four decades and though I have only sampled some of his late 60s-early-80s classics, there is plenty more of his gems out there.  Start with this one and if it does not intrigue you further, then I am afraid the man’s talents are lost on you.

61. [REC] (2007)
Dir - Jaume Balagueró/Paco Plaza

"We have to tape everything!"

Zombie everythings seem to be all over the place in the last ten years or so.  I am sure the burn out will come eventually, (The Walking Shit did it for me), but with so many dead-people-eating-living-people movies being made, there are also bound to be some good ones in there.  In 2007 from the unexpected depths of Spain came [REC], which not only falls into the zombie camp, but also the hand-held camera/found footage sub-genre that is likewise so popular nowadays.  Since I am generally a fan of said sub-genre anyway, [REC] pretty much had me from the get go.  The premise is absurdly simple. An “infection” starts in an apartment complex, a bunch of civilians get trapped against their will there, and voila, your horror movie is served.   If it sounds familiar for those who have not done their research yet like to see movies that are not in Spanish, the film Quarantine is nearly a shot-for-shot remake.  I actually saw Quarantine first and liked it quite a lot, but as is always the case, one usually has to go with the originals nearly ten times out of ten.

100 FAVORITE HORROR FILMS 80 - 71

80. DEAD OF NIGHT (1945)

Dir - Alberto Cavalcanti/Charles Crichton/Basil Dearden/Robert Hamer

"Room for one more sir"

Quite the fan of anthology horror films am I and 1945’s Dead of Night is one of the very first as well as certainly the earliest to have maintained such a well-respected profile over the years.  The template set up here is the same that has been used countless times since.  Several strangers meet at a single location for whatever reason, each one telling a strange and peculiar story, ultimately leading to a usually gruesome finale including everyone involved.  Dead of Night does best with two of its tales in particular, the haunted mirror and of course the ventriloquist one, (are dummies that come to life ever NOT creepy?).  Yet the linking “I’ve dreamed all this before” story works great as well, especially in the fevered climax.  There is even some silliness in the golfing ghost segment to lighten the mood.  This stuff never gets old for me as I love the Amicus anthology films of the late 60s/early 70s, (a few of which pop up on this list, naturally), and this gem in the sub-genre is well worth your time I would say.  Especially if you are afraid of ventriloquist dummies.

79. REPULSION (1965)
Dir - Roman Polanski

Rabbit for dinner

The first in Roman Polanski’s “apartment trilogy” and the French/Polish director’s first English speaking film, Repulsion is arguably the premier psychological horror movie.  The, (very), troubled psyche of one heterophobic Carole Ledoux, (Catherine Deneuve), unfolds as she retreats herself into her apartment with increasingly shocking, bizarre, and nightmarish imagery thrown at us along the way.  Hands and cracks appear to come out of the walls, a phone rings off the hook, rooms are suddenly five times larger than they are supposed to be, and the toll of the bell triggers some very unwanted hanky-panky which just taps the surface of what is in store here.  It is all a surreal mind-bender, handled exquisitely and with a shoe-string budget by Polanski.  It is as much a triumph for Deneuve as well, as the French Altesse Royale of Babedome nails the detached and reclusive mental breakdown thing beautifully.  It is somewhat of a shame that Polanksi and Deneuve would never work together again as they complement each other so perfectly here, but no matter really as both would continue to make many memorable films throughout each of their own careers.

78. MESSIAH OF EVIL (1974)
Dir - Willar Huyck/Gloria Katz

"What do you do with them?"

Messiah of Evil’s dreamlike, surreal storytelling coupled with its almost Mario Bava-esque color schemes and set designs make it one of the stranger American 70s independent horror films out there.  It certainly walks a line all its own and just as many of its flaws can be seen as weaknesses in the grand scheme of things, (as is commonly the case with such art house gems as this).  There are also some tasty and unnervingly tense “coming to get ya” moments that rank as the very best the genre has ever produced, (you will not be able to enjoy a movie theater or go to a grocery store quite the same way again).  As a humorous side-note, director Willard Huyck was a member of the American Zoetrope which featured Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas.  He also directed (wait for it)…Howard the Duck!   Seriously though, this is better.

77. SHOCK (1977)
Dir - Mario Bava

"Mom, I have to kill you"

Mario Bava, the “Grandfather of Italian horror”, made his last film Shock while severely ill, actually forcing a good deal of the direction to fall on the shoulders of his son Lamberto Bava, who also co-wrote the script.  Whereas Lamberto would go on to make some of the worst horror films in history, (Demons in on another planet of utter awfulness), the great Mario Bava had many a classic under his belt.  Though not as definitive as much of the man’s work, Shock still ranks as my favorite Mario Bava film and certainly the only worthwhile outing his unfortunately lackluster son was ever involved in.  It helps that the lovely Miss-unofficial-Argento Daria Nicolodi gives her, (easily), best performance in the lead as an ex-mental patient who may-or-may-not be going crazy as her son and her house seem to be possessed by some familiar wickedness.   Like a lot of European horror movies, Shock is badly dubbed, (at least the version I have), and it also features very possibly the ugliest penis-child in film history, almost distractingly so.   I have had no problem looking past these “flaws” though and seriously enjoy when the head-trippy, spook-show elements kick into full gear.  It is a surprisingly excellent way for Bava to end his career.

76. KAIRO (2001)
Dir - Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Who doesn't want to meet a ghost?

I had the unfortunate experience of seeing the American remake Pulse several years before Kairo, the Japanese original.  I actually did not do my homework and had no idea it was a remake at all at the time.  So the fault lies squarely on my shoulders as even the pixie-licous Kristen Bell could not save said remake from slumping into the very nadir of Hollywood horseshit.  Alas though, sweet vindication came once I finally got around to checking out the original.  I have now actually seen most of director Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s work in the horror genre and it is all excellent.  He is very much a master of creating a low-key, ultra-creepy mood where the scares creep up on you and in most cases even occur in broad daylight.  Kairo’s silent and bleak Japan proves to be a perfect setting for this tale of human detachment.  I also very much recommend checking out Kurosawa’s Séance and Cure, two more horror films that get the job done nicely.

75. DRACULA'S DAUGHTER (1936)
Dir - Lambert Hillyer

She has got her father's teeth

The often overlooked Universal monster sequel Dracula’s Daughter is mostly remembered for its notorious lesbian implication scene and though easily the film’s finest and most unsettling moment, there is plenty more to recommend here.  Particularly Gloria Holden’s loathsome performance as the eternally dammed title character who uses the name Countess Marya Zaleska to avoid being linked to her rather notorious old man.  There is some atmospheric doom and gloom to go around as well as some comedic banter that usually went along with these proceedings.  Also, Edward Van Sloan is back again as the Count/Countess’ arch nemesis Von Helsing.  Not only Lugosi, but even Karloff and Colin Clive were inexplicably asked/rumored to make an appearance here, as was the great James Whale to direct.  Still, I very much appreciate the lack of A-listers since the film stands alone as a rather hidden gem and darker entry into the Universal horror catalog.  It is also notable for being directed by Lambert Hillyer, the man who helmed the very first Batman screen adaptation in the form of the 1943 serial by Columbia Pictures.  “Bat”man?  Dracula?  Coincidence?  Yes actually, that is exactly what it is.

74. THE BEYOND (1981)
Dir - Lucio Fulci

Open the gates...

Next to the great Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci was the premier Italian horror filmmaker that hit his stride in the 70s and early 80s.  Many, (including me), would site 1981’s The Beyond as his master work, though Zombi is also memorable for containing cinema’s one and only zombie vs. shark fight.  The Beyond is far less silly and is not only chalk full of eye-wincing gore, but also has a surreal, logic-defying storyline.  This is all part of what makes Italian horror what it is and when done well, it can be a most satisfying cinematic experience.  There are some wonderfully creepy scenes here such as a blind girl suddenly appearing on a barren road, that same girl getting quietly surrounded by walking corpse/ghost things, and a most unpleasant, (and time consuming), death-by-spider feast.  Speaking of slow moving, by the films finale, try and look past the most molasses leaking zombies and gratuitous waste of bullets, (stop NOT shooting them in the fucking head you dolt!), that you are ever likely to see.  I simply try and look at it as complementing the already bizarre experience which serves me just fine.

73. ANGEL HEART (1987)
Dir - Alan Parker

Johnny's my favorite

This one slipped under my radar for many years, for reasons I cannot fathom.   So you could imagine my delight when I “discovered” that there was a well-respected horror movie out there starring both Robert De Niro AND Mickey Rourke.  This tale of trippy voodoo and a deal gone wrong, (which is set mostly in the deep New Orleans south), scores heavily due to an enticing mystery and of course a stellar performance from Rourke.  This was before he jacked-up his face, so all you ladies can still enjoy the eye-candy.  There are several realizations throughout the film that one is just waiting for somebody to make.  De Niro’s character lays his cards rather blatantly on the table from the get go, per example.  Yet the whole thing remains intriguing until the emotionally powerful and creepy end.  As an extra bonus for any Cosby Show fans, Miss Ex-Lenny Kravitz herself Lisa Bonnet gets all hot and bothered for a rather infamous sex scene a ways into the film as well.  Enjoy my friends.

72. THE ENTITY (1982)
Dir - Sidney J. Furie

The guests that will not leave

Yet another one of those “based on a true story” outings, The Entity is a surprisingly powerful spook-fest, containing none of the eyebrow raising goofiness of something like The Amityville Horror for example.  This one takes a rather serious look at a single mother who quickly begins losing her sanity as a whole lot of evil starts having its sinister way with her.  Barbara Hershey’s performance has much to do with the film’s excellence and there is certainly some heavy stuff addressed throughout.  Wisely though, it never forgets that it is a horror movie, as the paranormal fury is unrelenting and often times even difficult to watch.  A lot of “science vs. the supernatural” stuff can quickly get grating in horror movies and though the film makes that a very key point from early on, I was not annoyed as all the character’s motivations are sound and it all goes to benefit the end result.   Another really good early 80s American horror film and as an extra bit of interest, Martin Scorsese was fond enough of it to place it on his very own “11 scariest horror films” list.  See, even Marty is a list nerd!

71. CANDYMAN (1992)
Dir - Bernard Rose

Be his victim

Blame it on straight-up ignorance, but I always neglected this early 90s gem, randomly assuming it was more akin to say Dr. Giggles or something.  I was happy to learn that, low and behold, it is actually a real movie and a damn good bit of horror filmmaking.  Very good choice here that the title character does not show his face until well into the film, leaving plenty of time to ground the real world horror of inner city gang violence into play.  This is why when the Candyman does finally unleash his supernatural wrath upon the world, it hits so much harder.  Virginia Madsen does a bang-up job as the graduate student who gets sucked into this urban legend nightmare and Tony Todd, (who also kicked ass in Tom Savini’s Night of the Living Dead remake two years previously), makes the title character both sympathetic and utterly diabolic.  Though I was not 100% pleased with the whole bonfire climax, I did dig the film’s very final moments.  I really have no interest in checking out the rest of the Candyman trilogy any time soon as I feel everything was wrapped up and in a nice, bloody package here.

100 FAVORITE HORROR FILMS 90 - 81

90. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925)
Dir - Rupert Julian

With a mug like that...

One of the most influential and historically important horror films of all time, it would be rather daft not to include the classic Lon Chaney senior version of The Phantom of the Opera here.   I will be the first to admit that staying awake through silent films is sometimes a difficult undertaking and at a hundred and seven minutes originally, this one might seem to drag a bit during some of the opera scenes.  Thankfully though, these moments are few and far between compared to the ones dealing with “Erik the Phantom’s” opera house haunts.  The gloomy depiction of the Phantom’s underground lair and the early scenes of him either silhouetted or lurking in the shadows all reek of German Expressionism, (intentionally to be sure), and the lavish Paris Opera House sets are all good ole fashioned silent-era Hollywood.  Obviously though, Chaney’s celebrated performance and make-up, (which is both equally grotesque and sympathetic), is what truly makes the film a masterpiece.  The mask-pulling reveal of his face is as legendary a horror movie moment as the shower scene in Psycho or King Kong at the top of the Empire State Building.  Chaney was already a legend at the time and the actor’s sudden death only five years later would only further cement his place in film history.

89. THE LOST BOYS (1987)
Dir - Joel Schumacher

"I still believe!"

I never realized how much I liked vampire movies until I started doing this list.  Well, I guess I kind of did as stuff like this and the almost-on-this-list Fright Night have been nostalgic favorites of mine since forever.  Of course we are all painfully aware that Joel Schumacher is certainly not the most respectable filmmaker out there.  His movies generally fall into two categories; ones that critics hate and ones that critics hate yet still make a descent buck at the box office.  The Lost Boys is one of his rare outings that has always had a solid reputation, as much today as ever.  Part 1980s teen flick, part comedy, part homoerotic, and lots horror, Boys' balances everything to a tee.  The “two Corey’s” provide most of the laughs and Keifer Sutherland and his undead underlings provide most of the malevolence.  Though the soundtrack and some of the fabulous mullets are deliciously dated, there are some highly enduring vampire moments to be found here, especially in the “initiation” scene and of course the ingenious, undead-massacring finale.  Oh and btw, there was no way I was not using a greasy sax player GIF to represent the film.

88. THE OTHERS (2001)
Dir - Alejandro Amenábar

They are around here somewhere

The best good ole fashioned haunted mansion movie to emerge for quite some time, Alejandro Amenábar’s The Others is the type of psychological horror stuff that harkens back to The Innocents, The Haunting, and The Shining in some respects.  With such excellent “The…something” films to compare it to, The Others was perhaps bound to succeed from the beginning.  More rooted in contemporary realism than the kind of dramatized flair that old black and white horror movies catered to, Amenábar’s direction is stylized and moody and the film is beautiful to look at all around.  Speaking of beautiful to look at, the always elegant Nicole Kidman gives a most outstanding performance as the grief-stricken, over-bearing mother who slowly begins to sense the sinister “others” all around her Gothic abode.  The whole affair is highly rewarding to be sure, devoid of all the CGI overkill and gratuitous gross-out gore many a modern horror film is laced with.  It may keep that twist ending thing that most movies nowadays feel compelled to have, but it is exquisitely done.  Amenábar certainly shows the chops to become a horror filmmaker to be reckoned with and I can only hope that he can give us at least a few more genre works in the future.  Bringing Kidman along for the ride would not hurt either.

87. DAY OF THE DEAD (1985)
Dir - George Romero

"I'm runnin' this monkey farm now Frankenstein and I wanna know what the fuck you're doin' with my time!"

The last great film in George Romero's "dead series", Day of the Dead is by no means the masterpiece that either Night of or Dawn is, but it would be asking far too much to expect such a thing anyway.  Romero had already given us so very much with those first two, and so very, very, very little with his last three at this writing, (Diary of the Horse Feces is still the worst movie I have ever seen in the theaters, bar none).  With Day, he gives us just enough of what works.  Great death-by-zombie scenes, copious amounts of gore, obnoxious characters whom we cannot wait to see eaten alive, (Dr. Logan and Capt. Rhodes are two of the best worst characters in any movie), and of course, human beings yelling, bitching, and conspiring against each other which ultimately gets them all killed.  Romero certainly likes doing this stuff over and over again and it at least should have wrapped up nicely here.  So I for one will just carry on the rest of my days pretending that is exactly what happened, ignoring the second trilogy that we need never speak of again.

86. THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932)
Dir - James Whale

Femm fatal

At one point in time, The Old Dark House was presumed “lost”, one of many such would-be casualties from the period.  Thankfully a print was uncovered in 1968 and the film has gained an admirable reputation ever since.  All four of director James Whale’s horror movies appear on my list and this one which was made just a year after Frankenstein has many of the man’s usual trimmings.  Equal parts comedy and horror, (with mainstays Boris Karloff, Gloria Stewart, and Ernest Thesiger all on board), the film is a mad romp with the dark, foreboding Femm Family household serving as a lovely setting for such uncheerful shenanigans.  For the second film in a row, Karloff again stumbles around without any dialogue, (Universal had yet to discover what an iconic voice they had to go alone with that face).  Stewart though is radiant as always and even Mr. Charles Laughton appears, making it his first Hollywood venture.  There is not anything supernatural or terrifying in the film.  It is just a handful of strangers bantering on as the Femm family’s twisted secret eventually makes it a life-and-death situation.  Yet being held up in a creepy ass house with a creepy ass family is certainly heart-pumping enough and Whale handles the lot in an expertise manner, as only he could.

85. INFECTION (2004)
Dir - Masayuki Ochiai

Green jelly time

This modern J-Horror Theater entry, (where six Japanese directors each made a film under producer Takashige Ichise), has yet to establish a lauded reputation like some of the better known films in the genre such as Kairo or Ringu.  Still, Infection gets in your head and under your skin in a deliciously icky and spooktacular way.  It sets up shop in a somewhat dilapidated, criminally understaffed hospital where everyone immediately seems a bit on edge and things seem to be a bit off.  More and more as the film goes by, creepy, gross, and bizarre things start happening.  Some of these do so for little other reason than to simply have creepy, gross, and bizarre things start happening.  I hardly minded what “made sense” in this madhouse of a hospital and in fact very much enjoyed the weird goings on they keep throwing at you.  There is a kind of fast, “let’s get to the good stuff” pacing throughout that could have made for some music video editing obnoxiousness.  In fact though, it was a welcome change to some of the very slow and moody, (though still also excellent), Japanese horror films that rank as the best.  This may make it a good ice breaker then for those lazy blokes who do not like to read sub-titles yet also like their horror fully-loaded.

84. THE GRUDGE 2 (2006)
Dir - Takashi Shimizu

Home is where the curse is

“Buh?” you say?  I am sure I have few allies when it comes to my enjoyment of The Grudge 2 and I guess that makes it this list’s “guilty pleasure” entry.   I can certainly understand the confusion.  Takashi Shimizu directed both the Japanese originals as well as this American sequel to a typically uninspired American remake that was not worth anybody’s time, (is Sarah Michelle Gellar truly doomed to never find success outside of the Buffyverse?), which makes me wonder why the hell I bothered seeing it in the first place.  Such low expectations may have influenced my liking for the film, but far more than just being infinitely superior to its sub-par predecessor, it is in fact creepy as fuck.  There are memorable scenes galore, with the school counselor-turned-ghost moment in particular ranking as one of the freakiest things I have ever seen.  I do have a soft spot for ghost stories and cannot help but dig the Japanese, vengeful-spirit-out-to-get-everybody variety of such.  Even if this time around they all speak English.

83. THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW (1988)
Dir - Wes Craven

It is tourist season down in Haiti

Try as I may, I am surprisingly not that big of a Wes Craven fan.  Nightmare On Elm Street does nothing for me, Scream(s) sucks, and I absolutely despise Last House On the Left.  Those being his three most acclaimed films in most circles, that leaves me very little else to go for.  The Serpent and the Rainbow, (Craven’s unholy venture into voodoo land), therefore may be an odd choice as my sole inclusion in this list from the legendary horror maestro, but alas, I stand by it as his best work.  The always excellent Bill Pullman does that “terrified white man in Haiti” thing great and he gets some mighty frightening shit thrown his way.  The film’s many supernatural hallucination scenes are top notch and as the actual nightmare moments in Elm Street were the most memorable there, this is hardly surprising since Craven certainly proves his expertise in the horrifying dreams field.  Serpent almost goes off the hinges with an extra ending that comes off more silly and absurd then “bad ass”, but this is small potatoes really.  Once Pullman gets a face full of yellow powder blown onto him, the movie can really do no wrong in what is to follow.

82. MARTIN (1976)
Dir - George Romero

The Count of Pennsylvania

Shot on location and made for even less money than Night of the Living Dead, (and featuring a cast made up largely of family and friends of the crew), George Romero’s Martin is definitely low-budget filmmaking, yet also as good a horror movie as one can make.  For that matter, it is also as good a vampire movie as one can make.  Like many a great horror film, very much is left ambiguous in Martin, in this case concerning the title character’s “vampirism”.   This results in most blood-sucker clichés being both tossed out of the window and even openly mocked in several humorous scenes.  Whether a member of the legion of the undead or not, Martin is assuredly a very disturbed individual and his tragic loneliness is essentially at the film’s core.  This makes its more serious, real-life themes, (something Romero has always dealt with in his work anyway), far more personal than in his often heavy handed Dead epics.  Romero himself sites Martin as his favorite of his films and coming from the man who forever revolutionized movie zombies and gave us their two greatest outings, that says quite a lot.

81. INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (1994)
Dir - Neil Jordan

"Vampires pretending to be humans, pretending to be vampires."

I am kind of surprised that I do not see this on more “best horror movies of the 90s” lists.  My dad took me and my brother to see Interview with the Vampire when I was thirteen and I loved it then as do I now.  Odd that all these years later I still have yet to read the book as well as the remaining “Vampire Chronicles”, as I have always intended.  Too many comics to get to I suppose.  Anyway, the big-budget, big name adaptation of Anne Rice’s most beloved novel, (which she also wisely wrote the screenplay for), brings some highly memorable vampire moments to the screen.  Particularly when Louis and Claudia hit up the old world and meet Antonio Banderas, (whose dialogue is harder to understand than ever), and his diabolical Théâtre des Vampires.  Stan Winston’s vampire make-up is top notch, (I particularly dig Lestat’s transformation after drinking dead blood), and adequate praise I believe belongs to Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt which is not surprising as they are pretty great in every film they do.  Of course Kirsten Dunst’s star-making turn got the attention it deserved and oh yeah, isn’t Christian “what-the-fuck-ever-happened-to-him”  Slater in this too?  Solid cast, solid vampires, solid stuff I must say.

100 FAVORITE HORROR FILMS 100 - 91

100. LA RESIDENCIA (1969)
Dir - Narciso Ibáñez Serrador

“Talk to her mother”

This was a surprising little “discovery” I made just recently, Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro naming it one of his favorite horror movies in a recent issue of Maxim of all magazines, (his other choices btw were likewise excellent).  An Italian produced “boarding house” film shot and mostly dubbed in English, La Residencia, (or The House That Screamed as it was released in America), is somewhat of a low-key giallo affair for the bulk of it.  The death scenes are few and far between, but brilliantly shot, in a slow, deliberately dream like manner.  The girls who attend the French boarding school where the film takes place are occasionally treated to some rather nasty torment, both by students and Lili Palmer’s Headmistress Señora Fourneau alike, but again, this is all shown sparingly.  Though my one complaint can be in the biggest non-nude coup-out shower scene in film history, all is forgiven with one of the finest “twist” endings I have ever fell for.

99. RE-ANIMATOR (1985)
Dir - Stuart Gordon

Zombie Science 101

I oddly did not get around to finally seeing Re-Animator until research for this list was underway, though I have obviously been aware of it for some time.  No excuse as usual.  As a comedic horror film, this one succeeds like few others.  Right from the get-go we are treated to a gore and puss-filled death scene, and things only get sillier, gorier, and pussier as the movie goes on.  Emphasis on the “sillier”.  Jeffery Combs' deadly serious portrayal of the obsessively creepy Herbert West is stupendous fun, made more so by the amount of ridiculousness the whole film has.  The “holy shit, they went there?” sex scene and gutstastic final showdown in the morgue had me laughing out loud, as did most of the film, especially as they kept pumping more and more glow juice into everyone.  Stuff like Peter Jackson’s Braindead would later take the spatter comedy approach to unreachable heights, but there is still plenty to be equally appalled and amused by here.

98. VIY (1967)
Dir - Konstantin Yershov/Georgi Kropachyov

Stay inside that sacred circle

The first Soviet-era horror film produced in the USSR, I heard about this one from a list of “20 Greatest Horror Films You’ve Never Seen”.  Much of the movie has a deliberately comedic tone to it, mostly stemming from watching our booze-loving monk-in-training, (Lionid Kuravlev), stumble around in a drunken stupor, and there are indeed some enjoyably funny moments in the first half.  Once the beautiful Natalya Varley starts working her witchy ways though, the fun really starts and produces some of the most visually exciting horror I have ever had the pleasure of seeing.  I would recommend not looking up any stills or anything from the film before viewing it, (though I guess I just blew that with the picture above, doh!), as I was pleasantly surprised by the wonderfully ghoulish climax.  Viy is based on an 1835 short story by Russian writer Nikolai Gogol and supposedly sticks pretty close to it, though I have yet to read it myself.  There is also a 1990 Serbian version of the film as well as a remake that just came out this year, neither of which intrigues me too greatly, (we will just have to see once the reviews come in on the latter).

97. THE DEVIL'S REJECTS (2005)
Dir - Rob Zombie

"I am here to do the Devil's work."

From a purely statistical standpoint, Rob Zombie may be the worst filmmaker on this list.   Now maybe it is not his chops behind the lens that are particularly awful, but three of his four films most certainly are.  After the eye-brow raising House of 1,000 Texas Chainsaw Massacres debacle, expectations were otherworldly low for his next opus.  Then the one-two diarrhea-fest that was his Halloween “interpretations” that followed makes The Devil’s Rejects stand-out all the more.  The film is far from just surprisingly not-terrible; it is actually quite excellent.  For whatever reason, Zombie’s ultra-gritty, gory-as-fuck, white-trash fueled vision jives perfectly with the material here.  All the major characters, (each a sadistically evil serial killer), gets ample, scenery-chewing screen time.  Even the ever present Miss Sherri Moon, (who I actually do not think is as acting-challenged as most people), does an admirable job.  I really do want to root for Rob Zombie the filmmaker, (I mean the man was in White Zombie for fucks sake), but as it stands at this typing, Rejects is the only quality film he has got to offer.  C’mon Rob, surprise me!

96. THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1920)
Dir - Robert Wiene

Cesare sleep now

Few if any horror movies can lay claim to being as influential as the German Expressionist classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.  Pre-WWII German cinema, 1940s film noir, and all future tales of the macabre can stand on its shoulders.  Shit, even the “twist-ending” was born here, (in cinematic form at least).   The film’s cartoonishly nightmarish sets are still unequaled all these years later and in both Cesare the Somnambulist and the title character, we have two of the horror film’s most iconic and enduring creations.  Though movies do not generally scare me at least, I know of at least two people who were terrified at the proceedings here.  Though maybe they just do not like skinny emo guys who open their eyes really wide, in which case, who does?  Caligari is more critically lauded than perhaps any movie on this list, but do not let that deter the uninitiated film snob out there who has yet to see it.  It is as much the sinisterly artful masterpiece that everyone says it is, and at just over an hour long, there are surely worse things you could do with your time.

95. SPIDER BABY (1964)
Dir - Jack Hill

"It's not nice to be mean"

This is one of the earliest outings from schlock master Jack Hill, (Foxy Brown and Coffy), and though not all together frightening, is still wickedly entertaining.  Made for about $65,000 back in 1964, it did not get released until four years later and disappeared for decades afterwards.  It eventually went the way of countless other low budget exploitation gems by becoming a “cult classic”.   It is notable for containing probably the last memorable performance from the once-great Lon Chaney Jr., (sadly washed-up at the time but who supposedly sobered-up during the film’s twelve day production at least), and one of the earliest performances from Hill and eventual Rob Zombie regular Sid Haig.  A black comedy as well as a horror film, Spider Baby has some intentional laughs, (like that great opening theme song, “sung” by Chaney himself), to go along with some bizarre, somewhat disturbing imagery and subject matter like inbreeding, retardation, and cannibalism.   Nothing gets too heavy though and the film has oodles of fun, gruesome moments, least of which is one of the better horror movie dinner scenes ever.

94. EYES WITHOUT A FACE (1959)
Dir - Georges Franju

Damn right Billy Idol power ballad

Properly described by director Georges Franju as an “anguish” film as opposed to a horror film, Eyes Without A Face delves far more into the inner turmoil of its characters than the terror surrounding them.  It is a moody end result, unfolding slowly without any mystery, and nevertheless delivering some successfully unnerving moments.  Christiane’s featureless mask is undoubtedly creepy and our one look at her disfigured face underneath is more blurred than graphic, (sans the eyes), making it all the more unsettling.  Also, the surgery scene that seems to go on for ages is still plenty shocking.  These are the money shots for the horror fanatic, but far more is alluded to in the film than shown, with the ole “less is more” approach working wonders.  It was done to avoid heavy censoring, (animal torture, blood and guts, and mad-scientist elements all had to be dramatically trimmed down from the original story or omitted all together), but this is a rare example where studio restrictions actually produced a far more satisfying work than what an all-out, exploitative gore-fest would have given us.

93. THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964)
Dir - Ubaldo Ragona/Sidney Salkow

"You're freaks! I'm a man...the last man!"

I have six Vincent Price features on this list and this is the first, (or is that last?).  A low-budget, Italian made production of the Richard Matheson novel “I Am Legend”, The Last Man On Earth was the first of three adaptations of the book and for my money, also the best.  Vincent Price is my favorite actor and as well as being the lead, he is also the sole person on screen for most of the time.  So clearly, they could have done a worse job casting wise.  Some could complain that the film's villains seem to pose as much of a threat as a glass of orange juice, but hair-raising terror is hardly the goal here.  The utter loneliness and hopelessly monotonous every-day existence of Price’s last man Robert Morgan is really what the film is all about, as he has long given up on a cure for the world’s remaining inhabitants and is simply going through the motions of staying alive.  Hardly sounds like the stuff of horror legend, (pardon the pun), but throw in some groaning vampires and fire pits loaded with infected humans and you got yourself a horror film to be sure.  The 1971 Charlton Heston version Omega Man is also badass, but the few terribly CGI infested scenes I have seen in Will Smith’s I Am Legend was enough to keep me away.  I will take slow moving vampire zombies over distracting cartoons any day of the week thank you.

92. SOCIETY (1989)
Dir - Brian Yuzna

Do these guys know how to party or what?

I never heard of this movie nor met anyone else who had before I saw it on the Time Out list.  After watching it, this makes perfect sense since anyone I have ever met who had seen it would have certainly mentioned it to me at some point by now.  It is very difficult, (make that impossible), to go into much here without discussing the ending.  The only thing I can really say about the film to the uninitiated is “stay with it”.   From the opening scene, one can easily get the impression that you are about to watch a MST3K-worthy, late-night USA network crapfest.   Yet despite the film’s terribly dated look and perhaps unintentionally eye-brow raising moments, (what the fuck is with the Clarissa’s mother anyway?), there was a strange mystery unfolding here that I could not help but be intrigued by.  So when the big reveal hits, well, there really are no words.  Except maybe “Jesus tap dancing Christ, what the fuck did I just watch?”

91. CABIN IN THE WOODS (2012)
Dir - Drew Goddard

"I am never gonna see a merman ever."

I proudly fall into that “everything Joss Whedon does is brilliant” demographic, so news of his involvement in a horror movie I knew absolutely nothing else about at the time was enough to get me rushing to the theater.  Whedon’s frequent partner in crime Drew Goddard, (who also wins brownie points from me for his work on one of the greatest television show of all time, Lost), directed and co-wrote this excellent parody of horror movie clichés, and I thoroughly enjoyed it as much as I am sure they enjoyed making it.   Whedon’s best work on both Buffy and Angel usually never went full-on into either comedy or horror, (he is very much a kindred spirit to the great John Landis in that regard), and that is still very much the case here.  Though it is pretty clear from the first scene that something different that what we are used to is definitely going on.  I for one took the plunge and followed this increasingly over-the-top premise to the bitter end.  The more ridiculous that shit got, the more I dug it and I can only hope that these fine upstanding filmmakers will keep treating us to gems like this in the years to come.