Wednesday, March 25, 2009

10 . Best

After having just seen the first excellent horror film I've seen in some time -- and being such a horror movie fan -- I thought I'd come up with a list of the 10 Best Horror Films ever (according to Moi, anyway) -- and some fashionable outfits to go with them! (You still have to look nice when you go out to the movies, after all!)

10. The Blair Witch Project. This was the first horror film in some time that proved that great scares didn't have to come from a big budget. This film loses a lot when you watch it at home, but when it was first released, there was a kind of cool hysteria surrounding it. And it was terrifying in the theatre.

9. Saw. People won't agree, but this has to be included. This movie had clever dialogue, was ridiculously suspenseful, and was violent without being over-the-top. It also spawned an entire new horror sub-genre. (It also, unfortunately, spawned four sequels, which are some of the worst movies of all time).

8. The Devil's Backbone. This is one of Guillermo del Toro's earliest films and perhaps my favorite of his. He's a director who was gifted with an eye for cinematography and a real understanding of how to tell a story. Ghosts were never as well done as in this film.

7. A Tale of Two Sisters. This Korean horror film has two of the scariest moments ever put on film; I felt nervous stepping off of the sofa or the bed for weeks. Do not watch the American remake of this film - The Uninvited - blah.

Tale of Two Sisters


6. Psycho. This one is on everyone's top horror flicks list and there's a reason for it. Hitchcock to this day stands as the master of suspense, terror, and tension. And all without a lick of gore. Genius.

psycho


5. The Ring. Perhaps the only successful remake of an Asian horror film, this movie still freaks me out, and I've seen it about 10 times. The creepy lighting, the isolation in a big city, the disturbing imagery -- I get shivers just thinking about it! Another film that proves you can have great horror without buckets of blood and guts.

The Ring


4. The Last House on the Left (2009). As mentioned in an earlier post, I just saw this and loved.loved it. This one is on the violent side (though I've seen worse on some HBO shows), and it has all the trappings of an excellent horror film: terror, suspense, good characters, good actors, good story. And it's the only horror film I have ever been tempted to see twice in the theatre.

3. Audition. If you haven't seen this Japanese horror film, you must, though you need a strong stomach. The first hour or so actually seems kind of bland, and you might be tempted to think it's not really a horror film at all. But the last 30 minutes are the most intense, terrifying, cringe-inducing ever. Highly recommended.

2. Halloween (1978). Sure, Rob Zombie's remake is good, but it doesn't hold a candle to the original. Every time I see this I tuck my feet up and find myself yelling at the characters: "Don't go in there!!" This is also quite arguably John Carpenter's best film.

1. Night of the Living Dead. George Romero is the king of zombie films, and this one takes the crown. There's nothing flashy about this film -- it's simple and straightforward. It's well-shot and well-acted. The film terrifies because of the claustrophobic feel it creates: there's nowhere to escape to, anywhere, and forever. Perfection.

night of the living dead


I know I've missed some -- and there are some great ones that I still haven't seen! What do you recommend?

10 comments:

drollgirl said...

the shining, the hitcher, texas chainsaw massacre, hostel, i could go on and on!!! but you came up with some really great ones!!! and i love how you made outfits for them! so great!

Marsi @ The Cottage Cheese said...

Ooh, I haven't seen 3 of your recommendations, will have to netflix them. As I mentioned before, "Session 9" is good - low gore, lots of creepiness (filmed in an actual old abandoned asylum). The Japanese version of "The Eye" still gives me the creeps when I think about it, and I watched it about 3 years ago. I also liked "The Others" just for the plot twist. And of course, I'm with drollgirl on "The Shining".

I love how you recreated the outfits from some of the movies. What a cool idea, they are so chic!

Pretty Little World said...

I saw part Session 9 awhile ago, and I just added it to my Netflix -- I remember what I saw being really creepy, and I can't think of why I haven't gone back to watch the rest!

The Shining is also one of my all time favorites! It was so hard to narrow the list to just 10, but 25 would have taken me forever!!

Gangsta Bride said...

Yeah, the ring still freaks me out. I'm not really a horror person, but I really liked The Orphanage. It's Spanish and freakin'good.

Pretty Little World said...

^^ If you liked The Orphanage, you should definitely see The Devil's Backbone!!

one little simitopian said...

I haven't seen "The Devils Backbone", but it sounds interesting!
I liked the original version of "The ring" better than the remake.
I'm a complete wuss when it comes to too much gore, but i love spooky stuff, like "The Omen"!

Kierstin Bridger said...

How 'bout APRIL FOOL's DAY? Loved it in high school. I'm a wus though but like Rosemary's Baby.
Love the costumes!

kadler said...

This list is awesome.

First of all, I love horror movies and I haven't seen several of these, so I will definitely pick them up.

Second, you included a zombie movie - my fave!

Third, you paired some of the movies with outfits. Hilarious and perfect :)

Natalie said...

this is so clever! i love all of these sets!

meetpinkmouse said...

If you haven't seen these, you should:

[Rec] - Spanish horror film. Quarantine is the American remake, and they did a good job, but i think [Rec] is better.

The Orphanage - it's scary but also got a really good, sad story.

Unrest - part of After Dark Horrorfest 2006.

Black Sheep - Sheep turning into mutant zombie sheep. Very entertaining. =]