The Top 10 Horror Films of the '80s

The 80s were a huge time for horror. The success of the Halloween, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street franchises saw an almost never ending batch of slasher films get released. Meanwhile, the birth of the VCR allowed more movies than ever to be accessible to viewers, many due to their graphic content could never play in theaters, expect for the most limited of releases, if it all. It also presented the genre with shit loads of controversy, as movies like I Spit on Your Grave, Maniac, Faces of Death, Silent Night, Deadly Night, etc spawned protests, outrage, and anger from critics, feminist group, and the right wing. Whatever the case maybe this is the era that sealed me as a horror fan for life, as by 1987, I was renting horror movies nonstop and reading Fangoria and Gorezone magazines.

10. - This is the greatest zombie film that is not Re-Animator or made by George Romero. Fulci's atmospheric mix of the supernatural and zombie films is his masterpiece. The gore set pieces are astounding, not the least of which is the little girl who gets the top of her head blown off. It also features two great leads in the beautiful Catorina MacCall and David Warbeck. Awesome stuff.

9. - This is the thinking man's zombie film, as Romero takes on the military and man being it's own worst enemy. The dialogue between the characters is classic. Rhodes (Joe Pilato) is a great villain, and, perhaps, worse than the zombies. He and his cronies' sexist words to Lori Caridelli's character (along with all the goings on in the movie) help seal this as the darkest entry in the series. But, beyond all of that DOTD also features THE best gore in Romero's movies, zombie or not. Savini's work is at top form, and the climax is completely and utterly jaw dropping. While, this film was dismissed upon it's initial release; it is now considered a classic. I have to say that I always liked this movie, and it has only gotten better with time. Oh, and Bub rules!

8. - While, this movie feels more like a remake of Sam Raimi's classic The Evil Dead, Raimi swears that it is a sequel, it's just Ash is so stupid he does the same exact thing twice (at least that is Raimi's explanation)! Regardless of what it is, Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn manages to top the amazing original. The mix of over-the-top gore and humor makes it one of the best "splatstick" films ever. It also insured that star Bruce Campbell would become a cult fav. Gotta love the whole, possessed chick gets her head stomped on, then has her eye sent flying into a pretty girl's screaming mouth! And, there is no denying the amazing camera work that Raimi incorporates in it. Regardless of one's feelings about crap like Spider-Man 3, Raimi will always be the guy who made the Evil Dead films!

7. - Cronenberg's biggest mainstream hit (up to this point) remains his best film, I think. The acting, writing, score, gore, heart, and amazing FX make this one perfect, in my book.

6. - Joe Dante's masterpiece is the single greatest werewolf film ever. Sure it spawned horrid sequels, but fuck e'm. Let's concentrate on this classic. The cast is amazing, as is Bottin's FX work. The first transformation scene is one of the finest moments in the genre. The love for the genre just drips from this movie. There are so many nods, winks, and tributes to the horror film, that it only makes it better in each viewing. And, what about the scene where the lovely Elizabeth Brooks gets it on with Christopher Stone and wolfs out? Or what about the classic ending? Or... well you get the idea!

5. - Sean Cunningham's classic may have gotten ripped by critics upon it's release, but the movie went on to make a shitload of money and spawn a total of ten sequels! It introduced horror villain, Jason Voorhees (but only as the freaky mongoloid in the water), and along with Carpenter's Halloween helped define the slasher film, i.e. they were ripped off a million times. But, the fact is this classic works where it others fail, because the characters are likable and well written. Also, the movie builds the suspense all the way till the exciting and violent climax. But, of course it is impossible to talk about this film and not mention Savini's astounding FX work. The gore, even though cut to get an R (by the way, fans rejoice, the movie is, along with the first two sequels coming uncut, finally, to DVD in February), is hard stuff, with the pretty girl getting the ax to her face, Jason's mommy losing her head in slo-mo, and most classic of all, Kevin Bacon getting an arrow through his neck, all shining as great moments in slasherdom.

4. - British writer Clive Barker had already made a name for himself with his sexually and violently explicit works of fiction, like his seminal Books of Blood, when he made the jump to write and direct this adaption of his novella The Hellbound Heart. One of the most exhilarating debuts by a director since The Evil Dead or Re-Animator, Hellraiser was gorgeous to look at and highly original in a genre where ripping off Friday the 13th, Gremlins, Jaws, etc was the norm. It gave us a new villain in Pinhead and the Cenobites, and featured some great acting from the cast, was sexy thanks to villainess Claire Higgins, gave us a horror goddess in the stunning Ashley Lawrence, and awashed in gore. The S&M images of the leather clad Cenobites and the whole hell is where pain and pleasure meet set it light years ahead of it's competition. The ending with villain Frank saying "Jesus wept", right before getting ripped apart by the hellish hooks is a classic horror moment.

3. - With slasher films already filled with Halloween and Friday the 13th wanna-bes, Wes Craven's defining masterpiece breathed new life into the slasher film. Surreal and scary Craven made the most of the low budget story of child-murderer Freddy Kruger who returns from the grave. The whole fact that he then invades teen's dreams, and if you die there you die in real life was wonderfully original. Freddy would go to become the single most popular horror villain of the era, followed very closely by Jason and Michael, but whereas the sequels, injected more humor in the films, the original has but a few one liners from Kruger. Mostly he is kept dark and scary. The FX work is stunning, moreso when one thinks of how little the film cost. Johnny Depp's classic death, where his bed shoots gallons of blood is yet, another defining moment in the genre. And, beyond of all that one of the genre's greatest, and prettiest, heroines was introduced in Nancy (Heather Langenkamp). In all one of the finest horror films, ever made.

2. - James Cameron had a tough job in front of him. He had to make a sequel to one of the most famous, influential, and downright scary sci-fi/ horror films ever made. But guess what? He succeed! Not only that but he totally blew away the original classic. Stan Winston's godlike work on the FX ranks as the best, EVER. The Alien Queen is one of the greatest monsters in film history. The pacing is adrenalinized and rip roaring, and the movie perfectly mixes action, science fiction, and horror. But, while it is a very gung-ho and exciting film; it also has a lot of heart. At, it's core is the story of this woman, left without a child, who now has this little girl she has to care for. It succeeds it making you care and does not turn into some wimpy mush. Of course, the movie does not forget nor abandon the horror genre. Witness the nail bitingly intense scene of Ripley (Sigorney Weaver) and Newt trapped in the room with the facehuggers, or absolutely amazing splatter moment, where good android Bishop (Lance Henrikson) gets ripped in half by the Queen (after impaling him in her tail) spraying white, milky robo-blood everywhere.

1. - This my absolute favorite film ever. I have been in love with this film since I saw it at about twelve years of age. Every single thing about this film is perfect. The characters are played by great actors, with Jeffery Combs and David Gale giving amazing performances. The script is fun, whitty, and funny, and very over-the-top. Babara Crampton, as Megan, is one of the most beautiful women to ever grace our beloved genre. Her scene where Dr. Hill (Gale) gives her head, with his decapitated head is truly one of horror's greatest and most infamous scenes. Despite the very low budget, the gore and zombie FX are fucking flawless. Stuart Gordon's debut adaption of H.P. Lovecraft short story is truly one of the most fucking kick ass movies ever made. Watch it, if you never have. Watch it again if you have!

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The Top 10 Horror Films of the '70s

The second part of my list of the top horror films of each era to the present take us to my favorite time in movies, and I don't just not just in horror films: the 1970's. This time period represented a bold new era in cinema with movies reaching new levels of sexuality and graphic violence. The movies of this era broke new ground, and in some cases, are still not topped. There is a certain attitude that the films of this decade that sets them apart from others. Whatever the case might be, this was the most fun list for me to do.

10. - Dario Argento's gallio remains the best in the sub-genre. With an excellent score by The Goblins, great acting, and the memorable murders, this remains one of the finest fright films to ever come out of Italy. And, speaking of murders, this film has one of the most brutal dental assaults, ever caught on celluloid. Argento's style is also mesmerizing with his camera swooping, moving, tightening in everywhere. A masterpiece of gore, suspense, and style.

9. - David Cronenberg really hit the mark with this smart, horrifying, and shocking tale of a woman who manifests her anger in her mutant children, her "brood". The great acting coupled with the horrific gore and smart script make this one work to perfection.

8. - Richard Donner's wonderfully Satanic masterpiece has one of the best and truly scariest scores ever made. The kid is also effectively creepy, and Gregory Peck is a great hero. The creative deaths are very memorable, in particular the slow-mo decapitation with the head spinning in the air, which ranks as one of the greatest deaths in film history.

7. - the definitive lesbian vampire, this is also the most well done mix of eroticism and graphic horror. Both lead women are stunningly beautiful, though my tastes lean more towards Marianne Morris (the brunette). Regardless, the scenes of these beauties killing, making out, and sharing the blood of their victims is one of the sexiest visions in the genre. The so called erotic lesbian vampire films made today, could learn a thing or two of this frequently underrated Euro-masterpiece.

6. - Romero's own follow up to his classic Night of the Living Dead is one of most renown and beloved, as well as oft-imitated zombie films ever. Knowing that the gore drenched film would never get an "R" rating Romero released the film unrated, a bold move, even today. But, the excellent cast, great writing- including some very memorable characters and political commentary about the consumer being zombies, absolutely smashing FX work by Tom Savini, and great score by The Goblins, make this a perfect film. The movie is smart, exciting, violent (but never in a depressing or disturbing manner), and funny. Unarguably one of the genre's crowning moments.

5. - You don't need to have Christian beliefs to agree with the following statement: The Exorcist is one of the scariest films ever made. William Fredkin directed William Peter Blatty's adaptation of his own bestseller. With great performance's, powerful directing, still shocking moments, and superb effects work by Dick Smith this classic is one of the most highly regarded horror films ever. The images of Reagan masturbating with a crucifix, barfing, and head spinning are classic and defining moments in the genre. Oft imitated, many times by films even more graphic, but never equaled The Exorcist is a true vision of classic terror.

4. - To me this is Steven Spielberg's best film. Long before his production of Gremlins or his own Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was ever criticized for their graphic violence, came this film, of the most intense movies to ever be rated PG (or probably any other rating). The dialogue, the characters, and the acting is just classic, as is the nail biting climax. Like many of the best horror films, this one is ripped off countless of times, but Jaws remains the single greatest killer animal film, ever. It's score also remains, alongside of Halloween and Psycho, as one of the most recognizable in horror film history.

3. - Tobe Hooper's classic is the single scariest film EVER made. Despite its' title, what makes this film so amazing is the lack of gore, and yet, the images in this film rank amongst the most horrific ever. You don't want to or need to see it graphic detail. Shit, this movie was made with a PG-rating in mind! Whatever the case maybe, it set the tone and standard for all films that followed it. This is the measuring stick, kiddies.

2. - John Carpenter's classic is the greatest slasher film, as well as one of the most influential horror films ever made. Like Texas Chainsaw this movie accomplishes a lot and is scary as hell without ever being graphically violent.

1. -When I first saw this classic, I was immediately blown away by it. Despite the years that have passed and the many viewings I have given it, it still does. The score by The Goblins is perhaps my favorite score for any movie. The gory murders are breathtaking with the opening double murder being one of the greatest beginnings in any genre. Dario Argento's use of color and his moving camera are jaw dropping and astonishing in their beauty. In all this is Argento's best and, unarguably, scariest movie. One that rightfully is worshiped and spoken in the absolute highest regard by horror fans.

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The Top 10 Horror Films Up Until the 1960s

Every week or so this month, in honor of Halloween, I will be picking an era's ten best horror films, working my way up to the present. I will begin with the classic era of horror, up until the 60s.

10. - Roman Polanski's adaptation of Ira Levin's novel ranks alongside of The Exorcist and The Omen as one of the greatest Satanic horror films ever made. The performances are amazing and the Satanic rape scene chilling. The ending is classic and one of the best in the genre.

9. - The greatest werewolf film of the classic era this movie is, in fact, second only to The Howling in that subgenre. A great performance by Oliver Reed, a wonderful atmosphere, great make-up FX, and an exciting climax make this a must see. Surely, this Hammer film would be a major influence on the latter day werewolf films.

8. - The complete, uncut version of this classic was finally made available last year in an amazing DVD release. While, the series would go more campy and fun, the original remains a pure tale of the horrors of nuclear war. Dark and somber, this version excludes the bad dubbing, Raymond Burr, and elements that kept Godzilla: King of the Monsters from being a perfect film. The result? One of the greatest, and perhaps darkest, giant monster films, ever made.

7. - One of the finest films of the golden era of horror, James Whale's masterpiece is wonderfully acted and full of great atmosphere. In my book, this is the first truly perfect film from Universal's early horror days.

6. - The greatest of Hammer movies is also the single finest Dracula movie ever made. To me Christopher Lee is the greatest Dracula, ever, and Peter Cushing the greatest Van Helsing. Featuring a much better pace than the Universal film, this movie upped the violence and sex content in these type of films. While, tame by today's standards, one has to see it from the perspective of the era. Add the stylish atmosphere, and you have one of the single greatest and most influential horror films, ever made.

5. - The single greatest giant monster film ever made, King Kong still hold up after all these years. The pace is exciting and the FX still incredible after all these years. Faye Wray is, of course, horror's first scream queen and a perfect beauty to the beast. The amazing DVD release of a few years back gave us the uncut version, which added many scenes not seen in ages. And guess what? Despite the many sequels and remakes it inspired, some with some truly amazing FX work, none of them could ever touch this masterpiece.

4 - One of the most beautiful and sumptuous horror films ever made, this adaption of the classic Edgar Allan Poe also features one of Vincent Price's greatest performances. Throw in some Satan worshipping, beautiful scream queen Hazel Court, and the atmosphere and lush directing of Roger Corman, and this is, without a shadow of a doubt, the single greatest Poe film ever made.


3. - The grandaddy of the slasher film is, to me this is Hitchcok's best film. Extremely important to the horror genre, this film features smashing performances and is truly and smartly crafted and directed. Years later the shower scene remains one of the defining moments in the genre. The score by Bernard Herman is one of the most recognizable and greatest in cinema history. Simply put this is a must see, for horror fans and movie fans in general. I mean if you ain't seen it yet, what the fuck are you waiting for?!

2. - My absolute favorite film of the classic era succeeds because aside from the great atmosphere the film had, it is also very funny and very touching. There is a lot of heart in the film, and in, the end, a very tragic horror tale. The cast also give career define performances. The fact that Whales was able to top his masterful original only further drives the point home, making it the rarest of sequels. A movie to be held up, honored, and beloved by all generations of fright film lovers.

1. - George Romero's classic remains, to me, his best film. Not only is this film THE movie that gave birth to the modern concept of zombies, but it also is the movie that pretty much began the modern era of horror. While, HG Lewis had already done gore before Romero, NOTLD bought it to the masses. It also handled it with seriousness and was totally chilling. Add in the powerhouse acting, the excellent character interaction (thanks to a perfect script), political allusions to class and race, and the dark ending, and you get a film that, despite my countless viewings of it, is still light years of its wanna-bes. While, countless of zombie films (many even gorier than this one) have come and go NOLTD remains the pinnacle of the subgenre.

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The 10 Greatest Supervillains Ever

The Dark Knight will see the return to the big screen of one of comicdom's greatest, most insane and most evil villains, ever: the Joker. It got me to think who are the 10 greatest supervillains ever? Here is the list of the most evil, warped, insane, and/ or deadly bunch of comic-book bad guys ever. They range from madmen, to alien dictators, to Nazi war criminals, to Satanic demon lords. Enjoy the evil!

1. Dr. Doom- The greatest villain in the history of comics. Smart, power obsessed, vain, and dangerous. The man is a dictator loved by his people, feared by all others. Determined to rule the world and destroy one of his few equals in intellect, Mr. Fantastic, Doom reigns supreme over his country, Latveria, and comics in general. Plus, he looks fucking cool. And, yet he has a sense of honor to him, that makes all the more complex.

2. Joker- One of the most well known villains ever, the Joker stands psychotic heads and shoulders above one of the greatest, if not THE greatest rogue galleries in the history of comics. The character has grown and matured and gotten more evil and vile with time. From a silly, campy clown criminal to psychotic killer, the Joker changed with the times. The problem was as he became more insane and deadly, he racked up a bigger body count, which in turn hurt Bats, cause he can't kill, one of the most whacked out and evil men in the DC Universe.

3. Darkseid- Ruler of the hellish world of Apokolips, Darkseid is also the only villain, other than Doomsday, who can stand toe-t0-toe with Superman. He is also one of the coolest looking villains ever. With his mighty omega beams and quest for the Anti-Life equation, Darkseid is, who I think, should have been the villain to have "killed" Supes and not Doomsday.

4. Ras Al Ghoul- Batman's mental and physical equivalent, Ghoul actually wants to makes this a better world; it's just methods that are questionable. The Lazarus Pit is a cool thing, and he has a hottie daughter. Ghoul is my absolute fav Batman villain, and one that can beat almost any hero in the DC Universe.

5. Mephisto- While, he is not Satan, he has pretended to be him on many occasions. Perhaps, the most powerful demon lord in the Marvel Universe, Mephisto is there to tempt and corrupt the souls of the Marvel heroes. A ruler of his own hell world, Mephisto is evil incarnate.

6. Red Skull- Unlike guys like Doom or Magneto who have some degree of morality, the Red Skull is a Nazi scumbag. Considered one of the greatest threats to humanity, by SHIELD, the Skull is purely evil, and a bad guy you want to see never succeed. Plus, thanx to his orders the original Captain America is dead.

7. Thanos- You know, he could have been a Darkseid rip-off, but Thanos formed his own legacy in the Marvel Universe. This happened when he defeated the combined Marvel heroes and killed the ENTIRE universe. And, he did it all out of his love for death! And, no I don't mean the classic death metal band!

8. Lex Luthor- Perhaps the single most famous villain in comicdom, he is Supes' eternal foe. While, his only powers are his brain, technology, and his vast amount of wealth, Luthor will always be a thorn in Superman's side. He was president of the US, for chrissakes! Oh, yeah his warsuit is fucking awesome. Why can't they ever have him wear that in the movies?!

9. Green Goblin- While, he might not be my favorite Spidey villain, he is the most persistent, and holds edges over anyone else in that rogues gallery. He is one of the few to know Spidey is Parker, he knew Parker (as did his son, who also donned the Goblin mask) on a personal level, and killed Spidey's old flame, Gwen Stacy. Insane, smart, and armed with his deadly high-tech weapons, the Goblin is not a guy you wanna fuck with.

10. Kingpin- He rules the streets of New York and is the number one for of Daredevil, as well as being a problem for the other major Marvel street heroes, Spider-Man and Punisher. And, you can thank him for sending Bullseye to kill Elektra. And, it ain't all fat. The motherfucker is all muscle and can prob beat your ass with his bare hands.

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The 10 Greatest Guy Heroes Ever

With the release of the awesome Dirty Harry DVD box set, i thought it would be fun to run through the 10 greatest guy heroes, ever. they are all badass and are a man's man. Here they go:
10. Iron Man - I could have chosen Batman, but Tony Stark is a cooler "guy hero", if only because he does not lead as a dark a view on things, he is rich, drinks (perhaps harder than anyone on this list being a recovering alcoholic and all), gets lots of hotties, has awesome battle suits to kick evil ass, plus he has a fucking porn mustache. How cool (or not) is that?!

9. Indiana Jones - OK, so the last one was kind of bleh, but ignore it. He gets hot babes and battles Nazis and evil cults and other assorted low lives. And, he does it all with a nice bit of attitude. And, yet somehow, he finds the cool artifact!

8. Marion Cobretti - What do you get when Dirty Harry meets Rambo? Why Cobretti from Cobra of course! Bad ass gun, tooth pick in mouth, and cool car, this dude is one of the coolest cops, ever!

7. Wolverine - Listen the dude kills, fucks hot babes, smokes (but can't die from cancer), has a healing factor, fucking claws come out of the back of his fists, drinks, and has a bad attitude, of course, he is on this list!

6. Snake-Eyes - Despite being mute, there is no more badass G.I. Joe than Snake-Eyes. he is a ninja, has killed lots of bad guys, and gets the hot redhead (Scarlett!). Oh, yeah and he has a pet wolf, how cool is that?!

5. John J. Rambo - In the shoot-em up world, there is no greater one-man army than Rambo. The guy can take on asshole cops, Nam, Soviet, or Burma soldiers and bury their asses. Plus, in the second one he scored a hot Asian girl. that she got snuffed is a different story, but hey, the bad guys got it for doing that. Plus, he always he has the best speeches, even with Stallone's garbled delivery!

4. The Punisher - Of all comic-book heroes none are more deadly than the Punisher. In a world were heroes allow their enemies to live, Castle puts the fuckers six-feet under. And, he has no super powers, which makes that much cooler, in my book.

3. Paul Kersey - Film's definitive vigilante, Death Wish's Kersey takes vengeance on the scum of the world. He does what many wish they could. And, how badass, and awesome, is it, when a man his age mows down scumbag punks in Death Wish III?

2. Dirty Harry - He is the work model for the loner hero. All others came from him. The cop that will do whatever it takes to kick the ass of the bad guy. He has the most bad ass lines, and is not above making a perp suffer (witness him stepping on sick-o villain, Scorpio in the classic original).

1. James Bond - He is pretty much the guy, every dude wants to be. I mean I have wanted to be Bond since I was a kid. He has a license to kill, is well dressed, beats the bad guys, gets all the girls, travels the world, saves the day, has the cool car, and the best gadgets. Do i really need to explain this one?

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