Horrorphile's 3rd birthday presents MY VERY FAVOURITE NIGHTMARES!
August 14th 2009 01:28
In the three years I’ve been hosting and moderating this rather popular blog I’ve waxed lyrical over more than 370 movies (and slated a dozen or so), I’ve indulged in the exhibition of more than twenty movie poster and art galleries, concocted nearly thirty quizzes, and spouted vitriol time and time again about the Hollywood remake/sequel machine. But as my loyal readers will know, I keep it real, and I keep coming back to the classics, or to be more precise, my favourite nightmare movies.
If you’ve never checked out my blog profile then the following portfolio is a celebration of my all-time top twenty nightmare movies, and the list has changed very little in the last fifteen or so years. For me these movies represent the essential elements of what I enjoy most about the horror genre: compelling plot, powerful atmosphere, effective use of sound and/or music, convincing special effects makeup and/or production design, solid, believable performances, and vivid, uncompromising direction.
These elements aren’t necessarily all on show in each movie, but every film in the list commands at least four or more of the elements mentioned above. When I really think about it, at the end of the long dark night what resonates most strongly for me is a movie’s mood, its cinematic textures; its nightmare potency. For me, these twenty movies have the Dark Kudos in spades.
USA | 1979 | Directed by Ridley Scott
Key elements: H.R. Giger’s production design, Jerry Goldsmith’s score, Carlo Rambaldi’s special effects, full cast performances, Dan O’Bannon’s Space Jockey concept, and Scott’s attention to detail from a background in art direction.
USA | 1978 | Directed by John Carpenter
Key elements: John Carpenter’s music, Dean Cundey’s Panaglide camerawork, Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence performances, Carpenter & Debra Hill’s supernaturally-edged screenplay, the screen presence of Nick Castle and Tony Moran as Michael Myers.
USA | 1985 | Directed by George Romero
Key elements: John Harrison’s music, Tom Savini’s special effects, full cast performances, Romero’s sobering treatment of the zombie plague.
USA | 1982 | Directed by John Carpenter
Key elements: Rob Bottin’s special effects, Ennio Morricone’s score, Bill Lancaster’s screenplay, full cast performances.
USA | 1978 | Directed by Don Coscarelli
Key elements: Fred Myrow & Malcolm Seagrave’s music, Coscarelli’s instrumental role (writer/producer/director/cin ematographer/editor), Paul Pepperman’s special effects.
Italy | 1975 | Directed by Dario Argento
Key elements: Goblin’s music, Argento & Bernardino Zapponi’s screenplay, Argento’s compositions & Luigi Kuveiller’s cinematography.
Canada | 1983 | Directed by David Cronenberg
Key elements: Rick Baker’s special effects, James Woods’ performance, Cronenberg’s screenplay.
USA | 1981 | Directed by John Landis
Key elements: Rick Baker’s special effects, Jenny Agutter and Griffin Dunne’s performances, black comic edge.
USA | 1982 | Directed by Sam Raimi
Key elements: Tom Sullivan’s special effects, Bruce Campbell’s performance, Tim Philo’s camerawork.
Italy | 1977 | Directed by Dario Argento
Key elements: Goblin’s music, Luciano Tovoli’s cinematography, Guiseppe Bassan’s production design.
USA | 1976 | Directed by David Lynch
Key elements: Alan R. Splet’s sound effects, Frederick Elmes cinematography, Lynch’s instrumental role (writer/director/composer/edi tor/production designer/special effects).
West Germany/Poland | 1981 | Directed by Andrzej Zulawski
Key elements: Carlo Rambaldi’s special effects, Isabelle Adjani’s performance(s), Zulawski’s screenplay.
USA | 1987 | Directed by Alan Parker
Key elements: Mickey Rourke’s performance, Trevor Jones’ score, Brian Morris’ production design, Alan Parker’s screenplay.
Canada | 1988 | Directed by David Cronenberg
Key elements: Genevieve Bujold and Jeremy Iron’s performance(s), Carol Spier’s production design, Cronenberg & Norman Snider’s screenplay.
France/Romania | 2006 | Directed by David Moreau & Xavier Palud
Key elements: Moreau & Palud’s screenplay, Nicolas Sarkissian’s editing, Olivia Bonamy’s performance.
UK | 2005 | directed by Neil Marshall
Key elements: full cast performances, Neil Marshall’s screenplay, Simon Bowles’ production design, Jon Harris’ editing, Paul Hyet’s special effects.
USA | 1956 | Directed by Don Siegel
Key elements: Daniel Mainwaring’s screenplay, full cast performances, Ellsworth Fredericks’ cinematography.
Sweden | 2007 | Directed by Tomas Alfredson
Key elements: Lina Leandersson and Kare Hedebrant’s performances, John Ajvide Lindquist’s screenplay, Hoyte Van Hoytema’s cinematography.
USA | 1942 | Directed by Jacques Tourneur
Key elements: Simone Simon’s performance, Mark Robson’s editing, Nicholas Musuraca’s cinematography.
USA | 2004 | Directed by Zack Snyder
Key elements: James Gunn’s screenplay, full cast performances, David Leroy Anderson’s special effects, Zack Snyder’s re-envisioning concept.
It goes without saying that all of these movies have superlative direction and incredible atmosphere. Curiously Carpenter, Cronenberg and Argento each have two entries. There’s only one remake, but eleven of the movies have been remade or are being remade! And only four were made in the last twenty years!
And I still haven't reviewed Eraserhead!
Cheers everyone! Have a great weekend, I'm off to get drunk in the Darkness!
| 37 |
| Vote |
Comment by Natalina
My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog
Congratulations! Here's looking forward to many more Horrorphile birthdays!
Can't wait for that Eraserhead review! Enjoy your drinks
Natalina
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by Natalina
My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog
The movies on your list that I have sadly not yet seen are Possession and Them. I've seen the rest. My favorites are Suspiria (one of my favorite movies of all time!) Videodrome (near the top of my list), Deep Red, and Eraserhead.
I wish I had the soundtracks to both Suspiria and Deep Red. Have you ever tried to mix some Goblin music into your own musical creations? I bet that would be brilliant!
Btw, I'm putting the finishing touches on my list of favorite fantasy movies on E.I. as we speak!