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"SLEEP, THOSE LITTLE SLICES OF DEATH, HOW I LOATHE THEM." --- EDGAR ALLEN POE ::::::::::::: Spoilers for plot points and resolutions can occur within my movie reviews with or without warning. Read at your own risk.

Horrorphile's 13 SCARIEST MOVIES EVER MADE

November 28th 2008 00:54
Alien movie poster
Over at The Blog of Lists fellow Orble blogger Chris Champion has painstakingly put together The Big List of Scary Movies compiled from 29 existing lists and two polls, all posted online, to see which flicks came out on top as the very best scariest movies ever made. Not surprisingly The Exorcist was most popular.

I’m not surprised because The Exorcist is a very well made movie that exudes a genuine atmosphere of terror and is executed with intelligence and panache. But - and I’ll go out on a limb here – I think The Exorcist is over-rated as being the scariest movie ever made.

Halloween Jamie Lee Curtis and The Shape
John Carpenter's seminal shape of fear
Grotesque and profane possession by the Devil, as clever a cinematic ploy as it is, just doesn’t throttle me hard enough in the terror department. There’s something ‘playful’, something almost silly about it. Perhaps it’s the Christian aspect to it? Perhaps it’s the pea-soup vomit? Perhaps it’s Linda Blair’s potty mouth? Perhaps it’s Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells? The real reason is probably because the movie is so demographically popular. I can think of many other movies that are far more terrifying.

So, in response to Chris’s list, and at his suggestion that I extend my existing list of five all-time scariest movies (compiled and posted back on September 11 - scary date! - 2006), I’ve decided to re-boot my original list, but with a fresh perspective. This is also an indirect response to the lists that Movie Mall has been posting over at Movie Catcher i.e. 10 Lamest Alien Invasions in Movie History, 7 Most Useful Movie Corpses, et al.
Suspiria Jessica Harper
Nightmare incarnate: Suspiria
My original selection for all-time scariest movies was based on first impressions (movies that had scared me when I first saw them regardless of how old I was). For this re-envisioning I will be jumping up on the “in my humble opinion” pedestal and championing a definitive cause: the 13 scariest movies ever made. It’s a tough call, and there’ll be tears before bedtime, but someone’s gotta get their hands bloody.
The Descent Shauna MacDonald
Fear of the dark and enclosed spaces? Oh yes indeedy
Are you alone? Good. Now turn out the light.

Here they are in terrorder:

1. Alien
(US, 1979, Ridley Scott)
2. Halloween
(US, 1978, John Carpenter)
3. Suspiria
(Italy, 1977, Dario Argento)
4. The Descent
(UK, 2005, Neil Marshall)
5. Ils
(France/Romania, 2006, David Moreau & Xavier Palud)
6. Ju-on: The Grudge
(Japan, 2003, Takashi Shimizu)
7. Ringu
(Japan, 1998, Hideo Nakata)
8. Wolf Creek
(Australia, 2005, Greg Mclean)
9. The Blair Witch Project
(US, 1999, Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sánchez)
10. The Omen
(US, 1976, Richard Donner)
11. The Thing
(US, 1982, John Carpenter)
12. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
(US, 1974, Tobe Hooper)
13. Phantasm
(US, 1979, Don Coscarelli)

Ils aka Them movie poster
Ils aka Them aka Fucking Scary Movie

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Comments
114 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Damo

November 28th 2008 02:54
Excellent sellection.

I found The Exorcist brilliantly filmed and precisely paced.
I found the same with The Omen. Even when the horror wore off it still remained an excellent story in itself.

I would have included Event Horizon myself.
But it just stuck in my mind.

Comment by Bryn

November 28th 2008 03:11
Damo, cheers mate. Ahh, yes, Event Horizon. You're a big fan of that one. I'd love to see an uncut version, the DVD extras show elements of what was cut to avoid an X rating.

Comment by Movie Mall

November 28th 2008 03:32
Great list mate! Agree with most.
As I'm new here I never saw the original list you did, but glad you've re-published.
I'm definitely a big fan of those late-'70s and early '80s horors too, especially from Carpenter.
Can't say I've seen Suspiria though.
Saw The Descent just recently and was really impressed. Done by the same guy behind the earlier Dog Soldiers I think.
I would just put Exorcist in there too and maybe Poltergiest and Evil Dead, though haven't seen the last two in a while, may have aged.
Jeepers Creepers wasn't a bad recent horror.

Comment by Bryn

November 28th 2008 03:54
Movie Mall,
The first list were five movies that had a profound impact on me when I first saw them.
John Carpenter is the only director who gets two movies into my list.
Have you seen any Dario Argento?
Dog Soliders was a great werewolf flick.
I didn't include The Exorcist for reasons explained, but knew it would cause "upset".
Funny you mention Poltergeist and The Evil Dead, cos they were #14 and #15 on my list.
Yeah, Jeepers Creepers was a good flick, I agree.

Comment by Morgan Bell

November 28th 2008 07:12
these are probably too bland for your well developed horror taste buds, but i thought the following were pretty scary:

The Others (2001)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Ravenous (1999)
The Cell (2000)
The Hitcher (1986)

Comment by Bryn

November 28th 2008 11:37
Hi Morgan,
The Others had some good moments, the best was the ghosts peering at the door.
The Sixth Sense never did much for me ... But then I'm not a fan of any of the three leads.
Ravenous I didn't find scary at all, but I liked the premise.
The Cell had great potential and a stunning production design and special effects, but was let down by a flabby story and Lopez and Vaughn delivered flat, unconvincing performances.
The Hitcher I considered, as it is a favourite movie of mine. It just didn't make the final 13. Great atmosphere and some very unnerving scenes. Rutger Hauer was brilliantly cast.
Thanks for the suggestions, so what did you think of my selection?

Comment by Chris Champion

November 28th 2008 18:59
Hi Bryn,

Thanks for the plug. The Big List in fact now incorporates three polls after adding your own 1st Annual Horrorphile Hall of Infamy poll.

Now I'll add your personal list too. You are the fourth (out of 30) so far to choose Alien as the scariest all-time, taking it to equal second place with Psycho. The Exorcist has 12 first preferences.

Thanks again for the mention. Now I'm off to add your list to my list

Chris

Comment by Jason King

November 28th 2008 22:44
Awesome list!!

Haven't seen Suspiria, Ils or Phantasm but loved all the others. While I found Alien scary not my number one. When I was younger I would have to say that the Stephen King stories scared the shite out of me. IT and Cujo got me as a kid big time. I still hate clowns!

Also Scream got me - was working at George St cinemas and we got the print 6mths prior to release for a special screening. I had to screen check this film at midnight in an 1100 seat cinema with one friend without knowing what it was about. I remember by the end of the Drew Barrymore part the two of us were sitting on an armrest hugging each other and looking into all the dark corners of the "supposedly" haunted cinema that no longer stands as one cinema. Freaky!!

Comment by Lilla

November 29th 2008 00:26
Bryn,

Whilst I havent seen all of the films on your list, the big trifecta of scary for me has been

The Exorcist,
Aliens and
(John Carpenters) The Thing.

They cured me, and I stopped watching horror after that, altogether.

Lilla ...

Comment by CraigH

November 29th 2008 00:38
Loved Wolf Creek. I watched a John Jarratt interview on ABC, where he says he likes to go out in the countryside and pick up hitchhikers, just to see "the look on their face".

The backpackers at the hotel I worked at used to love it as well.

Comment by The Rusty Can

November 29th 2008 02:35
Hi Bryn,

The first time I saw The Exorcist was when it was re-released... er... late 90s/early naughties, and I found it quite disturbing.

Like Lilla, I haven't seen all the movies on your list, but Ju-on and Ringu scared the cr*p out of me.

Good post.
Rusty .

Comment by Cass

November 29th 2008 05:20
Can't say I agree with the Blair Witch Project though. And the Prince of Darkness should be there somewhere, me thinks.

Just my thoughts.

Comment by Morgan Bell

November 29th 2008 06:23
hi Bryn,

well agree with you putting Alien at number one, and it was great to see Wolf Creek got a mention (that was a terrifying film) . . . i thought the second Blair Witch was scarier than the first one, but i can appreciate how innovative the first one was

overall, you know me, i dont watch that much horror, and what i have seen is usually the remakes or the sequels

i hear The Descent is really REALLY scary, but i havent seen it yet . . . actually it may have even been your review that convinced me i want to see it . . . it didnt seem to get much promotion when it came out, i only heard of it recently

Comment by David O'Connell

November 29th 2008 06:50
Of your 13 the 2 I haven't seen are Ils and Phantasm, but some of the scariest that come to mind for me, like you mate, in the context of age seen and the impact they had -

The Exorcist, Carpenter's the Thing, Alien (especially the scene where the alien-as-blip comes after Tom Skerrit in the air tunnels and we get that one glimpse of it when they meet face to face!!).
Recently The Descent, and that last 10 minutes of [REC].
I'd also say the very last scene of Blair Witch was just chilling, and as a kid The Crate segment of Creepshow scared the crap out of me too!

Comment by Bryn

November 30th 2008 02:42
Thanks for the great comments everyone! Glad to know I can put together a half-decent list!
I think I'll have to do a Gorehound's Top 13 too, just to balance the horror scales.

Comment by Cibbuano

November 30th 2008 23:24
I loved "Suspiria" and "The Thing", but I'm not sure I'd say that they were that scary. Great atmosphere and mood - but not all-out scares...

Comment by Bryn

December 1st 2008 00:38
Cibby, well, I guess I beg to differ. I think the Goblin soundtrack with the intense visuals - disregarding the actual gore, which isn't very realistic - makes Suspiria a totally unnerving and altogether utterly nightmarisy experience. Try watching it alone late at night!
The Thing's broody, pulsating score and the increasing paranoia over who's real and who's alien, makes the tension extremely palpable and the entire scenario very frightening, but people overlook that because the special effects are so full on.
Scares aren't just about going "Boo!", although some movies do that very well. Scary is more about a relentless atmosphere the permeates your entire experience of the movie and your immediate reality.

Comment by Cibbuano

December 1st 2008 23:24
Ah, I see... I guess we think about the word 'scary' differently.

Yes, I remember now... that Goblin score was awesome.

The problem is that I've never seen these movies in the cinema, just on my small screen at home. "The Thing" would be incredible as a midnight special.

Comment by Bryn

December 2nd 2008 01:16
Cibby, I saw The Thing at the cinemas when it first came out, and knew it was going to be special. I've never seen Suspiria on the big screen, but I watched it alone on VHS when I was house-sitting many, many years ago, and it scared me rotten. Check out my latest post, it's the other side of the bloodied coin, so to speak.

Comment by Kleonaptra

December 5th 2008 00:35
I agree, exorcist isover rated. It take a lot for a movie to actually scare me. Blair witch did it big time....But the first time I saw it, the house had emptied after aparty, so there was that real alone feeling...Just me, my boyfriend and his mate smashed in front of the tv and it comes on....We were frozen to the screen, utterly terrified.
Whats that one with the little blonde kid? Poltergiest? That one had some scary moments. Im going to have to get my butt in gear and see some more on your list....

Have you seen Ginger Snaps? I love that movie. It has moments where the gut drops out, because its like a teen movie gone wrong.

Comment by Bryn

December 5th 2008 01:16
Kleo, check this list of mine here
Also, I love Ginger Snaps, one of my fave werewolf movies ... I reviewed that here
Glad to find someone else who actually finds The Exorcist a little over-rated.

Comment by Kleonaptra

December 5th 2008 05:58
Oh man. Poltergiest right there in number one! I was over twenty when I saw it, but I am really beginning to feel that we have lost that art of 'suspense'....Where you just feel like somethings going to leap out at you. Poltergiest gave me that feeling.

Ginger Snap URL incorrect apparently....But I loved that movie cos if I had a sister you can bet that would be us...And it just went in unexpected directions. Ive heard theres more to it, but I havnt seen them.
"Its like that feeling, RIGHT there....Only its for ripping shit up, you know?"

One of the best quotes ever. As good as Giles in Buffy ep 'New Man' - "I feel like snapping necks until everyones dead"

Comment by Bryn

December 5th 2008 07:17
Kleo,
I changed the way I wrote urls after about a year ... and Ginger Snaps was an earlier one ...
Try here
A couple more priceless lines:
Ginger: I get this ache... And I, I thought it was for sex, but it's to tear everything to fucking pieces.
and:
Brigitte: Are you sure it's just cramps?
Ginger: Just so you know... the words "just ... cramps" don't go together.

There was a sequel: Ginger Snaps: Unleashed and a prequel Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning. I plan to review both in coming weeks.

Comment by Kleonaptra

December 7th 2008 23:39
Oh! thanks for that, couldnt have said it better myself!

Comment by Anonymous

June 16th 2009 21:16
WHAT THE FUCK...THIS ARE SCARY MOVIES ARE YOU NUTS...HAS ANYONE EVER WATCHED CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST,SALO...I MEAN, I CAN WATCH THESE FILMS WITH MY GRANDMA AND LAUGH ABOUT IT


ITS THE MOST STUPID LIST EVER

Comment by Bryn

June 17th 2009 00:53
ANON, I seriously beg to differ ... Yes, I've seen both Cannibal Holocaust and Salo, I own both on DVD. But I don't consider either of them scary in the true sense of the word. Shocking, yes, definitely, particularly Salo and particularly the slaughter of the turtle in Holocaust. I think you may have confused the emotive reaction of fear with repulsion. Before you start mouthing off and calling my intelligent selection "the most stupid list ever" get your head straight, dude.

Comment by Amy Wang

June 18th 2009 15:12
Hey horrophile/Bryn

I ABSOLUTELY AGREE with Texas Chainsaw Massacre! CREEEEEPY to the extreme. And I saw that in broad daylight....

Another film i can think of that really affected me is a Japanese film directed by Takashi Mikke called 'Audition'. Not sure if you've seen it, but if you haven't GO GET IT!!! It's disturbing beyond belief

Comment by Bryn

June 18th 2009 23:59
Hi Amy, I am very familiar with the work of Miike. My review of Audition is here. I've also reviewed several other Miike movies (enter his name in my search engine top left). However I find that movie more shocking than scary. Brilliantly made nevertheless.

Comment by Amy Wang

June 22nd 2009 12:15
Yeah I get what you're saying by 'shocking' rather than 'scary'. I'd say such horror flicks as 'Ichi the killer' or 'cannibal holocaust' as such examples, but Audition to me really was horror. I think it was because the first quarter of the film was so misleading and tricked me into thinking it was going to be a romantic comedy (I watched this film without any prior knowledge!) and then it just plunged into this darkness that i was definitely not expecting! That was creepy. And the way she just sat there...waiting for the phone to ring. That still creeps me out to this day. I'd say it was horror because after I watched it, I was checking behind every door and turned on all the lights to make sure she wasn't in my house haha. Whereas shocking films wouldn't do that to me. I'd just sit on my chair shocked rather than actually afraid. But then again, different people have different reactions!

Comment by Bryn

June 22nd 2009 23:24
Amy, oh Audition is a horror movie alright. A movie can be shocking and still be a horror movie. My definition of horror is quite broad. In fact, I prefer to call the kinds of movies I review on this blog "nightmare movies", because I cover movies that many people probably wouldn't call "horror", but the content, tone, atmosphere utilises significant aspects and elements that are familiar with the horror genre, for example I've included movies like Bad Lieutenant, because it deals with utter moral corruption and urban disease and I even included Lolita, because of the nightmare reality Humbert ultimately creates for himself, and the tragedy that unfolds. I realise these can be viewed as very tenuously linked to the horror genre, but it makes for an interesting fresh perspective.
I agree that the reason Audition is so powerful and disturbing is that it twists your expectations. What starts as a a kind of nervous light-hearted romance, then moves into a drama, and finally into pure, unbridled horror.

Comment by Edinburgh festival grinch

July 8th 2009 01:54
I first saw Blair Witch in a big old house in England surrounded by trees and where the nearest neighbor was over 2 miles away. Now that is scary.

For films that are sure to turn your stomach look no further than Cannibal Holocaust.

A pretty top list though I have to say. The descent is a fantastic film. I love the way they slowly turn up the dial on the scares as the film goes on. Most horror films these days turn up the dial to 11 within the first few minutes are left with nowhere to go after that.

The opening scene to 'Scream' is a classic and would be on my list for that alone.

Many would laugh at this, but the original Terminator film is a very dark film that still haunts me to this day. You watch it again with an open mind and see if I`m wrong.

Comment by Bryn

July 8th 2009 02:08
Grinch,
see my list for Goriest Movies Ever Made ...
Never been a fan of Scream. Too self-conscious and trying to be clever for its own good. I'm not really into horror movies that are aiming to be self-referential.
I'll totally agree with you on The Terminator. One of my favourite sf movies, also one of my favourite movies. I'll be reviewing it soon, but probably at my other movie blog Cult Projections

Comment by Tanner72

August 13th 2009 03:19
I love ur list it good but not the scariest to me some movies were left out.

Like u should have the howling that movie still scary the shit out of me that scene when she

in the office and a whole lot other scene in that movie. Two should be THE FOG carpenter

movie that still gets me that music and when they are chasing my girl up the light tower wit

the hook and a great ending when he cuts his head off all them standin there in the fog in

the church. O and one more is to me is the old but new i think it was 1978 with donald

sutherland The invasion of the body snatchers when i think of that movie i still dont want to

go to sleep lol when tho body would just turn into crumbin paper after u fell asleep and

another scary ending when she thinks he is just pretending and then he does that

horrorable scream chillz. I think that scariest movies should be something that never leaves

ur mind once u see it and it make the hair on the back of ur head stand up like when u put it

in ur mind and then try and go to sleep lmao

Comment by Bryn

August 13th 2009 04:59
tanner, each to their own of course, all the movies i listed provided me with serious chills, and still linger long in the mind. i rate the howling very highly, not so much carpenter's the fog, although i love halloween and the thing (i find those infinitely scarier), i like the invasion of the body snatchers remake, and yes, a great ending, but i think the original is much creepier ...
thanks for commenting, but please don't use such large point size if you comment again, it's tantamount to flaming, and i don't have much tolerance for it ...
cheers

Comment by MMB

August 13th 2009 17:33
Exorcist is by far the scariest movie ever made. There is also a movie about serial killer Ed Guinn (I think I mis[pelled the last name).

Comment by Bryn

August 14th 2009 02:02
MMB, I know a lot of people rate The Exorcist very highly on the terror stakes, it just doesn't scare me very much. Great movie though.

Comment by Tanner72

August 15th 2009 00:54
Sorry about the big text last time i made a mistake and it came out that way o and i wish trilogy of terror wit karen black was a movie not tv movie or i would put that on my list cuz that last story wit the doll comes to life and then chases her all over the place and at the end when the soul gets in her and she calls her mother to come over and she has the big knife waiting for her i couldnt sleep after that one.

Comment by Bryn

August 15th 2009 05:20
Tanner, yes I remember seeing Trilogy of Terror on TV late one night when I was young, and yes, the voodoo doll demon coming to life was very scary! Cheers for reminding me, I'll try and locate a copy to review!

Comment by Anonymous

August 18th 2009 18:20
how about..."the man behind the sun"...

Comment by Bryn

August 18th 2009 23:26
Anon, surely Men Behind the Sun would fit into the gross-out gore stakes rather than the scare stakes?

Comment by sb

September 11th 2009 02:08
Last evening I was standing for while in the darkest corner of my balcony -dumbstruck with my eyes completely gouged out of fear. Just few minutes before, Se7en had ended on my personal 21" big screen. I was almost to give this superbly twisted creepy psychological slasher stuff the No. 1 spot, if there was not one The Ring.Few months back, I was almost on the verge of destroying the same TV set after that bizarre demon from the hell had been cast with all its Stygian gloom looming large on my blue screen. It was something more than scary. It was eerie to watch that demonic girl Samara Morgan popping out of the well...then coming towards the screen tiptoeing weirdly with that bizarre never-heard-before humming, that too on a TV screen , that means she was actually coming towards you actually...then crawled out of your set leering through her long black tresses...also that disturbing video tape careening ominously on the screen...down with Hideo Nakata for importing this completely outlandish alien idea of blurring the boundary between real life & reel life -life reeling after death in this new bizarre version of horror movie sub genre.Kubrick's Shining also comes very close to these two with its famous hallway scene and the twin sisters...ohh, all hell was let loose with that. Never see these movies and let The Tingler go down the spine...never Wait Until Dark. So, you get my list of five. Your text goes here

Comment by Bryn

September 14th 2009 00:07
sb,
nice comments, cheers!

Comment by sb

September 14th 2009 19:17
I watch everybody is busy penning here their list of best scary movies. So, somebody has to list the worst ones. So, here is my list.

1. The Exorcist: Yes, of course, this excruciatingly nauseating & painful-to-watch movie undeniably bags the credit of being the stupidest stuff of all time with it’s all vulgar on screen portrayal & funny graphics, let alone the funniest sound effects & morbid rank bad acting. What that puking lollipop girl smeared with some blood stain was doing all the time. Actually the scariest thing about this sh**ingly funny movie is that a whole generation bragged it to be one of the scariest movies of all time, let alone that comment in many other blogs by many spin-head gore-champs that it has clearly stood the taste of time as the scariest one. Yes, of course it has... but as the dumbest, funniest & most nauseating movie of all time.Any doubt? Just slough off from the world of bigotry & ask the rest of the world who made films like Suspiria, Ringu, Ju-on, Monihar & so many else.I think this people, themselves need to be exorcised first. I think the scariest movie ever made for them is Casper...lol. Anyway, will anybody please come up and rename The Exorcist as Baby's Shit Out.
2. Halloween: What that funny guy, Mr. Myers, was doing all the time masquerading & busy in meaningless weird activities that led to a stashed slasher for the dunderhead gore champs. An all time stuff of third class fun. Definitely, it needs a great polishing work by some another Carpenter.
3. Storm of the Century: Brainstorming of the century that why some people consider this never ending painful & pointless movie as the scariest. Better f**k up & see The Perfect Storm -a much better & much much more serious stuff. Anyway, sacrificing a child… see Sophie’s Choice & go, get what real life horror is.
4. House of 1000 Corpses: The name must have hinted to the fleapit that had arranged the premier show and some thousand spin-head gore champs who had devoured that shit in that show. Anyway, the name could easily have been 1000 corpses & one Zombie. Give me back my money & time. Anyway, the idea is not also an original, clearly stolen from Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
5. The Evil Dead: The director dead, the actors dead, the spot boys dead, the cameraman dead, the light man dead and finally we, the ill fated audience dead. Dead & dead drunk with this soporific, pornographic monstrous movie. Omg, omg! It should have been a Rob Moron movie.
6. Night of the Living Dead: Another all dead and all cock-a-hoop nonsense…a meaningless death orgy. Gosh! Is there nobody worth his salt, who can perish these movies for ever from the history of films & get my crush on him?
7. Carrie: Sissy, even Jim Carrey is scarier than that lunatic, outrageous, socially outcast poor girl. I feel pity for her. This is a mournful movie at its best, depicting how insane the society is to an individual with slightest weirdness that bars the social order. This is a good mediocre film, but describing it as a horror movie is by itself a horror story.
8. Poltergeist: It’s hard to believe that the same man, who gave us the gloom portrayal of Nazi Zeitgeist in Schindler’s List, also gave us this freak. This is absolutely a crow film…a crow film…and a crow film. The least u say the better.
9. The Thing: I Just saw this thing wondering why this thing, The Thing, should not be renamed as ‘A Huge Mound of Shit’. When that guy retires and rids us from his carpentry work. This freaky stuff can only attract E.T.s with nuts. Here I go better and read Who Goes There?
10. Candyman: A good Rosy stuff for the porcelain boys & candy perfume girls. Anyway, the idea behind the purported legend of chanting his name is totally copied from the Persian legend Aladdin. Being a film of zero originality, it shud be perished for one single reason…tampering with a beautiful story The Forbidden by Clive Barker.
11.Village of the Damned: A Blog shud be tagged as Blog of the Damned if such a silly stuff finds its place there. Dudes, make one point clear to me. Did all those little human looking creatures brush their eyes with toothpaste by mistake…otherwise how their eyeballs were shining so brightly…really a point to ponder? This might be wrong. Then certainly did they have lights fitted in those cavities…lol. At least they don’t need to use torch lights during load shedding. Can I have one of them & save some money?
12. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Massacre of history of film making, reel after reel relentlessly with its sub-standard bizarre graphic violence & meaningless carnage. If it’s truly based on the notorious Ed Gein, then I’d definitely see either Psycho or Silence of the Lambs… far more superior in all respects.
13. Friday the13th. It may rank the thirteenth, the fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth…anywhere but shud never be missed out in any list of twenty worst scary movies of all time, a cliché of sex equaling carnage.
14. A Nightmare on Elm Street: Shit, A Nightmare on Elm…Shit! Being a shitting prototype of the worse Halloween, it seriously puts a question mark on the reputation of Michael Myers being the funniest character of all time… until the emergence of Fred Krueger. It’s a classic example of how a mediocre film maker can transform a superb social subtext for the adolescents into a nonsensical typo of slasher sub genre.
15.The Descent: Again stuff for the gore champs, with portrayal of grotesque humanoids in funny make-up, even make-up of Mountain of Cannibal God was far more superior. The only good thing about the film is that it proves that not only the Americans, but the British may also fall in the same manner, though fewer times.

BTW: I really wonder how on earth these aforesaid movies can sit in the same league with The Shining, Salem’s Lot, Silence of Lambs, Ringu etc…gosh! Anyway, friends how about ranking Cast Away as the sixth best scariest one that really cast a spell on us, a psychological fear of loosing the beloved ones, a fear of getting doomed all of a sudden...a superlative treatment definitely.

Comment by Anonymous

September 16th 2009 22:27
well i watched JACOBS LADDER again...but this time i did it with my little kid brother...and he was really freaked out...so im guessin it should be on somekind of these scary lists...or not?

Comment by rossco

October 15th 2009 15:21
While i was reading though your list of films
it got me thinking about what films scared me
when ah was ah child in came up with five.


A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2 (1985)
Poltergeist part2 (1986)
The Blob (1988)
Candyman (1992)
The Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

Comment by Bryn

October 15th 2009 23:44
Rossco,
Curious indeed, so the first Nightmare on Elm Street and the first Poltergeist didn't scare you??? Or did you see the sequels first ...
I enjoyed The Blob remake when it came out, although it was a little cheesy, wouldn't mind having a squizz at it again ... I didn't really dig Candyman. As for Night of the Living Dead, well, great flick.

Comment by Bryn

October 15th 2009 23:48
sb ... you seem to be a failry opinionated rambler and raver ... so, please, by all means, list the scariest movies ever, in your humble opinion, and i mean truly, genuinely scary, not scary 'cos they're lame (in your eyes). i wait with baited breath ...

Comment by rossco

October 16th 2009 14:19
ah just thought that the scarey parts in freddy part 2 were scarier than the scary parts in part 1 especially when freddy comes out of jessy.

have you any insight on the remake of part 1 ?

Comment by Bryn

October 17th 2009 05:02
rossco, true there are some darker moments in the sequel, but it's an uneven movie, muddled in tone.
no insights into the remake apart from the fact that it's produced by michael "supertrash" bay

Comment by quinn

October 17th 2009 16:20
hey! i just came across your site and wanna know if maybe someone can help me with titles?
The Descent was awesomely disturbing (IMO) but im trying to remember the name of a flick: one where a detective is haunted by a demon(s) and in the end it turns out it's because he had killed his own mother. also, Henry, portait of is.....well just watch it!

Comment by Bryn

October 18th 2009 22:53
Hi Quinn,
Can't say I know the movie you're walking about ... Have you tried googling the plot line?
Henry is well-made, but I didn't find it particularly scary. It's disturbing though.

Comment by rossco

October 19th 2009 18:26
hey bryn,

what did u think of the hellraiser films ?

Comment by Bryn

October 19th 2009 22:41
rossco, Funny you should mention those as I haven't yet reviewed any of them. I'm a huge fan of Hellbound, but am keen to watch Hellraiser again as I've not seen it in many years and recently read The Hellbound Heart, which is the Clive Barker novella it's based on. Neither Hellraiser nor Hellbound are available on DVD in Australia. I had to order my copy of Hellbound from America, and I don't as yet own a DVD copy of Hellraiser. So, I won't be reviewing either until I get my DVD copy of Hellraiser, which I plan to do in the coming weeks. As for the other sequels. I saw Hell on Earth at the cinemas when it first came out and thought it was dreadful. Bloodline was given to me on DVD but I haven't yet watched it. I've not seen the remainder of the sequels.

Comment by sb

October 24th 2009 23:03
Hi Bryn,
Thanks to enrich the lexicon by adding a new word failry. Actually it took me some time to google out the meaning of failry...'failry opinionated rambler and raver'. Anyway, free online dictionary answers me in my quest to enrich them by submitting any meaning if known to me. In reply, I told them that it was not actually I, myself exactly, who'd invented this truly nice word, but some Mr. Scary Bryn...hope they'll appear soon before u and curtsy down for this awesome invention. Anyway, I, for myself, cooked up a meaning... failry means madly... now it really fits me -'madly opinionated rambler and rover...err...raver' a quite spooky stuff that fits this dunderhead rambling champ jolly well. Thank u for all these adjectives. After all it's so kind of u that u did not mention me as a parochial patriarch cum blogger who shares blog but shows zero tolerance to adverse opinion of others. However, in reply to ur thirsty quest I am honoured to mention that I’ve already mentioned my five best favorite horror classics. The rest five are in my humble opinion:

6. The Rambler.
7. The Raver.
8. The Failry Opinionated Rambler and Raver.
9. Paranormal Activity.
10. Abnormal Blogger.

Anyway, in my truly humble opinion, the scariest movie ever made is yet to come up…that is ‘ Bryn the Bigot.’


Comment by sb

October 24th 2009 23:04
No comment.

Comment by sb

October 25th 2009 15:10
Bryn, very sorry. I can assume ur anger. U may rhyme the following with The Others to assuage ur anger. Please pardon and let The Others cordon me off.


Bryn the Bigot
Sb the Idiot
One horror zealot
The other exactly not
Both run riot
In search of a carrot
That grows always rot
In a black garden pot
That floats in a moat
Where sailing in a boat
See these two goat (s)
Corpses chewing fagot
teeming with maggot...
Rhyme by rote
This short little note (on scariest movie ever made)

The Others initially bloat (in baited breath)
Peering afloat
And hiding behind the moat
Dangle the carrot
And fly dead parrot
Then order whiskey Scot
To the two tiny tot (s)
They drink a toast
For both them boast
To know the most
Of a scary ghost
That leers through this post

And finally they’re lost
But free of cost
U got this plot
Of Bryn the Bigot...err...
Sb the Goat




Comment by Bryn

October 25th 2009 22:34
sb the goat,
have you stopped taking your medicine? or perhaps you need to increase the dosage? you're coming across like some kind of jealous sociopath.
what's with calling me a bigot?? i simply asked you to compile a list of genuinely scary movies, not movies that pissed you off ...
i haven't seen the movies "the raver", "the rambler", "the failry opinionated rambler and raver", or "abnormal blogger" ... but i have seen paranormal activity ... i think I'll have to add it to this list of mine. cheers for the reminder!

oh, and for the record the word i made a typo on - and which seems to have struck a raw nerve with you - was "fairly", just in case you couldn't see the wood for the trees.

Mr. Scary Bryn

Comment by sb

October 26th 2009 02:27
Bryn the Sage
Why fuming in rage
Know globe is not a cage
So opinions r like a maze
So don’t upstage
The ethos of blog-page

Anyway Bryn the Sage…must u again pronounce the word failry- ur cult invention. I think everybody, not me only- the zealous sociopath, would love to hear it again from u while stopping by woods in a snowy evening failing to see trees in the woods…err…wood for the trees…for these are all ice. The jungle is eerie. With the specter of dense misty fog looming large and the ghoulish silhouettes of dead trees trotting all around with their wings fluttering ominously in the sirocco, the whole ambience takes a horrific look like Valley of Deaths. Nor worse is the audiovisual contrast of deadly white mosaic of frost leering and gibbering menacingly under the feet. Life is not groovy here but the ice under the feet and a lot of energy is being spent to drag even a single step over the knee-deep spongy ice. The sibilant sound of wind totally deafens me.Nocturnal predators are out on their prowl, also the hooting poltergeists. Anytime I may meet a ghoul feasting on a grisly corpse, but I will not for a certain.
Hope now u got it, as I mentioned only a single true horror movie in the second list, i.e. Paranormal Activity. A true horror movie is not only an assimilation of grotesque images on the screen, nor it is a bizarre graphic violence of a slasher sub genre. A true horror movie is one which shows u not what u see but what u not. So, it’s not any Carpentry work…it’s something like making The Seventh Seal or Monihar that demands the geniuses of Bergman and Ray, anyway, it’s my personal opinion.

Btw, for the record I must say I am definitely not a sociopath, but zealous little bit. U all really see me not, as I can’t see woods in the tree. I really don’t know how u people pass through me.

Anyway, definitely failry means madly, never ever it is fairly-ur cult invention my nice living friend Bryn the Sage. Thanks to play chess with me like Max von Sydow .





Comment by Bryn

October 26th 2009 02:51
sb ... you're a curious freak aren't you, not quite sure what to make of your verbal diarrhea ... of course, one person's high art is another's deep trash, and if the seventh seal is more your grabbag of horror by all means, knock yourself out, play chess with death, dance with the devil in the pale moonlight ...

Comment by sb

October 26th 2009 03:17
Now u r caught, man.

Comment by sb

October 26th 2009 03:19
Urea, Urea...err...eureka! Finally I did it. So, friends, blokes, pals, chums...here now starts the trailer of the scariest movie ever made ' Bryn the Bigot' from the last comment of Bryn the Sage(!!!!!!!!).
Anyway, Bryn I will be honored to dance with u in the pale moonlight...also love to hear from u again, of course, 'Failry, Failry, r u that Henry?'
Oh, what a man! And also what an invention!

Comment by Bryn

October 26th 2009 05:41
I suspect I "know" you from the Orble grapevines, but really can't be arsed trying to figure your silly game out.

Comment by sb

October 26th 2009 13:59
Hello Mr. Failry, I respect ur opinion about The Seventh Seal, but must say to ur bizarre suggestion of myself doing a burlesque of the famous scene of Antonius playing chess with the personified Death that Mr. Failry must have had some bats in the belfry. Also it’s sheer horror to observe Mr. Belfry storming his brain and gulping gallons and gallons of wine going by the grapevine to figure out my identity…so never should I dare do dance with him in the pale moonlight, though how much honored I feel I am for his ghastly…err…ghostly proposition. Also I admit to your saying the adage ‘one’s high art may be the other’s deep trash’, no matter how much the other lacks in grey matter to assume the very nuance of the surrealistic art of a classic movie by the Maestro, but must say again that it was naturally expected from him to me for my observation of his failry(Shut upppppppp!)...err...failure to detecting my previously made intentional fault of connecting the director of Schindler’s List to Poltergeist in an intriguing way, though there was nothing as such…he was the mere co-producer and co-writer but not the translator of the film as director…this was just to taste the understanding of the one with whom I was to drink a toast to the health of one genre of the art which I always crave for…not as either a psycho or a zealous sociopath. Also u r not definitely arsed and soil ur bidet to figure out this silly stuff, but please don’t let The Others modify the name of the scariest movie ever made as Bryn the Bidet by using such a barrage of badmouthings for then I will be genuinely hurt ‘cos to me it's always Bryn the Sage and will remain so forever. Anyway, Mr. Sage, can I ask, with ur kind permission, one more humble question? Can u tell me the difference between Pummel and Pumella, as I saw u as an ‘also expert’ in these fine shades of the world of lexicography. Definitely, for the sure, u will say Pummel is the masculine friend of Pumella and boast of seeing the woods for the trees. But, for ur information, u r wrong, for there is no tree at all, it’s Pumella who pummels. So, now see how big the world is and tell The Others the difference between novel and novella. No, it not naturally spawns 'it’s Novella who novels’.
So, goodbye, ‘cos – Failry, Failry, u r quite a burly.

Comment by Bryn

October 26th 2009 22:01
Speak English here sb. Are you game enough to reveal your true self? Or do you prefer to hide behind your riddling?

Comment by sb

October 27th 2009 03:53
Failry darling, my pedophilic...err...anglophilic pedagog, which type of English r u speaking about in ur pedantry on this horrorphiles' blog...failry type?

Comment by sb

October 27th 2009 03:53
Ahem, ahem - no, no - failry, failry!

Comment by sb

October 27th 2009 08:49
Bryn,
How about The Relic? Definitely u would say it a good failry ...err...flick, if The Others have said it a nonsense and vice versa.Then come on, let's visit a dilapidated camp in Failry (oops! why this failry stupid ghost is not letting me keep my head straight)...err... Far North and see a tribal woman strangling her only daughter to death with her own tresses and then peel the skin off from the victim's face and paste it on her own wrinkled aging face to delude and lure the man she loves, who she feels has been whisked away from her by the victim of this gruesome murder.
Anyway, man why r u so curious of my real self? If that really appears before u, u may get asphyxiated, for the man speaking here died seven years back during a hill trekking at Tibbetan Himalaya. Now, is it failry explained to u that how u people pass through me?

Comment by Bryn

October 27th 2009 22:01
The Relic is a guilty pleasure.

Comment by sb

October 28th 2009 09:33
It's failry, genuinely pleasing to me to see my beloved Failry to have grown up failry at last and made a failry intelligent comment. Failry good going boy, cheers!
Anyway, how about Rob the Zombie -an American thriller cum horror where thousand ghosts rob a zombie of his camera, boom et cetera et cetera in a haunted fleapit to rid themselves locked in it of The Thing he lusts for hatching through it. No, no, don't say it The Devil's Rejects.

Comment by Bryn

October 29th 2009 00:39
sb, The real question is whether you can actually write an intelligent comment, because so far you haven't illustrated much clarity or coherence in any of your remarks. And if they continue to clog my blog I'll simply put you on "ignore". As for Rob Zombie? He's a hack, in every sense of the word.

Comment by sb

October 29th 2009 11:46
Hello Failry,
May I please remind u of ur remark in reply to my very first comment? That was 'sb, nice comment, cheers!' And u had not spent those words for a single comment prior to that. So, how could u flog me like a frog in ur last comment trying to bar me from clogging this failry nice blog! Doesn't it prove urself and ur comment as incoherent and inconsistent by itself and how could u also bog a person down by patenting him a hack? I simply asked u to comment on an American horror cum thriller, but u simply took it in an weird way and held forth so blatantly on a fine new generation director and Grammy nominated singer. What's the relation between the movie and the person who was the founder zombie of 'white zombie'...really weird! Also it is quite noteworthy that how easily u tag persons as rambler, as raver, as failry opinionated rambler and raver, as hack etc. Criticize not the person, but his Carpentry work, if u feel it so.That was always my humble point over which u stumble so frequently. Anyway, you shoulddddddd have spelled clarity as calrity 'cos it is as clear as failry. And I see u have also changed the name of this blog as FUNPHILE,in every sense, which I feel u did not have a right to, even though u r the (ec)centric of this bolg...err...blog.

Comment by Bryn

October 30th 2009 00:43
sb, because that first comment of yours actually held some clarity and intelligent opinion ... every comment since you've been playing silly buggers and although i was initially bemused, it's grown tedious.
i'll be the first to admit i can rant and rave, but it's my blog, and my prerog ... just as it is my prerogative to take exception to whatever i fancy, and i've taken exception to your diatribes simply because they appear to be aimed at getting a rise out of me, and i can't be bothered humouring you anymore.
call me unfarily egocentric, i don't care

Comment by sb

October 30th 2009 02:03
Bryn,
As u have previously requested I hereby paste the list of ten best scariest movies in my humble opinion.So, just keep ur pecker up.
My List

1)2)3)4)5)6)7)8)9)10) abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz... .......

Hope, this has some clarity for u, u just need to work it out. Anyway, never mind my dear friend,
we r true friends-bye.

Comment by Bryn

October 31st 2009 00:59
sb, forever speaking in riddles ...

Comment by Anonymous

October 31st 2009 11:02
I saw Alien when I was about eight years old and was sorely disappointed.

Comment by Anonymous

October 31st 2009 11:02
I saw Alien when I was about eight years old and was sorely disappointed.

Comment by Bryn

November 1st 2009 21:18
Anon, that's a shame you were so letdown. I can't begin to think what you had already seen at eight years old that could have made Alien seem so disappointing (!!)

Comment by dalton17

November 12th 2009 06:53
Has anyone seen "Session 9"? Or the segment "Bobby" on " The Dead of Night"? The original "Black Christmas" may have been listed and i missed it. These are three that genuinely give me the creeps. And with no gore! I hate it when horror movies turn into a test of endurance as opposed to creating a dread filled, care -about -the -characters, slow build to a huge pay-off experience. Hated Wolf Creek, Hostel, anything Rob Zombie. Although I think Hostel 2 at least tried for depth, as did the sequel to House of a Thousand Corpses. Still didn't like but at least saw a measure of character development. IMHO.

Comment by Bryn

November 12th 2009 23:13
dalton, I really enjoyed the original Black Christmas, and actually quite enjoyed the remake, which surprised me.

I agree with you on the Rob Zombie front, but I actually really like Wolf Creek. I also agree with you on Hostel. Can't stand it, but enjoyed Hostel: Part II, it had a Euro atmosphere. Didn't know there was a sequel to House of a 1000 Corpses ... am I interested? Not really.

Comment by sb

November 15th 2009 14:09
Hello folks...back to the Earth's outer space once again...this time to deliver a riddled rhyme, better said a trash, at Anon's behest.

I'm a tiny tiny beetle
who through his riddle
trying to needle
the ego of a cattle
who does nibble
some grass in this stable
a diet not so staple
for The Others in this fable
so plzzzz don't chuckle
to baffle the cattle
better u snuggle
me the Muggle

Comment by sb

November 15th 2009 14:11
But Anon, how old r u now actually... some three or two years? Eheh..ehehhh, don't cry baby.
Alien is definitely a terrific sci-fi movie...not a cattle's choice at all.

Comment by ZombiFreak

November 16th 2009 14:49
Okay I had to put my two cents in on this one. I agree 110% about the Exorcist I HOWEVER do feel for the list and maybe its my love of Bruce Campbell but the 1st Evil Dead should have been on the list despite the horrid special effects and I think the last movie that kinda freaked me out was The Reaping also I feel that MAYBE the 1st Saw Film should have been in there too. I love the fact that we don't limit ourselves to "American" horror flicks on these boards it warms my little black heart also I think maybe The Beyond or even Pulse (Japanesse not American) should have maybe been on here but I digress

Comment by Bryn

November 16th 2009 21:31
ZombiFreak ... so what do you feel 110% for The Exorcist?
Actually I did find The Evil Dead pretty darn scary when I first saw it back in 1984 ... I've seen it so many times since that I guess that initial fright factor has worn thin ... I haven't seen The Reaping, nor Pulse. Saw didn't scare me at all. The Beyond is definitely creepy and surreal, but it didn't genuinely frighten me, more a kind of unnerving ...
Cheers for the comments though ... And being a Kiwi (New Zealander), but based in Sydney, Australia, for the past 12 years, it was never going to be about limiting myself to "American" movies ... no way. Though I do love a lot of American movies, is there a difference between "American" and American?

Comment by ZombiFreak

November 16th 2009 22:43
No difference I just know how American directors can take AMAZING foreign films (The Ring,The Grudge,The Eye,Etc.Etc) And butcher the living shit out of them to make them "main stream". The Exorcist (I can type worth a shit) I agree 110% about it being over rated and while it was a great horror film it was not scary to me. The Reaping and Pulse are worth the rent trust me but get the Japanese version (another case of us "Yanks" taking a good thing and fucking it up). I have dedicated 20 out of my 25 years on this planet to horror films and I HATE REMAKES!!!

Comment by Bryn

November 17th 2009 01:03
Zombi ... there are a few exceptions to the rule, in my humble opinion ...
I really like Zack Snyder's take on Dawn of the Dead, I really enjoyed Quarantine (remake of [rec]), and enjoyed Aja Alexandre's remake of The Hills Have Eyes.
But as a rule, yeah, I can't stand remakes, nor sequels for that matter ...
Have you seen the director's cut of The Exorcist?

Comment by ZombiFreak

November 17th 2009 17:42
See now in my opinion Snyder's Dawn is a good film I do agree with you on this but despite the fact they just so happen to be held up in a mall I see no relation to Romero's classic (which is my number 1 all time favorite movie by the way) also it ushered in the "runner" zombie concept which I really don't like (sorry folks i'm old school) I prefer the Romero "shambler" . The remake of [REC] was done well and I agree with you on this.There are always going to be stand outs take Scarface for example alot of people never knew it was a remake but it is so much better then the 1940's version. You have to admit though for every 1 GOOD remake there are 1,000 shitty ones and I am nervous as hell about the Nightmare On Elm Street remake due out 2010 (I think) although the actor who played Rorschach in Watchmen is playing Krueger so......?

Comment by Bryn

November 17th 2009 21:19
Well, yes, perhaps the reason I like Snyder's version is because it is so removed (apart from the Mall setting) from Romero's. Day and Night are my faves of the Romero series. Actually, didn't 28 Days Later usher in the runner zombie (although they're Rage victims, so a little different) ....?
Again, De Palma's Scarface is so utterly different from the 1932 original it's silly to compare (except with name). The same with Cronenberg's The Fly, Carpenter's The Thing ...
A Nightmare on Elm Street remake is a worry ... I just can't see Krueger possessing the same genuine menace

Comment by ZombiFreak

November 18th 2009 02:23
I agree with you on the Krueger thing and I couldn't recall if 28 Days Later or the Dawn remake came first (brain freeze) the more I think about it all the "Dead" remakes except Savini's re envision of Night were complete differents and by the way the Day remake was terrible at best. Can't wait for Survival Of The Dead though but George said at the Scream Awards that it will be his last film (so sad) so.....

Comment by Bryn

November 19th 2009 00:12
If it's George's last movie (yes, very sad) he should've called it Twilight of the Dead .... sheeesh!

Comment by ZombiFreak

November 19th 2009 01:32
My question is though who will take the helm? Savini?Snyder?Argento (long shot)? Anderson? Things that make you go mmmm brains

Comment by Bryn

November 19th 2009 01:57
Savini won't step up, he's directed, but he's not good enough in the director's chair. Argento has dropped the ball too many times in the past ten or so years. I'm strongly doubt Snyder will do another zombie flick. Romero is one of a kind ... Perhaps someone could make Twilight of the Dead in the vein of Romero ... I just hope it ain't Rob fucking Zombie!

Comment by ZombiFreak

November 19th 2009 17:37
Amen

Comment by Ramstad

November 28th 2009 23:09
Great list and I enjoyed reading the comments and your responses. Based on your criteria of atmosphere being so important I'm surprised Coma didn't make the list...it's a great read as well but the movie actually gave me very vivid dreams of bodies suspended by wires for years and Texas Chainsaw would have been much higher on my list even one of the re-makes with Dennis Hopper was not only hugely entertaining but still made me jump even though it should have been all old hat by the time it came out. I wish drive-ins would make a come-back; I am old enough to have seen many of these movies at the Drive-in and there is something about being outside where some maniac could get to your vehicle that makes the entire experience even scarier. Plus you used to get classic B-movies as a bonus like "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things" that some genius had paired with the Exorcist and even though it was cheesy and funny at times it still managed to scare you like it may not have in a theatre.

Comment by Bryn

November 30th 2009 00:35
Ramsted, thanks for the great comments. Unfortunately there weren't any drive-ins in New Zealand, where I grew up, and although I've lived in Sydney for twelve years, I still haven't gone to one of the few drive-ins out west ... I wanna get my hands on a copy of Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things to review, and I've never seen Coma either ... is that with Michael Douglas??

Comment by ZombiFreak

November 30th 2009 02:44
Yeah Michael Douglas was in it. You need to check that out Bryn.I had forgotten about that.Good call Ramstad!

Comment by Bryn

November 30th 2009 03:33
I remember it first coming out ... Michael Crichton novel?

Comment by sb

December 14th 2009 07:17
Bryn,

It took me quite a bit of time and look and hark back to list the scariest movies ever made in my humble opinion. No, this time I am absolutely serious.

1. Monihara (a 1963 B&W Bengali flick of the trilogy’ Teen Kanya’ by the Master Satyajit Ray): If u ask me why it is and what it is, my answer is ‘because it is there.’
2. The Ring:
3. Se7en
4. The Shining
5. The Tingler (1959)
6. Wait until dark
7. Paranormal Activity
8. Psycho
9. The Haunting (1963)
10. Les Yeux Sans Visage
11. Ils
12. Suspiria
13. Alien

Comment by Bryn

December 14th 2009 22:37
sb, good of you to clear the aside the pretense and deliver a list of weighty choices ...
When you say The Ring, do you mean the Hollywood remake or do you actually mean Ringu (the Japanese original) ... No Ju-on: The Grudge??
I've never seen the original Haunting, nor The Tingler (William Castle flick, right? with electric zaps fitted to the auditorium seats) ... and have not heard of Monihara, but I'll definitely look into it.
I'm very glad to see Ils, Suspiria and Alien make your list, although too far down for my liking ...

Comment by sb

December 15th 2009 11:47
Bryn,
Well, I agree with u regarding ur opinion on the three movies of ur list that I included too.Frankly speaking, many of my pals also totally disagree with their ranking in my list and those r my personal favorites to boot. But, this is my personal opinion and I feel any of the movies barring Monihara can change it’s rank by replacing another one ‘cos they r all great movies in my view and it’s really hard to decide which one is better and which one is not… among them. Well, I keep my fingers crossed u see, what I want to say if The Ring scores 99 then Alien scores 98.999 in my view, though I give it a big 100 as a sci-fi movie. Yes, who can forget the spell of this Movie legit else Anon, our curious case of Benjamin Button in this blog- born 8 now ages 2, where engineer Brett stalks Jones, the crew’s cat, into the large air shaft room of Nostromo, the oozing of tension drip by drip like the water-grains dripping from the sky-high air shaft… the clangs of the shackle… and the audience were at the end of their tether like poor Brett, who subsequently was ambushed by that god-damn living menace. Yes, this is my pay-off scene, not either the much talked about scene of the creature bursting out of Kane’s chest, or the thing stalking Dallas in the air-shaft. There r countless scenes of this standard actually in that Ridley Scot’s epoch making epic. There r other movies of the likes of The Tenant, The Birds,The Fly, Jaws, Session 9, Shivers, Tourist Trap,A Clock work Orange, Irreversible, The Fog- yes, this is not a Carpentry work, Audition and definitely Ju on: The Grudge which come very very close, but these thirteen r the Greatests and my personal love…lol. Well regarding Ringu and The Ring I can tell u that yes, I talked about The Ring of Gore Verbinski and not Ringu though the idea of the pay-off scene was Nakata’s, my hats off to him again for this. Verbinski actually fails Nakata in cinematography and acoustics both. The Stygian gloom, which I talked about much in my first post, loomed large in the shades of blue in Verbinisky’s version and was totally absent in Ringu, maybe due to the technology used. So the ambiance was much much more scary and claustrophobic in The Ring. Also, of course, for the record, Samara Morgan is a zillion times scarier than Sadako ‘cos of her innocent looking face, how cud u throw her in the well mommy, so must she have become a demon from the hell…truly. Well, about Ju on: The Grudge, the movie is quite well made, but not my cup of tea ‘cos I don’t like horror to be much exposed, rather subtle, where it fails. At last, to speak a word or two about Monihara (The Lost Jewels), based on a novella by Rabindranath Tagore, translated on screen in 1961( yes, not in 1963…pardon) by one of the greatest auteurs of film of last century, u may find it on video.google.com, however without English subtitles. No matter, language no bar, the horror inculcated through this Everest of scary movies crosses any boundary. One suggestion, if u don’t mind. Don’t dare see this with ur girlfriend or wife, if she has an obsession for jewelries.
Monimalika, the psychotic woman obsessed of jewelries, is the scariest.

Comment by Bryn

December 15th 2009 20:55
sb, cheers, I'll definitely looks into The Lost Jewels, they sound positively alluring

Comment by sb

December 27th 2009 18:24
Bryn,

What u feel about Mulholland Drive...also other David Lynch directions like Lost Highway
and Eraserhead?

BTW: Bryn, U gotta type 'Monihara' in google search -The Lost Jewels would not give the correct result.

Comment by sb

December 27th 2009 18:25
I forgot to mention an Anglo-Italian movie by Nicolas Roeg-'Don't Look Now...want to know ur opinion.

Comment by Bryn

December 28th 2009 04:27
sb,
love that movie, reviewed it here

Comment by Anonymous

December 31st 2009 23:11
of course exorcist was the most popular

Comment by sb

January 1st 2010 11:57
Bryn,

A very happy new year…to you also Anon.

Anyway, I passed the last few hours of my 'End of Days', of course of 2009, watching ‘THE EXORCIST’ uncut version on my personal screen. Well, I admit that it’d been a great amazement to me for a long period of time that why people continue to tag this movie as the scariest one, though few of them could even spell it properly, like some ElephantBoy, who’d spelt it THE EXICST in some other blog. But, watching this now, I modified my previously made loose opinion and put here the latest excerpts…
• Every time I poo my pant seeing that little lollypop girl peeing hers…not in great fear, but in utter disgust and this time there was no difference. It only bolstered my previous opinion that why this stupid movie should be renamed as 'BABY'S SHIT OUT'. It really tingles my horse's ass.
Note: Poo = Shit. Yes, I, too, can invent some awesome words.
• Every time I watch that infamous spider walk scene, it reminds me of the famous moonwalk by The King of Rock, which is wayyyy scarier and not to mention that this time there was no major difference other than my hallucinating Linda Blair cat walking on a ramp…far spookier. Yes, this movie may also be renamed THE EXICST as already suggested by ElephantBoy…thanks elephant…err… boy. Yes, THE EXICST is not a spelling mistake, THE EXICST means THE SHOWSTOPPER, who stops the show, shows the door and everyone hurries to the EXIT.
• Every time I watch that bloated girl floating in thin air, violating any sane laws of gravitation, buoyancy et cetera et cetera, I immediately discard all the previous remames and give THE FLOATING ELEPHANT SHITTING ON YOU a big thumbs up…really pipes.
• Every time I watch that little girl coated Satan laughing ha, ha…during the tiffin recess allowed in the infinitely long never ending excruciatingly boring exorcism scene when Father Merrin even suggests Father Karras of taking some rest out of sheer boredom, I also laugh ha, ha and give it the rename HA HA ALPACA.
Well, I strongly recommend you to see this movie 'cos it reminds us how stupid we are sometimes. The only bad thing about the movie is that it shows why the girls are superior to us…as a mother to her little child..

BTW: If the final scene had been like this.

All the mad Exorcists fled alive in utter disgust and sheer boredom and now Chris is also fed up. Condition of the child deteriorates more and more and Chris, in her last desperate attempt, pops out her hands from the screen seeking some help from us. Now we, the ill fated audience, have a situation here. Suddenly one of Chris's old friends, Rachel, who is among the audience and fell faint previously by the frivolous jerks of the movie, wakes up hurriedly... then rushes to the screen... holds Chris's hands ... gets pasted onto it jumping... then gives Chris a cursed videotape and prays to her with her knees clinched to the carpet to put that forthwith without a fail in Regan's room along with a giant TV set... then gets kicked on her butt plumb by Friedkin & thrown outta the screen and sits by my side quietly and decently, then looks askance at me on the sly and blushes with her familiar idiotic bridal coyness. Then one night (of course in the movie ), when Regan, all alone in her room, is bawling weirdly those satanic verses against Friedkin, blaming him to possess her actually himself by offering such a stupid role, suddenly the blue screen flashes on by itself and weird images start careening ominously and a well gradually appears through the fog haze. Satan coated Regan…err... Regan coated Satan stops howling and stares at the screen in baited breath. The head of a little girl with long black tresses pop up from the well, then she comes tiptoeing toward the screen. Regan's…oh, shit… Satan's hair rise in fear. The little girl crawls outta the set… stands erect with her giant cowled figure… glowers straight at the Satan through her long black tresses…then pees her robe in disgust, dislodges her wig and shows her balding scalp to the Satan where it's writ large HELP ME MOTHERFUCKER. The whole thing freaks the bejesus…err…the Satan outta Regan and frees her in the process. Regan hugs Samara. Meanwhile, Satan tries to paste himself onto the TV screen and hide therein. They pull him outta the screen by his legs and maul him heavily... no, not for either possessing Regan or making Samara bored to the point of getting bald, but for being the protagonist of this monstrous movie. He scrambles into the screen and they again pull him out and maul. He again scrambles… they again pull & maul... and the sequence repeats indefinitely until and unless the whole audience doze off and the poor chap Mr. Satan gets his face distorted weirdly in the process (note: this sequence should be as long as the boring exorcism scene of the original one). Now there is no problem, Samara and Regan are now great friends…their favorite sport is freaking mad exorcists, stupid horror zealots and spin-head gore champs outta any fleapit that arranges a show of this movie... even at free of cost.

FOOL CAST AND CREW:
The Satan : William... zzz..., yes he is the only true Satan of this boring movie
Chris : Ellen Burstyn
Regan : Linda Blair
Rachel : Naomi Watts
Samara : Daveigh Chase
Myself : Myself...my true self...iiiikkkk!
Friedkin : Himself

Yes, I awarded him a double role.

Spot boy : ElephantBoy
Light man : Anon
Sorry Bryn… for my getting back to the world of riddles again. But, don’t get angry on me, rather Blame It on Rio…err… Anon. Anyway, I promise you mate; this is the last…no more chaos, no more riddles. But, I request you to insist that OVARIAN CYST( yep, a person without a name sounds like OUTLANDER... so, 'a CYST for a name' ) not to speak a word on THE EXORCIST, it’s definitely THE EXICST.


Comment by Anonymous

January 12th 2010 12:51
alot of people are scared of ghost but there are not alot of great scary movies about ghosts. the big inde film PA was good but that movie was about a demon not ghosts. The best ghost movie I'v seen would have to be BURNT OFFERINGS this movie sets a tone builds to a climax alot like a hitchcock movie would.Also cannibal H is scary to me, I felt alot like i did when i whatched TCM...vary durty and frozen in my place. Like i shouldnt have whatched that lol. Want to see the new NOES becuse the guy who plays feddy is a vary good actor...infact his first movie was the bad news bears, little fact for yeah and the remake to TCM wasnt great but it wasnt that bad have seen worse. also a great, great move was behind the mask-the rise of leslie vernon not realy all that scary but I think it took the slasher craze and turned it on its head love it.

Comment by Bryn

January 12th 2010 22:43
Anon, I haven't seen Burnt Offerings, but have been meaning to for many years. I didn't find Cannibal Holocaust scary, but it was very effective in atmosphere and visceral horror.
Although I'm not an advocate for Hollywood remakes as a rule, I am curious about the NOES remake, and yes, the guy playing Freddy is a great actor (have you seen him in Little Children and Watchmen?)
TCM remake, I agree was a decent remake, despite being lambasted by critics. I even enjoyed the prequel too.

Comment by Anonymous

January 13th 2010 08:00
yes the watchmen was one of my fav movies this year.Of topic have you seen night watch and day watch also great movies.also just watched CEMETERY MAN and The Serpent and the Rainbow and loved both of them, One movie that I think is overlooked is the first childs play movie I thought it was creepy as kid and even now when chuck is stalking andy at the end in the hallway it still looks creepy to bad they have moved so far away from that now...all comedy all the time and the gore isnt even that great in the new ones such a let down. Also a big fan of the remake of the hills have eyes thought aja did great but not as good as high tension infact if it wasnt for that ending the movie would have the same impact as wolf creek but oh well I loved it.

Comment by Anonymous

January 13th 2010 08:06
also have you read about the new move the thing it takes place before carpenters version of the film this may be a big dud but it could be a classic if done right you cant get much better than carpenters the thing it was scary in every way the game was even scary I think ill go play it now lol.

Comment by Bryn

January 13th 2010 23:23
Anon, planning on reviewing Dellamorte Dellamore (Cememtary Man) in coming weeks. I was a little disappointed with Night Watch, I found it very convoluted, and Day Watch didn't do much for me at all. The Serpent and the Rainbow is one of Craven's best movies. Child's Play holds up quite well I think. I really rate The Hills Have Eyes remake, but I found the second half of Haute Tension really disappointing. The Thing is one of my very favourite horror movies, and although I'm intrigued by the idea of telling the Norwegian's story, I'm not holding my breath.
Cheers for the comments.

Comment by Hewhomustnot

February 6th 2010 02:21
Being an avid horror fan and particularly the supernatural variety, i love The Exorcist and The Shining and wonder if they'll ever be bettered? If anyone can recommend any recent supernatural horrors that chilled them to the bone i'd love to know. As for The Thing it is IMHO the best creature feature since King Kong and is also yet to be bettered. The korean film "The Host" is def worth a watch though if monster movies are your bag. I reckon you'll enjoy Dellamorte Dellamore Bryn, it's a bit different to the usual zombie movies and Rupert Everett is very good. Check out Wild Zero as well if you're after a different zombie movie experience. If you're looking for a really scary movie then i'd highly recommend the original japanese film "Gin gwai" (The Eye) c.2002 . Not bothered to check out the remake yet. I can't believe it can be anywhere near as good. I've seen a fair few Japanese horror flicks but none of them scared me like this one. Took me three attempts to get through it. Great list. Gonna go check out Ils.

Comment by Bryn

February 6th 2010 06:22
Hewhomustnot ... cheers for the comments.
The Thing is in my top five horror movies of all time (up with Alien, Halloween, Day of the Dead and Phantasm). Is Wild Zero an Asian flick? I think I've heard of it.
I reviewed both The Eye and the remake.
As for supernatural suggestions ... You have to check out The Broken, which deals with doppelgangers, probably my favourite horror from the past decade. Also Left Bank, superb pagan hijinx from Belgium.
Curious to know what you think of Ils. The prologue suggests the supernatural ....

Comment by Hewhomustnot

February 6th 2010 16:40
Just ordered Ils from amazon so 'll be sure to let you now what i think. Thanks for the recommendations, they both sound right up my street and i'll def check them out. Wild Zero is a Japanese film, and thanks for educating me on The Eye which i incorrectly identified as Japanese. Great review btw. Based on your review of the US remake i think i'll leave well alone. I'm sure that you've prob seen it already but If you're a big fan of Alien, then Dead and Buried is worth checking out as it's from the same writers.

Comment by Bryn

February 7th 2010 22:04
Hewhomustnot,
yeah, I saw Dead & Buried at the cinemas many moons ago. Dan O'Bannon, RIP.

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