Favorite Horror Films

In honor of Halloween, I've decided to share with you my all-time favorite horror films. I didn't include some "horror" films that don't really fit the bill for me, so you won't find Jaws, The Silence of the Lambs, Se7en, or "horror comedies" like Shaun of the Dead or Zombieland.

Some of these are classics that you'll find on many lists, but some are newer and maybe even lesser known. 

 

1. The Shining (1980)

The Shining is a film I enjoy a little more every time I watch it. I saw it for the first time when I was about 12 and was terrified by what I experienced. Now when I watch it, that terror has transformed into more of a feeling of unease and dread, but that doesn't mean The Shining is any less effective now than it was 20 years ago. Stanley Kubrick, who has a near masterpiece in almost every genre he tackled, put together the best horror film I have ever seen and yet there's only one killing and a small amount of violence. The horror is more psychological, which is exactly what I like. It's a film that stays with me and I find myself thinking about it quite frequently - which might be the highest praise I can give any film.

2. Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Paranoia and fear are at the heart of Rosemary's Baby and those feelings have the ability to leap from the screen and infect the viewer. Even though I've seen the film several times, every time I watch Rosemary's Baby, I feel an immense sense of tension and despair. There's no logical reason for it - I know what happens to poor Rosemary - but I can't help it. That's a sign of an effective horror film, it can circumvent your logical brain and still make you feel what the protagonist is going through.

3. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

The film that really kicked off the zombie sub-genre (you're welcome, The Walking Dead!), George Romero's classic, low budget independent film combines legitimate horror with an undercurrent of political satire. There are a lot of reasons to love Night of the Living Dead, among them the impressive acting (mostly from amateurs making their film debuts) and the claustrophobic atmosphere, but the main reason I love the film is how it shows that anyone can make a great film, as long as they're dedicated and love what they're doing. George Romero took his passion, translated it to the screen and created a career for himself, an entire sub-genre of horror films, and a film that has entertained millions of people for almost 50 years. Very impressive, indeed.

4. The Strangers (2007)

The Strangers takes an old premise -  psychotic killers terrorizing an unsuspecting couple - and does everything just right and, in the process, creates an excellent film. The killers in The Strangers aren't demons or ghosts or huge, hulking monsters - they're just regular people. The same people you might see at the grocery store or the gym. It helps that the story is billed as being "inspired by true events" because it makes you think that you could be in this very situation sometime, which makes it all the more terrifying. This is probably the least popular film on this list and I hope at least one person checks it out because of my recommendation.

5. The Babadook (2014)

There are two ways to think about The Babadook, the newest entry on my list, and both are equally disturbing and effective. 1) The main character (a mother to a slightly unbalanced six year old) is being tormented by a sinister demon of some kind or 2) The mother is suffering from a mental breakdown and is imagining all the things happening to her and her son. Either way, there is no shortage of suspense and outright terror. The two main actors were both terrific and everything about this film is nearly perfect. Lately, I've been disappointed by almost all of the new horror films I've seen, but The Babadook was a refreshing change of pace.

6. Psycho (1960)

Since it's arguably Alfred Hitchcock's most famous film, Psycho doesn't really need an introduction. It's stood the test of time, spawned the slasher sub-genre, and still entertains people to this day, 55 years later. Not even a God awful remake, the Gus Van Sant disaster from 1998, could tarnish its reputation, and that's saying a lot!

7. The Devil's Rejects (2005)

In the same vein as The Strangers, The Devil's Rejects has "regular" people - although, certifiably insane - as the villains. Their victims are not chosen for any particular reasons for the most part, they just happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. The crazy thing about this film is, despite how awful and grotesque the villains are, you almost start to root for them to survive by the end. Or at least I did. Maybe that says something about me...

8. The Ring (2002)

I'll admit I've never seen the Japanese original film Ringu that The Ring is a remake of, and I doubt I ever will. Maybe it's better, but when a film is as good as this one is, I don't need anything more. The Ring has an interesting premise, great makeup and special effects, a wonderful lead performance (from the always talented Naomi Watts), and some legitimately scary moments. The Ring is the last of three films on this list where a child is in immediate, horrifying danger - something that has always put me on edge, but does so even more ever since my son was born.

9. 28 Days Later (2002)

28 Days Later isn't a zombie film, even though it's often identified as such. The voracious killers in the film are actually infected with the "rage" virus and become exceptionally fast, blood thirsty monsters. This is an important point to make, because director Danny Boyle didn't set out to change the zombie sub-genre, but his film nevertheless did, directly influencing dozens of other lesser films. The way 28 Days Later is filmed, almost like a documentary, brings you that much closer to the action and you end up feeling like you're really next to these characters, trying to survive among all the chaos. 

10. Halloween (2007)

I'll start out by saying that I never really liked the original Halloween - John Carpenter's 1978 classic and beloved slasher film - but I adore Rob Zombie's remake. It adds a much needed backstory, improves the writing, acting, and overall production design and creates a believable, human monster in Michael Meyers. All of which is ruined in the terrible sequel from 2009, so do yourself a favor and avoid that one at all costs. 

Well, there's my list. Do you like any of them? Hate them? Have I turned you on to any films you hadn't heard of or had just forgotten? I'd love to read your comments.

Happy Halloween!

Ghostbusters

No reason for a preview, so here's a fun video!

Ghostbusters

 Directed by Ivan Reitman

 

For a movie as famous and widely loved as Ghostbusters, the Murray/Aykroyd/Ramis classic from 1984, there's no reason for a review. I doubt I'm going to sway anyone's opinion on it one way or the other, but if you haven't seen it yet (what have you been doing with your life?), I'd highly suggest shutting down your computer or phone and going to get the movie right now. If there's a video store in your area still, they'll have it available. Drive there immediately. Otherwise, order the DVD or Blu-Ray and watch it as soon as it's delivered to your door. It's that good.

I watched Ghostbusters for probably the dozenth time the other night, but what made this particular viewing special is that my four year old son joined me. He recently became enamored with the title song and had been watching the music video on YouTube as often as we'd let him for about a week. He was eagerly awaiting his chance to watch the movie - we even had to mark the day on his calendar so he could count the days remaining until "Ghostbusters Day".

I warned him that he might find it boring. He's tried to watch a few live action films recently, with little to no success. He'd recently gotten into Star Wars, thanks to the Star Wars Lego games, so I tried to have him watch some of those films. Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and The Phantom Menace (I was sinking low at this point) could not hold his attention, though. He became uninterested after about 20-30 minutes of each, so we shut them all off early.

I told him that the movie Ghostbusters didn't have nearly the ratio of ghosts as the three minute long music video did. He assured me that wasn't a problem. He really wanted to see the movie.

So we sat down on Saturday night and popped the DVD into the player. He was instantly enthralled by the DVD menu, so I took that as a good sign. Even after that, though, I was surprised. He sat moderately still - or as still as any four year old can sit - and watched the entire thing. He loved all the moments with the ghosts and ghouls and monsters, as I knew he would, but he also liked how the Ghostbusters were similar to firemen, enjoyed the awesomeness that is Ecto 1 (that's the Ghostbuster's car, for you uninitiated heathens), and loved the music used throughout the movie.

He didn't really understand most of the jokes, but he did laugh at several different parts. Mostly, he got annoyed with me for laughing so heartily and so frequently. A few times, he even tried to cover my mouth in an attempt to silence my laughter.

As the film went on, he provided me with some wonderful quotes:

"Well, I didn't see that coming!" (after the Ghostbusters captured Slimer in the ballroom, destroying the place in the process)

"Oh dear! Oh dear!" (muttered with worry and excitement several times)

"How is he going to stay puffed if he's exploded?!" (after the Stay Puft marshmallow man was blown up in the climactic battle sequence - hey, I never promised there wouldn't be spoilers!)


After the movie ended, he demanded that we watch all the credits so he could listen to the music and dance around. This isn't uncommon, as he always wants to listen to the music over the credits of his movies, but it was still fun!

He then proceeded to ask if he could watch it again. I had to say 'no' as it was close to bedtime.

But he watched it again the next morning.

Favorite Opening Scenes

Before I get started, I'd like to mention that this was a difficult list for me to make. I had nearly 30 titles to start with and whittling them down took a while. The following list is in alphabetical order, as I'm not sure how I'd pick between any of these at this point.

1. A Clockwork Orange

Stanley Kubrick had a lot of great opening scenes, but I think this one is his best. I don't hold the entire film in as such high regard (I think it's one of his worst, but it's still very good), but the opening does everything an opening scene should: it sets the tone, introduces the characters, and shows you the world you're going to be inhabiting for the next two hours. The music is chilling and the narration from Malcolm McDowell is wonderful - I especially love the 'futuristic' slang.

2. Gladiator 

This video is incomplete, as it doesn't include the spectacular battle scene that immediately follows, but it's the best version I could find. Gladiator - one of my very favorite films of all time - starts out beautifully. This clip ends with one of the film's most famous lines.


3. Jaws

Perhaps one of the most famous opening scenes, Jaws sets the tension at a high level at the very beginning. Poor Chrissie. All she wanted to do was go for a relaxing swim, but it doesn't take long for that famous score to start up - signalling trouble for her and nightmares for an entire generation of film goers.


4. Magnolia 

Magnolia Opening Scene

Sorry, there's no clip on YouTube for this scene, so you'll have to follow the above link. I have watched Magnolia only once all the way through, but I've seen this opening probably a half dozen times already. It's simply amazing. It sets up the basic theme of the film in such an entertaining and thrilling way, by telling the "true" accounts of three unrelated stories and illustrating the effects of chance and coincidence have on our lives. Ricky Jay is one of the best character actors in the business and his narration is perfect.


5. Reservoir Dogs
 

Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino's first feature film, starts out with some classic Tarantino-style dialogue. Ranging from an obscene analysis of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" to a diatribe against compulsory tipping, this opening is nearly perfect.


6. Scream

This is the first of three clips. In order to see the whole scene (about 12 minutes in length) you'll have to follow up with parts 2 and 3 from the same user. It's well worth it. Scream revitalized the subpar slasher genre in the mid 90's and spawned three lesser sequels, but the opening sequence is marvelous. It combines humor and horror perfectly as it ratchets up the tension. Drew Barrymore is great and this scene shocked a lot of people who thought she'd be the star of the film.


7. The Social Network

This is a film that I love a bit more with each viewing, but I've always adored the opening scene. It's so simple, just two people talking, but everything about it is great. The dialogue (written by Aaron Sorkin), the characters, the music, the cinematography, everything. You get to know Mark Zuckerberg, the future creator of Facebook, and he's not a nice guy. This doesn't hurt the film, though, in fact it may make it that much better.


8. Stranger Than Fiction

Stranger Than Fiction is the story of a man who realizes he's a character in a book - and he can hear the author narrating his life. It makes sense, then, to have the author narrating the facts of his life as he goes about his daily routine. Howard is a man obsessed with his routine and this opening scene is wonderfully detailed. I love the narration (by the supremely talented Emma Thompson), the music, and the graphic design.


9. Toy Story 3

This is a terrible quality version, but it's the only one I could find. If you can get past the audio and video problems, the scene itself is spectacular. I have seen this more times than I can count, thanks to my son and his love of all things Toy Story, but it's still a joy to watch. All of our favorite characters are here - Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, Ham, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Rex, the whole gang. The absolute delight is imagining young Andy (the toys' owner) playing with them in such an imaginative way.


10. Zodiac

Zodiac is the true story of the Zodiac killer, an anonymous figure who plagued the city of San Fransisco and the neighboring communities for years in the late 1960's and early 1970's. In the opening, we're introduced to his first victims: innocent enough teenagers who make the mistake of parking where the Zodiac lies in wait. This scene is intense and thriller, like the rest of the film, and features some great shots from director David Fincher.


Well, there you have it - my Top 10 Favorite Opening Scenes. Did I miss any of your favorites? I'd love to read any comments that you might have.

San Andreas

 

San Andreas 

Directed by Brad Peyton

I have a soft spot for disaster films. I’m not ashamed to admit it. They’re generally a fun, energetic way to spend a couple hours while munching on popcorn or throwing back handfuls of Skittles. They’re almost always better if you’re able to disconnect your brain, sit back, and just enjoy the spectacle. 

The genre has a rich Hollywood background. It goes back fifty or sixty years, but hit a pinnacle of sorts in the 1970’s with such excellent films as Airport, The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno, and Earthquake. The 1990’s saw a revival of the genre when audiences were treated to the likes of Twister, Titanic, Armageddon, Independence Day, and Deep Impact. They weren’t always good films (I’m looking at you, Volcano), but they were big (big casts, big special effects) and emotional and simply fun. 

Since the beginning of the 21^st century, the disaster film genre has seen its share of hits and misses. The Perfect Storm, Contagion, The Impossible, War of the Worlds, and Gravity have all been very good or even great. They have carried on the tradition in a very noble way. San Andreas is one of the most recent additions to the genre, but it fails on almost every level. 

The plot is threadbare, but concerns one family dealing with the effects of gigantic earthquakes shaking and shattering the Earth along the titular fault line in Nevada and California. The father, Ray (played by the normally charismatic Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) is a former Army medic and current rescue chopper pilot and EMT. His soon-to-be ex-wife, Emma (Carla Gugino) is moving in with her new boyfriend who, of course, is a real jerk, but she doesn’t know that yet. Rounding out the family is Blake (Alexandra Daddario), Ray and Emma’s daughter who is setting off for college when the movie picks up. 

San Andreas, much like lesser disaster films such as The Day After Tomorrow and 2012, uses the “fractured family overcomes enormous difficulties to rebuild their lives together” motif as if Cruse simply pulled the formula out of a hat of clichés early in the writing process. I don’t think I’m spoiling anything for anyone when I say there was never one moment during the entire 114 minute runtime where I thought they weren’t going to end up together after the horrendous events they had to endure. Nothing like a national tragedy with millions of fatalities to bring a family closer together!

One somewhat baffling aspect of the plot is there is scene after scene of Ray stealing different vehicles and piloting them towards San Francisco in an attempt to rescue his stranded daughter. He starts off in his helicopter and then steals a pickup truck, then a plane, then a boat. By this point, I was already laughing at the movie and I began to envision a series of events where Ray has to commandeer a railroad locomotive and, in the final harrowing moments, a vintage San Francisco cable car. Sadly, those wishes didn’t come true. If they would have, the movie would have been slightly better. 

For a movie like this, the plot doesn’t have to be revolutionary to make a great film, though. If the characters are relatable, engaging, and act in believably human ways, they can make up for something simple and ordinary. Unfortunately, these characters (and the others they meet along the way) are none of those things. 

As far as the cast goes, I thought it would be the film’s saving grace – even if other areas fell flat. I almost always enjoy Johnson, even in lesser films. He’s got charm and charisma to spare and has shown some decent acting chops (especially in the criminally overlooked Pain & Gain). Gugino and Daddario have been fine in the few films I’ve seen them in and, if nothing else, they’re both attractive (especially Daddario!) and have screen presence. Unfortunately, just like most aspects of this film, the performances are average at best and laughably bad at worst.

Paul Giamatti (playing a Cal-Tech scientist who figures out a way to predict the quakes) was who I was most looking forward to seeing, though. Giamatti might be the best actor of his generation and I have been enthralled by his various performances for nearly 20 years. San Andreas is one of those rare films where he would have been much better off just saying “no” when his agent approached him about taking the role. He’s not given much to work with, no one in the film is, but he also seems to be phoning in the entire performance. I don’t necessarily blame him – why exert too much energy when the project certainly doesn’t deserve it? – but he could have been the one bright spot in an otherwise dismal film. 

Even the basic glue that normally holds these big spectacles together – the fancy computer effects – were seriously lacking. There’s a moment at the beginning where a young woman is driving and goes off the road. Her car flips a comical amount of time before getting snagged on the side of a cliff. The entire scene, from the car to the surrounding area, is so poorly rendered that it looks like an Asylum production with a $1 million budget, not a major studio release. In fact, almost all of the scenes involving moving vehicles were obviously filmed with green screen backgrounds. This method is not new, of course, but on better films with better filmmakers, it is much less obvious and distracting. To be taken out of the film, practically at the start, was a serious blow.

It’s a lot of hard work to make a film, even a bad film like San Andreas, so I hope the filmmakers responsible for this mess have learned from their mistakes and will do better on whatever projects come to them in the future. The truth is, though, they probably don’t care to learn anything since San Andreas has earned over $470 million worldwide since its release in May. With a budget of $110 million, it probably made the studio over $200 million and I’m sure San Andreas 2: The Revenge of the Fault Line has already been greenlit by Warner Brothers. 

If that happens, I know I won’t be seeing it, but millions of other people will. 

I just hope you’re not one of them.