Top 10 Horror Movies

Today is Halloween, so what better time than the present to rank my Top 10 favorite horror films! In general, the horror genre is not one of my favorites. All too often they are mindless gore fests or filled with cheap thrills; however, there are some horror films that rise above the rest. Due to not having seen all that many horror films, horror comedies that feature zombies and the like will be included on the list. Also, at the end I will have honorable mentions for a couple of television series in the horror genre. 

10: Zombieland

Much more a comedy than a horror film, Zombieland is a fun zombie slaying romp! Taking advantage of its quirky cast, including perfectly cast Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, and Emma Stone, Zombieland has just as many laughs as it does entertaining zombie slaying. Plus, it has one of the best cameos of all-time.

9: Scream

More of a satire of the horror genre than a pure horror, Scream follows high school student Sidney Prescott in a small town where a murder in a mask terrorizes the town. While often more humorous than scary, Scream both parodies the tropes of the horror genre, as well as crafting a surprisingly competent mystery.

8: Perfect Blue

Do you think animation is only for children? Watch Perfect Blue and your perspective will be changed entirely. The film follows Mima, a pop-idol turned TV star, as her she slowly loses her sanity after a stalker continues to threaten her live. While more of a psychological horror mystery than straight horror, Perfect Blue is Satoshi Kon’s first feature film in what would become a prolific career as one of Japan’s best directors. In fact, Kon’s work has influenced famous director, Darren Aronofsky. Aronofsky even copied a scene from Perfect Blue in Requiem for a Dream, and even though he denies it, the similarities between Black Swam and Perfect Blue are uncanny!

7: Alien

Ridley Scott's classic horror thriller, Alien, introduced the world to who would become one of the sci-fi's most famous heroines, Ellen Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver. Even though the thrills were diminished by my knowledge of future films, Alien's sci-fi setting and atmosphere revolutionized the genre.

6: The Cabin in the Woods

Written by the legend himself, Joss Whedon, and directed by frequent Whedon collaborator, Drew Goddard, The Cabin in the Woods is an ingenious deconstruction of the horror genre that shows how utterly ridiculous it has become in recent years. From the superb black comedy to the classic film references, The Cabin in the Woods is just the type of bodacious film that you would expect from Whedon.

5: Shaun of the Dead

With a sharp British wit and stylistic directing from Edgar Wright, Shaun of the Dead is a hilarious satire of the zombie genre. From beginning to end, Edgar Wright fills the film with his unique brand of clever humor, while still delivering likable characters and surprisingly effective zombie drama and action.

4: The Host

Not to be confused by the film based on Stephenie Meyer's novel of the same name, The Host is Korea's refreshing take on the monster horror genre. Thanks to director Bong Joon-ho for focusing more on the family drama, The Host is a cleverly comedic and thrilling film that still has more heart than just about any other monster flick ever made.

3: Silence of the Lambs

While almost more of a psychological thriller than a pure horror film, Silence of the Lambs is often listed among the best of the horror genre, and thus it deserves a spot on my list. Even though the film can be incredibly disturbing at times, it most definitely succeeds in creating plenty of nail-biting suspense, thrills, and many utterly horrific scenes. 

2: Jaws

Steven Spielberg's undeniable classic that took moviegoers by storm in 1975, Jaws is a masterpiece of film direction. Thanks to technical difficulties with the special effects, Spielberg had to resort to not showing the shark for the majority of the film, which obviously turned for the best. Jaws is the type of film that everyone needs to see at least once in their life, especially if you consider yourself a film buff.

1: Psycho

Alfred Hitchcock's original horror film that virtually launched the slasher genre, remains the pentacle of the horror genre in my eyes. From Anthony Perkins’ terrifyingly creepy performance to the infamous shower scene, Psycho is every bit as suspenseful today as it was 50 years ago. 

Honorable Mentions from Television

Doctor Who: "Blink"

If I had to chose my favorite Doctor Who episode, "Blink" would have to be my choice due to its perfectly crafted standalone story, inventive creature, and originality. As a standalone gothic horror story, "Blink" is a virtually flawless piece of fiction and the highlight of Steven Moffat’s writing career. In fact, I would almost go as far to say that Blink is my favorite episode of any television series.

Parastye

Parasyte, aka Kiseijuu, is a currently airing science fiction horror thriller about alien parasites that infect people’s brains and turn them into powerful killers. However, the parasite that infects main protagonist, Izumi, is not able to reach the brain, and thus only replaces his hand. With the assistance of his sentient hand, Migi, Izumi must survive as other parasites attempt kill him as well, while also keeping his alien hand a secret. Four episodes in, Parasyte is already a top contender for best series of the year with its superb concept and horror thrills. Apparently, there is a live-action adaptation, although I have yet to see it.

What are your favorite horror films? Please comment below and let me know!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Jaws Review.

Thoughts: Discovery Channel's Shark Week is upon us and it only seems right to review the film that made sharks even more terrifying, Steven Spielberg's Jaws.
*Cue Jaws music* Jaws is a pure classic of cinema, a film that needs no introduction, one of the must see films that almost everyone should at least watch once. The movie is based on the novel of the same name, and it is the film that launched Steven Spielberg's career. Jaws is a difficult film to review because, while it is fantastic, after you have seen it once, the suspense and tension are not nearly as effective as it is the first time you watch it. I first watched Jaws sometime between the ages 10 and 12, again when I was 15, and again more recently to review it. Although I was definitely not scarred by the film when I was a kid, I enjoyed the heck out it just like most who watched it as a kid, although it is certainly not a kid's movie. Despite still being a fun and mostly entertaining film, there is not a lot of suspense or thrills watching it again, however that should not deter you from watching the movie if you have not seen it, because it is an absolute must watch film. In general, I am a fan of the film, it is one of Spielberg's best and I have seen a few great documentaries about how it was made and the troubles Spielberg went through to get it made.


Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Suspense, Thriller, Horror, Adventure,
Release Date: June 20, 1975
Running Time: 124 minutes
MMPA rating: PG


The Good: Suspenseful, Fine performances all-around, Revolutionary, John Williams' iconic and riveting score, Groundbreaking directing, Near perfect from a technical standpoint, Impressive effects, Unforgettable opening, The Jaws effect, Memorable quotes,

The Bad: Doesn't holdup as well on multiple viewings,


Plot: The following plot summary is copied from Wikipedia.com.
girl named Chrissie Watkins leaves a party on Massachusetts's Amity Island and goes skinny dipping. While swimming out near a buoy, she is seized by something from below; it thrashes her around and drags her down.
Chrissie is reported missing and her remains are later found on the beach by police chief Martin Brody. The medical examiner informs Brody that she was killed by a shark. Brody plans to close the beaches but is overruled by mayor Larry Vaughan, who fears that reports of a shark attack will ruin the summer tourist season, the town's primary source of income. The medical examiner consequently attributes the death to a boating accident. Brody reluctantly goes along with the explanation. The shark then kills a young boy swimming at the beach. His mother places a bounty on the shark, sparking an amateur shark-hunting frenzy and attracting the attention of local professional shark hunter Quint, who offers to kill the shark for $10,000. Marine biologist Matt Hooper examines Chrissie's remains and determines that she was killed by a shark, not a boat.
A large tiger shark is caught by fishermen, leading the townspeople to believe the problem is solved. Hooper asks to examine its stomach contents, but Vaughan refuses. That evening, Brody and Hooper secretly open the shark's stomach and discover that it does not contain human remains. They head out to sea to find the shark, but instead find the wreckage of a boat belonging to local fisherman Ben Gardner. Hooper explores the vessel underwater and discovers a sizable shark's tooth protruding from the damaged hull before he is startled by Gardner's corpse, causing him to drop the tooth. Without evidence, Vaughan refuses to close the beaches.
Watch the movie to see what happens next.


Plot: 8.6/10- Slow pacing is Jaws' only real problem. After a riveting and unforgettable opening scene, the first 45 minutes are all setup, albeit mostly effective setup, for the ultimate payoff of the thrills. The characters are mostly well developed and likeable, particularly my favorite character Captain Hooper. Due to some technical issues with the Jaws, Spielberg took a minimalistic approach to filming the scenes with the shark now aptly named the "Jaws Effect." The "Jaws Effect" is showing not showing all of the creature because nothing is more terrifying than the unknown.

Action: 6.0/10- Jaws is more of a suspense thriller than an action film, however there is a fight with the beast near the end of the film.

Acting: 8.1/10- Robert Shaw gives the standout best performance as the harden boat captain Hooper. His performance is especially great in his famous speech scene. Roy Scheider gives a solid performance as Martin Brody, the main protagonist of the film. Richard Dreyfuss offers some good humor in his role and gives an overall great performance. The other actors in the film are all good, although no others are noticeably better than the rest.

Special effects: 10/10- Due to the major technical issues the crew had with the shark, Spielberg was forced to only show parts of the shark throughout most of the film, which created the film's suspense. Originally, he intended the audience to see the entire shark as it ate the girl in the opening scene, fortunately that never happened and we now have one of the best films ever made from a technical standpoint.

Soundtrack: 10/10- I believe it was Spielberg who said something akin to "50% of the film's suspense was due to William's score" and that is not an exaggeration in the slightest. Similar to the soundtrack for Hitchcock's Psycho, Jaws' iconic theme builds suspense like no other film score and if it were not for his amazing score, the film would have been significantly less suspenseful. While everyone knows the classic Jaws' theme, Williams' composed several fun and rousing themes that are often overlooked, which evoke the high-seas-adventure atmosphere that some scenes have.


Comedy: 7.8/10- Dreyfuss' character had a few memorable comedic scenes, all of which worked well.

Would I Watch This Again: Obviously yes, however, as I stated before, it is not as entertaining on multiple viewings as many of my other favorite films are.

Overall: 8.7/10- Overall Jaws is a classic, a perfect example of revolutionary filmmaking and directing, a movie that everyone, film fans especially, need to watch.

Closing comments: While I do not hold it up as highly as others due to the lack of re-watchability, it's Jaws! What more needs to be said? Just watch it!

Recommended for: Everyone, Suspense fans, Thriller fans, Horror fans, Film fans, Spielberg fans,


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Best Halloween Movies

Happy Halloween everyone! Since today is Halloween here are some great movies to watch today. Earlier this week I posted some Halloween related movie reviews, which I will have links to below. This is not really a "Best Of" list, it is more just good movies to watch if you are like myself and just do not understand why so many people like supposed "Horror Classics". Also I have just read that there will be another Star Wars film made! And it is a official statement, and I still cannot believe that is happening. As Han Solo said "I'm out of it for a little while, everybody gets delusions of grandeur." Be sure to check back tomorrow for the Two Towers Book Vs. Movie post tomorrow. One more thing, sorry if I have not replied to comments recently, my flu has gotten worse and I have not been on the computer much. But thank you everyone for your comments and best wishes.





Psycho

Alfred Hitchcock's horror, suspense, mystery thriller, classic Psycho. Hitchcock virtually invented the "Slasher" genre with Psycho and I have yet to see a better "Horror" movie than Psycho. As I said in my review yesterday, it is suspenseful, and full of shocking plot twists. Definitely a must see if you are a classic film fan. I wonder what Hitchcock would think today of all the terrible rip-offs of his classic film. Also there is a movie coming out named "Hitchcock", which a bio-pic of him making the classic Psycho, however the trailer completely spoils the major plot twist of the movie, I would not recommend watching the trailer until after watching the movie.

Psycho (1960) Review.

Jaws

One of Steve Speilberg best, Jaws revolutionized the film making with the "Jaws Effect". Were the camera only shows some of the creature to create mystery and terror, which at the time it was considered a very scary movie. Although it loses suspense upon multiple viewings, and is much more of an adventure thriller than anything else, Jaws is still a fantastic movie that is another must see for film fans. If you have yet to see Jaws you are missing out on a classic. And how can we forget John Willaims' iconic soundtrack, which is what makes Jaws truly suspenseful.



Ghostbusters

While Ghostbusters is not in anyway a "Horror" movie, it is about capturing ghosts. Ghostbusters is just a really fun movie, easily one of the best comedies I have seen. It is packed with so many quotable lines and clever dialogue it is hard not to recommend.
Ghostbusters Review.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Invasion of the Body Snatchers, more specifically the 1978 version with Donald Sutherland. Although I have not the seen the original, this version is smart, thrilling and a little creepy. While Invasion of the Body Snatchers is not quite in the same caliber of film as the movies listed above, if you like sci-fi thrillers it is definitely recommended. Note: This is not for the younger audience, although at the time was rated "PG" it would definitely earn an "R" rating today.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) Review.

Harry Potter Saga

While it is far from anything that resembles horror, there are some Halloween type elements in the series. As a whole the Harry Potter series is one of the best. Although I was not really fan until the last four, they were awesome. The final installment "The Deathly Hallows Part 2" is one of my all-time favorite movies. Definitely check out the series if you do not have any problem with the "magic".

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (Philosopher's) Stone Review

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Review.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Review.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Review.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Review.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Review
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Review

Do you like any of these movies? What are your favorite Halloween films? Please comment below. 

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Halloween Countdown and Star Wars Update!

First let’s start with the Star Wars update. If everything goes as planned I will be making a list of the Top 25 Lightsaber Battles throughout all of Star Wars, including battles from the movies, TV shows and even a few video games.
Now on to the Halloween countdown! I am not really a fan of Halloween. While I did dress-up and go trick-or-treating when I was 13, I have never cared much for it. However, it seemed like the perfect time for Halloween time movie reviews! Horror is one of my least favorite genres, it has never appealed to me, although there are some movies that can be considered "Horror" that I do enjoy or movies with the theme of ghosts, monsters ect. And on Halloween, I make a list of good movies to watch that might just give you the chills, yet are intelligent or just fun to watch. As for the movies I will be reviewing this week and the next: Ghostbusters, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Psycho. While I am not exactly sure when I will post the reviews for Ghostbusters and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) it will be this week this week, I will be posting my review for Psycho Monday before Halloween. What do you think of my Halloween plans? Please comment below.

 

 

 

 

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.