Dave
10-22-2011, 08:04 PM
You know it seems like only yesterday it was Halloween 2010. I guess that is what happens as life starts to pass you by. And now that Halloween 2011 is here, it seems like it's passed in a flash. The month for horror fans comes and goes far too quickly each year, so lets enjoy it while it's still here. After all, for many it's the month in which we are able to get family and friends to watch our favorite genre. I'm blessed to be married to a woman that loves horror movies as much as I. Make the next ten days count and watch some of my favorites!
http://horrordigital.com/reviews/pictures/b_dave11.jpg
You know it seems like only yesterday it was Halloween 2010. I guess that is what happens as life starts to pass you by. And now that Halloween 2011 is here, it seems like it's passed in a flash. The month for horror fans comes and goes far too quickly each year, so lets enjoy it while it's still here. After all, for many it's the month in which we are able to get family and friends to watch our favorite genre. I'm blessed to be married to a woman that loves horror movies as much as I. Make the next ten days count and watch some of my favorites!
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/a-m/fd/fd_fs.jpg
10. Final Destination (2000)
I want to call Final Destination a guilty pleasure but that could be said for a lot of my favorite horror flicks. Perhaps it's not a guilty pleasure but simply a fun horror flick that entertains. Is there anything guilty about that? Call it what you will; the original Destination is still my favorite and launched a series featuring creative kill scenes as groups of survivors tried to fend off their inevitable date with death. With Candyman Tony Todd making a cameo, the original Final Destination is a fun little ride for a Halloween viewing.
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/pictures/fright.jpg
9. Fright Night (2011)
I remember back in 1998 when I decided I hated remakes due to the shot-for-shot remake of the Hitchcock's Psycho. What a waste. Over the years, though, I discovered remakes can be a great thing. Dawn of the Dead (2004) proved that quite nicely. The trick is not a shot-for-shot remake like Van Sant's abortion, but rather a new take on the original. Good or bad, do something different and live with the results! Fright Night (2011) did just that. Like the original, the remake is a fun flick but is a new take on the story. David Tennant really steals the show as Peter Vincent, magician and vampire killer. His character and performance is a fun new take over that of the original Peter Vincent played by Roddy McDowall. While I'm not the biggest Colin Farrel fan, I have to admit I enjoyed his performance as the sick, twisted, and seemingly bored with life vampire, Jerry. And lets not forget Imogen Poots who has grown quite nicely since her 28 Weeks Later days. While the 3D seems more of an unnecessary after thought, Fright Night (2011) is a remake not to be missed.
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/a-m/dagon/dagon_fs.jpg
8. Dagon (2001)
I loved Dagon when it first came out and after a recent viewing, that love stayed strong. It's a well told monster movie based on an H.P. Lovecraft tale and is directed by genre great Stuart Gordon. It has all the ingredients necessary for an enjoyable horror movie: atmosphere, nudity, monsters, and even an engaging story. Perhaps it's biggest accomplishment is proving that a low budget movie doesn't have to look low budget, and can even have beautiful scenes leaving you in awe. I found it to have great replay value and look forward to watching it for many years to come.
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/a-m/dz/dz_fs.jpg
7. The Dead Zone (1983)
I was such a Stephen King nut as a kid, and even to this day I continue to enjoy his writing. What a disappointment to know just how great his books are yet how equally terrible so many of his movies turned out. The Dead Zone (1983) manages to stand out as one of the best King adaptations on the big screen, in big part thanks to director David Cronenberg and actor Christopher Walken. What's interesting, and perhaps why I can enjoy it so much, is that it remains one of the few King books I haven't read. King has always produced amazing characters that you care about and Cronenberg and Walken seem to carry that over onto this adaptation. On top of that you have a great villain with Martin Sheen portraying the power hungry Greg Stillson. Throw in some suspense and you have yourself one of King's best horror movies to date.
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/a-m/kkfos/kkfos_fs.jpg
6. Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)
Okay, Killer Klowns From Outer Space simply has to fall into a genuine guilty pleasure category. It's a bad movie but a fun movie with killer clowns from outer space doing whacky things with popcorn guns and cotton candy cocoons. It reeks of the 80s and that's part of its charm. Give credit where credit is due, though; the Chiodo brothers made some great looking clowns. The guys truly work magic with the effects for such a low budget feature. It's a fun flick not to be missed. Lets hope if the 3D "requel" ever comes to fruition that the Chiodos can recapture some of the magic of the original.
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/pictures/thedead.jpg
5. The Dead (2010)
This zombie flick seemingly came out of nowhere. I stumbled upon some discussion of it on Facebook and decided to track it down and see it for myself. Evacuation is taking place as the African coast becomes overrun with the living dead. The story features Lt. Brian Murphy as he tries to escape and reunite with his family. It's full of wonderful visuals and proves that slow zombies still have some life left in them. There's not lots of gore to see, and it may be a bit slow for some, but most will find enjoyment in the tension, beautiful scenery, and creepy looking zombies. Recommended.
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/pictures/supernatural.jpg
4. Supernatural (2005-ongoing)
I love when I discover a great movie or series due to this very site. That's exactly what happened in the case of Supernatural. I'm always on the lookout for a new series, or new to me in this case, to check out. When I saw Chunkblower post his blu-ray review to Supernautral: Season One, I decided to give the series a try. Boy was I glad I did! It's a great series that both my wife and I continue to enjoy as we slowly work our way through (currently on the fifth season). There's definitely some hokiness to some of it but it doesn't have the 90210 teeny bop nature that I've come to loathe from some other "horror" series. Give brothers Sam and Dead a try as they battle the supernatural!
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/a-m/ifm/ifm_fs.jpg
3. Invaders From Mars (1986)
You know it's bad when you think to yourself: Am I really put this onto my top 10 list? Yet I continue to find myself watching Tobe Hooper's 1986 remake, Invaders From Mars, year after year. Many regulars of the site know I love nostalgia and that I grew up in the 80s and love decade and all of the wonderful, cheesy horror it produced. That's definitely part of the charm in Invaders From Mars. It transports me back to my childhood when my dad, a box of cheez-its or bag of M&Ms by his side, would all too often be watching our dubbed copy of this alien invasion movie. You can laugh at the effects and acting today, but I certainly continue to enjoy and recommend it.
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/n-z/rotld3/rotld3_fs.jpg
2. Return of the Living Dead III (1993)
While Part 2 continue to be my favorite sequel of the series, Return of the Living Dead III took the series in a new direction by throwing a love story into the mix. There's plenty of gore (be sure to watch the unrated cut) and the beautiful Melinda Clarke may just be the sexiest zombie to ever grace the big screen. It may break away from the cemetery formula that worked so well in the first two, but this third entry is just as enjoyable and stands well on its own. It's just a shame the subsequent sequels failed so miserably.
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/pictures/rightone.jpg
1. Let The Right One In (2008)
I hated to go with a predictable choice for my number one slot. I also didn't want to go just the opposite, with a choice no one would ever expect, or to buck the trend (again) and choose a book. Instead I thought to myself: What's my favorite horror movie from the last decade? What's the one that really made me believe there was still some originality left in our beloved genre. For many, my pick of the Swedish film, Let The Right One In, may leave you scratching your head, but I'll be damned if I just haven't fallen in love with the movie. It's a well told tale of a young boy named Oskar that befriends a girl named Eli that just moved in next door. He doesn't know it at first, but Eli is a blood thirsty vampire. It's a simple story but it's sweet and touching. For me, there was just something incredibly creepy about a child vampire. There doesn't have to be torture and shocking amounts of blood and violence to produce scares. Stillness and imagery can still produce scares, and quite well. It shows that not only is there some originality left in the genre but even a subgenre like vampires can have some freshness to it. Well done and not to be missed.
http://horrordigital.com/reviews/pictures/b_dave11.jpg
You know it seems like only yesterday it was Halloween 2010. I guess that is what happens as life starts to pass you by. And now that Halloween 2011 is here, it seems like it's passed in a flash. The month for horror fans comes and goes far too quickly each year, so lets enjoy it while it's still here. After all, for many it's the month in which we are able to get family and friends to watch our favorite genre. I'm blessed to be married to a woman that loves horror movies as much as I. Make the next ten days count and watch some of my favorites!
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/a-m/fd/fd_fs.jpg
10. Final Destination (2000)
I want to call Final Destination a guilty pleasure but that could be said for a lot of my favorite horror flicks. Perhaps it's not a guilty pleasure but simply a fun horror flick that entertains. Is there anything guilty about that? Call it what you will; the original Destination is still my favorite and launched a series featuring creative kill scenes as groups of survivors tried to fend off their inevitable date with death. With Candyman Tony Todd making a cameo, the original Final Destination is a fun little ride for a Halloween viewing.
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/pictures/fright.jpg
9. Fright Night (2011)
I remember back in 1998 when I decided I hated remakes due to the shot-for-shot remake of the Hitchcock's Psycho. What a waste. Over the years, though, I discovered remakes can be a great thing. Dawn of the Dead (2004) proved that quite nicely. The trick is not a shot-for-shot remake like Van Sant's abortion, but rather a new take on the original. Good or bad, do something different and live with the results! Fright Night (2011) did just that. Like the original, the remake is a fun flick but is a new take on the story. David Tennant really steals the show as Peter Vincent, magician and vampire killer. His character and performance is a fun new take over that of the original Peter Vincent played by Roddy McDowall. While I'm not the biggest Colin Farrel fan, I have to admit I enjoyed his performance as the sick, twisted, and seemingly bored with life vampire, Jerry. And lets not forget Imogen Poots who has grown quite nicely since her 28 Weeks Later days. While the 3D seems more of an unnecessary after thought, Fright Night (2011) is a remake not to be missed.
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/a-m/dagon/dagon_fs.jpg
8. Dagon (2001)
I loved Dagon when it first came out and after a recent viewing, that love stayed strong. It's a well told monster movie based on an H.P. Lovecraft tale and is directed by genre great Stuart Gordon. It has all the ingredients necessary for an enjoyable horror movie: atmosphere, nudity, monsters, and even an engaging story. Perhaps it's biggest accomplishment is proving that a low budget movie doesn't have to look low budget, and can even have beautiful scenes leaving you in awe. I found it to have great replay value and look forward to watching it for many years to come.
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/a-m/dz/dz_fs.jpg
7. The Dead Zone (1983)
I was such a Stephen King nut as a kid, and even to this day I continue to enjoy his writing. What a disappointment to know just how great his books are yet how equally terrible so many of his movies turned out. The Dead Zone (1983) manages to stand out as one of the best King adaptations on the big screen, in big part thanks to director David Cronenberg and actor Christopher Walken. What's interesting, and perhaps why I can enjoy it so much, is that it remains one of the few King books I haven't read. King has always produced amazing characters that you care about and Cronenberg and Walken seem to carry that over onto this adaptation. On top of that you have a great villain with Martin Sheen portraying the power hungry Greg Stillson. Throw in some suspense and you have yourself one of King's best horror movies to date.
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/a-m/kkfos/kkfos_fs.jpg
6. Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)
Okay, Killer Klowns From Outer Space simply has to fall into a genuine guilty pleasure category. It's a bad movie but a fun movie with killer clowns from outer space doing whacky things with popcorn guns and cotton candy cocoons. It reeks of the 80s and that's part of its charm. Give credit where credit is due, though; the Chiodo brothers made some great looking clowns. The guys truly work magic with the effects for such a low budget feature. It's a fun flick not to be missed. Lets hope if the 3D "requel" ever comes to fruition that the Chiodos can recapture some of the magic of the original.
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/pictures/thedead.jpg
5. The Dead (2010)
This zombie flick seemingly came out of nowhere. I stumbled upon some discussion of it on Facebook and decided to track it down and see it for myself. Evacuation is taking place as the African coast becomes overrun with the living dead. The story features Lt. Brian Murphy as he tries to escape and reunite with his family. It's full of wonderful visuals and proves that slow zombies still have some life left in them. There's not lots of gore to see, and it may be a bit slow for some, but most will find enjoyment in the tension, beautiful scenery, and creepy looking zombies. Recommended.
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/pictures/supernatural.jpg
4. Supernatural (2005-ongoing)
I love when I discover a great movie or series due to this very site. That's exactly what happened in the case of Supernatural. I'm always on the lookout for a new series, or new to me in this case, to check out. When I saw Chunkblower post his blu-ray review to Supernautral: Season One, I decided to give the series a try. Boy was I glad I did! It's a great series that both my wife and I continue to enjoy as we slowly work our way through (currently on the fifth season). There's definitely some hokiness to some of it but it doesn't have the 90210 teeny bop nature that I've come to loathe from some other "horror" series. Give brothers Sam and Dead a try as they battle the supernatural!
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/a-m/ifm/ifm_fs.jpg
3. Invaders From Mars (1986)
You know it's bad when you think to yourself: Am I really put this onto my top 10 list? Yet I continue to find myself watching Tobe Hooper's 1986 remake, Invaders From Mars, year after year. Many regulars of the site know I love nostalgia and that I grew up in the 80s and love decade and all of the wonderful, cheesy horror it produced. That's definitely part of the charm in Invaders From Mars. It transports me back to my childhood when my dad, a box of cheez-its or bag of M&Ms by his side, would all too often be watching our dubbed copy of this alien invasion movie. You can laugh at the effects and acting today, but I certainly continue to enjoy and recommend it.
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/n-z/rotld3/rotld3_fs.jpg
2. Return of the Living Dead III (1993)
While Part 2 continue to be my favorite sequel of the series, Return of the Living Dead III took the series in a new direction by throwing a love story into the mix. There's plenty of gore (be sure to watch the unrated cut) and the beautiful Melinda Clarke may just be the sexiest zombie to ever grace the big screen. It may break away from the cemetery formula that worked so well in the first two, but this third entry is just as enjoyable and stands well on its own. It's just a shame the subsequent sequels failed so miserably.
http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/pictures/rightone.jpg
1. Let The Right One In (2008)
I hated to go with a predictable choice for my number one slot. I also didn't want to go just the opposite, with a choice no one would ever expect, or to buck the trend (again) and choose a book. Instead I thought to myself: What's my favorite horror movie from the last decade? What's the one that really made me believe there was still some originality left in our beloved genre. For many, my pick of the Swedish film, Let The Right One In, may leave you scratching your head, but I'll be damned if I just haven't fallen in love with the movie. It's a well told tale of a young boy named Oskar that befriends a girl named Eli that just moved in next door. He doesn't know it at first, but Eli is a blood thirsty vampire. It's a simple story but it's sweet and touching. For me, there was just something incredibly creepy about a child vampire. There doesn't have to be torture and shocking amounts of blood and violence to produce scares. Stillness and imagery can still produce scares, and quite well. It shows that not only is there some originality left in the genre but even a subgenre like vampires can have some freshness to it. Well done and not to be missed.