But wait a sec. It’s hard thing to point out a pure horror movie. Ya know, something that scare the shit out of you. So I’ve been lazy and included horror comedies, some thriller, some half-scifi’s… yes, everything that I consider a genre movie leaning towards horror or a close subject.
This is just my opinion and I just don’t care if anyone agrees with me. You will find some odd choices, but this is movies I’ve seen several times and I feel they’re getting better and better. Even if they are low budget bigfoot-movies or mainstream-thrillers about a smart cannibal. It saddens me that I’ve decided to leave out David Fincher’s Zodiac, because that’s THE best movie during the decade – but it borders to drama (the same thing with the equally brilliant Memories of Murder) and is not pure genre cinema.
You will also notice that I left out Asia completely, and that’s why I haven’t been THAT impressed by the horror movies from that area. There’s a lot good ones, even great ones… but no, they really never felt connected to me. I preferred their dramas, scifi’s, action flicks… but maybe I’m just tired of all these asian ghosts?
Okey, here it is, in chronological order:
2001
Hannibal (Ridley Scott)
- I’m not kidding you, but this is one of the most underrated movies of the decade. I’ve seen it so many times I just can’t count it anymore.
From Hell (The Hughes Brothers)
- Also criminally underrated. I don’t give a shit how brilliant Alan Moore’s original graphic novel is, I won’t read it anyway.
2002
Darkness (Jaume Balagueró)
- Forgotten, but still scary and creepy. And with a fabulous cast!
Bubba Ho-Tep (Don Coscarelli)
- Not even close to a horror movie, but the ingredienses are there. One of the warmest movies I’ve seen actually.
2003
Wrong Turn (Rob Schmidt)
- One of the real throwbacks to the "good old days", and it still works really good. Lovely backwood-slasher!
2004
Eyes of Crystal (Eros Puglielli)
- Brilliant and violent neo-giallo, one of the best giallos I’ve seen in many years!
Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright)
- The best horror comedy every made. I like it so much, I have a copy signed by the director and the two stars!
Dawn of the Dead (Zack Snyder)
- Yes, fantastic movie. Not so deep, but a helluva zombie-flick with tons of gore and very well made. A classic.
2005
The Descent (Neil Marshall)
- A list without this movie is not a list. You all know why.
Hostel (Eli Roth)
- Don’t get me started on stupid idiots calling this movie “torture porn” (and nowdays they, the same idiots, call every movie with blood “torture porn”). Still a very good movie.
Land of the Dead (George A. Romero)
- One of Romeros biggest hits, and a wonderful zombie-movie which seems a bit to static sometime, but Romero is Romero and he’s the zombie-master.
Isolation (Billy O'Brien)
- This is a movie that should be more talked about. Nothing special really, but a fine production with fine actors and a mutant cow. It can’t go wrong.
House of Wax (Jaume Collet-Serra)
- You are correct. This is a slasher-remake with Paris Hilton. But to be honest, it’s still a very entertaining, very violent and very handsome piece of shit. And I love it.
Cigarette Burns (John Carpenter)
- I updated the list with this masterwork of television. One of Carpenters best work ever, and it should be in the list.
2006
Abominable (Ryan Schifrin)
- A fantastic little creature feature with amazing gore and a cool script.
Mulberry Street (Jim Mickle)
- I consider this a masterpiece. Low low budget, smart, well acted and cool as hell. Everyone has to see it.
Slither (James Gunn)
- A big flop, but also a big movie with a big heart. And lot’s of slime.
Altered (Eduardo Sánchez)
- DTV can be wonderful, and here we have a very competent and smart little movie.
The Hills Have Eyes (Alexandre Aja)
- One of the best remakes ever made. To be honest, I even think the sequel is kinda fun ;)
2007
End of the Line (Maurice Devereaux)
- Another sleeper. Brutal and original, but never let’s you go. Great indie!
[Rec] (Jaume Balagueró)
- One more spanish masterpiece, this time one of the most intensive zombie/mutant movies ever made.
28 Weeks Later (Juan Carlos Fresnadillo)
- Sorry, this could probably be the most intensive zombie/mutant movie ever made. Also directed by a Spaniard!
Diary of the Dead (George A. Romero)
- Come on, this is fucking great. Clearly an experiment, but it get’s more impressive for every time I see it.
Hostel 2 (Eli Roth)
- Yes. I loved the sequel. If you don’t accept it, go and… do something else.
Planet Terror (Robert Rodriguez)
- This was one of the most enjoyable cinema experiences I’ve ever had.
The Mist (Frank Darabont)
- Could be the best King-adaptation so far. And a perfect ending to.
Mother of Tears (Dario Argento)
- Everybody with good taste hate it. I think it’s a tasteless, marvellous piece of Italian splatter.
2008
Mirrors (Alexandre Aja)
- Surprised? This is a good horror movie, and it’s never boring. That’s enough for me.
Martyrs (Pascal Laugier)
- Heaven. Pure heaven.
2009
Infestation (Kyle Rankin)
- Funny and charming, cool insects and a good story. One of the surprises of 2009.
Yes, folks. That’s all. I liked Paranormal Activity, but I’ve only seen in once. I’m still waiting for my blu-ray of Ink, and I just didn’t have time yet to see Seventh Moon yet. But I will. And I might regret that they never got on my 2009-list.
So, any comments?
14 comments:
I have seen a fair number you list there- a few more I personally would have thought of note-
Open Water- maybe not traditionally thought of as a horror film but I have revisited this one a number of times and it does get under the skin- in the same way fulci creates his "beyond" open water creates an endless place that is beyond the reach of hope. nothing but the unrelenting ocean that was slowly lapping at the human spirit. loved it!
another from I think the same year is the french film Dead End- one of the few horror films of the decade I can truly say I loved.
Pan's Labyrinth- horror film or faily tale for adults? Maybe there is no distinction. Incredible film though.
I really enjoyed Creep (2004) too, I do not like the claustrophobia of the London underground anyway but to turn it into a night time place of menace was just something that really worked for me.
Lastly Dead Man's Shoes- Shane Meadows!
This is by no means meant to be an alternative list to yours, you included many films I really enjoyed and left of the ones I didn't- jeepers creepers I didnt get at all. I just thought I would add a few because I was surprised they were overlooked for a best of list. :)
[REC] was an exceptional work, it really was!
It's a good comprehensive list.
I don't agree with all of the choices, but then again it's not my list :)
There's a cpl of ones I still haven't seen. Gonna ask you later if you think I'll like them ;)
I was surprised to find that neither the remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre nor Friday the 13:th nor any of the Saw movies made your list.
But then again, I'm kind of glad Zodiac didn't... ;)
Ok, time to stop pushing your buttons, or you might stop talking to me :D hehe
Nigel M: Thanks for your comment! This is silly, but I never heard about Dead End! I have to find it :)
When it comes to Creep... well, it never worked for me. I prefers Raw Meat or End of the Line in the same genre.
Stellan: Good, you know that you shouldn't provoce me ;) Zodiac is a masterpiece, and the TCM-remake is a darn good movie - but I had to stop somewhere! No Saw-movies? I like them, but it's no movies I've seen over and over again.
What?! No "Inside"? And what about the best asian horror in "Shutter"?
A good list nevertheless.
Anonymous: Embarrassing. I'm sure if I've seen either, that both of them would be on the list :)
My partner can only read english substitles (no swedish), so I stayed away from both of these until I will have a chance to buy them with english subtitles. I will try to watch Shutter before new year! Thanks for the reminder!
I'll second Nigel's DEAD MAN'S SHOES!! One of thee best ever!
What I thought was refreshing about the list was the absence of some of the obvious horror franchises- saw, jeepers creepers, and final destination (the movie equivilent of the board game mouse-trap)
As for my suggestions- creep, I understand your feelings about that one but I guess it is that it captured something for me a little personal- I always feel a little uneasy on the underground,
Dead End, I have to be careful recommending this stuff because it's all personal tastes but when I found it first it was as a rental and viewed it a number of times. I am a massive fan of lucio fulci and I love the way fulci creates a nightmare in the beyond. Dead End is not as successful in doing this but there is so many little moments of oddness in the film, but more like a well made twilight zone episode.
This is not to backtrack for one second- even though the ideas in dead end are not original they are from a pretty rich seam (though to allude to where would be too much of a spoiler)
OOO another one, while I think about it, was the Hole, okay it was nothing like the film promised by the trailer but I think what was actually offered was far smarter than the monster movie the advertising suggested we were going to get.ha
What about 2003? Not a good year?
Fredrik: A good question! I think there's no movies at 2000 either, and I'm sure there must be some good movies there to :)
But I just couldn't remember any. Do you have a suggestion or two?
Något härifrån kanske? http://www.blockbusteronline.com/movies/horror-g11-movies-2003.html
Fredrik: There you have it! Wrong Turn! I totally forgot this old favorite! :)
The London Underground can sure be creepy. I remember one time when a tube train stopped between two stations. The thing is nobody ever looks thru the windows between stations cos there's nothing there but a dark wall. However, I looked out and saw... a dark tube station! The only light there was the one coming from the train. No one was there. It was a ghost station. I looked at the other passengers and nobody noticed it cos they didn't look out, I was the only one who saw it. Pretty creepy! Later I learnt it was an old station that had been closed many years previously and that until a few years before my discovery (this was late 80s/early 90s) the old posters had still been up. I always felt like going back to explore but was too chicken shit to do so.
Jack: Cool! I love those places. We have a place like that in Stockholm, but it's half outside and in the middle of nowhere, so it feels like some deserted futuristic jungle-temple out there :)
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