Happy Halloween. I don't have too much time to write this entry, but in the spirit of Halloween I just wanted to mention a decent "documentary" from the other day on AMC about the 20 scariest movies of all-time, called appropriately enough "Entertainment Weekly's 20 Scariest Movies of All-time". I am unsure when it will be replayed again (or even if it was made this year), but Bruce Campbell hosted it with his usual wry humor. Their top 20 movies of all-time in no particular order to follow:
Evil Dead
The Exorcist
An American Werewolf in London
Carrie
Psycho
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Jaws
Lost Highway
The Hitcher
A Nightmare on Elm Street
The Omen
Se7en
The Shining
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Poltergeist
Silence of the Lambs
Night of the Living Dead
The Thing
Halloween
I've seen at least part of 17 of these movies and have a memory of the entirety of 14 of them. It is hard to argue with this list (at least if you live in America). Two movies out this weekend may make this list (Saw, The Grudge). My big quibble is with Lost Highway, which even if I totally understood it has no place on this list, though it does have one of the great freaky scenes of all-time (Just imagine an albino midget standing in front of you while a voice on the phone tells you "I'm in your house, right, now". I suspect Henry: The Portrait of a Serial Killer also does not belong on this list. I would replace those two with The Ring and The Blair Witch Project, but admittedly, neither one of those movies would crack the top ten of this list.
Update: The Sixth Sense also deserves to be on this list.
Posted by shs4 at October 31, 2004 12:38 PM | TrackBackI think you mean "wry" humor, chief. That is, of course, unless I am eating a Reuben on Bruce Campbell's humor...j/k.
I agree regarding The Ring. Perhaps it was too psychological.
Posted by: Mr. Sparkle at November 2, 2004 10:50 PMHey, I speak into the machine and it does what it does.
After seeing Bruce Campbell too much on TV this Halloween weekend, I have to say he may be having too close an association with Reubens recently.
Posted by: shs4 at November 2, 2004 11:04 PMSaw The Grudge yesterday (did not "Saw Saw"). I wouldn't say it is unbelievably horrible, but definitely does not make this list. What amazes me is that many people said Ju-on was scarier than Ringu and though I am firmly in the camp that The Ring is scarier than Ringu (yes, cultural difference may play a role), I thought The Grudge could challenge The Ring. Horror movies become classics by bringing something original to the screen, but unfortunately, due in part to The Ring coming to America first, there wasn't much new ground here. The Ring was special in part by the amazing atmosphere it created, but The Grudge was amazing predictable in being "un-predictable". When one leaves the theater, there is a definite feeling that something about Japanese cultural hasn't been successfully conveyed to American audiences. I still have hopes for Saw, but from what I've read about this movie I feel comparisons to Silence of the Lambs and Seven may not quite be accurate.
Posted by: shs4 at November 6, 2004 11:13 PM