The Accelerated Version Of The 30 Day Movie Challenge, Horror Edition: Part Two

Here is the second half of the list of my 30-Day movie challenge.   If you missed part one, click here. 
Otherwise, enjoy the ride...

31) A film you watch to feel good:  Suspiria.  Yeah, that sounds weird.  But when I'm down and want to experience a mood-changer, Suspiria is the film I take off my shelf.  Escapism at its best.  Who's with me?
God I love Argento.

32) A film that reminds you of someone:  Faces of Death.  Totally takes me back to high school when my same age uncle Shawn and I watched this because we heard how "extreme" it was.  (No one mentioned how fake it is, though!)  Just the film to watch when I'm sitting down to my monkey brain dessert.

33) A film that reminds you of your past:  When a Stranger Calls.  As a babysitting teen myself, this film scared the hell out of me and put me on edge every time I sent a kid's parents out the door.  The first twenty minutes are literally terrifying, they still affect me even now.

34) A film you can quote best:  Shaun of the Dead.  SHAUN: Take car. Go to Mum's. Kill Phil - "Sorry." - grab Liz, go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all of this to blow over. How's that for a slice of fried gold? ED: Yeah, boyyyeee!

35)  A film with your favorite actor (male):  From Hell.  Mr Johnny Depp makes my head spin and my heart pound faster no matter what he is doing.... But a bathtub scene?  The movie gods were smiling on me for that one!

36) A film with your favorite actor (female): The Howling: I don't really have a favorite actress, so I chose my favorite horror actress, Dee Wallace.  She's been in many of my favorite horror flicks, and she always adds substance even if there is very little to be found elsewhere.  I love her.  Even when she is turning into a lycanthrope!

37) A film you used to love but now hate: Child's Play.  I hate dolls, I really do.  I think it stems from my dislike of small humans in general.  But I liked Chucky at first.  Till about the two hundredth time I heard him say 'friends to the end".  I don't think I've seen this movie in fifteen years or so.  No plans to.  Ugh.

38) A film you used to hate but now love: I used to hate Dead Silence.  I think it stems from my pure unadulterated hatred of dolls (see #37)  They freak me out and make me uneasy.  But I actually think this film goes a long way to help me face my fears.  That and Ryan Kwanten.  He could make anyone love him...

39) A favorite horror film with animals:  Well I should say The Birds, right?  But instead I will stick to Rogue, a film about a giant crocodile.  Two reasons:  1) It's a great film. 2) Much as I love Jaws, I vacation at the beach and worry about sharks the whole time I'm there. I don't go anywhere that I have to worry about crocs.  Hence, I can love it easily and with reckless abandon. 

40) A film that no one expected you to like: Rest Stop. Truly one of my guilty pleasures, it's a pretty awful film that I throw in the DVD player occasionally. Bad acting and a heinous script, plus Joey Lawrence takes a bullet to the head...maybe two.  It's so bad it's good. Well, even that is questionable.

41) A film by your least favorite director:  House of the Dead (Uwe Boll). The rumors are all true. Uwe Boll is a fairly awful director who makes really bad films.  I dare someone to argue that fact.  Yeah, I didn't think so... Fact of the matter is:  Blood does not a good horror film make.  Uwe, you suck.

42) A film by your favorite director:  The Birds (Hitchcock) -Quite frankly, there is no way to touch the body of Hitchcock's work as far as being my favorite.  He's got such a resume of fantastic films I just can't begin to express my admiration for the man.  But I do know: this scene above freaked me the fuck out!

43) Your favorite film as a teen:  Halloween (1978)  Still in my top ten, Halloween is a film that I have loved unconditionally since I first saw it at the tender age of twelve.  For years I called it my favorite, until both Psycho and Jaws moved ahead in the line.  The art of 'what you can't see scares you more' is at its most profound here.  

44) The most atmospheric horror film you have seen: Oh hell.  There have been so many - lots of creepy mist and graveyards and haunted houses in my past.  But for sheer spookiness:  the original The Woman in Black (1989) - One of the only times ever that my hair stood on end in a few scenes.  Serious chills.

45) Favorite documentary horror:  Cropsey.  I love a true story that is scary as much as it is believable. This is a great film to watch back to back with The Burning, as that 80's film is based on this real-life crime.  Besides that, the score of the film is top-notch.

46) Favorite thriller/mystery:  Rear Window (1954)  Who doesn't scope out their neighbors?  Don't we all wonder what's going on next door?  And given the opportunity don't we rubberneck trying to see just what they are up to?  Well what if they were up to murder?  What would YOU do??

47) Favorite sci-fi film:   Alien.  While many folks are more fond of Aliens, I am a straight-up Alien girl.  The first time I saw it I was in nothing other than wonder. I couldn't believe something could freak me out so utterly.  I still love throwing it in the DVD player and watching it dance the dance.  That effing alien is one tough customer.  Ah, but so is Sigourney!

48) Best horror movie you saw during the last year:  I have no idea.  I can't remember exactly when I saw I Saw the Devil, but it was absolutely stunning.  I also loved Jane Eyre and on DVD: Absentia and The Caller. I think I'll just go with I Saw the Devil.

49) An underrated horror film:  Stir of Echoes. As I've previously mentioned, this film had the unfortunate distinction of coming out the same year as The Sixth Sense.  Here we have a less assuming Kevin Bacon, confused by a hypnotic trip to the dark side and struggling to solve a mystery before he loses his mind. In my opinion, a better film than its popular brother-film.

50) Favorite made for TV horror movie:  IT.  I like a lot of made for TV horror, including my runner up Dark Night of the Scarecrow, but pound for pound, it's gotta be IT.  That damn clown.  The Losers Club/Lucky Seven. That spooky sewage drain. While the ending is on the lame-o side, the whole of the film takes me back to my youth, when friendship was all that mattered and loyalty was all that counted.

51) A horror film that makes you really happy:  So many horror movies make me happy.  Even with all the scares and gore I still find extreme satisfaction when I'm watching one. Certain ones come to mind in the "happy" category though.  Most of all is Young Frankenstein.  Not just because it is a horror-comedy.
Just because of everything.

52) A horror film that makes you sad:  Let's Scare Jessica to Death.  It just has a subtle way about it. Essentially, one can't be sure if Jessica is just depressed, a little looney, or completely off her rocker.  I always feel so bad for her because everyone around her tends to think it's "all in her head", and we are never sure if it actually is.  Either way, Jessica has a melancholy manner about her throughout that leaves me feeling the same way.  

53) Favorite love story in a horror movie:  Jane Eyre (2011).  I know, not traditional horror. But truly a gothic love story at its best.  I can't tell you how much I am growing to love Michael Fassbender.  (Well, technically, I can.  I love him. There it is.) And I like this adaption as well if not more than the Ciaran Hinds version) Well played, Michael, well played indeed.

54) Most surprising plot twist or ending:  The Mist.  Holy hell, that was harsh!  That ending was completely unexpected, depressing and perfect.  I bow to its brilliance, its ability to coax such a strong, gut-wrenching emotion out of me.  I do believe I may have shed a tear or two.  Whoa.

55) A horror movie you've seen countless times:  The Silence of the Lambs.  Just put the fucking lotion in the basket, already!  With parts of this film made a few blocks from my own home, I hold a special place in my heart for Clarice & Co.  And let's face it, it's a DAMN fine film!

56) A horror film that disappointed you the most:  The Village. It's not that I don't like the film, because I do. But seriously, it just seemed like it would be so incredibly atmospheric and downright creepy - those dark woods with their menacing creatures.  Not since HE WHO WALKS BEHIND THE ROWS tried to scare the crap out of me have I been so underwhelmed by a film, in particular the ending.

57) A movie you wish more people would have seen: The Dark (2005). I've been championing this film for quite some time.  Weaving dark Welsh legends with beautiful scenery and fine acting, it's one of my favorite slow burns.  Creepy as all get out.

58) Favorite movie based on a book:  The Shining. Yeah, I know Stephen King didn't like the adaptation, and YES I've read the actual book, many times - it's one of my most favorites - but I happen to truly enjoy what Kubrick did with this film.  It's so affecting in so many ways. Does anyone DISlike it??

59) A movie you wish you'd seen in theaters:  Jaws.  Someday I hope to get the opportunity to see this on the big screen.  I keep thinking the theater I go to will have it playing some Halloween or a hot summer weekend...I keep my fingers crossed, because not only is it one of my three most favorite films EV-AH, I can't imagine the glee I would experience just to hear Brody say "You're gonna need a bigger boat" on the BIG screen.  IMAX would be all the better, if my stomach could take it. 

60) Favorite friendship in a film:  Shaun & Ed (Shaun of the Dead):  No other horror friendship plays it as straight-forward as these two.  They are made for each other, whether downing pints at the Winchester, whipping Sade albums at the undead, or playing electro amidst a zombie apocalypse.  They just gel.

Roots of Horror: You're Entering A Different Dimension

Greetings, all! And welcome to the second installation to my series, Roots of Horror, which explores the inspiration behind our favorite spooky stories and the fantastic phenomena of the spectral world.

Today we travel to a different dimension… a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind. Journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination—that’s the signpost up ahead, your next stop, The Twilight Zone. A most beloved series created by Rod Serling, I’m sure all of you are as great of fans as I. Let us inspect a few episodes and the fascinating supernaturality that is rooted in them. (WARNING: Mild spoilers are issued below for those who are not familiar with these episodes)

PHONE CALLS FROM THE DEAD

Two episodes concern the same phenomena that is called simply and aptly, “phone calls from the dead”. Those two are “Long Distance Call” and “Night Call”.

Admittedly, the idea and very name of this particular supernatural occurrence may seem pretty silly to skeptics, but is very highly reported; so common that we see it twice in the original Twilight Zone series.

The first episode to deal with it is “Long Distance Call”, which appears in season two. The story is of a young boy and who is gifted a toy telephone through which he may contact his deceased grandmother. “Night Call” tells of an elderly woman who is plagued by mysterious phone calls in the middle of the night. The line is traced to a local cemetery, and eventually, to the grave of her late husband.

Although the name seems to say it all, there are a few consistent factors that are present in stories and reports of phone calls from the dead. The calls are almost always made by a lost relative or someone who very close to the recipient in life. In some cases the caller is thought to be conveying a message, but often the dead are simply believed to want to make contact, as seems the situation in these two episodes. However, there are a few differences between the episodes, and interesting enough, they both coincide with actual reports of phone calls from the dead!

Most often it seems that the phone calls occur within twenty-four hours of the person’s death, such is the case in “Long Distance Call”, when the little boy starts talking to his grandmother through his toy telephone within a day of her death. Another element that is highly reported is that the phone connection is usually very bad, as it is in “Night Call”. The old woman picks up the phone to hear mostly static on the line, with faint moaning speech breaking through every now and then. Indeed, she cannot even make out the words!

Another thing that is strange, but does not occur in either episodes, is that researchers on the subject have gathered that sometimes the deceased person making the call tell of someone allowing them to do so—a “they”. Any happening of this phenomena is quite mysterious, and it leads one to ponder just how the
 deceased are able to make this particular type of contact, and how difficult or unfavorable it might be.

These days parapsychologists don’t take the idea of phone calls from the dead very seriously, but in the mid-twentieth century reports could be found in newspapers, and two parapsychologists, D. Scott Rogo and Raymond Bayless, were so interested that they published a book in 1979. Simply titled Phone Calls From the Dead, the book became and remains the leading source on the subject.

By the way, anyone remember the movie One Missed Call? That movie was terrible…

PHANTOM HITCHHIKERS

My all-time FAVORITE Twilight Zone episode is from the very first season, and it is called “The Hitch-Hiker”. It follows a young woman, traveling cross-country on her own, who is stalked by the same mysterious hitchhiker the entire journey.

This story plays on the very common urban legend of “phantom hitch-hikers”. Tales of this like have been told all over the world, but most commonly in the United States. There are many variations, but the story usually goes that a person driving on some lonely road stops for a hitchhiker. The hitchhiker is quiet, not saying much, and is dropped off at a residence. Before the driver pulls away, they notice that their passenger has left something behind—a scarf, coat, hairpin, etc. They run quickly up to the house and knock on the door, which is answered by a stranger. The driver explains the situation, but the stranger sadly tells them that the person they are speaking of has died several years ago. The hitchhiker in the stories is usually thumbing up at the spot where they were killed, and often appear there on the anniversary of their death.

The Twilight Zone episode does not take on this structure, but a unique one applying the basic elements of the phantom hitchhiker legend and the result is an extremely unsettling and satisfying story.

Perhaps the most famous “real-life” phantom hitchhiker is that of Resurrection Mary from Chicago, Illinois. In life, she was a young girl in a dress and dancing shoes walking home from the dancing hall one night when she was struck by a car and killed. The driver fled, never to be identified. Now she stalks the road where she was killed, hitching rides and sitting quietly in the car until it passes Resurrection Cemetery, where she either vanishes or is dropped off, only to disappear through the iron gates…

If you have any experiences similar to these phenomena, please feel free to share! Also if you know of any legends, books, or movies that are relevant, let me know!

~MR

Dark Shadows (2012): A Gothic Comedy?

Despite my passion for all things Johnny Depp, I shall attempt to provide an honest review of his most recent collaboration with Tim Burton, Dark Shadows.

As  kid, I remember my grandmother watching the serial soap opera of the same name, and I recall checking out reruns of it later on some television channel that is probably now defunct.  So I have a great understanding of the basic plot here.  Barnabas Collins appears at his family estate to resume his control and to find his long lost love.

When I first heard that Depp had a major interest in the TV series and was planning to headline a theatrical remake, I was in heaven.  After all, I love vampires, I love Johnny.  Perfect, right?  Though I did have some reservations about whether or not Depp could pull off the tall, imposing character of Barnabas.  But he'd went goth before and no doubt could do it again.

I assumed that the re-do would be dark - perhaps even sinister.  The soap opera could only go so far on daytime television, so I really thought the film could get truly gothic and would pull out all the stops.  I had no idea until I saw the trailer that they'd went for laughs instead of frights.  To be fair, the soap was campy.  But after bearing witness to this new version of Barnabas & Co., I'm really not sure what to make of it. And this distresses me a great deal.

Barbabas Collins (Depp) has arisen from the grave 200 years after being imprisoned there by Angelique Bouchard (played with great fervor by the gorgeous Eva Green), a scorned lover who just happened to be a witch.  Making his way back to his family estate, Collinwood, he discovers all that is left of his home is a bizarre assortment of family members and a frequently sloshed shrink, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter).

Burton was fortunate to cast some talented actors in his eighth film with Depp.  Michelle Pfeiffer portrays Collins matriarch Elizabeth and seems to enjoy the over-the-top acting required of her in the role.  Jackie Earle Haley didn't have quite enough to do as Barnabas's right hand man, Willie Loomis, but was perfectly cast nonetheless.  Jonny Lee Miller, as Roger, Elizabeth's brother is a bit of an asshole.  His son David (Gulliver McGrath) yearns for his dad to take notice of him and console him after the untimely death of his mother, with whom David claims speaks to him - but Roger is too busy to care.  The other Collins of the quartet is Carolyn (Chloe Grace Moretz), an audacious teenager who has a surprise or two up her sleeve. There is also an elderly maid, Mrs. Johnson (Ray Shirley), who has nothing at all to do here except age.

As stated, Eva Green as Angelique is probably the pick of the litter here, relishing the devious nature of her character. She's just great!
The only person I thought was slightly miscast was the pivotal role of Victoria Winters.  While I will say Bella Heathcote does a fine job with the role (and it's obvious she'd be perfect in something like Jane Eyre), I just didn't feel her in the role of Barnabas's sweetheart.  While I realize Josette/Victoria was supposed to be young, Heathcote just looked TOO young.  I would have liked to have seen someone a bit older in the role so that Barnabas didn't appear to be robbing the cradle and swapping spit with a Justin Beiber fan.  To assume she'd have enough experience of any kind to become a governess for young David was just a bit much.  I do realize that Heathcote is 24 (I have Google, too) - but they had her so dressed down with little to no makeup whatsoever, she looked 15.  She'd be ideal for the next season of Glee, provided she could sing....

I digress.  The film starts out promisingly enough, with a bit of back story into the Collins name and how they made their fortune in America.  Lucky son Barnabas has all the pleasures one is afforded in an affluent lifestyle such as theirs.  He also has the extreme misfortune of jilting a servant girl he had been dallying with.  Angelique thought she had secured Barnabas's love, and when he unceremoniously dumps her, her true nature is revealed.  She is a witch, and not only kills his parents in a freak "accident", she also puts a spell on Barnabas's betrothed, Josette, causing her to walk off a cliff and plunge to the rocks below. Not quite finished, Angelique curses Barnabas to be a vampire, then buries him 'alive', leaving him to rot for two centuries.
 
Flash forward to 1972.  A young woman named Maggie is on her way to Collinsport to attain a job as a governess to David Collins.  On her way, she decides to conceal her identity and changes her name to Victoria Winters, though we are never to learn why.  As the train travels north to Maine, we are treated to the melancholy tune of Nights in White Satin, setting the stage for what we hope to be a gothic tale of love and damnation.  Um, not so fast.

Barnabas wakes after some construction workers discover his casket.  He quickly disperses of them as only a vampire can (but we are not really treated to the actual killings, very little gore here, folks).  He is certain that the devil has come calling for him, in particular when he sees the giant golden arches of McDonalds and takes it as the sign for Mephistopheles... Seriously.  Product placement like you've never seen before.  It is here where I had to consider that Burton was going to seriously fuck with this film. 

Arriving at Collinwood to discover the house in a sad state of disrepair, Barnabas demands to know what happened. Elizabeth explains that the Collins fortune has been overturned because of Angelique Bouchard, who has made her own fortune in the fishing business by bewitching and hexing the fisherman to be loyal only to her.  (By the way, great cameo by Sir Christopher Lee as an elderly fishing captain. Perfect!)

Barnabas meets and greets the rest of the family, who have been told he is a family relative from England.  He also catches the eye of Victoria, and in doing so he is flabbergasted to see she is a doppelganger of Josette.  And so it begins.

By that I mean the story attempts to keep us interested as it goes along its merry way.  Angelique is now a pillar of the community, and when she finds Barnabas restoring his family's fishing company to its previous glory (by bespelling the fishing captains to do his bidding - two can play at that game!), she demands he join her or suffer the consequences.  Meanwhile, Dr. Hoffman tells Barnabas she can reverse his curse, and begins to give him frequent transfusions. Additionally, Barnabas and Josette Maggie Victoria are getting cozy and getting down to the tunes of Alice Cooper.  No, I'm more than serious.  Barnabas has a big ball (yeah, go there if you want to- the film did) and headlining the entertainment is the shock rocker himself.  This was a ridiculous display of WTF. While I like Cooper as well as the next guy, this segment of the film (along with an unbelievably stupid sex scene) really drug the film further down into absurdity.

More of this please....

Not everything was bad.  A film with Johnny Depp is still A FILM WITH JOHNNY DEPP to me, so I would never say I hated it.  There are elements that are enjoyable, and much of the funny "oh shit, it's 1972??!" shtick was amusing.  But I really felt it missed the mark on a lot of golden opportunities.  Yes, the original daytime soap opera was campy and even inane at times, but let's not forget it held a certain charm in its gothic silliness.

....and less of this.

Without Depp as the star here, it would be much less forgivable and much more laughable.  And not in a good way.  There is a scene in which we are to assume that Dr. Hoffman goes down on Barnabas...one of those 'fade to black'-type scenes.  A seriously daft moment in the script, if I do say so.  It had no bearing on the story and when it happened I kind of cringed.  No, I think I totally cringed.
Unnecessary and pointless.  To have it there just for a laugh was inappropriate and way too corny!

So what am I to make of this hot mess that is Dark Shadows?  Well, I will say I was entertained.  I didn't walk out, didn't bitch too loudly, and will probably buy on DVD (as I do with most Depp films).  But as a legitimate remake of the wonderfully campy and unforgettable daytime soap?  Nah.  It falls flat and has too many pedestrian jokes and too much quirky, offbeat humor.  Just when you think they are "getting it", it practically morphs into a stand-up routine or a skit on SNL.  If you've seen the extended trailer, you've seen most of the funny scenes.

It's a beautiful film, as most of Burton's films are, and the musical score by Burton fave Danny Elfman works here.(Though to be honest, some scenes almost felt like they should have cartoon musical interludes instead of legit scoring!)  The set design is gorgeous, the costumes are faultless, and most of the acting is polished.  But somewhere in there is the gothic horror film I wish they'd made.  Maybe they wish they'd made it too.

The Accelerated Version Of The 30 Day Movie Challenge, Horror Edition, Part One

I've always wanted to do the "30 Day Movie Challenge" and just never had the time. So instead, I combined a few of the challenges into one and here they are, in two parts.  NO lines, NO waiting.  NO bullshit.

1) Your First Horror Movie :  Friday the 13th (1980) - While I did watch a lot of Vincent Price films when I was a kid, this movie was really the first film that made me say "Hmm....I think I like this stuff!" It was a turning point. I was twelve, and that is when I started actively seeking out horror.

2) The Last Horror Movie You Saw In The Theatre :  The Woman in Black (2012).  Since I started this post, I've actually just seen Dark Shadows just this week.  But I'm leaving this version of TWIB here, because DS was less horror, more camp for me.  This was a pretty good spook film. Not as good as the original, mind you.

3) Favorite Classic Horror Movie :  Psycho (1960). Can there really be any other answer from me? Certainly not. If you'd like an even older film, I'd go with Freaks (1932). But my heart is always with Norman.  No big shocker there.

4) A Horror Movie You Thought You'd Love But Didn't :  Drag Me To Hell.  Not that I hate it, but with Sam Raimi's name attached, I really thought it would be so much better.  For me, it was just Meh.
 

5) Favorite Horror Remake :  The Thing (1982).  Good remakes are hard to come by, but it can be done. And it can be done very well. Case in point:  Carpenter's stellar re-do of an early 50's classic.  By the way, my runner-up would be Dawn of the Dead (2004).

6) Favorite Vampire Movie :  Let the Right One In (2003).  As a mega-fan of the fanged fiends, it's hard to pick a favorite.  But this film was so beautiful.  So goddamned perfect. I also enjoyed the remake (Let Me In, 2010) from a few years ago as well.

7) A Horror Movie You Think No One Has Seen :   The Locals (2003).  I don't even know how I happened upon this low-budget Kiwi film.  Nor do I recall when I bought the DVD.  But I know it's a creepy little movie that few people saw.  You should remedy that.

8) Favorite Foreign Horror :  I Saw the Devil (2010).  This is an extremely difficult question, as I have a ton of favorite foreign horror (The Devil's Backbone, Cold Prey, Shiver, The Eye, The Orphanage, Profondo Rosso. etc). But this kick-ass revenge film struck a chord with me.  I've already seen it several times since I bought it last year.
 

9) Favorite Supernatural/Ghost Horror Movie :   The Woman in Black (1989).  I don't know how many times I can reiterate my love for this one, folks.  You're probably so tired of hearing it, but I'm going to say it again - THIS FILM IS AWESOME! My favorite favorite ghost story....evah.
 

10) Horror Movie Everyone Loves But You Don't :   The Monster Squad (1987).  I guess it was just a little too silly for me, maybe just caught me at the wrong time.  Maybe I was too old when it came out. Had I been ten years younger in 1987 I probably would have loved it. But I just think it's so hokey, and not in a good way. Sorry.

11) Favorite Horror/Comedy : Shaun of the Dead (2004).  It's doubtful that there is a funnier horror film out there, except maybe Young Frankenstein.  It just takes everything that is hilarious about zombie movies and wraps it up with a big red bow.  Oh, you've got red on you.

12) Your Most Disturbing Horror Film :  À l'intérieur a.k.a. Inside (2007). This movie bothered me on so many levels. I may have chosen Martyrs or Irreversible if not this, but just being a woman and having a uterus made this film utterly terrifying.

13) Favorite Zombie Movie :  Night of the Living Dead (1968).  One of my favorite "comfort horror" films, I love to turn the lights off and cozy up on my couch to watch the film that all zombie films are judged by. Just classic, mind-blowing, statement-making horror.  The best.

14) Favorite Indie Horror Movie :  Absentia (2011).  While I'm not as versed in indie horror as some of my blogging counterparts, I know a good one when I see it.  And this film really rocked.  It's a slow burn, but really gets under your skin with its creepy imagery and subtle scares.

15) Favorite Monster Movie :  Frankenstein (1931).  I doubt I have to list the merits of this classic. But with all the monster movies out there, I still come back to this one.  The story is just so chilling and yet has such incredible heart. Runner-up: Gojira! (1954)

16) Favorite Werewolf movie:  An American Werewolf in London (1981).  How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways.  Nahhh, we'd be here all day.  Landis put a perfect mix of panic and humor in a movie that just NEVER GETS OLD!
 

17) Favorite 80's Horror :  Evil Dead II (1987).  Speaking of humor... Bruce Campbell is simply groovy in the second installment in the Evil Dead series.  While the first one had some comedic moments, this was Campbell's shining moment.  Let's give him a hand!

18) Favorite Horror Movie Filmed In Black & White:  Psycho (1960). Yep, Psycho makes the list twice.  Actually, it could be in several of these categories, but I'm trying to spread the love.  Just to show you I can be fair, I also love 1962's Carnival of Souls.  Great B & W stuff there, too!  But Psycho... well....it's PSYCHO!

19) Best Use Of Gore :  Frontier(s) (2007).  Table saws. Cut achilles tendons. Ax wounds. Throats torn out. Death by boiler. Knives, shotguns, and impalements.  No more proof necessary for this film to excel in this category.  An NC-17 rating probably helps its case.
 

             20) Favorite Horror Character (besides Norman Bates, because that's a given with me!) :  Ginny (Amy Steel, Friday the 13th Part 2, 1981).  I love everything about about Ginny! She's so smart and witty and sometimes just a goofball. Which is why she is here.  Sure, I could have picked Ash (Evil Dead) or Quint (Jaws) but would either one of them put on that ratty old blue sweater of Mrs. Voorhees?  I don't think so!

21) Best Horror Franchise :   Evil Dead series (1981-1992) - While I like other franchises, such as Friday the 13th and Halloween, all of the films within those franchises are not created equal.  In the Evil Dead films, they are all quite enjoyable, hence the reason I call them best. 

22) Best Death Scene :  Father Karras falling down the flight of steps and breaking his neck (The Exorcist, 1973).  Might not be the most gory or the most inventive, but for me, it had the biggest impact. My stomach still lurches as Karras is given last rites. Second to that would be Quint's death in Jaws. Yikes.

23) A Great Quote From A Horror Movie :  "You're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat" (Jaws, 1975) I've quoted Jaws so extensively I don't know where to begin.  But this is probably the most famous.
 

                        24)  Horror Film With A Great Soundtrack :   Angel Heart, 1987
Trevor Jones outdid himself on this atmospheric score to the mystery/thriller. The sultry jazz combined with old standards such as the fabulous 'Soul on Fire' by Lavern Baker (heard during the love scene) catapults this soundtrack to great heights.  I could have went with Psycho, Halloween, Jaws, or a hundred other scores, but feel that Angel Heart is sadly overlooked. 

25) Favorite 'Holiday' Horror Movie (other than one of the 'Halloween' films):  My Bloody Valentine (1981) It was a toss up for me here between this movie and April Fool's Day (1986). But I went with this one because it's such a classic slasher flick, and is so dated and hokey!  But here, in a good way!

26) Horror Movie For A Chicken :  Fright Night (1985) or Half Light (2006). Fright Night for potential monster fans, Half Light for ghost story buffs.  Both movies are pretty tame by horror movie standards, with Half Light being the more restrained of the two.
 

27) Your Guilty Pleasure Horror Movie :   Pet Sematary (1989) I can turn this one on and recite the lines with my eyes shut.  For some reason I have always loved it, and feel it is one of the better Stephen King adaptations, even with some of the watered-down acting. Zelda still give me goddamned nightmares. "Never get out of bed again!!"
 

28) Horror Film You'd Like To See Remade :  The Legend of Hell House (1973). Much as I love this film, I'd like to see what they could do with it these days.  And it's no secret I love a good haunted house flick.

29) Worst Horror Movie :   Borderline Cult (2007. God how I hate this film.  I can't even call it a film....it's such rubbish. Please, don't ever see this film! You've been warned.
 

30) Favorite All Time Horror Movie :  Jaws(1975).  My love for this film knows no bounds.  Psycho would definitely run a very close second. But you knew that already!  I don't know what I can say that I haven't already said.  It's perfect in every way.


*Next up, films like Suspiria, Jane Eyre, Let's Scare Jessica To Death, and Cropsey all make the list as answers.  So, what are the questions??