Best in Show: Remaking the Classics (Part II of II)

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5. Halloween (2007)

When Rob Zombie remade the original Halloween he received a lot of flak. Some of it was warranted but, for the most part, the 2007 rendition of Halloween is fantastic. Far gorier, far more disturbed and almost as scary, Zombie's Halloween is a completely bloody nightmare. It's the type of movie that will stun you to watch. The unstoppable Michael Myers is particularly unstoppable in this one, with a much more grotesque and terrifying composure.  And, while some of the explicit moments could have been reeled in, the unraveled heap of torture is horrifying.

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4. Sorority Row (2006)

If When a Stranger Calls is the pinnacle of my high school horror days, then Sorority Row was a very close runner up. This movie is a pure, unattached mid-2000s slasher. It never once strives to be anything thought provoking but is so confident in it that it is amazing. From Carrie Fisher's house mother to the sorority girl nicknamed Jugs, this classic remake was an updated thrill ride of seismic proportions. The deaths are entertainment-driven and the dwindling numbers fed into all of the cliché, horror conventions known to man. It truly is one of the most thrilling, yet simultaneously comedic films to come out of the industry.

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3. The Crazies (2010)

The Crazies terrified me. It's the type of movie that never really fails to impress, regardless of how many times you see it. With compelling characters, an innate ability to capture an early post-apocalyptic atmosphere and an insane quarantine scene where a crazed person brings a pitchfork into a hospital room filled with restrained patients, this movie left me on the edge of my seat. And, while it arguably is better than the original and was received as such, the 2010 The Crazies definitely pays homage to its source material. It truly is an outstanding horror movie and generally underrated.

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2. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

Remaking such an iconic classic can be really hard. But, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake featuring Jessica Biel in one of her best roles to date is an undeniably strong film. With all of the grotesque features of the first, paired with spectacularly terrifying moments, this 2003 rendition worked way better than it should have. I remember one specific scene where Biel’s character and Leatherface are in the abandoned slaughterhouse and at one point he lunges underneath some grating after her. The room of people I watched it with unanimously shot out of their seats in fear, in what is perhaps one of the greatest jump scares of all time.

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1. Evil Dead (2013)

The cult classic Evil Dead invokes a lot of nostalgia from horror experts and intense fans everywhere. That's why it's particularly surprising how well this remake was received. Aside from the fact that it is particularly well-done, from the gore to the intense camerawork, every single moment of this film is heart-pounding. Evil Dead is an inexplicable masterpiece that runs parallel to the original. It truly deserves all of the credit it receives as such a stark, aggressively raw addition to a genre that by 2013 was relatively glossing over. Fair warning: it's incredibly dark and cold, so be ready if somehow you've missed it.

 

Best In Show: Possession Films (Part I of II)

Full disclosure: this list was nearly impossible to piece together. So many movies feature some variation or form of possession and every time I tried limiting myself to a certain dimension or aspect, I found something else that could count. So, I settled with a wide net and decided to just make a list that has possession in one form of another, but said possession must make up a substantial portion of the film, rather than a minor part. In addition, I took into account how much of the movie revolves around the possession and possible exorcism and then tried to determine placing based on that content, not the overall movie. Sounds reassuring, right? That's pretty much the resulting list, but it is done and it is here, so that's something:


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10. Deliver Us From Evil
Deliver Us From Evil isn't a great movie. The end scene is a really long, boring drag and some other aspects could be improved. But, this movie has some really spectacular lead-up scenes. From the moments in the zoo to the dark abandoned apartments, Deliver Us From Evil does provide some sense of dread, even if it is ruined by a far-too-long scene. It loses additional points for that scene being the actual exorcism and if a movie is about possession, shouldn't the eventual exorcism be amazing? Either way, this movie got a really bad rap when it came out but it's far more permissible than some of the weaker genre entries (The Devil Inside). 

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9. The Possession
The Possession isn't the best film. It brims with modern horror clichés like the craftsmen-style home with little personality and untimely jump scares, but in its majority, The Possession is highly effective. From a pretty stellar cast to numerous creepy moments and a pretty stellar possession, this film is an easy enough watch to make it worthwhile. It's not deeply thought-provoking or intense, but it's definitely the kind of movie that can put you in the mood for something like Halloween.



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8. The Taking of Deborah Logan

I will say it again and again; The Taking of Deborah Logan is a must-see. By far one of the most underrated films ever, this movie about a woman suffering from old age is far more sinister than the opening parts would have you believe. The Taking of Deborah Logan features the rarely done geriatric possession and does so with so much horrifying tact that viewers can expect to be both sympathetic and scared. The Taking of Deborah Logan is a cold and unrelenting film and the slow progression of the possession makes it all the better.



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7. Evil Dead (2013)

I'm going to say this once and for all: The Evil Dead remake is a great movie. Perhaps even better than the original, this film features some of the most grotesque scenes in modern horror, all with grisly updated graphics that surpass any of the original's visuals. Evil Dead also features the simultaneously terrifying and hilarious possession of Mia, played by Jane Levy (Don't Breathe). This movie is great to watch when you want to feel deeply unsettled.

6. Sinister

Sinister is, by and far, one of the scariest movies I have ever seen. However, its placement on this list is hindered by the fact that, while the little girl does become possessed (spoiler), the demon is much more capable and visible than typical possession movies. It uses the children, but he also has some mandate of his own. Sinister is terrifying but, its position on this list waivers due to the fact that the possession isn't necessarily the star of the show.