Best in Show: Aging Classics (Pt. II of II)



(imdb.com)

5. Aliens (1986)
Like Alien, but with even greater crowd appeal, this sequel seems destined to stand the test of time. While packed with more action and intense explosion, Aliens is a horror film with older effects, which seem masterful even in the modern world of CGI. The creatures within are scary, the cast is, once again great, and everything about this film works for a modern audience. Aliens doesn't really recreate its machine, but it definitely builds upon it and takes advantage of every advancing effect it can.





(imdb.com)

4. The Exorcist (1973)

The Exorcist is perhaps the most famous horror movie of all time and for good reason. With insane head spins and horrifying tongues, as well as numerous jump scares, it’s a movie that is still relevant today. Sure the split pea soup vomit and gritty camera work make The Exorcist feel a little dated, but there are enough scares and some terrific acting - courtesy of a particularly fantastic Linda Blair (Born Innocent) and Ellen Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream) - that The Exorcist is compelling enough, even in the modern context. The trying struggles of a mother and daughter attempting to overcome the devil is harrowing and timeless.

(imdb.com)

3. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

There's something about slasher films that allow them to transcend time. While some blood splatter and off acting may not translate well to the modern context, it seems that these movies are capable of appealing to even the most freshman of audiences. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the best. Regardless of some grotesquely over-the-top slicing and dicing, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of those scary movies that'll make even the most seasoned horror fan afraid of backcountry fields and the desolate families who live there.  

(imdb.com)

2. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

While still relatively young in the grand scheme, The Silence of the Lambs is often regarded as a horror classic. Pushing the boundary into modern horror, the early 90s film may border on drama, but the fact is, The Silence of the Lambs is most definitely horror. Whether you're afraid of cannibalism or the dark, this movie brims with scares. The night vision scene where an unsuspecting Clarice attempts to find Buffalo Bill amongst heaping messes and furniture is incredibly tense, regardless of the year this film came out. The Silence of the Lambs is deserving of a spot on this list, regardless of its release because it’s often clumped in with much older films.



(imdb.com)

1. Jaws (1975)

Jaws is the movie that scared a generation out of the water. What this quote doesn't account for is just how many generations Jaws would actually inspire fear in. To this day, many of the people - old and young - who have seen Jaws are still afraid of ocean waters. Jaws is, without a doubt, one of the most transcendent horror films ever. It could be watched today or tomorrow and the shark central to it would still feel believably deadly. While plenty have come after it, no shark movie can or will ever be quite as terrifying as Jaws. Even as its iconic soundtrack has gone on to become one of the most joked about, hearing it in the film is still a terrifying experience. Jaws is perfect for any time of the year, any year, for all years.

 

Best in Show: Cannibal Families (Pt. II of II)



(imdb.com)

5. Mutants (Hills Have Eyes)

Looking specifically at the critically panned but revitalized remake, The Hills Have Eyes is the kind of gory mid-2000s horror film that had the ability to scare viewers with its unrelenting nature, even if the quality wasn't necessarily there. The mutants at the center of The Hills Have Eyes were so painstakingly prevalent growing up that everyone knew the movie and everyone was afraid of it happening to them. Even though it pushed far into the fantastical, the Hills Have Eyes felt like something that could happen to you and your friends or family, a true testament to the somewhat shallow, but effective film. 

(imdb.com)

4. Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs)

Like We Are What We Are, the cannibal at the center of Silence of the Lambs is even scarier given his subtly. Add on the insane intelligence and trickery and Hannibal Lecter becomes one of horror's most horrifying cannibals. He's easily one of the most unsettling additions to the subgenre and even though he isn't the most physically aggressive, his ability to sweep into the minds of those he interacts with is unparalleled. Sure Buffalo Bill is scary, but the true nightmare of Silence of the Lambs is Lecter. This movie deserves extra props for all of the critical success it received on top of being a horror-thriller.

(imdb.com)

3. The Natives (King Kong)

Say what you will about remakes and new adaptions, but the Jack Black-starring King Kong gave viewers some of the most nightmare-inducing cannibals of modern horror. When the young girl bites into Black's character's hand I literally lurched out of my seat and had bad dreams for days. There's something about the way the tribe melds in and out of their home structures that makes this group of Skull Island natives especially scary. While King Kong isn't an obvious choice for the horror genre, this movie is actually filled with plenty of terrifying parts - it helps that the opening scenes feature some truly scary cannibals.

(imdb.com)

2. Amazonian Tribe (Green Inferno)

Directly inspired by Cannibal Holocaust, Green Inferno is a sickening film with truly scary antagonists. Following a group of social justice warriors attempting to save the rainforest, Green Inferno is a survival film that transcends into absolute chaos. After their plane goes down, the college students are captured by a previously unknown and especially lethal Amazonian tribe and things get very, very disturbing. Featuring some truly nasty scenes and blood curdling deaths, Green Inferno provides plenty of reasons for the audience to turn around and gag. Green Inferno didn't receive that warm of a reception upon release and many viewers saw it as a cheap knock-off, but it undoubtedly made a name for itself because of its splattering death scenes and crazed tribe of cannibals.

1.  The Sawyers (Texas Chainsaw Massacre)

(imdb.com)

Perhaps the most potent and iconic of all cannibals is the Sawyer family at the center of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. Whether discussing the originals, the reboots or even the additional reboots that followed, it is undeniable that this family of rotating characters is so disturbingly unhinged that they can set fear into even the strongest horror fanatics. The Sawyers are the type of hillbillies that have little to no reason behind their actions; their lack of morals and human decency, their willingness to showcase their wrongdoings and gloat all make for horrific chaos worthy of the top spot.

Best in Show: Horror Houses (Both Parts!)

Typically, I split the weekly list over two days, but other circumstances made it impossible for me to do a Thursday article. So, special news - here is an entire list for Friday! This one is on scariest homes in horror. Whether the house itself is haunted or it simply has the visual equivalency of a nightmare, the homes presented in this list are the ones that wrap and wind, creak and groan, and are ultimately unsettling.




(cinemafreaks.blogger.com)

10. Country Home (The Taking of Deborah Logan)

While not the most iconic, the country home of Deborah Logan is a choppy antiquity. With sharp corners and plenty of doors, the divided up house must have been hard to get comfortable in. Even filled with the young group of students filming a project, the house in The Taking of Deborah Logan should cause some pause for the haunting, hollow features of furniture that hasn't been properly used, room that are rarely open and the empty woods surrounding it,



(retroweb.com)

9. Bates' House (Psycho)

Name a more iconic house than the Bates' house on a hill. The home of the titular killer of Psycho is the stuff of legend. Dark and dusty, his original home and its later revival in the television series Bate's Motel, create for a stuffy atmosphere worthy of mention. The Bates; house isn't the scariest, there is a certain lived in quality, even if it's offset by poor lighting and skeletons out of the closet. So, while it definitely is one of the most recognizable on this list, it doesn't always do much to stand out as the most horrifying. In other words, I could probably fall asleep here.
 



(BFI.org.uk)

8. Settler Farm (The Witch)

Poor, poor souls. The farm and surrounding forest of The Witch seemed destined to ruin the religious family at the center of the film. Between the grey, muddy backdrop and lighting to the lowly conditions of the house, the farm provides plenty of feels. At night, the darkness of the home is exclusively lit by candles, further enhances the creepy feeling,  The plot of land isn't anything to write to the homeland about- it's dark and questionably dangerous and for a period piece, the ability to create a setting that is still scary in 2017 is noteworthy.



(ign.com)

7. Apartment Building (Insidious: Chapter 3)

While not as recognizable as the original craftsman of the Insidious franchise, the apartments in the third installment offer a lot with a little. Featuring some of the biggest bang for their buck, the simple yet lived in features of the Brenner's apartment create a comfy feeling that becomes all too uncomfortable. Chapter 3 is an underrated gem. The apartments featured - the aforementioned Brenner’s' and the vacant one upstairs - offer a much grounded take on horror houses. It gives viewers very "it could happen to you" vibe and for that, I'm all in.

(jamesjohnston.com)

6. Country Mansion (Texas Chainsaw Massacre Remake)

What ever happened to good ole fashion, southern hospitality? The country mansion featuring massive cement pillars is one of modern horror's most emblematic. The interior of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre home is definitely country-living themed, but underneath the doilies and ornate decorations is a much more sinister atmosphere.



(nytimes.com)

5. Semi-Attached (The Babadook)

Spooky and grey, those are the two words that best describe The Babadook, mostly thankful to almost entirely B&W home of the mother-son duo central to this film. The Babadook offers viewers an extremely stark setting for a home that by all means should be bright and cheery. But the problematic lives of the single mother who works too hard and her troubled son makes for a home that feels cold. It's an impressively large house featuring tall ceilings and expansive rooms that never brighten up.

(quartertothree.com)

4. Apartment Building (Quarantine)

This is the worst apartment building. Even before the scares start, everything about this building is haunting. It’s greenly lit, damp-looking and outdated. Then as the tenants move through their apartments, it becomes increasingly clear that they were all living in disparaged, spooky conditions. Even when they move into some of the nicer ones, there is a constantly dark undertone that conjures up scares easily. The atmosphere feels ghastly, even when the scares aren't ghostly.

(userpages.umbo.edu)

3. Abandoned Home (Blair Witch Project)

Yeah, technically no one lives here. But, for a list of horror homes, not including at least one abandoned property feels negligent and the abandoned house in the woods featured in The Blair Witch Project is a worthy addition. Its empty, disparaged interior, paired with its blank, rundown exterior, make for something I'm truly terrified I'll stumble upon one day.



(forgottenflix.com)

2. Overlook Hotel (The Shining)

Is the Overlook Hotel technically a house? I'd argue yes. The snowed-in family of three is the only (living) occupants and one could say that if home is where the heart is; their hearts are definitely in it. From the winding halls rode through by Danny to the sprawling rooms of emptiness, the Overlook is not only one of the most stunning visual sets in horror; it is also one of the scariest. The Overlook Hotel is scary. Its sprawling hedge maze and similarly confusing halls provide a lost feeling that viewers won't shake even after the credits role. The Shining is a classic, and a lot of its merit is thanks to the Hotel that the Torrance's made home.



(moviepilot.com)

1. Perron Family House (The Conjuring)

The Conjuring is an amazing piece of work. Whether discussing its cinematography, its acting or its plot, the talent of its cast and crew is undeniable. But, the truest star of this show is the home of the Perron family. This house is everything; it's old, discolored and eerie - despite the attempts to brighten it up. The basement alone is enough to send chills down my spine. The most telling sign of the effectiveness of the Perron's home is the ability for it to be scary, even in the daylight. Even if rooms are lit with natural sunlight, The Conjuring carries a heavy atmosphere of horror. The old house is undeniably the best horror house ever.

 

Best in Show: Scary Movie Masks (Part II of II)

(popsugar.com)

5. Captain Kirk (Halloween

Yeah, that's right: after deep, deep research (a Google search) I found out exactly what Michael Myers' mask is. It's Captain Kirk, aka William Shatner. This mask is demented; human and realistic, but also hollow and misshapen. It's the type of mask that can be brought along through remakes and reboots and still strike fear. In fact, prior to seeing the original, I first saw the Rob Zombie remake of the franchise and the more rugged look of the mask terrified me. Then, when I watched the original, I was just as freaked out by the oddity of the mask's features. Halloween is an iconic franchise and while you could argue it's soundtrack or legendary final girl are the reason behind its infamy, the truth is that without his mask, Michael just isn't the same.



(imgur.com)

4. Peachfuzz the Wolf (Creep)

When Creep came out, it quietly bubbled around blogs and discussion boards as a horror movie to watch. Promotion well deserved. Creep is horrifyingly intimate. It's a cat-and-mouse game featuring an eccentric cancer patient hiring a videographer to make videos for the patient's son. Then, like any good horror movie things take a turn for the insane and the twists and turns come into the forefront. One of the things that make Creep so good is its use of a Wal-Mart-looking mask worn by the patient. He calls the mask Peachfuzz and the innocent, yet creepy name left tingles in my spine. Peachfuzz is a scary mask, not because of its disturbing features but because literally anyone could purchase it. Something about the low-level of effort to make something outlandishly scary makes this mask downright bone chilling.

(giphy.com)

3. Pig Head (Saw)

I will never forget the first time the pig mask in the Saw series jumps out. I pulled back so hard that it made my stomach tight. While maybe not as prominent as some of the other masks on this list, the short screen time given to the pig masks in Saw are noteworthy for the very grotesque and unsettling tone they set. The inability to tell if they were supposed to be real or if they were in fact masks is questionable and the black hair that cascaded around them only added to the disturbing features.



(pinterest.com)

2. Dollface, Pin-Up Girl & Man (The Strangers)

Name a more iconic trio, I'll wait. No, but really. When The Strangers came out they became the poster children of modern slashers and for good reason. The three distinct faces each offered a dimension of insanity to the intense horror movie. While more plastic and shiny than the man's, the two women's masks are frozen and clownish. Contrasted with the canvas bag-like mask worn by the man, Dollface's and Pin-Up Girl's masks provide the perfect compliment. The masks of The Strangers provide distinction in anonymity and for that they deserve distinction. Whether emerging from the shadows or appearing under a street light, this set will stand the test of time.  

(wifflegif.com)

1. Leatherface (Texas Chainsaw Massacre)

If The Strangers is the iconic trio, is there a more iconic killer. Leatherface is the epitome of masked slashers. Made from his victims' faces, the disgusting and terrifying look of Leatherface's masks (either the original or the remakes) is enough to stop someone dead in their tracks. There is no horror movie mask that can ever reach the level of Leatherface's. Even the iconic Ghostface mask pales (get it, it's a white mask) in comparison to the bumpy and torn up features of Leatherface's face.