Top 25 Horrors of the last 20 years

I admit I'm a bit behind with this post, as it was the 20th that B-SOL at Vault of Horror posted the list for the top 25 horrors since 1990, and again I was included in the polling. Although admittedly Classic Horror is by far more interesting to me I do acknowledge that this time frame produced some very interesting films for the horror genre. In fact there was a lot of discussion amongst the voters about what actually was the criteria for a horror film. And this topic of discussion was indeed enlightening. But in the end it really comes to the individual viewer and what their personal criteria is. Now as relevant as it is to this post, I'm about to drag my feet on that topic and post separately what my personal feelings and criteria for what constitutes a horror movie when compared to other related genre films. So for the moment I will stay on topic. From Brian at Vault of Horror here is the accumulated list:

1. The Descent (2005) dir: Neil Marshall
2. The Blair Witch Project (1999) dir: Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sanchez
3. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) dir: Jonathan Demme
4. The Ring (2002) dir: Gore Verbinski
5. Scream (1996) dir: Wes Craven
6. The Mist (2007) dir: Frank Darabont
7. 28 Days Later (2002) dir: Danny Boyle
8. Braindead (Dead Alive) (1992) dir: Peter Jackson
9. Inside (2007) dir: Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury
10. Shaun of the Dead (2004) dir: Edgar Wright
11. Saw (2004) dir: James Wan
12. [REC] (2007) dir: Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza
13. Audition (1999) dir: Takashi Miike
14. Ginger Snaps (2000) dir: John Fawcett
15. American Psycho (2000) dir: Mary Harron
16. Session 9 (2001) dir: Brad Anderson
17. Dawn of the Dead (2004) dir: Zack Snyder
18. Army of Darkness (1993) dir: Sam Raimi
19. Dog Soldiers (2002) dir: Neil Marshall
20. Cabin Fever (2002) dir: Eli Roth
21. Let the Right One In (2008) dir: Tomas Alfredson
22. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) dir: Francis Ford Coppola
23. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) dir: Stanley Kubrick
24. Halloween: 20 Years Later (1998) dir: Steve Miner
25. Dellamorte Dellamore (Cemetery Man) (1994) dir: Michele Soavi

Be sure to stop by his blog for further details on how the entrants were ranked, and some other interesting facts and in sites, not to mention the ensuing discussion.

I do well believe that it's a great addition to such as list to have the contributors sound off on why they selected some of the films they did. Lets face it every time a list as such is published the sabre rattling and guffawing can be heard from the other banks of the Styx.

Well I already bashed Blair Witch after the top 50 poll(to that nobody had anything to say) so no point being derisive there, but alas I have to admit my top ten actually rank on nether regions of the lists top 10. While titles like Descent: Kill Bill vs. Weekly World News' Bat Boy, The Bad Itch project, the Ring, and Scream never even got a sniff on my list. And while Silence of the Lambs was undoubtedly about to make the top 5 I chose not to include it for a couple of reasons. 1: I believe the elements of the film are far more grounded in the Thriller genre than the Horror genre as per my personal definitions and criteria, and 2: well it was going to make it anyway, why not put together a more interesting list.

Now you're wondering, what would G. Macabre, Classic Horror fan put on a list of top horror films since 1990? OK maybe you're not, but damn it you're still reading aren't you. So here it is my list of Top 10 Horrors since 1990.




1. Shawn of the Dead
2. Sweeney Todd
3. Night Watch
4. Gingersnaps
5. 28 Days Later
6. Dead Alive
7. Army of Darkness
8. The Crow (does that count as horror? Dead guy coming back from the grave
for revenge, close enough)
9. Sleepy Hollow
10. Shadow of the Vampire

I had originally penned Mist in the final slot, but recanted as I feel as much as I enjoyed the film, the finale was poorly written and inanely inconsistent with the characters' depictions as we had seen them up to that point. More the end was done for shock factor and media hype than any contribution to the film. Shadow of the Vampire when all is said and done, I felt was a far more unique and interesting film.

While on the former top 0 list I made my selections based on what I felt were movies of notable quality in a variety of aspects, this list was more a compilation of films that I found very much enjoyable on a more personal level.
I honestly feel that Sweeney Todd is completely under rated. Although everyone involved knew this wasn't going to make any waves, it was really about going out there to make a film that they simply wanted to make and push their own boundaries. Dark, angry Macabre and perverse, and out in left wing this is the kind of film I get into. I admit I'm saddened my comrades did not see it as such. And speaking of comrades (hows that for a segue) the Russian gem Night Watch to not appear while Cabin Fever makes the list is again disappointing. But hey I admit I don't swim in the same waters as may of the other bloggers that were polled, and that the contemporary view of horror films such as the pseudo psychological spook stories like Rec, Blair Witch and Ring leave me glassy eyed and in search of the remote.

So anyway if you're in need of some good unconventional horror themed movies of the 90's to today, you now have my suggestions.

Gary D. Macabre

A Christmas Carol: The Holliday's most famous horror tale

Greetings and Merry Christmas to all. What on a day such as auspicious as this you should wind up in my company is a puzzling and sad thought. But as you're here have a mug of mulled cider and come sit by the fire a while.

Christmas is a time of joy and happiness, it marks the birth of a savior, a time of giving and joy, the magic of a gracious and wondrous soul in a red coat and reindeer, or perhaps a time of death and rebirth at the marking of the winter solstice,(which was another post I missed incidentally, well such is the season now more hustle than bustle). But it has much rooted history with the horrors and trepidations that come with the long dark nights, thus the Krampus and it's other namesakes, the Belsnickel, and other aspects of pagan beliefs. But perhaps the best known horror tale of the holidays is Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The tale has become such common holiday fare nowadays that it has become like most of the holiday traditions we celebrate today it seems, a shell of it's former self.
"MARLEY WAS DEAD" what a lovely way to introduce us to this gleeful holiday tale. But this book does not present us with heavenly angels, or merry elves, but true spirits, not present to pass on joy and good will, but to terrify and torment Ebeneezer Scrooge into repentance. And of grisly ghosts of the dead, tormented themselves for an eternity of which one can really only relate as a hellish existence. The Spirits themselves are all both horrible and wonderful in description, as the first spirit: It was a strange figure -like a child:yet not lo like a child as an old man viewed through some supernatural medium...the figure itself fluctuated in distinctness: being now a thing with one arm, now a thing with one leg, now with twenty legs, now a pair of legs without a head, now a head without a body: of which dissolving parts, no outline would be itself visible in the dense gloom wherein they melted away..."

And such with the second spirit wondrous and splendid but beneath it's fine robes it houses two horrible figures: "It might be a claw, for the Flesh there is upon it," was the spirit's sorrowful reply... From the folding s of it robe, ti brought two children; wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable...Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish. Where graceful should have filled their features out, a stale and shriveled hand, like that of age, pinched and twisted and pulled them into shreds.. Where angels might have sat enthroned devils lurked; and glared out menacing. No change, no degradation, no perversion of humanity, in any grade, through all the mysteries of wonderful creation has monsters half so horrible and dread."

And the third thusly simple in description: "It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand. But from this it would have been difficult to detach its figure from the night, and separate it from the darkness by which it was enshrouded..."

These grim specters do not come to encourage Scrooge with hope, love and joy. No they bring remorse, dread and fear. The present him with moments in which Ebeneezer briefly looses himself in the gaiety of others, only to have the door slammed on the illusion with his own miserable existence. Dickens does not Speak of Christ's Love, the approaching rebirth of the spring, or the joys we have become accustomed to this time of year, his tale is of bleak and inward despair and horror with a fitting cast of phantoms. I encourage you my fellow travelers of these macabre shores, that if the time and opportunity befall you this Holiday season find a copy of Dickens' tale as he had written it. Settle in to a large chair in a darkened corner by light of tree and candle and read the greatest ghost story of the season in a less conventional perspective.

All my best to you this Christmas season, and happy solstice to my pagan friends.
G. Macabre

The Christmas Monster

During FJA week, I didn't get to mentioning Krampusnacht on the 5th. The Krampus being St. Nick's evil horned side kick or Père Fouettard, the black haired dirty butcher, whom offer up punishment for bad children (and house wives) with tales ranging from simple flogging to cannibalism.

So thanks go out to Tenebrous Kate for picking up these Macabre Holiday traditions while I was otherwise occupied with our dear Uncle Forry.









Kate's Krampus Blog entry







And for even more Krampus Fun Check out Monster Brains
























Kate's Pere Fouettard blog entry
G. Macabre