30 Days Of Horror

In celebration of every horror film fan’s month, I will be reviewing one of my favorite horror films every day.  I’ll start by picking one of my favorite films from 2008 and continue all the way back to 1978, the year John Carpenter’s original HALLOWEEN was released. Every title is readily available on dvd if want to follow along.

Cloverfield (2008)
What could have easily become a lame gimmick, the first-person perspective really adds to the tension of this creepy giant monster film.

The Mist (2007)
A film that gets better each time I watch it. A terrific ensemble cast and creepy monsters. One of my favorite endings ever!

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)
Genre-bending film that takes place in a world where horror movies are real. Turns the tired slasher film into something new and fun.

The Descent (2005)
A group of vacationing women run into some strange creatures while spelunking in the Appalachian Mountains. A truly scary movie.

Saw (2004)
What started off as a really original concept for a film has be spoiled by the endless parade of uninspiried sequels.

May (2003)
A difficult film to explain, but one that would be ruined by explaining too much. Angela Bettis turns in a star-making performance.

Resident Evil (2002)
Probably the first film based on a video game that I actually liked and one of the first films in the current zombie resurgence.

Session 9 (2001)
Incredibly tense film about an asbestos cleaning crew working in an abandoned mental hospital. Don’t watch this one alone late at night…

Ginger Snaps (2000)
A well-made little film that uses lycanthropy as a metaphor for puberty. The 2 young female leads are very good in their first film.

Blair Witch Project (1999)
A rare film that transcended the horror genre and became a must-see for non-horror fans. I haven’t watched it since 1999, it still holds up.

Bride Of Chucky (1998)
The 4th film in any series should never be this good. A really fun and inspired way to restart the Child’s Play series for a new generation.

The Ugly (1997)
A psychiatrist interviewing a well-known serial killer finds out that the voices the killer hears may be more than just voices.

From Dusk Til Dawn (1996)
QT and Robert Rodriguez’s first team-up is this immensely enjoyable mash up of crime and horror – and they also made Clooney a movie star.

Tales From The Crypt : Demon Knight (1995)
The first (and best) film based on the classic HBO series has a near-perfect mixture of comedy and gore. Even the Crypt Keeper is tolerable.

Brainscan (1994)
Good film that came out in the unfortunate time when nobody liked horror films. Writer Andrew Kevin Walker’s next script was SEVEN.

Trauma (1993)
Well into his career Dario Argento released this crazy film. A killer is out to collect people’s heads with one of the craziest weapons ever.

Troll 2 (1992)
Arguably one of the worst films ever made. Everyone owes it to themselves to see this one at least once in their life. Hilarious and awful.

The Pople Under The Stairs (1991)
One of Wes Craven’s most under-rated films. A good mixture of horror and comedy. One of those films you have to watch if you catch it on tv.

Night Of The Living Dead (1990)
Horror FX legend Tom Savini directed this solid remake of the 1968 classic. The updated zombie effects still hold up 18 years later.

Pet Sematary (1989)
Kids in horror films are usually creepy and nobody did creepier better than Miko Hughes in the 1980s. Great theme song from The Ramones too.

The Blob (1988)
One of the last great all-practical effects films. A real fun remake with a cliff-hanger ending for a sequel that never was made.

Hellraiser (1987)
Clive Barker’s directorial debut is one messed up film. I used to be scared of the film’s coverbox on the shelf at the video store as a kid.

Henry : Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
Arguably one of the most disturbing films ever made. It took a few years after it was made to actually be released because of the MPAA.

Re-Animator (1985)
Early tv trailers promised a film “way beyond the possibility of any rating”, and boy were they ever right! What a disgusting and fun film!

Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
Freddy Krueger revitalized the slumping slasher genre and put New Line on the map in 1984. By far the scariest film of the long-running series.

Sleepaway Camp (1983)
Remembered for its completely shocking ending (NSFW) more than anything else. That’s a shame because it really is a pretty good film. NOTE : You should really watch the film before spoiling the ending.

Poltergeist (1982)
Possibly the scariest PG-rated film ever made. The sequels are pretty terrible. A lot of people would say the entire series is cursed.

An American Werewolf In London (1981)
John Landis’ film is a brilliant mixture of horror & comedy and it has one of the best special effects sequences ever put on film.

Friday the 13th (1980)
This film took what Halloween started and turned the gore factor up to 11. Most of the endless sequels are actually pretty good too.

Phantasm (1979)
Agnus Scrimm’s Tall Man is just as creepy today as he was in 1979. Weird poster too that has nothing to do with the film.

Halloween (1978)
Hands-down my favorite horror film of all time. Its so simple you wonder why nobody thought of doing it before this one came out.