So what if this is a year late almost. It's almost Halloween and I've been watching and re-watching a shit ton of horror films. I figured this needed to be done because the last decade was a pretty solid decade for this, one of my favorite genres. Maybe I'm lame and too obsessed with lists but oh well. Here goes...
1. Zodiac: Alright, this may be breaking the rules a little bit because this masterpiece is hard to categorize into one genre and if it had to be put into one it would probably be thriller. Who cares. I have never seen a more frightening film in my life. Also, it is a movie about a real slasher right? And don't tell me the couple getting hacked and fucked with to death by the Zodiac in his goth version of KKK outfit in broad daylight isn't one of the best movie kills of all time! This isn't just my favorite horror film of the last decade but one of my favorite films period. Fincher did something amazing here - cramming so much in by building tension and suspense like nobody's business, capturing the mood and time of 1970's San Francisco/Northern California (which is as much a character in Zodiac as Robert Graysmith), meditating on the nature and relevance of obsession all while maintaining the very dark and amazing visual stylings and bravura camerawork we have come to expect from Fincher. As close to a perfect film if there ever was.
2. Shaun of the Dead: A horror comedy that succeeds at both. Wright ranks equally up there with his forebears Raimi and Jackson. Just an endlessly watchable film that leaves me with the biggest grin and sense of satisfaction possible.
3. Drag Me to Hell: Speaking of Sam Raimi, I have to add this triumphant return to horror as one of the best. Timely, over-the-top in all the best ways, and exceedingly frightening and gross all the while being PG-13. What more could you want from horror movies? Raimi met the insanely high expectations he set for himself with the Evil Deads.
4. Let the Right One In: I've written and talked at length about this film as many other people have. It's interesting now that I just watched Matt Reeve's remake, which I may like just as much, but still does not detract from the beauty and uniqueness of Alfredson's original. Poetic, dark, fucked-up, gory and beautiful with one of the most gratifying endings in horror history. The best vampire film this side of Martin and an easy top 5 for me.
5. 28 Days Later: Yea, I know, another expected pick but oh well. This film deserves to be in everyone's best of the decade lists. Boyle created a new addition to the zombie canon with this. Also, I was a sissy in the early parts of this decade and did not watch horror. I changed my mind about the whole genre after seeing this. A truly scary and grim vision of the apocalypse and a refreshing new approach on the subgenre with an intense narrative pull.
6. Grindhouse:This is a no-brainer. The best time I had at a theater the whole last decade was my first
viewing of Grindhouse at Midnight. I go back and forth which film I like better but both deliver on all levels. Thank the cinema gods for Tarantino and Rodgriguez.
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7. Hostel Part 2: Eli Roth is the best new horror director we have. It was difficult for me to pick just one of his movies for this list. I loved Cabin Fever and the first Hostel, but if I have to pick a favorite I pick this sequel. Not only does Hostel 2 up the ante on the most creative and brutal ways to kill someone and boasts another all-time great horror ending, but I think serves as an even better political commentary than its predecessor. While both continue the themes of extreme violence, torture and paranoia for Americans in the post 9/11 era that gave us Bush's two wars, Homeland Security, Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, this film also portrays the new global capitalists as too wealthy, leisurely and at their most sadistic. On top of all that, Roth is masterful delivering scares by building tension and suspense instead of just shocks (which he delivers in the best way too).
8. The Host: Who would've thought the 00's would see a resurgence of monster movies? The Host is easily the best of a solid bunch that includes Cloverfield. I could not have been more stoked after seeing this movie for the first time. A smart, humorous, action-packed, radiation-bred monster packed, all-around great film. With this, Memories of Murder and Mother under his belt, Bong Joon-Ho has surpassed the great Park Chan-wook as Korea's greatest director.
9. Dawn of the Dead (2004): This movie's only real flaw is its title and calling itself a remake. While this film is obviously taking a lot from Romero's original, Snyder's film barely feels like remake. Instead it is an intense, modern vision of the zombie apocalypse that totally delivers on the scares. It has one of the greatest opening scenes ever too. This was a great decade for zombies and it looks like this resurgence is spilling over into the new decade as well and if we keep getting films even close to Dawn of the Dead then I heartily embrace the trend.
10. The Mist: Last, but definitely not least. I actually just watched this yesterday and was blown away. There is so much to this film I don't know where to begin in writing just a short blurb. The Mist is probably one of the best parables for our social and political times - both for the Bush era when it came out and I think it hits home now in the Obama era in reference to the Tea Party. People are scared and desperate and it lends itself to an irrational religious fanatic, portrayed amazingly and delightfully villainous by Marcia Gay Harden. The more rational-minded, and dare I say progressive, people, feel increasingly more angered and frightened with the humans they are surrounded with than the monsters and apocalypse that is occurring outside. This film is gripping and tense at every step. You get very attached to the characters - Thomas Jane and the whole cast do a great job here (how often do you get to compliment the acting in horror?). The ending is as haunting, depressing and darkly beautiful vision of the post-apocalypse as I have seen and it has given me total faith and even more excitement for Darabont's ability to handle the Walking Dead's transfer to television. Also, how sick are the monsters in this? That came out of left field for me.
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