Day 31: Shaun of the Dead

31. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Dir: Edgar Wright
Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Penelope Wilton, Bill Nighy

Oh god it can finally end now. I enjoyed doing my 31 horror movie posts from time to time, but these last few days have been kind of a nuisance. I bring this timeline to a close with a movie that may not entirely be considered horror, but certainly pays a fine tribute to the genre.

Directed and Co-written (with Simon Pegg) by Brit Edgar Wright and starring best buds Simon Pegg and Nick Frost along with an off-the-wall cast, Shaun of the Dead is filled to the brim with zombie movie homages and slapstick violence. The gore effects are impressive, the atmosphere is pitch perfect and the story is surprisingly engaging.

Shaun of the Dead introduces us to a UK appliance salesman named Shaun. Going through a mid-life crisis, Shaun is stuck in a troubled relationship, a go nowhere job and is in desperate need of a real change of scenery... Which unfortunately happens in a quite an unexpected way, were talking a zombie invasion.



What makes this film such a good zombie movie is it first and foremost focuses on the characters. We get to see Shaun's mundane life slowly shift into a zombie war-zone with him barely even noticing. Shaun's best friend Ed (Nick Frost) is an excellent side kick with his moronic presence and the rest of the cast all have their moments with their quarrels and petty arguments with each other. A film that would make George A. Romero proud, this is easily one of the best zombie movies in years. Not to mention that with all the little details and gags, this is one of those movies you could watch over and over again noticing different things every time, it's surprisingly complex.

I'd go on but I need to recover from all these Halloween Hi-jinks, so keep coming here for all my pop culture tidbits and have a far out fall season, Otteni out.

Fright Fact:Here's a personal one, I actually saw this before it came out in U.S. theaters by renting a copy at Scarecrow video with Chinese subtitles.

Horror Highlight: This as always a memorable scene.

Day 30: The Sixth Sense

30, The Sixth Sense (1999)
Dir: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams

Inspired strangely enough by an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark?, this film shot it's young director M. Night Shyamalan from a nobody to the talk of the town in the late 90s and early 2000s. Going in with only a few light dramas under his belt, M. Night put his heart and soul into his next script and had no problem selling it to Buena Vista Pictures, a division of Disney. Noted for it's low key suspense and most of all it's shocking ending, The Sixth Sense became one of the most memorable horror movies of the 90s, maybe even the numero uno horror movie of that decade.

The Sixth Sense introduces us to award winning child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) who after a violent encounter with a former patient, begins to help a young disturbed child named Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) who can see dead people. From there the film takes you on a constantly uneasy path of spooky sequences with plenty of dark, twisting turns.

The acting on everyone's end is quite impressive, which even lead to an Oscar nomination for Haley Joel Osment. As a matter of fact the character's are probably the driving force of this atmospheric thriller and that makes the film work as a hard hitting drama as well.



I'm gonna keep it brief here as these posts have really started to take a toll on me, see ya all around... Though I hope I don't see any dead people.

Fright Fact: The entire film was filmed in sequence.

Horror Highlight; You know that seen where the little girl played by Mischa Barton freaks out Haley Joel Osment? That was awesome but I couldn't find a clip.

Day 29: The Blair Witch Project

29. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Dir: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez
Cast: Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, Michael C. Williams

One of the strangest yet most unique horror movies of all time, The Blair Witch Project was a dark and disturbing documentary style film that took the world by storm. Originally advertised as being completely factual and shot on a small budget with rented cameras, filmmakers Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez hit the jackpot with this idea and even though I'm not a particularly big fan, even I think they pulled off quite an impressive feat with this creepy flick.

Detailing recovered footage shot by three film students in the Maryland woods, The Blair Witch Project unfolds as a realistic romp weaving through a disturbing legend. Shot in both black and white and color, this was like the original shaky cam movie. You never quite have a clear idea of what's exactly going on and the tension never stops.



I don't have a lot to say about this one but it's certainly original. A handful of people say that it's a rip-off of a handheld horror film called The Last Broadcast which is also a fake documentary about a supernatural legend (the legend of the Jersey Devil) but as I've heard from my dad and brother is pretty overrated. Blair Witch Project truly struck a chord of terror with audiences and hopefully will continue to do so in the future.

Fright Fact: Holds the Guiness World Record for highest profit-to-cost ratio for a movie ever made

You don't know how hard it is to find a good clip of this that isn't just a terrible parody, so screw clips for today.

Day 28: Scream

28. Scream (1996)
Dir: Wes Craven
Cast: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Skeet Ulrich, Jamie Kennedy Drew Barrymore

Significantly skipping ahead, today we revisit the twisted mind of Wes Craven with the tongue and cheek slasher romp that is Scream. A self aware horror film that is not only an entertaining thriller but a satire on the genre as well. Characters analyze cliches and conventions that just happen to come true and the result is one of the best horror films of the 90s.

Opening with an iconic scene between Drew Barrymore and a mysterious man on the phone, the film opens with a bang and keeps it that way the whole duration. The plot follows as your typical slasher flick but with some clever twists and turns and good dialogue. Scream is pretty well written considering the genre and Wes Craven's horror sensibilities shine through like the slash of a knife.



I've seen al three installments and I have to say that the sequels aren't that bad either. All the movies keep the humorous edge and the third one even has comedic cameos from Patrick Warburton and who else but Jay and Silent Bob. They're just great popcorn movies with loads of entertainment value and plenty of surprising scares. It brought new life into the genre leading to a whole bunch of other 90s slasher movies like; I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and Urban Legend (1998), but there was only one Scream.

Fright Fact: I like a movie with Jamie Kennedy in it?

Horror Highlight: Here's a little taste of the opening


I'd still like to give props to some other movies from 1984-1996 that either shaped the genre or were just scary or whatever.

Re-Animator (1985)
The Fly (1986)
Aliens (1986)
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
Evil Dead II (1987)
Hellraiser (1987)
They Live (1988)
Misery (1990)
Jacob's Ladder (1990)
Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Se7en (1995)
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Day 27: A Nightmare on Elm Street

27. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Dir: Wes Craven
Cast: Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, Johnny Depp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Amanda Wyss

I can't believe I've reviewed 26 films without any significant mention of Horror director Wes Craven, so today we'll be looking at what's easily his most popular and memorable film A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Known for carving out a career in horror with films such as The Last House on the Left (1972) and The Hills Have Eyes (1977), Craven often liked to tweak the nature of reality and Nightmare is probably his strongest example. So how did Craven dream up the infamous undead serial killer Freddy Krueger? Well the infamous "Springwood Slasher" was a composite of many different ideas. The character itself was based off a handful of things Craven had experienced in his life, including a homeless man that frightened him as a youth and a childhood bully who's name was in fact Fred Krueger. The element of being killed in your sleep also stemmed from a true story about Cambodian children who had such terrifying nightmares that they eventually died in their sleep. Now that's messed up shit there and a great concept for a grisly slasher flick.

The film follows Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) and her friends as they all start having nightmares featuring a deceased serial killer known as Freddy Krueger. Soon enough the teens are slowly taken out in violent dreams until Nancy can find a way to defeat the heartless killer.

Just about every death is pretty memorable in this movie and the effects are great, but what really seals the deal is the film's iconic villain. With his striped sweater, fedora hat, burnt flesh, and clawed glove he's a pretty sickening image of terror that cult actor Robert Englund has really brought to life.



Now I'm not really a fan of this series, but I certainly have respect for the inventiveness and creativity of the first film. A Nightmare on Elm Street was probably one of the few slasher films at the time to have a well constructed story with such strong visuals. I hear they're are remaking it for some reason and will most likely not cast Robert Englund in the role he made famous, now that's truly a shame. All these 80s movie remakes are the real nightmare.

Fright Fact: Over 500 gallons of fake blood was used during the making of the film.

Horror Highlight: Here's a scene where a young Johnny Depp falls prey to Freddy, which includes an impressive effect.

Day 26: The Thing

26. The Thing (1982)
Dir: John Carpenter
Cast: Kurt Russel, Keith David, Wilford Brimley...

The remake of a film previously included on this list, John Carpenter's 1982 Sci-Fi/Horror film is not only a more faithful adaptation of John W. Campbell's short story, but also one of my personal favorite movies of all time.

A team of Antarctic researchers discover the remains of a shape-shifting life form who starts to infect certain members of the group. With the flawless ability to imitate life, the paranoia of who's human and who's not soon enough pits the group against each other in a gruesomely graphic and highly horrific free for all. Starring a talented ensemble cast with few big names, The Thing is a very character driven horror story.

Continually unpredictable, The Thing keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole way through. The sets and visual of the research base create strong feelings of isolation accompanied by a brilliantly chilling score from master composer Ennio Morricone. Rob Bottin provides the creature effects, along with effects consultant Stan Winston, for some of the most twisted abominations you'll ever see in a movie. You got a dog mutating into some bizarre flower shaped monster, a human head sprouting spider legs and tentacles aplenty in these deformed creatures which still look pretty impressive by today's standards.



Originally overlooked as just another violent horror movie upon it's release, a strong following for the film formed years later when it was released on VHS and DVD, and now it's considered to be one of horror master John Carpenter's best films. I went ahead this season and watched both the original and remake and I have to say there's no comparison. The themes, effects, mood and atmosphere of Carpenter's version are definitely more compelling and elaborate (I got to give props to Bill Lancaster's script) than anything in the original. Carpenter's version as well provides a significantly more terrifying edge with Bottin's grotesque effects and the highly psychological elements of isolation and paranoia faced by the characters. Hawks version has some clever dialogue and some nice vintage scares but it no where near leaves the same impact as Carpenter's 80s classic.

Fright Fact: Richard's Dysart's extra for the scene where he loses his hands, was performed by a double amputee given fake hands.

Horror Highlight: Norris becomes The Thing

Day 25: The Evil Dead

Day 25: The Evil Dead (1981)
Dir: Sam Raimi
Cast: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, Hal Delrich, Teresa Tilly

Initially turned down by just about every U.S. film distributor until signing with a European company, Sam Raimi's debut film The Evil Dead was filmed for less than $120,000. A low budget, off-the-wall horror romp filled to the brim with guts, goo and all kinds of gore, it's amazing what this indie crew managed to accomplish in this infamous cult classic.

Set in the mountains of Tennessee, five college students venture to an isolated cabin for the weekend. While there thy find the book of the dead and a tape recorder, both belonging to the cabin's previous inhabitant an archeologist. So the gang decides the play the tape containing the voice of a man reciting words from the book and soon enough, all hell breaks loose. Demons (or as their later known in the series "Deadites") start possessing the living, a woman gets raped by tree and blood goes a flying as a young Bruce Campbell takes control of the madness wielding a chainsaw and getting pissed.

Aside from the hip persona of Bruce Campbell's most notable character Ashley "Ash" Williams, later ripped off with the creation of Duke Nukem, I can't say much for the rest of the cast or even the story for that matter. I guess people kept quitting the film leading to Sam killing off most of the characters and replacing them with extras, or "Fake Shemps" as he calls them. The set up is interesting enough but it doesn't take long for this movie to turn into a splatter fest and you know what? I'm okay with that.



The visuals and effects are impressive to this day and are truly what makes this film worth remembering. One of the film's most notable techniques is the use of the "ram cam" to represent the point of view of the evil unseen force. Simply attaching a camera to a board and then running through the foggy woods makes for some highly effective filmmaking. So much that the Coen brothers would even employ this technique, Joel Coen being an assistant editor on The Evil Dead. The gore utilizes stop motion and claymation effects to create it's grotesque transformations and decompositions and it's just out of this world. I mean this movie is more or less like 70 minutes of just straight gore and it's pretty fun.

The film initially got mixed reviews but now it would appear that's not the case anymore. With a surprising 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, a hard core fan base and legions of folks still catching on to Raimi's vomit inducing debut, this film's popularity gives hope to all low budget filmmakers. Spawning a more comedic sequel (Which I actually prefer) in 1987 and an even goofier installment in 1993, Raimi and Bruce made quite a mark both leading on to successful careers. Bruce would become a popular B-movie icon while Sam would go on to make one of the most popular Superhero franchises with Spider-Man. These days Bruce is working on the show Burn Notice while Sam's working on his return to horror with Drag Me To Hell starring Alison Lohman and Justin Long. As for the Evil Dead series Sam has said as recently as this month regarding an Evil Dead 4 that "I'm honored some people want to see it, and I'd like to do it, and one day I will. I just don't know when." and that sounds groovy to me.

Fright Fact: Bruce Campbell twisted his ankle on a root while running down a steep hill, and Sam Raimi and Robert G. Tapert decided to tease him by poking his injury with sticks, thus causing Campbell to have an obvious limp in some scene

Horror Highlight: Here's a great example of some of the film's gore effects in the end of the film.

Day 24: An American Werewolf in London

24. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Dir: John Landis
Cast: David Naughton, Griffin Dunne, Jenny Agutter

The year was 1981 and writer/director John Landis had already made a name for himself with such cult comedies as Animal House and The Blues Brothers but no one could of anticipated that his next project would not only be funny but pretty scary too. stemming from a script Landis wrote in 1968, An American Werewolf in London told the story of two American backpackers hiking through Europe who after encountering a large mysterious animal in the Yorkshire Moors, fall to equally troublesome fates.

Never before had the genres of comedy and horror been so perfectly blended than in this off-the-wall monster movie and ultimately made it's mark on the horror genre. Starring the likable pairing of television/commercial actor David Naughton and the upcoming talent Griffin Dunne, who would go on to star in such films as; After Hours and Who's That Girl. An American Werewolf in London brought a sharp comic writing style to the horror genre combined with spooky settings and some of the best gore and makeup effects of it's time, perfected by the legendary Rick Baker, previously known for his work on Star Wars.

What makes this werewolf flick work so well is it's respect for both genres. This isn't a parody of horror movies nor is it an all out comedy. This gives the film a completely original tone and si enjoyable on many levels. Another aspect that really sets the mood here, is the soundtrack. Using three versions of "Blue Moon", Van Morrison's "Moondance", Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" these songs all prove for memorable moments in the movie, not to mention that the score was done by legendary composer Elmer Bernstein.



There really hadn't been too many great werewolf movies since 1941's The Wolf Man but this film took the sub-genre to new levels. A very layered film that may even take multiple viewings to notice all the different jokes and details hidden within the picture. It established John Landis as a horror director, who would go on to direct such freaky projects including a segment in The Twilight Zone Movie, Innocent Blood and Michael Jackson's Thriller music video and it's good for people who love to laugh.. and cringe.

Fright Fact: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences were so impressed by Rick Baker's elaborate makeup that in 1981 they created a new award for "Outstanding Achievement in Makeup".

Horror Highlight: The Transformation scene

Day 23: The Shining

23. The Shining (1980)
Dir: Stanley Kubrick
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers

Always very particular about what his projects, Kubrick waited almost five years after Barry Lyndon to start work on his next product and he didn't disappoint. Loosely adapting Stephen King's 1977 novel of the same name, The Shining has become a horror masterpiece with it's breathtaking visuals, compelling star and chilling atmosphere.

Telling the story of writer Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) as he and has family become the new caretakers of the Overlook Hotel. Warned that previous caretaker went insane killing his family, Jack slowly slips into madness becoming angry and violent. Meanwhile Jack's son Danny (Danny Lloyd) discovers a telepathic ability he shares with an elderly cook (Scatman Crothers) known as "Shining". Jack eventually losing control of his sanity goes after his family in a suspenseful and quite memorable climax.



Now a lot of King fans were initially pretty disappointed with the drastic changes Kubrick made in the story, but in recent years even King has found some kind of mutual respect for what Kubrick did. Whether or not Kubrick was faithful (which he wasn't) his changes still made for an equally compelling experience. Plus some of the scenes he added have become iconic images in film. Blood flowing out of the elevator shaft, the ghost twins, Jack's supposed "novel" in the typewriter and "Here's Johnny" were all unique to the film. This film's solemn atmosphere is completely absorbing and truly the work of a masterful film auteur.

Fright Fact: The set for the Overlook Hotel was at the time, the largest set ever built.

Horror Highlight: "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"

Day 22: Friday the 13th

22. Friday the 13th (1980)
Dir:Sean S. Cunningham
Cast:Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Kevin Bacon

Let me just start by saying that I think this is one of the most overrated horror franchises of all time. Then again are any of the films really perceived in any kind of positive light by critics? Well the first one has 70% on Rotten Tomatoes and if you ask me that is far too high. "Why review a movie you don't even like?" some may ask, well as much I think this is a pretty bland and forgettable slasher flick, I can't deny it's impact on the world of horror movies. Though l mostly just added this to have a full horror movie timeline, so I'll be brief.

So a bunch of horny teenagers re-open an abandoned camp (Camp Crystal Lake) that was closed down in the 50s after some retarded kid drowned and then there were like some murders or something. So in modern day we have all the counselors refurbishing the camp even after some dude tells one of the counselors that they're doomed and soon enough they all start getting killed. Oh yeah, and at some point we learn that boy who drowned in the lake was named Jason Vorhees... So has Jason risen from the dead to get revenge? Well not in this one, as a matter of fact it turns out to be Jason's middle-aged mother which is rather anticlimactic, if I must say. So she battles it out with the last surviving counselor, gets her had chopped off and that's that. There's actually a kind of spooky "Dream sequence" at the end where the main character imagines Jason jumping out of the lake and pulling her in, but don't worry it's only dream... At least for now, this film was just itching for a sequel.



As we all know Jason would go on to the main antagonist of the series. He would appear grown up for some reason in the second film killing people with a sack on his head and eventually don his infamous hockey mask in part 3. Now I've never really thought much of Jason or the series, but you can't deny his popularity up there with some of the other notable slasher villains like Freddy Krueger, Leatherface or Pinhead from Hellraiser. I'll admit his machete and mask makes for a pretty memorable image but that's about all I can say that's positive. All the other films I've seen in this series have been absolutely terrible.

Fright Fact: A remake is set for release on February 13, 2009 but with Jason as the lead villain instead of his mom. It's being directed by Marcus Nispel who also directed the god awful remake of Texas Chain Saw Massacre so this will most likely be terrible as well.

Horror Highlight: Here's the ending of the film which is surprisingly scary. Probably the only good part of the movie.

Day 21: Alien

21. Alien (1979)
Dir: Ridley Scott
Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Ian Holm, Tom Skeritt, Veronica Cartwright, Yaphet Kotto, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt

"In space no one can hear you scream.", one of the great movie taglines to perhaps the finest blending of sci-fi and horror in the world of film. Before Alien it had been quite awhile since anyone had made a traditional monster movie as the sub-genre had pretty much dried up. Then came along one of the most unique, surreal and frightening horror movies of it's time, 1979's Alien. With outstanding visuals, heart-pounding suspense and a talented cast, this movie started quite a franchise and would ever change the way monster movies would be made.

The origin of Alien begins with screenwriter Dan O'Bannon. Previously known for staring/co-writing the 1974 film Dark Star with director John Carpenter, O'Bannon was inspired to write a more horror based creature with a legitimate looking alien. Partnering up with Ronald Shusett, the pair started a script about a crew of astronauts awakening to find they've received a signal from a mysterious planetoid. This would of course makeup the beginning of the film, but they weren't quite sure what to do about their alien antagonist. Taking a break, O'Bannon went to Paris to discuss the work on what would end up being the first unsuccessful attempt at a Dune movie. Though the project failed to materialize O'Bannon did happen to meet Swiss artist H.R. Giger, who's gothic like artwork would end up being the design of the alien particularly his piece "Necronom IV". Sending the script to David Giler and Walter Hill, the film would go through eight rewrites before it became what we know today. Going through a handful of directors Fox would come to settle on Ridley Scott. After acquiring a reasonable budget, a strong cast and skilled crew, the birth of terrifying classic was born.



Keeping the plot basic, we are introduced to the crew of Nostromo heading back to earth after a mission. Interrupted by a signal of a strange planetoid, the crew decides to investigate. Finding a chamber of large eggs, Executive Officer Kane (John Hurt) is attacked by a face-hugging creature. Bringing him back to the ship the creature is removed and everything appears to be back to normal or that's what we think. For after a particularly memorable scene of a certain something popping out of a certain someone the real terror begins with very little breathing room.

Alien really nails down the suspense element in the ways it reveals the creature and in Giger's terrifying design. With plenty of twists and turns, an interesting story and a significantly older cast than most other films of the genre, Alien delivers a completely unique film going experience. The visuals and effects still hold up and it's certainly inspired a whole slew of future monster movies.

Fright Fact: Right below is Giger's painting that inspired his design of the creature "Necronom IV"


Horror Highlight: Here's the extended version the infamous chest bursting sequence.

Day 20: Halloween

20. Halloween (1978
Dir: John Carpenter
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasance, P.J. Soles, Nancy Loomis, Nick Castle

The seventies was quite a time to be alive for independent filmmakers. Where notable upcoming directors like Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, or even the blockbuster duo of Spielberg and Lucas had become part of a new wave of inventive and fully independent directors, the same thing was happening on the other side of the pond for the horror genre. People like; George A. Romero, Tobe Hooper, Wes Craven, Dario Argento, David Cronenberg and John Carpenter had broke onto the scene and found an audience. I give you this introduction due to the fact that the independent film I speak of today was at the time the most successful independent film ever made, yes I speak of the 1978 slasher classic Halloween.

After viewing Carpenter's 1976 film Assault on Precinct 13 independent film producer Irwin Yablans and financier Moustapha Akkad sought out Carpenter to direct a film about a serial killer that stalked babysitters. With a working title of "The Babysitter Murders" you wouldn't think this film would of came together like it did, but by god they managed to make movie history.

Changing the name to Halloween to go with the holiday setting, Halloween's production costs were tight, but Carpenter and company found ways to work around the difficulties. Carpenter himself would direct, co-write and compose the film's iconic score while working with a few cheaper actors, including newcomer Jamie Lee Curtis and screen veteran Donald Pleasance.

The setting is Haddonfield, Illinois where we first learn of the Myers residence. Formerly a seemingly normal household until the families' young son Michael murdered his sister on Halloween. Years later we follow the life of high school student Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her group of baby-sitting friends. Soon enough a now adult Michael has escaped from the sanitarium and donning a white mask (Which in actuality was a painted William Shatner mask) returns to his old stomping grounds to stalk Laurie and her friends while his former psychiatrist Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance) hunts him down.



This film is all about mood and building a feeling of uneasy tension. You're never quite sure when you might spot Michael and his slow, emotionless pursuit of the film's heroine is quite chilling. There isn't a lot of blood or guts in this film but it stands strongly enough with it's powerful atmosphere. Carpenter's best score helps create this nightmare and the film's cinematography totally flips the happy suburban setting into an eerie place, where you're never quite sure what might be around the corner.

Psycho is often thought to be the birth of the slasher film, but Halloween gave us most of elements we still see today, these include; teenagers who have sex getting killed, the emotionless psycho stalker, slow ascents on the victim and the inconclusive ending perfect for setting up a sequel. Halloween has easily become the film best suited for this frightening fall season and still lands a mighty wallop of terror on to it's viewers.

Fright Fact: Donald Pleasance's role as Dr. Loomis was originally offered to Christopher Lee who declined. Lee claims this to be the biggest mistake of his film career.

Horror Highlight: The Final Confrontation

Day 19: Dawn of the Dead

20. Dawn of the Dead (1978
Dir: George A. Romero
Cast: Ken Foree, Gaylen Ross, David Emge, Scott H. Reiniger

"When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth" one of the most memorable lines in any of horror master George A. Romero's films and probably a contributor to why this is the greatest zombie movie ever made.

After years of venturing with other ideas and concepts, George A. Romero was finally ready to make another zombie movie almost ten years after the release of the cult classic Night of the Living Dead. Filmed nights at the Monroeville Mall in Monroeville Pennsylvania, Romero working with a more flexible budgets, a good cast and blossoming makeup artist/actor Tom Savini made for monstrous movie magic. With great visuals, effects and a very human driven story this was an instant success in the late 70s.

He simply had a great idea setting a small group of people in a basically abandoned shopping mall, well at least there are no living inhabitants. Where at first are characters feel trapped and isolated, they soon take advantage of their surroundings. In a way it's like being a kid in a candy store having a whole mall to yourself only with the grim realization that good things can't last forever.

Romero's script is once again filled with comical bits of satire and reflections of modern America. We see how even after the masses have become rotting flesh eaters, they are still distracted by the mundane activities they participated in while alive. They wander around with shopping carts or repeatedly go up and down the escalator making for a very surreal vision of a world on the brim of destruction. This mood is only improved upon by an excellent soundtrack by Italian band Goblin working alongside Dario Argento.

But what makes Romero's zombie movies so enduring, especially this one, is that the characters thoughts, feelings and emotions are the driving force of the film. Where most crappy zombie movies like former Romero partner John Russo's produced Living Dead series was just a bunch of gross out humor and stupid horror sequences, Romero holds the experiences of his characters as the most important aspect of his work. This couldn't work out better as you really find yourself rooting for the main cast, hoping that they'll manage to make it in this disintegrating world.



Are four main protagonists are a likable bunch and especially memorable is the down right cool and calm attitude of the film's main male character Peter (played by cult actor/Kenan's dad on Kenan and Kel Ken Foree.) These characters deal with some pretty spooky moments as well including; holding off zombies, getting supplies, and fighting off a wave of marauding bikers to name a few. The film just builds and builds to a triumphant finish shooting itself into horror movie legend status.

Universally praised by critics and by waves of obsessed fans, Romero further built upon the zombie genre and basically made the perfect horror movie. I can't say enough about my admiration for Dawn of Dead so if you haven't seen it then you should check it out, you will not be disappointed.... Don't see the remake.

Fright Fact: Many effects were thought of right on the spot. Tom Savini created many effects (such as the arm in the blood pressure tester) with no preparations whatsoever

Horror Highlight Here's a delightful sequence where the dead mob on some bikers.

Day 18: The Omen

18. The Omen (1976)
Dir: Richard Donner
Cast: Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Billie Whitelaw

With the success of the controversial classic that was The Exorcist, Hollywood saw a new sub-genre developing in the world of horror that had struck a chord with audiences. This sub-genre has become known to some movie fans as "Christploitation" a film with religious themes portrayed in a horror styling. Thus the go ahead was given for director Richard Donner to make the 1976 film The Omen.

With an all star lead in acting legend Gregory Peck and a talented supporting cast, The Omen is a chilling story of a married American Diplomat couple Robert Thorn (Peck) and his wife Katherine (Remick) living in England with their quiet adopted young son Damien (Harvey Stephens). Everything seems to be normal at first until suddenly all the people around Robert begin to die in mysterious ways. Eventually with the help of a photographer Keith Jennings (Warner) Thorn finally comes to the shocking conclusion that his son is indeed the offspring of Satan and wont quit until his son is stopped.

Now of course The Omen is no where near as powerful or compelling as The Exorcist, but it's still a very thrilling and unsettling movie. Gregory Peck is marvelous as the conflicted father and the events that surround him are pretty creepy. The cinematography (Done by Gilbert Taylor who came out of retirement to do the film) and production value is quite good, but one of the most important factors of why this film feels so spook, is it's excellent score. A booming latin singing choir performing an excellent collection of pieces by composer legend Jerry Goldsmith. The theme to the movie is song called "Ave Satani" translated as "Hail Satan" which won Goldsmith an Oscar and may perhaps be the biggest highlight of his prestigious career. Either way it really sets the mood and makes this movie all so much scarier.



It seems interesting to me that a lot of the best horror movies of the 70s weren't always made by specifically horror genre directors. Brian De Palma had Carrie William Friedkin had The Exorcist and Donner The Omen which is a very effective spook fest done by a primarily adventure genre director. Either way this a great piece of scary moviemaking and worth a bit of peak if you want to see something good.

Fright Fact: The shot of Lee Remick falling to the floor was done by building the "floor" on a (vertical) wall and dollying an upright Remick backward towards it.

Horror Highlight: This scene is a definite spoiler in a key characters death, don't watch it if you want to be surprised the first time you see it... But god do I love this scene.

Day 17: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

17. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Dir: Tobe Hooper
Cast: Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen, Edwin Neal, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, Jim Siedow, Teri McMinn

No one ever seems to get a full appreciation of Tobe Hooper's Texas Chainsaw Massacre on their first viewing. Whether it's initially too strange, disturbing, or low budget, it's truly something else and possibly one of the most hard hitting psychological horror films ever made. From it's chilling opening narration (read by John Larroquette), to it's talented no-name cast, not to mention some outstanding documentary-style camerawork. TCM paved the way for the slasher genre and independent cinema.

Following the travels of five young adults in rural Texas, particularly one Sally Hardesty and her wheelchair-bound brother Franklin. The group is on their way to visiting Sally and Franklin's grandfather's grave, that is until they take an unfortunate detour. Winding up in the clutches of murderous cannibal family the group is slowly dwindled down, tortured and ridiculed by this twisted backwoods clan in one of the most controversial films of it's time.

Though Initially banned by various countries and strongly criticized, TCM has in recent years been declared a classic by critics and audiences alike. Filmed on a minimal budget of $120,000 by indie director Tobe Hooper and with a small cast of college students and teachers, this low budget fright fest become one of the highest grossing independent films at the time and world be renowned for it's classic lead villain and disturbing tone.



But what's funny about TCM is the film's actual content. I mean it's a film about a murderous backwoods' family with a central character wielding a chainsaw with the word "Massacre" in the title, yet there's very little gore or graphic content. Instead opting for a more psychological and ultimately more realistic horror film. This is perfected by the film's unsettling score and art direction and most notably the performances of the film's antagonists. Jim Siedow plays the father of the the clan who although may seem the most normal initially is actually the most cruel and violent personality. Edwin Neal plays the family's outcast hitchhiker and with his twisted outlook on life, adds the eccentric flare to the family and what is there to say about Leatherface? A towering, aggressive, mentally retarded hulk played by the intimidating Icelandic actor Gunnar Hansen... That's some scary stuff.

This is definitely within my top ten for films of this genre and worth checking out for people who want to get into the genre. No one's ever quite sure how they'll initially feel about it, but there's surprising amount of artistic merit here and has some surprisingly smart storytelling, perfect for the Halloween season.

Fright Fact: Most of the film's blood was real and many people in the cast were actually injured.

Horror Highlight: Here's a creepy segment, the meat hook scene,

Day 16: The Exorcist

16. The Exorcist (1973)
Dir: William Friedkin
Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow

A film so evil that priests were periodically brought on to bless the set after strange occurrences, including injuries and a fire. Held in high regard as perhaps the scariest movie ever made we have William Friedkin's 1973 film The Exorcist. Based off the novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty, who also wrote the film's Academy Award winning screenplay, The Exorcist was and still is one of the most critically acclaimed horror movies ever made. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, two of which it one for sound and writing, was the highest grossing film of 1973 and not to mention the subject of some controversy The Exorcist is an American movie classic and probably the scariest film I ever recall seeing.

Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) is a working actress filming in Georgetown living with her 12 year old daughter Regan (Linda Blair). Regan, who's often a fairly normal child soon starts occasionally exhibiting strange behaviors including; abnormal powers, a change in her mental and physical makeup and a strange demonic voice that she now possesses. Regan goes through strenuous medical tests and psychiatry but with less than stellar results. Once Chris learns that her daughter may be the victim of a demonic presence, she contacts Father Karras (Jason Miller) and Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) to perform an exorcism.

From the opening sequence of Father Merrin on an archeological dig in Nineveh to the film's shocking climax, there's a strong feeling of suspense and hopelessness in this supernatural thriller. With subliminal editing and dark, powerful themes you can see why there was so much controversy, people weren't just freaked out that the film dealt with some Satanic subject matter, they were freaking scared too. Something about the innocence of child taken away and replaced with something of pure evil just disturbs people. It's not surprising as their has always been somewhat of a belief in possession being real. As a matter of fact William Peter Blatty just happened to base his book off a true event that took place in 1949.



Aside from all this evil and controversy, you can't deny this film's greatness. The whole cast especially Jason Miller in my opinion, come as very real with some powerful emotions. The film is shot and scored masterfully, and William Peter Blatty has truly written a classic story. This is probably the best a horror movie will ever fair with critics or award ceremonies and certainly did a lot for the genre. It gave horror movies a new found respect and inspired and opened the door for future filmmakers. If you ever feel like getting spooked it's always an excellent day for an exorcism.

Fright Fact: The voice of the demonic spirit Pazuzu was performed by Academy Award winning actress Mercedes McCambridge.

Horror Highlight: Here's a segment of the exorcism with subtitles for some reason.

Day 15: Night of the Living Dead

15. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Dir: George A. Romero
Cast: Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea, Karl hardman, Marilyn Eastman, Keith Wayne, Judith Ridley
Our next film was a significant turning point not only in horror movies but for film in general. Exploding out of the Vietnam-era, Night of the Living Dead may have been considered a violent scare-fest when it was released but looking deeper you can see the political and social critiques buried within this dark story. It may not necessarily hold up as well when viewed today, but it's still an influential film in the the timeline of horror movies and actually broke a lot of barriers.

Co-Written and Directed by George Andrew Romero, who had become inspired to make a horror film after filming a tonsillectomy segment for Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, he and his friends formed "Image Ten Productions" in the 60s to fund a low budget feature length film.

Filming in rural Pennsylvania with a cast of virtual unknowns. Romero and co-writer John Russo set out to tell the story of a group of individuals trying to survive in farmhouse, while being attacked by the reanimated corpses of the dead. Were never really given an explanation of why this is happening, but that's part of the charm. Your basically thrown right into the drama with very little set up and it's quite effective. Where so many lame horror movies have to explain all the scientific jargon, Night focuses more on it's characters and the emotions they go through on one devastating night.



As I previously stated this film initially broke several barriers in film. Violence and graphic images were brought to a new height but something else notable about Night is that it was one of the first films to depict an African American man in the lead role. Casting Duane Jones who portrays Ben, was at the time considered a controversial move but he won over audiences with his strong performance and presence. The supporting cast had little experience but are suitable for the low budget flick and overall make for a compelling piece of horror.

This baby is basically the father of all zombie movies, at least how we portray zombies in movies today. Romero's gone on to make quite a name for himself in frightening features and here's where it all started. From it's thrilling opening to it's dark and controversial ending, Night of the Living Dead is a cult classic and an important part of movie history.

Fright Fact: This has been remade twice, once as a made for TV movie in 1990 and then again a year or two back in a limited theater release... In 3D.

Horror Highlight: Couldn't find any impressive clips, so here's the trailer... If you haven't seen this movie and you care to it's in the public domain.

Day 14: Rosemary's Baby

14. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Dir: Roman Polanski
Cast: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer...

Today's post regards a tense and dark thriller based off Ira Levin's 1967 novel of the same name and brought to life by who else but film auteur Roman Polanski. Where some films may initially scare you there others that tend to hit you on a deeper, more psychological level I definitely felt this after seeing the dark Horror/Drama that is Rosemary's Baby,

Originally a project pursued by notable horror director William Castle, who instead ended up producing and having a cameo, Paramount executive Robert Evans decided upon on hiring European director Roman Polanski to make his American film debut. Casting a young Mia Farrow in one of her first roles, John Cassavetes as her husband and an ensemble cast of veteran actors, Rosemary's Baby would become an instant success, even leading to an academy award for best supporting actress for Ruth Gordon and most importantly would be a classic entry into the timeline of horror movies.

Set in New York City, Rosemary's Baby is about a young couple; Rosemary Woodhouse and her actor husband Guy moving into the Bramford apartment complex, a building with somewhat of an unsavory past of tenants and events. Meeting their somewhat strange neighbors, an elderly couple Minnie Castevet (Ruth Gordon) and Roman (Sidney Blackmer), things already seem a bit off. Soon enough Guy lands a role in a play and the couple decides to have a baby. The night the decide to conceive they are visited by Minnie bringing Rosemary a strange tasting chocolate mousse. That night Rosemary has a bizarre dream about being raped by a demonic creature and the next thing you know she's pregnant... Only this is no ordinary pregnancy.



Rosemary's Baby isn't necessarily about the scares, rather it's more concentrated on building an atmosphere. The film is shot beautifully and excellently directed by Roman Polanski but as well made all the creepier by it's magnificent score by Krysztof Komeda, a frequent collaborator of Polanski in the 60s. The somewhat slow pacing only adds to the building tension and the film ends on quite a disturbing note.

Rosemary's Baby is definitely one of the finer examples of horror and drama blending to make a strong compelling piece of cinema and entertaining whether you're a horror fan or not.

Fright Fact: Mia Farrow does the vocals on the title-sequence lullaby.

Horror Highlight: The end is pretty eerie, but I wouldn't recommend watching this if you haven't seen the movie.

Day 13: The Haunting

13. The Haunting (1963)
Dir: Robert Wise
Cast: Julie Harris, Richard Johnson, Claire Bloom, Russ Tamblyn

Based off one of the finest ghosts stories in the literary world, Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" written in 1959. This faithful adaptation is one of the most unique horror film's of it's time or any time for the matter in that you really don't see any ghosts. This film instead takes a much more psychological angle to create it's atmosphere and surprisingly it's still effective to this day. WIth heavy use of disturbing sound effects, quick camera movements and clever visual tricks, The Haunting builds up an ever present tension and really hits you where the best horror movies always should, in your mind.

Excellently adapted to the screen by frequent Wise collaborator Nelson Gidding, this eerily shot ghost story pits a research group of four people spending a few days in the infamous "Hill House". Eleanor Lance is the main focus of the film as were often put into her mind with a frequent inner monologue that over time slowly descends into a kind of madness. That really sums up the basic idea which although may sound simple is played upon with some very heavy themes and a very unsettling tone.



If anything this shows that acclaimed director Robert Wise could basically slip into any genre without any difficulties. Whether he was doing a musical, western, sci-fi or horror movie, where he got his start doing Val Lewton productions, he always managed to do any genre proud with strong production and crisp direction. The performances are definitely worth mention, as though feelings between them may get a little hectic and wear on the nerves, everyone gives their all. I am sure Shirley Jackson would of been proud of this movie but not of that terrible remake made in 1999.

Fright Fact: How about the fact that it was remade, that was pretty terrible

Horror Highlight:
Here's one of the many bizarre scenes in the movie that builds tension

Day 12: The Birds

12. The Birds (1963)
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette, Veronica Cartwright

What better film to follow up Hitchcock's infamous Psycho than with another legendary Hitchcock thriller The Birds. A front runner in the "revenge of nature" theme that would later influence the disaster films of the 70s, The Birds was at the time one of the most unconventional thrillers ever made. WIth a unique minimal score, fantastic cinematography from Robert Burks and strange

Starting out in San Francisco, The Birds tells the tale of wealthy socialite Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) who while visiting the area to pick up a myna bird for her aunt meets a charming lawyer named Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor). Leaving the shop with Mitch's address, Melanie drives to Mitch's home in Bodega Bay but is then mysteriously attacked by a vicious seagull. Soon enough an unexplained large scale avian attack occurs pitting Melanie, Mitch and other resident's of Bodega against the relentless force of nature that is The Birds!



A highly unique, stylish and entertaining thriller Hitchcock new how to grab an audience and this thrilling popcorn flick was a nice addition to his already impressive filmography.

Fright Fact: A remake starring Naomi Watts is set for release on July 3, 2009.

Horror Highlight: Any scene with those pesky birds

Day 11: Psycho

11. Psycho (1960)
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam

With the shower that shocked the world, today's post may have been the birth of the slasher but also a landmark film regarding style, story and especially violence. Possibly the greatest or at least most memorable film from film auteur Alfred Hitchcock Psycho, based off the novel by Robert Bloch, is a flawless piece of suspense with a timeless feel, still pulsating with plenty of scares and edge of your seat moments.

Inspired by a handful of 50s B-movies by Roger Corman and William Castle, that despite poor reviews had become hits, Hitch decided it was time to reinvent himself by making a low budget, black and white, suspense thriller that would prove to be his darkest film yet.

Hiring a rookie screenwriter Joseph Stefano to pen the controversial novel, the studio folks were skeptical about Hitch's risky venture into low budget violence with Paramount even refusing to finance the picture. So Hitch went to Universal studios, assembled a small crew from his show Alfred Hitchcock Presents and went out to make movie magic.. I'll bet Paramount were kicking themselves later.



Following the story of Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) who after stealing $40,000 from her office flees to California, we are submerged into a stylish and tense world of dishonest people and devious deeds. Then while traveling one night through a heavy rain, Marion decides to take a detour at the Bates Motel where nothing is quite as it seems. Owned by a young innocent man by the name of Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) who claims to live at the motel with his mother, there's just something a bit off about young Norman and the mood at Bates Motel and that's when everything gets out of control. With one of the most shocking twists in film set surprisingly in the middle, this is a creepy unpredictable suspense story. Not to mention the great supporting cast that pops in here and there including; Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, John McIntire and Simon Oakland who are memorable additions to this disturbing story.

The score by frequent Hitchcock collaborator Bernard Herrmann is a terrifying piece of orchestral stings and screeching while the cinematography is artistic perfection. How could we go without mentioning the legendary shower scene, one of the most unique sequences in film history. Story-boarded by graphic designer Saul Bass with a little bit of mystery behind who directed it, the shower scene, which contains an impressive 50 cuts, is one of the most inventive scenes you'll ever see in a movie and is to this day is still highly effective.

I could talk about Psycho all day but I got to draw the line somewhere. If you like psychological thrillers and haven't seen this than your probably a psycho yourself, so you should definitely check this out you wont regret it.

Fright Fact: First American film ever to show a toilet flushing on screen

Horror Highlight: I think you guess what I'm gonna post here

Day 10: House on Haunted Hill

10. House on Haunted Hill (1959)
Dir William Castle
Cast: Vincent Price, Carolyn Craig, Elisha Cook Jr, Carol Ohmart...

One of the only movies that I own a shirt of depicting the film's poster, this off the wall 50s cult classic is probably just as notable as the film's legendary director William Castle, the king of the gimmick. Whether it was handing out life insurance policies to audiences before seeing his 1958 film Macabre or floating inflatable skeleton's above audiences seeing the film we speak of today, the eccentric Castle loved to spook people with a great enthusiasm and left behind some pretty entertaining horror flicks, especially with this 1959 film.

Set around the scenario of a small group of people being challenged to stay in a haunted house to receive $10,000. House on Haunted Hill is more or less a big excuse to set up all sorts of scares involving; ghosts, murders and other terrors, but hey I ain't complaining. This movie is just good old fashioned fun and highly entertaining for fans of vintage horror. The highly talented Vincent Price leads a fun ensemble cast into plenty of twists and turns leaving for a surprisingly unpredictable viewing experience.



William Castle's low budget B-movies weren't great cinematic achievements but he did what he loved and it really rubs off an the audience. There's been some pretty crappy remakes of some of his films such as this one and 13 Ghosts (1960) but no way are those films half as memorable as an campy Castle outing. And even if these films were somewhat cheesy it was always a treat to see a talent like Vincent Price capture us with his serio-comic attitude and classic eerie speaking voice. SImply put this is what effective B-movie horror is all about.

Fright Fact: Inspired Alfred Hitchcock to make Psycho

Horror Highlight:All I could find were 10 minutes scenes from the movie, so I'll just give you the trailer.

Day 9: The Creature from the Black Lagoon

9. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
Dir: Jack Arnold
Cast: Richard Carlson, Julia Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno

Now I often given this film a pretty hard time. I think it's cheesy, melodramatic and somewhat dry, but you just can't deny it's importance in the genre and for it's showcase of another classic Universal Monster.

Directed by veteran horror/sci-fi director Jack Arnold, this 50s Universal monster movie made quite a splash scaring audiences back in 1954 due do it's terrifying title creature known as "The Creature" or sometimes "Gill Man". With a fantastically crafted monster suit I guess this film didn't need much else to win over the heart's of horror fans.

Set in the Amazon this film tells the story of a group expedition looking for a supposed "missing link" after an unidentifiable skeletal hand is discovered. Sailing aboard a tramp steamer, the group discovers the remains of an earlier research team and soon enough fall prey to the clutches of the lagoon's creepiest inhabitant "The Creature".



Now as cheesy or so-so as I may say this film is, I think a lot of classic horror fans could at least find some suitable entertainment here. Like I said the costume is fantastic so I guess you could say this film looks pretty good, as that was always an important aspect to Universal's monster movies. Why even Universal's worst were far better than most other horror movies of the time. So just because I don't really like it doesn't mean you shouldn't check it out, it was probably one of the last notable monster movies before sci-fi took over the rest of the decade.

Fright Fact: There's supposedly been a remake in the works for a while with a script penned by none other than Gary Ross (Seabiscuit, Pleasantville) whose father was a co-writer on the original film.

Horror Highlight: any scene with that slimy creature, this was the best I could find.

Day 8: The Thing from Another World

9. The Thing from Another World (1951)
Dir: Christian Nyby, Howard Hawks (Uncredited)
Cast: Margaret Sheridan, Kenneth Tobey, Douglas Spencer, James Arness

With an almost ten year gap between this post and my last I thought I should explain myself. Seeing as there were so many films I wanted concentrate on further decades I decided to cut back significantly on the 40s, but I'd still like to pay my respects to some other films finishing off that decade, most notably a handful of the films produced by Val Lewton such as; Cat People (1942), I Walked with a Zombie (1943) and The Body Snatcher (1941), which was one of Robert Wise's first films. Anyways let's get on to our next frightening feature.

Breaking into the 50s we have one of the most influential sci-fi/monster movies to come out of the Atomic Age of film The Thing from Another World, produced, co-written and co-directed by veteran filmmaker Howard Hawks. Based off the 1948 short story by John W. Campbell Jr. The Thing from Another World tells the story of an Alaskan research group who after discovering a frozen extraterrestrial played by the intimidating 6'8ft tall James Arness, later of Gunsmoke fame, become pitted against this deadly vegetable man in some somewhat sticky situations.



A well produced film, The Thing from Another World is a finely crafted and sharp sci-fi thriller. Where as many other film's to come out of this blossoming genre were often cheesy and cheap looking pictures, this film was as fine as any other Hollywood project. With a large talented ensemble cast and some pretty creepy sequences this was pretty good considering all it aimed to be was a suitable monster movie.

Though probably overshadowed today by the fantastic 80s remake, there's still a lot to like in this vintage piece of sci-fi spookiness and worth a peek if your a fan of the remake.

Fright Fact:The scene in which The Thing is doused with kerosene and set ablaze is believed to be the first full body burn accomplished by a stunt man.

Horror Highlight: The final confrontation