Thursday, May 31, 2012

BEST HORROR MOVIES OF THE NAUGHTY AUGHTS (2000s)

As a film lover, horror is a genre very dear to my heart. Early on in my childhood all of my favorite movies were creature features. One of the first books I distinctly remember checking out from my elementary school library in 3rd grade was a book on the make-up fx from the old Universal monster pics. Even the earliest home movies I wrote & directed were horror themed: GORRIFIC GHOULS (1996), AFTER-LIFE (1998), BARK @ D MOON (1999), etc. (most of which I promise to upload to this blog in the near future) So naturally, I blame scary movies for my falling in love with this medium as a means of visual storytelling & conveying atmosphere. Though many frown upon the genre as a "less serious" or inferior pulp category, (which isn't all that surprising, considering the majority of horror releases in a year are forgettable garbage) but when they are good, they're some of the most entertaining flicks around. And like all film art, potentially speak volumes about human nature (particularly human nature under stress) & reflect the societal fears of the times.







#120-82 = quite good
#81-34 = great
#33-9 = top shelf liquor
#8-1 = God tier
Here's the countdown:





120.     HOUSE OF WAX (2005)
remake of De Toth's 1953 classic








119.         ALONE WITH HER





118.    COLD PREY [FRITT VILT]





117.               ISOLATION





116.           WILLARD (2003)
remake of the 1971 cult classic





115.     RIGHT AT YOUR DOOR





114.            CREEP (2004)





113.
  PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2009)





112.              DEAD END





  BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF
111.           [Director's cut]





110.              MAREBITO





109.           CLOVERFIELD





                     THE LAST
108. HOUSE ON THE LEFT (2009)
remake of Wes Craven's 1972 film





107.         THE ECLIPSE (2009)





106.
VAMPIRE HUNTER D: BLOODLUST








105.         THE BURROWERS





104.       THE EYE 見鬼 (2002)





103.       THREE... EXTREMES




102.       TRIANGLE





101.
  THE HILLS HAVE EYES (2006)
remake of Wes Craven's 1977 film







                 I AM LEGEND
100. [Alternate theatrical version]
3rd film adaptation of Richard Matheson's seminal book






99.             DEATHWATCH






98.  THE SUBSTITUTE [VIKAREN]





                          SAM 
97.    [TRICK 'R TREAT segment]






96.              THE RUINS






95.            DOG SOLDIERS





94.         THE CELL






93.                   SIGNS






92.             GRACE (2009)






91.        30 DAYS OF NIGHT
very atmospheric adaptation of the graphic novel






90.        BLACK SHEEP (2006)






89.         GHOSTS OF MARS






                HOMECOMING
88.    [MASTERS OF HORROR segment]




87.         NOROI: THE CURSE







                     SAUNA
86.     [FILTH aka EVIL RISING]





85.            CONSTANTINE






84.             LAKE MUNGO





83.         MURDER PARTY





82.           RESIDENT EVIL






81.             PITCH BLACK








80.                BELOW






79.       WIND CHILL






78. THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES






77.      JEEPERS CREEPERS 2
watch for free here






76.                  GOZU






                      ALL THE 
75.    BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE







74.        DIARY OF THE DEAD






73.           THE SEPARATION
animated short by Robert Morgan
 








72.            DEAD SNOW






     SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON
71.  BARBER OF FLEET STREET






70.      FINAL DESTINATION 2






69.               UZUMAKI






68.         JENNIFER'S BODY



67.                    MAY





66.                 THIRST





65.
  RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE





64.                SÉANCE






63.     THE CAT WITH HANDS






62.          GINGER SNAPS






61.               WENDIGO






60.             TREEVENGE





59.                SLITHER




58.   THE LIVING AND THE DEAD




57.              ROGUE (2007)






56.         THE SIGNAL (2007)






55.         THE HOLE 3D (2009)






54.             SEVERANCE






53.               VACANCY






52.        FINAL DESTINATION






51.    HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES






50.               SPLINTER






49.         LAND OF THE DEAD





48.         THE ORPHANAGE






47.             THEM  [ILS]






46.      JU-ON: THE GRUDGE





45.           BUBBA HO-TEP






             THE HAPPINESS 
44.OF THE KATAKURIS





43.                DAGON






42.        RUBBER JOHNNY





41.     INSIDE  [À L'INTÉRIEUR]






40.               VISITOR Q






39.               THE MIST





38.                BLADE II





37.         28 WEEKS LATER





36.                  HAZE





35.              PONTYPOOL





34.        THE LAST WINTER





33.         SEED OF CHUCKY





32.               ORPHAN





31. WAR OF THE WORLDS (2005)
Spielberg's 9/11-tinged update of the classic





30.            HOLLOW MAN





29.                   AMER





28.           SUICIDE CLUB





27.         THE LOVED ONES





26.       THE DEVIL'S REJECTS





25.             [REC]





24.                SESSION 9







23.              WOLF CREEK








22.           THE STRANGERS







                     DRACULA:
21.PAGES FROM A VIRGIN'S DIARY





20.       MONSTER HOUSE 3D





19.    A TALE OF TWO SISTERS





18.  THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL





17.         DRAG ME TO HELL





16.           THE OTHERS





15.                FRAILTY





14.                   BUG





13.       AMERICAN PSYCHO





12.   SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE





11. HALLOWEEN II [Director's cut]





10.           CABIN FEVER





9.         SHAUN OF THE DEAD





8.         TROUBLE EVERY DAY





7.             28 DAYS LATER





6.                  MARTYRS





5.     THE DESCENT [UK version]





4.     THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE





3.           THE HOST (2006)





2.      LET THE RIGHT ONE IN




1.          PULSE 回路
*****

(check back here weekly as I'll also be posting my Best Of Horror for the 90s, 80s, 70s, 60s, 50s & 40s too)












HONORABLE MENTION
VERSUS (2000), THE CHILDREN (2008), SIGAW [THE ECHO] (2004), THE ROOST (2005), TOOLBOX MURDERS remake (2004), CALVAIRE [THE ORDEAL] (2004), [REC2] (2009),
HALLOWEEN remake (2007), SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD (2009), CABIN FEVER 2: SPRING FEVER (2009), PREMONITION 予言 (2004), IN MY SKIN [DANS MA PEAU] (2002), CALL OF CTHULHU (2005), EXTE: HAIR EXTENSIONS (2007), ANTICHRIST (2009), FEAR(S) OF THE DARK (2008), SILENT HILL (2006), THE BATMAN VS DRACULA (2005), BLACK CHRISTMAS remake (2006), JEEPERS CREEPERS (2001), DANCE OF THE DEAD (2008), THE CONVENT (2000), THEY NEST (2000), RETRIBUTION (2006), BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE (2000), INFECTION (2004), REINCARNATION (2005), MULBERRY STREET (2006), THE FINAL DESTINATION (2009), JASON X (2001), JUNK 死霊狩り(2000) CIGARETTE BURNS + RIGHT TO DIE + THE BLACK CAT [MASTERS OF HORROR]















MIXED BAG / WORTH WATCHING!
EDEN LAKE (2008), THE BROKEN (2008), MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN (2008), WHAT LIES BENEATH (2000), FROM HELL (2001), TRICK ’R TREAT (2007), VALENTINE (2001), WRONG TURN (2003), HOSTEL (2005), HOSTEL: PART II (2007), MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D remake (2009), SAW II (2005), SAW short film (2003), THE CAVE (2005), CROCODILE (2000), AVP: ALIEN VS. PREDATOR (2004), BONES (2001), DAWN OF THE DEAD remake (2004), PLANET TERROR (2007), 1408 (2007), FUNNY GAMES remake (2007), THE RING remake (2002), JOY RIDE (2001), CHERRY FALLS (2000), MIRRORS (2008), DARK WATER (2005), UNDEAD (2003), PANDORUM (2009), NIGHT WATCH Ночной Дозор (2004), JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER (2007), OPEN WATER (2003), JOSHUA (2007), HATCHET (2006), LEPRECHAUN: BACK 2 THA HOOD (2003), FREDDY VS. JASON (2003), IDENTITY (2003), FRONTIER(S) (2007), RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION (2007), EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS (2002), DEAD SILENCE (2007), BRUISER (2000), SCREAM 3 (2000), MUTANTS (2009), SHUTTER (2004), THE ECHO remake (2008), FRAGILE (2005), RINGU Ø (2000), SPIDERS (2000), THE GRAVEDANCERS (2006), DREAD (2009), A SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN (2007), INFESTATION (2009)WAKE WOOD (2009), OFFSPRING (2009), DEAD BIRDS (2004), BLACK WATERS OF ECHO’S POND (2009), EARTH VS. THE SPIDER (2001), R-POINT (2004), FIDO (2006), I SELL THE DEAD (2008), CARRIERS (2009), FEAST (2005), RED DRAGON (2002), DEAD & BREAKFAST (2004), ZOMBIELAND (2009), MOTHER OF TEARS (2007), TEETH (2007), LA HORDE (2009), KAIDAN (2007), JU-ON: THE GRUDGE 2 (2003), GINGER SNAPS 2: UNLEASHED (2004), THE DEVIL’S CHAIR (2007), ONE MISSED CALL (2003), SANTA'S SLAY (2005), HELLRAISER: INFERNO (2000), KIBAKICHI (2004), JENIFER + DREAMS IN THE WITCH HOUSE + PRO-LIFE + FAIR-HAIRED CHILD + PELTS + VALERIE ON THE STAIRS [MASTERS OF HORROR]