Steve McQueen set the film world on fire with HUNGER (2008) five years ago. His debut film pinpointed to a director that not only knew how to fill a frame but took the time to familiarize himself with the in and out’s of his topic at hand. I mean, his first film was a reconstruction of a 90 second videotape left from the Hunger strike and riot that occurred in 1981 in Ireland, holy moly! Its a film about politics in every way. Its about the politics regarding the IRA and British Government struggle. Its about body politics; how the human body has been used as a political statement. And lastly it is about the statement itself, the political statement, the power that comes through it.

Like Hunger, Shame (2011) has all the seriousness one can possibly expect from a McQueen film. Shame had notes of Hunger. There is still an analysis on the body and its treatment. Just as Hunger had its constant reminder shots of the topic at hand so does Shame. Both films frequently had tight frames fixated on body parts. Hunger fixated on broken flesh, protruding bones or hands, especially the hands…hands, hands, hands. Each shot was filled with how the human body became a political statement. His focus on hands in Hunger points to the power of the political statement. He shot them making political demands. We see them writing letters to pass along to those outside prison to using their hands to defy on walls using their shit, we even see the bloody hands of the guards. Shame also focused on the body but this time the camera was aimed at the face (other parts as well, of course, but I’ll leave that up to you to discover) for example the first scene is an observation on the power of the penetrative stare. Tough stuff.

Both films have very hard pills-to-swallow for topics: one is about the struggle of prisoners of war while the other deals with the crisis of deviant sexual behavior. Hard topics aren’t often found in theatres so it is so refreshing to see a direction that doesn’t pick subject matter that cater to the crowds. So it was a nice surprise to see a full house last night.

In regards to style the films followed a cinematography of detail. Frames were full of detail relating to the topics. Each had great montages: in Hunger the scene of “the fucking Bastard” comes to mind, where prisoners start destroying their cells after been given civilian cloths in a taunting manner; in Shame, its the removal of the porn. They also each had long takes of the central character, allowing the audience to really see them as they were. Style.

One has to ask, does two films alone make the stamp for Auteurship? I would probably make the safe bet and say, yes. He has delivered films that keep a style and a narrative that has been, lately, only been touched by McQueen. McQueen indicated in 2008 that he was a filmmaker to watch. His films aren’t something you take a first date to, no; but they are films that with every revisit their meaning sets another tone to your perspective on life. Make sure to check out Shame as it comes out today.

Our staff and our readers were asked to send me a list of their 25 favorite TV Shows of All-Time. 59 ballots were received, and the shows were ranked on a point system allowing 25 points for a #1 choice, 24 for a #2, and all the way down to 1 point for #25. The points were added up, and what follows are the selections.

Tiebreakers work like such: If two shows have equal pointage (and neither got a number 1 vote), I went with whichever ranked highest on the individual lists. An show that was someone’s #4 beats another person’s #6, for example. If they were still tied, then whichever had more votes ranks higher. And then if they still were tied I just picked one so shut up.

We will be posting 10 shows a day for the entire week, culminating in the top 10 being revealed on Friday.

The countdown begins now!

50. Extras (2005-2007) - 91 points
(8 of 59 lists. Highest ranking #7 – Mally)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extras

Watching Andy Milman’s ego slowly destroy him is a hard thing to watch, and while it’s painfully funny, it’s still very painful. It’s when Gervais and Merchant offer the smallest bit of redemption for these characters that we cling to it like an oxygen mask of humanity. The series finale of Extras is one of the finest pieces of television I have ever witnessed, and I dare anyone to not be utterly destroyed by Andy’s monologue towards the end of the show. One thing I love about Extras is the stuff with Darren Lamb, letting Gervais and Merchant just play off each other, giving us something of a break from Andy’s tragic comedy. Submitted for your approval:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfNISfcJuYo

-James

49. Planet Earth (2006) - 91 points
(7 of 59 lists. Highest ranking #3 – HenryFinlay)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Earth_(TV_series)

My God the British really know how to film our world. This fascinating documentary of out planet never ceases to amaze. Many of the images are completely breathtaking, the environments and the creatures that live in them really make this world seem big and almost alien especially when dealing with the underwater episodes. Favourite episode: Caves! Scary and awesome. Check it out.

-Greg

48. Spaced (1999-2001) - 95 points
(10 of 59 lists. Highest ranking #9 – Pennylame)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced

Imagine that the guys who made Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead had a television show. Now I’m going to tell you that not only is this real, but it’s every bit as good as you’d hope it to be. The show is about a bunch of misfits living in a drab London flat, but the worlds THEY live in are hyper-stylized pop culture landscapes. It’s the interplay between the mundane but meaningful drama of everyday life and the loving combination of references, homages and styles that gives Spaced its unforgettable charm. Too bad the show never got the third season it deserved. SKIP TO THE END: It’s great. If you haven’t seen it, you should.

-James

47. The Venture Bros. (2003-present) - 98 points
(7 of 59 lists. Highest ranking #3 – Jebzaki)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Venture_Bros.

Adult Swim has been pretty hit or miss, but if there is one show that came out of that block worth your time it’s The Venture Bros. This satirical take on the Jonny Quest-type adventure shows has been said to be all about failure. It features some brilliant writing and some of the most inspired visual gags I’ve seen in a cartoon, as well as a cavalcade of memorable characters. The Monarch is still one of my favorite ‘villains’ of all-time (it’s in quotes because, well, just watch the show and you’ll understand).

-Alan

46. Modern Family (2009-present) - 99 points
(8 of 59 lists. Highest ranking #4 – Jill, Venlae)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_family

From breakout star Ty Burrell to renewed interest in ‘Married with Children’ Ed O’Neil, Modern Family was the little sitcom that became the next big thing in just a few episodes. Winning multiple awards and critical praise, the show uses the tried-and-true mockumentary style format to showcase a wide array of interesting characters and situations. The best thing about the show is the fact that it wears its heart on its sleeve. You grow to care for these characters beyond finding them funny and that’s the mark of a truly great sitcom.

-Alan

45. Party Down (2009-2010) - 100 points
(12 of 59 lists. Highest ranking #7 – TraverseTown)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_down

I’m kind of surprised this show made it as long as it did before getting canceled. Not that it’s a bad show (I think it’s great), but its premise, ‘sardonic show biz rejects learn sad life lessons while catering’ seems like it would appeal to a very small audience. Happily though, I am in this very small audience, and I enjoy a show with as many groans as laughs. It also stands as a testament to its writing that I could watch these characters be, at times, depraved, degrading, embarrassing and untalented, and still hope that they will succeed. Not to mention it has a great cast of under-appreciated comedy actors and ex-Veronica Mars faces. Are we having fun yet?

-James

44. Archer (2009-present) - 102 points
(11 of 59 lists. Highest ranking #5 – Jebzaki)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archer_(TV_series)

A twisted take on the spy genre, this is perhaps one of the better comedies to emerge in the past few years. It has a very unique main character – Archer is not bumbling, or bad at his job, and he has no issue getting romance – but he’s still a low status character. Perhaps a lot of that comes from his voice actor, Jon Benjamin (who is getting more love these days thanks to this and Bob’s Burgers but can always use more) who has this dry manner of speaking that makes just about everything he says hilarious. On top of that, it features many Arrested Development crossovers/references for all the fans of that show.

-Alan

43. Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988-1999) - 105 points
(7 of 59 lists. Highest ranking #2 – Jenna)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_Science_Theater_3000

You know that thing you do with your friends, where you watch a bad movie on purpose in order to make fun of it throughout? That’s what MST3000 was doing for years. It has been met with critical acclaim and numerous awards, as well as a dedicated cult following. It has since spawned a slew of imitators, most notably ‘Rifftrax’ which is a similar concept but done to more modern films and using just audio (rather than the silhouetted characters in this show).

-Alan

42. Band of Brothers (2001) - 107 points
(9 of 59 lists. Highest ranking #4 – Neil J.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Band_of_Brothers_(TV_miniseries)

If you’re looking for brilliantly done stories centered around WW2, look no further than Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks (Saving Private Ryan being the other example of this). The human element is what makes these stories so fascinating, and Band of Brothers follows the real-life stories of ‘Easy Company,’ based off research and interviews with the surviving members of said company. In addition to wonderfully paced storytelling, the fact that we get a glimpse into the real-life versions of these characters (interviews are peppered throughout) makes it all the more compelling.

-Alan

41. 24 (2001-2010) - 107 points
(9 of 59 lists. Highest ranking 1 #1 Vote – Jomskylark)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24_(TV_series)

When watching 24 it’s important to keep three things in mind in order to fully enjoy the show

1. Jack Bauer does not pee, if he does, he does so during commercials
2. Jack Bauer can handle ANYTHING the world throws at him, and the world will throw EVERYTHING at him no matter how implausible it may be. So just deal with it
3. There will ALWAYS be a mole who betrays EVERYONE. Try and guess who in the first episode of each season.

This show is incredibly intense, visceral and completely unrealistic in every way save for its depiction of violence. It is insanely addictive and lots of fun. Best season: Five.

-Greg

Louis C.K. – Comedian, writer, director, actor – has suddenly become one of the greatest artists working today. It’s not like this came out of nowhere – his stand-up material has been consistently brilliant, and he had a short lived sitcom on HBO (Lucky Louie) along with various other projects here and there. But recently, due to his continued success in stand-up (his special ‘Hilarious‘ was the first stand-up special accepted into Sundance) and his new, critically acclaimed TV show Louie he has suddenly found himself as one of the most successful and well-respected comedians of all time.

The second season of his show recently wrapped, and in wanting to talk about the show, I decided to forgo the usual article format we do here and instead have a sort of ‘discussion’ with another fan of the show and good friend of mine. We talked about what each episode meant, to us and in general, and gave each one a rating out of ten because I like to rate things with numbers. Here we go!

Episode 1: “Pregnant”

Alan: The second season opens with what is essentially the core of Louie. Putting his daughter to bed, Louie has to listen to her basically say she likes mom’s place better than dad’s. He listens to her talk about how much better mom is and with the innocence of a child doesn’t realize how it affects him. As she leaves, he gives her the finger.

Ife: She flat-out says that she loves her Mom more. Louie just carries on and the best part is that he doesn’t change his tone of voice or even his facial expression when he flips her off. It’s like he’s heard that more than once before. Even calling her baby. It seems to summarize their relationship. After all, in his stand-up he’s called her everything from a “bullshitter” to a “mistake” despite loving her. “I know how to look after you! You’re not dead yet!”

Alan: It’s the heart of their relationship. His stand-up has always been about how he loves his children despite knowing that his life would be better without them. It’s an honesty that I think few parents acknowledge or even understand. And it sets up the rest of the episode as well, especially the ‘mango pop’ exchange. The feeling of helplessness he feels throughout the episode, whether with trying to pass some true knowledge on to his kid, or to help his pregnant sister in pain, or to thank the neighbors, it all comes out.

Ife: You hit the nail on the head there. He seems to find solace in complaining about things because he’s essentially helpless. Look at the themes throughout the season they all have to do with control or fate in a way.. It’s always “what’s going to happen to Louie now?”, never “What will Louie do this week”. He’s a passive participant who seems to just find himself in situations he has very little power in.

Alan: Exactly. Even when he attempts to do something he is at the mercy of the situation around him. When his sister starts having pains in the middle of the night, and knowing what he knows (that she’s had a miscarriage before) he doesn’t know what to do until the neighbours knock on the door. And even then, they have to talk him down and convince him that the right thing to do, is to trust the strangers he just met and help his sister get to the hospital. Which leads to possibly the greatest fart joke I’ve seen in a long time. Was it a little crass? Sure.

Ife: It was just crass enough. I think CK loves to be isolated. He has a way of dealing with problems on his own. This is why anytime he actually has a meaningful conversation, even when it’s with someone who is mostly irrelevant, he learns all these new things about life. He loves to be isolated but when a situation happens when he must seek help he’s so useless. I liked this episode a lot because it show that with all the self-loathing he has, he has a sense of foolish pride. Indignation. He gets humbled here.

Alan: Definitely. And he acknowledges that in what was one of my favorite scenes of the entire season. The moment he says ‘I didn’t even know you were there.’ Is so true to life. We don’t know a thing about the people around us, until we need to. For all the self-loathing Louie’s onstage persona gives himself, calling him a shitty actor, he nails this scene.

Ife: This was a great way to start the season, particularly for anyone not familiar with his style or humor. I’d give the episode a well deserved 6 bouts of searing gas-pain out of 10

Alan: I’d give it a solid 7/10, mostly for the neighbors and the stuff with his kids.

Episode 2: “Bummer/Blueberries”

Ife: I have to say this episode rattled me quite a bit. You know that feeling when you realize that there are people, people around you, that are WAY more messed up than you. When I say messed up I don’t mean that you’re a close second I mean like you’re a beginner and they’re a professional at being just a casserole of problems and repressed…everythings. You know? Then there’s the post-realization emotion when you don’t know whether you should feel good that you’re clearly not bad, or bad that there people are doing worse.

Alan: It was a tough episode to watch, for sure. Both segments for different reasons. The ‘Bummer’ segment had so many things ring true about life, and dating, and the day-to-day bullshit we go through. And ‘Blueberries’ was a brief glimpse into this woman’s very, very depressing life.

Ife: She was so comfortable being in such bad shape, though. That’s what got me. Casual meal afterwards. The pre-coital errand running and discussion. She clearly saw nothing wrong with it.

Alan: It was almost like she was recreating a small piece of what her marriage looked like before the father left. She didn’t want ‘casual sex’ she wanted the whole relationship back in a way. Louie saw it initially as a dream come true, the elusive ‘no strings attached’ sexual relationship that devolved into a nightmare of a sad marriage.

Ife: Definitely. I thought that finally Louie hit the jackpot. Well, more of a scratch ticket thing where you win a free one. But I thought he caught a break. Nope. The two segments are a good juxtaposition. He prefaces the first date by saying that there is a segment of the female population that average people just don’t have access to. Then it’s ended with a segment of the female population that he realizes that he just doesn’t want. I’m sure every guy has had both of those revelations and neither of them are very nice experiences.

Alan: He even tries to get into it at the end of both segments. And in both things take a turn for the worse. He starts spanking this woman because she promises to suck him off, but it brings up some unknown trauma within her and she breaks down crying just as he is beginning to possibly enjoy himself. And in ‘Bummer’ he gets to kiss this elusive woman that even he knew nothing would happen with, but asked her out anyway. And then screws it all up and it ends the way many Louie segments end – with him chasing after someone else bumbling over his words trying to set things right.

Also, one of my favorite moments in season two is the brilliant delivery of the line “We don’t got no blueberries.”

Ife: Plenty of Vagi-tine though. Irritation isn’t a joke.

Alan: On that note I’ll give this episode 8 irritated vaginas out of 10.

Ife: 8/10 for me as well. It was deliciously disturbing.

Episode 3: “Moving”

Ife: What would you say is the theme of this episode? It shifted about 2 or 3 times the way I saw it.

Alan: I think, if anything, it’s about the feeling of being trapped. The main ‘plot’ of the episode involves Louie trying to find a new place to live, since his kids seem to like mom’s place better (an echo of the season opener). After searching around town, in vain, for a better place to live, he finally finds the perfect house, or ‘dream’ house. Louie knows he can’t afford it. But he talks to his accountant anyway, hoping against hope that something could help him get out of his rut (my favorite bit was when he just said ‘Obama’ to his accountant, which while hilarious is actually a pretty astute and subtle observation about what a lot of people thought his election meant for society). Louie is trapped in his situation, like so many of us are, financially and practically.

Ife: My favorite part was with the elderly tenant in the bait-and-switch house. Just the two or three seconds when Pam gives up and he sees this guy in this dive apartment (with the same haircut as him by the way) living out his fear of being alone and perpetually miserable. The whole scene was his fears reflected at him (including Pam leaving). He’s terrified.

Alan: I liked how Pamela’s reaction to the old guy was to cook him some eggs. It was actually really sweet.

Ife: The accountant scene was priceless. He was like a little kid asking his mom for money to buy candy. Just the way he broke it down for Louie so gingerly, “You have less than ten-times less than one mortgage payment on this house…right now you can buy a house worth seven-thousand dollars”. Portions like this show how polarized Louie is. Either he’s a degenerate or childlike. Earlier in the episode one of his buddies is going into graphic detail about performing what only a select few people in certain segments of society would deem a sex-act on Louie’s mother and he’s unfazed. Drinking coffee and reading the paper. Minutes later he’s almost— adorable?

Alan: I find that’s the case with his character often. He’s very endearing even when he’s doing pretty messed up things (his attempts at dating this season alone have perfect examples of this).Ultimately though, I like that the episode ends with Louie painting the house with his kids. It’s almost like he is saying ‘I may not be able to buy my dream house, but damnit, I’m going to do SOMEthing.’ Louie is getting a little more positive and optimistic as the series goes on, I feel, if only with him being less passive and taking more action – even a small one such as this. I give the episode 6 Obamas out of 10.

Ife: Haha! 5.5/10.

Episode 4: “Joan”

Alan: I have to admit, this episode really struck a chord with me. It was completely unexpected. The whole episode centers around a conversation with Joan Rivers, of all people, and much to my surprise it was one of the most concise and honest explanations of why some people choose to become entertainers (whether it’s stand-up comics, writers, filmmakers, musicians, etc).

Ife: Exactly. In the first act we see a series of situations saying that Love, be it between people or toward a profession, is painful. The crux of love is pain. However, as Ms. Rivers so elegantly summarized, we abide because we love it. It’s a part of you so you cannot dissociate from it. In spite of the irrational and sometimes masochistic amounts of pain it puts us through, we do it. Would you agree?

Alan: I wholeheartedly agree. I mean, when you look at the life of a stand-up, it’s not very glamorous. You wonder why it is these people choose this life of constant disappointment and degradation. And she puts it simply but truthfully – because we love it.

Ife: I think that my never finding Joan Rivers funny made me take her nugget of wisdom much more seriously. Its like a flower growing in a drainage ditch. You appreciate the beauty because it’s from something you don’t quite care for.

Alan: It’s one of those interesting things, that when it comes from an unexpected source it suddenly becomes more powerful.

Ife: When she said, “It doesn’t get better. YOU get better” it really hit home with me more than I would like to admit. There’s no better way to put it.

Alan: And then the final scene is Louie talking to the casino manager (taking Joan’s advice), and what worked really well was keeping it silent. Because it’s not what he’s saying to him that matters. It’s the fact that he IS talking to him. He’s getting his shitty casino spot back because he knows he needs to get better before his life does.

Ife: You’re an astute man, sir. I didn’t quite appreciate that the first time. I was more concerned that there was no funny stand-up outro. While I was feeling cheated I should have been paying attention.

Alan: Also is it just me or did Joan Rivers become like, 30% hotter after viewing this episode?

Ife: No.

Alan: Moving on.

Ife: 30% is a very exact number, too.

Alan: MOVING ON. My infatuation with Joan Rivers is nobody’s business but my own.

Ife: And now the Internet’s.

Alan: I’d rate Joan a solid 9/10. The episode too.

Ife: 7/10. A confused 7/10, Alan.

Episode 5: “Country Drive”

Alan: First off I want to address the sing-along portion of this episode – I found it hilarious, of course, but also pretty truthful and a rare thing to see a guy just being weird and silly – something we are all guilty of but rarely let shine through unless we are with our most trusted loved ones (as an aside, the new Patton Oswalt special has a bit about what he does when alone in the car, and I immediately thought of this scene. It’s something I am incredibly guilty of but was never sure if I was alone – Patton and Louie have brought this self-imposed silliness to the forefront).

Ife: We all do it. It’s sort of like using the washroom — hear me out. We can laugh at it, and we can laugh at others but when it’s us that gets put under the lens we tend to get very uncomfortable. I would be mortified if someone was to hear me while driving.

Alan: Of course. I think the part that Louie gets right here – and maybe it wasn’t intentional but it’s what I took from it – is that he’s only really like this when he’s with his kids. They bring the goofball out of him, and he seems to become a more happy person – if only for a moment. He is able to lose himself in this song – and all that matters in his world at that time is having fun, and making his kids laugh. He’s happiest when with his kids (as the whole series has pointed out numerous times) and the most miserable when trying to get laid.

Ife: I found it shocking he cursed in front of his kids. Louie is a pretty good father despite being a degenerate misanthrope. But I loved the whole car scene, it really helped in taking me away from his stupid kids.

Alan: I was never shocked at his behavior in front of his kids – especially the language. He’s unique in that he doesn’t filter himself as much as most parents do – he straight up tells them when they’re being assholes or greedy. While I understand that this is a slippery slope in terms of parenting – I find it refreshing and an interesting take on being honest with children.

Ife: If I have kids I’m going to take a page from him. “You don’t get to be bored”. He’s right. The children redeem themselves is a subtle way at the end of the show but they deserved to be put in their place. The little one is a waste of existence.

Alan: What I really like about this episode is the shift in what I will call moral authority. It goes from the kids, to Louie, to the Aunt, and back to the kids. It was remarkable.

Ife: They get to Louie’s Aunt’s and I was quickly curious about this new character. I mean, Louie talked her up for a significant portion of the introduction. I expected the show to proceed as usual with her showing the kids how spoiled they are. I was wrong. What was your initial reaction to the Aunt?

Alan: For me, I almost immediately felt she was going to be offensive in some way. I’m not sure why, but I’ve seen enough of Louie’s comedy to know how he feels about old people, and words, and while of course I couldn’t see what was going to happen right away, I wasn’t surprised when she gave the kids some ‘nigger toes’ and where Louie’s writing would go from there. The innocent kids hearing such a word from a seemingly kindly old woman meant Louie had to do some serious damage control. If anything, I was disappointed it didn’t go further – opting instead to kill off the old woman before she could get REALLY offensive and Louie to flounder trying to mediate between her and the kids.

Ife: You have a great point. Firstly, kudos. I didn’t see it coming at all. I think I was impressed by his children being more morally upright than really considering how far they could have pushed it. Not to mention I was shocked at the death. I think between the pity I felt for the old lady initially, the way it progressed and the death I was too distracted to think how crazy it could have been. I can imagine a flustered Louie having to deal with her longer and it does seem like it would be great TV.

Alan: I thought it was a weaker episode, to be honest. Still awesome though. 6/10.

Ife: I’ll give you that. It’s season 2’s answer to the “God” episode of season 1. 6 BRAZIL NUTS out of 10.

Episode 6: “Subway/Pamela”

Alan: ‘Subway’ first – it’s a testament to the creative control Louie is allowed that lets us have something like this on TV. Where else can you see a surreal vision of New York City’s Subway in a silent movie format?

Ife: I’ve never seen a show with so many blow-job jokes be so arty. You know? It’s a beautiful opening. The portion involving what I hope was Coca-cola on that subway seat got to me. I got a little emotional. Credit it to the optimism I keep in the cigar box under the floorboards of my memory but it was very charming. The reality though let’s us know that it’s still a Louie C.K. show and reminds us, “Why the fuck would anything ‘nice’ ever happen?”

Alan: Yeah that thing was nasty. And only Louie would think of filming a scene of a bum washing himself while beautiful classical music is played as the soundtrack. It’s almost as if it’s this private show just for Louie as he watches this strange ritual take place, and placing himself in the scene puts us in his shoes for a moment – almost as if he is saying ‘Look at the world – it’s constantly filled with some of the weirdest shit you’ve ever seen – but also the most beautiful.’

Ife: He watched that man clean himself for quite a while. In fact not having that half naked man included would still be far too long for my taste.

Alan: The second half of this episode – featuring the infamous Pamela – did a number on me.

Ife: Louie’s speech was so sweet I went into insulin shock.

Alan: I can’t stress enough how much I love Louie’s honest portrayal of himself in his stand-up and especially this show. Like, honest to the point where it seems artificial. And I’ve heard criticisms of the show saying exactly that, but what I love about his writing and his views on the world is how he seems to squeeze his own heart as far as it can go – to the point where we get this specific, heartfelt, and ultimately very sappy declaration of love – and somehow the entire world relates to him. Whether they admit it or not.

Ife: It didn’t seem fake in the slightest. It wasn’t cliche or excessive, it seemed real. From his demeanor to her reaction it seemed real authentic. If that was someone else portraying Louie it would have sucked. I’m sure Louie felt every word of that. If he didn’t I certainly did.

Alan: Agreed. And on the flip side – Pamela’s reaction simultaneously destroyed me as it brought back every time I’ve seen a woman make the face she made, and endeared me to her as I have also been on her side of the equation (even though those moments don’t resonate with my memory as clearly as the other ones). When you have someone declare they’re feelings for you and you don’t feel it back – you can’t help but be really thankful and sorry at the same time. And she brought that across brilliantly here.

Ife: I don’t think I thought of this enough from Pamela’s perspective. Upon watching it again I realize how hard that probably was for her too. Most likely because I’ve been Louie’s side of the fence the majority of times. How did you feel about the ending?

Alan: Oh man. The ending was so bizarre. I was right there with Louie the whole time – from his depression due to her reaction to his speech – to not even realizing what she was proposing with the ‘bath’ and then the rage at the realization he missed his one shot to be with her romantically. I wanted to shout along with him.

Ife: Strongly agree. I was so frustrated for him. After all, he only gets offers like that two or three times a season. Really though, the aggravating part is that this time there was some actual feelings behind it. Better luck next time, stupid.

Alan: 8 Painful screams of agony out of 10.

Ife: 9 out of 10.

Episode 7: “Oh Louie/Tickets”

Alan: Okay, so this is one of the most talked about episodes on the show, namely due to the second half which featured Dane Cook and a response to their ‘feud’ which I put in quotes because much of their rivalry was not as great as the internet made it out to be. Nonetheless the show dealt with it expertly, letting we the audience see both sides of the story and not really agreeing with either one. In fact, this episode coupled with Cook’s appearance on Marc Maron’s WTF Podcast humanized the guy and took his over-the-top stage persona less to the forefront of my opinion of him. Granted, I still don’t find his act very good, but I have less hatred directed at him than I may have before.

Ife: I agree. Him being on the show made him much less obnoxious in my mind (not to mention less self effacing and self-righteous). I’ve always seen him (Cook) as more of a comic that caters to the lowest common denominator, whereas Louie is the veteran who’s art has transcended the surly bonds of dick-jokes and shock-laughs to teaching his listeners about life. I still don’t know how much of their conversation was authentic or them acting but seeing them in the same show was enough to make this special. Dane Cook is no longer absolutely terrible because of his participation.

Alan: I read an article where Louie described what it was like getting Dane to agree to be on the show. He wrote the script himself, and when he sent it to Dane he wanted to make some changes, but Louie refused. Eventually, I think there were a couple small compromises or suggestions he took from Dane but overall what we saw was what Louie initially wrote. Which is pretty cool considering he accurately displayed what Dane wanted to say.

Ife: That’s why they call you “Thorough-research” Johnson.

Alan: Nobody calls me that.

Ife: They do now!

Alan: I loved this episode a lot, but actually the Dane Cook segment less so than the first segment, ‘Oh Louie.’

Ife: The “Lucky Louie” opening made this episode even more of a critical eye on his life. I never liked his prior sitcom, honestly. It bored the shit out of me. The only thing that kept me watching as long (or short) as I did was my appreciation for Louie. Louie tells the director, “It’s going to suck just like every show on television” – he was right in my opinion. Someone could read our rundown of episodes riddled with racism, or death, or crippling social graces and agree with the director saying, “That’s not funny”. But as Louie retorts, “Yes, it is”. It’s not like any sitcom on TV and the value lies therein.

Alan: I too gave Lucky Louie a shot and was very disappointed. Granted this was before I was too familiar with his work, and watching clips now I appreciate his attempt to try to work his stand-up into a traditional sitcom format. But ultimately, it was a failure not because he didn’t have the right critical eye for it, but because the traditional sitcom format is…kind of awful.

Ife: Yup. You put a DaVinci in a shitty frame and it’s not going to be as pretty. Louie’s genius looked dull and simplistic in the standard format. There was no emotion in that show, it was a 22min lithium pill. Thankfully the FX show got me off my meds.

Alan: The interesting thing is I saw a cold open for a new sitcom I won’t name, that had literally the EXACT scene he makes light of in this segment. As in, the husband does something shitty, she complains about it, then he makes a joke about it. It ends with her giving him that ‘I love you, despite your flaws and assholery!’ look and I never want to see the show in question again.

Ife: God, It’s not brain surgery. Fire is hot, the sky is blue and that format is about as engaging as food poisoning. Was it a little funny seeing that preview though? Like, did “really are they actually doing this?” cross your mind thinking that no self-respecting producer would get behind this?

Alan: I often get a good laugh out of awful entertainment and like to talk about it in an ironic way. But the creative aspect of my mind just can’t stand this kind of shit getting made while brilliant comedies like Arrested Development, Louie, Community, Parks and Rec, get little viewership while shittier sitcoms show gets millions. So I laugh at them to suppress the depression I get from watching.

Ife: Who are we to say the format doesn’t work, though? People have seemed to like it for decades.

Alan: Well, and there’s the rub. The format works – works in a ratings and viewership and therefore money making sense. But so do Michael Bay movies, and Nickelback albums. The general public loves things that are ‘easy.’ It’s easier to relax and watch a traditional sitcom where the laugh track tells you when to laugh and listen to the radio and go to the movie theatre to see the most publicized blockbuster. It takes work and effort to find the real gems of any entertainment format. But you’re rewarded if you do.

Ife: Yeah, make Hollywood work for its laughs or you’re going to keep getting Charlie Sheen cracking-wise with husky children for generations more, people.

Alan: I’ll give this episode an 8. 8 very over-enunciated syllables out of 10.

Ife: I’ll give it a 7. I liked something with Dane Cook in it and I’m not ashamed.

Episode 8: “Come On, God”

Ife: Firstly, there’s no way Louie would get away with this episode 6+ years ago.

Alan: No doubt. I mean, think of the infamous ‘The Contest’ episode of Seinfeld where they had to dance around the words ‘masturbation.’ To be fair, that was network television rather than cable. But the point stands. I absolutely loved the opening bit of this episode with the ‘debate’ on a fox news channel. Louie defending masturbation was brilliant. His whole argument was basically, ‘I like it, let me do it.’

Ife: “…Joan Jett”

Alan: Joan Jett?

Ife: “Everyone in history has masturbated: Napoleon masturbated, Gandhi, Joan Jett, Shakespeare…” – “Shakespeare definitely”. Joan Jett won the debate single handed (no pun intended).

Alan: Right! I forgot about that bit. Brilliant. But I think what I really liked about this episode was that they never painted the conservative christian woman as a fool or an idiot. Just really passionate about what she believes in. Of course, I think Louie attempting to ‘date’ her was misguided, as I’m sure he knew as well, but it was actually kind of sweet seeing these two very different people just be civil with each other.

Ife: I was wondering how you’d view that character. In my mind I thought you would loathe her.

Alan: Ha! Don’t get me wrong, it started out that way, when it was her vs. Louie on the Fox show. And that’s why I appreciated the insight into her character, knowing she isn’t a) a hypocrite or b) a loony, but rather someone with a different view of the world (especially regarding sex, marriage and the like) who was underneath it all a good person. Granted I still disagree with her vehemently, as did Louie, but at least she wasn’t a crackpot with an agenda.

Ife: The two honestly liked each other as human beings despite being ideologically very different human beings and it warmed my heart for lack of a better word. It wasn’t just another instance of me shouting, “Let the attractive young woman talk, CK!” at the television. It was just two nice and interesting people being divided by something trivial. Both had great points for doing what they do.

Alan: But in the end he still went home and jerked off thinking about her. These biological urges aren’t going to satisfy themselves, ladies.

Ife: Elevators are now a shameful, shameful place, though.

Alan: I loved that his fantasy wasn’t ‘sexy’ per se. It was just a woman literally asking him to put a bunch of dicks in her butt. It’s the kind of comedy only Louie can pull off this well.

Ife: But it was so silly, Alan. Like silly to the point that it was confusing.

Alan: Yeah it was silly, but I saw it as the creative side of Louie was bleeding into the honest side of him. He wasn’t about to put what he ACTUALLY fantasizes about on TV because it’s less entertaining to the viewer. It took an aspect of what he likely fantasizes about and turned it up to a silly level to make it more accessible.

Ife: The opposite side of the coin was The lady’s description of her fantasy. Which, I gotta say was…”arousing” in its own way. Louie’s face was testament to that.

Alan: It was definitely romantic and idealized, which I am guilty of fantasizing about as well. Maybe I’ve become more cynical lately but I just saw it as unrealistic and couldn’t put myself in those shoes. I liked hearing it but never did I think ‘yes, that is something I would want.’ Maybe I just really wanted to have sex with her.

Ife: Point taken. How would you rate this episode compared to the others in the season?

Alan: 6 Orgasms out of 10.

Ife: I think it was one of the more thoughtful episodes, not big on laughs but rife with perspective. 7 pity handjobs out of 10. Keep saving it for Jesus, you graceful gazelle.

Episode 9: “Eddie”

Alan: Hoo boy. It’s been months since I watched this episode for the first time and I’m still not sure how ready I am to talk about it.

Ife: I was going to say the exact same thing. I never watched it again after the first viewing.

Alan: First off, Doug Stanhope did a commendable job with this role, something I definitely didn’t expect.

Ife: Are you familiar with Doug’s Sinbad-esque family-friendly comedy stylings?

Alan: Ha, I have seen some of his stand-up. I became MORE familiar with him after this episode which garnered even more respect from me for his work on Louie. In fact I think Louie picked exactly the right kind of guest-comedian for this role, as a high-profile comedian would have ruined the effect he was going for. I couldn’t see, say, a Chris Rock or a Jerry Seinfeld in this role (acting challenges that may have risen notwithstanding).

Ife: Doug Stanhope is remarkably and openly self-destructive. He is one of the comedians (unlike Chris Rock or Jerry Seinfeld) who’s art imitates life almost exactly. He doesn’t hold back one bit. He is incredibly blunt, crass, and really nihilistic but funny. Whomever cast him made the right choice.

Alan: Well as you know I have researched a lot of things about Louie himself and couldn’t help but see some definite parallels to the relationship he has with Eddie and with his real-life friend Marc Maron. He talked about it in length on Marc’s WTF podcast (which I highly recommend to anyone who is interested in the stand-up comedy business). Basically they were good friends and started out as comedians together, and suddenly Louie’s career just took off. The people around him who didn’t get as successful couldn’t help but resent him somewhat for his success. This is not exclusive to stand-up either. I’ve heard many stories of that success resentment destroying friendships. Heck, I’m probably (definitely) guilty of it as well. It’s an unfortunate aspect of the human condition.

Seeing this retold in the episode was amazing. And it all led up to a final scene that I couldn’t believe I was watching play out on television.

Ife: It was really moving. I saw myself in both characters to a degree.

Alan: I did as well, and it was incredible how it shifted (for me). I saw myself as Eddie, wondering why he should keep living. And then, suddenly, I saw myself as Louie, telling him off. We’re all searching for a purpose in life and nobody gets it just spelled out for them one day because you want to give up.

Ife: It also relates back to that persistent theme of helplessness. It’s very difficult to see someone you care about destroy themselves. They didn’t go down the beaten track with a motivational speech with Coldplay in the background. It was a cold, hard reality that precipitated. All we as the viewers could do was watch.

Alan: Which was difficult. And then to top it all off, didn’t even get a ‘proper’ resolution. I feel that’s Louie’s general approach to his writing as well. No clear ‘beginning, middle and end.’ It’s usually just ‘premise, then things that happen because of that premise.’ It’s always reflections on life which doesn’t really have a resolution. It’s just constant clashing together over and over for all of eternity. May seem bleak or shortsighted but I think it’s fascinating and helps me appreciate the beauty of it all the more.

Ife: How many things in life actually have a proper resolution? Very, very few. Had it ended with the story wrapped up in a nice little package the gravity of the situation may have been lost. 9.5 out of 10.

Alan: With a heavy heart I’ll give this episode a 9 out of 10.

Episode 10: “Halloween/Ellie”

Alan: And the winner for worst episode of the season goes to…

Ife: They did have Amir (From Jake and Amir fame) and his daughter did dress up as Frederick Douglass. So that’s 2 out of 10. But it doesn’t get much better.

Alan: I think the ‘punch-up’ scene was the only thing I really liked in this episode. There was some interesting potential to the Halloween segment but overall it felt like a lazy scene. Scary guys come after Louie and his kids and little girl is innocently brave, they back off. Louie is better than that.

Ife: It seemed to be where two weak vignettes meet without a theme. If it wasn’t for Amir saying, “I’m too old for this shit” there would have been no laughs. Not one.

Alan: I did like Louie’s attempt to pitch a movie idea (which I heard is based on a true story, and that makes it even funnier) but overall the story was weak for sure. I guess it’s natural to expect more from this show, but considering we just spent the last 9 episodes sucking Louie’s dick, it was about time we took him down a peg. Get your act together, Louie! (He will in the next episode).

Ife: How ratest thou this episode? Daughter’s costume: +1, Amir: +1, roommate story at the end: +1. In total, 3 wackedy-shmackedy punch-ups out of 10.

Alan: I’d give it 4 Pootie-Tangs out of 10. The shittest Louie episode is still better than the best episode of ‘Two Broke Girls.’

Episode 11: “Duckling”

Alan: This episode could be a film. It’s beautiful.

Ife: If I was to show an episode to someone who has not been exposed to the show and may be shocked by the more risque material it would be this one.

Alan: Definitely. It’s a lot of autobiographical stuff (as most of the show is), based on his real-life USO tour he did. The girls playing the cheerleaders are the actual girls he went to Afghanistan with. I believe the country/music star was the same guy as well.

Ife: Sir, your research is impeccable. I had no idea.

Alan: It’s also the first time he credited someone for writing other than himself, as his daughter came up with the premise.

Ife: He did give his terrible daughter credit, yes. Technically, the pacing was great. There was a distinct beginning, middle and end, and it was funny. Most of the Louie episodes are good episodes but this was a complete episode.

Alan: I think I liked it mostly because it gave such a distinct ‘fly-on-the-wall’ feeling to it. And getting to see his journey to this other-world as it were, was just amazing. It had a very documentary feel, which I think was the only way to do an episode like this. There was no political agenda.

Ife: Well put, when they had the military be a major part of the premise I was sure it was going to be one of THOSE episodes. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed. They had too good of a story to just throw it away with a simplistic hamfisted commentary on war.

Alan: The fact that it was an hour-long gave him the freedom to really linger on the beautiful shots and score it appropriately. I could have watched it for days. I mean, unlike most of the other episodes in the show, where it either makes me evaluate my life or laugh for hours, this episode just made me feel…good. I just genuinely enjoyed watching it. There’s not much I can say about the episode aside from that. 10 People-Who-Don’t-Know-Who-Led-Zeppelin-Are out of 10.

Ife: There isn’t anything bad I can say about this episode at all. There were a few spots where they could have pushed some jokes in but they did a superior job, took risks with the run-time and really had an uplifting result. 9 out of 11.

Alan: Never forget.

Episode 12: “Niece”

Ife: This is the fallout from the opening of the Joan River’s episode. Not the HILARIOUS bananas mix-up, but Louie’s volatile sister coming into the mix. They kind of put me off of this episode in the first few minutes by his sister’s leaving and Louie’s teenage niece being the main character he interacts with. I braced myself for a generation gap style back and forth. Thoughts?

Alan: Yeah I was definitely expecting some ‘kids these days!’ type jokes from Louie’s end, but it turned out to be a pretty interesting episode, mainly due to the niece’s interactions with the other ‘crowd work’ comic.

Ife: That part was memorable. But the actress, who is Pamela Adlon’s daughter by the way (I can research too), just ended up being distracting. Just standing alone in the room by herself, wandering off, it was kind of a chore to watch.

Alan: Hmm that’s interesting, I never minded the actress, myself. I thought she was pretty unremarkable, but not bad by any means. I guess I was always just invested in what Louie’s reactions to her were, that I never really thought too hard on the Niece character. I definitely loved when Louie tried to impress her by doing crowd work and just failing at it terribly.

Ife: I would hate for my dislike of the niece to take away from the episode. Louie was hilarious, especially when he was flustered on stage. I liked their interaction with the homeless guy. Louie’s hard words at least showed a glimmer into how he really feels about this wonderful, pre-teen blessing that was bestowed on him. That being said, I have a feeling that they will bring her back in season 3 and use her more fully. Like they can’t just write her out of the series’ narrative, right?

Alan: Well, to be fair, the series hasn’t really had any semblance of narrative aside from his relationship with Pamela. His siblings change, his mother changed, it’s tough to say for sure. Although it does slowly seem to be creating a more solid canon, although who knows what will happen in Season 3.

Ife: The mother did change, didn’t it? There goes my last shred of credibility.

Alan: It’s just one of the many aspects of the show that I find interesting. The situations change depending on what, creatively, Louie wants to explore. He wanted to explore the notion of a terrible mother character early on in essence to explore the idea of family and how we think we’re required to love them even if they’re assholes. But then he wanted to show a more autobiographical relationship with his mom in the ‘God’ episode so he brought back the actress who played his date in the Bully episode and we get this unintentional Oedipal subtext to the whole thing. I find it very interesting.

Ife: I didn’t even make the connections it seems you’ve explored thoroughly. When you put it that way, the episode goes from being a filler episode to one that could be watched several times. Somewhere in this process you’ve sold me on it.

Alan: I am good at that sometimes.

Ife: So, Alan, how would you rate this episode with all your precious insight? I’d give it 5 out of 10 (plus another watch).

Alan: I think I liked the Louie interactions and Godfrey enough to rate it 7 indie rock clubs out of 10.

Episode 13: “New Jersey/Airport”

Alan: Finale time! Lots of great stuff in this episode, with perhaps one of the most bittersweet endings the show has done. But first! Louie tries to have random sex and winds up in New Jersey!

Ife: I loved this episode. I loved it. It had everything. I’m not usually a fan of finales because they usually fall flat for me. This one didn’t. Like you said, the episode starts off with Louie finishing his set and sticking around to “Get some tail”. It was how uncomfortable Louie was throughout it all that made me laugh far more than I should have at a character I’ve grown so fond of. It was painfully good. He kind of hits a bottom and then right on cue a nice lady in a fancy car wishes to show him her lady parts because she liked his comedy stylings.

Alan: I love the way he sets up these weird ‘fantasies’ for his character only to take it in an absurd direction and ultimately failing. I mean, how often would a woman actually do the things she did in that situation, and who would have thought it would end with F. Murray Abraham yelling at you?

Ife: I think the running joke is that if anyone is willing to have sex with Louie they are crazy or at least emotionally damaged. It’s all too good to be true. I was rooting for him but I was getting suspicious when nothing went hideously wrong. Then, of course, we find out what it was all about.

Alan: I have to say, Chris Rock’s cameo/role in this episode was pretty surprising, both in the sense that I didn’t ever read pre-casting news or anything so I was genuinely surprised to see him appear, but also because Rock played a very real and subtle version of himself that we rarely get to see.

Ife: Chris was my favorite part. I’ve seen him converse with Louie in real life and give interviews (not as a persona or inflated character) and I’m still surprised at how soft-spoken and level-headed he is. Louie has even said that Chris is the one who has his act together and Louie himself is the irresponsible, foul-mouthed one in real-life.

Alan: I can definitely see that. It’s really one of the things I love the most about this show, is it has done such a great job at pulling back the veil of show business, to a certain degree anyway. As with the Dane Cook episode before it, we get to see a celebrity in a light we rarely get to see them and it’s incredibly refreshing.

Ife: Couldn’t agree with you more. This one and the Dane cook one really were kind of an inside look. “Next time find a vagina in New York — that LIVES in New York”. Their back and forth was so organic Wouldn’t be surprised if it was based on fact.

Alan: Yeah you can really tell they are friends in real life, it gives it this fly on the wall aspect to it. F. Murray Abraham yelling ‘That’s a lot of none of your BUSINESS!’ was one of my favorite things in this episode.

Ife: “You don’t like my wife? You’re too good FOR HER!?” Between that and the voice of Chris’ wife, I loved this vignette. It was a great primer for the final scene. It got all the laughs out.

Alan: Undoubtedly. The final sequence of Louie’s second season did exactly what it needed to do. And that’s simultaneously make me laugh my ass off and feel awful about his continuing pursuit of the elusive Pamela. I mean, most of this vignette is just him continuing to try to be with her while she rejects him, but that final scene of him watching her walk away was just killing me. In both a funny and depressing way.

Ife: We’ve all had people we’ve pursued in vain, (Joan Rivers, or otherwise), but it demonstrates how anyone can create a bubble of delusion even when it’s hopeless. It’s simple to act like “the most fucked up [people]” as Pamela put it.

Alan: Truth. His hangdog expression watching her go through the aisles and checking in and all that was the perfect face of a completely delusional and helpless guy madly in love with an unattainable woman. We’ve all had that face before.

Ife: He wanted so bad for her to give him just a glimmer of hope. He ended up taking what he could get and running with it.

Alan: The real tragedy here is that he likely will ‘wait for her’ and his life will become all the more miserable because of it. Although, it’s also entirely possible and likely he’ll find someone new to obsess over a few months after she’s gone and he realizes she’s not coming back. That’s the nature of obsession.

Ife: I’m pretty sure some other crazy woman will catapult her genitals his way next season. Still, Pamela is number 1. Only Pamela could make him forget how to use a door in the final shot of the season.

Alan: It’s going to be a long time before season 3 starts, but I’ll gladly wait for him. See what I did there?

Ife: On that note, how ratest thou this conclusion to the sophmore season of televisions most creative show?

Alan: This final episode I’d rate 8 misguided romantic gestures out of 10.

Ife: 8.5 out of 10 – it had a taste of everything I love about this excellent program!

Alan: Thanks for doing this with me sir!

Ife: No, Thank you!

Our staff and our readers were asked to send me a list of their 25 favorite Horror Films of all time. 15 ballots were received, and the movies were ranked on a point system allowing 25 points for a #1 choice, 24 for a #2, and all the way down to 1 point for #25. The points were added up, and what follows are the selections.

Tiebreakers work like such: If two movies have equal pointage (and neither got a number 1 vote), the movie that appeared on the most lists ranks higher. If those characters appeared on the same amount of lists, I went with whatever ranked highest on the individual list. A character that was someone’s #4 beats another person’s #6, for example. And then if they still were tied I just picked one so shut up.

The countdown happened on our official facebook page, and here are the finished results!

“The girls will wake up…when they are hungry.”

50. House – (1977) - 25 points 
(2 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #7 – B)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_(1977_film)

House is a 1977 Japanese horror film directed and produced by Nobuhiko Obayashi. The film stars mostly non professional actors with only Kimiko Ikegami and Yōko Minamida having any notable previous acting experience. The film is about a schoolgirl traveling with her six classmates to her ailing aunt’s country home, where they come face to face with supernatural events as the girls are, one by one, devoured by the home.

The film company Toho approached Obayashi with the suggestion to make a film like Jaws. Influenced by ideas from his daughter Chigumi, Obayashi developed ideas for a script that was written by Chiho Katsura. After the script was green-lit, the film was put on hold for two years as no director at Toho wanted to direct House. Obayashi promoted the film during this time period until he was given the right to direct it from the studio. The film was a box office hit in Japan but received negative reviews from critics. House received a wide release in 2009 and 2010 in North America where it received more favorable reviews.

“Bad luck isn’t brought by broken mirrors, but by broken minds.”

49. Suspiria – (1977) - 28 points 
(3 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #7 – Tbmg13)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspiria

Suspiria is a 1977 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento and co-written by Argento and Daria Nicolodi. The film follows an American ballet student who transfers to a prestigious dance academy in Germany, only to discover that it is controlled by a coven of witches. The film’s score was performed by Goblin. It stars Jessica Harper and Stefania Casini. It was also one of the final feature films to be processed in the Italian processing plant of Technicolor before it was closed. Suspiria is the first of the trilogy Argento refers to as “The Three Mothers”, followed by Inferno and The Mother of Tears.

The film has become one of Argento’s most successful feature films, receiving critical acclaim for its visual and stylistic performance, outstanding colors, and soundtrack. It has been nominated for two Saturn Awards: Best Supporting Actress for Joan Bennett in 1978 and Best DVD Classic Film Release in 2002. The film has since become a cult classic.

“If I wasn’t a girl… would you like me anyway?”

48. Let the Right One In – (2008) - 29 points 
(3 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #7 – Patrick)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_the_Right_One_In_(film)

Let the Right One In is a 2008 Swedish romantic horror film directed by Tomas Alfredson. Based on the novel of the same title by John Ajvide Lindqvist, who also wrote the screenplay, the film tells the story of a bullied 12-year-old boy who develops a friendship with a vampire child in Blackeberg, a suburb of Stockholm, in the early 1980s.

Alfredson, unfamiliar with the horror and vampire conventions, decided to tone down many elements of the novel and focus primarily on the relationship between the two main characters. Selecting the lead actors involved a year-long process with open castings held all over Sweden. In the end, then 11-year-olds Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson were chosen for the leading roles. They were subsequently commended by both Alfredson and film reviewers for their performances.

The film received widespread international critical acclaim and won numerous awards, including the “Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature” at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival and the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation’s 2008 Méliès d’Or (Golden Méliès) for the “Best European Fantastic Feature Film”, as well as four Guldbagge Awards from the Swedish Film Institute.

“Here I am, you pod bastards!”

47. Invasion of the Body Snatchers – (1978) - 29 points 
(3 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #6 – Alan)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_the_Body_Snatchers_(1978_film)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a 1978 science fiction film based on the novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney. It is a remake of the 1956 film of the same name. It was directed by Philip Kaufman and starred Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams and Leonard Nimoy.

A San Francisco health inspector and his girlfriend discover that human beings are substituted by aliens. The duplicates, who appear to be perfect copies of the persons replaced, but are devoid of any human emotion, attempt to install a tightly organised, conformist society.

Reviews for Invasion of the Body Snatchers have been nearly unanimously positive. It maintains a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and is regarded as one of the best films of 1978, as well as one the greatest remakes of all time. The Chicago Film Critics Association named it the 59th scariest film ever made. The New Yorker’s Pauline Kael, who said “it may be the best film of its kind ever made”, was a particular fan.

“They’re here…”

46. Poltergeist – (1982) - 30 points 
(2 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #10 – Willie)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poltergeist_(film)

Poltergeist is a 1982 American horror film, directed by Tobe Hooper and produced by Steven Spielberg, and is the first and most successful film of the Poltergeist film trilogy. Set in a California suburb, the plot focuses on a family whose home is invaded by malevolent ghosts that abduct the family’s youngest daughter.

The film was ranked as #80 on Bravo’s 100 Scariest Movie Moments and the Chicago Film Critics Association named it the 20th scariest film ever made. The film also appeared as #84 on American Film Institute’s 100 Years… 100 Thrills, a list of America’s most heart-pounding movies. Poltergeist was also nominated for three Academy Awards.

The Poltergeist franchise is often said to be cursed due to the premature deaths of several people associated with the film. “The Poltergeist Curse” has been the focus of an E! True Hollywood Story.

“I’m not dying in a fucking rat maze!”

45. Cube – (1997) - 31 points 
(3 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #9 – Spoodles)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cube_(film)

Cube is a 1997 Canadian science fiction psychological thriller/horror film directed by Vincenzo Natali. The film was a successful product of the Canadian Film Centre’s First Feature Project.

Much of the film’s appeal lies in its surreal, Kafkaesque settings; no extensive attempt is made to explain what the cube is which the characters are confined in, why it is created, or how the people were selected to be put inside the cube. Although the world “outside” is referred to, it is presented in an extremely abstract fashion, either a dark void or a bright white light.

After writing Cube, Vincenzo Natali developed and filmed a short entitled Elevated. The short was set in an elevator and was intended to give investors an idea of how Cube would hypothetically look and come across. It eventually got the feature financed. Cube was shot on a Toronto soundstage.

Only one cube, measuring 14 by 14 by 14 feet, was actually built, with only one working door which could actually support the weight of the actors. The colour of the room was changed by sliding panels. Since this task was a time-consuming procedure, the movie was not shot in sequence; all shots taking place in rooms of a specific colour were shot one at a time. It was intended that there would be six different colours of rooms to match the recurring theme of six throughout the movie; five sets of gel panels plus pure white. However, the budget did not stretch to the sixth gel panel and so there are only five different room colours in the movie. Another partial cube was made for shots requiring the point of view of standing in one room looking into another.

“The calls are coming from the house!”

44. Black Christmas – (1974) - 32 points 
(2 of 39 lists. Highest ranking #3 – Dave S.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Christmas_(1974_film)

Black Christmas is a 1974 Canadian slasher film directed by Bob Clark and written by A. Roy Moore, and largely based on a series of murders that took place in Quebec, Canada around Christmas time. The film’s score is by Carl Zittrer. It was distributed by Ambassador Film Distributors in Canada and Warner Bros. in the United States. It follows a group of college students who must face a deranged serial killer lurking in their sorority house. It stars Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, Andrea Martin, Marian Waldman, and John Saxon. A remake of the same name directed by Glen Morgan was released on December 25, 2006. The movie was inspired by an urban legend called “The Baby-Sitter.”

The film received generally positive reviews from contemporary critics. According to the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, the film ranked a 63% “fresh” of 15 positive reviews out of 22, with an average rating of 6.2 out of 10.

Bill Chambers of Film Freak Festival awarded the film a perfect score of 4 out of 4 stars, calling it a “one of a kind” film. Clint Morris of Moviehole also gave a positive review, calling it “the horror film that started it all,” referring to the film’s notability as being one of the first slasher films today. Heidi Martinuzzi of Film Threat praised the film’s leading actresses, Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder. Keith H. Brown of Eye for Film gave the film a positive review, stating that, “Like Carpenter, Clark avoids graphic gore, focusing instead on suggestion and using careful mise-en-scene, editing and use of music to build suspense.”

“Who died and made you fucking king of the zombies?”

43. Shaun of the Dead – (2003) – 37 points  
(3 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #2 – Heather)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaun_of_the_Dead

Shaun of the Dead is a 2003 British romantic zombie comedy directed by Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and written by Pegg and Wright. Pegg plays Shaun, a man attempting to get some kind of focus in his life as he deals with his girlfriend, his mother and stepfather. At the same time, he has to cope with an apocalyptic uprising of zombies.
The film is the first of what Pegg and Wright call The Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy with Hot Fuzz (2007) as the second and The World’s End (TBA) as the third.

The film was a critical and commercial success in the United Kingdom, and the United States. It received a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 76 out of 100 at Metacritic. Shaun of the Dead was a BAFTA nominee. Pegg and Wright considered a sequel that would replace zombies with another monster, but decided against it as they were pleased with the first film as a stand-alone product, and thought too many characters died to continue the story.

Critical reaction was highly positive, with the film receiving a score of 91% at the comparative review website Rotten Tomatoes (with a Cream Of The Crop score of 94%) and a score of 76 out of 100 at Metacritic which indicated universal acclaim. Nev Pierce, reviewing the film for the BBC, called it a “side-splitting, head-smashing, gloriously gory horror comedy” that will “amuse casual viewers and delight genre fans.” Peter Bradshaw gave it four stars out of five, saying it “boasts a script crammed with real gags” and is “pacily directed [and] nicely acted.”

“Words create lies. Pain can be trusted.”

42. Audition – (1999) – 40 points 
(3 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #6 – B)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audition_(film)

Audition is a 1999 Japanese horror film directed by Takashi Miike and starring Ryo Ishibashi and Eihi Shiina. It is based on a Ryu Murakami novel of the same title. Over the years, the film has developed a cult following.

For its unflinching graphic content, the film has been likened to the film adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery and Nagisa Oshima’s In the Realm of the Senses. However, the torture scene in the movie is very brief, and only a few shots show the actual torture, focusing more on Asami’s sadistic enjoyment of it. Among filmmakers featured on Bravo’s “100 Scariest Movie Moments” (on which the film appeared at #11), notable horror directors including Eli Roth, John Landis and Rob Zombie found the film very difficult to watch, given its grisly content; Landis said that the film was so disturbing that he couldn’t enjoy it at all.

Bloody Disgusting ranked the film fourteenth in their list of the ‘Top 20 Horror Films of the Decade’, with the article saying “Considered by many to be Takashi Miike’s masterpiece, this cringe-inducing, seriously disturbed film boasts one of the most unbearable scenes of torture in movie history… It’s revolting in the best possible way; the prolific Miike goes for the jugular here, and he cuts deep.”

“You see, Jason was my son, and today is his birthday…”

41. Friday the 13th – (1980) – 41 points 
(4 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #11 – Dave S.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th_(1980_film)

Friday the 13th is a 1980 American slasher film directed by Sean S. Cunningham and written by Victor Miller. The film concerns a group of teenagers who are murdered one-by-one while attempting to re-open an abandoned campsite and stars Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, and Kevin Bacon in one of his earliest roles.

Friday the 13th, inspired by the success of John Carpenter’s Halloween, was made on an estimated budget of $550,000. Released by Paramount Pictures in the United States and Warner Bros. Internationally, the film received negative reviews from film critics, but grossed over $39.7 million at the box office in the United States, and went on to become one of the most-profitable slasher films in cinema history. It was also the first movie of its kind to secure distribution in the USA by a major studio, Paramount Pictures. The film’s box office success led to a long series of sequels, a crossover with the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and a series reboot released on February 13, 2009.

The ending sequence of the film was listed at #31 on Bravo’s 100 Scariest Movie Moments, and the film was voted #15 in Channel 4′s 100 Greatest Scariest Moments.

“Get your filthy pig knuckle off my desk!”

40. Drag Me To Hell – (2009) – 42 points 
(4 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #11 – Kane)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_Me_to_Hell

Drag Me to Hell is a 2009 American horror film, directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Sam and Ivan Raimi. The plot focuses on loan officer Christine Brown (Alison Lohman), who tries to impress her boss by refusing to extend a loan to a gypsy woman by the name of Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver). In retaliation, Ganush places a curse on Christine that, after three days of escalating torment, will plunge her into the depths of Hell to burn for eternity.

Raimi wrote Drag Me to Hell with his brother, Ivan, prior to working on the Spider-Man films. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was released to wide critical acclaim. It was also a box office success, making $90.8 million worldwide on a $30 million budget. Drag Me to Hell won the award for Best Horror Film at the 2009 Scream Awards and the 2010 Saturn Awards.

Positive critical reception of the movie generally praised the film’s scary but humorous and campy tone. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film an A rating, stating that “Raimi has made the most crazy, fun, and terrifying horror movie in years.” Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times praised the film, stating that it “should not be dismissed as yet another horror flick just for teens. The filmmakers have given us a 10-story winding staircase of psychological tension that is making very small circles near the end.” Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune described the film as a “hellaciously effective B-movie [that] comes with a handy moral tucked inside its scares, laughs and Raimi’s specialty, the scare/laugh hybrid.” Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times wrote a positive review, stating the film “is a sometimes funny and often startling horror movie. That is what it wants to be, and that is what it is.”

“I am a victim of your carnivorous lunar activities.”

39. An American Werewolf in London – (1981) – 42 points 
(3 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #5 – Kane)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_American_Werewolf_in_London

An American Werewolf in London is a 1981 British-American horror film, written and directed by John Landis. It stars David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, and Griffin Dunne.

The film starts with two young American men, David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) on a backpacking holiday in England. Following an awkwardly tense visit to a village pub, the two men venture deep into the moors at night. They are attacked by a werewolf, which results in Jack’s death and David being taken to a London hospital. Through apparitions of his dead friend and disturbing dream sequences, David becomes informed that he is a werewolf and will transform at the next full moon.

Shooting took place mostly in London but also in Surrey and Wales. It was released in the United States on August 21, 1981 and grossed $30.56 million at the box office. Critics generated mostly favourable reviews for the film. The movie won the 1981 Saturn Award for Best Horror Film and an Academy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup. The film was one of three high-profile wolf-themed horror films released in 1981, alongside The Howling and Wolfen.

Over the years, the film has accumulated a cult following and has been referred to as a cult classic. Empire magazine also named An American Werewolf in London as the 107th greatest movie of all time in September 2008.

“Why are they doing this?”

38. The Birds – (1963) – 42 points 
(2 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #4 – Hirsby)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Birds_(film)

The Birds is a 1963 horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock based on the 1952 short story “The Birds” by Daphne du Maurier. It depicts Bodega Bay, California which is, suddenly and for unexplained reasons, the subject of a series of widespread and violent bird attacks over the course of a few days.

The screenplay was written by Evan Hunter. Though Hunter read Du Maurier’s original novel, Hitchcock told him to disregard it as all he wished to use was the title and the idea of birds attacking people.

The Birds was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Special Effects. The special effects shots of the attacking birds were done at Walt Disney Studios by animator/technician Ub Iwerks, who used the sodium vapor process (“yellow screen”) he had helped develop. The SV process films the subject against a screen lit with narrow-spectrum sodium vapor lights. Unlike most compositing processes, SVP actually shoots two separate elements of the footage simultaneously using a beam-splitter. One reel is regular film stock and the other a film stock with emulsion sensitive only to the sodium vapor wavelength. This results in very precise matte shots compared to blue screen special effects, necessary due to “fringing” of the image from the birds’ rapid wing flapping.

“You must really like Halloween.”

37. Trick ‘R Treat – (2007) – 44 points 
(2 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #2 – Spoodles)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick_’r_Treat

Trick ‘r Treat is a 2007 American horror film written and directed by Michael Dougherty, and based on his short film Season’s Greetings. Originally slated for an October 5, 2007 release, it was announced in September 2007 that the film had been pushed back. Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures released the film direct to DVD and Blu-ray on October 6, 2009 in North America, October 26 in the UK and October 28 in Australia.

Despite only a handful of public screenings, the film has been reviewed extensively by online journalists and bloggers, especially in the genre/horror communities, and reviews are unanimously positive. Dread Central gave it 5 out of 5 stars and stated “Trick ‘r Treat ranks alongside John Carpenter’s Halloween as traditional October viewing and I can’t imagine a single horror fan that won’t fall head over heels in love with it.” The film earned 10 out of 10 from Ryan Rotten of ShockTilYouDrop.com. It also earned an 8 out of 10 from Bloody Disgusting, who later ranked the film ninth in their list of the ‘Top 20 Horror Films of the Decade’, with the article saying, “[It's] so good that its lack of a theatrical release borders on the criminal.” IGN attended a screening of the film and concluded, “This well-crafted Halloween horror tribute is a scary blast.”, rating it 8 out of 10 overall.

Based on 17 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an overall “Fresh” approval rating from critics of 85%, with an average score of 7.7/10; the site’s critical consensus states “An deftly crafted tribute to Halloween legends, Trick ‘r’ Treat hits all the genre marks with gusto and old fashioned suspense.”

“It’ll be easier next time.”

36. The Strangers – (2009) – 45 points 
(4 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #9 – Spoodles)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Strangers

The Strangers is a 2008 American horror film written and directed by Bryan Bertino, and starring Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Glenn Howerton, Gemma Ward, Laura Margolis, and Kip Weeks. The film revolves around a young couple who are terrorized by three masked assailants, who break into the remote summer home in which they are staying and damage all means of escape.

The Strangers was made on a budget of $9 million and after two postponements, was released theatrically on May 30, 2008 in North America, and grossed $82.3 million at the box office worldwide. Although it was ambiguously marketed as being “inspired by true events”, writer and director Bryan Bertino stated that the film was inspired by a series of break-ins that occurred in his neighborhood as a child, as well as some incidents that occurred during the Manson killings.

The film received mixed reviews from critics. It holds a rating of 45% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 146 reviews; a rating of 50% amongst Top Critics and a 57% rating based on the reviews from low critics. Metacritic reported an average score of 47 out of 100, based on 27 reviews. Among the positive reviews, Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times said The Strangers is “suspenseful,” “highly effective,” and “smartly maintain[s] its commitment to tingling creepiness over bludgeoning horror.” Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter called the film a “creepily atmospheric psychological thriller with a death grip on the psychological aspect.” James Berardinelli of ReelViews said, “This is one of those rare horror movies that concentrates on suspense and terror rather than on gore and a high body count.” Scott Tobias of The Onion’s A.V. Club said that “as an exercise in controlled mayhem, horror movies don’t get much scarier.”

“They’re all gonna laugh at you!”

35. Carrie – (1976) – 45 points 
(4 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #6 – Hirsby)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_(1976_film)

Carrie is a 1976 American supernatural horror film directed by Brian De Palma and written by Lawrence D. Cohen, based on the novel Carrie by Stephen King. The film and the novel tell the story of a socially outcast teenage girl, Carrie White, who discovers she possesses latent psionic power which seems to flare up when she becomes angry or otherwise distressed. Carrie’s powers become apparent after her humiliation by her peers, teachers, and abusive mother, eventually resulting in tragedy. The film stars Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Betty Buckley, Amy Irving, Nancy Allen, William Katt, John Travolta, P.J. Soles and Priscilla Pointer.

The film was a major success for United Artists, grossing $33.8 million at the U.S. box office, on a budget of $1.8 million. It received a mostly positive response from critics. The film spawned a failed sequel The Rage: Carrie 2 and a fairly well-received made for television film, released in 2002, neither of which involved De Palma. During a survey taken in October 2008, it was revealed that Carrie was considered one of the most popular movies teens watched on Halloween.

Spacek and Laurie were nominated for Academy Award for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress respectively.

“Where we’re going…we don’t need eyes to see!”

34. Event Horizon – (1997) – 46 points 
(2 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #2 – Kyle C.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Event_Horizon_(film)

Event Horizon is a 1997 British science fantasy horror film. The screenplay was written by Philip Eisner (with an uncredited rewrite by Andrew Kevin Walker) and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. The film stars Laurence Fishburne and Sam Neill. It was #1 at the box office in the UK.

Philip Eisner pitched the idea for Event Horizon to Paramount Pictures; he had no plot, he just pitched it as “The Shining in space,” which gained a positive reception from the executives.

In the commentary Anderson mentions the wish he had to direct an R rated picture after the PG-13 rated Mortal Kombat and also mentions that he turned down the opportunity to direct X-Men in order to make Event Horizon.
Anderson said that his initial cut of the film, before the visual effects had been completed, ran to about 130 minutes in length. The film was even more graphic in this incarnation, and both test audiences and the studio were unnerved by the gore. Paramount ordered Anderson to cut the film by thirty minutes and delete some of the violence, a decision that he regrets. Some of the lost scenes were offered as special features on the 2006 DVD but were taken from poor quality video tape, the only format in which the scenes now exist; the studio had little interest in keeping unused footage and the film has since been lost.

“Satanic Ritual Abuse Syndrome. It was big in the ’80s.”

33. Session 9 – (2001) – 50 points 
(3 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #8 – Heather)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Session_9

Session 9 is a 2001 American psychological horror film directed by Brad Anderson. It stars David Caruso, Peter Mullan, Stephen Gevedon, Paul Guilfoyle, Josh Lucas, and Brendan Sexton III. The plot focuses on the growing tension within an asbestos removal crew working at an abandoned mental asylum, which is paralleled by the gradual revelation of a former patient’s disturbed past through recorded audio tape of the patient’s hypnotherapy sessions. The film takes place in and around the Danvers State Mental Hospital in Danvers, Massachusetts. The massive building in Danvers, which was part of the National Register of Historic Places, was partially demolished in 2006.

Session 9 garnered mixed reviews from critics. Based on 70 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, Session 9 currently has a 60% ‘fresh’ approval rating from critics, with a weighted mean score of 6.2/10. By comparison, Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an average score of 58, based on 16 reviews which it characterized as “mixed or average” reviews.

Some critics praised the film’s dark and creepy atmosphere and lack of gore. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called the film “a spine-tingler” and praised Brad Anderson’s direction. Bloody Disgusting ranked the film fifth in their list of the ‘Top 20 Horror Films of the Decade’, with the article saying “Session 9 isn’t just a cheap, hack ‘n’ slash, instantly-forgettable type horror film, but a psychologically probing, deeply unsettling journey off the edge and into the abyss of the human mind.”

“Mr. Singer. What an appropriate name for a man who can’t shut up.”

32. Jacob’s Ladder – (1990) – 50 points 
(3 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #5 – Alan)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob’s_Ladder_(film)

Jacob’s Ladder is a 1990 American psychological thriller/horror film directed by Adrian Lyne, based on a screenplay by Bruce Joel Rubin.

Reception of the film was quite polarized at the time of release. According to aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, 73% of reviews of the film were positive, but the top critics were split evenly, with 50% giving it a positive review. According to film critic Roger Ebert, “This movie was not a pleasant experience, but it was exhilarating in the sense that I was able to observe filmmakers working at the edge of their abilities and inspirations.”

Jacob’s Ladder greatly inspired the horror franchise Silent Hill, including the film adaptation and the video game Silent Hill Homecoming.

“Most people are so ungrateful to be alive. But not you. Not anymore.”

31. Saw – (2004) – 51 points 
(7 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #9 – Greg W.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saw_(film)

Saw is a 2004 American independent horror film directed by James Wan. The screenplay, written by Leigh Whannell, is based on a story by the latter and Wan. The film stars Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson, Ken Leung, Whannell and Tobin Bell. It is the debut of Wan and Whannell and the first installment of the seven–part Saw film series.

The film’s story revolves around Adam (Whannell) and Lawrence (Elwes), two men who are chained in a dilapidated subterranean bathroom and are each given instructions via a microcassette recorder on how to escape. Adam is told he must escape the bathroom, while Lawrence is told to kill him before a certain time, or Lawrence’s family will die. Meanwhile, police detectives investigate and attempt to apprehend the mastermind behind the “game”.

The screenplay was written in 2001, but after failed attempts to get the script produced in Wan and Whannell’s home country, Australia, they were urged to travel to Los Angeles. In order to help attract producers they shot a low-budget short film from a scene out of the script. This proved successful in 2003 as producers from Evolution Entertainment were immediately attached and also formed a horror genre production label Twisted Pictures. The film was given a small budget and shot on a short schedule of 18 days.

“Do sit down, Sergeant. Shocks are so much better absorbed with the knees bent.”

30. The Wicker Man – (1973) – 51 points 
(3 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #2 – B)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wicker_Man_(1973_film)

The Wicker Man is a 1973 British film, combining thriller, horror and musical genres, directed by Robin Hardy and written by Anthony Shaffer. The film stars Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, and Britt Ekland. Paul Giovanni composed the soundtrack. The film is now considered a cult classic.

Inspired by the basic scenario of David Pinner’s 1967 novel The Ritual, the story centres on the visit of Police Sergeant Neil Howie to the isolated island of Summerisle, in search of a missing girl the locals claim never existed. Howie is a devout Christian, and is appalled by a religion loosely inspired by Celtic paganism practised by the inhabitants of the island.

The Wicker Man is generally well regarded by critics and film enthusiasts. Film magazine Cinefantastique described it as “The Citizen Kane of Horror Movies”, and during 2004 the magazine Total Film named The Wicker Man the sixth greatest British film of all time. It also won the 1978 Saturn Award for Best Horror Film. A scene from this film was #45 on Bravo’s 100 Scariest Movie Moments.

In his 2010 BBC documentary series A History of Horror, writer and actor Mark Gatiss referred to the film as a prime example of a short-lived sub-genre he called “folk horror”, grouping it with 1968′s Witchfinder General and 1971′s Blood on Satan’s Claw.

An ill received 2006 Canadian/German/American remake was produced, from which Robin Hardy and others involved with the original have disassociated themselves. The central question of the film, ‘How’d it get burned?’ remains unsolved.

“I want to tell you my secret now.”

29. The Sixth Sense – (1999) – 53 points 
(4 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #7 – Willie)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sixth_Sense

The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film tells the story of Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), a troubled, isolated boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, and an equally troubled child psychologist (Bruce Willis) who tries to help him. The film established Shyamalan as a writer and director, and introduced the cinema public to his traits, most notably his affinity for surprise endings. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

The film received positive reviews from critics, with an 85% ‘fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and 64 rating on Metacritic.

The film had a production budget of approximately $40 million (plus $25 million for prints and advertising). It grossed $26.6 million in its opening weekend and spent five weeks as the #1 film at the U.S. box office. It earned $293,506,292 in the United States and a worldwide gross of $672,806,292, ranking it 35th on the list of box-office money earners in the U.S. as of April 2010. In the United Kingdom, it was given at first a limited release at 9 screens, and entered at #8 before climbing up to #1 the next week with 430 theatres playing the film.

By vote of the members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, The Sixth Sense was awarded the Nebula Award for Best Script during 1999. The film was #71 on Bravo’s 100 Scariest Movie Moments, for the scene where Cole encounters a female ghost in his tent. It was also recently named the 89th Best Film of all time by the American Film Institute during 2007.

“The first rule of Zombieland: Cardio.”

28. Zombieland – (2009) – 59 points 
(3 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #4 – Spoodles)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombieland

Zombieland is a 2009 American zombie comedy film directed by Ruben Fleischer from a screenplay written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. The film stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin as survivors of a zombie apocalypse. Together they take an extended road trip across Southwestern United States in an attempt to find a sanctuary free from zombies.

Zombieland received positive critical reviews and was a commercial success, grossing more than $60.8 million in 17 days and surpassing the 2004 film Dawn of the Dead as the top-grossing zombie film to date in the United States.

The film received critical acclaim. Review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reports 90% of critics gave the film positive write-ups based on 184 reviews, with a rating of 7.3/10, and a generally positive 88% approval rating from “top” critics based on 29 reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews from mainstream critics, the film holds a “generally favorable” score of 73% based on 31 reviews.

Film critic Roger Ebert was surprised by Zombieland’s ability to be significantly humorous while zombies remained the focus of the film and felt that “all of this could have been dreary, but not here. The filmmakers show invention and well-tuned comic timing”. He credited Bill Murray’s cameo appearance as receiving the “single biggest laugh” of the year, and gave the film 3 out of 4 stars. Murray’s cameo was called out for attention by other reviewers: Marc Savlov of Austin Chronicle credited it as “the single most outrageously entertaining unexpected celebrity cameo of any film—genre or otherwise—” that he had seen in a “long, long time” and that while the film did little to advance the genre, its smart script and high action made it very enjoyable.

“This…is my BOOMSTICK!”

27. Army of Darkness – (1992) – 59 points 
(3 of 15 lists. Highest ranking 1 #1 Vote - Willie)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_of_Darkness

Army of Darkness, also known as Bruce Campbell vs. Army of Darkness, is a 1992 action comedy fantasy film directed by Sam Raimi. It is the third and final installment in The Evil Dead trilogy. The film was written by Raimi and his brother Ivan, produced by Robert Tapert, and stars Bruce Campbell and Embeth Davidtz. Continuing from Evil Dead II, Ash Williams is trapped in the Middle Ages and he battles the undead in his quest to return to the present.

Army of Darkness is not as violent or gory as the prior Evil Dead films, relying more on slapstick. The film was produced as part of a production deal with Universal Studios after the financial success of Darkman. Filming took place in California in 1991. The Director’s Cut premiered in October 1992 and the Theatrical Cut was released in the US on February 19, 1993. It was a commercial success, grossing $21.5 Million, though critical response was generally less positive than the first two films. Since its video release it has acquired a cult following, along with the other two films in the trilogy.

Army of Darkness had received generally mixed to positive response from critics, with a 71% “Fresh” rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 38 reviews, which made its critical reception above average but is lower than The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II, which received 100% and 98% critical approval, respectively. In her review for the New York Times, Janet Maslin praised, “Mr. Campbell’s manly, mock-heroic posturing is perfectly in keeping with the director’s droll outlook”. Desson Howe, in this review for the Washington Post praised the film’s style: “Bill Pope’s cinematography is gymnastic and appropriately frenetic. The visual and make-up effects (from artist-technicians William Mesa, Tony Gardner and others) are incredibly imaginative”.

“I am your number one fan. There is nothing to worry about. You are going to be just fine. I am your number one fan.”

26. Misery – (1990) – 61 points 
(3 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #3 – Adam, Willie)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misery_(film)

Misery is a 1990 American thriller film based on Stephen King’s 1987 novel of the same name. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film received critical acclaim for Kathy Bates’ performance as the psychopathic Annie Wilkes. The film was ranked #12 on Bravo’s 100 Scariest Movie Moments.

Misery received almost universally positive reviews; on the critic website Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently holds a 90% “fresh” rating; the consensus states, “Elevated by standout performances from James Caan and Kathy Bates, this taut and frightening film is one of the best Stephen King adaptations to date.” Bates won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Annie Wilkes.

The genre magazine Bloody Disgusting ranked Misery fourth place in its list of “10 Claustrophobic Horror Films”. King himself has stated that Misery is one of his favorite film adaptations, in his collection “Stephen King Goes to the Movies”.

“It will cost you sweat and tears, and perhaps…a little blood.”

25. Nosferatu – (1922) – 64 points 
(6 of 15 lists. Highest ranking 1 #1 Vote – B)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nosferatu

Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (translated as Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror; also known as Nosferatu: A Symphony of Terror or simply Nosferatu) is a classic 1922 German Expressionist horror film, directed by F. W. Murnau, starring Max Schreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film, shot in 1921 and released in 1922, was an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel (for instance, “vampire” became “Nosferatu” and “Count Dracula” became “Count Orlok”).

The premiere reviewers generally praised the film with some occasionally complaining that the technically perfect and brightly-lit images detracted from the unworldly horror theme. Der Film, a Berlin film magazine, praised the technical quality and the believability of Schreck’s portrayal of the vampire, but also felt that his form would have had a greater effect had it been shown more in silhouette.

This was the first and last Prana Film; the company declared bankruptcy after Bram Stoker’s estate, acting for his widow, Florence Stoker, sued for copyright infringement and won. The court ordered all existing prints of Nosferatu burned, but one purported copy of the film had already been distributed around the world. These prints were duplicated over the years.

The movie has received not only a strong cult following, but also has received overwhelmingly positive reviews. On Rottentomatoes.com it received a “Certified Fresh” label and holds a 98% “fresh” rating based on 46 reviews. It was ranked twenty-first in Empire magazine’s “The 100 Best Films of World Cinema” in 2010.

“I’m documenting.”

24. Cloverfield – (2008) – 65 points 
(4 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #3 – Heather)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloverfield

Clovenfield is a 2008 American disaster-monster film directed by Matt Reeves, produced by J. J. Abrams and written by Drew Goddard.

The film follows six young New Yorkers attending a going-away party on the night that a gigantic monster attacks the city. First publicized in a teaser trailer in screenings of Transformers, the film was released on January 17 in New Zealand and Australia, on January 18 in North America, on January 24 in South Korea, on January 25 in Taiwan, on January 31 in Germany and on February 1 in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in Italy. In Japan, the film was released on April 5.

Critics mostly praised Clovenfield; as of October 29, 2011, review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 77% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 192 reviews. According to Metacritic, the film has received an average score of 64, based on 37 reviews. And on Spill.com, it got their highest rating of ‘Better Than Sex!’. [ed. lol]

Marc Savlov of The Austin Chronicle calls the film “the most intense and original creature feature I’ve seen in my adult moviegoing life [...] a pure-blood, grade A, exhilarating monster movie.” He cites Matt Reeves’ direction, the “whip-smart, stylistically invisible” script and the “nearly subconscious evocation of our current paranoid, terror-phobic times” as the keys to the film’s success, saying that telling the story through the lens of one character’s camera “works fantastically well”. Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter called it “chillingly effective”, praising the effects and the film’s “claustrophobic intensity”. He said that though the characters “aren’t particularly interesting or developed”, there was “something refreshing about a monster movie that isn’t filled with the usual suspects”. Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly said that the film was “surreptitiously subversive, [a] stylistically clever little gem”, and that while the characters were “vapid, twenty-something nincompoops” and the acting “appropriately unmemorable”, the decision to tell the story through amateur footage was “brilliant”. Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that the film is “pretty scary at times” and cites “unmistakable evocations of 9/11″. He concludes that “all in all, it is an effective film, deploying its special effects well and never breaking the illusion that it is all happening as we see it”.

“Every dead body that is not exterminated becomes one of them.”

23. Dawn of the Dead – (1978) – 70 points 
(6 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #4 – Tmbg13)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn_of_the_Dead

Dawn of the Dead (also known as Zombi internationally) is a 1978 zombie film, written and directed by George A. Romero. It was the second film made in Romero’s Living Dead series, but contains no characters or settings from Night of the Living Dead, and shows in larger scale a zombie epidemic’s apocalyptic effects on society. In the film, a pandemic of unknown origin has caused the reanimation of the dead, who prey on human flesh, which subsequently causes mass hysteria. The cast features David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger and Gaylen Ross as survivors of the outbreak who barricade themselves inside a suburban shopping mall.

Dawn of the Dead was shot over approximately four months, from late 1977 to early 1978, in the Pennsylvania cities of Pittsburgh and Monroeville. Its primary filming location was the Monroeville Mall. The film was made on a relatively modest budget estimated at $650,000 US, and was a significant box office success for its time, grossing an estimated $55 million worldwide. Since opening in theaters in 1978, and despite heavy gore content, reviews for the film have been nearly unanimously positive.

In addition to four official sequels, the film has spawned numerous parodies and pop culture references. A remake of the movie premiered in the United States on March 19, 2004. It was labeled a “re-imagining” of the original film’s concept. It retains several major themes of the original film along with the primary setting in a shopping mall. In 2008, Dawn of the Dead was chosen by Empire magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time.

“It seems that envy is my sin.”

22. Seven – (1995) – 72 points 
(6 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #4 – Kane)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_(film)

Seven (stylized in some publications as Se7en) is a 1995 American thriller film, which also contains horror and neo-noir elements, directed by David Fincher and written by Andrew Kevin Walker. It was distributed by New Line Cinema and stars Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, R. Lee Ermey and Kevin Spacey.

David Mills (Pitt) and William Somerset (Freeman) are police detectives working in a crime-filled city, who become deeply involved in a case involving a series of sadistic murders. Each murder corresponds to one of the seven deadly sins: gluttony, envy, lust, pride, sloth, greed and wrath.
Filming took place in Los Angeles, California. The film was released in the United States on September 22, 1995. Grossing $327 million at the box office internationally, Seven was a commercial success, and received very positive reviews from most critics.

The film was highly acclaimed by critics and currently has an 85% rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Gary Arnold, in the Washington Times, praised the cast: “The film’s ace in the hole is the personal appeal generated by Mr. Freeman as the mature, cerebral cop and Mr. Pitt as the young, headstrong cop. Not that the contrast is inspired or believable in itself. What gets to you is the prowess of the co-stars as they fill out sketchy character profiles”. Sheila Johnston, in her review for The Independent, praised Freeman’s performance: “the film belongs to Freeman and his quiet, carefully detailed portrayal of the jaded older man who learns not to give up the fight”. In his review for Sight and Sound, John Wrathall wrote, “Seven has the scariest ending since George Sluizer’s original The Vanishing…and stands as the most complex and disturbing entry in the serial killer genre since Manhunter”.

Seven is a great kids name.

“He has his father’s eyes.”

21. Rosemary’s Baby – (1968) – 72 points 
(4 of 15 lists. Highest ranking 1 #1 Vote – Alan)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary’s_Baby_(film)

Rosemary’s Baby is a 1968 American horror film written and directed by Roman Polanski, based on the bestselling 1967 novel by Ira Levin. The cast includes Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Maurice Evans, Sidney Blackmer, and Charles Grodin.

Farrow plays a pregnant woman who fears that her husband may have made a pact with their eccentric neighbours, believing he may have promised them the child to be used as a human sacrifice in their occult rituals in exchange for success in his acting career.

In her review for The New York Times, Renata Adler said, “The movie—although it is pleasant—doesn’t seem to work on any of its dark or powerful terms. I think this is because it is almost too extremely plausible. The quality of the young people’s lives seems the quality of lives that one knows, even to the point of finding old people next door to avoid and lean on. One gets very annoyed that they don’t catch on sooner.”

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times called it “a brooding, macabre film, filled with the sense of unthinkable danger. Strangely enough it also has an eerie sense of humor almost until the end. It is a creepy film and a crawly film, and a film filled with things that go bump in the night. It is very good…much more than just a suspense story; the brilliance of the film comes more from Polanski’s direction, and from a series of genuinely inspired performances, than from the original story . . . The best thing that can be said about the film, I think, is that it works. Polanski has taken a most difficult situation and made it believable, right up to the end. In this sense, he even outdoes Hitchcock.”

Variety stated, “Several exhilarating milestones are achieved in Rosemary’s Baby, an excellent film version of Ira Levin’s diabolical chiller novel. Writer-director Roman Polanski has triumphed in his first US-made pic. The film holds attention without explicit violence or gore . . . Farrow’s performance is outstanding.”

Today, the film is widely regarded as a classic; the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie a 98% “Certified Fresh” rating (53 out of 54 reviews), with the site’s consensus stating “A frightening tale of Satanism and pregnancy that is even more disturbing than it sounds thanks to convincing and committed performances by Mia Farrow and Ruth Gordon”.

“You’d never think it. Needing rain so badly.”

20. 28 Days Later – (2002) – 85 points 
(11 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #2 – Patrick)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/28_Days_Later

28 Days Later is an acclaimed 2002 British horror film directed by Danny Boyle. The screenplay was written by Alex Garland, and the film stars Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns, and Christopher Eccleston. The plot depicts the breakdown of society following the accidental release of a highly contagious “rage” virus and focuses upon the struggle of four survivors to cope with the ruination of the life they once knew.

A critical and commercial success, the film is widely recognised for images of a deserted London, and was shot almost entirely on digital video. The film spawned a 2007 sequel, 28 Weeks Later, a graphic novel entitled 28 Days Later: The Aftermath, which expands on the timeline of the outbreak, and a 2009 comic book series 28 Days Later.

Critical views of the film were very positive. Based on 199 reviews collected by the film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 89% of critics gave 28 Days Later a positive review. On Metacritic, it received a 73 (out of 100) based on 39 reviews. The Los Angeles Times described it as a “stylistic tour de force,” and efilmcritic.com called it “raw, blistering and joyously uncompromising.”

“That’s the last goddamn hitchhiker I ever pick up.”

19. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – (1974) – 86 points 
(7 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #8 – Greg W.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Texas_Chain_Saw_Massacre

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American independent horror film directed and produced by Tobe Hooper, who cowrote it with Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, and Gunnar Hansen, who respectively portray Sally Hardesty, Franklin Hardesty, the hitchhiker, the proprietor, and Leatherface, the main antagonist. The film follows a group of friends who fall victim to a family of cannibals while on their way to visit an old homestead. Although it was marketed as a true story to attract a wider audience and as a subtle commentary on the era’s political climate, its plot is entirely fictional; however the character of Leatherface and minor plot details were inspired by the crimes of real-life murderer Ed Gein.

Hooper produced the film for less than $300,000 and used a cast of relatively unknown actors drawn mainly from central Texas, where the film was shot. The limited budget forced Hooper to film for long hours seven days a week, so that he could finish as quickly as possible and reduce equipment rental costs. Due to the film’s violent content, Hooper struggled to find a distributor. Louis Perano of Bryanston Pictures eventually purchased the distribution rights. Hooper limited the quantity of onscreen gore in hopes of securing a “PG” (Parental Guidance) rating, but the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) rated it “R” (Restricted; children under 17 require a parent or guardian). The film faced similar difficulties internationally.

Upon its October 1974 release, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was banned outright in several countries, and numerous theaters later stopped showing the film in response to complaints about its violence. While it initially drew a mixed reception from critics, it was enormously profitable, grossing over $30 million at the domestic box office. It has since gained a reputation as one of the most influential horror films in cinema history. It is credited with originating several elements common in the slasher genre, including the use of power tools as murder weapons and the characterization of the killer as a large, hulking, faceless figure. The popularity of the film led to a franchise that continued the story of Leatherface and his family through sequels, remakes, comic books, and video games.

“I feel it. I feel it breathing on me.”

18. Paranormal Activity – (2007) – 86 points 
(8 of 15 lists. Highest ranking 1 #1 Vote – Kyle C.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranormal_Activity

Paranormal Activity is a 2007 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Oren Peli. The film centers on a young couple, Katie and Micah, who are haunted by a supernatural presence in their home. It is presented in the style of “found footage,” from a camera set up by the couple in an attempt to photograph what is haunting them.

Originally developed as an independent feature, the film was acquired by Paramount Pictures. It received a limited U.S. release on September 25, 2009 and nationwide release on October 16, 2009. The film earned nearly $108 million at the U.S. box office and $194 million worldwide.

The film received positive critical reception upon release. Based on 184 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an overall approval ‘certified fresh’ rating from critics of 82%. Movie critics James Berardinelli and Roger Ebert each awarded it 3.5 stars out of a maximum of 4 stars. Ebert stated in his review: “It illustrates one of my favorite points, that silence and waiting can be more entertaining than frantic fast-cutting and berserk f/x. For extended periods here, nothing at all is happening, and believe me, you won’t be bored.” Bloody Disgusting ranked the film 16th in their list of the “Top 20 Horror Films of the Decade”, with the article saying, “Peli deserves props for milking the maximum amount of tension out of the spare, modern setting – an ordinary, cookie-cutter tract home in San Diego. It doesn’t sound very scary, but Peli manages to make it terrifying.

“I think before you die, you see the ring…”

17. The Ring – (2002) – 87 points 
(7 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #9 – Jen F.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ring_(2002_film)

The Ring is a 2002 American psychological horror film directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts and Martin Henderson. It is a remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ring (or Ringu).

Both films are based on Koji Suzuki’s novel Ring and focus on a mysterious cursed videotape which contains a seemingly random series of disturbing images. After watching the tape, the viewer receives a phone call in which a girl’s voice announces that the viewer will die in seven days. The film was a critical and commercial success.

The Ring met with generally positive reviews from film critics, receiving 72% favorable reviews out of 167 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and a Metacritic score of 57/100 (mixed or average) from 36 reviews. On the television program Ebert & Roeper, Richard Roeper gave the film “Thumbs Up” and said it was very gripping and scary despite some minor unanswered questions. IGN’s Jeremy Conrad praised the movie for its atmospheric set up and cinematography, and said that “there are ‘disturbing images’… but the film doesn’t really rely on gore to deliver the scares. … The Ring relies on atmosphere and story to deliver the jumps, not someone being cleaved in half by a glass door.” Film Threat’s Jim Agnew called it “dark, disturbing and original throughout. You know that you’re going to see something a little different than your usual studio crap.” Verbinski was praised for slowly revealing the plot while keeping the audience interested, “the twists keep on coming, and Verbinski shows a fine-tuned gift for calibrating and manipulating viewer expectations.”

“I ought to drag you out there and FEED you to those things!”

16. Night of the Living Dead – (1968) – 92 points 
(7 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #5 – Willie, Patrick)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Living_Dead

Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent black-and-white zombie film and cult film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea and Karl Hardman. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was completed on a USD$114,000 budget. After decades of cinematic re-releases, it grossed $12 million domestically and $18 million internationally. Night of the Living Dead was heavily criticized during its release because of its explicit content; but received critical acclaim and was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry as a film deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” The film entered the public domain due to an error by the distributor.

The plot of the film follows Ben Huss (Duane Jones), Barbra (Judith O’Dea), and five others trapped in a rural farmhouse in Pennsylvania while the house is attacked by reanimated corpses, commonly known as ‘ghouls’ or ‘zombies’. Night of the Living Dead is the origin of six other Living Dead films directed by George A. Romero and became the inspiration for two remakes of the film, a 1990 film of the same name directed by Tom Savini and Night of the Living Dead 3D in 2006, which was directed by Jeff Broadstreet and contained a different storyline.

More than 40 years after its release, the film enjoys a reputation as a classic and still receives positive reviews; Night of the Living Dead currently holds a 96% “Certified Fresh” rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, and it is regarded by many as one of the best films of 1968. In 2008, the film was selected by Empire magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time. In January 2010, Total Film included the film on its list of The 100 Greatest Movies of All Time.

“This was no boat accident.”

15. Jaws – (1975) – 94 points 
(6 of 15 lists. Highest ranking 1 #1 Vote – Dave S.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaws_(film)

Jaws is a 1975 American horror-thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley’s novel of the same name. The police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant man-eating great white shark by closing the beach, only to be overruled by the town council, which wants the beach to remain open to draw a profit from tourists during the summer season. After several attacks, the police chief enlists the help of a marine biologist and a professional shark hunter. Roy Scheider stars as police chief Martin Brody, Richard Dreyfuss as oceanographer Matt Hooper, Robert Shaw as shark hunter Quint, Murray Hamilton as the Mayor of Amity Island, and Lorraine Gary as Brody’s wife, Ellen.

The film was shot on location at Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and had a troubled production, going over budget and schedule. As the mechanical sharks suffered many malfunctions, Spielberg decided to mostly suggest the animal’s presence, by utilizing an ominous yet subdued theme noted film composer John Williams had created to describe the shark’s impending appearances. Jaws is regarded as a watershed film in motion picture history, the father of the summer blockbuster film and one of the first “high concept” films. Because of the film’s success in advance screenings, studio executives decided to distribute it in a much wider release pattern than ever before employed. The Omen followed suit in the summer of 1976, and then Star Wars one year later in 1977, cementing the notion for movie studios to distribute their big-release action and adventure pictures (commonly referred to as tentpole pictures) during the summer months.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, Jaws appeared at number 48 on American Film Institute’s 100 Years… 100 Movies, a list of the greatest American films of all time, dropping down to number 56 on the 10 Year Anniversary list. It ranked second on a similar list for thrillers, 100 Years… 100 Thrills and was number one on Bravo’s list of The 100 Scariest Movie Moments.

“I’ll swallow your soul!”

14. Evil Dead II – (1987) – 101 points 
(5 of 15 lists. Highest ranking 1 #1 Vote – Kane)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_Dead_II

Evil Dead II, also known as Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn, is a 1987 horror comedy film directed by Sam Raimi. It is a retcon sequel to the 1981 film The Evil Dead. The film was written by Raimi and Scott Spiegel, produced by Rob Tapert and starring Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams. Raimi and Spiegel wrote the script during production of Crimewave.

Filming took place in Michigan and North Carolina in 1986 and the film was released in the United States on March 13, 1987. It was a minor box office success, achieving just under $6 million. As of 2006, the total US box office gross is $10.9 million. It also received critical acclaim. Observers praised Raimi for the direction and Campbell for his role in the film. Evil Dead II was eventually followed by the 1992 film Army of Darkness.

Evil Dead II received very positive reviews from critics and audience members; it holds a 98% “Certified Fresh” rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes. On a similar website Metacritic, it holds a score of 69/100 (generally favorable) with a user rating of 9.2/10. Empire magazine praised the film saying “the gaudily gory, virtuoso, hyper-kinetic horror sequel/remake uses every trick in the cinematic book” and confirms that “Bruce Campbell and Raimi are gods” and Caryn James of The New York Times called it “genuine, if bizarre, proof of Sam Raimi’s talent and developing skill.” Leonard Maltin originally rated the film with two stars, but later increased the rating to three stars.

“You’re going to die up there.”

13. The Exorcist – (1973) – 105 points 
(7 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #5 – Kyle C.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exorcist_(film)

The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her daughter through an exorcism conducted by two priests. The film features Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller and Linda Blair. The film is one of a cycle of ‘demonic child’ movies produced in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including Rosemary’s Baby and The Omen.

The Exorcist was released theatrically in the United States by Warner Bros. on December 26, 1973. The film earned ten Academy Award nominations—winning two, one for Best Sound and Best Adapted Screenplay, and losing Best Picture to The Sting. It became one of highest earning movies of all time, grossing $441 million worldwide.

The film has had a huge effect on popular culture. It was named the scariest movie of all time by Entertainment Weekly and Movies.com and by viewers of AMC in 2006, and was #3 on Bravo’s 100 Scariest Movie Moments. The film was selected in 2010 to be preserved by the Library of Congress as part of its National Film Registry.

“Now, you tell me. Am I different somehow?”

12. The Fly – (1986) – 110 points 
(7 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #7 – Andy)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fly_(1986_film)

The Fly is a 1986 science fiction horror film co-written and directed by David Cronenberg. Produced by 20th Century Fox, and Brooksfilms, the film stars Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis and John Getz. It is a remake of the 1958 film of the same name, but retains only the basic premise of a scientist accidentally merging with a housefly during a teleportation experiment. Some critics saw the film as a metaphor for the AIDS epidemic. The score was composed by Howard Shore and the make-up effects were created by Chris Walas, who won the Academy Award for Best Makeup.

Upon its release, The Fly was critically acclaimed, as was Goldblum’s tour de force performance. Despite being a gory remake of a classic made by a controversial, non-mainstream director, the film was a huge commercial success, the biggest of Cronenberg’s career, and was the top-grossing film in the United States for two weeks, earning a total domestic gross of $40,456,565. Audiences reacted strongly to the graphic creature effects and the tragic love story, and the film received much attention at the time of its release.

David Cronenberg was surprised when The Fly became embraced as a cultural metaphor for AIDS, since he originally intended the film to be a more general analogy for disease itself, terminal conditions like cancer and, more specifically, the aging process: “If you, or your lover, has AIDS, you watch that film and of course you’ll see AIDS in it, but you don’t have to have that experience to respond emotionally to the movie and I think that’s really its power… This is not to say that AIDS didn’t have an incredible impact on everyone and of course after a certain point people were seeing AIDS stories everywhere so I don’t take any offense that people see that in my movie. For me, though, there was something about The Fly story that was much more universal to me: aging and death–something all of us have to deal with.”

“You bastards, why are you torturing me like this?”

11. The Evil Dead – (1981) – 112 points 
(7 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #3 – Kane)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Evil_Dead

The Evil Dead is a 1981 horror film written and directed by Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, and Betsy Baker. The film is a story of five college students vacationing in an isolated cabin in a wooded area. Their vacation becomes gruesome when they find an audiotape that releases evil spirits.

The film premiered in Michigan on October 15, 1981. The film was extremely controversial for its graphic horror, bloody violence, and gory scenes, being initially turned down by almost all U.S. film distributors until a European company finally bought it in the Cannes Film Festival marketplace in May 1982. It was finally given a US direct-to-video release in early 1983 as a film. In 1994 a heavily censored version was shown in US theaters and received an NC-17 rating. The film was a moderate success at the box office, grossing a total of $2,400,000 in the U.S upon its initial release, against a budget of probably no more than $400,000.

The Evil Dead received mixed reviews upon its release but over the years its critical reputation has grown considerably. Based on 45 reviews, the film holds a 100% “Fresh” rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes; the site’s consensus states “This classic low budget horror film combines just the right amount of gore and black humor, giving The Evil Dead an equal amount of thrills and laughs.” The film was selected by the American Film Institute as one of the 400 candidates for AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Thrills, a list of America’s most heart-pounding films.

The tree rape scene has been described by some as being misogynistic. Raimi has since stated he regrets putting it in the film.

“It appears we may have a problem of some magnitude.”

10. The Mist – (2007) – 116 points 
(8 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #3 – Patrick)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mist_(film)

The Mist (also known as Stephen King’s The Mist) is a 2007 American science-fiction horror film based on the 1980 novella of the same name by Stephen King. The film is written and directed by Frank Darabont, who had previously adapted Stephen King’s works The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. Darabont had been interested in adapting The Mist for the big screen since the 1980s. The film features an ensemble cast including Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Samuel Witwer, Toby Jones, Nathan Gamble, Andre Braugher, and Frances Sternhagen.

Darabont began filming The Mist in Shreveport, Louisiana in February 2007. The director revised the ending of the film to be darker than the novella’s ending, a change to which Stephen King was amenable. Unique creature designs were also sought to differ from creatures in past films. The Mist was commercially released in the United States and Canada on November 21, 2007. The Mist performed well at the box office and received generally positive reviews.

James Berardinelli wrote of the film, “The Mist is what a horror film should be – dark, tense, and punctuated by just enough gore to keep the viewer’s flinch reflex intact. … Finally, after a long list of failures, someone has done justice in bringing one of King’s horror stories to the screen. Though definitely not the feel-good movie of the season, this is a must-see for anyone who loves the genre and doesn’t demand “torture porn” from horror.”

Bloody Disgusting ranked the film #4 on their list of the ‘Top 20 Horror Films of the Decade’, with the article saying “The scary stuff works extremely well, but what really drives this one home is Darabont’s focus on the divide that forms between two factions of the townspeople – the paranoid, Bible-thumping types and the more rational-minded, decidedly left-wing members of the populace. This allegorical microcosm of Bush Jr.-era America is spot on, and elevates an already-excellent film to even greater heights.”

“I’m afraid to close my eyes, I’m afraid to open them.”

9. The Blair Witch Project – (1999) – 118 points 
(7 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #2 – Adam)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blair_Witch_Project

The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American horror film pieced together from amateur footage. The film was produced by the Haxan Films production company. The film relates the story of three student filmmakers (Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael C. Williams) who hiked into the Black Hills near Burkittsville, Maryland in 1994 to film a documentary about a local legend known as the Blair Witch, and disappeared. The viewers are told that the three were never seen or heard from again, although their video and sound equipment (along with most of the footage they shot) was discovered a year later. This “recovered footage” is presented as the film the viewer is watching.

The Blair Witch Project is thought to be the first widely released film marketed primarily on the Internet. The film grossed $248,639,099 worldwide, compared to its final budget, which ranged between $500,000 and $750,000.

Rotten Tomatoes provides links to 127 reviews for the film, with 84% of these reviews being favorable. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave the film four stars, calling it “an extraordinarily effective horror film”. It was listed on Filmcritic.com as the 50th best movie ending of all time. Critics praised Donahue’s apology to the camera near the end of the movie, saying it would cause “nightmares for years to come”; Roger Ebert compared this sequence to Robert Scott’s final journal entries as he froze to death in the Antarctic. Donahue has stated that there was a considerable backlash against her because of her association with the film, which she claims led to her having threatening encounters and difficulty obtaining employment.

The Blair Witch Project was given a Global Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay and won the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award. Conversely, the film was nominated for the 1999 Razzie Award for Worst Picture. In 2008, Entertainment Weekly named The Blair Witch Project one of “the 100 best films from 1983 to 2008″, ranking it at #99. In 2006, Chicago Film Critics Association listed it as one of the “Top 100 Scariest Movies”, ranking it #12.

“There was… there was this guy; he had knives for fingers.”

8. A Nightmare on Elm Street – (1984) – 124 points 
(8 of 15 lists. Highest ranking 1 #1 Vote – Spoodles)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Nightmare_on_Elm_Street

A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 American slasher film directed and written by Wes Craven, and the first film of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The film features Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Amanda Wyss, Jsu Garcia, Robert Englund, and Johnny Depp in his feature film debut. Set in the fictional Midwestern town of Springwood, Ohio, the plot revolves around several teenagers who, if they fall asleep, will be killed by Fred Krueger in their dreams, thus causing their deaths in reality. The teenagers are unaware of the cause of this strange phenomenon, but their parents hold a dark secret from long ago.

Craven produced A Nightmare on Elm Street on an estimated budget of just $1.8 million, a sum the film earned back during its first week. An instant commercial success, the film’s total United States box office gross is $25.5 million. A Nightmare on Elm Street was met with rave critical reviews and went on to make a very significant impact on the horror genre, spawning a franchise consisting of a line of sequels, a television series, a crossover with Friday the 13th, a remake, and various other works of imitation.

The film is credited with carrying on many tropes found in low-budget horror films of the 1970s and 1980s, originating in John Carpenter’s 1978 horror film Halloween, including the morality play that revolves around sexual promiscuity in teenagers resulting in their eventual (usually graphic) death, leading to the term “slasher film”. Critics and film historians argue that the film’s premise is the question of the distinction between dreams and reality, which is manifested in the film through the teenagers’ dreams and their realities. Critics today praise the film’s ability to transgress “the boundaries between the imaginary and real”, toying with audience perceptions.

“It’s full of leathery objects, like eggs or something.”

7. Alien – (1979) – 126 points 
(7 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #2 – Jen F.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_(film)

Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film’s title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which stalks and kills the crew of a spaceship. Dan O’Bannon wrote the screenplay from a story by he and Ronald Shusett, drawing influence from previous works of science fiction and horror. The film was produced through Brandywine Productions and distributed by 20th Century Fox, with producers David Giler and Walter Hill making significant revisions and additions to the script. The titular Alien and its accompanying elements were designed by Swiss surrealist artist H. R. Giger, while concept artists Ron Cobb and Chris Foss designed the human aspects of the film.

Alien garnered both critical acclaim and box office success, receiving an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, Saturn Awards for Best Science Fiction Film, Best Direction for Scott, and Best Supporting Actress for Cartwright, and a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, along with numerous other award nominations. It has remained highly praised in subsequent decades, being inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2002 for historical preservation as a film which is “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. In 2008 it was ranked as the seventh-best film in the science fiction genre by the American Film Institute, and as the thirty-third greatest movie of all time by Empire magazine.

An initial screening of Alien for 20th Century Fox representatives in St. Louis suffered from poor sound in the theater. A subsequent screening in a newer theater in Dallas went significantly better, eliciting genuine fright from the audience. Two theatrical trailers were shown to the public. The first consisted of rapidly changing still images set to some of Jerry Goldsmith’s electronic music from Logan’s Run. The second used test footage of a hen’s egg set to part of Goldsmith’s Alien score. The film was previewed in various American cities in the spring of 1979 and was promoted by the tagline “In space no one can hear you scream.”

“It’s Halloween, everyone’s entitled to one good scare.”

6. Halloween – (1978) – 129 points 
(9 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #3 – Andy, Dave S.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween_(1978_film)

Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film directed, produced, and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with Debra Hill, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut and the first installment in the Halloween franchise. The film is set in the fictional midwestern town of Haddonfield, Illinois. On Halloween, six year old Michael Myers murders his older sister by stabbing her with a kitchen knife. Fifteen years later, he escapes from a psychiatric hospital, returns home, and stalks teenager Laurie Strode and her friends. Michael’s psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis suspects Michael’s intentions, and follows him to Haddonfield to try to prevent him from killing.

Halloween was produced on a budget of $325,000 and grossed $47 million at the box office in the United States, and $60 million worldwide, equivalent to over $203 million as of 2010, becoming one of the most profitable independent films. Many critics credit the film as the first in a long line of slasher films inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960). Halloween had many imitators and originated several clichés found in low-budget horror films of the 1980s and 1990s. Unlike many of its imitators, Halloween contains little graphic violence and gore. In 2006, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

Some critics have suggested that Halloween may encourage sadism and misogyny by identifying audiences with its villain. Other critics have suggested the film is a social critique of the immorality of youth and teenagers in 1970s America, with many of Myers’s victims being sexually promiscuous substance abusers, while the lone heroine is depicted as chaste and innocent hence her survival (the lone survivor is seen smoking marijuana in one scene). Carpenter dismisses such analyses. Several of Halloween’s techniques and plot elements, although not founded in this film, have nonetheless become a standard slasher movie trope.

“They don’t have a name for what he is.”

5. The Silence of the Lambs – (1991) – 132 points 
(7 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #2 – Kane, Greg W.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silence_of_the_Lambs_(film)

The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American thriller film that blends elements of the crime and horror genres. It was directed by Jonathan Demme and stars Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Ted Levine, and Scott Glenn. It is based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Harris, his second to feature Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer.

The Silence of the Lambs was released on February 14, 1991, and grossed over $272 million. The film won the top five Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.

The Silence of the Lambs was a sleeper hit that gradually gained widespread success and critical acclaim; Rotten Tomatoes records that The Silence of the Lambs received a 96% “fresh” rating. Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster also received praise for their performances. Roger Ebert specifically mentioned the “terrifying qualities” of Hannibal Lecter, and has since recognized the film as a “horror masterpiece”, alongside such classics as Nosferatu, Psycho, and Halloween.

“A boy’s best friend is his mother.”

4. Psycho – (1960) – 158 points 
(9 of 15 lists. Highest ranking 1 #1 Vote – Jen F.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psycho_(film)

Psycho is a 1960 American horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch. The novel was loosely inspired by the crimes of Wisconsin murderer and grave robber Ed Gein, who lived just 40 miles from Bloch.
The film depicts the encounter between a secretary, Marion Crane (Leigh), hiding at a secluded motel after embezzling money from her employer, and the motel’s disturbed owner and manager, Norman Bates (Perkins), and the aftermath of their encounter.

Psycho initially received mixed reviews, but outstanding box office returns prompted a re-review which was overwhelmingly positive and led to four Academy Award nominations. Psycho is now considered one of Hitchcock’s best films and is highly praised as a work of cinematic art by international critics. The film spawned two sequels, a prequel, a remake, and a television movie spin-off. In 1992, the film was selected to be preserved by The Library of Congress at The National Film Registry.

Initial reviews of the film were thoroughly mixed. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote, “There is not an abundance of subtlety or the lately familiar Hitchcock bent toward significant and colorful scenery in this obviously low-budget job.” Crowther called the “slow buildups to sudden shocks” reliably melodramatic but contested Hitchcock’s psychological points, reminiscent of Krafft-Ebing’s studies, as less effective. Positive reviews stated, “Anthony Perkins’ performance is the best of his career… Janet Leigh has never been better”, “played out beautifully”, and “first American movie since Touch of Evil to stand in the same creative rank as the great European films.”

The public loved the film, with lines stretching outside of theaters as people had to wait for the next showing. It broke box-office records in Japan, China and the rest of Asia, France, Britain, South America, the United States, and Canada, and was a moderate success in Australia for a brief period. It is one of the largest-grossing black-and-white films and helped make Hitchcock a multimillionaire and the third-largest shareholder in Universal. Psycho was, by a large margin, the top moneymaking film of Hitchcock’s career, earning $11,200,000 ($82.5 million in 2010, adjusted for inflation).

“You hang up on me again and I’ll gut you like a fish!”

3. Scream – (1996) – 159 points 
(12 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #3 – Spoodles)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scream_(film)

Scream is a 1996 American slasher film written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven. The film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore, and David Arquette. Released on December 20, 1996, Scream follows the character of Sidney Prescott (Campbell), a high school student in the fictional town of Woodsboro, who becomes the target of a mysterious killer known as Ghostface. Other main characters include Sidney’s best friend Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan), Sidney’s boyfriend Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), film geek Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy), deputy sheriff Dewey Riley (Arquette), and news reporter Gale Weathers (Cox). The film combined comedy and “whodunit” mystery with the violence of the slasher genre to satirize the cliché of the horror genre popularized in films such as Halloween and Friday the 13th. The film was considered unique at the time of its release for featuring characters who were aware of real world horror films and openly discussed the cliché that Scream attempted to subvert.

Based partly on the real-life case of the Gainesville Ripper, Scream was inspired by Williamson’s passion for horror films, especially Halloween (1978). The script, originally titled Scary Movie, was bought by Dimension Films and was retitled by the Weinstein Brothers just before filming was complete. The production faced censorship issues with the Motion Picture Association of America and obstacles from locals while filming on location. The film went on to financial and critical acclaim, earning $173 million worldwide, and became the highest-grossing slasher film in the US in unadjusted dollars. It received several awards and award nominations. The soundtrack by Marco Beltrami was also acclaimed, and was cited as “[one] of the most intriguing horror scores composed in years”. It has since earned “cult status”. Scream marked a change in the genre as it cast already-established and successful actors, which was considered to have helped it find a wider audience, including a significant female viewership.

Scream was credited with revitalizing the horror genre in the 1990s, which was considered to be almost dead following an influx of direct-to-video titles and numerous sequels to established horror franchises of the 1970s and 1980s. These sequels drew decreasing financial and critical success, as they exploited clichés that films in the genre had become reliant upon. Scream’s success spawned a series of sequels, though only the first of them achieved a level of commercial and critical success equal to the original film. In the years following the release of Scream, the film was accused of inspiring and even inducing violent crimes and murders.

“Why don’t we just wait here for a little while…see what happens…”

2. The Thing – (1982) – 190 points 
(9 of 15 lists. Highest ranking 2 #1 Votes – Tmbg13, Patrick)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thing_(1982_film)

The Thing (also known as John Carpenter’s The Thing) is a 1982 science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter, written by Bill Lancaster, and starring Kurt Russell. The film’s title refers to its primary antagonist: a parasitic extraterrestrial lifeform that assimilates other organisms and in turn imitates them. The Thing infiltrates an Antarctic research station, taking the appearance of the researchers that it kills, and paranoia occurs within the group.

Ostensibly a remake of the classic 1951 Howard Hawks-Christian Nyby film The Thing from Another World, Carpenter’s film is in fact an adaptation more faithful in its premise and characters to the novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell, Jr. which inspired the 1951 film, and not a remake in the conventional sense. Carpenter considers The Thing to be the first part of his Apocalypse Trilogy, followed by Prince of Darkness and In the Mouth of Madness. Although the films are unrelated, each features a potentially apocalyptic scenario; should “The Thing” ever reach civilization, it would be only a matter of time before it consumes humanity and takes over the Earth.

Despite mixed contemporary reviews, the film has been reappraised substantially in the years following its release, and now maintains an 80% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the site’s consensus stating “Grimmer and more terrifying than the 1950s take, John Carpenter’s The Thing is a tense sci-fi thriller rife with compelling tension and some remarkable make-up effects.” It’s been listed as one of the best of 1982 by Filmsite.org and Film.com. The film ranked #97 on Rotten Tomatoes’ Journey Through Sci-Fi (100 Best-Reviewed Sci-Fi Movies), and a scene from The Thing was listed as #48 on Bravo’s 100 Scariest Movie Moments. Similarly, the Chicago Film Critics Association named it the 17th scariest film ever made. The Thing was named “the scariest movie … ever!” by the staff of the Boston Globe. In 2008, the film was selected by Empire magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time.

“Danny isn’t here, Mrs. Torrance.”

1. The Shining – (1980) – 262 points 
(13 of 15 lists. Highest ranking 4 #1 Votes – Adam, Andy, Greg, Hirsby)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shining_(film)

The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. A writer, Jack Torrance, takes a job as an off-season caretaker at an isolated hotel. His young son possesses psychic abilities and is able to see things from the past and future, such as the ghosts who inhabit the hotel. Soon after settling in, the family is trapped in the hotel by a snowstorm, and Jack gradually becomes influenced by a supernatural presence; he descends into madness and attempts to murder his wife and son.

Unlike previous Kubrick films, which developed an audience gradually by building on word-of-mouth, The Shining was released as a mass-market film, opening at first in just two cities on Memorial Day, then nationwide a month later. Although initial response to the film was mixed, later critical assessment was more favorable and it is now viewed as a classic of the horror genre. Film director Martin Scorsese, writing in The Daily Beast, ranked it as one of the 11 scariest horror movies of all time. Film critics, film students, and Kubrick’s producer, Jan Harlan, have all remarked on the enormous influence the film has had on popular culture.

The film had a slow start at the box office, but gained momentum, eventually doing well commercially and making Warner Bros. a profit. It opened at first to mixed reviews. For example, Variety was critical, saying “With everything to work with, [...] Kubrick has teamed with jumpy Jack Nicholson to destroy all that was so terrifying about Stephen King’s bestseller.” It was the only one of Kubrick’s last nine films to get no nominations at all from either the Oscars or Golden Globes, but was nominated for a pair of Razzie Awards, including Worst Director and Worst Actress (Duvall), in the very first year that award was given. (At that time, the Raspberries were voted on by a tiny handful of friends of Raspberry founder John Wilson. This was long before the voting body expanded to a large international committee that included reputable film critics and industry professionals.)

As with most Kubrick films, more recent analyses have treated the film more favorably. A common initial criticism was the slow pacing which was highly atypical of horror films of the time; viewers subsequently decided this actually contributes to the film’s hypnotic quality. Film website Rotten Tomatoes, which compiles reviews from a wide range of critics, gives the film a score of 88% “Certified Fresh”.

Thanks to all who participated! Keep an eye out for our next collaborative list, hopefully coming soon!

If you’d like to participate, e-mail me at alangator@gmail.com listing your personal top 25 horror films. I’ll compile all the lists and make a ‘consensus’ for the top 50 films of the decade.

This is a project we’ve done before (top films of the 2000s and top films of the 90s) and it usually turns out pretty interesting. It works best the more people who contribute, so DO IT!

For those curious, the way it works is this:

If you list a film at #1, it gets 25 points.
If you list a film at #2, it gets 24 points.
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If you list a film at #25 it gets one point.

The completed list will be posted on http://thespotlessminds.wordpress.com/ For a full week, revealing ten films every day from Monday to Friday. So get picking, and get submitting!

However, there are a LARGE amount of films I love that I just cannot watch that often. Either due to the crippling emotional toll it may take on me (I’m looking at you, Requiem for a Dream) or the length of the film, or the personal decision to only watch them once every year at most. That said, there are some movies I can watch anytime, and some that I’ve been known to watch at least once a month. I’ve selected my top ten favorites, and encourage you to comment with some of your favorites as well.

10. I Love You, Man

From 2009, this will be the most recent entry on this list but it’s quickly been added to the ‘watch anytime’ repertoire. I think both Paul Rudd and Jason Segel are two of the funniest actors working right now, and putting them together in this pairing really pays off. Honestly, the movie would be awful if not for their banter and chemistry (the secondary characters are all pretty weak, actually). But it’s worth the watch just to see Rudd make ridiculous made-up ‘broisms’ (I hate myself for writing that) while talking to Segel’s character and the subsequent reaction to that. It’s been two years since release but I must have watched it 6-7 times already.

9. The Shawshank Redemption

Most ‘watch anytime’ films are invariably going to be comedies or animated films, due to the nature of them being more accessible and enjoyable to watch anytime. But ask just about anyone you know who has seen Darabont’s 1994 masterpiece The Shawshank Redemption if they want to watch it and you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who’ll say no. It is without a doubt one of the greatest films ever made, and one of few films I will literally force you to watch if you foolishly reveal to me you’ve never seen it. I feel it is my duty. It’s one of the few films where I would say ‘length be damned’ and watch it anytime.

8. Spider-Man 2

Hi, I’m Alan. Not sure if we’ve met. I love Spider-Man. Nothing compares to the second film which is one of the greatest superhero films ever made, and I could arguably watch the first film anytime as well, I figure I’d not clutter this list with Spider-Man related things and just choose one. And if given the choice, I’d watch the second one always. Less stilted/corny dialogue, and no power-rangers villain. Also you find out along with all of New York that (Spoiler Alert!) Peter Parker IS Spider-Man! Woah. Wow. Huh.

7. Aladdin

When you get to know someone you start to learn little quirks about them that can sometimes be annoying, sometimes endearing, or sometimes just one of those ‘huh.’ moments. When people get to know me, one thing that they will sooner rather than later find out is just how much I love the Disney movie Aladdin. It’s a lot to do with nostalgia, I admit, but I really don’t care. It is the first movie I remember seeing in theatres, with my parents and siblings, and I immediately related to Aladdin (which in retrospect I think was mostly because our names were slightly similar and the Genie called him ‘Al,’ because I am not a street rat nor did I become a prince to win a princess and also I don’t have a pet monkey yet). I can, if given enough time and concentration, retell the entire film word-for-word and a lot of the sound effects. So, there’s that. Endearing?

6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Okay, without trying to turn this into nostalgia hour or anything, this is another film I grew up with and helped shape who I am today (as well as the turtles in general). Anyone who can make a reference to this film specifically (and to a lesser extent, the second film) will immediately garner themselves a spot in my good books. Seriously. It’s very 80′s (even though it was made in 1990) but that just adds to the charm, and makes me feel like a kid again. Also, little known fact that Sam Rockwell is in it. Yep. Now you want to watch it again, don’t you ladies.

5. Die Hard

For my money this is and always will be the greatest action movie of all time. People like to be all cute and say ‘It’s the best Christmas movie of all time!!!’ but just shut up. It takes place during Christmas but it is not a Christmas movie. It’s an action movie. And it’s awesome. Alan Rickman’s awful German accent just adds to the charm. It’s great because it’s just a ‘wrong place at the wrong time’ situation for McClane, and he has to improvise and be resourceful to beat the bad guys. More action movies should follow that formula, because as soon as you get a super-powered being vs. more super-powered beings it becomes less relatable.

4. High Fidelity

This movie on this list has a lot to do with Jack Black. More accurately, the character Jack Black plays in this movie, Barry. I worked at a music store for a while and I empathized with some of the actions he took with the customers (although employees like that could never last at the store I was at) but overall he was just so fucking funny to watch. There are other things about this movie that bring me back often as well, including the whole list-making convention (I think it’s fairly clear I like making lists myself) and the hopeless romantic of Rob that I could definitely relate to. Overall it’s just a well-structured film I can go back to again and again.

3. The Big Lebowski

I was struggling with this one, as there are a couple Coen Films that I could definitely watch anytime, but between this one and Fargo, The Dude sneaks by just by a hair. It’s got a multitude of quotables, and a great supporting cast who make memorable characters out of just a few scenes. I think of this movie anytime I go bowling, and have felt like the Dude more often than I’d like to admit. At the very least, it’s a movie I could watch over and over just to get a glimpse of Sam Elliott’s glorious mustache.

2. Wayne’s World

Come on! Who doesn’t love Wayne’s World? I literally watched this movie every DAY for a few weeks during high school. My friend and I would go to his house after school and watch Wayne’s World while eating cookies/brownies/cinnamon buns/whatever his mom made that day. It was the best. And during school we’d quote it to each other all the time. At that time I didn’t even realize it was one of the cursed ‘SNL adaptations’ but I would wager that this show was one of the few times they got it right.

1. Jurassic Park

This film along with Shawshank is something I will HOLD YOU DOWN AND FORCE YOU TO WATCH ALEX DELARGE if you tell me you haven’t seen it. Okay so I’m a huge mark for Dinosaurs because they are awesome duh, but the movie itself is well-executed on so many levels that if anyone hates Spielberg this is my trump card for why he is awesome. No one can argue otherwise. They can but they’ll lose.

Honorable Mention: Home Alone

My go-to Christmas movie. I watch it every Christmas. It’s actually a trifecta of this one, Muppet Christmas Carol and It’s a Wonderful Life but if I could only pick one it’s going to be the one about a child trying to murder burglars. I love it.

“The only person standing in your way is you.“

10. Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky’s follow up to his wonderful film The Wrestler shares similar themes to its predecessor. A main character who goes to great lengths to hone their craft and fuel their obsession, although in this case it’s filled with more metaphor and psychological disintegration than before. I was really moved by Natalie Portman’s performance – especially during her phone call to her mom about getting the role – and it was pretty fascinating to watch her simultaneous downfall and triumph.

“Don’t worry, I’m a good swimmer.”

9. Jack Goes Boating

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a Philip Seymour Hoffman junkie – and he’s at his best when he’s playing a nuanced, low status character. In this film, based on the play of the same name (with the same original cast!) and directed by Mr. Hoffman, he plays a depressed and lonely guy who meets Connie (Amy Ryan) and through their romantic pursuits, is inspired to be a better person in many ways. It’s a beautiful film that has a real human element to it, which is the kind of thing you often see in theatre but rarely translates well to film. But in this case, it works.

“I’m the one who’s fighting. Not you, not you, and not you.”

8. The Fighter

What a surprise this film was! I was never expecting anything special when I saw trailers for this one, but I was pleasantly surprised with the care taken in portraying these real-life characters and their story. Christian Bale of course delivers another wonderful performance, and Wahlberg is fine in a role that doesn’t demand too much from him. I knew nothing of the story beforehand and was unsure whether or not there would be a triumph in the end, and I’ll admit I got really drawn into the final fight.

“I’m a foolish old man who’s been drawn into a wild goose chase by a harpie in trousers and a nincompoop.“

7. True Grit

The Coen Brothers rarely disappoint, and here we have them trying their hands at a more ‘classic’ western, unlike the brilliant No Country For Old Men. The performances are all top notch, even with Jeff Bridges being hard to understand a lot of the time. Overall it wasn’t as big a hit for me as most of their films, but that is more of a testament to the high quality of their work.

“Tell me how I should be. Just tell me. I’ll do it.“

6. Blue Valentine

Perhaps one of the most depressing films I’ve ever seen. Love stories are always of interest to me when they’re told in an interesting way, and this one chronicles the beginning of a relationship and the destruction of the same one. We don’t get to see the middle ground, the slow fade of love, the downfall of their relationship. What we do see is two people who meet, fall for one another, and perhaps rush into things too quickly which is ultimately catastrophic. It’s heartbreaking but honest. And seeing the ‘happy’ scenes run concurrently with the ‘tragic’ scenes make good use of juxtaposition for maximum effect.

“But the thing that makes Woody special, is he’ll never give up on you… ever. He’ll be there for you, no matter what.“

5. Toy Story 3

The decision by Pixar to do another Toy Story rather than an original piece was disheartening at first – if only because it came about after Disney’s acquisition of the company and in my mind it was a big money grab. But here’s what I get for not trusting Pixar – this was an appropriate final chapter featuring Woody and the gang. Unlike many sequels that rehash the same old thing from the first one, this is a fresh story that suits the characters and in the end, is one of the more emotionally devastating endings to a ‘kids’ movie I’ve ever seen.

“You know, you really don’t need a forensics team to get to the bottom of this. If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you’d have invented Facebook.“

4. The Social Network

Just a few years ago, the idea of a ‘Facebook movie’ was a bit of a joke – but leave it to David Fincher to create an interesting character study be the focus of the film. Jesse Eisenberg shines as Mark Zuckerberg and he’s never given too much pathos – flashes of David Brent from the office. He’s an asshole, yes, and he’s still human, but instead of painting him as a troubled kid who we need to empathize with, he’s portrayed as an asshole. And yet we cheer for him, maybe because he is so entertaining to watch. But ultimately in the end, as unsympathetic as he is, we really do hope that his friend request gets accepted.

“The minute I was born, every breath that I’ve taken, every action has been leading me to this crack on the out surface.“

3. 127 Hours

You guys, I love James Franco. It helps that I first saw him on Freaks and Geeks which is still arguably his best work. But I love all the weird shit he does, I thought his ‘hosting’ of the Oscars was incredibly ironic and entertaining, and I think he can do great work when he tries. Luckily this film based on the real life events of Aron Ralston gave him ample opportunity to shine, and in my opinion he knocks it out of the park. It’s got a beautiful soundtrack as well, with Boyle reteaming with his Slumdog Millionaire collaborator A. R. Rahman.

“We are Sex Bob-Omb and we are here to make you think about death and get sad and stuff.“

2. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

This is one of the most entertaining and enjoyable movie going experiences I’ve ever had to date. Michael Cera is cast perfectly as the hapless Scott Pilgrim and very quickly earns a place back in my good graces after I had begun to get sick of his ‘gimmick.’ While the adaptation of the novels loses a lot of the more emotional and heart-filled moments, overall it works in making the story a balls-out video-game fueled action movie with some surprising and hilarious references to things I never would have expected.

“Dreams feel real while we’re in them. It’s only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange.“

1. Inception

A bizarre, thrilling and visually stunning film that makes me happy there are directors like Nolan still making original works. There’s far too many remakes, sequels, and adaptations of board games out there, and a unique and interesting film such as this comes very rarely indeed. Ultimately I loved everything about this movie, from the unique soundtrack that made the whole film feel like a climax to Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tom Hardy’s romantic squabbles. It’s interesting to me that some people found the ending and/or the film confusing – it was perhaps one of the most easily understood films about ‘dreams’ that I’ve ever seen.

“What is the most resilient parasite? Bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea. Resilient… highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it’s almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed – fully understood – that sticks; right in there somewhere. ”

- Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio)

Honorable Mentions:

• Catfish
• The Ghost Writer
• How to Train Your Dragon
• Kick-Ass
• The Kids Are All Right
• Shutter Island

The Tree of Life has been gaining some much buzz in Cannes that it inspired a quick google search for the trailer.

Canadian Release date: June 17th, 2011

From the 2:14 minutes of the trailer, Terrance Malick’s Tree of Life, promises to be a film with big, personal themes. Themes of the Cosmos, family, war, coming-of-age, religion, childhood struggles and hopefully Aliens (kid) all come into fruition and the film is suppose to last 138 minutes! From the literature that’s been written about this film (so far) it seems to be a thousand piece puzzle. Where the viewer gets to piece the film back together long after it has been viewed (or while viewing multiple times). The release date cannot come soon enough and it would be sacrilegious of me to cheat, wouldn’t it?

An ode to Jenni Miller (x2):

Canadian Release date: June 24th, 2011

Beginners, seems to meddle with the same themes of the trailer above but with the crafty editing of the trailer it seems to promise a more linear story. A story about finding out who you are late in life, or mid-way, seems to be central to the piece. Plus there’s a cute dog with a shade of humor in it. The trailer might inspire me to search for Thumbsucker (this is a Mike Mills story, ahem, film after all) next time I visit a pawn shop or a dying video rental store.

Canadian Release date: September 30th, 2011

Two adorable leading men. A dark comedy. A possible love story? And a soundtrack inspired by the semblance of Garden State (so, indie). This trailer promises to be a treat for the summertime blues.

He set twitter and the media on fire when he uttered those hideous Nazi statements at Cannes. But Kirsten Dunst’s reaction and forthcoming jokes have gotten me to watch the trailer.

Canadian Release date: unknown

Lars Von Trier never promises an enjoyable viewing experience, unless you enjoy experimental film execution, perhaps the theater (you know, plays) and depressing stories. Like Beginners and Tree of Life – once again the trailer points to the cosmos and brings forth the tales of familial human life. There is a hush about this film, blew some people’s minds, so naturally it made its way onto my radar.

Now for a dose of reality.

Canadian Release date: unknown

Perhaps this film will never make its way to Canada. Making its way to Cannes was a big feat for cinema and perhaps, even, human kind. Jafar Panahi, a man condemned by Iran for making remarkable films, has created a film that explores the concept of truth. Not a trailer but a clip from a scene of his life. Enough to inspire thoughts on why films like Offside are so important and to recall the love of film.

“Facts can be so misleading, but rumors, true or false, are often revealing.“

10. Inglourious Basterds

This is perhaps the longest movie I’ve watched that didn’t feel long at all. Due to the long, tense filled scenes littered throughout the movie I didn’t even realize how long each of those scenes were. It was a pretty amazing feat, now that I think about it, and really drew me into the movie. That said, there were some very strong performances here as well (including the now infamous Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa) and a really interesting look at an alternate history world war 2. It should be noted Eli Roth prevented me from rating this one higher.

“Men get arrested. Dogs get put down.”

9. Watchmen

A little disappointing overall, and kind of silly at times (Hallelujah sex scene, anyone?) but overall I thought this was faithful enough to the novel and completely engaging that I can forgive all that. I thought the casting was near perfect – and the themes present in the novel remain all the more relevant today. I also find it interesting that Zach Snyder’s directing style – which I normally can’t stand – seems to fit in well with this movie and worked in its favor.

“Happiness is not always the best way to be happy.”

8. Where the Wild Things Are

I heard a lot of complaints about this film, and/or general disinterest, and I didn’t really understand why. I think with any book adaptation that’s usually the case, especially when the source material is this precious. But for me, I thought the film was beautiful to look at, and had enough of that childlike whimsy of playing pretend to keep me entertained throughout. On top of that, the character relationships were built nicely and each of the ‘wild things’ were well defined. Maybe I just love Spike Jonze that much.

“This box is full of stuff that almost killed me.“

7. The Hurt Locker

Undoubtedly one of the most intense films I’ve seen in a long time. It’s interesting to see a war film about a specific ‘type’ of soldier that aren’t normally showcased, and Jeremy Renner certainly has come a long way since National Lampoon’s Senior Trip. It did earn Kathryn Bigelow the Best Director Oscar (the first time a woman has won) as well as Best Picture. It’s one of the better war films I’ve seen.

“The life I want, there is no shortcut.“

6. An Education

Unconventional love stories are certainly an interest for me, and this movie was no different. That said, the romance between the beautiful and wonderful Carey Mulligan and the always great Peter Sarsgaard wasn’t really the main point of the film. It’s the catalyst for sure, but overall it’s about, as the title suggests, the education of Mulligan’s character to the real world. As someone who truly believes you never stop learning, you can never learn too much and every thing that happens to you, good or bad, shapes who you are, that aspect of this film really got to me. It’s a lovely film.

“I was hiding under your porch because I love you.“

5. Up

What a surprise! Pixar makes another favorite movie of mine. This one is perhaps one of their more straightforward ‘adventure’ stories but with touches of surprising heart. Of course, who can ignore the majesty of the opening sequence  (known as ‘Married Life’ based on Giacchino’s amazing score) which simultaneously breaks our heart and lets us relate to the main character in just a few minutes. The character relationships that form after this fact is so charming and inspiring it’s hard not to be in love with this movie.

“The Uncertainty Principle. It proves we can’t ever really know… what’s going on. So it shouldn’t bother you. Not being able to figure anything out. Although you will be responsible for this on the mid-term.“

4. A Serious Man

As the Coen brothers most personal work, as well as one without their usual collaborators (actor-wise) and a somewhat simple story that doesn’t really get resolved, it’s not a movie I would have expected would affect me the way it did. But in the end, I can’t help but empathize with Larry and want to follow him for the rest of his story. Of course, the ending is left ambiguous and I’m generally a sucker for those kind of endings, and this particular one was no different. Read more about my thoughts in the review I did on this site.

“Anybody who ever built an empire, or changed the world, sat where you are now. And it’s because they sat there that they were able to do it. “

3. Up in the Air

The story of a man whose job is to fire people is interesting enough on its own. Of course, the perfect casting of George Clooney in this role makes it all the better, as he has the perfect amount of charm and persuasion to really sell the idea that he can fire someone and have them thank him for it. Of course it doesn’t always end that way and there are some great moments of the firings with JK Simmons and Zach Galifiniakis. But the overall story, about his job possibly becoming obsolete with the introduction of firings being done with automated systems and webcams, is something most of us can understand and possibly relate to in this growingly tech-heavy world. Read the full review here.

“That was pure wild animal craziness.“

2. Fantastic Mr. Fox

Wes Anderson’s directing style seems to fit perfectly into the world of this Roald Dahl book, and the decision to use stop-motion animation over CGI just helps to add to the charm of this story. Visually it’s amazing, and the acting is the perfect mix of relaxed delivery and charm to make it all the more captivating. It was tough to rate this over  Up but after repeat viewings I’ve grown to love it even more than the first time.

“Just get through the goddamn day.“

1. A Single Man

A story told completely in one day of one man’s unique life – a day of some importance, it turns out. His lover is gone, and he is struggling to cope with his life. This is the film Colin Firth should have won the oscar for. The style of the film is perhaps a little heavy-handed, with the color shift convention used – but I had no problem with it. I think it would have been fine without it, but what’s wrong with experimenting with the medium when you can? It’s actually very refreshing to see something new – even if it wasn’t 100% successful, because I’d rather see someone try and fail than just do the same old thing. That said, I don’t think he failed, and I think this was the best film of the year.

“A few times in my life I’ve had moments of absolute clarity, when for a few brief seconds the silence drowns out the noise and I can feel rather than think, and things seem so sharp and the world seems so fresh. I can never make these moments last. I cling to them, but like everything, they fade. I have lived my life on these moments. They pull me back to the present, and I realize that everything is exactly the way it was meant to be. ”

- George (Colin Firth)

Honorable Mentions:

• Adventureland
• Away We Go
• Moon
• Star Trek
• Whip It
• Zombieland

Antiquity is always admired. (Not the Sundance Kabuki Cinema but the Castro).

Vachon addressed the audience on Easter Sunday with crude honesty. She delivered the ugly truth of cinema’s undeniable change, especially when it comes to independent cinema. She stated that independent or not cinema’s consumption is changing. The film world (established independent filmmakers, critics and distributors) must not just sit and watch it happen in theaters. “The state of cinema is not necessarily in theaters” she stated during her speech. “What’s happening now is we have to be: budget agnostic, format agnostic, content agnostic and platform agnostic and that’s really exciting” she stated as [I can only assume] started the shudder among the audience full of independent filmmakers and watchers.

Vachon championed filmmakers moving to the medium of television while raising eyebrows to her HBO payroll. Commented on how contracts are now incorporating tweeting and facebook updates as part of productions job when promoting certain films. Mentioned that the internet can help in pioneering relationships between filmmakers and their audience members. But what critics (both in film and towards this year’s State of Cinema address) can only fixate was the lack of address of increasing theater seats. What everyone missed is that she is starting the conversation on how the internet can work with filmmakers instead of against. Right now we are currently breaching on what the internet can do for independent filmmakers. Distributorship is just beginning to see the light in the internet venture (with youtube finally introducing a movie monthly-stipend channel). Not to mention the growing markets for Netflix, mubi.com and hopefully, one day Hulu (who has “stolen” Criterion titles from Netflix).

As much as most of us want to fight it the internet is becoming an organic process. The experience of watching cinema within cinema will never truly die but it is drastically changing. How many of us are buying Data Projectors? Perhaps the backlash of Vachon’s speech was a mourn for the social aspect that the theater experience provides us. But the social is now moved onto a platform called twitter and it has everything to do with the internet.