Feb 22, 2010

MY TOP FILMS: SCARY MOVIES

In keeping with the recently concluded Valentine's Day and my upcoming birthday, I thought to repost my favorite scary movies of all time. Yeah, I don't have anything on my mind to write right now. This will be filler til my birthday post in a couple of days. Enjoy.

I don't actually think that ghosts are scary, but when executed properly they could be spine-tingling. Well, the supernatural is really frightening if you think about it, but what's more frightening is finding out what real live people can do. Obviously, you'll find slasher films here as well.

Now with the recent success of Asian horror films (which I personally don't find scary at all), there seemed to have been a rise to sucky horror/suspense movies. And unfortunately, I've seen alot of them. If you've browsed through the archives, you'll find I've written a few of it here in my blog.

I know some of you may not agree with what's on the list and say some of the old horror films like Carrie, Psycho, The Exorcist, or the Shining should be here. I've seen them all, and honestly I didn't get scared. I actually slept through all of these films, and I guess because of the lack of technology back then, the scary films aren't as scary as if done now.

Anyway, my introduction's gone long enough now, so let's go on with the list shall we...

10. FENG SHUI: Why this one and not Sukob or Ouija? I know this is Purefoods Chunkee the movie, but it's actually really scary if you look at it. Specially the scene where all the ghosts appeared to Jay Manalo and the kids. I remember everyone at the cinema screaming the entire time. Yeah I know alot of the killing scenes are silly (Lotlot and the red horse because she was born year of the horse), it's actually funny. I guess, I just like this one better than Sukob or Ouija (even if they're both far better storywise).

9. FATAL ATTRACTION: This is not a horror film, more of a psychological thriller kind of film. But for married guys (who has a mistress), this could possibly be the scariest shit they'll ever see. You see Michael Douglas got tempted to cheat on his wife by a sultry Glenn Close, only to find out that the woman is actually a psycho bitch. I like these kinds of films. Proof that sometimes you don't need ghosts to scare people.


8. HOUSE OF WAX: If only for the scene where Vincent pummels Paris Hilton's face with a huge stick. Yeah, alot of people cheered during the death scene of the overrated heiress. But that's not the only reason why this film is on the list. There are alot of gruesome scenes from this movie. Eliza Cuthbert's mouth being glued, the waxed Jared Padalecki, Vincent's face. The fact that a town full of wax figures is already eerie, add the fact that all those people were once alive makes this scary.

7. SIGNS: Yes, there's only about 2 or 3 scenes that are scary in this movie, but all those 2 or 3 are REALLY scary. While War of the Worlds focused on the alien invasion in a worldwide perspective, Signs actually focused only on one family and how they dealt with aliens who wanted to take over. Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin and a very young and very cute Abigail Breslin gave chilling performances that actually made me believe how truly frightening aliens could be.


6. THE SIXTH SENSE: "I see dead people... everywhere." This is the movie that made M. Night Shyamalan a household name. While his films so far are a hit and miss, this movie is definitely a huge hit. Just like with Signs, there really aren't a lot of scary scenes on this movie, but when the ghosts finallys show up, you can't do nothing but cover your eyes. What fascinated me with this film was the twist ending. I did not expect that. The way the film was done, is very VERY brilliant. It was done intelligently.

5. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: The version with Jessica Biel is the one I'm talking about. I don't know how many times I've screamed at the cast to "run" or "look behind you!" when I first saw this film. I actually still do it when I catch in on cable. Leatherface is the scariest motherfucker I've ever seen. I loved the gore, and cheered at Biel for doing what she was pushed to do by the maniacs that's been trying to kill her and her friends. This is definitely one of the best slasher films I've seen.


4. SCREAM: But the best slasher film for me goes to Scream. This is the original whodunnit movie, and definitely the best among the trilogy. It is the mother of all slasher movies and even is the mother of spoof films (Scary Movie was based on Scream, as if you didn't know). This is the only movie by Wes Craven that I truly enjoyed. I was in high school when this film was first shown, and I was really shocked about who the killer turned out to be. This film is surprising in more ways than one. And I only watched the film because I was then a fan of Friends and Party of Five.

3. THE OTHERS: To be honest, this movie is not really as scary as The Sixth Sense, but what Sixth Sense originated, this film perfected. The plot twist at the end was definitely something I never expected. I only thought that this was originally just about Nicole Kidman's weirdo helpers, but by the end it's something different. It's actually a beautiful film, not overrated or overdone. Just enough to make you think if you're actually still alive.

2. WHAT LIES BENEATH: If it still isn't obvious to you, I am a huge fan of Michelle Pfeiffer. At first, it may seem to be just another ghost story. But as the story goes on, there really is something more about the house that she and her husband lives in. Like I said, ghosts aren't as scary as knowing what live people can do.


1. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS: So what's scarier than ghosts, Leatherface and serial killers? Hannibal freakin' Lecter!!! Thomas Harris' creation comes to the big screens and he went on to earn himself an Oscar. What other scary movie did that? The fact that in this film, he's not even the real killer is much more scarier. Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling and Anthony Hopkins' Lecter both gave chilling performances and the dialogues between the two are so good, that I never get tired of watching this film over and over again.

21 comments:

  1. I've seen seven out of your ten. Good list. The Others had a twist I didn't quite see coming, akin to The Sixth Sense.

    Fatal Attraction was a good choice simply because it was Jaws for the philandering set. Also proof that human monsters can be far more terrifying than supernatural ones.

    I watched the entire Texas Chainsaw Massacre series and got bored with the succeeding levels of ridiculousness. I also can't watch Signs and Scream without giggling like a fool, thanks to having seen the Scary Movie franchise first.

    Also: "If only for the scene where Vincent pummels Paris Hilton's face with a huge stick."

    That scene wasn't horror, that was pure unadulterated bliss.

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  2. Atapang ah tao kung ganun.

    Title pa lang nangangatog na ang mga kasu-kasuhan ko:D

    haha. ako, hindi ako nanonood ng mga horror na pelikula. Matatakutin kase ako.. baka dyan pa ako magka-heart attack (kahit hindi mataas ang presyon ko).

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  3. The Eye.. yung orig version... matagal tagal din akong di sumakay ng elevator na mag-isa nun hehehe

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  4. Bakit walang Blairwitch Project? 'Yun ang movie na hindi nagpatulog sa 'kin.

    Isama na din lahat ng OMEN movies.

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  5. Feng Shui came in as a surprise for me, too. and to think, Kris Aquino ang bida, akala ko comedy ang kalalabasan. but it turned out the other way around. husay! ;)

    mahilig rin ako sa scary films. at sa nakita ko sa list mo, marami pa pala akong di napapanood. :/

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  6. Walang mga Japanese Horror Movies??

    heheh! Bat ba ako nangingialam!

    Ayos yung no 1, maganda rin yung WRONG TURN(yung pinakauna)

    Ingat

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  7. ayoko namang kontrahin yung list mo pero ang hirap i-differentiate nowadays ang mga movie na "scary" sa "yucky"... like yung number 3 and number 10 lang tunay na scary... yung no. 1, 5 and 8, kadiri lang sila..

    opinyon lang nmn... actually, someone from Hollywood mentioned the difference ng mga scary movies noon at ngayon... kaso di ko maalala kung san ko nabasa yung article na yun...

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  8. i like watching scary movies too. in your list i particularly like sixth sense and the others. i like their twist.

    i wonder if you also watched amytiville horror. i also enjoyed 13 ghosts.

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  9. number 1 sakin ang silence of the lamb tas number 2 ko ang the others.

    gusto gusto ko yung the others liek napa-wtf moment ako. lol

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  10. I'm not into slasher films that much, I prefer ghost movies so i agree with you with The Others and The Sixth Sense...

    Have you seen Bram Stoker's Dracula? That's the only movie that scared me so much that I turned all the lights on.

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  11. Horror films. Now that's my kind of cinematic climax. Beyond sappy love-will-conquer-all stints, slapstick-dumb-as-hell comedies, frantic-manlier-than-though action, bewildering out-of-this-plane adventures, and overflowing-tear-fest tragedies, the horror genre is one I find the most delectably delightful. Its adrenalin-uplifting plethora of methods and an alchemy of suspense and thriller, bot psychological and cinematographic, is the kind of niche that gets me off my seat, clapping and drooling in praises.

    You see, I don't like horror films. I love them. If I don't love them, I don't keep my eyes open.

    The first installment of Hostel, from the deranged hand of Eli Roth, got me so mesmerized and transfixed at its debauched plot that I literally cried after the credits. Not because of being spooked, for it takes a lot to spook me, but because of the gore-infested beauty of the opus. They were tears of joy. Elated from being rushed into a mind-twisting journey of blood and betrayal. Pleasantly putrid, frighteningly festive.

    The first Saw came close. But the crown remains in Hostel's hair. Gravely grand.

    The mark of an effective flick is that even if the plot is legible from a mile away, and despite your disposition to analyze and theorize, the potent mix of cinematography, sound and timing, is still able to catch you. Arresting and hyperventilating.

    But each of the entrants in your list have different flavors of the macabre that are equally notable as well. Feng Shui pried on superstition, Fatal Attraction on obsession, House of Wax on the absurd, Signs on the unknown, The Sixth Sense of the preternatural, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre on the power of suggestive reality, Scream on wild-goose chasing, The Others on alternate realities, What Lies Beneath on vindication and retribution, and The Silence of the Lambs on disturbing normalcy.

    Great list sir.

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  12. ty the changling (not the angelina jolie thing!)

    scared the shit outta when i was a kid. i whatched it recently, and it still scared the shit outta me hehehe

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  13. did you know that the original title of "Scream" is "Scary Movie"?

    "The Others" is one of my personal favorites.

    Here's my other faves:
    1. "Blairwitch Project"
    2. "Pet Sematary"
    3. "Night of the Living Dead"
    4. "Nightmare on Elm St." series
    5. "Dr. Giggles"
    6. "Shake, Rattle, and Roll"

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  14. corny pero di ako nakatulog kay Sadako.

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  15. Haha! Horror naman ito...

    THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS the best pa rin sa akin! Haha!

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  16. Sixth sense at The Others ang pinakafavorite ko sa mga ito.. bakit walang Shutter, un ang no.1 horror film sa akin...

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  17. kudos to your #3 movie -- The Others. I like it a lot! Subdued lahat which is so tasteful. The ending made me feel so depressed. Really depressed.

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  18. jodie foster wins hands down!

    maganda din ang sundo at sigaw
    =)

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  19. I've seen 9 of the 10 films in the list. And 7 of those are a few of my favorites. (The live broadcast of an alien casually walking in the suburbs made Signs one of the greatest chilling films in recent cinema).

    You should work on a Suspense List next. I have a movie in mind already: Panic Room.

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  20. The sixth sense movie i have seen many time this is a great movie. Very different story is it. Thanks for sharing.

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  21. I love this films,

    I have saw it until 5 times! well really crazy film...


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