91. The Blair Witch Project and Curse of the Blair Witch (1999) Okay, I’m putting two films in this slot. I have often been told by many people that they didn’t like The Blair Witch Project and dismiss it as a stupid movie about people running through the woods with a camera. However, I honestly feel that the problem is that these people didn’t see Curse of the Blair Witch, the forty minute mockumentary filmed by the creators to introduce the audience to the legend of the Blair Witch that was released six months prior to the film. Curse of the Blair Witch is a brilliant piece of work and is essential to fully understand and enjoy The Blair Witch Project; The good news is that Curse of the Blair Witch is available as a special feature on the Blair Witch Project Special Edition DVD. Basically, three film students go to rural Burkittsville, Maryland to make a documentary about a local urban legend and get lost in the woods and become the prey of an unknown entity. This film is scary in the fact that nothing is explained and it keeps you wondering. It’ll make you think twice about going into the woods again. If you didn’t like this film the first time around watch Curse of the Blair Witch and give this movie another try. If you didn’t see Curse of the Blair Witch and you did like this movie get ready to fall in love with it all over again.
92. The Sixth Sense (1999) M. Night Shyamalan made his mark on the film industry with this crowd pleasing Academy Award nominated chiller. Bruce Willis, in one of his best roles of his career, plays a disgraced child psychologist who tries to help a young boy on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The boys secret? He can see dead people…all the time. Full of scares and thrills, this is one of the most clever films dealing with the supernatural ever made and has the best twist ending in movies since Charelton Heston stumbled upon the Statue of Liberty in Planet of the Apes. Haley Joel Osment, whose performance gained him his own Academy Award nomination, is brilliant as the little boy with the gift to communicate with the dead and possibly one of the best child actors in the history of film. Hopefully one day we’ll see him again in film one day. However, what is the most bizarre feature of this film is that while this film is terrifying and often disturbing throughout, it has the best “feel good” ending ever filmed in this genre making it a truly unique film. The Sixth Sense was nominated for six Academy Awards, including best director, best supporting actor (Osmet), best supporting actress (for Toni Collett as Osmet’s mother), best editing, best writing and best picture, and was the first horror film since 1931′s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to be nominated in any major categories . Unfortunately it didn’t win any Oscars. However, this film is still a real winner, and a perfect horror film for those who don’t like horror films.
93. The Ring (2002) Based on a series Japanese novel, and a remake of the Japanese film Ringu, The Ring is the eeriest film in years since Carnival of Souls. An urban legend about people who die when they view a video tape proves to be true. When a reporter Rachel Kellar’s, played by Naomi Watts, niece (an early screen appearance by Amber Tamblyn) becomes victim to the tape, Rachel accidentally viewed she only has seven days to live. In those seven days she becomes obsessed with unraveling the mysterious origins of the tape and it’s connection to a slain little girl named Samara, but must also find a way out of its curse to save her young son who accidentally viewed it as well. Containing plot holes you can drive a truck through, it’s best to leave your common sense at the door and just take in this eerie film for what it is. Filled with beautiful and disturbing photography, the actual video tape is even scarier then the film itself. Followed by a decent sequel based on the second novel, the third installment of the story has been filmed in Japan as well. Personally, I’m a sucker for anything related to the Ring or Ringu and I recommend all the films from both countries, but consider the first American version to be the most accessible, and the most iconic.
94. 28 Days Later (2002) British director Danny Boyle breathes new life into the zombie genre with this beautifully filmed horror/drama. When injured bike courier Jim wakes up from a coma in a London hospital, he finds himself in a world he no longer recognizes. The streets of London are barren, for the exception of flesh eating zombies! But forget the slow moving zombies of George Romero’s movies. These zombies are fast and deadly. Finding other non-infected survivors, Jim learns that 28 days earlier an infection broke out from an animal testing laboratory that rapidly spread throughout England. The survivors were evacuated except for the few that were left behind. Discovering a radio signal coming from a military blockade near Manchester, Jim and his new found friends decide to make the long trek from London to Manchester over the barren British landscape with the ever present danger of zombie attacks. However, once they get to their destination, they soon realize that zombies are the least of their worries. 28 Days Later is an exciting and disturbingly real tale, with characters that you actually get emotionally attached to and care about. The film also has the most beautiful cinematography ever used for a zombie film. An eerie stillness and silence haunt Boyle’s deserted London cityscapes and barren English highways. Although 28 Days Later would go on to inspire a number of other excellent projects, such as the film Sean of the Dead and the comic book series The Walking Dead, the 2007 sequel wouldn’t live up the first, having none of the characters, actors or the director behind 28 Days Later involved. However, 28 Days Later set a new standard of excellence for zombie entertainment, changing the way audiences think about zombies forever.
95. Shaun of the Dead (2004) If you love horror films and you haven’t seen this film you should be ashamed of yourself. Shaun of the Dead is easily the greatest horror/comedy film ever and possibly even the most enjoyable zombie film ever made. Simon Pegg (who also wrote the film) plays Shaun, a man whose life is falling apart. His best friend Ed is an irresponsible buffoon, he has a crappy job, a step father he hates, a mother who makes him feel guilty, and a broken relationship with a woman whose friends hate him. However, when zombies attack his town Shaun comes up with a simple plan. He and Ed will save his mom and his girlfriend, head down to the local pub for beer and darts and wait the zombie attack out. Of course, none of this is as easy as planned. Yet Shaun of the Dead is not all that it seems. Eventually the laughs stop and the film turns into a pulse pounding action film full of tragedy and gore. Special kudos goes to The Office’s Lucy Davis as Shaun’s girlfriend’s roommate Dianne and her acting lesson on how to be a zombie. Shaun of the Dead is pure comic genius and, once again, proves that the British are really bloody funny.
96. The Amityville Horror (2005) What’s that? After bashing nearly every horror remake ever made, I put the remake of The Amityville Horror on this list and not the original? Blasphemy you say? Yes, I usually hate remakes of films but what Hollywood rarely does is take a bad movie and make a good remake out of it. The remake of Amityville Horror does just that. Based on real events, the remake of The Amityville Horror follows the book far more faithfully than the original. The story is the same; Kathy and George Lutz (played by Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George) purchase a large New England home where a grizzly murder had taken place. It is still haunted by the spirits of the slain family and George’s nature becomes violent and murderous when near the home. The big difference between the original Amityville and the new one is this time around you actually see things happen! The problem with the original is that you thought you might have seen things happen, but you never do. Remember when the babysitter was found hysterical in the closet? Now you SEE what happened in that closet! Remember when the youngest Lutz talked about Jodie? Now get ready to MEET Jodie! Furthermore, the new Amityville is full of great performances. In the original the Lutz kids were nothing more then living and breathing props. In the remake the Lutz children not only have distinct personalities but play prominent roles in the plot. Rachel Nichols is hilarious as the irresponsible babysitter who tells the Lutz boys about the murder in the house and goes catatonic in the closet. Eight year old Isabel Conner, in her film debut, is terrifying in the role as the ghostly Jodie. However, the real star of the film is Ryan Reynolds as George Lutz. Forget James Brolin’s original cardboard performance. Reynold’s switch from lovable and loyal husband to evil and mentally abusive step father is scarier than any gory special effect that the screen can show. Rent the two Amityville’s and compare. If you haven’t seen the remake you’ll be surprised just how much better it is, and what a poor film can be when it’s remade right.
97. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) Meet Leslie Vernon, the 21st century’s first supernatural serial killer sensation….or at least he hopes to be. Follow Leslie Vernon as he shows you how the legends, such as Freddie, Jason and Michael Myers, do it. Learn how to pick a perfect “survivor girl,” stalk a group of teenagers, create your own urban legend, screw with peoples minds, achieve superhuman abilities and endurance, prepare for a night of slaughter and more! Leslie Vernon will reveal all the tricks of the trade in this funny, and scary, mockumentary. However, when the killing is about to begin, can the film crew, led by Dianne Sawyer wannabe Taylor Genrty, stand by and allow a group of innocent teenagers to die? Suddenly the movie goes from being mockumenary spoof to the horror films that it plays tribute too, using all the cliques as the film crews only chance for survival. Nathan Bessel is brilliant in the role of Leslie Vernon, a man who goes from being loveable and hilarious through his never ending enthusiasm, to terrifying and psychotic when his plans are tampered with. Brilliant script plays with all the slasher film cliques, using them for not only comedy relief but as major plot points that explains how they are actually depended on by the supernatural serial killer for success. Adding to the fun is Vernon’s mentor, retired supernatural serial killer Eugene and his wife, and former survivor girl, Jaime, who portray a typical nice couple who treat Vernon like a son, and share in his enthusiasm when his plan fall into place, giving the sense of community amongst killers. Behind the Mask is also full of Easter eggs for die hard horror fans, and features Robert Englund, in a tribute to Donald Pleasance’s Halloween character Dr. Loomis, as Vernon’s arch nemesis Doc Halloran; Poltergeists’ Zelda Rubinstein as a kindly librarian and Vernon’s first victim and Kane “Jason” Hodder in a “blink and you’ll miss him” walk on. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is a clever send up which acts as a loving tribute to slasher films that will please both the genre’s fans and critics.
98. Halloween (2007) In 1978 John Carpenter introduced the world to Michael Myers, the institutional youth in a rubber William Shatner mask spray painted white, who goes on a killing spree on Halloween night, in his classic horror film Halloween. However, in 2007 musician/director Rob Zombie did the impossible when he made a remake of this horror masterpiece and actually made a film even better then the original! Rob Zombie’s Halloween tells the same story, but in addition he develops Michael Myers’ back story thus providing motivations and gives deeper character development, thus creating a more emotional response to the film from the audience. Starting much earlier then the first film, Zombie presents the childhood of Michael Myers, giving you a better sense of who he is and the real life tragedy that his crime had on his family and community which, in a way, creates a sort of sympathy for the character. Child actor Daeg Farch is brilliant as a ten year old Michael Myers, playing a violent ruthless killer, yet still pulling on our heartstring, making us hope that there might be a good kid behind the piercing eyes and make shift masks, an creating excuses that he was just failed by everybody surrounding him. Furthermore Zombie develops and redefines the relationship between Myers and Professor Loomis, played to perfection by Malcolm McDowell, who manages to give a far deeper and emotional performance then Donald Pleasance. Even the new Laurie Stode,the girl that Myers stalks on Halloween night, played this time by Scout Taylor-Compton, is more likeable then the original Jamie Lee Curtis. As an added bonus Zombie fills Halloween full of cult film favorites. Regular Zombie players Sheri Moon Zombie, Bill Mosely William Forsythe, Sid Haig and Daniel Roebuck are joined by cult fan favorites Danny Trejo, Dee Wallace, Udo Keir, Brad Dourif, Mickey Dolenz and, of course, Tyler Mane who plays the marauding grown up Michael Myers. A big reason for the strength of the performances is that Zombie gives his cast a far better script to work with, as well as more sense of purpose. This is the basis around why the remake of Halloween is a far better production then the original. It is a horror film based on characterization then just a madman butchering up teenagers. Rob Zombie’s Halloween is a modern masterpiece that is sure to recreate the slasher sub-genre all over again, just as the original did in the 1970′s, and hopefully for the better this time around.
99. Let The Right One In (2008) In an industry currently oversaturated with vampire movies, due to the Twilight craze of 2008, this overlooked but highly praised Swedish film could be the best vampire movie of the decade. Let the Right One In explores the friendship between twelve year old loner Oskar and Eli, the little girl that lives next door. However, while Eli may look like she’s twelve, in reality she’s a vampire! Oskar is bullied while Eli is just hungry. Together they form an unusual, yet sweet, friendship in which Oskar reminds Eli what its like to be human, while Eli teaches Oscar how to survive against his tormentors. A quiet and subtle film, there is a certain sweetness to the friendship between Oskar and Eli. The violence of the film is not excessively graphic, but there is enough gore to be realistic. Furthermore, the massacre scene at the climax of the film could be one of the most uniquely shot and subtle of its kind. Fifteen year olds Lina Leandersson and Kåre Hedebrant are brilliant in the roles of Eli and Oskar, and we can only hope that this isn’t the last that we see of either of them. Highly praised by critics, Let the Right One In has won 59 major film awards since it’s release in 2008, quickly making it an instant cult classic and one of the most praised horror films of the decade. However, when watching the DVD, turn the English dubbing off and watch it with sub-titles. The dubbing track is below quality for a current foreign film, and it’s a shame to miss the brilliant performances of Hedebrant and Leandersson under a bad dub track. Let the Right One In reminds us that vampires aren’t necessarily evil, but they aren’t shiny either. It’s all just about survival.
100. Paranormal Activity (2009) Borrowing a page from The Blair Witch Project, independent director Oren Peli first released his simple and creepy film, Paranormal Activity on the film festival circuit in 2007. However, at the suggestion of Steven Spielberg, Peli changed the original ending to something far scarier and memorable, which got the film re-released in 2009 by Paramount Pictures, bringing it to a far wider audience. Shot entirely by a hand held camera, the film is presented documentary style, telling the story of a young couple, Micah and Katie, who have just purchased a house together, prompting Katie to reveal to Micah that she has been being haunted by a mysterious entity since she was a child. As a result of this revelation Micah purchases a movie camera to try to get the hauntings on film. Setting the camera up to film their bed as they sleep, Micah manages to capture a series of mysterious and creepy hauntings. However, as Micah continues to agitate the spirit the paranormal activity get more intense and frightening as each night goes on, leading to the shocking conclusion. Paranormal Activity is not without it flaws. Often criticized for its blatant rip off of The Blair Witch Project, the film also suffers from unrealistic dialogue, some questionable acting and the fact that leading man Micah Sloat is a total douche bag. However, despite these flaws, Paranormal Activity succeeds as an experiment in suspense and terror. Katie Featherstone is apt at playing the tormented victim, and her performances during the night scenes are eerie and memorable. Yet the real key to the films’ success is Peli’s ability to create an air of rising tension as new and more terrifying things happen as each night is filmed. With each scene featuring the couple sleeping begins the audience becomes chilled to the bone as they wait to see what will happen to Katie next. Yet the real clincher that makes Paranormal Activity a must see is Peli’s revised ending from the 2009 release. It is a real heart stopper. Don’t cheap out by downloading the 2007 version. You’ll be bored to death and disappointed by the lame ending. The 2009 revised version’s ending will stop your heart and chill your blood.
And so ends our tour through The Goblin & Sausage’s House of Horror Movie Reviews! We are always on the look out for more films to add to this list, and for the House to expand. If there is a film that you think that we are missing, or if you particularly enjoy something from this list feel free to contact us with your comments and suggestion. In the meantime, make sure you sleep with a light on tonight, and be aware of the things that go bump in the night. You never know when the images that haunt your screen, will haunt your nightmares as well.
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