MovieMeditation presents... &quot;His Top 50 Favorite Horror Films!&quot;

Friendo.

04-17-15

~His Top 50 Favorite Horror Films~
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Introduction
Welcome to the darkest and most sinister location to ever exist on these comfortable and restful grounds of this lovely movie forum. I want to invite you all into the most haunting and horrifying experience you will ever step your foot inside, and I�m fairly certain that once you leave it, it won�t be in a state that mirrors that of which you were in before. The eerie atmosphere will confuse your mind; the alarming and apprehensive postings will trick your soul, and ultimately make you surrender to the Devil himself. This is�
MovieMeditation�s Top 50 Favorite Horror Films!

Signing the Contract of Death
I feel it is frighteningly important, to quickly drag you all into the rules and regulations of things. As you know the horror genre isn�t the most straightforward of them all, and it is sometimes doubtful whether or not a certain film truly belongs in this ominous genre� Therefore I will now present you all with 3 simple and sincere clarities of how I personally define a film to be of the horror genre.

� The Subject
What is the film essentially about? Are we dealing with something supernatural, something otherworldly, or something completely unknown to man? Or is the subject maybe something we mostly know about and understand, but is spiced up with the following statements�

� The Approach
How does the director approach the story he wants to tell? Is the story and subject being presented as something strange or supernatural, or is it very realistic and dramatic?

� The Atmosphere
In what way is the subject being presented? Is it clear that the director tries to frighten the audience, either with dark visuals or scary music, or does he/she deliberately create a lighter and calmer atmosphere, despite of whatever the subject might be, and thereby moves away from what is truly a horror atmosphere?

The Ghostly Details
It should be said though, that these are guidelines and are mostly compatible when defining horror, yet there are a few films on my list that arguably don�t fit these categories perfectly� Anyways, there were also some films I didn�t put on this list because I don�t see them as being horror films in the truest sense. Very dark and frightening thriller dramas like Black Swan, Antichrist, Misery, Coherence and Silence of the Lambs did not make the list because I don�t see them as horror films. Silence of the Lambs is somehow a horror film to some, but to me I don�t see why. Neither the subject, the approach or the atmosphere tries to create anything other than drama and tension, and there are no horror elements present at all, other than Dr. Lecter is a cannibal and Buffalo Bill is mentally sick; and neither is ever approached or presented in a horror kind of way. It is very authentic and realistically done, and therefore not a horror film to me� Same goes for Jaws; it is a bigger than average shark, but it is never discussed being anything than unusually big. The film mainly goes for thrills not kills (I don�t know how well this last part defines it, but it did sound nice in a sentence haha). But please, don�t begin to take these guidelines too seriously, it is only my attempt at closing in a genre that is often very free; so please, discuss the films I post, not whether or not they fit the genre or my guidelines.

Lastly, I have decided that instead of doing a list where multiple movies from multiple franchises appear, and thereby makes the list boring and repetitive both for you and for me, I have chosen to combine the films into one spot at several occasions. That depends, of course, on whether or not I like the majority of the given franchise. And for those franchises, which have installments that totally separate themselves from the others � these will instead be given their own spot� And with that said, let�s all dive wholeheartedly into my macabre and darkest thoughts and feelings on the movie medium.
Here are my...

Top 50 Favorite Horror Films as of 2015!

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MovieMeditation's Cinema Reviews // Film Diary 2015 // Letterboxd Profile // MovieMeditation's Top 50 Horror

Last edited by MovieMeditation; 05-01-15 at 11:46 AM.

Derek Vinyard

Msg

Fly Eagles Fly

04-17-15

look forward to see this !!!

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Swan

CIA Spook

04-17-15

If you're talking about me with Silence of the Lambs, I'm not convinced it's horror anymore, though it does contain horror elements.

honeykid

MoFo Whisperer

04-17-15

Not horror. Never was horror... Until the internet. I blame N.Americans.

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Swan

CIA Spook

04-17-15

Originally Posted by honeykid

Not horror. Never was horror... Until the internet. I blame N.Americans.

I mostly said it was because Eli Roth said it was. But no one is perfect.

BlueLion

I'm deranged

04-17-15

Really looking forward to this, but I still can't read some of the font you're using.

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

04-17-15

Originally Posted by BlueLion

Really looking forward to this, but I still can't read some of the font you're using.

I'm sorry, which parts? Tell me or screenshot and (perhaps) I'll change it.

The Sci-Fi Slob

BANNED

04-17-15

I'm looking forward to this.

Nostromo87

BANNED

04-17-15

Excellent. Hey Swan, our plans to see horror to take over the forums are ahead of schedule

Swan

CIA Spook

04-17-15

Originally Posted by nostromo87

Excellent. Hey Swan, our plans to see horror to take over the forums are ahead of schedule

Gatsby

Msg

Master of My Domain

04-18-15

Uh oh. And I thought I did a superb job with my horror list! This thread is getting so much hype compared to mine.

But to be honest, you deserve it. Great graphics and write-ups is making me excited too.

MovieMeditation

Friendo.

04-18-15

~His Top 50 Favorite Horror Films~
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50. Dumplings (2004)
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I�m simply going to start off this list in grand style, with the most obscure and repulsive film that I could ever imagine would have a place on a favorite list of mine. To be quite fair, I could think of many films that are way worse than this, but not one film from its ghastly subgenre would ever be a frequent guest in my book of preferences, I can tell you that much. I like gore and explicit violence, but I want it to have a purpose in one way or another, not just thrown in there for pure shock value or easy attention. My initial thought was that this film was to belong precisely in that previously mentioned category, together with disgusting and disturbing creations with no plot of importance or theme of relevance. But apparently, things turned out differently�

�Dumplings� lays out its plot and ideas on the table (quite literally) right from the get go, and there is no mercy to be found and no darkness to hide in. During the first 30 minutes of this irregular foreign film experience I was pretty entertained for the most part, but it felt like it was leaning slightly towards previously mentioned category. I could see in which direction the film so haphazardly tried to walk in, but I just didn�t think it went deep enough into it all. But suddenly and out of nowhere, a pleasant change of pace happened, and this fairly unknown and overseen Chinese film ended up becoming a truly interesting view on the themes of beauty, abortion, as well as the very society of China.
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Why is it on my list?
An imaginative and overlooked piece of Chinese cinema, sprinkled with unforeseen instances of thoughtful subjects and significant social commentaries, all packed inside this nice little package of delightfulness, just as with the actual Chinese delicacy of which inspires the story and title. �Dumplings� is an unusual but worthwhile movie experience of some truly strange matters.

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49. Thir13en Ghosts (2001)*
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This is probably the guiltiest of pleasures you will ever see to emerge on this list, and perhaps even the most shameful of that particular category as well. I might actually regret this pick already because it is purely bashed on cloudy memory. Oh, and I chose this over Susperia y'all, just shoot me!

During my bumpy road of relevant rewatches, I simply wouldn�t want to spend time revisiting every single film on my potential list. I dedicatedly went through every film in my top 5 and then took a few down the line as well. But with this film definitely securing a spot towards the bottom, if it was ever to do so, I didn�t want to use my time on watching this and many other �low scorers� over again. So in danger of loosing all respect from my fellow Mofos around the forums, I hereby present to you my 49th pick�

Talking purely from the back of my mind, I remember this to be full of distinctive clich�s and dumb stereotypical characters, all speaking the usual stilted dialogue you could expect from a film like this. But what it actually does have going for it, is the very impressive production value as well as the overall idea of the film. I think it is pretty much every horror lovers dream, especially if your are a kid at the time, to experience plenty of inventive ghostly beings, walking around killing people who are trapped in a highly technological and glass-dominated house. I mean seriously, the idea of this film is almost enough for it to be worthy of a place on this list! I don�t know if the nostalgia will be strong enough with a potential rewatch, but I do know that this was a fun favorite of mine in my younger days, despite of its poor reputation.
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Why is it on my list?
A guilty pleasure in its truest sense, coming from the good old nostalgic days of my childhood, at a time where my peaking interest for the horror genre found this one to be the perfect mixed bag of frightful fun! I have caught it on television a few times since, and though only catching parts of it I was definitely brought back to some great movie memories. Screw the critics and screw the haters; this one is on my favorites list for a well-intentioned reason. Or maybe I'll just regret the hell out of this pick, but who knows.

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48. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)
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If you perhaps were thrown off by the unconventional and bizarre first pick, or were baffled and maybe even slightly insulted by the second one, then I�m fairly certain that you will approve of this pick, at least in a sense of either admiration or acknowledgeable respect. This film was a very recent watch for me, which surprised also me quite a bit more than I ever imagined it would. Despite my growing interest for the film before watching it, mostly because of the director and the subject of the film, I still wasn�t sure where I would stand when I actually got around to it. Anyways, because I watched it so recently I already wrote a thorough review of which I still stand by. So to lighten the heavy burden of doing write-ups for each and every entry I will take the easy route with this one, and pretty much repost my initial review�

Already by the opening minutes we know exactly what kind of movie this will turn out to be � or at least to some extent. As an audience, we get a clear and well-defined impression of the hand-held style used throughout the film, combined effortlessly with that low-budget and ghoulish kind of atmosphere that dominates the screen. Even the music, or perhaps the absence of it, goes extremely well with the visuals and overall elegance of the film. This film looks and feels a lot older than it really is, and that is only a positive thing of course. It adds to the atmosphere and to the respect of the original as well. The hand-held simplistic style worked great at times, and other times I was a slightly annoyed by it. Personally, and when you think about it, it is a rather unusual blend of elements to have such big and beautiful landscapes and set pieces, and not choose a style in respect of that. On the other hand though, I see where they were going with it, and for the most part, I liked it. In the bigger picture, it was only more effective to stay grounded and simplistic so you could get completely captured by it, instead of during a lot of big broad shots from up high or from a distance. That would only distance the audience from the film, and ruin the close and claustrophobic atmosphere that it had just build up; as well as all the soulless, cold and lonely elements, which truly defines this film.
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Why is it on my list?
A fantastic atmospheric piece of foreign cinema, which grabs a hold of its audience at the very beginning, and throws them right into one of the creepiest and most unsettling atmospheres I have experienced lately; full of long takes, dead silence and a slow but totally intentional and controlled build-up. The visuals are cold and creatively empty, and the absence of music helps enforce the more minimalistic and effective approach, which this film truly aims for. It is daring, original and truly effective. Even when something big and frightening was happening, Herzog left the actors and the atmosphere alone with the responsibility, so to speak, and I loved that. The only reason this film isn�t higher, is because it is so new to me still, but it definitely holds the potential to climb upwards with time.

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Near misses!

- Rogue (2007)

- Suspiria (1977) in replace of #49...

- What Lies Beneath (2000)

Last edited by MovieMeditation; 05-31-15 at 01:20 PM.

Optimus

"""" Hulk Smashhhh."""

04-18-15

Excellent format. Some really hard work has gone into this list so look forward to seeing what's next.

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jiraffejustin

Let the night air cool you off

04-18-15

Suspiria as a near miss is painful. It would be pretty high on my list, but at least you like it.

13 Ghosts is something I saw when I was younger, too young to really evaluate whether it was good or not.

Nosferatu, on the other hand, I saw when I was much older, and I love it. Probably the most beautiful horror film to ever exist.

Swan

CIA Spook

04-18-15

Herzog's Nosferatu is one of the best films ever. Good pick.

I can't remember if I have seen Thir13en Ghosts or not, but I do remember my aunt talking about it in detail and it piqued my interest. It does seem weird next to the other two films, but I won't hate on it. God knows I like some "bad" horror movies, too.

Originally Posted by MovieMeditation

I like gore and explicit violence, but I want it to have a purpose in one way or another, not just thrown in there for pure shock value or easy attention.

I'd say I agree with this. Before now I always thought I just didn't like the extremely realistic gore stuff MovieGal is into, but you know why? It's because most of the time that sh*t is done for pure shock value and is entirely empty. It's boring to me (I vastly prefer the more fantastic gore of giallo and slasher cinema). However, when it has a purpose, I guess I'm perfectly okay with it.

I'll have to check out Dumplings.

The Sci-Fi Slob

BANNED

04-18-15

Thir13en Ghosts is ok. I haven't seen the other two.

Daniel M

...

04-18-15

Great effort being put in here, really interesting to read about your choices and always good to see nice graphics and format. I've only seen Nosferatu out of that set, but it's a very good film. I really enjoyed the strange atmosphere that seemed to be generated by the almost silent style acting, I felt with no words it could have been just as effective, so no surprise to see it's a remake of a silent film. I think I've seen some of Thir13en Ghosts actually, I remember my parents had a DVD copy when I was younger, but I don't remember much at all.

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christine

Dreams is freedom

04-18-15

It'a a while since I've seen it but I thought Dumplings worked better as a shorter film when it was part of the trilogy Three...Extremes. Gross, but nicely done.

False Writer

NJPW: King of Sports

04-18-15

Very interesting, and nice layout too! Will definitely be keeping up with this.

I've only seen 13 Ghosts out of the first 3, haven't seen it in years but remember liking it and watching it multiple times.

MovieMeditation