Your Favourite Horror Film from 2004
 

2004 was a pretty lean year for decent horror films, especially as my tastes veer off from the mainstream quite extremely here. For instance, I'm guessing Shawn of Dead will be most people's choice, but I personally can't stand the film; ditto Creep and Seed of Chucky. The terrible Grudge remake and Resident Evil: Apocalypse are also some of the so-called highlights, although please excuse my cynicism if you happen to love the aforementioned films. ;)

However, which one is your favourite? What makes it special to you? When did you first see it? Would you recommend it to the uninitiated?

Sometimes it's a hard decision to just pick one film (even when you're limiting it to a single year!), but my favourite film of 2004 is...


Runners Up:
The Card Player
Dawn of the Dead
Dead and Breakfast
Dead Birds
Dumplings
The Ordeal
Sars Wars: Bangkok Zombie Crisis
Saw

Good god, was The Card Player 2004?

My personal favourite would be, I'm afraid to say bizarre_eye, Shaun of the Dead. It manages to get the perfect balance between a zombie film and the elements of comedy and I really find it hard to fault it at all.

I do think it's important not to forget Saw. Sure, with all the subsequent sequels expanding on the backstory which at the time of the original didn't exist in the creators' mind it's easy to disregard it as another money-churning franchise (for the record I love the first 3 and have some time for the 4th but lost interest when it became The Detective Hoffman Show) but the first film came out of nowhere and what started as a sub-rate Seven quickly became an engaging and horrific experience by the film's end (for me at least).

I also, rather surprisingly, enjoyed the remake of Dawn of the Dead. If you have to remake Romero's classic (and don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you do) then this is how you do it. It stands as a really good film in its own right, running zombies aside and Synder's unique direction (which does involve more than just slow-mo shots, I swear :)) really makes it an enjoyable watch

Also enjoyed Hellevator although I was watching it at 5am in a cinema, having been there for a horror marathon since midnight and was rapidly finding it hard to follow anything that I was seeing at that point. Definitely one to revisit now that I've been reminded of it.

I know what you mean; it feels a lot older than 2004 when you look at what else was released that year.

Bah, where's the unlike button?! :jest:

Despite some poor acting, Saw was a refreshing change to the spate of remakes and sequels that plagued some of the early 2000s. It's success as a film can be clearly seen in the number of sequels it spawned; even if they didn't live up to the original (but then again what horror sequel does?)

Completely agree with you here Paul. Dawn is unquestionably my favourite remake of the 2000s.

I'd love to have seen it at the cinema - I'm sure it was quite an experience!

2004, on the whole was a poor year, but a poor year with some groundbreaking films.

Saw
Wolf Creek
Dawn of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead (so very nearly no 1)

I never get fed up watching Resident Evil Apocalypse, full of action, packed with zombies and other great creations, topped off with the lovely Milla.

I probably really should have gone with Shaun, but i'm not in a comedy mood.:)

2004 was the year I left school! :D

My fave for the year would have to be either SAW or SHAUN OF THE DEAD.

I think Pete makes a lot of sense!

Dawn of the Dead for me, but it was a slim, slim year. Shaun of the Dead didn't have any ounce of fear (for me) in it, it was a comedy that happened to have zombies in it, otherwise it would have been my number one for sure.

I really liked The Card Player (I'm the one!), Shaun Of The Dead and Creep...none leap out as classics though. Not sure I could pick one winner.

The Worst? - the horrid, ugly Dawn Of The Dead remake (no surprises there, eh? I may have mentioned my opinion of this film previously... :lol: )

"The Ordeal" for me as I went into it blind on an impulse buy and was rather impressed with the darkness of it's humour.

Dawn of the Dead - One of the few great remakes I've seen. Just watched this film again last weekend and it holds up very well with repeated viewings.