Top Ten Tuesdays

[Frankenhooker]

I've had a pint with Christopher Smith. I was in the pub before a Bristol Rugby match and he was already in there, I bought him a beer and a chatted for about 30 minutes. Really nice fella, I didn't talk to him about film too much because barring Triangle Im not a fan. Top bloke though.

[J Harker]

At a stretch I might even add the Goosebumps film with Jack Black as my eleventh. While it's a kids film it is very good and has some cracking monsters. Slappy the ventriloquists dummy is a creepy little bastard.

[Justin101]

Originally Posted by J Harker

At a stretch I might even add the Goosebumps film with Jack Black as my eleventh. While it's a kids film it is very good and has some cracking monsters. Slappy the ventriloquists dummy is a creepy little bastard.

I thought some bits were a bit too scary for kids when I first saw it. It seemed a lot tamer the 2nd and 3rd times
I love that film!!

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Thanks for some great contributions to the last topic. You did yourselves proud.

Something a bit different this week.

Which 10 Horror Films Would You Recommend to a new viewer or member of the forum?

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Which 10 Horror Films Would You Recommend to a new viewer or member of the forum?

It depends on who they were!

[keirarts]

Assuming the hypothetical new viewer has not seen many or any horror films the picks are fairly mainstream starter material....

Reanimator_poster.jpg psycho.jpe

suspiria.jpe Dawn_of_the_dead.jpg

L'aldilÃ*-poster.jpg texas chainsaw.jpe

hammer dracula.jpe evil dead 2.jpe

return of the living dead.jpg Cat_People_poster.jpg

I'll try and think up a list of more obscure stuff for the viewer who has seen all the main titles and wants something different.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

I had a list of my top 10 comedy horrors made up and ready to post but it seems to have disappeared. Without doing too much research, I think these were the films on it:

• Young Frankenstein
• Evil Dead II
• An American Werewolf in London
• Shaun of the Dead
• Re-Animator
• Braindead
• Gremlins
• Dead Snow
• Return of the Living Dead
• Killer Klowns From Outer Space

[SymbioticFunction]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Which 10 Horror Films Would You Recommend to a new viewer or member of the forum?

Tried to avoid the most famous horror films:

10 - America's Bubba Ho-tep
9 - France's Switchblade Romance
8 - Russia's Night Watch (2004)
7 - Australia's The Reef
6 - Spain's Rec 2
5 -Britain/America's The Descent
4 - Spain'sThe Orphanage
3 - Spain's Rec
2 - Italy's The Beyond
1 - Italy's Dellamorte Dellamore

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Which 10 Horror Films Would You Recommend to a new viewer or member of the forum?

If they were completely new to horror and needed a 10 film 'education' in order to quickly pick up the various subgenres and engage with people on this forum, I would recommend the following:

The Exorcist – it is the greatest horror film ever made and just about every supernatural horror made since 1973 has its roots in William Friedkin's masterpiece.
Scream – perhaps a little left field, but the self-referential aspect of Kevin Williamson's script and Wes Craven's direction provides a lot of signposts to other 'must watch' films. I found it extremely helpful when I was relatively new to the genre.
Nosferatu – probably the best adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula and a film which is a great entry point to silent cinema, another treasure trove of classics.
Night of the Living Dead – proof that films can be made cheaply and with inexperienced cast members as long as the script is good, the locations effective, and the payoff rewarding.
The Blair Witch Project – 'found footage' films are often dismissed, but this shows they can be uncomfortably effective and don't have to cost the earth or have cheap jump scares to terrify.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre – it may be a slasher film, a commentary on the Vietnam war (Romero arguably was doing the same thing with Night of the Living Dead), but everything you need to know about the importance of framing, scoring, and editing the film is here.
Suspiria – it may not be a giallo, but it is probably the best introduction to Italian horror cinema and can be re-watched and analysed multiple times, whether you are watching for the visuals or the use of music.
Cannibal Holocaust – I know I already covered the 'found footage' films above, but this is the great entry point to the cannibal cycle of films in all their excess and cruelty.
Psycho – perhaps the most perfect serial killer film and something which shows the importance of black humour, the use of colour (the subtle change from white clothing and accessories to black ones) and audience manipulation.
Frankenstein – I was torn between this and the sequel, but this seems a logical extension of Nosferatu and a superb introduction to the Universal Horrors. Bride of Frankenstein may be a better film, but it is almost meaningless if you haven't seen the 1931 adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Excellent post, Nos.