Nick C's Behind the Screens

Today is Halloween, so what better to do than write up something about things that are supposed to scare us?  I thought about sticking to TV, but Behind The Screens is about more than just TV screens.  So I put together a little list that I’ll likely want to revise at some point, because I’m certain to have forgotten something.  However here we go with the top 10 Horror Movies Of All Time, according to well… me.

10.  ALIEN (1979) Directed by Ridley Scott, written by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett (original screenplay) Walter Hill and David Giler.

In Space No One Can Hear You Scream.  That was the infamous tag line for the movie that was based on a trashy screenplay but rewritten to be the masterpiece it has become by Dan O’Bannon.  The Alien is a perfect stalker.  It can’t be negotiated with, and there is no trying to understand its motives.  It just kills.  It also starts off as a cute little face hugger (what an adorable name fans came up with eh?) .  The movie created its own sub genre and is still the best sci-fi critter that kills movie.

Yep, It’s Still Following The Basics of Horror.  Lead Female in Panties for No Apparent Reason

What made ALIEN so unique was the artistic design of the film combined with Ridley Scott’s direction.  The film makers based the Alien and the space craft off of artwork done by H.R. Geiger.  The result of everyone’s hard work is a movie that to this day stands up and holds its own.

9.  THE THING (1982) Directed By John Carpenter, written by Bill Lancaster based on the story WHO GOES THERE? By John W. Campbell Jr.

When THE THING came out, nobody noticed.  It was ripped apart in reviews and it died a quick and painful death at the box office.  The problem was this movie about an Evil Alien that kills came out the same time as E.T.  the cute little Alien who heals with a glowing finger and a love of Reese’s Pieces.  This polar opposite was ripped apart by critics because of that.  Spielberg had created the feel good movie of the year, and Carpenter had made the exact opposite in what might be the best isolation/paranoia film of all time.

Plus It Had A Cool Poster

It wasn’t until the movie came out on VHS that people started to realize just what Carpenter had created.  In fact many critics who originally panned the movie have since written retractions.  Why?  Because Carpenter created the perfect film where not only were the people in the story paranoid, but so was the audience.  You didn’t know who to trust and in fact chose many times incorrectly.  The story of scientists in the Arctic doing research being attacked by an Alien that can take their form and personality?  What isn’t to like?  Throw in Rob Bottin’s FX work which was basically a holiday for the best FX men in the business (they got to go all out with their imaginations) and you have a true masterpiece.

8.  THE SHINING (1980) Written and Directed by Stanley Kubrick and co-written by Diane Johnson based on the novel by Stephen King.

Stanley Kubrick was the greatest director of his time.  His take on horror is like all of his work, top notch.  Jack Nicholson provided one of his most memorable roles and one of Stephen King’s scariest works was brought to life with the visual flair that Kubrick was famous for.  The Look Out Hotel is shown in all its glory and the isolation the family feels really kicks in.

Don’t Listen To Them Danny, They Wouldn’t Be Fun To Play With

Kubrick has always been a master of capturing images and taking full advantage of lighting.  This movie was no exception and his manipulation of it all provided a truly disturbing vision on the screen.  Before the twins even show up there is just something seriously disturbing about Danny cruising the hallways on his big wheel.  If there is one thing to remember from this movie:  Don’t Piss Off The Hotel You’re Staying In.

7.  THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935) Directed by James Whale, written by William Hurlbut and based on the characters created by Mary Shelley.

You can’t ignore the classics.  Universal was infamous for its original run of horror movies.  Sure, they pale in comparison to today’s standards of what it takes to frighten someone.  Still these movies generally took an interesting look at culture and tried to be more than just a story about a monster.  BRIDE is generally considered by most to be the greatest film of the early bunch of horror films and there is good reason.  It’s an amazing morality tale that still resonates today.  “Who are we to play God?”  That is the tale, and today when we can clone things and everything else we’re getting close to accomplishing in science the question is still just as important as it was then.  The scientists behind the Manhattan Project actually used the movie as a reference point for some of their arguments against the creation of the atomic bomb.  It’s also a tale of loneliness for the monster who wants a bride.

This Doesn’t Appear To Be The Look Of Love One Would Expect In A Bride

6.  SE7EN (1995) Directed by David Fincher, Written by Andrew Kevin Walker

One of the best movies of the 90s, this story of two detectives hunting down a deranged serial killer is without a doubt one of the most cruel movies in recent memory.  The killer is all about the seven deadly sins and each murder is directly related to one of the seven deadly sins and punishes those who commit the sins.    To write more about what makes this movie so memorable would destroy the movie for those that haven’t seen it.  Basically the whole movie and the thoughtful arguments it may create between you and your friends is all due to the ending…

You Don’t Want To Know What Is In The Box.

Which interestingly enough was originally written differently.  There was an original ending that was removed for the far darker ending.  The original actually makes more sense from what we’ve learned about a certain detective, but the actual ending used is one of the best mind game twisted endings of all time.

5.  DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978) Written and Directed by George Romero.

If you’ve seen the remake you owe it to yourself to see the original.  This is easily one of the greatest horror films of all time.  Romero continues the tale he started in NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD with a cautious tale about the inherent weakness of capitalistic structured society.  The story follows two TV reporters and two cops who flee the zombie apocalypse by seeking shelter in a mall.  Tom Savini made himself famous in the industry for his FX work on such a small budget and the movie made history.

One Of The Most Famous Tag Lines Ever

First the MPAA decided they wanted it rated X, so it ended being released as unrated.  However, the X rating stood, meaning that no one under 17 would be admitted, period.  The movie poster (seen above) had a box printed at the bottom specifically stating that the film contained no explicit sex and just had disturbing violent images.  This was all due to their anger with Romero in the first place as they were still upset over NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, a film that was released before “R” existed.  There is nothing over the top or truly gruesome about the film.  It is solidly deserving of an “R” and the movie is easily one of the top 3 most memorable horror films I’ve ever witnessed.  Sadly, it gives Romero a following that allows him to continue to make bad zombie movie after bad zombie movie and thus slowly deteriorating my memory of this fantastic film that would easily make a top 20 over all list.

4.  HALLOWEEN (1978) Written and Directed by John Carpenter, Co-Written by Debra Hill

The movie that launched “modern,” horror?  It’s an argument that all of the top 4 have had, and been stated by some serious film critics, professors, and fans.  Carpenter is one of the true masters of horror, and this movie is infamous for having an unstoppable killer who is killing for no reason besides just being evil.  That was the brilliance of the movie.  His doctor from the asylum hunts him down the whole time telling any police officer who will listen “Michael is evil,” and they just don’t listen.

This 70s Era William Shatner Mask Became Iconic As Michael Myers

The problem with the remake is they try and give a reason or history to Michael.  That’s rubbish.  The reason why HALLOWEEN resonates is that it is truly frightening to be hunted by a killer who is just killing with no rhyme or reason.  Michael isn’t out for revenge because they killed his mom, left him to die in a mine shaft, burnt his face off at summer camp, or anything else.  He’s just evil.

From an artistic standpoint the film opens with one of the most famous steadicam shots in film history.  That is of course the opening scene where Michael at age 6, kills his older sister.  It is also known for being one of the first horror films that you can pretty much use “the rules,” to follow and know whom will live and die.  Laurie Strode is a virgin, so she will live, etc.  Strode is also one of the most famous “last girl,” characters in horror of all time.

3.  THE NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968) Written and Directed by George Romero, Co-Written by John A. Russo

The 1960s had a lot of movies that pushed the fact that there was no ratings system.  It wasn’t until 1968 that the MPAA came up with the ratings system and it was all due to one little independent film:  NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.  The movie pushed the limits of what any one had ever seen in a movie before.  You had zombies eating people alive, zombies with missing limbs, and lots of blood (Bosco Chocolate Syrup).  However it was also all in black and white because at the time it was much less expensive to shoot that way.

America Just Wasn’t Used To Or Ready For This Kind Of Visual

The movie’s hero was also an African American which was entirely different.  The movie pushed so many boundaries that it made a huge impact not just on young film makers like Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, and John Carpenter but it made an impact on society.  There were so many protests about the film that literally the ratings system was in place just weeks after the uproar started.

The movie itself is very good, and yes at points scary.  The movie is very much like THE TWILIGHT ZONE, it’s black and white, scary, and has several social and cultural overtones to it.  It’s a movie with a message.  If you haven’t seen it, do so just avoid colorized versions or anything that says “30th anniversary,” as that version had “new,” scenes shot for it and some awful story changes.  Then again see that if you want to see why Romero’s vision was so great in comparison if you’re familiar with the original.

2.  THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974) Written and Directed by Tobe Hooper, Co-Written by Kim Henkel

1974 saw the face of horror changed forever.  Evil/Horror was also given a face.  A face you never saw because it was hidden under a mask made of human flesh.  Leatherface was the first modern day killing machine of horror films.  Michael, Jason, and Freddy would all come after Leatherface.

The film was made by University of Texas students and shot for next to nothing (less than $60k, but would balloon to $140k in post-processing).  The film was sold to a company many said was tied to the mob (the same that released DEEP THROAT) and thus the people who made the film didn’t make any money off of what is considered to be one of the most successful horror films ever made at the box office.  There are a lot of arguments about just how much the movie made, but it’s generally felt it likely may have done around $120M at the box office although officially it’s $30.8M.  Due to the distribution company being involved the number is entirely unknown like DEEP THROAT.  History books have JAWS being the first $100M film, but the fact is that the October before, the entire nation was scared to drive on lonely Texas roads before they were afraid to go to the beach.

Just Another Beautiful Texas Sunrise, With An Insane Chainsaw Wielding Redneck

The movie is extremely disturbing.  There is very little blood ever seen, but many reviews and people will say “it was the goriest movie I’d ever seen,” including Roger Ebert who made comments to the movie being too gore filled, but extremely well acted. The fact that so many remember it for being gory when in fact there was little to no gore (Hooper was hoping for a PG rating) is proof in just how disturbing the movie is, the mind makes up gore that wasn’t there.

The cast and crew were all given now infamous back end deals to get the movie made, with promises of making money on the back end.  The cast and crew of 20 eventually were given $8,100 to share amongst themselves despite the movie supposedly doing $30.8M at the box office.  The way the movie was shot, with limited time frames for certain things to be done and extremely long working hours helped lead to the insanity on the screen.  The actors at some point had worked in 100+ degree weather for over 24 hours straight.  Asked to shoot some scenes with props that didn’t work, etc. the cast had gone into a near insane state.  So when the shots were made for them to act insane, it was much easier to pull off.

The movie inspired Wes Craven and John Carpenter.  In fact Carpenter says that without TCM (as fans call it) HALLOWEEN would have been a much worse off movie.

1.  PSYCHO (1960) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by Joseph Stefano and Robert Block, based on the novel by Robert Bloch.

Alfred Hitchcock may be the greatest director to ever live.  In 1960 he took on horror with what is quite frankly the first modern horror film.  Sure movies like HALLOWEEN, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, and even LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT get critics, professors, and others arguing their prospective cases but it’s PSYCHO that truly opened the door.  Based on the book written by Bloch that was written by him immediately following the nightmare that hit America in the 50s when Ed Gein’s brutal murders and insanity hit the news.

Bloch originally set out to write a story on Gein, but instead found himself inspired by Gein to write about “normal norman and his mother.”  Norman Bates, the Bates Motel, are themselves famous, but the shower scene has to be one of the most famous scenes of all time, and quite honestly the most famous horror shot ever.  It’s a movie that is so good, an idiot decided it should be remade shot for shot.

Is There A More Famous House In Horror?

The shower scene consisted of 77 different camera angles and took a week to shoot.  Someone once told me that Hitchcock was a perfectionist.  I find that hard to believe when you consider those facts.  A week to shoot 3 minutes of film and 77 different angles for it?  That’s just sloppy. 

PSYCHO changed everything.  It helped light a spark with people like Stephen King, Tobe Hooper, and yes George Romero.  PSYCHO was the reason Romero wanted to push the envelope with what people had seen on screen.  Without Norman Bates there wouldn’t have been a Leatherface, Michael, or even Jason.  PSYCHO is the one that started it all.  It’s also one of the top 10 films ever made in my book.  If you haven’t seen it you owe it to yourself to see it.

The movie like the book before it is famous for how it deals with the main “star,” you come to follow in the first act and appears to be the protagonist for the story.  How the story deals with that was original, and definitely made people uneasy and made them entirely clueless as to what to expect later.

Simply the greatest horror film… ever.