BEST HORROR FILM

This third Halloween’s special article is essentially an edited/improved version of my old post here. A good horror movie can be many things — frightening, chilling, atmospheric, bloody, witty, appealing. It also must have characters that we care about, and whatever the source of the horror is, be it ghouls, demons, maniacs, creatures or family members, it should make you hold your breath, your heart beating faster, make you gulp and feel some kind of extreme tension. To cut this short, the movie had to be enjoyable but it also had to hold some kind of significance. And to commemorate the Halloween, here is our newest, advanced list for the 10 best horror films of the decade. Not a great decade for horror, but we did get some good films.

Let The Right One In (2008 - Swedish)
Director: Tomas Alfredson “She just moved in next door”
With all of the crazy hype surrounding the “Twilight” books and films, along comes one of the best vampire movie ever made. “Let The Right One In” is one of the most beautiful, touching and downright disturbing horror films we’ve probably ever seen. The story centers on a bullied 12-year-old boy (Kåre Hedebrant) newly befriended by an equally solitary girl (Lina Leandersson) who has just moved in next door to him. Their friendship leads to them forming a “blood bond” ... which becomes all the more complicated when she turns out to be one of those bloodsucking creatures. Absolutely a breathtaking film, the cinematography of this film is spectacular, and the direction is sometimes inspired, and always good. LTROI doesn’t rely on using an excess of blood and traditional vampire folklore as much as it unique and stands on it own as a very creative piece of cinematic adaption of a novel.

[REC] (2007 – Spanish)
Director: Juame Balaguero & Paco Plaza “One Witness. One Camera”
Named for the record button found on a video camera, this zombie-type film is actually very creepy and intense. It turn the hand-held camcorder (ala Blair With Project) that usually annoying, into a really well equipment here. But the film not only does well at producing thrills with the way it was shot but also with interesting story behind the disease. Through the POV viewfinder, the horror freaks joins a television reporter and her cameraman who are covering a fire station for a documentary TV series. While tagging along during a routine call, they become eyewitnesses to a nameless plague that forces the police and military to seal off the apartment building they’re occupying. “[REC]” takes about 7 minutes to get things moving, but when it finally does get going it’s a thrill ride for the films short 75 minute running time. The gore of this film is fantastic, the scares are all adrenalistic, and the storyline is good enough to keep our interest the whole time. In addition, the ending of this thing is probably one of the better endings for a horror film in quite some time. “[REC]” is absolutely a far superior than the American shot-by-shot remake "Quarantine".

The Others (2001)
Director: Alejandro Amenabar “Close Every Door, Turn Off Every Light”
This film is probably one of the most underrated horror flicks since 2000, but in fact, “The Others” really does make for a top-notch, classy horror movie. In the film, Nicole Kidman, with her brilliant and strong acting, plays the role of a single mother who trapped in a big mansion because of her two children's sensitive and allergic problems with sunlight. Suddenly ghosts are hunting the house. Kidman, her kids and the servants are disturbed by this and the movie shows us the fight on how they try to solve the problem. Chilling and suspenseful without even a hint of gore, it may well be the finest haunted house movie ever made. The foggy landscape around the house and the dark, moody tone of the entire film set a tone in which the scares seem perfectly in step with the rest of the movie, as well as the emotions of the central characters. The scares in the film are the old fashioned kind, which are implied rather than shown. Thanks to Amenábar’s sparse music, sharp cast and writing which doles out information like a mathematical puzzle, Mr. Amenábar is able to keep the audience in suspense for much of the film.

The Ring (2002)
Directed: Gore Verbinski “Before you die, you see the ring”
Though the original Sadako is even more creepy and terrifying than its imitator Samara, but with visual nature and strong plot, “The Ring” Hollywood remake is a near perfect blend of classic horror and commercial appeal, and it deserves to be recognized for the modern horror classic that it is. Gore Verbinski proved to have a great handle on the horror genre. He showed a natural instinct towards making this film visually striking while still keeping it about the characters and the story. Naomi Watts stars as a Seattle journalist investigating the urban legend of a videotape that puts a seven-day death curse on anyone who watches it. Weird, scary and with a terrifically wicked ending that best remembered for its signature scene.

Audition (2000 - Japan)
Director: Takashi Miike”She always gets a part”
When this J-horror was released in 2000 early, it inadvertently became the standard-bearer for the modern horror torture genre. But in preparing the audience for his artistic debauchery, director Takashi Miike (One Missed Call, Gozu, Three… Extremes) proved that even torture films can have a heart and soul also characters that can be cared about. Chilling, cerebral, and ultimately disturbing look at obsession and violence, where torture becomes a cinematic form of art, “Audition” inspired American filmmakers to deliver franchise films like “Hostel” (in which Miike makes a cameo appearance) and “Saw”, which upped the ante as far as violence, but lowered bar on the visceral emotion. In the film, Ishibashi Ryo plays Aoyama who lost his wife seven years ago and realizes that he is ready for a new relationship. A friend of his (a movie casting agent), proposes to organize an audition to find Aoyama’s ideal wedding candidate. Even before the audition has begun, Aoyama becomes intrigued by the serene and mysterious Asami. They start dating (initially under false pretenses), but people start to warn Aoyama that there is something wrong with Asami and that there is something a little peculiar about her past and the people she has met. When she vanishes, after a romantic weekend in an hotel, Aoyama starts investigating her whereabouts.
Though pretty slow-paced at first, Miike builds up the tension perfectly and works from drama and thriller to bloody, gory horror.

The Descent (2005)
Director: Neil Marshall “Afraid of the dark? You will be”
The horror in “The Descent” is a slow build up, and then suddenly you are immersed in it. It’s about a caving expedition staged by a group of female friends that goes horribly awry. They’re exploring an unknown cave system and get trapped by a tunnel collapse. And all getting worse when they encounter “crawlers,” a blind, feral humanoid race that evolved entirely underground. The film treats its audience with intelligence by never explaining things, but giving you enough clues to let you form your own conclusions. Rather than relying on outlandish death scenes and over-the-top gore, it's slightly restrained in its old-school approach that values tension over eye-candy. In this claustrophobic masterpiece, you also don't see the predictable, formulaic Hollywood treatment such as trying to give each character a special, but superficial "story". In addition, Writer-director Neil Marshall has introduced one of the most compelling plot twists of the decade.

Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Director: Sam Raimi “Even nice people can go to hell”
Raimi is certainly summoned as one of the maestro of horror films as he created what many consider to be the untouchable classic “Evil Dead” series. His returns to the basic with “Drag Me To Hell” is electrically charged with scares and, in classic Raimi fashion, cranking it up full volume with maggots, vomit, projectile nosebleeds, and a demon possessed goat, which reminding us that horror can be entertaining and fun and not just centered on gore and torture. The main actress Allison Lohman also effectively steps in as the new Bruce Campbell in Raimi’s horror canvas. Never ever she looked so cute and mesmerizing, she really brought us care to her character by her innocent charm. And it goes without saying that Lorna Raver’s creepy old woman has become a pin-up of 2009’s horror characters.

A Tale of Two Sisters (2003 - Korean)
Director: Ji-woon Kim “Fairytales have never been this Grimm”
Based on an old Korean fairy tale, this horror is a dash of haunted house, a dash of reliable evil stepmother, and a helping handful of fashionable questionable narrative reality. This movie is so clever that it will keep you confused until the very end when it just clicks even though no words are said. The twist ending also explain the nature of some of the horrors and past events. It superbly made it clear that this is a carefully structured film about grief and guilt, as well as horror. The acting is excellently done especially from the 2 sisters and their stepmother; the relationships between them are so well thought out and acted that you'll never see the end coming. The soundtrack is faultless, the furnishings in the house, and the use of colors are fantastic. The film also has been remade by Hollywood and of course easily turned into just another Asian horror remake junk.

4bia (2008 – Thai)
Director: B. Pisanthanakun, P. Wongpoom, P. Purikitpanya & Y. Thongkongtoon “Face Your Fears”
When you watch "4bia", you not only pay for the price for one horror movie but four put together! What a bargain! It's rather refreshing to see this kind of anthology played on the big screen. It’s like watching episodes of The Twilight Zone. Each bite-sized tale is a surprise and leaves you with a sick feeling in your gut when it’s over. Talking about taste, there are lots of different flavors packaged within this horror so that there is certainly something for everyone’s savors and vulnerabilities to enjoy. “4bia” also manages to keep the viewer engaged throughout, and as such, it certainly stands as one of the better horror anthologies of recent years.

Trick R Treat (2008)
Director: Michael Dougherty“If you don't follow the rules tonight, you won't live to see tomorrow”
A really fun anthology movie specially made for Halloween. The long-delayed intertwined Halloween tales sadly never got the major theatrical release it deserved, but that's no indication of its quality. It's an entertaining, crazy ride that confines the magic of Halloween with intriguing characters, twisty storylines and an absorbing mythology surrounding the holiday. This isn’t just a horror movie that happens to take place on Halloween, this is a horror movie about Halloween. There's the gruesome, the macabre, the frightening, and perhaps most importantly the humors. The film falls in line with Raimi's comedy horror classics “Evil Dead.” If you're looking for a great way to spend a creepy night, definitely pick this one up. As an anthology, it works very well; but, as an overall film, it's even better.