The Texas brunettes massacre : my seven "desert island" horror movies
Submitted by cramoukji on Sun, 02/13/2005 - 02:43
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- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Tobe Hooper) -simply one of the most innovative movies of its time, this demented piece still delivers all its power (especially in the uncut version) and didn't really need to be remade
- Dawn of the Dead (George A. Romero) -rightfully considered by "critics" as one of the best of its kind, this killing spree still fascinates up to today and it didn't need to be remade either
- Halloween (John Carpenter) -the debate rages on as to what movie really is the first "slasher" movie but one thing is sure this masterpiece has been the mold for all those that followed
- Prince of Darkness (John Carpenter) -this usually underrated gripping movie just scares the schmidt out of me everytime I see it and I can't really say why
- The Exorcist (William Friedkin) -you just have to love the disgusting mix of religious symbols and underage sexual activity Pazusu's power might fade with repeated viewings but the movie is well done in itself
- Poltergeist (Tobe Hooper) -supposedly a family-friendly horror movie, Poltergeist remains gripping and frightful even without the use of gore or other bodily fluids
- Hellraiser (Clive Barker) -it's filthy, it's gothic, it's sadistic, it's gratuitously cruel, it's the only movie that makes me physically ill everytime I watch it
Author Comments:
I assume everyone knows the concept of "desert island" this and that but to make sure, that's the seven horror movies I would take along if I had to live in a desert island and could only take seven horror movies to watch for the rest of my life... so, yes, I like a little bit of blood and fear once in a while... I should point out that this list does not include movies from Alfred Hitchcock's or David Cronenberg's because I simply feel they are much more than just "horror" and cannot be primarily considered as such while though Hooper's, Romero's and Carpenter's gore works do hold much in the way of political and philosophical content, they do remain pure horror in the intentions of the director.
No arguments from me--of the films here, I especially love The Exorcist, Poltergeist, and Halloween. The only one I haven't seen is Hellraiser, but I may have to rectify that soon.
One question: would these also be what you consider the seven "best" horror movies, or simply a selection of ones you could watch over and over?
Johnny Waco
Massacre, Dawn and Halloween would definitely be included in a "best of" list if I ever made one... but the idea here was to offer my selection of the seven horror movies I "couldn't live without"... anyway, I consider all seven here to be classics of the genre... thanks for your interest and feel free to comment on my other "seven desert island movies" lists.
My humble thoughts:
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: well you know now that I really want to see that one.
Dawn of the Dead: ditto, even though or because the remake was rather bad.
Halloween: Carpenter's best, and the slasher-movie par excellence. This might even be the most thrilling film I have ever seen.
Prince of Darkness: Not (yet) seen.
The Exorcist: A very good film, very atmospheric and well-acted. The director's cut adds (for once) some interesting elements to the original.
Poltergeist: Underrated, and it really deserves its place here.
Hellraiser: Never seen, and not particularly interested.
Notable omission: Don't Look Now.
I made a list with all the horror movies seen to date. Comments welcome.
thank you for your humble thoughts... and will definitely check your list.