Board 8 > Board 8 Watches and Ranks 80s Horror - Pt. 2: 80s Revenge

(+) Yeah! (+)

Saying the thing as a hail Mary again

Also I kinda side with Vis on this one, I like Possession but I'm really surprised anyone is calling the performances from that great

Also the kid from Pet Sematary have the best child performance imo

plasmabeam posted...

Also, Snake, it appears you forgot to include my write-up for Possession.

Very sorry!

Plasmabeam - Normally I dont like artsy horror stories, but this was so wonderfully fucked up and unsettling. The lead actress deserves an Oscar for the tunnel scene alone.

4. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984 / 122 points)
Directed / Written by: Wes Craven
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/9d56d1a7.jpg
Why Its Significant - If being a box office smash, introducing one of the worlds most iconic villains, and establishing a mega-franchise isnt enough for you, hows about it also being responsible for establishing New Line Cinema as a successful film studio, being chosen by the Library of Congress for preservation, and debuting blockbuster actor Johnny Depp to audiences everywhere? You cannot overstate ANOES influence and success enough. The film debuted a unique concept, blurred the lines between reality and fantasy, whilst exploring the dark underbelly of suburbia and establishing that a final girl, like Nancy Thompson, could be more than just a survivor - she can be resourceful and fight back in her own right. As a whole, the film made the slasher genre more personal as Freddy was a lot more animated & communicative with his victims, rather than the more stoic, inhuman stalwarts represented by his peers. The films influence can be felt all over b-movie horror in its wake (too many to name), as well as media more well-known and wide-ranging as Inception, Paprika, Stir of Echoes, Stranger Things, & The Babadook, and that only scratches the surface really. A Nightmare on Elm Street will continue to influence horror for decades to come.

The Ranker
Snake - 1
Bitto - 2
Fortybelowsummer - 2
Karo - 5
Lightning - 7
Mythiot - 7
Johnbobb - 8
Jcgamer107 - 9
Seginustemple - 11
Plasmabeam - 14
Inviso - 16
Rockus - 19
Evilordexdeath - 21

Snake - Freddy has been my overall favorite horror antagonist since I can remember. He's a twisted nursery rhyme, a subconscious saboteur, a dream-demon who redefined the genre. Burned flesh, razor-tipped fingers he's a walking nightmare, a living punishment for those who wronged him. Robert Englund's portrayal is iconic. The raspy voice, the manic glee, the way he uses humor to disarm you before the kill it's chillingly charismatic.

And the concept? It's ingenious!

The film taps into a primal fear: vulnerability in sleep. Teenagers, on the cusp of adulthood, are a perfect target. They grapple with identity, societal pressures, and emerging sexuality. Elm Street becomes a microcosm of teenage anxieties, amplified by the Freddy Krueger threat. Nancy Thompson, the heroine, embodies this struggle. She's intelligent, independent, and harbors a distrust for authority figures a reflection of teenage rebellion against parental control. Nancy and her friends are haunted not only by the physical threat of Freddy but also by the trauma of their neighborhood familys pasts, the film becoming an exploration of the psychological ramifications of generational trauma.

Visually, A Nightmare on Elm Street is a tour de force of inventive and haunting imagery. Craven employs a variety of practical effects to bring Freddy's dreamworld to life, blurring the line between fantasy and reality in truly unsettling ways. From the iconic scene of Freddy's glove emerging from Nancy's bathtub to the surreal landscapes of the dream sequences, the film is a visual feast that leaves a lasting impression on the viewer's psyche. The one that always sticks with me though is poor Tinas death, an absolutely violent thrashing that serves as a visceral introduction to Freddy Krueger's malevolent power. Craven's direction in this scene is nothing short of masterful, as he creates a sense of escalating tension that culminates in a shocking display of brutality. As Tina's friends watch in horror from the safety of the real world, they are forced to confront the terrifying reality that their nightmares have become all too real. Its truly the stuff fear is made of.

The film's sound design also deserves praise for its contribution to the overall atmosphere of dread. The haunting melody of Charles Bernstein's score, combined with Freddy's sinister whispers and the eerie sounds of the dream world, creates an immersive auditory experience that intensifies the sense of unease.

Perhaps what makes A Nightmare on Elm Street truly timeless is its ability to tap into universal fears and anxieties. At its heart, the film is about the fear of the unknown, the vulnerability of sleep, and the power of the subconscious mind. These themes resonate with audiences across generations, ensuring the film's enduring legacy in the annals of horror cinema. With its blend of psychological depth, inventive visuals, and iconic villain, the film remains a touchstone of the genre and a testament to the enduring power of nightmares and truly a film I can watch again and again and try to ensure my night remains sleepless in the process.

Bitto - Rating: A

Hell yes, this movie owns. Nancy and Freddie are both captivating to watch, the cinematic moments of the movie really sing, the pacing makes the movie flow so well, it balances humor and tension really well, and it even lands the ending. If there's any flaw in the movie, it's that the other kids are...not that interesting. Johnny Depp's character is just baffling all around. I could not get any grip on what his character is even supposed to be like. Figuring out Freddie's origins and existence also takes some time, but it does get me to really connect with Nancy, who seems the be the only one taking it seriously. The Looney Tunes-esque traps in the end are wild. They're stupid enough to be funny again. And she does all of this in 10 minutes! What!

Fortybelowsummer - Although Ive always liked Jason more than Freddy, the better of their first movies is most definitely Nightmare. While the idea of an unseen killer stalking around in the rainy darkness is scary, the idea of one that can get you in your dreams is terrifying. While other circumstances might have at least the illusion of being able to escape, theres pretty much no escaping the dream world. Of course, Nancy does figure out how to foil Freddy and avoid the fate of her friends, at least temporarily, and in the process she becomes arguably horrors greatest final girl. As far as our antagonist, Freddy speaks for himself (literally, he flips the silent stalker trope on its head) and is probably the most iconic character on this list. Wes Craven took horror in a new direction with the gleeful, wisecracking psycho with supernatural abilities, making it massively influential and a mainstay in the genre.

Karo - A serial killer brutally murdered by vengeful parents returns years later as a dream phantom to exact a blood price on their teenage offspring.

All of the kids have parents that are incomprehensibly stupid as well as deaf, and are always like 'don't worry dear, just relax and get some sleep :)' even as everyone around them is dropping like flies.

Freddy is memorable in a way most other slasher killers are not, and his modus operendi is both original and truly terrifying. Michael and Jason prey on the kind of fucking idiot who wanders off alone into the woods at midnight with no weapons. But your dreams, your very mind... there is no way to defend against that, not even if you are President of the United States.

It is a brilliant concept even if one not executed perfectly, it may not have the profound examination of dreams that an Inception or Paprika has, but it manages to stand out in its time and in a subgenre that is known for being almost ubiquitously the opposite of quality.

Lightning - One, two, Freddys coming for you.

It seems like every decade since the 1970s Wes Craven would come along and completely turn the horror genre on its head, and this was the 80s turn. The slasher genre was well into full swing by this point, and frankly a lot of them were a little staid. It is easy to imagine these films as just some guy coming across with a knife and killing some teens who were having sex or whatever. So enter A Nightmare On Elm Street which puts a fantastical twist on all of that, using dreams as the source of horror and letting its characters use that to fight back. We also see the beginnings of self-aware characters and genre savviness that would define Scream so much.

The way this film uses its teen characters is really strong. Heather Langenkamp gives a great performance here and Nancy is a very strong lead. Before her however we are led to believe that Tina is the lead only for her to die in a really horrifying scene. That is the first sign that this is not just going to be another slasher and will turn what we know on our heads. The rest of the teens are well played too, although maybe you wish they were a little smarter. They are at least likeable enough to make the death scenes incredibly memorable. In particular the death of one young Johnny Depp where the blood is just spewing from the bed is one of the strongest images of any film on this list. If I do have an issue with the film however Im not quite sure what the ending means or how it works with the sequels, it almost feels a little too dreamlike.

Overall though what really makes the film work as well as it does is the character of Freddy Krueger and Robert Englunds performance. He is a truly horrible character and not just in his appearance but his actions and his backstory. It surprises me that despite the brutal nature of his death he is not played as sympathetic at all, and is instead shockingly evil. That very much sums up the film, despite it being a teen movie with a lot of fantastical elements it has a really mean streak to it, which makes some of the chase sequences truly tense. Its easy to see why this is one of the most iconic horror films of its decade.

4/5

Johnbobb - How many of these teens might have survived if the adults weren't trying to gaslight them so hard? "Oh, the girl was slashed open by four parallel blades? Well clearly this is the work of some teenager with a switchblade and has nothing to do with the serial killer known for using four parallel blades, YOU'RE CRAZY." There's the usual amount of people making terrible, selfish decisions here like in every 80s slasher, but what sets Elm Street apart is that it's legitimately terrifying, even when it's cheesy. You don't see a closeup scream and then a swinging knife and then a dead body. You see a girl getting dragged through the air and up the walls bleeding over everything in her path. It's over-the-top in a way that's really necessary to make the movie stand out among the filler of the decade and it's easy to see why it became such a sensation.

Jcgamer107 - 7/10

Seginustemple - The dream slasher concept is a great framework for showcasing unique, creative kills and Freddy doesn't disappoint. The first victim being phantom-dragged across the ceiling is a powerful opener, with a matching bookend in the blood fountain finale - both excellent uses of the rotating set trick (also seen in: Poltergeist, The Fly, Breakin' 2). I like that Freddy's abilities aren't really explained, as if he gained dream powers in death simply because he was that damn evil. His design is so memorable too, like it'd be enough that he's a burn victim with knife gloves, but the fedora and ugly christmas sweater are perfect touches. The final girl is refreshingly practical and resourceful, popping no-doz and maxxing coffee while rigging her place up like Kevin McAllister until she actually manages to punk the bastard. He pulls some double-dream bullshit at the end but I feel like she gets the moral victory when she rocks him with a sledgehammer.

Plasmabeam - Never been a big slasher guy, but this is one of the better ones, and I gotta give it credit for exploring the idea of night terrors in a way that is legitimately terrifying.

Inviso - The only Freddy movie Id seen before this watchthrough was Freddy vs. Jason, so I went into this relatively untarnished on the franchiseaside from general knowledge gleaned from pop culture. And the movie has an interesting concept in that a supernatural killer who comes after teens in their dreams lends itself to the slasher horror genre, without feeling played out and formulaic. But I think this is very much a case of growing pains, with a franchise that perhaps wasnt sure how to really make themselves stand out. I see that this movie has an extremely high Rotten Tomatoes, but I just dont feel like it stands out THAT much to me. The concept is good, and Id say most of the kills prior to the ending are solidbut the film falls a little bit flat for me.

One of the problems is that the movie tries to keep it secret who Freddy Krueger is, which means you spend the first half with this random serial killer stalking randomly selected teens in their dreams for seemingly no reason. And which an aura of mystery can work at times, it doesnt when its information that will be revealed later one and is being deliberately withheld from the audience for no reason. The Groundskeeper Willie Simpsons parody does a better job of dealing with this by showing what happened to cause the supernatural powers and subsequent revenge. Maybe the way the movie starts works for some people, but it really doesnt for me. What we get instead is a random guy chasing a random girl through a boiler roomfor reasons the audience doesnt know right away.

I GET that the cold open in slasher films often times starts with a random murder, but that murder tends to set events in motion. This, Tina doesnt die and we spend several more scenes with characters talking about nightmares involving the same creepy dude. Again, I just feel like I would have liked the movie better if it started with SOME exposition to justify what were about to spend much of the film experiencing. But yeah, we get more and more creepy scenes of Freddy invading peoples dreams, until he starts actively getting his kills in. Tinas death is brutal, and it has her levitating as shes murdered; Rod is accused of Tinas murder, and winds up getting strangled to death in a faked suicide; and eventually Glen gets killed in an iconic moment when hes dragged into a portal in his bed, and liquified into a blood fountain.

That middle section is actually really good, because while it takes a while to establish the plot (due to having it start apropos of nothing), once you understand Freddys capabilities, the stalking in his victims sleep is actually pretty interesting. Plus, Nancy starts to piece things together, having been made privy to the knowledge (well after it shouldve been divulged, but whatever) that her family burned Freddy alive for killing children and getting away with it due to a botched police investigation. Its interesting to watch Nancy try her best to come up with a solution to a problem that literally no one else gives a shit about. Seriously, by the end of the movie, shes pretty much the ONLY person even AWARE of the actual problem and trying to SOLVE the actual problem.

I think thats kinda the other thing that lets me down in this film: everyone other than Nancy, and to a lesser extent Rod, is the fucking WORST at horror movies. Nancys mom is a worthless drunk, and her dad, despite being a cop, doesnt question why she knows about Fred Krueger when she tells him that Freddy has been stalking her in her dreams. For fucks sake, Nancy goes a sleep clinic, and both a doctor AND her mother witness her having a nightmare that results in her receiving fresh scars on her wristsand they dont consider Hmmthats odd. The only response is to install bars over the windows in Nancys house, so that shes kept safe (aka, to trap her inside when the climax happens). And oh my god that deputy that sees her screaming for help (from across the street of a gruesome murder) and takes his sweet-ass time doing anything about it.

That ending is rough, by the way. I dont care for Nancy pulling Freddy into the real world, because its hard to justify her doing it by herselfbut at least the movie established her ability to take things from the dream world to the real world earlier on. This also leads to her Home Alone-ing Freddy, which is fun. But I HATE the whole Im not scared of you anymore, so you have no power bullshit, followed by the utterly cartoony ending dream sequence with Nancys mom getting turned into a mannequin and pulled through a window. Yeahthe beginning and end are not great, and Freddy isnt even that compelling of a character in this movie, but at least the middle is well-executed, and I give Nancy a ton of credit for being as clever as she is in a world where every other person seems to be trying to ensure that she dies.

Rockus - A great concept that allows for some inventive sequences and has a terrific villain. Everything about Freddy Krueger has become iconic, from his signature claws, to his striped shirt, and his playful personality as he has fun toying with his prey. Even his name is memorable. Its kind of a shame because I dont think the franchise ever built on the first one in any meaningful or interesting way and you would think that this kind of concept would play well to adding more ambitious ideas and set pieces to it. That said its still rather strong and deserves its status.

Evilordexdeath - This and Friday the 13th were two movies I always thought of side-by-side growing up - probably in no small part because the antagonists fought each other that one time. They are kind of like the 80s equivalent to Sadako and Kayako, but without the chemistry. Freddy and Jason, of course, represent two different sides of corrupted sexuality, with the former being a sexual predator and the latter an innocent who was let down by people being too busy boning to stop him from drowning. This is presumably why Jason wins their little duel: he represents a puritanism in line with American cultural norms and - OH GOD THESE MOVIES ARE SO BORING!!!!!!!!!! While he loses the showdown Freddy's consolation prize is that he does star in the slightly better movie. His dream powers make for cooler visuals and while the acting is equally terrible it's mildly funny slightly more often than it is in Friday the 13th. At least I've seen both now, I just hope my nightmare doesn't start anew when someone puts one of the 10,000 sequels they each got on a future list.

Johnbobb's comment about seeing all the memes in Predator is how I felt about Nightmare. So many iconic scenes that have really seeped into pop culture. I thought it would just be the intro, but no, it's all throughout the movie.

I'm glad I watched this young enough before seeing the references everywhere. I can see how it would make a difference for sure.

Anyway, this should've been #1, ya'll suck, closing the ranking

Looking at what's left, I got a Vegas win there...I think 3rd and 2nd are between two movies, so I'll go for the one that has the bigger payout. Guessing The Thing in third.

Going to take the no guts no glory route and say The Shining.

I'll go with The Shining, simply because it feels more divisive than The Fly or The Thing.

I've thought from the start that Shining and Thing would be 1 and 2 but with Videodromes strong showing I could see Fly sneaking in there.

I'll still go with The Fly for #3

The Fly is next

but I'll still say The Thing out of desperation

I don't think I can catch up at this point so I might as well go with a dark horse pick

Pokmon Movie 05: Mizu no Miyako no Mamorigami Latias to Latios from outta nowhere

I'll take The Fly next

PAYOUTS!! Pretty much everyone not named Johnbobb makes money on Elm Street. Vis, Exdeath, Lightning, Forty, Bitto, and Seginus all get $500.

VEGAS ODDSBOARD:
+500 The Fly (1986)
+1250 The Shining (1980)
+1250 The Thing (1982)

Current Leaderboard:
1) Bitto $6800 (A Nightmare on Elm Street 500, Beetlejuice 650, Videodrome 650, Hellraiser 900, Poltergeist 2000,Creepshow 650, Tetsuo: The Iron Man 600, Sleepaway Camp 650)
2) Lightning $4950 (A Nightmare on Elm Street 500, Possession 500, Videodrome 650, Christine 800, The Changeling 200, Creepshow 650, Friday the 13th 500, Sleepaway Camp 650, Basket Case 500)
3) Exdeath $4900 (A Nightmare on Elm Street 500, Possession 500, Evil Dead II 900, Re-Animator 600, Creepshow 650, Friday the 13th 500, Killer Klowns From Outer Space 600, Sleepaway Camp 650)
4) Inviso $4850 (A Nightmare on Elm Street 500, Possession 500, Re-Animator 600, Gremlins 850, Creepshow 650, Killer Klowns From Outer Space 600, Sleepaway Camp 650, Basket Case 500)
5) Johnbobb $4650 (Hellraiser 900, Re-Animator 600, The Changeling 2000, Friday the 13th 500, Sleepaway Camp 650)
6) Seginus $3800 (A Nightmare on Elm Street 500, Beetlejuice 650, Fright Night 700, Phenomena 1000, An American Werewolf in London 200, Sleepaway Camp 650)
7) fortybelow $2050 (A Nightmare on Elm Street 500, Possession 500, Gremlins 850, Poltergeist 200)
8) jcgamer $1700 (Possession 500, An American Werewolf in London 200, Tetsuo: The Iron Man 600, Killer Klowns From Outer Space 600)
9) rockus $1350 (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 700, Creepshow 650)
10) Karo $650 (Sleepaway Camp 650)

The House Won On:

• +1000 Pet Sematary (1989)
• +1000 Prince of Darkness (1987)
• +2000 Childs Play (1988)
• +2000 The Lost Boys (1987)
• +1250 The Dead Zone (1983)
• +1100 Predator (1987)

Seginustemple posted...

I don't think I can catch up at this point so I might as well go with a dark horse pick

Pokmon Movie 05: Mizu no Miyako no Mamorigami Latias to Latios from outta nowhere

LOL

It makes me happy that someone else picked up on my goofy-ass Pokmon joke

3. The Fly (1986 / 91 points)
Directed by: David Cronenberg / Screenplay: Charles Edward Pogue, David Cronenberg
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/1/1a7e9991.jpg
Why Its Significant - Part of a small trend in the 80s of remaking 50s sci-fi horror films, David Cronenbergs The Fly definitely stands as one of the most memorable, critically acclaimed, and financially successful films in this movement. Its enduring legacy can be seen in the film's special effects, depicting the gradual and horrifying transformation of Seth Brundle; Brundle's teleportation technology, and themes of scientific transgression. Its poster tagline Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid. has become a common lexicon in the English language and oft-quoted by many other pieces of media sense. Traces of The Fly are all over media, oft-parodied but never replicated, and some films owing direct influence to the film include movies like Society, Splice, Tusk, Splinter, Mimic, & countless others. The Fly was followed by a sequel, opera, and comic book series.

The Rankers
Bitto - 1
Lightning - 2
Mythiot - 3
Plasmabeam - 3
Fortybelowsummer - 4
Jcgamer107 - 4
Johnbobb - 4
Seginustemple - 4
Rockus - 7
Evilordexdeath - 8
Inviso - 14
Snake - 15
Karo - 22

Bitto - Rating: A

The slow burn works so, so well here. In the beginning, I don't even really like Seth or Ronnie that much, but I bought in to their relationship and what their aspirations are. When the fly gets mixed with Seth, it's genius that the transformation happens immediately but in a subtle way. It doesn't even dawn on Seth that something bad happened, but you already get a sense that Seth has been changed. By the time Seth realizes that he's becoming a fly, he begins to really...Jeff Golblum and have some offbeat humor that works really well. But it's also really sad, because we know who Seth is and what he wants and what he's losing. The fly politics speech is such a wonderful speech and really sets up the finale. The horror that Seth had a kid with Ronnie at some point is also a wild conundrum that everyone deals with the gravity it deserves. I kinda with that Ronnie's shitty ex, Stathis, was more humanized. He's way too comically shitty in the beginning, which gets weird when he becomes an actual serious character around the end.

Lightning - Im saying I - Im an insect who dreamt he was a man and loved it. But now the dream is over and the insect is awake.

The 1980s was an unusual time where there were a lot of remakes of classic mid-century horror movies, but rather than cheap cash-ins as would later be the case in the 2000s spate of horror movie remakes. Instead we saw top level creators at the height of their powers taking them on often with big stars attached, and The Fly by David Cronenberg and starring Jeff Goldblum is no exception. The original is a classic, and this film does not tread on its toes (there is no tiny fly man yelling Help me!) but instead takes the concept in a different direction.

What we have here is, despite all the slimy organic body horror, another cautionary tale about technology and the way it is integrating with humanity. The whole thing keeps its very sci-fi feel with the computational aspect of it, which still keeps it feeling quite modern even now. This feels much more fully realised than Videodrome, the narrative is more straightforward yet it is not lacking in depth, Goldblums lines are full of weight and tragedy towards the end of the film.

Jeff Goldblum really was the perfect pick for this movie, his unusual and almost erratic mannerisms were a great way of highlighting his characters eccentricity and transformation. As he becomes more and more Brundlefly the Jeff Goldblum mannerism levels only increase. And of course he is opposite a strong Geena Davis, who provides easily one of the better female leads of the decade, though that isnt saying a lot. If there is a flaw I wish they had handled the ex better, he seems to have kind of a weird turn at the end despite being awful throughout. It just speaks to the strengths of everything else that this aspect not working doesnt impact everything else.

5/5

Plasmabeam - Sci-fi body horror done right. Cronenberg and Goldblum spoil us.

Fortybelowsummer - One of the finest examples of body horror meets monster movie, The Fly is so much more than a guy transforming into a giant insect (Brundlefly! <3). The premise could easily result in a hokey end product, but the performances give it a surprising amount of emotional weight. Goldblum isnt often taken that seriously because ofhow he be, but hes honestly incredible portraying a guy that has to deal with something so massively devastating as slowly turning into a grotesque monstrosity. The relationship between him and queen Geena Davis seems kind of forced and unrealistic at first but as the movie progresses I felt like they became very believable as a couple and their struggle had me that much more invested. One of the best takes I read is that its a horror film about people in a situation, rather than a horror film where the situation is a metaphor for grief or whatever. This is Cronenbergs best movie and as per the usual its layered with repulsive visual effects, complex ideas, and doses of subtle humor. The ending is downright heartbreaking, the culmination of a tragic romance and the demise of a man with good intentions but who paid the price for interfering with the natural order of things. I dont like to throw around masterpiece much, but this is one.

Jcgamer107 - 8/10

Johnbobb - Crazy watching this in 2024 and seeing how much it predicted the future. Not the teleportation part, but the part where you can just ask nonsense questions to your computer and it'll answer you. I'm honestly really shocked by just how good this was. I've always known about The Fly and how it's one of the most iconic body horror movies out there, but I think part of me always found the concept to be too simple. Like guy gets in teleporter, there's a fly in there, and the guy starts to turn into fly monster. It felt so basic that it didn't seem like something you really needed to see beyond a few scenes. Turns out I was very wrong. Goldblum is giving a career best performance here, the prosthetics and nasty as hell visual effects were way ahead of their time, and Seth's character arc is legitimately fascinating. You seem him go from slight arrogant scientist with to complete ass to realizing what he's turning into and begging for help to losing himself entirely to the creature. He's less horror movie monster and more deeply tragic figure. I mean, the "I'm an insect who dreamt he was a man" line? That's the kind of poetic shit I'd expect from like Spy Kids, not The Fly.

Seginustemple - A visionary departure from the original movie, brilliantly re-imagining the man-fly hybrid in the mode of a werewolf transformation, one fraught with contemporary themes like cocaine, AIDS, abortion rights, and genetic engineering. Cronenberg displays a real mastery of tone, deftly pivoting through horror/black comedy/tragedy on a dime. There's a scene where Brundlefly vomits on a donut and his ear falls off, Veronica is disgusted and squirts a tear as the music swells, he goes "I'm scared" and she hugs him - it's so perfectly gross and funny and sad at once. Speaking of the music, this is some of Howard Shore's finest work. I criticized his score for Videodrome but compared to The Fly it's night and day in terms of how much he adds to the movie. Goldblum also brings his A-game under heavy makeup to drive home the pathos, ranging from manic exaltation to deseprate self-distraction as his condition develops. Makeup/sfx quality goes without saying, the final transformation sequence is eye-popping and holds up incredibly well. I always get a kick out of Brundle trying to persuade Veronica to fuse with him at the end because it reminds me of Scott Steiner math: "see normally you get in the telepod with another person you got a 50/50 chance of winning, but I'm a genetic freak and I'm not normal so you got a 25% chance at best, then you add the baby to the mix and your chances drastically go down because the baby *knows* he can't beat me and he's not even gonna try...

Rockus - Another remake of a 1950s film. While the original Fly isnt quite as good as The Thing from Another World its still got a bit of that existential crisis of learning that the universe is a massive cruel chaotic place and how our lives might seem so small in it, something along the lines of another 50s classic, The Incredible Shrinking Man. Cronenberg takes his remake in a different direction from asking whats our place in the universe? to asking what are we in our own sacks of flesh? What are we as people? Are we still just our base instincts? Some extraordinary effects and grotesque makeup bring a body horror physicality to its psychological horror while still keeping its impactful emotions intact. Another terrific reimagining of a classic.

Evilordexdeath - In my writeup for another film I say that I find more realistic scenarios the most horrifying. Out of all the categories of more fantastic horror scenarios though, body horror tends to be the one that freaks me out the most. Cronenberg is from my understanding one of the maestros of body horror, but while that was a relatively minor aspect of his earlier film Videodrome and absent from Dead Zone since that was a Stephen King movie, in this one we get to see Jeff Goldblum transform entirely into a spooky fly monster. The special effects are quite well done so it gets rather stomach-churning by the end, especially with the story beat that Geena Davis' character gets pregnant with his possibly-mutant child. My understanding of this movie was that Goldblum would come out of his teleporter as a body horror monstrosity but it's more of a slow physical and mental degeneration as he gradually becomes more and more fly-like. The characterization we get from this does end up being interesting, with much of the film portraying a conflict between a rational scientific mind and increasingly animalistic and pained mental conditions. Overall pretty solid stuff.

Inviso - I am SO thankful that this somehow didnt disgust me as much as the 1950s original, because THAT is a film that I watched and spent a week unable to eat soft food out of sheer disgust via my arachnophobia. Thisdespite being objectively viler and more visceraldid not upset me AS MUCH. It was still super gross, and I absolutely would not want to watch this again any time soon, but I can at least appreciate it for what it was. The effects in this movie, namely the slow, painful process of Jeff Goldblums transformation from 99.9% man, 0.01% fly to 50-50it makes sense that this movie has an Oscar to its name for the make-up it showcased.

But yeah, Im a big plot guy when it comes to the movies we watch on this list, and I actually found a lot of the messaging in this film really interesting. Once it becomes clear that Jeff Goldblum has inadvertently fused himself with a fly, I appreciate the fact that the movie doesnt go out of its way to pad the runtime with some long series of tests and experiments trying to fix things. Hes fused on a molecular leveland theres no way to undo that. You cant just separate the molecules if thats what the machine reads as standard for Goldblums character. So instead, we just get to watch him devolve and lose more and more of his humanity, until he truly does become a monster in the films closing segment. Sure, he broke a guys wrist before then, but thats the point where he tries to fuse himself in his fly form with Geena Davis and their unborn childAFTER melting her exs hand and foot over with his stomach juices.

Also, big ups to Geena Davis for playing her part extremely well. She starts out as the spunky reporter, but grows enamored with Goldblums scientific mind, and she HATES her ex for being a douche. But then shes the one who gets put through the wringer as the only person for most of the movie who understands that something is wrong, and theres nothing she can do about it. Giving her the moral dilemma of a potentially half-fly baby is piling on, but it makes for a more interesting story, because it effectively means she cant just abandon Goldblumpart of her HAS to care about him, even when she tries to get an abortion to try and sever those ties.

Finally, I do love the double turn between Goldblum and the ex, because Goldblum is portrayed as this nice, charming guy, and the ex is an arrogant doucheyet by the end of the film, the good guy is trying to mutilate Geena Davis, and the bad guy gets mutilated himself in the process of trying to protect her. Now, I still dont LIKE the ex, but its an interesting thematic choice on the nature of man versus monster. All-in-all, the movie has a lot going for itbut its just a little too extreme for me to be able to confidently say I enjoyed it. Its interesting, for surebut a little too much for my tastes.

Snake - At the heart of The Fly lies its deeply human story. Jeff Goldblum delivers a tour de force performance as Seth Brundle, a brilliant but eccentric scientist who becomes obsessed with perfecting teleportation technology. Goldblum's portrayal is both charismatic and vulnerable, drawing viewers into the character's descent into madness with empathy and dread. His chemistry with Geena Davis adds layers of emotional depth to the narrative, transforming what could have been a straightforward horror film into a poignant exploration of love and loss (though her character of Ronnie is somewhat underdeveloped compared to Brundle). The film's practical effects are nothing short of astonishing, from the gruesome transformation sequences to the grotesque final reveal of Brundle's metamorphosis. Overall an absolutely amazing film anyway you slice it, I just prefer some others on this list more.

Karo - In a spot of drunken dick measuring a scientist accidentally merges his DNA with that of a fly and this somehow doesnt kill him instantly. What follows is a standard 'man turning into a monster' story where his mind and body slowly alter into something strange and insectoid which he finds largely unconcerning because it apparently makes him really good at sex.

There is possibly meant to be a metaphor for drug addiction in here somewhere, but I am probably expecting too much from the people who made this.

Anyway, it precedes pretty much how you'd expect, buzz buzz starts getting more and more fly-like and insane and so they have to kill him. Though I must say I strongly dislike how the character that was more disgusting then the giant drooling housefly gets to be the big hero. Like seriously, if there is one guy who should be eaten by the monster in a horror movie it is this fucker.

It is just an unpleasant watch that doesnt add anything new to the genre and is only deserving of an extra large can of bug spray.

Outlier
Inviso - 229
Jcgamer107 - 229
Evilordexdeath - 212
Fortybelowsummer - 212
Karo - 181
Johnbobb - 174
Snake - 162
Bitto - 148
Mythiot - 146
Seginustemple - 143
Rockus - 138
Plasmabeam - 133
Lightning - 129

So with just two films left, The Shining vs. The Thing, that leaves us with top outlier tied! Get your final predictions in as we close this out tomorrow!

Alright, I guess the obvious answer really was that obvious, and the top two were the top two everyone predicted very early on.

If you had asked me at the start I would've predicted The Thing to win... but now that we've seen Possession in #5 I'm not as sure. I think my call will be The Thing next at #2 and The Shining for #1.

Drink deep or taste not the plasma spring, you see what I'm saying?

Speaking of best performances on the list, Goldblum crushes the behavioral/dispositional transformation here. I think he sells it in a way that makes it look easier than it is.

Guessing The Thing is #2

Goddammit Lightning. I was reading your write-up and you referenced one of my least favorite scenes in all of cinema.

I'm gonna say Shining wins and Thing in 2nd

Going in I thought 100% Shining would win the whole thing; I still think it will but I'm less sure given how well some of the other body horror stuff did

Espeon posted...

Goddammit Lightning. I was reading your write-up and you referenced one of my least favorite scenes in all of cinema.

Its interesting as I always thought the original was less disturbing, but I guess it goes to show how subjective it is. Sorry about that!

Anyway, I think The Shining is number 2 and The Thing wins.

If Karo thinks The Fly is too "standard" I'd hate to imagine what he'd think of Morbius. Like yeah it doesn't break much new ground story-wise, but neither did Star Wars, Alien, or Jurassic Park.

At least the two I'd rank as the top two are the top two. Neither of which were very well-received when they came out, heh.

Just to ask, has a ranking been done that includes Jurassic Park? E.T. and Close Encounters weren't in the sci-fi movies ranking, so are they being saved for a Spielberg ranking? I feel like saying that Jurassic Park is my favorite movie he directed that doesn't involve Nazis.

Heck, with it over now, is a DC Extended Universe ranking going to happen sometime?

I'm going to guess The Shining as my final prediction.

I will also guess The Shining.

Guessing The Thing for #2

LinkMarioSamus posted...

Just to ask, has a ranking been done that includes Jurassic Park? E.T. and Close Encounters weren't in the sci-fi movies ranking, so are they being saved for a Spielberg ranking? I feel like saying that Jurassic Park is my favorite movie he directed that doesn't involve Nazis.

Heck, with it over now, is a DC Extended Universe ranking going to happen sometime?

Scarlet was originally planning a Spielberg ranking, yeah, but he doesn't really participate in these anymore. Not sure if there are plans for something similar

And given that we did an MCU, I'd imagine a DCEU one will happen eventually

PAYOUTS! Forty and Exdeath make easy money while everyone else gets greedy

VEGAS ODDSBOARD:
+500 The Thing (1982)
+600 The Shining (1980)

Current Leaderboard:
1) Bitto $6800 (A Nightmare on Elm Street 500, Beetlejuice 650, Videodrome 650, Hellraiser 900, Poltergeist 2000,Creepshow 650, Tetsuo: The Iron Man 600, Sleepaway Camp 650)
2) Exdeath $5400 (The Fly 500, A Nightmare on Elm Street 500, Possession 500, Evil Dead II 900, Re-Animator 600, Creepshow 650, Friday the 13th 500, Killer Klowns From Outer Space 600, Sleepaway Camp 650)
3) Lightning $4950 (A Nightmare on Elm Street 500, Possession 500, Videodrome 650, Christine 800, The Changeling 200, Creepshow 650, Friday the 13th 500, Sleepaway Camp 650, Basket Case 500)
4) Inviso $4850 (A Nightmare on Elm Street 500, Possession 500, Re-Animator 600, Gremlins 850, Creepshow 650, Killer Klowns From Outer Space 600, Sleepaway Camp 650, Basket Case 500)
5) Johnbobb $4650 (Hellraiser 900, Re-Animator 600, The Changeling 2000, Friday the 13th 500, Sleepaway Camp 650)
6) Seginus $3800 (A Nightmare on Elm Street 500, Beetlejuice 650, Fright Night 700, Phenomena 1000, An American Werewolf in London 200, Sleepaway Camp 650)
7) fortybelow $2550 (The Fly 500, A Nightmare on Elm Street 500, Possession 500, Gremlins 850, Poltergeist 200)
8) jcgamer $1700 (Possession 500, An American Werewolf in London 200, Tetsuo: The Iron Man 600, Killer Klowns From Outer Space 600)
9) rockus $1350 (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 700, Creepshow 650)
10) Karo $650 (Sleepaway Camp 650)

The House Won On:

• +1000 Pet Sematary (1989)
• +1000 Prince of Darkness (1987)
• +2000 Childs Play (1988)
• +2000 The Lost Boys (1987)
• +1250 The Dead Zone (1983)
• +1100 Predator (1987)

Alright, after all that we got the correct top 2. The Fly is one of the saddest horror movies ever.

Blaziken posted...

In terms of the best acting performances on this list:

1) Jack Nicholson
2) Shelly Duvall
3) Jeff Goldblum
4) Kurt Russell

That's my Mt Rushmore of performances

You'll know the winner in just a little bit!

2. The Shining (1980 / 64 points)
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick / Screenplay by: Stanley Kubrick, Diane Johnson
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/2/2c66213b.jpg
Why Its Significant - Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining transcends the realm of horror cinema, standing as a landmark film that continues to inspire and terrify audiences. While its initial reception was mixed, future critical revisits have solidified its place as a masterpiece, influencing countless horror films in its wake. Its iconic imagery and themes have been referenced and reinterpreted in countless works of horror and pop culture. I mean, do I even need to list them? Nuff said I think. It received a sequel, Doctor Sleep, and a documentary film, Room 237, about the many theories and mysterious symbolism surrounding the film.

The Rankers
Jcgamer107 - 1
Johnbobb - 1
Evilordexdeath - 1
Fortybelowsummer - 1
Mythiot - 1
Rockus - 1
Seginustemple - 1
Karo - 4
Snake - 4
Plasmabeam - 5
Lightning - 9
Bitto - 16
Inviso - 19

Jcgamer107 - 10/10

Johnbobb - I try to be as unbiased as possible and go into all these rankings fresh without any assumptions of what will or won't be first. That being said, when 80s horror started, I threw The Shining at the top of the list and it never budged a spot. This movie is considered one of the all-time greats of horror for a reason. Top 5 King adaptations of all time easy (and that's not an easy list to get on). There aren't many horror movies that could be called "epics" but The Shining gets close despite only taking place at one location with about 5 characters. The scale here feels enormous; it's the exact opposite of claustrophobic horror, and it just works so goddamn well. It feels wildly ahead of its time, especially after watching a full list of 80s horror back to back.

Evilordexdeath - Breaking news: art snob loves Kubrick. I promise I'm not always this predictable, I actually thought Barry Lyndon was really boring and The Killing was mid. The Shining, though, was one of the first movies that showed me how incredible cinema can be, and one of the ones I've rewatched time and time again. Everything from the dialog to the shot direction to the stylistic choices like the jump-cuts to title cards which communicate the film's timeline is so immaculate and captivating. Even some of the better movies on this list have the problem that their spooky aspects and their deeper storytelling don't really lend to one another, but The Shining is such a great example of how to combine those two sides harmoniously with how the hotel's ghosts feed upon - or are maybe even figments of - Jack Torrence's cabin fever and alienation from his family. It might also be the greatest example of an adaptation that takes so-so source material and elevates it into a classic by... mostly just ignoring what the original did. Gone is the lame-ass sequence where the family is threatened by animated topiary animals, which is about as scary as the topiary creatures song from Putt Putt Saves the Zoo, and the on-the-nose novel Torrence writes about being jealous of a more talented younger man, and in their place is every iconic line or scene from either version. The scene with the twins, "Danny's not here, Mrs. Torrence," "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", and almost everything else you remember from this movie has no basis in Stephen King's original novel. Neither does its ambiguous ending that so many slightly-pretentious film critics have mulled over: in the book the ghosts are 100% real and the hotel explodes. This is probably why King has been on record for decades trashing this film, but as we'll see elsewhere on this list, his own attempts at movie adaptations of his work don't quite measure up to Kubrick's.

Fortybelowsummer - All work and no play makes forty a dull boy. All work and no play makes forty a dull boy. All work and no play makes forty a dull boy. All work and no play makes forty a dull boy. All work and no play makes forty a dull boy. All work and no play makes forty a dull boy. All work and no play makes forty a dull boy. All work and no play makes forty a dull boy. All work and no play makes forty a dull boy. All work and no play makes forty a dull boy. All work and no play makes forty a dull boy. All work and no play makes forty a dull boy. All work and no play makes forty a dull boy. All work and no play makes forty a dull boy. All work and no play makes forty a dull boy. All work and no play makes forty a dull boy. (This is my favorite horror movie. That is all.)

Rockus - The perfect marriage of a director and a location. The huge open empty spaces of the hotel are perfect for Kubricks tracking camera, slow zooms, and wide shots while Nicholson gives the perfect performance to go along with it. His screen presence is so commanding and he goes big enough that he can fill these large spaces all on his own. Kubrick takes a novel concept and turns it into a chilling horror film of slowly bubbling dread that looks into the heart of man and his toxic history on both a personal and national scale. Its a masterpiece.

Seginustemple - Genuine masterpiece with a clarity of form that transcends genre. The audiovisual experience is so meticuluously crafted, and never has setting-as-a-character been realized quite like with the Overlook Hotel. Having read the book I can guess why King wasn't so impressed with adaptation, as the film flattens his characters - I think he wrote Jack Torrance as a guy that has his shit together at the beginning of the story and slowly unravels, whereas Nicholson starts the movie at a 9 and ramps up to a 10. But it works so well stylistically, the whole family is played in a state of perpetually exaggerated mannerisms and it drives home the film's uncanny tone. It's all been analyzed and admired to death by now, but one thing I have to heap more praise on is the sound design. I watched it with good headphones this time and really took note of the way it leans into the reverb of the space; underlining the roll of the bigwheel, harshening the strike of the typewriter, emphasizing the hotel's presence in the character's voices, it's so immersive.

Karo - A family becomes the caretakers of a secluded resort hotel over the winter, which has every amenity a murderous killer could ever want - a walk in freezer, a hedge maze, no contact with the outside world, you name it.

The father slowly becomes more and more unstable and belligerent as the days go by, a terrifying depiction of psychological decline that culminates in him going after his family mercilessly with a hatchet. There are some great camera angles and cinematography, and though the direction the plot takes is far from surprising, the build up to the end point is masterfully done.

It is maybe a mite too long, and I would have liked the titular shining to actually have some relevance in the story beyond a handful of visions, but it is still an excellent outing from Kubrick and though it might not be a popular opinion I have to say it is one of his best.

Snake - The Shining is a chilling exploration of isolation, family dysfunction, and a descent into madness. The Overlook Hotel is not just a setting; it's a character. Kubrick's use of wide shots emphasizes the vast emptiness of the hotel, amplifying the Torrance family's isolation. The snowbound location further cuts them off from the outside world, creating a pressure cooker for Jack's simmering rage and Danny's psychic torment. The film's slow pacing and eerie atmosphere gradually build tension, mirroring the slow unraveling of the Torrance family's sanity. The use of long, uninterrupted shots creates a sense of unease and allows the audience to dwell on the unsettling details of the Overlook Hotel.

The Torrance family is already fractured before arriving at the Overlook. Jack, a struggling writer with a history of alcoholism, is on the verge of another breakdown. Wendy, his loving but somewhat naive wife, seems powerless to stop his descent. Danny, burdened by his extrasensory gift, the shining, becomes a target for the hotel's malevolent forces. The film masterfully portrays the breakdown of communication and trust within the family, making their plight even more tragic. Moreover, Jack Nicholson's iconic performance as Jack Torrance is central to the film's success. Nicholson brings a palpable sense of menace to the role, portraying Jack as a man teetering on the edge of sanity from the outset. His transformation into a homicidal maniac feels both inevitable and horrifying, highlighting the film's exploration of the darkness that lurks within us all.

Wendy and Danny are equally compelling characters. Duvall's performance captures Wendy's desperation and determination to protect her son, despite her own fear and vulnerability. Meanwhile, Lloyd's portrayal of Danny conveys both innocence and eerie prescience, adding to the film's sense of dread.

The Shining can be interpreted as an allegory for domestic abuse and alcoholism. Jack's controlling behavior and violent outbursts mirror the cycle of abuse. The Overlook Hotel itself can be seen as a manifestation of Jack's inner demons, preying on his weaknesses and fueling his rage. The use of color is deliberate, with the omnipresent red foreshadowing violence and danger. Additionally, Kubrick deliberately blurs the lines between reality and Danny's visions. The audience is never quite sure what to believe. Is the Grady twins apparition real, or a manifestation of Danny's fear?

The ambiguity surrounding the supernatural elements of the film adds to its unsettling nature. Is the Overlook truly haunted, or is it all in the minds of the characters? This ambiguity contributes to the sense of psychological horror that permeates the film.

The Shining has left an indelible mark on the horror genre, influencing countless filmmakers and spawning numerous interpretations and analyses. Its exploration of psychological torment, coupled with its masterful direction and performances, ensures its place as one of the greatest horror films of all time. Whether viewed as a chilling ghost story, a psychological thriller, or an allegory for the horrors of addiction and abuse, theres an argument to be made, that, objectively, The Shining could very well be the best horror film of all time (even if I personally dont think so).

Plasmabeam - Despite having watched The Shining several times, I continue to discover new things on every viewingboth good and bad. The good are all the little nuances hiding within the Overlook; the bad is the fact that the story itself is a little thin for my liking.

Lightning - Heres Johnny!

The Shining is a curious oddity in that it is an adaptation of an all time classic American horror novel that managed to become regarded as an all time classic American horror film despite fundamentally mishandling the material to the point where the author famously disowned the film, The reason for this is simple, the film excels in entirely different ways to how the book excels, making up for what it lacks with the new things it brings to the table.

The technical filmmaking on display here is exemplary, the film still looks and sounds terrific to this day. Stanley Kubrick uses the odd aesthetic of the hotel and his slow steady shots to create a dread inducing atmosphere that feels truly alien. This contributes thematically to the idea of this place as an evil one that sucks its occupants in and does not let go. The chilly atmosphere of the exterior shots and even aspects like the cartoons push these themes further. There are also loads of truly unsettling images on display, especially in its stellar final act. This is all further amplified by a terrific performance from Shelley Duvall who anchors the film and provides a sympathetic viewpoint - she truly didnt deserve the treatment she got during and after production.

Unfortunately there is one flaw in my view holding this film back from reaching near the top of my list. Jack Nicholsons performance just doesnt work. Hes badly miscast here bringing no depth to the role of Jack, instead his cartoonish antics make him seem so unhinged you wonder why anybody let him get as far as he did. There is no tension from his descent into madness because he is just too over the top and exaggerated at the start. It is a testament to the strength of the rest of the film that it works despite its lead performance not.

4/5

Bitto - Rating: C

Really solid direction in both filming and character work. I can really feel the atmosphere and tension that the movie is going for. Or at least, what it became known for. Because this movie really...doesn't do much with its atmosphere and tension. A lot of the famous scenes are almost immediately put out, like the blood elevator having...no plot relevance at all or "Here's Johnny!" is immediately followed by Jack being distracted by Danny. Jack is really uninteresting before he gets murderous. I liked the scene with the bartender, because we finally get some insight in Jack, but that's it.

Inviso - This is a weird movie to talk about, because Id never seen it before, but its one of those films that is such a cultural centerpiece that most of its most famous moments have been broadcast over and over, either in full, or via parody in other movies. And its a fine movie, but I think its perhaps been a little overblown in its quality. It definitely feels like Stanley Kubrick had a vision for the film, and its visually stunning with the hotels design looking almost unsettling and otherworldly in how mundane it is. But I think one of the problems I have is that the movie feels both too long and too short at the same time, if that makes sense?

Like, you spend so much time on the mundane stage-setting to get us settled into the world, but thats more establishing the hotel, rather than any of the characters. You get some moments like the car ride up, where Jack is clearly not the nice guy he came across as during the job interview. And Danny is innately creepy in a way that isnt properly explained (maybe I watched the wrong cut, but its still weird all the same), and the end result is that youre at like an hour in when Jack starts going crazy, but we havent seen enough of his character sane to really understand the shift. And then, while I do enjoy Jacks increasingly violent madness, I feel like the film didnt need to devote the second half of its runtime to it. At that point, the action should be ramping up fast, but its still moving so slowly until the very end. The movies not BAD or anything like that, and its certainly iconicit just didnt live up to the hype.

Snake5555555555 posted...

Fortybelowsummer - All work and no play makes forty a dull boy. All work and no play makes forty a dull boy. All work and no play makes forty a dull boy.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/c/c656160d.jpg

The Shining was definitely my predicted winner going into this, I was pleasantly shocked and surprised

Predicting The Thing next to weasel some last minute casino money >_>

Phenomenal movie that I've only come to appreciate more over time. Jack Nicholson puts in one of the all-time great horror performances, adding lots of character, terror and humor. I used to think Shelly Duvall was over-the-top hysterical, but now I feel she does a great job as a truly loving mother & wife who helplessly watches the situation spiral out of control, yet still acts heroically in saving Danny. Goes without saying but Stanley Kubrick is a visual genius.

Stephen King's reaction to the film adaptation still cracks me up, especially when the TV miniseries came out that was more "in line with his vision", and it sucked lol.

BTW is this the first time a movie got the majority of first place votes, but didn't win?

jcgamer107 posted...

BTW is this the first time a movie got the majority of first place votes, but didn't win?

It sure seems like it but I'm not 100% sure.

And OMG The Shining miniseries is SO bad

It seems like whatever you think of Stephen King as a novelist it's hard to deny that he isn't the best screenwriter.

Jack Nicholsons performance is what stopped The Shining from ranking higher for me, and turned a potential 5/5 into a 4/5. Its cartoonish when it shouldnt be, and he just feels fundamentally miscast. I warned there was a hot take coming back near the start! But yeah hes pretty bad in this. Its not that its a maximalist performance, its that hes acting like a deranged madman when hes not supposed to be to the point that it strains believability that anybody would not instantly run from this man. And hey, supposedly Kubrick didnt like it either!

Shelley Duvalls great though.

1. The Thing (1982 / 51 points)
Directed by: John Carpenter / Screenplay by: Bill Lancaster
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/c/c12e72c6.jpg
Why Its Significant - A loose remake of The Thing from Another World and of course based on the original short story Who Goes There?, The Thing was a massive box office disappointment upon release and absolutely disparaged critically. It has become a cornerstone of the sci-fi horror genre, lauded for its special effects, thematic depth, and lasting influence. The Thing's brilliance lies not just in its gore and incredible effects, but in its exploration of paranoia as the crew grapples with the possibility that any one of them could be the alien in disguise. This simple but effective premise balanced the Lovecraftian unknown, Cold War era tension, body horror, and pure frigid bleakness to craft a film whose fingerprints remain all over the genre, seen in films like Lifeforce, It Follows, The Faculty, The Hidden, & Slither, video games like Among Us, Resident Evil 4, & Dead Space, and TV series like Stranger Things and The X-Files. Much like its antagonist, The Thing truly is everywhere. The Thing received a prequel in 2011, a sequel as survival horror game on PS2, & comic books set in the universe. It is also the first film in Carpenters loosely themed Apocalypse Trilogy.

The Rankers
Lightning - 1
Plasmabeam - 1
Jcgamer107 - 2
Rockus - 2
Snake -2
Bitto - 3
Inviso - 3
Seginustemple - 3
Evilordexdeath - 4
Mythiot - 4
Fortybelowsummer - 6
Johnbobb - 6
Karo - 14

Lightning - You gotta be fuckin' kidding.

Although The Thing did not succeed on its original release either critically or commercially, it became a cult classic on video and is now regarded as one of the greatest horror films of all time. Watching it now it is very easy to see why. Everything about this just works, from the characters, to the paranoid and chilly atmosphere, to the truly gruesome practical visual effects, to the haunting score to the even more haunting ending.

What Carpenter manages to achieve here is a masterpiece of tension that occasionally explodes into spectacular moments of gore. This is best represented by the scene where The Thing as the dog reveals itself, first you get real tension, then there is truly horrifying, truly alien imagery mixed with shocking violence. On top of that it accomplishes a genuine creeping dread through the idea that if this thing gets out it will be the end of everything.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this film is how it keeps you asking questions. Who is The Thing and when? If you are taken over, do you know it? What does it want? Then of course you have the ending that became a point of debate for decades. Anybody who watches this will have a slightly different interpretation. Despite all that it manages to work also as an effective creature feature, blending the visceral thrills with intellectual thought.

5/5

Plasmabeam - My all-time favorite horror movie. It never stops being engaging, claustrophobic, and scary. The setting, the mystery, the camerawork, the practical effects, the nihilism, the Loftcraftian monster, the beard on MacReady I have nothing but great things to say about this masterpiece.

Jcgamer107 - 10/10

Rockus - Where to start with John Carpenters remake of The Thing from Another World (a classic in its own right)? A Science fiction thriller that doesnt so much unravel but rather gets more layered as it moves along. Once the seeds of uncertainty fracture the group of men at a remote research scientists in Antarctica paranoia not only grows, it thrives. The uncertainty doesnt just affect the characters within the film but its viewers as well, making it not just a horror film with a hideous monster but one filled with psychological dread as well. Some extraordinary creature effects and a terrific ensemble cast add to the remarkable craft to a classic. Its a masterpiece.

Snake - As much as A Nightmare on Elm Street is so near and dear to my heart, I did flip-flop between that film and The Thing for the coveted #1 spot. I mean, The Thing totally transcends the typical monster movie fare. It's a chilling exploration of paranoia, isolation, and the fragility of trust.

The true horror doesn't lie solely in the creature's grotesque transformations, but in the way it sows seeds of doubt among the men. The isolated environment and lack of communication with the outside world amplify their fear. A simple disagreement can quickly escalate into suspicion, fracturing their fragile sense of camaraderie. The film masterfully portrays the descent into paranoia, where every cough, every twitch becomes a potential sign of infection. Carpenter brilliantly utilizes practical effects, creating nightmarishly realistic transformations that blur the line between human and alien. The audience, along with the characters, is constantly on edge, unsure who to trust.

The Thing is also a meditation on the nature of humanity. As trust evaporates, the researchers resort to increasingly savage measures to expose the alien. The camaraderie that initially bound them gives way to a brutal fight for survival, raising questions about the thin line between civilization and barbarity. The film doesn't offer easy answers. In the desolate, unforgiving landscape, the characters grapple with existential questions about the possibility of escape and the meaning of survival at all costs.

The Thing's ambiguous ending further amplifies its impact. The audience is left questioning the fate of the characters and the true nature of the threat. Is humanity doomed to succumb to the Thing, or is there a glimmer of hope for survival? This uncertainty lingers long after the credits roll, solidifying The Thing's place as a truly haunting and thought-provoking science fiction horror classic.

Bitto - Rating: A

I absolutely love the tone of The Thing. The premise is great, but the execution really make it sing. The desolation of Antartica as a setting is perfect. The characters are all interesting and unique, but grounded. By the end, you can probably tell the differences between every cast member, which is pretty amazing where every character feels like a real person as opposed to a cartoonish caricature. The Thing is horrifying, but takes its time to be horrifying. The special effects (which I think are generally great in this gauntlet) are at its height in The Thing. I think the only part that doesn't sit well with me is the ending. The actual ending between MacReady and Childs is great, but everything between figuring out Blair is the last Thing and the actual ending is where the movie starts to lose me. I feel like the final confrontation between MacReady and the Thing is just too short and abrupt. It could serve to be a bit longer.

Inviso - This is the sort of movie that makes me really glad to participate in these rankings, because its an iconic film, but Id never watched it (or had reason to spend time watching it) before now. But Im really glad this list gave me a reason to sit down and actually bang it out, because this is a great film. From minute one, youre given a mystery, starting with a helicopter of foreigners speaking Norwegian and shooting at a dog across a frozen tundra. And things just unravel from there, with the American Antarctic base getting a little too comfortable with the concept of a new dog around the base, and not questioning whether maybe those Norwegians WERENT just stir crazy. Sure, they travel to the base and find it utterly devastated (which is amazing in and of itself, and it part of the reason the 2011 prequel actually makes sense, because theres legitimately enough potential content for a whole second movie here), but still, its not until the kennel scene where we really understand the horrors of the movie.

The titular Thing is a great monster design, specifically because it takes inspiration from all sorts of things, and is ultimately a parasitic doppelganger. Seeing the dog skulls pop up throughout the movie is unsettling, but so is just the general body horror of slightly alter humans, complete with whipping tendrils and tentacles all over the place. And the general atmosphere of this group of isolated guys slowly losing trust with one another, while fearing for their lives because any one of them could be a monsterits great. Its also great to see a group of people faced with a monster, and theyre actually trying to make plans and intelligent decisions to stop it and beat it. I feel like a lot of these high kill count movies have people with no clue whats going on, just getting picked off one-by-one. The characters in this movie might be afraid, but theyre not stupid, and it makes their triumphs and failures feel that much more earned overall.

Seginustemple - Saturates the screen with paranoia by framing the core sci-fi/horror within an ensemble mystery in which there are so many characters you never get to know any of them too well and thus everyone always seems suspicious. I've seen this half-a-dozen times and I still have to rely on the petri dish scene to keep some of their names straight. It's such a rewatchable film, there are lots of details that reward careful observation but because it's never totally conclusive about who all is infected at any given moment you can always read the scenes differently, all the way to the famously ambiguous ending. I like the theory that the last bottle has kerosene, meaning Childs is an imposter because he doesn't react to it, but I can also see a reading where MacReady is the imposter, because we did see the torn-up uniform with his name on it earlier. Maybe they're both human at the end, but doomed anyway. The interpretive possibilities give the movie itself a slight shape-shifting quality that keeps it fresh every time.

Evilordexdeath - This is one of those movies that I don't really want to like because my entire online friend group won't stop going on about it, but in the end with some reluctance I admit it's really good. Responsibly paced, carefully made, similar to Alien in that the characters aren't very developed but they do have verisimilitude, and of course starring one of the coolest ideas for a horror movie antagonist with a creature that can perfectly impersonate a human being. The best parts of this movie are the paranoid confrontations between the research crew, where it seems like anyone could be a creature, however for me it suffers in the sequences where the monster does actually show up. Don't get me wrong, the special effects and everything are great, but you lose that uncertainty and a lot of the tension gets instantly sucked away. Still, these scenes are probably necessary to make the rest of the film work, and it's a relatively minor complaint on what is overall a super well done and gripping movie.

Fortybelowsummer - Welcome to US Outpost 31, where theres no women around but you can drink whiskey and smoke weed on the job and theres a good chance youll get to use a flamethrower. Just keep an eye on your fellow crew members, as they may have been assimilated by a ruthless alien being thats trying to take over the whole human race. Arguably the best sci-fi horror movie ever, The Thing cemented John Carpenter as a horror master. Its filled with suspenseful tension and paranoia throughout, punctuated by an ensemble of really solid acting performances. The special effects are top notch, a shocking spectacle of grotesque tentacled morphing that was unprecedented at the time and still stands up as a prime example of unsettling horror visuals. The ending is intentionally ambiguous, which in this case is more thought provoking than annoying. Its most likely that Macready and Childs just wait out their distrust until their inevitable deaths, but whether or not you think that either of them is infected, its interesting to think about, and its a hell of a ride getting there.

Johnbobb - I watched The Thing years back after hearing a lot about how great it was, and tbh I fell asleep. Not because of the movie itself, most likely, but I never got the desire to start it back up agian. I'm glad to have reason to give it another shot, because it really is excellent body horror. Antartica makes for such an excellent location for the social isolation/paranoia horror, especially with the heavy fire usage juxtaposing against the frozen environment (is it normal for Antarctic researchers to have so many flamethrowers though?)

Karo - In this movie adaptation of Among Us, alien imposters infiltrate the crew of an antarctic research station as everyone flips out and degrades into paranoia and backstabbing.

It is entertaining to try and figure out who are the monsters, and the story laudably avoids making it too obvious to the viewers. But I would have liked to have seen more of the deaths result from human lunacy, they way they were going on it is miracle that they only ended up killing one non-imposter over the course of the movie's events.

It isn't quite up to the level of Alien, but it makes the best of what it has. It's not something I'd ever want to watch again, but I guess it is a decent enough film.

Getting seven 1st place votes and losing is crazy

I think the closest is Coco on the one animated list, where everyone had it in their top 3 except one person that had it in the high teens

Right film won! Even though I guess that has to be a minority opinion lol.

Missing my write-up.