Board 8 > Gauntlet Crew Ranks 90s Horror Films - Do you like ranking scary movies?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Snake5555555555 posted...

Johnbobb - keeps it from being the gothic epic it so badly wants to be.

Snake - holding it back from being the quintessential vampire flick it wants to be.

This feels like one of us copied off the other and changed it just enough to avoid getting caught
---

Outlier

Inviso - 107
Genny - 91
Charon - 84
KBM - 77
Johnbobb - 55
Karo - 49
Scarlet - 45
Snake - 28
JONA - 27

Despite a huge gap, KBM still doesn't touch the top rankings.
---

Johnbobb posted...

Snake5555555555 posted...

Johnbobb - keeps it from being the gothic epic it so badly wants to be.

Snake - holding it back from being the quintessential vampire flick it wants to be.

This feels like one of us copied off the other and changed it just enough to avoid getting caught

Great minds think alike!
---

As I said in the chat:

DAMMIT

8. Bram Stoker's Dracula

Francis Ford Coppolas take on the definitive vampire is all about the atmosphere, as one might expect. What atmosphere, though! A disjointed, episodic story, inconsistent acting, lacking scares, and a title character who certainly isnt as interesting as Vito Corleone the sumptuous production design and shadow-bathed cinematography in particular do a surprisingly good job of subsuming these flaws by absorbing the viewer in this Draculas world. Leaning into the gothic material in this way can only do so much for the doomed romance at its core, though, leaving an average movie in its wake.
---

30. Child's Play 2

Genny - 13
Inviso - 20
Charon - 25
Karo - 25
KBM - 28
Snake - 30
JONA - 31
Scarlet - 32
Johnbobb - 39

Genny - I'm not gonna say it's better than Child's Play, but I would still put Child's Play 2 in the same sentence unlike anything ending in "of Chucky"... Oh wait, shit! Anyway, the sequel takes a campy approach to the lore of Chucky intentionally and it works. When Chucky impersonated the Tommy doll is the first time I burst out laughing at anything in this project. However despite this being a bit more comedic than the original it goes heavier on the slasher horror. I ended up feeling bad for Andy and Kyle's foster parents even though the dad was kind of a dick. 7.8/10

Inviso - Okay sowhy the FUCK would you, a major toy company, decide to repurpose a burned and mangled Good Guy doll that is potentially connected with multiple homicides? I dont care what dumbassed PR scheme you have in mind, but just let it fucking GO. Anyway, this movie winds up extremely goofy, right from the first kill being that of an electrocuted factory worker who gets backflipped through a plate glass window. And its kinda fucked up in just how psychologically damaging the whole thing is bound to be for Andy. No one believes him, hes tormented by a killer doll, and even more people die all around him. Plus, some of the adults that die are just CARTOONISHLY awful (specifically Andys teacher and his foster father).

Ill give credit thoughChuckie is genuinely unsettling. And some of the kills are really creative (including murdering Chuckie like, three times in the Good Guy factory). Oh! And also, I like how they didnt turn Kyle into a completely one-note bitch, but rather she kinda understood the shit Andy was going through, and gave him slack more often than not. Also, I felt really bad for Joanne. It seemed like she either couldnt have kids of her own, or didnt feel like her husband would make for a good father, but she seemed to genuinely care for Andy and Kyle, only snapping once her husband died. I wish she hadnt been killed so callously, but at least is was off-screen, so we didnt have to watch her suffer.

Charon - All the gleeful gore that is Chucky, this time without the elements of suspense or mystery. A lot of these horror franchises exist because their lead, that is their villain, is such a powerful onscreen presence. Chucky's mere appearance in a film, usually, is enough to get people interested and you can at least expect a quality performance that can't really be duplicated by Brad Dourif. This film drops the tense atmosphere of the first one by just showing you Chucky doing evil things immediately. It makes the film much less interesting than the original, but still good enough to be enjoyed for the mindless series of deaths that it is.
---

Karo - The manufacturers of the Chuckie toy, upon hearing all the reports of demonic possession, decide the best way to examine the doll is to completely rebuild it from scratch. What could possibly go wron.. AAUGH!! Pressed for time before before he gets trapped in the body of a toy forever, Chuckie decides the best course of action is not to just immediately take Andy's soul before anyone realizes anything is wrong, but rather pretend to be a normal doll for seemingly no other reason but to troll everyone and waste time. Indeed, the movie is so atrociously written that it can't even bother to remember things that happened 20 minutes ago in the script. 'Hey Andy we heard about how you got detention in school today'. Well you know, the teacher was also beaten to death with a ruler but I guess that wasn't very fucking noteworthy. It is your typical rubbish horror sequel, and as such it must rely almost solely on the charisma of its central killer character. Chuckie may have more presence than, say, Jason Voorhees, but asking him to prop the whole movie up with his squishy rubber arms is a bit too much

KBM - Is it crazy that I think this movie is actually a little better than the first Child's Play? This one leans a lot more into the camp factor of the Chucky doll, which I think was a smart choice (especially with Brad Dourif in the role), and the little kid seems to have learned a little bit about acting since his annoying turn in the first one. I wouldn't go so far as to call this a good movie, but I at least got some entertainment out of the camp and intentional entertainment, at that. I can't say I'm a huge fan of this franchise in general, but for a slasher sequel, this is not bad.

Snake - Why I Chose It - Three Chucky films were released in the 90s, and all three were moderately popular box office successes. I targeted two for this: Bride of Chucky, and this one, the first sequel. I had Bride on the list for a long time due its softly rebooted storyline perfect for new viewers and for being one of the most well-known and successful entries (the most, in fact) in the series. However, I ultimately went with CP2 because it was the first sequel in what would become a long running franchise, and for being the film to establish the new tone the Child's Play series would keep for the rest of the films in the series going on.

My Thoughts - I've never really been a big fan of the Child's Play series. I think Chucky is a mostly nonsensical, non-threatening villain, and it was a great move to go goofy with the character rather than having that pretense of being a serious horror movie. This film really brings Chucky into his own and Brad Dourif is undeniably good here. He's the only one that can really act at all in this film; Alex Vincent is as stiff as ever and none of the adults are very good either. I lied a little, because I do like Christine Elise's character too, but ultimately the spotlight is on Chucky. Besides a decent ending sequence, Child's Play 2 absolutely plods along with little aim or purpose, cycling constantly between home, school, and the basement, with the most unrealistically annoying parents and teachers in existence. If it wasn't for Chucky himself, this movie would be absolutely worthless.

JONA - Aside from the eye-opening climax, theres not much substance here besides Chuckys antics.
---

Scarlet - The worst part of Hollywood, aside from the Dementors, is the ever-present necessity to go to a well. Everything is a well to Hollywood, and as long as theres still a bit of liquid left to squeeze out of the damn thing, you can rest assured that youll be handed a hackneyed script rife with repeats of something that came before. And said something doesnt even have to be good. It just has to exist. Aside from some great delivery here and there by Brad Dourif, this entire film is an exercise in just how bad a film can get before airlines wont run them to lure their passengers into mindless stupors on overseas connecting flights to European countries. And not even the good ones. The Vlado ones.
Rating: 23/100

Johnbobb - Before even starting this list, I assumed this would end up on the bottom. I never saw the first Child's Play, and that wasn't an accident. If there's one extremely specific subgenre of horror I hate, it's fucking living dolls. I don't know what it is about them. It's not that they're scary, just that they're so creepy and unpleasant that it makes me physically uncomfortable to watch them. That alone is reason enough for me to dislike this movie, but on top of that, it's just REALLY bad. The puppetry of Chucky is laughable, the performances kind of suck, the characters are all terrible in various ways (bonus points to the foster parents that left a Chucky doll in the closet before giving the room to the kid traumatized by the Chucky doll). Chucky himself is the worst of all though. Not scary, not funny, not thrilling, just completely unenjoyable.
---

Outlier

Inviso - 117
Genny - 108
Charon - 89
KBM - 79
Johnbobb - 64
Karo - 54
Scarlet - 47
JONA - 28
Snake - 28

Everyone stays firm, but Genny enters the one-hundred club.
---

Johnbobb strikes again *shakes fist*

I can see why this wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but I thought it was a serviceable follow up to an original idea. Like I said it takes a different approach, but if you don't appreciate camp and humor along with your mindless gore then it won't gel well with you. Honestly the original should've been more campy I think. It's hard to take a storyline like "Cornered criminal calls upon voodoo magic to confound cops by concealing his soul in a kid's plaything" completely seriously.

P.S. Joanne did deserve better
---

Child's Play is terrible. I just can't take the murder doll seriously. Almost certainly a bottom 5 for me.
---

10. Child's Play 2

Disclaimer: I have not seen the original Childs Play.

After a pleasantly campy beginning, this uneven movie settles into a typically cacophonous routine, attempting to disguise its lack of scares. Chucky is remarkably inert as a slasher villain; his presentation leans too much on the basic conceit of an animated doll who wants to kill people, which is a one-trick gambit that gets old after a few minutes. I was also personally annoyed by the movies focus on the world of a child who keeps having absurd things happen to him, only for authority figures to think hes playing games. Despite its significant failings, however, I enjoyed watching Childs Play 2 overall. In particular, Kyle is a surprisingly engaging protagonist, thanks to Christine Elises performance as well as a script that gives her genuine character development. The portion of the movie that focuses on her is snappy and thoroughly watchable.
---

Lopen posted...

Child's Play is terrible. I just can't take the murder doll seriously. Almost certainly a bottom 5 for me.

There are lots of movies on this list that are hard to take seriously. Child's Play has Chucky, whom even if the films are bad is usually sure to be great because he's Brad Dourif (well, was, but he's still great now).
---

Chucky is arguably the worst part of Child's Play 2

which is saying a lot because the whole movie was terrible
---

Well there are movies on this list that are hard to take seriously on overall tone or premise, but if you can get past that the antagonist generally feels dangerous I'd say. Like "if this were real" I'd be afraid. But I just can't find a murder doll threatening is what I meant. Conceptually Child's Play as a series is just kinda broken to me. In a way it's not better than downranking Arachnophobia because of the spiders, it's just the reverse version of it.
---

29. Urban Legend

Charon -11
JONA - 21
Genny - 26
Scarlet - 26
Karo - 27
Inviso - 28
Snake - 32
Johnbobb - 33
KBM - 38

Charon - Stands tall amongst the Scream inspired horror wave of the late 90's with its clever use of diversion and multitude of possible suspects. Of all the films on this project, this one probably surprised me the most. We watched this one near the end of the list, and I expected a pretty straightforward slasher film. Instead I found this one to be full of surprises. It was probably the only film on the project that actually kept me guessing until the end. While the payoff was underwhelming considering how much I loved the buildup to it, this was still a pleasant treat.

JONA - This is probably higher than it should be but a murder mystery with themed murders appeals to me. However, the characters are nothing special and I did have a problem with the reveal, but that gets kinda handwaved by the ending.

Genny - In Urban Legend we have a really cool concept for a movie botched by its execution and terrible conclusion. That woman's plan made zero sense if she was just going to kill the man she was framing and that makes me beyond frustrated. Oh well. 6.9/10

Scarlet - In yet another attempt to create a 90s version of the Brat Pack, a surprisingly loaded cast is handed a fairly generic teen slasher script that hinges on one slightly interesting gimmick. Can the Joker, Peter Bishop, Lex Luthor and Bunny Lebowski salvage this tapioca of a film? Nope. And this failed Brat Pack reboot would slink into obscurity quite quickly.
Rating: 28/100

Karo - A serial killer terrorizes a small college with murders that mimic urban legends, and does the world a favor by offing all the worthless little shits that live there. Everyone is really stupid and acts in an unbelievable manner. Hey, someone was just decapitated so lets go drive out into the middle of nowhere at midnight in a car that doesnt start properly. Seems like a good plan! The film is full of plot elements that make sense individually but are nonsensical as a whole. For example, why would Paul freak out at the girls looking in the trunk if he didnt put the body there? Why would the killer leave the body in the trunk anyway? To try and get the boy she loves arrested for murder? Idiocy like this runs rampant throughout the entire movie and the script seems written by someone who just wanted to go 'gotcha' as much as possible without any thought of consequences. If only this film's existence was the sole myth here.

Inviso - This movies greatest selling point is also its biggest failing. By virtue of taking urban legends and applying them to a serial kills MO, you have some unique and inspired kills. However, the contrivance needed to make those kills happen ispretty terrible. Every scene is fucking awkward, and you have this psychotic killer whose motivation makes no sense beyond seeking revenge against the two girls that ruined her life. Killing all of those other peopleparticularly those that the main character didnt give a shit about, felt pointless. It doesnt help that the cast feels completely underdeveloped, and ultimately like they only exist to be victims in scenes completely detached from the central character. For fucks sake, douchebag character has his dog microwaved in a bustling house party, and then he himself is tied up and murdered in a bathroom at that same partyand no one discovers this. Nor do they care when Tara Reid is getting murdered. Its hard to tolerate that, because the uniqueness of the kills isnt forgivable.
---

Snake - Why I Chose It - Between its cast of fresh faces and experienced veterans alike (including horror mainstays Brad Dourif and Robert Englund), and the way this film reintroduced urban legends into the public conscious, Urban Legend was a box office hit and produced a small franchise of two sequels.

My Thoughts - This film has potential in its concept, but fails utterly in scripting, characters, and performances. This film has a strange midnight movie feel but without the curiosity or realistic constraints of one, creating a mood that never really feels right or in-line with what the film really wants the tone to be. Of all the Scream-inspired films on this list, I also think this feels the most like a straight-rip of that formula, replacing horror films with the titular urban legends instead.

Johnbobb - This was... something? I was intrigued by the idea of Urban Legends manifesting in reality, created and made true by the collective conscious of the public. But that's not what it is, of course. In the end, it's a forgettable slasher where nobody is really worth caring about and where the urban legends come across as serving less as inspiration and more as easy screenwriting.

KBM - Another example of what went horribly wrong with the slasher genre in the late '90s. What a weird era it was when someone like Tara Reid could be taken seriously as a Hollywood actress. Bland, mindless, and annoying, with a bunch of teenagers who are stupid even by horror movie standards, this is a movie that's shamelessly trying to copy other movies that weren't even that good to begin with. None of the characters are interesting (with the exception of one somewhat likable security guard who isn't in enough of the movie), the kills are too self-consciously referential to be any fun, and even Robert Englund is wasted in a too-obvious red herring of a role. Brad Dourif is here too, and he also gets next to nothing to do (a travesty in any situation where an over the top Dourif performance might partially redeem a schlocky movie). The movie finally doubles down on its stupidity when the killer is revealed and literally starts playing a slide show to demonstrate how and why they did the things they did.
---

Karo posted...

why would Paul freak out at the girls looking in the trunk if he didnt put the body there?

I wouldn't exactly say looking at them with a surprised face and rushing out trying to explain that he didn't put the body there is freaking out.

Karo posted...

Why would the killer leave the body in the trunk anyway? To try and get the boy she loves arrested for murder?

Yes. I wouldn't say she loved him, at the very least, not enough to choose him over revenge for her fiance.
---

28. Nightbreed

JONA - 17
Johnbobb - 19
KBM - 22
Snake - 23
Scarlet - 24
Charon - 28
Genny - 29
Karo - 34
Inviso - 37

JONA - The movie has a pretty strong start and sets things up to be very engaging. The middle kind of falls flat at times and it started to run a bit too long but the climax is incredible. It was cool to see what the Nightbreed were capable of instead of being just window dressing for a good part of the movie.

Johnbobb - I got some strong Dark City vibes from this. It's not something I'd call objectively good. A lot of the performances are pretty weak and some of it is kind of dumb, but it still stands out because of how creative it is. Nightbreed presents a unique, bizarre reality and dives headfirst into it, quickly going from intriguing to crazy to pure batshit, in a (mostly) good way. The character designs are distinct and wild and the action is thrilling, and from a movie like this, that's about all I can ask for.

KBM - A super-entertaining mess of a movie (a trend in this part of the list, to be sure), this has a whole lot of unique ideas that it doesn't always quite know how to get across. I watched the director's cut, and even in that context there are some baffling aspects of this movie but then again, it's possible that, considering this was planned to be the first movie of a trilogy, we as an audience aren't necessarily meant to understand everything that's going on. Nevertheless, it's certainly an entertaining, fascinating movie, with some incredibly creative production design and visuals, and strong performances, especially from David Cronenberg as the ghoulish, unhinged psychotherapist. The unique mythology of this universe was enough on its own to draw me in, and I do kind of wish we'd gotten follow-up films.

Snake - Why I Chose It - Though far from the most financially successful film on this list, the years have been kind to Barker's passion project, becoming a cult film that feels destined to be realized in its entirety. With almost enough re-releases and cuts to make Blade Runner blush, Nightbreed is a shining example of horror creativity that I think deserves a wider audience, no matter how imperfect.

My Thoughts - I don't think I've ever seen a film as weird, wonderful, and woefully incomplete as Nightbreed. Through the various cuts of this I've seen (with a 3-hour cut to come), Nightbreed has never felt like a complete movie to me. Yet, there's so much I love, from Cronenberg's doctor/killer combo to the Nightbreed themselves, beautiful, complex creatures that mirror the outcasts of humanity in a touching way. On the flip-side however, is a too complex mythology not fit for 90 minute or 145 minute or even a 180 minute run-time. Things are not explained well enough to become compelling, instead begging for a TV adaptation to let things grow and breathe naturally. Besides that though, Nightbreed deserves to be seen despite its faults, and it's a world I never mind returning to over and over again.

Scarlet - There is some depth hidden in this movie, a commentary on the nature of being an outcast in society, but by and large the practical effects and the camp made me yearn for the appearance of one Buffy Summers at some point to put this cast out of its misery. And, quite frankly, the entire film plays like an episode of a Buffyverse show, sans the parts of it that are actually watchable. A lot of this movie in general just seems to hedge its bets on keeping itself a cliffhanger-esque ending and inconsistent character arcs that leave you guessing as to whether is movie is at all a step up from the slash movie drivel of the previous decade.
Rating: 31/100
---

Charon - A film that clearly should have been a series, Nightbreed suffers from a bloated cast we're supposed to care about a world that's never properly explained. What strikes me the most is the way characters discuss Midian. It's like... "oh yeah, Midian, I've heard of it. I'll be right there", but in reality Midian is just this random graveyard but people discuss it like it's a town even before they know what it is. There's some promise here, I mean I do like the lead character well enough and the villain is also decent, but they kinda get buried here by some freaky nonsense here and there. I really feel that this would have found a better home in a series or miniseries; there seems to be a lot of universe to expand upon that never really was, and even with the way the movie ended they sort of hint at that as well. It's not necessarily a bad movie, just a little bit clumsy.

Genny - Nightbreed drops you into a world where nothing is explained thoroughly enough. The Nightbreed are an intriguing concept as a race, and I wanted to like the movie based on the premise alone, but it ends up being just okay. 6.5/10

Karo - So there is apparently this hidden city in the woods filled with people in silly makeup called the nightbreed, and some guy goes there and becomes one of them and they all fight some dipshit rednecks while constantly cutting to a shot of some random ghoul leering at the camera with some shit-faced smirk because that is supposed to be like scary or something. The nightbreed themselves are an inconstant assortment of rejected horror movie concept art brought to life by people who constantly change their minds throughout the story on whether they want their monsters to be grotesque or sympathetic. It doesnt help things that the film is incompetently directed and written with no sense of direction or pacing. Plot elements are thrown out willy-nilly and then soon forgotten, the tone of the movie shifts wildly between any given scene, and it is impossible to form any sort of connection to anything that is going on. In the wake of all this unpleasntry we are left with a confusing mess of a movie that doesnt know what the hell it wants to be. Is it a slasher movie with Mr. Sackhead? Is it the story of a man turning into a monster after being bitten? It is a moral fable about bigotry? Is it the result of consuming way too much weed? It is somehow all of these cliched things simultaneously, and all of them poorly. Please keep the creators of this film far far away from any more movie cameras, and for the love of god don't let them breed. In the night or otherwise.

Inviso - This movie was stupid. LikeIm genuinely confused by the plot and what the point was. There were too many characters that just got flung at the screen without properly explaining the purpose behind them. I dont completely understand why the serial killer psychotherapist had it out for Boone? Like, I get using him as a fall guybut why would you use him as a fall guy for crimes that no one really had any lead on? The movie also introduces a priest over halfway through its runtime, and suddenly he becomes a major character forreasons? And hell, even the plot of the Nightbreed themselves seemed unsure as to whether it was possible to portray them as good guys. This film was just trying too hard to be both creepy AND fantasy, and it didnt work for me on either end of the spectrum.
---

14. Nightbreed

Version Watched: Directors Cut

This Clive Barker misfire tries to make a bold point about the capacity for evil within humanity, while simultaneously striving to live up to its genre. Its attempt to have its cake and eat it too proves fruitless, since it fails to provide any compelling reason to care about the Nightbreeds and their fate. The action and scares dont work either; the extended climax in particular is a cacophonous mess, and the ending comes off as confusion for its own sake. Its deadly serious treatment of ludicrous subject matter (offset slightly by a few glaringly campy moments) doesnt help. On the plus side, the villains are suitably villainous; in particular, David Cronenberg puts up a great performance as the dodgy doctor Decker.
---

I still think Urban Legend deserves better. It's a good concept definitely. I'll admit it has some troubles, especially with the big reveal and ending, but I really feel it offered a ton of suspense leading up to that.
---

Outlier

Inviso - 127
Genny - 112
Charon - 107
KBM - 94
Johnbobb - 77
Karo - 62
Scarlet - 54
JONA - 47
Snake - 36

Charon makes a huge jum into the hundreds, and JONA makes his first huge jump as well, leaving Snake alone at the bottom.
---

27. Wishmaster

Genny - 7
Charon - 20
KBM - 23
JONA - 24
Inviso - 26
Johnbobb - 27
Scarlet - 34
Snake - 35
Karo - 36

Genny - Wishmaster and its sequels were my childhood guilty pleasures. I always loved the way the Djinn spoke with such intimidation and gravitas. The methods in which he kills his victims and/or claims their souls is as creative as it is random. Does anyone know why some of his victims are free to live for a couple days while others are insta-killed? No? Cool. At any rate an evil genie that intentionally corrupts your wishes is a unique concept that I adore. In fact the only major gripe I have with this movie is the terrible decisions made by the protagonist, but I guess you wouldn't have a plot without that! 8.5/10

Charon - The lead villain is almost good enough to create an enduring horror franchise as the love letter it sends to the those pays tribute to; almost. Yes this film did end up with a number of sequels, but all of those came straight to DVD. I feel like the Djinn was almost good enough to warrant the sort of series we have seen from the actors that appear within, namely ones like Englund and Hodder. He has a good stage presence and even though he's sort of a combination of Freddy and Pinhead, he's a pretty cool villain. I'd guess the reason why Wishmaster isn't quite as revered as some of the other horror franchises is that the backstory of the character is more difficult to touch upon. I'm not sure really. But I liked this movie, and I think the makeup here has held up extremely well considering the film and budget.

KBM - It hurts me to put Wishmaster even this low because it was so damn much fun to watch. However I can't technically make the argument that it's a good or smart overall movie. What I can say is that Divoff's performance in the title role is absolutely magnetic, and between that and the gleefully over-the-top gore, campy B-movie special effects, and creative death scenes, Wishmaster satisfied this particular horror fan. The veritable parade of guest stars from other horror franchises was also a lot of fun, and the actors were well-used in their cameo roles (I particularly enjoyed Tony Todd's scene as a growling bouncer who gets himself a hell of a death scene, and Kane Hodder the best Jason Vorhees appearing as a security guard who the Djinn quite literally goes through.)

JONA - This movie is pretty schlocky but I also found it pretty fun, pretty much because of the Djinns gimmick. I always liked the corrupted wish angle and it gets some mileage here.

Inviso - Ive never seen a single movie in the Hellraiser franchise (Ive seen scenes, but never a full film), yet based on what I know about Hellraiser, this film feels like someone took the concept of Hellraiser and merged it with the concept of Nightmare on Elm Street, to create a bizarre amalgamation of weird, mythological creature horror. The movie is goofy as shit, with the weird contrivance of the djinn needing people to ask him for something in order to use his powers, only for him to turn around and ruin their wish. Some of those ruined wishes are so hilariously contrived that you cant help but laugh at them, either. Ultimately though, while I appreciate a movie that you cant take too seriously, I wish this didnt go so completely cheesy like it did. It detracts from the wackiness of some of the kills when the djinn randomly goes to a shop and turns a girl into a mannequin just for shits and giggles. So yeahinteresting concept, but not perfect.
---

Johnbobb - I never know how to rate or rank "so bad it's good" movies. This is a horribly acted, horribly written movie that is funny as hell because of it. Well, for the most part; there are more than a few boring lore scenes that literally nobody cares about. However, I also have to deduct points for it not even being the best take on this same concept (looking at you, Needful Things). Try a little harder, Wishmaster.

Scarlet - This movie, about a young boy who is whisked away to the storybook realm that librarians and LeVar Burton claim resides within every book, attempts to take a truly all-star voice cast and roll them into a Magic School Bus style bit of edutainment which teaches us that books are fun. Too bad that the star of the film pretty much demonstrates that only the most bullied and heckled geeks in the school hierarchy are privy to this exclusive realm of magic. Its an even tougher sell with a script that, ironically, isnt a page-turner.
Rating: 20/100

Snake - Why I Chose It - The Djinn has become a moderate horror icon with a series of three sequels. Wishmaster is also an all-star celebration of the most famous actors and filmmakers in horror, directed by special effects wizard Robert Kurtzman, produced by Wes Craven, composed by Harry Manfredini, and featuring actors like Robert Englund, Angus Scrimm, Tony Todd, & Kane Hodder, just to name a few.

My Thoughts - I want so badly to like this movie more than I do. The Djinn is a pretty cool concept for an antagonist and overall I think he looks pretty good, and I love seeing all the cameos like some sort of horror MCU. However, this movie is just overall really dull beyond a few gore scenes and the Djinn concept isn't pushed as much as I would've liked.

Karo - An evil djinn is released from a gem and he sets out to give the three wishes that will free his kind and doom mankind as we know it. Perhaps this genie would have opened the portal to his world by now if he didn't fucking maim and murder every single person he comes across. Surely a being as old and powerful as him should understand the concept of enough intrigue and subterfuge to convince a master for long enough to achieve his goals that all this wishing wont make him grow an extra arm out of his anus. So the movie breaks down as follows: the genie meets someone who makes an ill advised or poorly worded wish. Oh nooo this isnt what I wished for! Cue a lot of screaming and excessive use of motion blur. Repeat. It is hard to tell which is worse, the terrible acting or the idiotic script. An evil counterpoint to the friendly Robin Williams genie is an intriguing concept but this is just so so terribly made and I wish it never existed.
---

Hmm. Sounds like a pretty fun movie. An Anti-Aladdin of sorts. Had I gotten around to watching it, Id have probably ranked it high.
---

It's honestly worth seeing even though it's a pretty bad movie
---

26. Event Horizon

Karo - 16
Snake - 18
Charon - 22
Inviso - 22
Genny - 24
Scarlet - 27
Johnbobb - 30
JONA - 33
KBM - 36

Karo - A crew sent to rescue a lost space flight finds to their dismay that everyone went insane and killed each other while speaking latin. So the ominously named Event Horizon is a vessel that has the scientifically dubious ability to generate black holes inside itself and use them to jump through spacetime. They then like enter the wrong stargate address or something and open a portal to hell by accident. Dealing with something other than the cliched space aliens is refreshing, though unfortunately when you really break things down the movie is essentially a generic store brand Alien, only minus the actual alien and the ship is evil or some shit like that. There is nothing majorly wrong with the film, but it is hard to get excited when you have a plot you have seen a million times before and a supporting cast that is either forgettable, or memorable for all the wrong reasons. The result is something that cannot quite escape the event horizon of mediocrity

Snake - Why I Chose It - Though a troubled production and a vastly cut down final product doomed this film before it even premiered, Event Horizon has managed to maintain a strong fanbase with strong home video sales. It has influenced many subsequent sci-fi properties, most notably the Dead Space series.

My Thoughts- The fact I enjoy Event Horizon as much as I do despite all its glaring issues both behind and in front of the camera I think means there's something really solid here. Laurence Fishburne & Sam Neill deliver great performances despite a wonky script, and I absolutely love this film's lonely, dread-filled atmosphere. I think the ship design of the Event Horizon is really unique, especially the gravity drive room. The ship feels properly Eldritch despite being man-made, and I love that the ship is the actual antagonist, always present, always watching. The film's psychological moments are also really effective, especially juxtaposed with the more traditional viscera and gore associated with horror. In general, the blood in this is properly unsettling and gruesome. I think the ending kind of falls flat for me, but the journey is well worth it.

Charon - An eerie film that doesn't quite reach the levels of greatness you can sense just beneath the surface; it's hard to tell what holds it back. Event Horizon is a space horror that also blends in elements of psychological horror, which in theory should propel the movie into greatness. For me, it just never quite makes it there but I still really enjoy the concept and want to like it a whole lot more than I do. It puts me in mind a good bit of As Above, So Below on that note, another film which has a similar sort of "this place knows my darkest secrets" touch to it that I want to really love. As a concept, this movie is great, but the execution just leaves something out. I think it needed more darkness, more actual scares in there with it. Oh, and don't forget we didn't need another funny black man. That said, at least this film didn't seem to be quite as racist as some of the others here.
---

Inviso - This movie manages to really set a creepy stage for the vast majority of its runtime. The slow devolution of the crew as theyre tormented by hallucinations is great, as is the general breaking down of societal norms as the demonic energy permeating the ship threatens to take control. However, after creating such an eerie setting, I feel like the film rushes the ending far too much. The entire cast is still alive going into like, the last 20 minutes, and then its just kill after kill after kill. Its a pacing problem more than anything. Also, if you know anything about my tastes from Doctor Who, I love a good base-under-siege story. It gives a chance to develop a large cast and flesh them out. But in this, its really only three characters that get fleshed out, and then a bunch of kill fodder. Its unfortunate, because I feel like there couldve been a lot more in terms of psychological horror, rather than just having Sam Neill go crazy and start killing everyone. So yeahsolid concept that just couldnt stick the landing, unfortunately.

Genny - What do you get when you take the haunted house concept and make the house a space ship instead? Event Horizon dares to ask this question. It's a refreshing concept I wish was utilized more in any media. Space horror when done correctly can be edge-of-your-seat thrilling. That said, Event Horizon doesn't really do it justice. The sense of isolation is there, as is the necessary cabin fever victim, but as interesting as the premise is I couldn't help but feel it let me down. 7.1/10

Scarlet - Imagine how much work it takes to save one of the worst scripts Ive ever seen. Thats no exaggeration. Its complete and utter nonsense. But the work put in by two phenomenal talents (Lawrence Fishburne, Sam Neill) and the sheer ridiculous effects work at least turns this script into memorable crap. Which is better than being unmemorable crap. That said, the film is heavily reliant on jump scares to turn this I wish I could make Alien pipe dream into something more. It apes pieces of things other sci fi horror films do well, but without understanding what makes them work.
Rating: 27/100

Johnbobb - Anyone else get some Flatliners vibes from this? But like, less good. There's definitely an attempt here; good set design, decent action, but it ultimately just came off way more corny than scary. The performances are inconsistent and sometimes even cringey (not helped by weak dialogue), and the plot ended up being considerably less interesting than the concept might let on. It's over-the-top and overacted in a way that definitely doesn't match the one it seems to want.

JONA - The movie has an interesting concept and setting but it just ends up being kinda dull.

KBM - Oh, Paul W.S. Anderson. The fact that the best movie you've ever made is 2002's Resident Evil adaptation is very telling. This mess of a sci-fi horror film features the worst Sam Neill performance I have seen, and that includes Jurassic Park III. The rest of the cast doesn't fare much better, but it's not like they have any good (or even coherent) material to work with. Some of the visuals are nice, but with a story this muddled, derivative, and ultimately insubstantial, that only carries you through part of the first act before you realize that it's all just going to get steadily worse from here.
---

Outlier

Genny - 134
Inviso - 132
Charon - 118
KBM - 108
Johnbobb - 81
Karo - 81
Scarlet - 67
JONA - 57
Snake - 52

Genny claims the top spot from Vis!
---

Horror in space you say? I likey.
---

It's such a shame we'll never get the full experience of Event Horizon.
---

I actually forgot I was still waiting for that one to drop.

25. Mimic

Karo - 17
JONA - 20
Snake - 20
Scarlet - 23
Johnbobb - 24
Inviso - 25
KBM - 29
Genny - 32
Charon - 36

Karo - Scientists release genetically modified bugs into the city to stop a cockroach plague, and of course they get realllly big and start eating humans. I'm sorry, but you can't just take a tiny little insect with termite and mantis DNA and have it turn into a six foot tall humanoid with fucking lungs in just three years, I don't care how fast its metabolism is. If you are having 17 thousand generations per year it means you are basically mating right out of the egg sac and that means no natural selection. Anyway, everyone heads down into the scary sewers and gets torn to pieces by big bad buggies. It is nothing but a generic monsters in the dark movie, and true to its title it is just a mimicry of better films that came before.

JONA - Honestly, my favorite part of the movie might be the opening credits. Thats not even to say the movie is bad or anything; those were some cool credits. The movies got great atmosphere and shows off the dirty, dingy Manhattan subways well. I already hate cockroaches and seeing Ermine-sized cockroaches scared the heck out of me. Theres not much that makes this movie stand out but its still enjoyable.

Snake - Why I Chose It - Del Toro's second '90s outing, and first big-budget film, Mimic is his first film to showcase his natural talent for the fantastical & grotesque monster design he his known for. It is also Norman Reedus' debut film, and became a minor franchise with 2 sequels.

My Thoughts - It is far from Del Toro's most solid film, but damn does the guy know how to build atmosphere. The naturally terrifying look of New York subways is the perfect breeding ground for this, with the gritty reality juxtaposing with the fantastical humanoid cockroach monster. And what a monser it is. It looks dated, but I think in the way that PS1 graphics look dated. It reminds me of how the graphics of the original Silent Hill became scarier in retrospect due to not being able to clearly tell what certain things fully look like. I absolutely love that feeling. If I had a complaint, the cast and characters are completely forgettable, and can't really muster up anything worthwhile between them.

Scarlet - Featuring a monstrous foe thats one part Species, one part The Thing, and one part nonsensical, Mimic is easily the worst outing ever by Guillermo del Toro. Just a complete mess thats only buttressed by some excellent tonal work that only Del Toro can create. However, its a pretty paint-by-numbers plot with some terrible performances. Send this movie to Bargain Bin Hell, boy.
Rating: 37/100

Johnbobb - Given that it's a Del Toro film, it shouldn't be a surprise that the best thing about it was the monster design. A life-sized roach bug that visually adapts to hunt humans? That's what I wanted from Arachnophobia! It's just a shame nothing more is ever really done with it. It's creepy and atmospheric at first, but eventually devolves into more of a generic survival monster horror. There's a lot of wasted potential here.
---

Inviso - If Im trying to be completely objective, this wasnt a BAD movie. Guillermo del Toro knows his way around a horror film. It just didnt really appeal to me. I wasnt necessarily grossed out by the bugs or anythingI dont know how to describe it. I guess the way Id put it is that the film felt like it was trying too hard to make a gritty, realistic setting, complete with realistic-looking bug autopsies and organs. Butthat just made the whole thing feel unpleasant to watch, you know? Dont get me wrong, any movie where the first two kills are two obnoxious little bastard children gets some points in my book for taking a risk (although seriously, the autistic shoe shine kid deserved to die.) I cant explain it. This just didnt appeal to me. It was like Alien (or Aliens, since there were multiple bug creatures), if Alien took itself just a LITTLE too seriously for its own good. That seriousness is the make or break determination for me, I guess.

KBM - My least favorite of Guillermo del Toro's films, I was at least pleasantly surprised that I didn't absolutely hate this movie thanks to my visceral and crippling phobia of cockroaches. Del Toro is one of the most talented directors working today, so even the least of his oeuvre has things going for it. For one, Charles S. Dutton as an ornery MTA officer provides some much-needed life to the proceedings, and thanks to del Toro's visual flair, the movie manages to maintain a certain level of creepy atmosphere even when nothing particularly interesting is happening. Unfortunately this is dragged down by several factors: some corny, pointless jump scares, a pretty dull script, and an utter lack of chemistry between Mira Sorvino and Jeremy Northam as the romantic leads being the chief offenders. You also have a story that wastes a perfectly good F. Murray Abraham, a magical autistic trope of a character whose story arc really doesn't go anywhere at all, and behind-the-scenes executive meddling fuckery courtesy of the Weinsteins that definitely didn't help matters.

Genny - Oh Guillermo del Toro, how could you have anything to do with this? Of all the "giant version of commonplace animal is a huge threat" films the plot for Mimic is the most forgivable, but I would be lying through my teeth if I said I felt anything for any of the characters contained within. 5.2/10

Charon - An unbelievable monster movie that you can't think about too long or you'll completely unravel the plot until it's a twitching roach on the floor. So we'll release these roaches, that will destroy these other disease ridden roaches, right? Okay. We'll biologically engineer the species to die after a few months, and they'll be completely infertile. Check. We've gotta kill all these humanoid roaches! Uh... ok. It just handles the transition so badly you'd think it was a joke. I know this is based on a book and I'm curious if the book makes any more sense out of this or not. From a scientific standpoint, this one might make the least sense of all the science fiction themed horrors. I'm just not seeing how these things evolved to the point they did; things just don't work like that. Ignoring that part of it, the movie isn't terrible or anything. It has some odd plot points like "abduct main female character, but don't kill her, like we killed every other character we encounted" but the atmosphere it decent enough. I just can't get passed the antagonists though; it's too outlandish.
---

Humanoid roaches? Nah I deal with regular roaches enough at work. Id hate to imagine those little fuckers are plotting to take over. Hard pass.
---

24. Fire in the Sky

Inviso - 11
Snake - 17
Genny - 19
Scarlet - 25
JONA - 26
Charon - 28
Karo - 29
Johnbobb - 31
KBM - 32

Inviso - This is a weird movie, because everything the viewer sees is based on a true storyor at least as true as a story about alien abduction can be. As a result, the plotline is told in a very bizarre fashionbut it still kinda works. The cold open has a bunch of shellshocked guys showing up in town, scared shitless, and then it turns out one of their buddies is MIA. So for the first half of the film, its purely a thriller where the audience has no idea if the alien abduction story is true or not, and whether Dallis really murdered Travis or not. But then Travis returns, all kinds of fucked up, and were subjected to an EXTREMELY disturbing alien abduction sequence, where hes floating through a ship after some horrific imagery and events take place. And thats it. He remembers everything, but life has to move on as though nothing ever happened. Its an interesting take, and again, its something that would only ever come about if youre trying to adapt a real story. That makes it feel more compelling in and of itself, so I guess Im pretty okay with that.

Snake - Why I Chose It - Based on the true story of Travis Walton's UFO abduction, Fire in the Sky has what is considered one of the most well-regarded and most frightening alien abduction scenes ever.

My Thoughts - Despite my lowish ranking here, I adore this movie. Ufology is a hobby close to my heart, and I think the story of Travis Walton is one of the most interesting and frightening cases out there. I really like the different kind of horror on display here; it's not what most people would consider horror, but that pain and longing of not knowing what happened to your close friend while everyone around you blames you, is so sad and scary to me. Of course, when the real horror of the alien abduction does start, it is so jarring and contrary to the rest of the film that it feels like your breath gets literally taken away as you hang on every horrifying and sickening detail. The performances are all excellent and I think the slow, methodical pace works wonders in deepening the film's overall impact on me.

Genny - I had no idea Fire in the Sky was based on real-life events prior to watching it for this project, though my fianc did and notified me. I thought it would be difficult to attempt to make a horror film that borrowed from actual events, particularly events that didn't involve some tragic massacre, but I was proven wrong. It's competently made, and though the creepy visuals tread toward sci-fi more often than horror the depicted imagery does inspire a certain sense of dread within me. The actors' portrayals are also good enough to get signed off by a couple of the actual people who went through this, and the performances inspire pity and hopelessness so I cannot complain. 7.4/10

Scarlet - You know how some people suck and say that Close Encounters is boring because they cant appreciate the cultural zeitgeist of the film? Yeah, Fire in the Sky actually DOES suck because its so phenomenally boring that taking a sleeping pill works less effectively as self-medicating anesthesia than this movie, and there is no cultural zeitgeist to this slog of a movie. Ive read Wall Street Journal articles with more excitement.
Rating: 29/100

JONA - The drama is somewhat intriguing and the alien scenes are cool but this just feels stretched out for what it is.
---

Charon - Terrific acting is tempered by a somewhat too slice-of-life style story that doesn't particularly hold up well in its own genre. Robert Patrick is a treasure as usual, putting on a brilliant performance. Really all the actors do a phenomenal job here, the problem really is just the limitations of this film. Since it is based on a real account of an alien abduction, it's hard for the film to do much beyond tell you that story without the actual people looking too foolish for imagining something outlandish. I find it difficult to call it a horror film, as horrifying as I'm sure being abducted and tested upon is and I in no way want to discount the stories of anyone who believes that's happened to them, but as a film I can only rate this so high on the strength of the actors.

Karo - This bunch of loggers sees a UFO in the sky, and because one of them is a dumbass he ends up abducted and thoroughly probed. The group comes under suspicion of having murdered their friend, and some attempt at resolution is made by a lot of idiot rednecks shouting in each others faces. Not really a whole lot else happens in the film, the aliens never reappear except in flashback, it's just these grubby lumberjacks protesting over and over that they reaaaaaally did see their friend get kidnapped by E.T. and they werent just taking LSD on the job. It is very hampered by being based on a 'true' story and thus limiting the plot from taking any surprising turns. Or any turns at all, really.

Johnbobb - That abduction flashback scene would've made an INCREDIBLE short film. It's a shame you have to watch an hour of angsty blue collar UFO sighting politics to get to it.

KBM - This is a horror movie? Huh. Well, regardless of genre, this movie really only makes it even this high on my list for one reason only: the actual alien abduction scene, once it finally happens, lives up to its reputation and makes for a genuinely harrowing 15 minutes or so. But man, that 15 minutes is just about the only substantial thing about this movie, which for the most part was a slog to get through. The actors are clearly doing their best here, but I spent most of the nearly two-hour runtime utterly bored by this slow slice-of-life tale about a bunch of toxic asshole rednecks. It's telling that the scenes aboard the alien craft have almost nothing at all to do with Travis Walton's actual account of what happened almost as if the filmmakers would have been better off scrapping the based on a true story angle and coming up with a more interesting story entirely to surround the abduction scenes
---

Outlier

Genny - 146
Inviso - 145
Charon - 133
KBM - 117
Karo - 94
Johnbobb - 89
Scarlet - 65
JONA - 64
Snake - 64

It's a close race for the top AND bottom now.
---

3. Fire in the Sky

To its undoubted credit, this movie mines low-key, largely affecting drama from a premise naturally given to sensationalism. Such an approach wouldnt have worked without good acting, and the actors fortunately deliver. In particular, Robert Patricks layered performance conveys Mikes guilt over his decisions during the abduction, and D. B. Sweeney is about as effective as the scarred but optimistic abductee Travis. Its more fantastical elements, mainly the abduction itself and especially the alien craft scenes, are also fully realized, effectively delivering existential horror. The movie ends with a quietly devastating denouement that needs no more than a few words to convey how Mike, unlike Travis, has never been able to move on from the incident.
---

Man I really wanted to be able to rank Fire in the Sky higher, but it ultimately was just one excellent scene in an otherwise bad movie imo
---

Travis got abducted by aliens?! Give me my son back!
---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lztwjgD10Yw" data-time="
---

23. Tremors

Inviso - 9
Johnbobb - 13
Scarlet - 16
JONA - 25
KBM - 25
Snake - 25
Karo - 26
Genny - 33
Charon - 34

Inviso - Its been a long time since Id seen Tremors, so the freshest memory I had of it was the RedLetterMedia review. And that review hit the nail right on the head with regards to this film. Its great. Its cheesyvery B-movie. But a B-movie can be amazing, and Tremors was exactly that. It just nails a lot of the best things about horror movies. Theres a slow build as the viewer wonders what this mysterious, murderous creature is; the protagonists have to think and reason a way out of their situation; and theres some quirky fun to the characters that makes you get invested in their survival. The whole they can sense vibrations thing adds some suspense amidst the cornier elements of the film, and it just makes the protagonists feel that much more impressive when they manage to overcome the odds and win. Also, I love the fact that you have four graboids, and the writers killed all four in different ways (head-first into concrete, shot to shit, blown the fuck up, and launched off a cliff.) Thats creative, and its a nice little cherry on top of a quaint and fun movie.

Johnbobb -This is one of the first things I think of when I think of fun, goofy monster movies. The graboids are just a great monster design. Huge and bizarre and threatening but also fun to watch and easy to understand. It manages to take what's expected of a horror environment (dark, small and clautrophobic) and flip it on its head, managing that same inherent creepiness in a massive, bright desert town. It jumps right into the threat and action without wasting any time. Kevin Bacon is wacky and enjoyable to watch. Reba and her man and their wall of guns are hilarious. It's not a flawless movie by any stretch but it's a blast to watch.

Scarlet - Your mileage may vary, depending on your love for the B-Movies of yesteryear. Kevin Bacon hams it up in this love letter to the monster movies of the 50s, and the campy stupidity is both a blessing and a curse as it sets the tone. While the movie seems fully aware of how bad it is, it also isnt able to rectify that problem in any way. Knowing is half the battle, but there is another half, and that falls into the realm of doing something about it. It seems like the director here was content on letting the actors disguise the flimsiness of the film with cartoonish performances, distracting from the man behind the curtain here.
Rating: 50/100

JONA - The characters are likable enough and the setting of the town in the desert helps give the movie its own vibe. Its also fun to see how they deal with the creatures. It doesnt have much substance but its just dumb fun.

KBM - Here's a movie I can't help but feel I should have liked more than I did. Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward are super charismatic in the lead roles; Michael Gross and Reba McEntire are equally delightful as a pair of comic-relief survivalists. Really most of the cast are beyond solid, and the movie has a pretty good sense of humor about its ridiculous premise. Sadly, at least for me, Tremors ends up being slightly less than the sum of its parts. Possibly it's the knock-off Arrakis sandworms that didn't do much for me, maybe the fact that the movie doesn't have much visual style going for it outside of some creative low-budget effects, or the somewhat repetitive script, or maybe it's the fact that the whole thing is so doggedly PG-13 that it loses a bit of the bite it could have had. Nevertheless it's a decent, rewatchable movie, that makes up for its lack of scares with a strong cast and a genuine sense of humor.
---

Snake - Why I Chose It - One of the most recognizable monster movies ever made thanks to a combination of Kevin Bacon's starpower and the attention-grabbing Graboids, Tremors has become a huge franchise of 5 sequels & a TV series.

My Thoughts - Tremors is a decently enjoyable movie with some nice moments of comedy balanced with legitimate danger, and really fun practical effects. No complaints about the cast either. Ultimately though, Tremors is missing that "x-factor" for me, and I can't for the life of me figure out what it is. There's just something off about it, that doesn't really pull me in as much as I thought it would.

Karo - In this hick town in colorado or whatever there's these earthquakes that are caused by unknown burrowing monsters and a lot of people get eaten but unfortunately not the dipshit little boy. The main characters are these two moronic cowboys who spend a lot of the movie yelling at each other and the other dumbass residents of the town, with everyone having such atrocious acting that it makes Anakin in the Phantom Menace look Oscar-worthy. The creatures are stupid looking and don't make a bit of sense from any logical standpoint, its just like yo dawg, I heard you like snakes so we put snakes inside your snakes so you can snake when you snake and snake snake snake snake. So aliens, irradiated mutants, or escaped government bioweapons? The fuck if I know, as far as the movie is concerned these things just exist for the sake of existing, nothing but dumb shit cooked up in the head of someone who wanted to remake Jaws with giant earthworms.

Genny - I didn't hate Tremors as much as I thought I guess. It's a competent movie though I cannot comprehend the prevalence of giant regular animal movies in this decade. 5.2/10

Charon - Deep beneath the sands are terrifying worms; more digging is required for a quality film. Definitely the weakest of the Bacon films for me, this one is just a little over-the-top, try hard sort of funny. The main characters seem like they should have gigantic heads and limbs because of how much they feel like caricatures. The romance here feels really forced and unbelievable as well. Sure it's a young Kevin Bacon, but they really seem to have virtually no common bond that isn't surviving gigantic sand worms together. The worms themselves are just kinda eh as antagonists. As far as monsters go, I guess they're not awful or anything. I do like the mythical beast known as the Mongolian sandworm, which I feel these are partially based upon. Ultimately, I just feel the characters here are too campy and I found it hard to get much invested in their fate.
---

Wow that's actually really surprising to see Tremors drop so early. Thought that was a lock for the teens.
---

Aww lame. Tremors is a good time.
---

v_charon posted...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lztwjgD10Yw" data-time="

SON
SON
SON
---

Tremors is what it is. There's very little to the script; the characters are just over-the-top and as a lot of people pointed at, just ham it up. The general plot is just this barely-there monster B movie, which is fine because Tremors intends to be that I think. But I don't like movies like that, so.
---

22. Braindead/Dead Alive

KBM - 6
JONA - 7
Inviso - 15
Snake - 19
Charon - 21
Genny - 25
Scarlet - 33
Johnbobb - 37
Karo - 39

KBM - The pinnacle of the splatter horror gore-fest subgenre, this movie is just a blast to watch. I don't know if I've ever seen a filmmaker have so much fun just going as over-the-top as humanly possible with gore effects as Peter Jackson does here, and it's a testament of what a talented filmmaker he is that even the gross-out elements of the movie work because of the tongue-in-cheek sense of humor at work here. It's a masterpiece of intentionally tasteless horror-comedy, and one that really, really works for me. Such great bloody fucking mayhem that even the Evil Dead series can't match.

JONA - The movie is pretty funny with how spineless Lionel could be and the constant hiding of anything being wrong. The relationship between him and Paquita is also pretty nice and they have good chemistry together. Im glad I decided not to eat while watching this because the lunch scene was really gross. The climax of the movie is just glorious, with the amount of action and gore shown. What really makes this movie so memorable is just how absolutely disgusting and amazingly gory it could be.

Inviso - This movie is gross and I more than likely would never want to watch it againbut I still found it compelling and fascinating at the same time. The plot is thinner than skim milk for sure, but this really isnt about plot. Its about weird and over-the-top characters surviving in an even-weirder and more over-the-top zombie situation. Every character (except the Hispanic shopkeep, somehow) is a one-note caricature, and yet the movie still manages to work because its not about characterization or anything like that. Its about a horrid old woman getting bitten by an evil monkey, rapidly decomposing, and slowly infecting a large group of people to serve as grotesque zombies. The last twenty minutes of zombie warfare are hilarious, and the insanity just builds to a whole house party of zombies, the use of a goddamn lawnmower as a weapon, and the main character clawing his way out of his zombie demon mother in a rebirth scenario. I should also mention that the movie randomly tacks on both a tarot card prediction of the shopkeepers love life, AND a subplot about the main characters father drowning, because the movie apparently needed both of those things. Its crazy and gross, but I HAVE to give props for the practical effects. Oh, and also, the priest kung fu scene is fucking amazing. I kick ass for the Lord! indeed.

Snake - Why I Chose It - Perhaps the pinnacle of the splatter film, Braindead (or Dead Alive in NA) has the reputation of being the "bloodiest" film in history. It is also the most representative of Peter Jackson's early filmmaking sensibilities, with an affinity for the strange, mass carnage & black comedy.

My Thoughts - I've never seen such a delightful movie that has so much gore and grossness. This film is off-the-rails insane and I like almost every minute of it. The storyline is strangely compelling and gives the gore scenes an enjoyable background to work with. It's also just straight-up hilarious, Peter Jackson pulls off tongue-in-cheek humor flawlessly. Perhaps it overstays it's welcome, but certain scenes are just so good and disgusting that it doesn't even bother me.
---