AUDITION

AUDITION...I had never heard of this film until a few years ago when watching an interview of Rob Zombie. In the interview he said "AUDITION" scared the hell out of him. "7"

THE SKELETON KEY

THE SKELETON KEY...More suspenseful than horror. I'm indifferent in regards to Kate Hudson, however, she is really good in this well crafted thriller with a supernatural twist. "7"

HOSTEL

HOSTEL...Torture porn at its best...or worst (depending on how you look at it). "7"

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE...a true vampire film...dark, romantic, a masterpiece. Watching this and then watching any of the Twilight films is an exercise in torture. "10"

SCREAM

SCREAM...a great film that reinvigorated the tired slasher/horror genre. "8"

THE DESCENT

THE DESCENT...Simply stated, the best horror film of the last decade. "10"

DRAG ME TO HELL

DRAG ME TO HELL...The second best film of 2009. One of the best theater experiences I've ever had. "10"

CLOVERFIELD

CLOVERFIELD...One of the Top 10 films of 2008. "8"

FATAL ATTRACTION

FATAL ATTRACTION...More suspenseful than scary...100% perfect. "10"

JAWS

JAWS..The very first summer blockbuster. "10"

ALIEN

ALIEN...a great example of "less is more", a true sci-fi/horror original. "9"

ALIENS

ALIENS...3 words: BEST. SEQUEL. EVER. "10"

THE OTHERS

If you liked THE SIXTH SENSE...There's no reason why you wouldn't enjoy THE OTHERS. "8"

SILVER BULLET

SILVER BULLET...A forgotten horror gem from the 80's. "7"

THE THING

THE THING...One of my favorite sci-fi/horror films of all time and one of my top 50 films of all time. Suspenseful and great special effects...for 1982. "9"

WOLF

WOLF...The idea is a little goofy...Mixing animal instincts of survival in the corporate world with the classic werewolf tale could have been a total disaster. More drama than horror (that's a good thing) and watching Jack Nicholson turn into a wolf makes this an interesting film. "7"

Bram Stoker's Dracula

BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA...The most faithful adaption of Stoker's horror novel. Originally released November 12, 1992. One of my top 10 all-time favorite horror films. "10"

BODY SNATCHERS

BODY SNATCHERS...Another exception to the rule. A great remake of a horror film...actually this is the 3rd 'body snatcher" movie. Its a remake of a remake. "8"

DAWN OF THE DEAD

DAWN OF THE DEAD (DOTD)...I'm not a big fan of horror film remakes. DAWN OF THE DEAD, released in 2004, is a rare example of a horror remake that is MUCH better than the original. DOTD was the first film directed by Zach Snyder. He went on to direct 300 and THE WATCHMEN. DOTD gets an "8".

JEEPERS CREEPERS

JEEPERS CREEPERS...One of the better horror flicks of the last decade. The ending is classic! There's nothing better in a movie when the bad guy wins. "7"

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA...Released May 30, 1986. Subtle comedy is my favorite and no movie does it better than BTILC. Kurt Russell is great as the clumsy over-confident hero who is doing his best to save the day and a Chinese woman with green eyes. John Carpenter is typically an over-rated director and story teller. However, he is stellar with this material.

John Carpenter's 5 Best Films
1) Big Trouble In Little China
2) Starman
3) The Thing
4) Escape From New York
5) Halloween

ART OF THE TITLE

Came across artofthetitle.com the other day and I can't get enough of it. I've always felt the opening title sequence of a film is an under-used potential attention grabber that most film makers do not use wisely. The site discusses classic title sequences and features interviews by the individuals who created these 2-3 minutes of art. I was glad to see some of my favorite title sequences included on the site. Check out the following sequences from these films:

THE UNTOUCHABLES

ALIENS

THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU

SE7EN

FIGHT CLUB

FRIDAY THE 13th

FRIDAY THE 13th...If you are going to remake a horror film, make it better than the original. "1"

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT...A well crafted disturbing remake of a cult-classic horror film. "7"