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My Top 10 Favorite Horror Films (2008)
This is a reprint of an article I posted on Facebook, October 14, 2008 — 3 years ago to the day in about an hour and a half, actually! I was busy constructing a new list tonight, when I found myself struggling, getting off track and, thanks to being sick, I didn’t really feel too motivated to continue, to be honest. Then I happened to remember that I had already created one a while ago. I didn’t realize that it was actually that long ago, though!
Around this time, I was going through a phase, writing Top 10 movie lists that will no doubt find their way here one day, much like this list and my Simpsons Movie and Catwoman reviews I posted from my review-writing English class. In fact, these lists were made just a few months after those reviews were written. I was riding high on review writing, and these were my pet projects.
Looking over this list, I’m actually pretty happy with how it is, even with 3 more years of experience with the genre. Possibly the main exception I would make is throwing Scream in there somewhere, but that’ll get its own review soon, anyway, so that movie will get its just attention. Don’t worry! Also, while Shaun of the Dead is undoubtedly horror-related, I didn’t put it here since there’s a strong emphasis on films that scare and create suspense.
I’m once again presenting it unedited from its original format, typos and all, save for some additional photos just for visual flair. I was pretty loose with the term “Horror” to be honest, but I wasn’t really that well exposed to the genre at the time. Heck, I’m still not, which is kind of the point in me focusing on the genre this month. Hope you like this list, though, as I attempt to recover and recharge by being absolutely lazy! Read more…
“Night of the Living Dead” in HD – Watch it now for FREE!
It’s October! And that, of course, means it’s time for scary movies! So why not start the month off right by watching the low-budget zombie movie that set the standard, Night of the Living Dead?
Though the female characters are mostly quite useless — with one hysterical character causing catastrophe and the catatonic Barbra in particular being nothing more than a ragdoll at times, the film was particularly progressive for casting Duane Jones, a black man, as the lead character and hero, an uncommon and potentially controversial decision in 1968. Though Romero claims that Jones simply gave the best audition, the film gains a subtle racial subtext, starting a trend for later entries in the series to tackle other social matters.
The film also predates the MPAA rating system we’re all familiar with today, so the amount of gore at the time was a cause for concern, with nobody, including children, being excluded from buying tickets. It’s rather tame by today’s standards for a horror film, and perhaps a bit cheesy, too, but the film stands out as a moody, B-movie classic.
Thanks to the distributor failing to abide by the copyright laws of 1968, this cult classic is in the public domain and is free to watch and edit as you see fit! Below is the video embed of the original version in HD. Turn down the lights, turn up the volume, and enjoy.
The Viewer's Commentary 