100 Horror Movies Duke Wants You To Watch at Least Once

[Dead & Messed Up]

Wow. I don't think a single one of these would make my list. Although I suspect that Scream 2 and Night of the Creeps would come awfully close.

I demand more old movies!

[Dukefrukem]

I have a feeling I'm going to disappoint many with this list. I haven't seen many older horror except a few that were recommended to me in the horror thread. Anyway, the show must go on...

[D_Davis]

Bah! Old-shmold - you like what you like. This is your list.

[Dukefrukem]

86. Underworld (2003) [69]



I love the look of the Underworld movies. The vampires live in an ornamented mansion depicting an extravagant lifestyle, but the werewolves live in dark grungy sewers but at the same time Underwrold was shot with a Matrix-like Cyberpunk feel. I like the war between vampires and werewolves raging beneath the streets and the ploys against each race; the love story is OK. Kate Beckinsale is smokin in leather pants on top of kicking some serious ass...

[Dukefrukem]

85. Midnight Meat Train (2008) [69]



A lot of you hated this; but I’m intrigued not by the excessive violence but by the purpose in which the acts are carried out... which we don’t find out until the very end (arguably presumed in one particular scene). I wouldn’t mind a sequel digging deeper into the subplot that's occurring. Favorite scene below...

[youtube]E_O2-6-KwwM[/youtube]

[Dukefrukem]

84. Paranormal Activity (2009) [69]



First viewing in theaters; VERY effective. Sat in a packed audience and I think everyone in the theater was holding their breath through most scenes. Second viewing, not so effective in fact very dull. But it’s that first viewing (and why you should watch this at least once) to get the FULL effect. Watch it all the lights off and just for kicks, leave a closet door or bedroom door open. Below is a treat.

[youtube]Xa2ciHIsKLE[/youtube][/QUOTE]

[Dukefrukem]

83. Hostel (2005) [69]



Most over-exaggerated over-promoted horror movie ever? Quite possibly. The gore is not half as bad as the advertising made it out to be, but the story isn’t too bad either. In fact, I believe there was only one scene in this movie that really got a rise out of me... of course I’ve added it below.

[youtube]NdV-TnppSLU[/youtube]

[Dukefrukem]

82. Eden Lake (2008) [69]



I wasn’t distracted by the little punks in this movie; I did find some of the terror believable regardless of their age. Of course this movie is a giant example of why modern technology ruins all "stranded" and "emergency" situations. Everyone has a cell phone nowadays and the only way to write them out of the story is making it so the characters have no service.

[Dukefrukem]

81. The Sixth Sense (1999) [70]



This is another movie that suffers from 2nd-viewing-itis. It’s a brilliant story, great casting and has some fantastic scares (even gets a little gory) but after one or two viewings, would anyone want to watch this again? After you know the twist, the movie loses a lot of steam and there’s not much else to watch for. I still give Shyamalan credit and it’s his third best film. Best scene in the movie below.

[youtube]FLyYYHqVTsE[/youtube][/QUOTE]

[Dukefrukem]

80. Dark Water (2002) [70]



Probably why I need to give Session 9 another chance, Dark Water is also a pretty simple straightforward slow burn. It terrors with suspense and anticipation. Most of the time the terrors are coming from your own imagination. Crying kids, and kids in any horror movie really, scare the crap outta me. Scene below... freaky.

[youtube]h7qAoT4qgZI[/youtube][/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

[Dukefrukem]

Intermission 1

As I proceed down the list I find there’s movies I completely forgot about. So instead of being people posting “where is <insert movie>?” at the end of the list, I’ll pause every now and then and list a few movies I liked and should be on the list. ( Don’t be mad at me... :-( I aim to entertain)

Idle Hands



Comedy/Horror, Seth Green and a teenage Jessica Alba..

Host



Not sure how I missed one of the best monster movies ever created but I did. My apologies.

C.H.U.D.



best, best best best best use of 80s camp ever.

King Kong



another all time great monster movie... I’ve seen this movie only ONCE but it’s definitely better than a few movies on my list.

Jeepers Creepers



Justin Long at his finest in a movie that has some of the best use of scare tactics in recent horror movies; it’s too bad the film quickly gives up about 3/4 of the way in.

[baby doll]

I haven't seen Scream 2 since it was in theatres, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that The Host is definitely a better movie.

[megladon8]

King Kong is such an incredible piece of work.

I found it much, much better than Jackson's remake. Even that image alone, the one Duke posted up there, is more striking to me than anything from the final conflict in the Jackson version.

[Dead & Messed Up]

To be fair, that photo is a composite, not a screen grab, and I quite liked a lot of Jackson's images, especially the bug lair, the V-rexes stuck in the vines, and the frozen pond (daft as it is).

[Chac Mool]

84. Paranormal Activity (2009) [69]



First viewing in theaters; VERY effective. Sat in a packed audience and I think everyone in the theater was holding their breath through most scenes. Second viewing, not so effective in fact very dull. But it’s that first viewing (and why you should watch this at least once) to get the FULL effect. Watch it all the lights off and just for kicks, leave a closet door or bedroom door open. Below is a treat.

This would have been a great movie -- were it not for the godawful theatrical ending. The alternate is much, much, much (...) much better.

83. Hostel (2005) [69]



Most over-exaggerated over-promoted horror movie ever? Quite possibly. The gore is not half as bad as the advertising made it out to be, but the story isn’t too bad either. In fact, I believe there was only one scene in this movie that really got a rise out of me... of course I’ve added it below.

I will never understand positive opinions of Hostel. It's one of the most physically repulsive, morally repugnant, hollow pieces of work I've ever seen. I loathe it with every fibre of my being.

[megladon8]

There's some legitimate depth to be found in Hostel.

Admittedly I'm not a big fan of it either. I think Eli Roth is quite a hack. But there were some ideas there that, had it been helmed by someone more competent, could have provided a really interesting social experiment in the theatre.

[Irish]

There's some legitimate depth to be found in Hostel.

Absolutely agreed.

I'm not a gorehound but I liked Hostel. For one, it had a good through line mystery for the first two acts or so. For another, it was actually a modern horror movie that wasn't running that same damned tired Final Girl trope.

How many times do you see this kind of stuff where men are both the perpetrators and the victims? Not often.

Eli Roth may be a schmuck, but for this one outing he did well.

[Bosco B Thug]

I... won't defend the depth of Hostel. I'll admit Roth's intentions are probably largely shallow.

But I still think the guy's got real filmmaking verve. Even watching that stupid 'Eye' clip. His filmmaking is cool, crisp, and not-irritating.

How many times do you see this kind of stuff where men are both the perpetrators and the victims? Not often.

Good point. Definitely one of the film's distinguished distinctions.

[megladon8]

Absolutely agreed.

I'm not a gorehound but I liked Hostel. For one, it had a good through line mystery for the first two acts or so. For another, it was actually a modern horror movie that wasn't running that same damned tired Final Girl trope.

How many times do you see this kind of stuff where men are both the perpetrators and the victims? Not often.

Eli Roth may be a schmuck, but for this one outing he did well.

I found the film's look at "people as meat/commodity" to be pretty interesting. And I was surprised by some genuinely interesting shots and camerawork, particularly in the first third of the movie.

I thought it was pretty decent up until he started fighting back, then it went to hell.

[Irish]

I... won't defend the depth of Hostel. I'll admit Roth's intentions are probably largely shallow.

Ha! =D

I suspect you're right. Roth never struck me as particularly deep. The depth and good stuff in Hostel was probably the work of a good producer.

I thought it was pretty decent up until he started fighting back, then it went to hell.

Agreed again. The last bit in the third act is what everyone expects out of a horror, really. So there I think Roth lets us down. But then ... I can't imagine another way for that story to play out.

[megladon8]

I also have to say I find it ridiculous when people accuse Hostel being racist against Eastern-Europeans, fear-mongering and dissuading people from going on trips to that part of the world, etc.

This movie came out while I was in radio, and a guy in my class was Ukranian and nearly sabotaged my movie show to get on the air and rant about how horrible this Hostel movie was and how Eli Roth is a hate-mongerer.

[Bosco B Thug]

Ha! =D

Haha, I actually find it a rather emotionally layered film, so I'm actually not disagreeing with you guys.

[Irish]

Haha, I actually find it a rather emotionally layered film, so I'm actually not disagreeing with you guys.

Even better then! =)

[Spinal]

I also have to say I find it ridiculous when people accuse Hostel being racist against Eastern-Europeans, fear-mongering and dissuading people from going on trips to that part of the world, etc.

This movie came out while I was in radio, and a guy in my class was Ukranian and nearly sabotaged my movie show to get on the air and rant about how horrible this Hostel movie was and how Eli Roth is a hate-mongerer.

Hostel came out in the middle of the Bush administration when anti-American sentiment abroad was high, due to the war in Iraq and, well, basically everything else Bush did. I thought that the film's central conceit was not that Eastern Europeans are scary predators, but that Americans, with their arrogance, ignorance and buffoonary had made the world around them more hostile and dangerous than they realized.

But then, this is like me trying to talk to my brother-in-law's Russian wife about the humor in Borat. She can't quite grasp that the butts of the jokes are Americans and not people from Kazakhstan.

Hostel loses me with the gross-out violence ultimately, but I think it's central premise is fairly compelling.

[Irish]

Hostel came out in the middle of the Bush administration when anti-American sentiment abroad was high, due to the war in Iraq and, well, basically everything else Bush did. I thought that the film's central conceit was not that Eastern Europeans are scary predators, but that Americans, with their arrogance, ignorance and buffoonary had made the world around them more hostile and dangerous than they realized.

But then, this is like me trying to talk to my brother-in-law's Russian wife about the humor in Borat. She can't quite grasp that the butts of the jokes are Americans and not people from Kazakhstan.

Hostel loses me with the gross-out violence ultimately, but I think it's central premise is fairly compelling.

Great post. I keep looking for a way to upvote you. :lol:

This problem originated with Hostel because Roth, in all his chuckle headed hubris, named the country and the city in the film after real places (I think it might have been the town where he actually shot the film).

So instead of shooting in Romania and calling it East Brakistan (like anyone else would have done) he shows the supposed residents as immoral bloodthirsty killers.

City leaders tend to get pissy about that kind of thing because they believe it puts people off tourism.

Just as I imagine the councils of Baltimore and Miami weren't too wild about stuff like The Wire and Miami Vice.