Psycho (1960)

Rating: R

Country: US

Running Time: 109 minutes

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Baslam, John McIntire

Psycho is the epitome of horror movies. From the master of suspense (And one of the greatest general film directors ever to walk on earth) Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho is his most well-known and widely considered best accomplishement ever released by him and that's saying a lot, especially for a man of this sophistication and intellectuality. Rational, elegant, keen, mysterious and perplexing, It contains no visible or coherent flaws. Not a single false note is hit through its developemental advancement. The score is eerie and fierce, demonstrating and overshadowing off the distinct intimidation the viewer feels constantly creeping up their spine. The cinematography is astoundingly and surprisingly awesome in its condition and merit due to its bleak, monotonous black-and-white format. The acting is top notch, with a rememberable, distinguished, dismaying and hair-raising performance from Anthony Perkins as the freakish and mother obsessed Norman Bates. Absolutely perfect depiction of a paranoid being. It also includes a massively underrated and disparaged while slightly overdone interpretation from Janet Leigh as the money hungry, greedy, desperate and primary lady Marion. And who can forget the shower scene: the single most important and famous scene ever planned out in cinema's evolution. Right when you see the knife come down, you instantly feel pain strike your heart. Although no actual penetration is noticeable, it still is to this decade a It may have scared audiences to the core back in its initial premiere back in the day, but it also managed to receive an unbelievable amount of praise and applause from attendants of the film. it was impossible to despise this in the 60s and even so today. It masterfully, strategically and emotionally pulls the strings together with no loose ends or knots involved. You can't argue with any cruel statements or fingers pointed at this classic. It's almost unbeatable, save for a few exceptions. Amazing.

Pros: Everything

Cons: A bit annoying at one moment, but I simply refuse to lower the rating.

Recommended? Yeah

10 out of 10

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Rating: R

Country: US

Running Time: 91 minutes

Director: Wes Craven

Starring: Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, Johnny Depp, John Saxon, Amanda Wyss, etc.

Let me start it off my review by saying this: This is my favorite horror film of all time. I have seen it countless, several times ever since my first initial full witnessing and it never gets old. It perfectly surrounds and questions the existence and fine line between reality and illusion from a point of perspective, along with this philosophy comes a nightmarish twist: The cruel, diabolical wise-cracking Freddy Krueger. None have cowered in panic so quickly with any other source of dread. To put it simple, A Nightmare on Elm Street is an imaginative, intelligent and outstanding masterpiece to remember until the end of days. Come on, it has everything you could wish for and more: Johnny Depp erupting into a enormous geyser of blood after being sucked into his own bed by Krueger, an implausible and vivid storyline, fascinating and excellent perceptibles, a devastating grade-A exhibition of our main antagonist himself and so much more to add. It just succeeds in every column of filmmaking: acting, script, writing, cinematography (especially the groundbreaking shots of Springwood itself and the immensely detailed, meticulous dream world in which Krueger resides) and it's full of thrills, gore and little jolts of excitement. It's superior and dominant compared to any other scary movie it sits next to. A Nightmare on Elm Street is to sum it up, the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be when it comes right down to it. Exceeds beyond expectations, and deserves every piece of praise it receives daily.

One, two freddy's coming for you

three, four lock your door

five, six grab your crucifix

seven, eight going to stay up late

nine, ten never sleep again.

Pros: Everything

Cons: Nothing at all. It's my favorite horror film ever after all.

Recommended? YES! YES! YES! *smashes keyboard repeatedly on desk* GET IT NOW!!!!!!

10 out of 10

Hellraiser (1987)

Rating: R

Country: United Kingdom

Running Time: 94 minutes

Director: Clive Barker

Starring: Doug Bradley, Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Sean Chapman, Oliver Smith, etc.

UK's Hellraiser, based off of Clive Barker's critically acclaimed novella The Hellbound Heart, is a masterpiece. Enough said. A classic. One of the single influences brought upon the genre of horror. But saying all of these sentences will never do this review justice. All of the words I'm saying and the praise I'm giving out is all a big understatement. It would take an endless amount of wasted time to describe all of the wonderful factors and features that elevate Hellraiser from an ordinary chunk of a movie to an exemplar and symbol for pure adrenaline driving, spine-chilling 100% horror. But, in order to form a more understandable and complex walk-through review, I will. First of all, it introduces the fierce, depraved, corrupt, malicious and hellish Cenobite to the media: Pinhead. Although his role shifts in later films from a member of the demons to the main reckless rogue, he is still the prime concentration out of the four original menances. Another trait is that it stays true to the novella (for the most part) and that the movie deals with and tackles themes ranging from sadomasochism and mortality under duress. I will stop here. Hellraiser is pretty much my second favorite horror movie of all time. For my entire youth it scared the heck out of me, and it does even so today. A severly overlooked and underrated classic.

Pros: Everything

Cons: Nothing

Recommended? YEAH! GO OUT AND BUY IT RIGHT NOW!

10/10

The Evil Dead (1981)

Rating: NC-17

Country: US

Running Time: 85 minutes

Director: Sam Raimi

Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, Hal Delrich, Teresa Tilly

Banned in multiple countries and cities (Finland, Germany, Iceland etc.), heavily edited and cut to maintain a premiere and release to cinema and notorious for its tremendously soaring gore status and B-movie ambience (backed up by a superbly done cartoonish feel), The Evil Dead is one of the most controversial, violent, sleazy, preposterous and marvellous cult horror movies ever. With Sam Raimi (At the time being a low-budget making film student) behind the camera, what can you expect? What hasn't already been said about this? It's downright silly but at the same time suspenseful, thrilling and full of tension. Most directors today don't even come up with there own plotlines and ideals. Not Raimi. This was from the beginning his innovative plan for entertainment. Even on his shoestring budget, he manages to create true and pure darkness from start to finish. He pulls this off with his talented use of photograpy. Unlike his later achievements and most well-known pieces of celluloid (Spider-man being one), Raimi uses a variety of impressive and magnificent techniques, including the shots where the demons seemingly are hunting the people. Deserves more recognition on this skill. The Evil Dead also doesn't take itself seriously. It knows what it was meant to be, and from the first 15 minutes the faithful movie buff is informed of that certain lack of solemnity. Last but not least: Bruce Campbell as Ash. He literally is the king and master of zombie badassery, especially in the next two sequels (Which still don't match up to this). Equipped with a chainsaw and other weapons, he really set a new standard for B-movie acting. Remarkable. All in all The Evil Dead is not flawless, but it isn't bad either. In fact, it's awesome. How anyone cannot be entertained while experiencing this is beyond me.

Pros: Just about anything

Cons: Above comment = LIES! It's not perfect. It does have some minor difficulties and obstacles it can't get past through.

Recommended? Definetly (You might want to watch a few B-movies to flow with the vibe and path this film chooses)

9/10

30 Days of Night (2007)

Rating: R

Country: US

Running Time: 113 minutes

Director: David Slade

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny Huston, Ben Foster, etc.

Most would say the vampire subgenre of horror has faded out. Attempting to revive the beaten down fad, 30 Days of Night (based off the comic book miniseries) successfully sets a new standard for the menacing and bloodsucking psychos and maniacs. It essentially sheds its skin and transforms into more than just an adaptation, but a full-fledged horror movie. Sinister, intense, evil, relentless and sadistic, it's one of the finest and most highly anticipated works to be unleashed upon audiences. It gives the vampire outfit a whole new leading path and character, giving them a new arsenal of abilites, and the concept is simply put it: fascinating. The photography and the extravaganza of shots are stunning and staggering, very in-depth while also captivating in a certain way. One can't ignore the impressive and progressive movement and flair of 30 Days of Night. But to every good movie, there are numerous flaws that can't be pushed aside. There is remotely no chemistry between any of the cast, and the acting itself is embarrasingly atrocious. Also the anti-climax will leave everybody in disappointment and exasperation (Come on, no one requested that final fight).

Pros: Nice reimagining of the demonic creatures we all know and love, Great-looking shots, admirable visual style

Cons: Bad acting and chemistry, worst ending since 2003's french horror film High Tension.

Recommended? Yes

7/10

Day of the Dead (1985)

Rating: Unrated

Country: US

Running Time: 102 minutes

Director: George A. Romero

Starring: Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander, Joe Pilato, Jarlath Conroy, Anthony Dileo Jr., etc.

When people call George A. Romero a genius and they don't appreciate the third entry in his immensely popular "dead" franchise, I only utter one word: underrated. Sure it's a little shabby and chopped up, but Day of the Dead is an astounding and somewhat competently made entry in the ever-growing series. Absolutely and fully unnoticed by potential theaters save for horror fans, it has now developed into a cult classic among moviegoers and has even boosted up its reputation in recent years. Standing today its regarded still as one of the worst, but for me in my mind, its definetly one of the best. It contains the most memorable and famous scenes in the long line of horror, including the untimely demise of Captain Rhodes, who is assaulted by hordes of zombies. Also it stays true to the usual strategy of its predecessors, adding on loads and literally gallons of gratuitous gore and mayhem. Seriously, the carnage in this installement tops the amount of record-breaking bloodshed previously held by Dawn of the Dead. To sum it up: It's too appealing and enjoyable to reject. Sure it has constant glitches and problems due to the camera and possibly by the crappy cinematography, but know this: Day of the Dead is a lot better than your average zombie movies. I'm positive if I ask one person right now on the street they'll think this is terrible. *sigh*, oh well. Everybody has different tastes right?

Pros: Extremely tolerable and fun to view (Come on, who doesn't enjoy watching various citizens getting graphically dismembered and torn apart by a group of the undead?) Very memorable

Cons: Pretty much overflown with malfunctions in a couple and minor parts

Recommended? Yes

7/10

Hatchet (2006)

Rating: R (Originally NC-17)

Country: US

Running Time: 83 minutes

Director: Adam Green

Starring: Joel Moore, Tamara Feldman, Deon Richmond, Mercedes McNab, Parry Shen, etc.

Full of recognizable minor stars and no names, Hatchet is exactly what the tagline informs the viewers: "Old-school american horror". It has everything of an 80s slasher, from boobs to insane kills. It even copies and borrows elements from its peers. In its 80 minute running time, it accomplishes and hits all the right spots for a successful horror film....well, almost all of them. You see, Hatchet tries to become more than it already will end up to be: A stupid, moronic yet entertaining popcorn weekend film to laugh at and make fun of. Near the last quarter of it, it submerges from good to plain bad (Mostly due to the lackluster transitions between its so-called black comedy and thrills). It's incredibly formulaic and unbearably cheesy at times, especially when the actual murders kick in. Sure it's nice to watch in its low-budget galore, but come on, that second death looked like one of the most poorly done and fake scenes I've ever witnessed. Plus, Victor Crowley is an exact replica and recycled, plagiaristic and badly done version of Jason Voorhees. He steals his deformities, his super strength...every single aspect of him is inside the mind of Crowley. Even with all of this criticism packed deep within the core of Hatchet, it still manages to pull the strings. For a B-movie, it has extraordinary screenplay and the entire background/make-up setup is magnificent. Kane Hodder once again is horrendous as the unnerving and quite alarming immortal mutant monster known as Victor Crowley and his whole appearance is one of the best and soon to be celebrated representatives of a killer figure ever. A good film in my honest opinion. And for all the haters, I understand why you might not love this and it looks like I'm one of the few standing up applauding this for being such a blast.

Pros: Sensational background/make-up setup, mindblowing tall man performance from Kane Hodder once again, fantastic screenplay, very amusing and pleasant

Cons: Not original or refreshing in any sort of way, cheesy and formulaic

Recommended? maybe - a film recommended only for an audience suitable to and used to the factors of an average B-movie.

6/10

The Last House on the Left (1972)

Rating: R

Country: US

Running Time: 91 minutes

Director: Wes Craven

Starring: Sandra Cassel, Lucy Grantham, David Hess, Fred J. Lincoln, Jeramie Rain, etc.

Mainly and primarily known as Wes Craven's first film, The Last House on the Left is a particularly grisly and brutal film that inflicts and depicts a handful of violence. Banned in several countries and censored almost in its entirely, it has become famous just for that trait. Disturbing and savage, it not only accomplishes its goal on the standard horror film level, but it mentally scars the viewer with the cornerpiece jewel and most widely known scene in the film: the rape. Never before have I witnessed something so generally agitating, distressing, unsettling, painful and harrowing before. A twisted experience it is watching all the acts commited to Marie and her unlucky pal Phyllis (*spoiler* who is viciously disembowled by all the members of the gang). An important and cringe-worthy section. Other than all this, The Last House on the Left is a virtually contrived and cliched attempt at recapturing the horror of other films at its time. everybody involved turn in pretentious and appalling performances and all of the deaths are ridiculous to watch considering its low-budget. the plotline is also full of tons of holes and its pretty much godawful in the content it tries to sustain and deliver. Still a decent movie and not overly bad. Would rent at your local movie gallery or store.

Pros: The complete first half of the review says it all

Cons: Full of holes, bad acting, cliched and fake looking

Recommended? Not really

5/10

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Rating: R

Country: US

Running Time: 84 minutes

Director: Tobe Hooper

Starring: Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen, Edwin Neal, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain, etc.

It's safe to say that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the best horror films ever made. Controversial, uncanny, eerie and astonishing, it forever will be one of the moves seethed into my memory. Released in 1974, it single-handely redefined the genre and shocked general audiences and critics straight to the bone. Even in it's extremely low-budget, it succeeds and sets off like none other. Instead of completely centering and focusing on gore and blood, it's coated in a frightening and creepy atomsphere marred with a equally terrifying and realistic outline. It's pure psychological horror at its finest. It evokes a unique sense of primal fear, desperation and an emotional output and feeling for the entire ensemble (three fourths of which get hacked to shreds by our notorious chainsaw-wielding icon). The film also stands the test of time despite its constant flaws and numerous poor quality additions. Marilyn Burns in my opinon gives out an underrated and incomprehensible performances as an ordinary women driven into panic. In fact, I would call it one of the greatest ever. However, not all is good in this. The plotline is a bit simplistic and like previously stated its a bit dry in delivering the goods. Overall the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a brilliant and outstanding landmark achievement from Tobe Hooper who lately can't seem to pull himself together. It landed a bigger effect and impact in pop culture than any other horror production screened in theaters, and it's the quintessential horror film of the 70s. Remarkable.

Pros: Gave horror a fresh whole new lead. Gave us one of the most memorable, dire and sadistic fictitious mass murderers ever: Leatherface. Well planned out and set up. Great performance from Marilyn Burns. Amazing final segment and downright terrifying. The most important film to come out in the 70s categorized in horror.

Cons: At times boring and the cinematography and soundtrack is of the worst ever heard and seen in a long time.

Recommended? Yes.

9 out of 10