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#30
SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (2007)
Sweeney Todd poster

CAST
JOHNNY DEPP, HELENA BONHAM CARTER, ALAN RICKMAN, TIMOTHY SPALL, SACHA BARON COHEN

DIRECTED BY
TIM BURTON

Tim Burton’s adaptation of Steven Sondheim’s bloody musical Sweeney Todd saw him tap his usual mob (Depp, Bonham Carter) and a couple of newbies (Rickman, Cohen) to create a dark, macabre and visually appealing horror movie that is heavy in its bloodshed. Depp and Carter also know how to carry a tune, too.


#29
PSYCHO (1960)
Psycho psoter

CAST
ANTHONY PERKINS, VERA MILES, JOHN GAVIN, MARTIN BASLAM, JANET LEIGH

DIRECTED BY
ALFRED HITCHCOCK

Alfred Hitchcock’s seminal horror thriller Psycho laid the ground work for the slasher movie and was also the first film to tap into the macabre legend of Ed Gein (Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs would follow). In Norman Bates (played brilliantly by Anthony Perkins) a new breed of killer was introduced, and in that shower scene was a moment to rival others in horror cinema.

 

#28
MISERY (1990)
Misery poster

CAST
KATHY BATES, JAMES CAAN, RICHARD FARNSWORTH, LAUREN BECALL

DIRECTED BY
ROB REINER

In the annals of horror villains, sweet natured Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) is perhaps the least unsuspecting. Yet like all fanatics there is a twisted psychology that lies underneath, and when she finds her favourite horror writer Paul Sheldon (James Caan) bloody and broken at the side of the road, she will do anything to keep him for herself. Thus begins a tale of true terror, with Misery director Rob Reiner taking a major detour to create one of the best horror movies of the ‘90s.

 

#27
THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999)
Blair Witch Project psoter

CAST
HEATHER DONAHUE, JOSHUA LEONARD, MICHAEL C. WILLIAMS

DIRECTED BY
DANIEL MYRICK, EDUARDO SANCHEZ

With its faux based on real life premise and hand held cam theatrics, The Blair Witch Project both transfixed and scared movie goers worldwide in its portrayal of three amateur documentarians getting more than they bargained for when searching for the truth behind an urban legend. While most have succumbed to trashing the film over the years, The Blair Witch Project still remains an innovative and frightening experience.

 

 

#26
JACOB’S LADDER (1990)
Jacobs Ladder psoter

CAST
TIM ROBBINS, ELIZABETH PENA, DANNI AIELLO, MATT KRAMER, PRUITT TAYLOR VINCE

DIRECTED BY
ADRIEN LYNNE

Director Adrian Lynne has had an eclectic career (Flashdance, Unfaithful) with his best film the psychological horror thriller Jacob’s Ladder. Starring an excellent Tim Robbins as a traumatised Vietnam war veteran suffering monstrous hallucinations (or are they?), Lynne created a unique and frightening exploration into one man’s personal hell inhabited by demons. Yet amongst the horror is also a spiritual salvation which will touch many who make it through the nightmare.

 

 

#25
THE ORPHANGE (2007)
The Orphanage poster

CAST
BELEN RUEDA, FERNANDO CAYO, ROGER PRINCEP, MABEL RIVERA, MONTSERRAT CARULLA

DIRECTED BY
JUAN ANTONIO BAYONA

Released when Spanish horror was at its apex, The Orphanage is the strongest haunted house flick released in years, weaving credible scares with strong visuals and featuring a strong leading performance from new queen of horror Belen Rueda. Produced by the prolific Guillermo Del Toro and directed by Juan Antonio Bayona (his debut), The Orphanage was a breath of fresh air during a time when horror movies concentrated too hard on grossing people out and too little on tone in story.

 

 

#24
LAKE MUNGO (2009)

Lake Mungo psoter

CAST
ROSIE TRAYNOR, DAVID PLEDGER, MARTIN SHARPE, TALIA ZUCKER, STEVE JODRELL

DIRECTED BY
JOEL ANDERSON

Australia’s take on the found footage movie resulted in one of the best Aussie horror movies in Lake Mungo. A film that is as heartfelt as it is genuinely frightening, Lake Mungo looks at your typical middle class family who have to contend with ghostly occurrences after one of their own tragically dies. An American remake is one the way, yet it is doubtful it can match the emotion and chills which writer/director Joel Anderson has created here.

 

#23
DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978)
Dawn of the Dead poster

CAST
DAVID EMGE, KEN FOREE, SCOTT H. REINIGER, GAYLEN ROSS

DIRECTED BY
GEORGE A. ROMERO

The second part of George A. Romero’s zombie series is also the best, with higher production value and much sturdier direction giving way to better scares and impressive special effects work sure to churn the stomachs of the most seasoned of horror viewer. Hell, even the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead was great!

 

 

#22
POLTERGEIST (1982)
Poltergeist poster

CAST
CRAIG T. NELSON, JOBETH WILLIAMS, HEATHER O’ROURKE, ZELDA RUBINSTEIN

DIRECTED BY
TOBE HOPPER

Known more for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, director Tobe Hopper found even greater success with Poltergeist. Collaborating with writer/producer Steven Spielberg (many still persist that Spielberg was the actual director), Hopper mixed primal thrills with top grade special effects in his telling of a middle class family kept at ransom by evil spirits who abduct little Carol Anne (cute as punch Heather O’Rourke). A curse supposedly saw many of those involved in the film die in later years, among them O’Rourke who was filming Poltergeist III at the time.

 

 

#21
EVIL DEAD II (1987)
Evil Dead II poster

CAST
BRUCE CAMPBELL, SARAH BERRY, DENISE BIXLER, DAN HICKS, KASSIE DEPAIVA, TED RAIMI

DIRECTED BY
SAM RAIMI

Sequel to the 1981 splatter classic The Evil Dead saw director Sam Raimi build upon his reputation as an entertaining and innovative filmmaker. Part horror, part comedy and all around bad ass, Evil Dead II saw the return of Bruce Campbell as tortured hero Ash, this time with a chainsaw in placed of a severed arm and a shotgun with zombie demons in its sights. Still the only film which can pull off the line “Groovy!” without resorting into some kind of dirty hippie cliché.   

 

 

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