Speaking on behalf of the The Playlist team, it’s hard not to have disdain for modern horror. It’s devolved into the cheapest of genres: a means to get lowest-common denominator ham n’ eggers into movie seats and generally it works (hell, it keeps companies like Lionsgate totally afloat). But when it’s at its best and firing on all cylinders, true horror is an incredibly visceral experience that penetrates us at our most primal, basic core. Fear is a universal feeling and when a director can artfully pull that off and genuinely instill terror into the mind of a person, perhaps even scarring or traumatizing them, even if for a brief moment, well, hell, that’s a beautiful thing to witness. We generally don’t like Halloween or theme-week features either, but here’s what we feel are the Rosetta Stones of the fright genre. They skew towards the disturbing and the psychological (and generally from the 1970s — the genres peak period), because that disquieting resonance is what pure horror is really about.
“Suspiria” (1977) is less about what happens at a murderous, possibly haunted ballet academy and more an exhibit of Italian horror connoisseur Dario Argento mastering the ability of mise-en-scene, score and dramatic visuals to blur the line between reality and reverie. Argento juxtaposes colors and light like an artist on canvas – transporting the viewer to a disturbing dreamscape of surreality and horror. Jessica Harper plays Suzy Bannion, a naive American who arrives in Germany to study at the prestigious Tans Ballet Academy. Following the murders of several people in the school, Suzy becomes increasingly aware of the institution’s disturbing history, as her own paranoia mounts in to hallucinatory frenzy. At a certain point the plot becomes secondary here, as Argento ambushes the viewer with nightmarish visuals and Goblin’s haunting, minatory score, which was rumored to be played on set constantly at full volume. The result is a disturbing mindfuck that captures everything that was successful about Italian horror in the ’70s – almost kaleidoscopic, psychedelic imagery, visceral prog-rock, and genuine, psychological scares.
“The Shining” (1980)
What possibly could we say that hasn’t been already written about Stanley Kubrick’s unsettling psychologically masterpiece (the twins! the fellating bear! the ocean of blood!). Almost a comedy of horrors, there’s a wicked sense of malice when Kubrick flashes to the days of the week throughout the film as jarring, fake-scare transitions (WEDNESDAY!) as if the master is toying with you, the hapless viewer (“I’m even going to make this cheesy technique terrifying, watch me.”). One cannot dare speak of this disconcerting creepshow without mentioning the music of Wendy Carlos and Krzysztof Penderecki’s discordant and spidery score — music so unnerving it arguably does much of the films heavy lifting and leaves you gasping for respite — and the steadicam tracking shots which brought a whole new level of terror to riding around on a big wheel. This tale about the worst family cabin trip in the history of family cabin trips leaves you with a haunting anxiousness, the silence of which is far more reaching and disturbing than any surprise fright or shocking bloodbath could ever hope to provide. To this day, it still raises the hair on the back of our necks.
“Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974)
Perhaps Toby Hooper visited a mental ward before shooting his blisteringly lo-fi, disgusting and beautiful freaky-horror urtxt, heard the ghostly shrieks and screams from within the walls and thought, “This is the noise of terror.” One could just listen to the sound of ‘Massacre’ with no visuals, and still want to shit their pants in panic-y fear. Leatherface is a maniacal evil straight from the base depth of humanity, but it was his wailing banshee screams that left audiences emotionally terrorized and distressed for years on end. And will anyone ever forget that indelible final shot of feral, howling abandon? Leatherface pirouetting about with his chainsaw— simultaneously a gorgeous sun-stroked ballet and the most chilling dance sequence ever put to celluloid.
“Alien” (1979)
The story of a team of space miners and the really, really unfriendly extraterrestrial that they find on a deserted planet, Ridley Scott’s “Alien” remains one of the most bloodcurdling monster movies of all time. The genius of the movie is in its atmospherics which balance striking shock moments with long, moody scenes building to an acutely orchestrated crescendo of tension. The crew includes Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), one of the toughest heroines in cinema history who isn’t exactly inclined to sit back and let this intruder make mincemeat of the ship (the wonderful thing about Ripley is she’s real — she’s brave, but scared shitless too).The ensuing battle is as thrilling as it is downright alarming. Also of note is the disquieting, grotesque scenic designed by H.R. Geiger, including the just-humanoid enough to be totally horrifying alien. The film also boasts a remarkably restrained subplot concerning corporate malfeasance which gets increasingly exploited in the movie’s sequels. This one deserves iconic status, if for nothing other than the “Chestburster” explosion, in which all of the actors’ reactions are real — they didn’t know that the blood effects would be so gruesome. Nightmare-inducing and still an undeniable classic.
“Rosemary’s Baby” (1968)
The mother of all demon child movies, Roman Polanski star was beginning to rise when he wrote and directed this almost comedic-grotesquerie starring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes about a young couple struggling to make a living in New York City. “Rosemary’s Baby” is one of a handful of examples of horror films that hold up as actual cinema. While most horror flicks are good for a scare or two, few are enjoyable on an aesthetic level. ‘Rosemary’ is a rare exception, with a stellar cast under the direction of one of the medium’s true masters. To wit—watch the brilliant, surreal and perennially scary dream rape sequence. Polanski is a talented enough director to eschew gore in favor of an arresting psychosis which in of itself is delivered with a sinister, but creepy smirk. This (along with the presence of uber-stud Cassavetes) is what makes “Rosemary’s Baby” so great: it’s as beautiful as it is frightening. And god, that spooky lullaby theme!
“Carrie” (1976) begins and ends in a bloodbath. From the unforgettable opening scene as bullying girls unmercifully taunt the titular menstruating outcast with tampons (“Plug it up!”) in the high school locker room to the prom night cataclysm that leaves Carrie soaked to the skin in pig’s blood before unleashing her telekinesis for ultimate revenge against her vindictive classmates, this film remains today one of the most effective cinematic tragedies. Stephen King’s first novel-to-film adaptation directed by Brian DePalma is not your standard horror flick, obviously, and the fact that Carrie is both the sympathetic protagonist and demonic villain — leaving the delineation between good and evil unclear — makes this film so powerful and classic. And who could forget Piper Laurie’s bone-chilling performance as Carrie’s bible-beating, devil-fearing, lunatic mother, in particular, the orgasmic exhalations of her kitchen knife crucifixion?
Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” (1960) is not just a horror movie. It’s an institution, the gold standard against which psychological thrillers are measured and part of a frightening tour at Universal Studios. What makes “Psycho” truly disturbing is a combination of the real-sight presentation (the movie was filmed with very specific camera lenses to emulate human vision) and its exploration of a villain who was truly a psychotic madman with no redemptive qualities. A killer transvestite with a battery of psychological problems and in the throws of a break with reality does what was, at the time, unthinkable and kills lead actress Janet Leigh in horror’s most iconic slaughter – The Shower Scene.
“Halloween” (1978)
Relying on acute suspense rather than graphic bloodshed, wide screen lensing to create a seemingly ubiquitous villain and a certain theme song, “Halloween” not only established itself as a pillar of the horror genre, but a great film. John Carpenter turns faceless, inhumane psychopath Michael Myers loose in the suburban town of Haddonfield, Illinois on Halloween – the anniversary of when he killed his teenage sister years ago. Myers follows his youngest sister – the bookish, high school aged Laurie Strode and her friends throughout the day – leading up to a frantic night. By having Michael appear and vanish while stalking, Carpenter creates an escalating sense of dread. One of the first true slasher flicks, “Halloween” also turned the camera around and put us in the voyeuristic perspective of a killer, watching his vulnerable victims. The foreboding, perpetual piano theme intensifies throughout the movie, building towards a frantic conclusion. Released in 1978, the film managed to capture the timely psycho-sexual confusion of suburbia, reflecting societal themes that many of its subsequent knock-offs and sequels were unable able to achieve. Carpenter’s finest film is organic, relevant and classic.
“The Exorcist” (1973)
The hubristic William Friedkin was at the height of his filmmaking prowess during, “The Exorcist” (the first true blockbuster before “Jaws” and before “Star Wars” in 1973), but even he wouldn’t comprehend what he had truly tapped into. Upon its release, the film was a movie-going cultural phenomenon and generally terrified audiences like never before. Full of unspeakable revulsion and religious abomination, based on a relatively true story this twisted escapade chronicled the gruesome tale of a mother (Ellen Burstyn) whose innocent 12-year-old daughter soon turned over to full-on, raving demonic possession The supernatural forces are executed with such gritty realism that audiences became unglued, some even fainting over each appalling event (the child spewing vile expletives, masturbating with a crucifix, her spinning head). If you think the religious right was offended now, you can only imagine the speechless shock and awe some of them must have felt witnessing these unholy aberrations. The stentorian Max Von Sydow has never been so perfectly cast as the priest desperately raging against the spiritual violence — imploring to save the young girl’s soul. And those flash sequences in the dark, never cease to petrify and paralyze one in their tracks.
“Dawn of the Dead” (1978)
This 1978 horror film (not to be confused with Zack Synder’s 2004 remake) directed by zombie-king George A. Romero continues to scare the shit out of audiences today, over 30 years after its initial release. The film examined what the apocalyptic effects of a zombie epidemic would have on society, by following several survivors who find refuge from the zombie infested society in a deserted shopping mall. The mall was meant to act as a comment on the over-the-top materialism and consumerism in American society, but it was lost on most viewers who thought that being trapped in a mall during a zombie epidemic look pretty badass and a great way to finally get all that shit you couldn’t afford. Even though the premise has been spoofed numerous times (most notably in Simon Pegg’s hilarious “Shaun of the Dead”) and the zombie make-up is absurdly low-budget, the film will forever remain to be the gold-standard for every other walking-dead-themed film.
– David Stromberg, Seth Valentine, Spencer Martin, Grace Brodie Cruz, Astrud Sands and The Playlist
I really loved Rosemary’s Baby up until the ending, it felt like she just gave in too easily and accepted that even though the child was the spawn of Satan, it was her spawn of Satan. Great list, though.
I have a seasonal blog entry I’d like to call your attention to. It’s called “Fear of Fright Night and is available at the following URL: doctornoemedia.blogspot.com/2007/10/from-hell.html