Top 50 movies part 2

24. The Birds (1963) Dir. by Alfred Hitchcock

A wealthy San Francisco playgirl pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people there in increasing numbers and with increasing viciousness.

Hitchcock does it again. Once again he shows off his ability to take a great original story by someone else, and take it to the next level, most likely making it better than the story itself. The man can make birds terrifying! This movie is a pulchritudinous and enigmatic film, a puzzle without an answer as they say. He gives you question after question, but never truly answers them, but does it with style and grace.



23. Arachnophobia (1990) Dir. by Frank Marshall

South American killer spider hitches a lift to the US in a coffin and starts to breed and kill.

There is a large percentage of the world that shares a fear of spiders. Arachnophobia being one of the leading phobias, this movie preys on that fear. Im sure there are millions of people who have never brought themselves to watch this movie, just because of what is holds. I agree, spiders are an admirable foe. They don't show emotion, they usually move at a terribly slow pace, and they can be more deadly than almost everything else on the planet, just with their fangs. They are a tiny version of Mike Myers, with eight legs. The conclusion is a bit rediculous but doesn't take away from the movie at all. This is a semi-realistic kind of horror, and I like it.



22. Rear Window (1954) Dir. by Alfred Hitchcock

A wheelchair bound photographer spies on his neighbours from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.

Oh wow, another Hitchock movie in my top 50. Are you suprised? There is probably more to come. This one is so brilliant because it adds so many different fears together. Seeing something wrong, and the feeling of not being able to do anything about it. It's like being on an operating table, the knock out gas didn't completely work, and you feel every cut the doctor makes. Hitchcock's attention to detail and understanding of human nature can turn the simplist story into a freaky nightmare.



21. The Gate (1987) Dir. by Tibor Tikacs

Three young children accidentally release a horde of nasty, pint-sized demons from a hole in a suburban backyard.

This movie was essential to my childhood. One of the first horror movies I ever saw, and loved it. It still holds it weight today as well. Strong perfomance from the two kids, Stephen Dorff and Louis Tripp, and extremely good special effects make this an exciting movie to watch on any occasion.



20. Alien series (79,86,92,97) Dir. by Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, Jean-Pierre Jeunet

A mining ship, investigating a suspected SOS, lands on a distant planet. The crew discovers some strange creatures and investigates.

This series has always been at the top of my list. While the third one is clearly the worst of the series, I'll still watch it if it is on T.V. The creatures are about as amazing as you can get, R.I.P Stan Winston. The first one is clearly the best film, and probably Ridley Scott's best work, but the second is my favorite. Maybe it's just because it has more action.



19. Martyrs (2008) Dir. by Pascal Laugier

A young woman's quest for revenge against the people who kidnapped and tormented her as a child leads her and a friend, who is also a victim of child abuse, on a terrifying journey into a living hell of depravity.

Carl is going to yell at me for puting this on here, but I had to do it. While maybe it doesn't deserve to be this high, right now it is all I can think about. Amazing movie, but I won't go into great details since I just did a review on here.



18. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Dir. by Stanley Kubrick

The monoliths have been watching us. They gave humankind the evolutionary kick in the pants it needed to survive at the Dawn of Time. In 1999, humankind discovered a second monolith on the moon. Now, in the year 2001, the S.S. Discovery and its crew, Captains Dave Bowman and Frank Poole, and their onboard computer, HAL 9000, must discover what alien force is watching Earth.... Written by Tones {tones120c@aol.com}

This movie set the standard for almost every science fiction movie to come along since. Some refer to it as a movie about everything, and they are probably right, but what I like about it is the way Kubrick tells the story. He doensn't overload the movie with dialogue. He just lets the scenery and his direction tell the story. He leaves it open for human interpretation.



17. Dog Soldiers (2002) Dir. by Neil Marshall

A routine military exercise turns into a nightmare in the Scotland wilderness.

Dog Soldiers revived a failing werewolf genre for me. It also managed to create some of the coolest looking werewolves the genre had ever seen. Great acting and great directing make this a must buy for anyone. Undoubtedly Neil Marshall's best film.



16. Nosferatu (1922) Dir. by F.W. Murnau

Vampire Count Orlok expresses interest in a new residence and real estate agent Hutter's wife. Silent classic based on the story "Dracula."

Max Schreck was the original Dracula. He is the vampire grandfather. Silent or not, this movie is brilliant and still scary. Schreck dives so deep into his character, it is hard to believe he is truly a man. Arguably the best vampire movie ever made.



15. Jaws series (75,78,83,87) Dir. by Stephen Spielberg, Jeannot Szwarc, Joe Alves, Joseph Sargent

When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and grizzled fisherman set out to stop it.

What do you expect from a book by Peter Benchley? This movie tore a hole in business for beach resorts for a while, haha. Everyone is already a little afraid of sharks, and this series made people terrified. It could scare people with barely showing the shart at all. When it did though, the shark look scary as ever. I don't feel like this series ever really lost its thunder.



14. Gremlins 1 and 2 (84,90) Dir. by Joe Dante

A boy inadvertantly breaks 3 important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.

This movie scared the crap out of me when I was a little kid. It was almost embarrassing to grow up and realize its probably the funniest horror movie ever created. Joe Dante is brilliant with his work, and the way he sets up a scene gives each individual gremlin a full on personality.



13. Feast Trilogy (2005,2008,2009) Dir. by John Gulager

Patrons locked inside of a bar are forced to fight monsters.

This trilogy is absolutely amazing. It is rediculous, gory, mediocre acting, and completely unbelievable. With all that said, it is perfectly executed. It keeps you guess, and it takes pride in being a movie that is completely unpredictable, and it delivers. The second and third movie taper off a bit, but ramp it up in the shock department. One of the most entertaining trilogies I have ever seen.



12. Psycho (1960) Dir. by Alfred Hitchcock

A young woman steals $40,000 from her employer's client, and subsequently encounters a young motel proprietor too long under the domination of his mother.

Man could Hitchcock pick the movies he wanted to direct. He could make chocolate syrup dripping from a knife terrifying in black in white. Spawned a series of movies that weren't nearly as good as this one, but they were mildly entertaining.



11. The Blob (1958, 1988) Dir. by Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr., Chuck Russell

A strange lifeform consumes everything in its path as it grows and grows.

The Blob and the remake are both amazing in their own ways. The first one had some of the best special effects of the time, and strong performances. The sequel had the same only a mullet. Read my review for the remake on here.



10. The Wolf Man (1941) Dir. by George Waggner

A practical man returns to his homeland, is attacked by a creature of folklore, and infected with a horrific disease his disciplined mind tells him can not possibly exist.

This is the original werewolf movie. Everything about this movie is absolutely amazing. Acting and Directing are virtually flawless. Read my review for more.



9. The Mist (2007) Dir. by Frank Darabont

A freak storm unleashes a species of blood-thirsty creatures on a small town, where a small band of citizens hole-up in a supermarket and fight for their lives.

Frank Darabont should be the only person allowed to make Stephen King adapted movies. His vision of King's short story is stunning. He was given permission by King to write a new, more complete ending for the film. He did so with a shockingly good bang of ending. I was almost in tears, it was so emotional. Not just to see how amazing movie of a movie it was, coming from my favorite author, but because how emotional the film was. The creatures aren't overwhelming at all. The movie focuses on the story and the characters instead of the creatures. Amazing acting on all parts, and Marcia Gay Harden deserved an Oscar for her supporting role in this film.



8. Night of the Lepus (1972) Dir. by William F. Claxton

Giant mutant rabbits terrorize the southwest!!

There are movies out there that are just so horrible they are great. This is one of those movies. I saw it originally on TNT Monstervision with Joe Bob Briggs, and instantly my obsession with monster movies about abnormally large creatures was born. The Trio, Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh, and Rory Calhoun all give actually great performances in such a silly movie. My favorite part is the three ways they have for filming the rabbits. One- Film really close up to make rabbits look huge, two- film rabbits in a fake smaller scale model of a town to make them look huge, and three- my favorite, when a rabbit attacks a person, it is a guy in a rabbit suit, and you can clearly tell! I searched almost 7 years for this DVD and they finally did a large full release on it. It will always be one of my favorites.



7. 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later (2002, 2007) Dir. by Danny Boyle, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.

These are two very different, but beautifully pieced together films, from two very different directors. I don't care what anyone says, this is a zombie film. I don't care if it is a virus, they are zombies. The first film was all about discovery, about what had happened, and how to survive. The survival aspect of the film was intense, and you felt like you were learning at the same pace as Mr. Murphy was in the film. The second one is an emotion filled explosion of an action film. Both deserve to be near the top of all zombie films.



6. Night Watch, Day Watch (2004,2006) Dir. by Timur Bekmembetov

A fantasy-thriller set in present-day Moscow where the respective forces that control daytime and nighttime do battle.

Technically an action filled fantasy film. Timur is a brilliant man for bringing these amazing books to the big screen. Night Watch was made on such a low budget, yet when you watch the movie, it seems like a blockbuster hit. Perfect acting, and creative vision make this a movie to own. Watch it and you will be blown away.



5. Dawn of the Dead (1978) George A. Romero

Following an ever-growing epidemic of zombies that have risen from the dead, two Philadelphia SWAT team members, a traffic reporter, and his television-executive girlfriend seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall.

Probably the most entertaining of Romero's zombie flicks, this movie delivers everything you could want in a movie. The most important part of this movie is that Romero could have went a very different serious route with it, but this film carries a comedic undertone that cracks me up every time I watch it.



4. Night of the Living Dead (1969) Dir. by George A. Romero

A group of people hide from bloodthirsty zombies in a farmhouse.

This movie is responsible for the unstopable flow of zombie movies being made today. Hell, even I have written a script for a zombie movie. This movie is legendary in every way imaginable. Romero owes his career to it. Scary to the end, forever a landmark in film. This movie deserves to stand on it's own.



3. Phantasm series (79,88,94,98) Dir. by Don Coscarelli

A young boy and his friends face off against a mysterious grave robber known only as the Tall Man, who keeps a mysterious arsenal of terrible weapons with him.

If you are looking for a horror that's got Balls... ITS FOUND YOU. The best tagline for a movie ever! I am the biggets fan of Phantasm you might find anywhere. The series is so brilliantly filmed and written. It's also one of the most bizarre, and complex stories I have ever seen. What impresses me the most, and something that no other series has ever done, is that through three decades of these movies, they still have the same cast. The only exception being Universal forced Don to pick a replace for Baldwin for the second film. Don got his way after that mistake, but Baldwin is still bitter about that. If Phantasm V gets pushed through finally, that will mark four decades with the same characters. Yes, they are all still alive.



2. Evil Dead Trilogy (81,87,92) Dir. by Sam Raimi

Five friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.

What can I say abou these movies without losing my breath? Pure genious, that is all I really need to say, and I hope Raimi doesn't taint them by a remake or a horrible fourth movie without Ash.



1. Moon (2009) Dir. by Duncan Jones

Astronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has helped diminish our planet's power problems.

I know this movie is brand new, but it instantly jumped to my top movie of all time. It is as close as you can get to a perfect movie. Everyone should own AT LEAST one copy of the DVD. I could watch this movie over and over and never get bored. It is probably the most overlooked movie of last year. Sam Rockwell probably should have taken the Best Actor Oscar. I'm a little upset about it. Read my review for the full story.


I was going to do some honorable mentions, but there are just too many. If you want to know what my honorable mentions were, just email me or leave me your email addy.

I leave you with the remainder of the posters