As opposed to a cartoon, I’m going with stop-motion animation.
Coraline (2009) is not only my favorite animated films, it’s one of my favorite films period. I could watch it every single day and never tire of it.
I presume they mean “A Film That Has More Than Five Words in the Title.” So…
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
I am about to embark on a 30 day challenge. Actually, I’m doing one each month from December to March. I figure this is a good way to ensure I have something to post every day even when I’m struggling for inspiration. The four I found are:
Feel free to do these along with me, either on your own blog or in my comments! I would enjoy the company 🙂
Seeing as music is my main focus here, I’m going to start with the 30 Day Song Challenge. Tomorrow will be day one, so get ready!
I’m going to start this list with a shout-out to Smile. My friend and I went to see it last Tuesday, and I’ll admit my hopes weren’t very high. Hollywood hasn’t been giving us top-tier horror films lately. However, I really enjoyed Smile. There were a few too many attempts at jump scares – only one of which actually got us – but other than that, it was a solid plot that didn’t get too hokey. I would certainly recommend watching it, at least. Not that I’m promising it will be your new fave! Just…try it.
Split (2016)
One of my favorite movies ever, Split toes the line for me. I’m not sure I’d necessarily call it horror. Kevin is a sympathetic character, which makes it difficult to classify him as evil.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
American Psycho (2000)
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Midsommar (2019)
Cam (2018)
The Invitation (2015)
The Forest (2016)
This post was originally published in October 2019.
It’s October, which means spooky season, my favorite time of the year! I would have done a lot of horror/Halloween-themed posts if everything hadn’t been so hectic. But alas, that’s life.
With that being said, there are still seven days left until the month’s end, so I have time to get some of my Spooktober ideas uploaded.
My first special post for October is a Top Five list featuring music videos based on horror movies! Over the years, several artists have paid homage to their favorite scary film. The trend is most prevalent in the rock and metal genres, which is appropriate, don’t you think?
And here we go! (These are in no particular order.)
1. “The Kill” – Thirty Seconds to Mars // Based on Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining
2. “Beim Ersten Mal Tut’s Immer Weh” – Oomph! // Based on the psychological thriller Hard Candy, directed by David Slade and starring Ellen Page
3. “Engel” – Rammstein // Based on the snake dance scene in From Dusk Till Dawn
4. “Living Dead Girl” – Rob Zombie // Based on the 1920 silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, with a nod to White Zombie as well
5. “Hell in the Hallways” – Ice Nine Kills // Based on the film adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie
Scream (1996)
Halloween II (1981)
Urban Legend
Cry_Wolf
Trick ‘r Treat
Halloween (1978)
The Final Girls
Terrifier
House of 1000 Corpses
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
I’m not sure what it says about me that my crush on Skeet Ulrich started with his portrayal of a serial killer – or that I find him the most attractive in that film, licking corn syrup off his fingers. Haha. I was thrilled when he made an appearance in Scream 5. Even after all these years, he’s still yummy!
Behind slasher flicks like Scream, the found footage subgenre of horror is probably my favorite. Despite its weak start – I was not a fan of The Blair Witch Project, which was the first of these films I remember gaining any traction – this genre has grown into something really fun. So, here are a few found footage movies I would definitely recommend watching.
The Houses October Built (2014)
The Houses October Built 2 (2017)
Hell House LLC (2015)
Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel (2018)
The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)
I don’t normally enjoy possession movies, but The Taking of Deborah Logan is legitimately scary.
Unfriended (2014)
Unfriended: Dark Web (2018)
This is the one of the few sequels I liked more than the first.
Death of a Vlogger (2019)
The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan (2018)
The Den (2013)
Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin (2021)
I have hated every Paranormal Activity movie – until this one. I was hesitant to watch it, but my BFF and her husband wanted to when I visited last Halloween. And I really enjoyed it.
Look, we all know dancing is a means of expressing oneself, right? A lot can be said without a single word being uttered. Dancing can be fun, goofy, romantic, a narrative…but in this case, we’re talking about sex, pure and simple.
You don’t have to bump and grind to get the point across, and these three scenes are proof of that.
1. The ballroom dance in The Labyrinth (1986)
Come up with any detail in these four minutes that isn’t fraught with sexual tension. I’ll wait.
This scene is iconic. I guess you could argue that this is actually supposed to be about romance, but the moment she first spots him from across the room is just…electric. Plus, David Bowie is so swoon-worthy in this role.
2. At the club in Fright Night (1985)
Chris Sarandon is the sexiest, most deliciously evil vampire I’ve ever seen. I’d be drawn to him, too. It was a little strange for me to see Amanda Bearse getting mildly sensual, though, given that I was only familiar with her in “Married With Children” when I first watched this movie. Lol.
3. The wolf dance in Red Riding Hood (2011)
The music – Fever Ray’s “The Wolf” – is really what sells this one. When he looks up at her, knowing she’s jealous, and then the two of them glare daggers at each other throughout the whole dance, it builds a tension that is palpable.
(Feel free to comment with your own additions! These are just the ones that jump out at me, personally.)
It is no longer October, but I obsess over horror year-round, so some of my top 5 lists will still feature spooky themes!
Vampires are my favorite fictional monsters. I do appreciate the sex appeal, obviously. Even without it, however, I’ve always preferred the tales that surround vampires over all other creatures that go bump in the night.
These are five of my favorite vampire films. Note that this only includes the non-animated (though I do love Hotel Transylvania). And as always, these are listed in no particular order.
1. Fright Night (1985)
Everything about this movie is great, even Amanda Bearse’s exaggerated transformation near the end. Chris Sarandon is extremely attractive as Jerry Dandridge, but the reason the character is so perfect is his cruelty and IDGAF attitude: he knows how to blend in with humanity and that makes him doubly dangerous.
P.S. – The scene with Jerry and Amy dancing at the club is my favorite part.
2. The Lost Boys (1987)
This iconic film had to be on the list, right? Along with a fantastic plot and an all-star cast, The Lost Boys also had an epic soundtrack. The movie has inspired the generations that followed, resulting in sequels, music videos in which famous scenes are recreated, and several covers of the theme song, Gerard McMahon’s “Cry Little Sister.”
3. Suck (2009)
What do you get when you combine musicians and vampires? A cheesy comedy that is nonetheless extremely watchable. I don’t think you can go wrong with rock stars who are bloodsuckers — with the exception of Queen of the Damned; they screwed that one up — and the addition of Alice Cooper and Iggy Pop make Suck a must-see!
4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)
It’s been a while since I’ve watched this one, but I remember the entertainment value of putting a sassy Valley girl in charge of hunting vampires. I didn’t think the television series recaptured the original charm at all.
5. Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
Christopher Lee is the best Dracula. My mom taught me that at a very young age. I actually bought her a collection of Dracula films starring Lee last year for Christmas.
Mostly Music 