A Guest Top Ten Horror Movie List – Kevin Glennon

The below is from the author of the book, yes I said book,”Vikings, Vampires and Mailmen” by Kevin Glennon. The thought here was to get another view of a horror movie list by checking with one who writes horror.  So, Kevin was kind enough to help us with this bit of research and submitted the below list to share. If you haven’t seen it David reviewed his book in a previous post on the blog.

Top 10 Horror Movies – 2000 – 2011
by Kevin Glennon

10. Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010 – USA)
This movie did to horror what Chris Moore’s book Fool did to Shakespeare.  Sometimes even Evil isn’t black and white.

9.  Bubba Ho-Tep (2004 – USA)
Everything about this movie is original and fresh, which is why a boring bad guy like a mummy can be feared again (finally).  And what Bruce Campbell movie was ever bad?

8.  F ido (2006 – Canada)
This movie is teeming with monsters, only they’re not the zombies.  The gore is brilliant, but the filmography makes this a borderline art film by a clear horror fan.

7.  Zombieland (2009 – USA)
We knew what we were getting by just the title alone, and it doesn’t disappoint.  Great acting actually pulls this movie together, as it’s really nothing special from a zombie-horror perspective.

6.  Shadow of the Vampire (2000 – USA)
You never actually know if there are real monsters – only that everybody is moments away from being ripped apart.  It’s a great way to bring back such a horror classic.

5.  Cloverfield (2008 – USA)
Perhaps the only modern movie to do CGI right without taking away from the horror.  Clearly someone was listening in film school when the lesson was “less is more.”

4.  Saw (2004 – USA)
The perfect modern American horror movie, with original plots and twists.  In a world of smartphones with GPS and 911, this flick brought scary back.

3.  Troll Hunter (2010 – Norway)
This is CGI done right – very tasteful, original story with a genius balance of teasing the viewer with information before finally revealing things.  Great acting and locations.

2.  Night Watch (2004 – Russia)
A great twist on traditional vampire movies, this story gets everyone dirty.  It’s not good vs. evil so much as evil vs. more evil.

1.  Shaun of the Dead (2004 – UK)
One of the smartest movies in a long time, and doesn’t skimp on the gore or the loss of good characters.  Easily one of the best zombie flicks of all time.  I’d put it on the list multiple times if I could!

Knightmist’s Top Ten Reviewed Movies

Since I have begun reviewing Horror Films I have found that the list has grown to account for over sixty films.  These films have ranged from classics to modern movies.  I have covered genres from straight horror, thrillers, psychological, b-movies to the comedic.  As another year comes to an end, I thought it was about time I looked back at all those films.  It’s also important to remember those films so they do not show up a second time on Horror Addicts.  So below I’m sharing a blurb on what I’d consider the top ten films of those I have reviewed.  There is no specific order to this list as they all could easily be the number one in my list.

Salem’s Lot (1979) David Soul, James Mason, Bonnie Bedelia

Salem’s Lot is one of those Television mini-series that left people speechless after seeing the series. Now it’s available for the masses to watch through DVD rentals and other forms of media.  It’s a story that came from the mind of Steven King and takes you to a small town besieged upon by a dark and ruthless vampire.  This creature will turn everyone from small children to adults and this film shows the battle between those who know what is happening and those who choose to run.

The Shining (1980) Jack Nicholson, Shelly Duvall, Danny Lloyd

This is another Steve King entry into my list and do not see this as a trend, it’s just another great film. The Shining is a film that takes you deep into the psyche of its main character.  It’s a study of what a man will imagine and eventually do when he is placed in a place of solitude. In this case, the man goes insane with a little help from the local spirits. This film is set apart by the young actor and the role he plays in the film making this a stunning film.

Dog Soldiers (2002) Sean Pertwee, Kevin McKidd, Emma Cleasby

British Soldiers are dropped into the highlands to take part in a training mission.  This seems a simple enough tasks but then they discover that things are not as they seem.  The troopers eventually end up finding themselves under attack from an unseen enemy who later does get revealed. They are being attacked by a pack of werewolves and then it becomes a battle of who will survive. A great survival movie with a great cast and even better great looking werewolves that scare

Fido (2006) K’Sun Ray, Billy Connolly, Carrie-Anne Moss

The world has seen a dramatic war in which men, woman and even children had to fight for their lives.  Humanity eventually beat back the hordes of Zombies that were created from radiation from space and a genius found a way to control the zombies.  This takes us to the town of Willard where a boy’s mother is able to get the family a zombie.  Timmy befriends the zombie and names him Fido and we get a story that is quite unique.  Things eventually get interesting in town and we see a boy do anything he can to save his dog, oops I mean his Zombie.

Let the Right One In (2008) Kare Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar

It’s the 1980’s and a boy lives alone with his mother in Sweden.  The boy is somewhat of a loner in school and is often bullied by a group of kids.  One day while out in the courtyard of his apartment complex he meets a young girl.  They eventually strike up a friendship, of sorts, and at times even speak through Morse code. The girl is different and has an old man as a caretaker and after a while we find out she is a vampire.  Their friendship is tested and things began to go wrong in town as she thirsts. This film was so well received it got an American remake called Let Me In (2010) staring Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloe Grace Moretz.

Perfect Creature (2007) Dougray Scott, Saffron Burrows

This film came to the US in a straight to DVD release and was made in New Zealand with a well-known cast for that part of the world. The movie is set in a steampunk type of environment and takes place in a city that resembles Victorian London. There is a mix of cars, zeppelins, radios and black and white TVs that help to sell the world.  What makes this land stand out is the fact that vampires are seen as a church and are called the Brotherhood. Their job is to help to protect humanity and aid mankind by providing medicine for disease. However, one of the Brotherhood breaks ranks and begins attacking humans and it’s up to a female cop and a brother to track down the killer. As they track him a story unravels that is unique and quite surprising.

Slither (2006) Elizabeth Banks, Nathan Fillion, Michael Rooker

A meteor crashes near the town of Woodsville and unlucky town member Grant Grant is infected by a creature that had traveled within the meteor.  This creature begins to kill pets and eventually starts taking over the people in town. It’s up to the Sheriff Bill Prady to discover what is going on and save the town and anyone that has not been infected.  This film is a dirty pleasure as there is plenty of humor and some interesting scenes in the film that will either have you laughing or going ick.

The Strangers (2009) Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman

A man had just proposed to his girlfriend only to be turned down by her.  They return to the vacation home of his parents to relax before seeing what will happen with them.  As they are there a blonde woman stops at the home and asks for Tamara. After they tell the stranger it’s the wrong house things return to normal, or they think. After James leaves to get some smokes for Kristen, the woman returns. After this we begin to see people watching her from outside and then eventually within the house. It only gets worse for the couple form that point. This film takes the fears of home invasion and turns it on its head and most of all the creepy middle of nowhere setting adds to the film.

The Host (2006)

A South Korean Horror Film that takes a unique look at the killer creature tale. The film centers around a family that will do everything it can to get their missing little girl back. She had been taken by a creature that had wreaked havoc along the waterway killing people and taking the girl back to its home. The family which has a gold medalist archer, snack bar owner, his son and an additional son do all they can to find the girl. This leads to moments of challenge within the family unit and some comedy. It’s a great film as it explores the family as well as seeing the girl try to stay alive when in the creature’s lair.

The Exorcist (1973) Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max Von Sydow

In truth I should need to write very little about The Exorcist as it’s a horror classic and has been scary audiences since its original release.  The film has been followed by some conflicts and legends behind the filming of the movie. Most people remember a scene in which Linda Blair’s character tosses up enough pea soup that it appears as if it wouldn’t stop.  This film continues to make it on lists of scariest films ever made and should continue to be listed for some time. The plot is simple enough a young girl becomes possessed and the exorcism that takes place to save her. The film is pure terror and one that still sticks in the mind of viewers after seeing the film years in the past.

Fido (2006) Encore Review

I haven’t heard of the film Fido and after some searching I was finally able to find it, and sit down and watch the movie. Fido is a surprisingly well made and the idea behind the film is also something interesting and not to far out of the zombie cliché world.

The town of Willard is like many 1950’s type of towns. You have beautiful homes, green lush lawns, a gorgeous city park and zombies. (Insert the sound of breaks squealing to a stop).

Did I say ZOMBIES?? Yes, Yes I did the town of Willard and the world in which this film takes place had the Great Zombie War. It wasn’t till the genius Dr. Geiger determines that the only way to kill a zombie is to shoot them in the head did humanity start winning the war. The great Doctor takes it one step further and develops control collars that allow the Zombies to interact with people and curb their hunger for human flesh.

We are introduced to those wonderful facts through a News Reel type of movie that plays before we get into the meet of the movie. If you’ve ever seen any of those old Atomic Bomb movies where people are told to “duck and cover” imagine that if you will. The way this film is done and spliced with some vintage WW2 film footage was quite intriguing. It was also a great way to introduce us to the world that Willard is in.

I will also say that this movie is your typical feel good family movie where a boy falls in love with his Zombie, irr I mean pet. Fido, the zombie his mother gets, becomes a family member much like a dog would in the old shows like Lassie. The fact that Timmy consistently says things like “Fetch boy”, “Good boy”, or in one seen, “I knew you wouldn’t eat me boy.”

One of my favorite comedic moments is when Fido comes home and Timmy’s mother asks where Timmy is and Fido lets out a whine and wants her to follow him. I had a laugh out loud moment when I thought back to all those Lassie jokes where a dog barks and people would ask, “Where’s Timmy boy?”.

The film also has some other small comedic pieces to help move the movie and plot along. You get to watch the zombies do everything in the town from assisting the milkman to delivering the local paper.

The movie does a great job of making you feel like your set back in the 1950’s as I mentioned before. I want to add to that point as there was some great use of automobiles in the film and even cars with those HUGE white walls. Also, the fact that Timmy’s mother felt she needed a Zombie to keep up with the neighbors as they where the only family without one. The fact she also had to take a pie over to welcome the new neighbors to the neighborhood.

Now, the movie isn’t all just laughs as there is some drama behind the movie. Timmy’s father for example has a zombie phobia because his 1 kill during the Zombie war was a family member. We also see poor Timmy stuck with a father who really doesn’t know how to relate to him and would rather be golfing. Of course there are other protagonists such as 2 local bullies, and an old lady neighbor who gives Timmy the riot act for not putting his bike away. Also in many pet/child movies something happens to Fido in which Timmy must go and rescue him.

Overall, I was pleasantly really surprised by this film and would highly recommend the film to others. The cast has some well now actors/actresses such as Carrie-Ann Moss playing Timmy’s mother. Fido is played by comedian Billy Connolly who was Uncle Monty in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events and was in a great film called Mrs. Brown. The young boy, K’Sun Ray, did an amazing job considering this was his first movie role according to IMDB.com.

So if you’re in the mood for a light hearted movie with a bit of zombies go out and find this movie, or add it to your Netflix queue. This film actually is low enough on the blood and gore I’d recommend it as an overall family film. Just keep one thing in mind when doing this, and that it is a zombie film and you must have your flesh eating and shots to the head.