Favorites, bests, whatever you want to call them, these are my top 5 (at least 5, sometimes more) from every genre and sub-genre I could think of worth mentioning. The list comes to a total of over 225 of my all-time favorite films. Every single entry here I would consider essential viewing, at least once. There’s an understandable amount of crossover, as something like Total Recall could easily be considered Sci-fi as much as I consider it Action, or Kill Bill could easily be considered Revenge as much as Martial Arts. My thought’s regarding crossover are pretty simple. On the whole, if a movie feels more like X than Y, I’ll put it in category X. And don’t bother trying to make a stink like “Rain Man isn’t an X movie!” cause genre’s are a little loose and I don’t care. There’s no doubt some great movies left off this list, but I’ll be counting on the Grog’s top 500 for suggestions to fill it in.
I’ve
also included a “where to start” for each category. This will sometimes
be my favorite, or the best, but more than likely a fun, exciting, easy
to get into film. If it’s something you’ve seen before but not in
years, it’s time to revisit that film. Since this blog is directed at
horror/film fanatics some of them will be completely irrelevant.
Monster:
Sci-Fi Horror:
Zombies:
Vampires:
Paranormal / Supernatural:
Killer / Slasher:
Crime horror/thrillers:
Disturbing:
Gore:
Psychological:
Horror Comedy:
Italian Horror:
Trash:
Animal/Eco:
Anthologies:
Arthouse / Mindfuck horror
Classics (pre - 1960):
Monster:
Giant
beasts battling giant robots, or terrorizing buildings and sucking
people’s insides out, it’s hard to beat a good monster movie.
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
- King Kong (both)
- Cloverfield
- The Mist
- Pacific Rim
- The Blob (’88)
Where to start: The Blob. It’s a non-conventional monster but the havoc wreaked is astronomical.
Sci-Fi Horror:
Setting up some of the creepiest tales ever told, Horror and Science fiction (when done right) are a match made in Hell.
- Alien
- The Thing
- Event Horizon
- Re-Animator
- The Fly (‘86)
- From Beyond
Where
to start: I feel like everyone has seen the Thing, but if you haven’t,
start there. Otherwise go with Re-Animator or The Fly. Two of the best
mad scientists ever put to film.
Zombies:
I
don’t care for that long debated fight between fast and slow zombies.
Both have exceptional films and terrible ones. I’ve included a few of
both.
- Dawn of the Dead ('78)
- 28 Days Later
- The Battery
- [REC]
- Return of the Living Dead
- Zombi 2
Where
to start: For fast zombies [REC] is hard to beat. For slow zombies
Fulci’s Zombi 2 has the greatest reveal of worm covered corpses that
currently exists.
Vampires:
The absolute best in sexually charged horror. Forget Twilight or True Blood, this is where I’d go for vampires.
- Interview with the Vampire
- Let the Right One In
- The Lost Boys
- Fright Night
- From Dusk till Dawn
- Blade
- Only Lovers Left Alive
- The Hunger
Where
to start: I have a hard time saying anything is better than Interview
with the Vampire. If you’ve already seen that check out Jim Jarmusch’s
recent Only Lovers Left Alive.
Paranormal / Supernatural:
Some ghosts, some demons. All masterfully atmospheric and creepy to no end.
- The Exorcist
- Hellraiser
- Paranormal Activity
- Rosemary’s Baby
- The Sentinel
- Carrie
- Silent Hill
- Session 9
Where to start: If you like the slow burn, I can’t recommend The Sentinel more.
Killer / Slasher:
I’m
not sure Misery belongs here but I couldn’t leave it off this list.
These make up my favorite/best films featuring either a killer
protagonist or slasher villain.
- Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
- Scream
- Black Christmas
- Halloween
- Nightmare on Elm St.
- House of 1000 Corpses
- Sleepaway Camp
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
- Misery
- Maniac (2013) (Yes, over the original)
- Monster
Where to start: Henry no doubt. H:POASK would be in my top 5 all time horror films.
Crime horror/thrillers:
Usually
told from the cop or detective’s perspectives, these movies can be
incredibly intense, and also show that the good guys don’t always win.
- Zodiac
- Seven
- Silence of the Lambs
- True Detective
- Stoker
Where
to start: If you’ve got the time for a short TV series, watch True
Detective. If you’re looking for a film watch Silence of the Lambs or
Zodiac.
Disturbing:
A Serbian Film would take the cake for disturbing, but my favorite super disturbing flicks have a little more substance to them.
- Cannibal Holocaust
- Martyrs
- Inside
- Irreversible
- The Girl Next Door
Where
to start: Martyrs. It’s emotionally exhausting for sure, as all of
these films are, but Martyrs has an underlying beauty and incredible
ambition that set it apart from the rest.
Gore:
Movies
where the gore might as well be a character in itself. If you’re
looking to zone out to some blood and guts, this is where to go.
- Dead Alive
- Tokyo Gore Police
- Riki-oh: The Story of Ricky
- The Evil Dead
- Guinea Pig 2: The Flowers of Flesh and Blood
Where to start: The Evil Dead is the obvious pick here, but I’m gonna have to go with the incredibly over the top Riki-oh.
Psychological:
Movies
that might make you crazy while your protagonist goes crazy. Smart
thrillers that keep you guessing long after the credits roll.
- The Shining
- Jacob's Ladder
- Saw
- Cube
- Altered States
- Black Swan
- Triangle
- The Signal ('07)
Where
to start: The Shining of course. The Signal from 2007 is great for a
lesser known picture, I haven’t seen The Signal from 2014.
Horror Comedy:
The only thing that goes better with Horror than Sci-fi is comedy. These are the best films for a lighter night of violent fun.
- Shaun of the Dead
- Young Frankenstein
- Tucker and Dale vs Evil
- Evil Dead 2
- Killer Klowns from Outer Space
- Black Sheep
- Cabin in the Woods
- Night of the Creeps
- Beetlejuice
Where to start: Night of the Creeps. Tom Atkins’ best film in my opinion.
Italian Horror:
Sometimes completely nonsensical, but you won’t find more beautiful, more nightmarish horror anywhere else.
- Suspiria
- City of the Living Dead
- Nightmare City
- Opera
- The Beyond
Where to start: Suspiria for the beauty, City of the Living Dead for the gore.
Trash:
Terrible
effects, ridiculous storylines, crude violence, scummy characters…
trashy, sleazy flicks like these aren’t for everyone, but they can also
be the most fun you’ve had watching a movie.
- Basket Case
- The Toxic Avenger
- Brain Damage
- Street Trash
- Class of Nuke ‘em High
- Troll 2
- Frankenhooker
- Thankskilling
- Poultrygeist
Where to start: The Toxic Avenger, a love story built around bullies and radioactive waste. Troma’s magnum opus.
Animal/Eco:
You
can make animal horror serious or goofy, and both can be equally fun.
Lake Placid could easily be considered horror-comedy, but films like
Jaws and The Grey lead you into darker territory.
- Jaws
- Alligator
- Lake Placid
- Piranha 3D
- The Grey
Where to start: Alligator. Robert Forester takes on a giant Alligator surviving in the Chicago sewer system. Too much fun.
Anthologies:
Small doses of horror in bite sized little packages. Anthologies can pack a lot of variety into a feature length time-slot.
- Creepshow
- Chillerama
- Trick 'r' Treat
- 3 Extremes
- Twilight Zone: The Movie
- Terror Eyes
- V/H/S
Where
to start: Trick ‘r’ Treat. Incredibly well written and edited. It’s
kinda like Pulp Fiction if Tarantino was reading Tales from the Crypt
comics instead of pulp crime novels.
Arthouse / Mindfuck horror
These
films take psychological horror to unimaginable levels, and can’t be
watched on the fly. You’ve definitely gotta be in the right mood to
experience any of these.
- Eraserhead
- Antichrist
- Beyond the Black Rainbow
- Videodrome
- Naked Lunch
Where
to start: Eraserhead. There’s no easy way into this sub-genre, but
Eraserhead is the perfect place to see if you might enjoy more..
Classics (pre - 1960):
There’s a variety of actual genre’s here but these are my favorite older horror films.
- Creature from the Black Lagoon
- Nosferatu
- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
- Plan 9 from Outer Space
- The Most Dangerous Game
Where
to start: The Most Dangerous Game is a great start. The film actually
was a favorite of the infamous Zodiac killer, so go watch Fincher’s
‘Zodiac’ afterwards.
Revenge:
The definition of justified violence. Tales of extremely wronged people trying to bring on their own brand of justice.
- Blue Ruin
- Oldboy
- I Saw the Devil
- The Count of Monte Cristo
- Last House on the Left
- Death Proof
- Lady Vengeance
- Sushi Girl
- Thriller: A Cruel Picture
Where
to start: The Count of Monte Cristo. The ultimate tale of revenge, Jim
Caviezel’s portrayal is great, and Guy Pearce plays a real piece of
shit.
Comedies:
When
it comes to comedy I’m a much bigger fan of darker, off-beat humor.
That’s not to say I don’t enjoy a more straight forward comedy, complete
with potty mouth fools such as Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
- The Sasquatch Gang
- Wet Hot American Summer (and everything else Stella does)
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
- Cecil B. Demented
- The Slammin’ Salmon
- The Life Aquatic
- Club Dread
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
- Gentlemen Broncos
- Ghost World
- Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
- Little Miss Sunshine
- Rushmore
- Bulletproof
- Saving Silverman
Where
to start: Wet Hot American Summer. It’s got an amazing cast of
would-soon-be hot shot actors and an incredible sense of humor.
Animation:
Hand drawn to stop motion and computer animation, these selections span more than 50 years of film history.
- Wall-E
- Alice in Wonderland ('51)
- Coraline
- The Nightmare before Christmas
- Spirited Away
- My Neighbor Totoro
Where to start: Alice in Wonderland, as timeless as it is imaginative.
Fantasy:
Some of the most imaginative films on this list, These films bring the fantastical and make it as real as can be.
- Pan’s Labyrinth
- Jason and the Argonauts
- Being John Malkovich
- The Princess Bride
- Labyrinth
- Time Bandits
- Willow
Where
to start: Hands down, Willow. One of my favorite childhood films. A
fantastic adventure filled with dragons, wizards, witches, knights, and…
giant snowballs?
Adventure:
Probably the most relatable of any genre, everyone strives to go on a grand adventure.
- Indiana Jones (Original 3)
- Titanic
- Lord of the Rings (All)
- Jurassic Park
- Star Wars (Original Trilogy)
Where to start: If you haven’t seen this entire list by now then I can’t help you.
Drama:
- Mullholland Dr.
- Girl, Interrupted
- Fight Club
- Magnolia
- The Shawshank Redemption
- Synecdoche, NY
- American Beauty
- Charlie Wilson’s War
- Leaving Las Vegas
- The Life of David Gale
- The Royal Tenenbaums
- Melancholia
Where to start: The Shawshank Redemption. Masterful in every way.
“Spacey” Sci-fi:
Sci-fi including extra-terrestrials or traveling outside of our immediate planetary neighborhood.
- Sunshine
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
- Solaris
- Moon
- Interstellar
- Starship Troopers
- Contact
- District 9
Where
to start: Starships Troopers for something a little more fun. Contact
though is a personal favorite, written by Carl Sagan.
Non-“Spacey” Sci-fi:
Down to earth (literally) science fiction that doesn’t skimp on story or quality.
- Primer
- Children of Men
- Inception
- The Jacket
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- The Matrix
- Looper
- 12 Monkeys
- Dark City
- eXistenZ
- Source Code
- Sphere
- Vanilla Sky
- Timecrimes
Where
to start: Children of Men. Really this entire list is incredible.
Sphere is another personal favorite, though it didn’t get a great
critical response.
War:
Something I hope to never be a part of, these films portray the best and worst of it.
- Apocalypse Now
- Full Metal Jacket
- Saving Private Ryan
- Counterfeiters
- Gladiator
- Black Hawk Down
- Inglorious Basterds
Where to start: Gladiator, but if you’re looking for something a bit more modern then Saving Private Ryan.
Action:
I
usually prefer action movies that are smartly written, but I do enjoy
the occasional zone-out mindless “shoot em up” such as Dredd.
- Total Recall
- Terminator 1/2
- Dredd
- Mission Impossible
- Lethal Weapon
- Resident Evil (All)(Yes… all.)
Where to start: Mission Impossible, the action is incredible, but the twists and turns really put it above the rest.
Kung-fu/Martial Arts:
I admittedly have not seen enough Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan movies. There’s really no excuse.
- The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
- Kill Bill
- Ong-bak
- Shogun Assassin
- 5 Deadly Venoms
Where to start: The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. If you’ve never seen it, there’s a reason you’ve heard of it.
Crime/Gangsters:
The best of the bad guys.
- Pulp Fiction
- Heat
- Donnie Brasco
- Goodfellas
- The Departed
- Blow
- Drive
- Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels
- Snatch
- The Usual Suspects
Where
to start: I feel like Donnie Brasco is left out of too many
conversations about gangster flicks. An incredible true story backed by
wonderful performances.
Romantic Comedies:
Not just for girls anymore, these Romantic Comedies feature well rounded, relatable characters for everyone.
- Chasing Amy
- Silver Linings Playbook
- High Fidelity
- The Wedding Singer
- Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
Where
to start: The Wedding Singer. Set in the 80’s and featuring a great
soundtrack, this is Adam Sandler toned down to a much more manageable
level, and it works great.
Adam Bickford is the Co-founder of Piggybank (getpiggybank.com),
as well as an avid horror and film enthusiast. He currently lives in
Portland, Oregon with his wife Miranda and Daughter Evelyn.
No comments:
Post a Comment