I have read many comments on numerous horror movie message boards about how much the "older" members hate the newbies, and it saddens me. Yes, there are those newbies that are only familiar with the new crop of crap -- remakes, endless sequels, pointless gorefests, sloppily patched-together stuff that Ed Wood could look down his nose at -- yet seem to think they are horror movie gurus. Yet what if there are people out there, especially pre-teens, who are new to the genre and have profound interest? What movies would you pull out of your collection and say "If you want an intro, watch this"? I say that we need to educate the newcomers instead of slapping an I'm With Stupid sticker on their foreheads.
Here, I give my list of Modern Horror Movies for Newbies. These films are in no particular order, since choosing my top eleven horror movies would be about as difficult and pointless as choosing your eleven best orgasms. Some on the list are widely accepted classics, others are cult favorites, but I consider most of them helpful, if not outright indispensable, to an understanding of the horror genre as a whole.
1. Night of the Living Dead
Every modern zombie film owes a debt of gratitude to George Romero. Night of the Living Dead is a tour de force filled with nightmarish imagery, all conveying one essential theme: survival. Here you have a group of ordinary people thrust into an unforgiving world where, after you watch someone you love suffer a horrible death, you may have to fight it out with them as a member of the undead. Things began to escalate once our characters get safely behind locked doors and boarded windows, as two of the main characters, Ben and Harry Cooper, battle it out over whose ego reigns supreme and whose plan for survival is more likely to work. And so we discover that the real problem of a zombie apocalypse lies not with the undead, but with the frightened, panicking, desperate people that are still alive.
2. Dawn of the Dead
Of course you can't talk about Night of the Living Dead without mentioning its stellar sequel. Dawn of the Dead ramps up the tension, the gore and the social satire, as we watch four desparate but resourceful characters making their way through the preliminary stages of the End Of The World. From the cinematography to the dialogue to the soundtrack, this is probably one of the most finely crafted movies of its era, let alone horror films. Romero really came into his own as a filmmaker at this point.3. The Exorcist
While I'm not a major fan of The Exorcist, I can admit objectively that this is an essential film. There are some genuine scares here, and we are given a generous amount of insight into the characters, especially Father Damian Karras -- a man who knows that his faith is being tested, and is terrified that it may not be strong enough to hold. His mentor, Father Merrin, gives an interesting point of advice that future creators and connoisseurs of religious-themed horror would be wise to consider: that whatever is possessing Regan McNeil is not attacking her, but the hopes, dreams, and faith of everyone around her.
4. The Thing
John Carpenter makes his first appearance on the list. Yes this is a remake, but it's worth noting that in terms of content and style it's actually closer to John W. Campbell's story then the original adaptation from the Fifties. The Thing is a masterpiece brimming with tension, terrifying visuals and an incredible cast of actors including unforgettable performances from Kurt Russell, Keith David and Wilford Brimley -- who used to be known for better reasons than his "diabeetus." There is no sensation, in my book, more frightening than paranoia -- the feeling that those you trust are out to destroy you. This film specializes in this variety of fear; from moment to moment, neither the characters nor the audience know whom to trust.
5. Suspiria
Italian horror is a unique phenomenon. They don't care about trivial details, such as the plot; it only matters how they can creep out the audience, and no Italian director has been more consistently creepy than Dario Argento. Suspiria is narrated more like a dark fairy tale than a standard shocker. Argento's trademarks -- bizarre cinematography, odd lighting choices, and extremely messy kills and grossout sequences -- were all turned up to 11 for this story of a young American dance student and the strange academy she attends. The film is also notable for yet another Argento trademark: the extremely unsettling score written and performed by Goblin, one of Italy's greatest prog-rock ensembles (tapes of which were actually played on set to unnerve the cast). If you can accept that the film's story is more like a string of nightmares than a linear 1-2-3 series of plot points, then I believe that you are more than capable of enjoying this film. It's an excellent introduction to the way-out world of Italian horror; if you can take this, then you can take anything Argento throws at you. And Lucio Fulci and the Bava dynasty are waiting in the wings.
6. Martin
Since we are talking about cult classics, I'd like to take this opportunity to mention one of George Romero's more underappreciated films. Forget all you know about Twilight and Anne Rice, Martin is the quintessential modern vampire film. Romero gives the audience a very different, distinctly 20th-century take on the vampire mythos. John Amplas, a sadly underrated yet incredibly gifted actor, gives an unforgettable performance as the title character -- a performance made all the more disturbing by Romero's refusal to come right out and tell us exactly whether his protagonist is a superficially sweet and likeable psychopath... or something even worse. Ultimately, it makes no difference what Martin is; the audience is encouraged to see the world through his eyes. Even while he's breaking into homes to desanguinate the occupants, we are not allowed to view him coldly and objectively; he is very real, very credible, even sympathetic (in ways that, say, Edward Cullen is not)... and for those exact reasons, very scary.7. Black Christmas
You thought I was going to mention Halloween first, didn't you? Black Christmas, however, is the true progenitor of the classic slasher, no matter how many people ripped off John Carpenter. Bob Clark introduced a new variation on the old paranoia theme -- the idea that you're not even safe in your own home. A homicidal maniac takes refuge in the attic of a home occupied by a group of soriority girls. It all starts with obscene and disturbing phone calls from the intruder. Then one of the girls ends up disappearing, and only the audience knows what's happened to her... It's worth noting that amid the chaos of irrational suspicions and false clues, the movie actually manages to tackle a very serious issue; one of our protagonists, having discovered that she is pregnant, is feuding with her boyfriend over whether they should keep the baby -- she wants to have an abortion. And after the killer overhears one of their arguments, he brings it up in one of his harassing phone calls, deftly deflecting her suspicions onto the one man she thought she could trust, and driving a wedge between the two. If you want something different to watch around the holidays, cozy up on the couch with a delicious cup of eggnog and pop in this gem.
8. Poltergeist
I am a big fan of horror films, as I said, and it takes a lot to scare me. That said, Poltergeist scared the shit out of me. Images from this movie reappeared in my nightmares, on and off, for several years after I first saw it; I still don't trust clowns, or closets for that matter. Like Black Christmas, Poltergeist plays on the fear of being insecure in one's own home -- only this time, the menace can't be nailed down to anything material. There may be ways of defeating it, but not the conventional ways; there's nothing here you can shoot, stab or bludgeon, but it can hurt you any time it likes. And that's a million times more creepy than any serial killer.9. The Evil Dead
... oh come on, like my name wasn't a dead giveaway! I love Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness, but those are more dark comedies than straight-up horror films. The Evil Dead is the most unique of the trilogy based on the fact that, while having some humorous moments, it is far more horrifying than hilarious. Lo-fi campiness aside (give Sam Raimi a break -- look at the budget he was shooting on), Evil Dead keeps it simple; a group of friends uncover a strange book while vacationing in the woods, and accidentally use it to awaken unearthly forces. Our hapless hero is literally put through hell, forced to fight, kill and dismember the entire rest of the party, including his sister and his girlfriend. This is one of the rare horror films where the terrified, victimized "last survivor" turns out to be male. Bruce Campbell is the ultimate scream king! If you don't believe me, watch his reaction after sticking his hand through a mirror made of water.10. Return of the Living Dead
Dan O' Bannon, the writer of Alien, tries his hand at the zombie mythos with Return of the Living Dead -- and comes up with something truly horrifying. The standard "Romero rules" have been taken for granted since the original NOTLD; O'Bannon and his screenwriters, including John Russo, get most of their shocks out of violating the most important rule -- that an injury to the head is sufficient to kill a zombie. These zombies are the definition of an unstoppable killing machine; they will continue to stalk and ravage their prey no matter how many limbs get blown off -- the heroes discover one "sure" method of killing them, and then discover that it is not guaranteed to work. Another great aspect of Return of the Living Dead is the mile-wide streak of black comedy running down the middle of it; our protagonists are as frightened and panicky as in any zombie movie, but in a way that reminds one more of the Three Stooges than of George Romero... and unlike Romero's undead, these zombies can still think.11. Halloween
Here's Number 11, just for the sake of going "one step beyond"... and what a step it is. Personally, I feel it's an essential part of the education of any budding horror fan to watch Halloween on Halloween. John Carpenter takes the basic template created by Bob Clark -- creepy house, faceless killer, holiday -- and pushes the envelope, pulling the perfect slasher film seemingly out of thin air. Donald Pleasance and Jamie Lee Curtis turn in memorable performances, as does Nick Castle, the first man to step behind the mask of Michael Myers; Tommy Wallace's cinematography is quietly eerie, and director Carpenter's musical score drills into your spine. For a such a small budget, Halloween is nevertheless truly one of the most terrifying films ever made.
So there you have my list; I could have done a list of 'honorable mentions,' but that alone would have probably doubled (if not tripled) the length of this article. I'd like to hear your opinions as well -- what do you think are the most important horror movies of the last few decades?
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