31 days. 31 years. 5 movies per year!
That’s the challenge a good friend presented me with recently, and I NEVER back down from a challenge! (well, nearly never!)
Every day through October I will be pondering and revealing my 5 favorite horror and monster movies from 1985 right up to 2016. When I was told I get to pick FIVE movies per year I initially thought this would be a fairly comfortable task. I’m one of those people who likes lots of movies but I only truly LOVE a select few. That did NOT make things any easier. This has been incredibly difficult, and there have been so many years where I could have happily selected 10+ films.
Until you attempt something like this you simply don’t realize just how many horror movies you have a passion for in different ways!
I’ll keep my reasons for selecting each movie brief, simply because I have to produce this every day for a month. The challenge starts with 1985, when I was 9 years old, and that’s pretty much exactly when I moved on from cartoons and family movies and began exploring the good stuff! Going back 31 years turned out to be the PERFECT place for me to start a journey into my movie watching past, and that made taking on this challenge a fascinating and rewarding experience.
I WANT feedback, and I would love to read your choices if you feel like getting involved.
Today we summon 1988 …
The first time I watched this I expected NOTHING from it, and was convinced it would just be another enjoyably awful and forgettable little horror movie. The truth is Maniac Cop really strives to be more than that, and I remember coming away from it feeling I’d just watched something that was almost very good. In any other year it probably wouldn’t have made my top 5, but 1987 wasn’t exactly overflowing with genre classics, and for effort alone I’ve always admired this unusual slasher film.
Stan Winston’s directorial debut is a swirling blend of revenge movie, monster movie, and modern horror fairy tale. I recently revisited it for the first time in years with some trepidation, fearing it would have aged VERY badly, but I can honestly say I still loved it. The monster remains impressive visually, and once again Lance Henriksen delivered a performance that was mesmerizing.
Friday The 13th Part 7: The New Blood.
Another choice that might raise eyebrows, but The New Blood was my favorite installment for quite a few years when I was a kid. It was Jason’s appearance that I became obsessed with, and when you have a talent like Kane Hodder under the latex and mask, great things happen. The story and characters aren’t particularly memorable, but the big dude looked SO fucking cool.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space.
From those hilarious balloon dogs that were used to track down escaping victims, to the iconic cotton candy cocoons that contained a disturbing surprise within, this movie is easy to love if you give it a chance. There really is nothing else out there quite like Killer Klowns, and probably never will be unless we FINALLY get that rumoured 3D sequel. A creative and unique horror comedy that works hard to entertain you from start to finish.
I first heard about Child’s Play during an episode of popular British movie review show Film 88. The presenter was counting down the top ten movies at the American box office that week, and mentioned that the number one earner was a low budget horror flick about a serial killer who transfers his soul into the body of a large doll. A few quick clips from the trailer flashed across the screen, and I vividly remember thinking it looked and sounded awesome! Many months later I finally got to see it on VHS and it didn’t disappoint. I’m not really a fan of the sequels that followed, but the original was a smart and frequently unnerving film that many people couldn’t resist checking out.
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