The Duke Presents The 13 Best Horror Films Of All Ever
Published June 07, 2004
Most contradictory of all, however, is the fact that this film which features so much punishing inhumanity in the actions of its characters, is unmistakably the work of a highly conscientious, humane individual.
Contrary to popular belief, a belief no doubt encouraged by the film's lurid marketing campaign, the villains of the piece are not, in fact, the cannibals. In actuality, the evil is manifest in the visiting documentarians. As they burn a hut filled with weeping, mystified tribes-people, the soundtrack wails mournfully, and the camera looks on with uncomprehending disdain as the intruders laugh and cheer in our direction. The journalists rape, torture and beat their way through the film, and when they are finally set upon by the oppressed, it seems that justice has been served.
This idea of the brutality inflicted on third-world territories by invading Caucasian plunderers is returned to throughout the film, long before such concerns were widespread. The idea that it is the black inhabitants of the area, and not the white explorers who are the victims, was quietly revolutionary.
The middle act of the film, which reveals to us the "lost footage" of the murdered film-makers, directly influenced the likes of The Last Broadcast and The Blair Witch Project, and was indeed so realistic that Deodato was summoned to court in order to prove its inauthenticity. The point was made eventually by Deodato's hounding of the cast in the direction of television talk-shows.
Cannibal Holocaust is not simply a film for folks who get off on nauseating violence, although there is plenty of it there for those who wish to indulge. It's a long held misconception that fans of the film are in some way perverted deviants who probably idolize serial killers and have collections of death-on-camera video cassettes. This is a notion The Duke finds to be insulting in the motherfucking extreme. Cannibal Holocaust is certainly not a film I would recommend that one views without prior consideration, but neither should those who have never saw it, or heard only the cries of outraged, misunderstanding critics, seek to vilify a work which is as valid and incisive a cultural commentary as cinema has yet spawned.
A Nightmare On Elm Street 3 - Dream Warriors (1987)
Director - Chuck Russell
Wes Craven's original may have had the shock of the new about it, and the sequel, Freddy's Revenge, had a uniquely homosexual take on the whole slasher-fiasco, but the third instalment is the one where the rest of the narrative matched the dream sequences in terms of surreal invention and uncomfortable detail.
The script, penned by Craven and Frank Darabont, who would later go on to give Stephen King another nudge up the ladder of respectability via The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, plays less like a horror than a particularly nasty fantasy fable. It tells the tale of a group of teenagers committed to a psychiatric hospital on account of the fucked-up nightmares they've been having, amongst other unpleasantries. Via a brilliant scene set during a group-therapy session, we learn that each of the core protagonists has a "dream-talent", meaning that the guy in a wheelchair becomes an able-bodied magician, and the sassy kid from the streets becomes strong as a horse, and the drug-addicted goth becomes a drug-addicted goth with a mohician.
The Duke (Aaron McMullan to his parents and the clergy) is a Northern Irish writer, performer and insomniac currently residing in London. He is the creator of Mondo Irlando, wherein his scribblings and hollerings can be found. He is currently working towards the completion of his first novel, and his debut "punk / country / folk / whatever" album has recently been released by Ex Libris Records . You can also pop by His MySpace Page and maybe have a coffee and a biscuit.
- The Duke Presents The 13 Best Horror Films Of All Ever
- Published: June 07, 2004
- Type:
- Section: Video
- Filed Under: Video: Art House, Video: Classics, Video: Documentary, Video: Fantasy, Video: Horror, Video: Suspense and Mystery
- Writer: Duke De Mondo
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Comments on this articleComments
Jadester, thats great! Lists are made for to be debated and yelled at and what not. Personally, i think its filled with amazing imagery. That bit with the fella being used like a puppet, thats fantastic. The first film was much darker in tone, but Dream Warriors is jut bursting with invention, some of which, granted, may seem a bit daft, but the whole surreal feel of the thing carries it through i think.
Thanks!
I have to agree with Jadester on this one. Although after reading your justification for Dream Warriors to be included, I see where you're coming from, I just think it's a pretty substandard film (mind you, I'm not the person to talk about slasher films - with the exception of the first Halloween, I watch slashers only by chance when they're on the tv).
But on the upside, your list did what we all hope a list will do; rather than confirm existing favorites, will lead me to new films and a lot of these look pretty good (I see no link to buy witchfinder or Ghostwatch)
My list would have to include Shining, Texas Chainsaw Massacre (that film just gets better and better every time you watch it), Jaws....honourable mention would go to (I fear with what I'm about to say I may be barred from all serious conversations for the rest of my life): Deep Blue Sea as a textbook case on how to make an effective shocker out of a not very good script.
Further honourable mentions would go to Prince of Darkness and The Thing
Toby, i would have loved nothing more than to include links to Withcfinder General and Ghostwatch, but, alas, they are available only on region 2, and since Amazon.com doesn't keep such fare, my hands were tied.
You can pick them up at www.amazon.co.uk though, although i'm not sure what they're shipping etc costs.
Great honourable mentions there, and whilst i wouldn't personally say Deep Blue Sea was a shocker of any sort, i did enjoy it tremendously. It was a hell of a lot of fun, is what.
I really should have had The Thing on this list, and The Fly too, but look out for them in The Duke's no-doubt forthcoming Best Remakes Of All Ever.
The Dream Warriors controversy rages on.
i agree that this list will guide me to try new films. I haven't seen most of the ones you mention (altho i have heard of them), and seeing no-nonsense synopses without having to find the dvds themselves in some huge highstreet store is good. Also i know you're for real, and i share at least some of your taste in films, so that's a good indication for me =+)
In defense of Deep Blue Sea: I sat in that cinema and I remember at points the tension was almost too much (I particularly remember the scene where the woman returns to pick up something and there's a great scene as she delicately descends the steps in to the water, and the camera remains focused on her feet, moving from the air to under the water as she walks down.) - I don't know if this commentary has just outed me as a big pussy terrified of computer generated sharks, but such is the luck of the internet.
Further honourable mentions: Don't Look Now, and another great ending would be Wicker Man. And aside from Fly, is there no Cronenburg here? I can't think of which one it should be..videdrome is good, but shouldn't break top 15.
further evidence I'm a pussy. I've heard great things about Cannibal Holocaust and Irreversible, but will not see either one. Somehow my stomach has got a little more squeamish as I've grown older until now at 28 the prospect of outright gore and excessive violence puts me off
Toby, Dont Look Now never really did much for me, to be honest. The Wicker Man, however, is amazing, and debated wether it or Witchfinderr General should be on here. In the end i opted for Price.
Also, nothing "pussy"-like about not wanting to see Cannibal Holocaust or Irreversible (and i don't mean that in a patronising way either). Neither one is suitable for anyone to just throw on. Both are seriously disturbing, and it took a long time to shake some of the imagery from mine skull.
Toby - i've put Ghostwatch, witchfinder general and anything else that isn't available through amazon.com on my own site at The Duke's Store so if you click on the links you can see how postage and so on works out. Anything else will be on blogcritics, but stuff thats not available for to link here, i'll put on my own site. Thanks folks. plug over.
I scrolled through this so fast it flung me back to the home page, how bad is that?
Anyways, I didn't really read this, though, I will give a big stripy hair shout out to "Bride of Frankenstein"
But I am watching what could be the best kung fu movie ever starring Jewish chix from New Jersey.
So just grasp your own bad self firmly.
After having read the list, it is missing the one movie which really, in my adult life, scared the beejebus out of me: "The Rapture". Made by the same dude who made other apocalyptic movies, this bit of stuff, which isn't available to the public, which is how fucking scary it is, just gave me nightmares for weeks.
Great soundtrack, lots of hot Mimi Rogers, and the end of the world.
Gives "The Prophesy" a run for it's money, tackles it, and yanks up its underpants for Damien to laugh at.
Jim, i've been wanting to see that flick you mention for ages!
I just can't get enough of the old Christian paranoia.
Don't mind if I chip in with what seems to be the 13th comment here! Great list. Terrifically written too--I like the way you just put it out there, man. I even agree with some of your choices...only some of them though. What I like is the up-front way you just go-get your point across. Gimme more 13 Best Lists.
Your 13th Commentor.
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/16304)
i'm afraid i disagree with Dream Warriors being there. That film is laughable, and there's plenty that's better