OOGIE BOOGIE TIME!!- FAVOURITE HORROR FILMS

            HALLOWEEN- yet another festival I have never celebrated due to geographical problems! But one can dream right? If I could, this year I would dress up like the Eleventh Doctor- bow tie, braces, floppy hair... everything. And I've always wanted to look like Charlie Chaplin à la The Tramp. But alas, this will not happen for atleast the next few years.
           However, if I cannot put on a costume, I will do the next best thing. Sit on my laptop and make a Favourite Horror Movies list. Yippee! OOOOOOH (that's supposed to sound scary). I am not a big fan of the genre (more like scaredy cats laugh at me), but I do watch horror movies from time to time. I tried watching Dawn of the Dead yesterday but the internet went nuts and it just seemed sort of illogical to waste time watching something that was clearly causing me distress.


Note: I am only going to talk about universally accepted scary films. So as much as I love them, there is no Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland in this, and neither will there be things like Antichrist (that's just plain disturbing), Nosferatu (great film, doesn't really send chills down my spine sorry) or The Silence of the Lambs (I prefer to think of it as a psychological thriller).


Honourable mentions: It will sound ridiculous, but I was actually terrified of Megan Fox in Jennifer's Body the first time I saw it. Even with all the "maneater" jokes, I couldn't sleep at night and was convinced she's perched outside my window *shudders*. And as a kid, Chucky, the doll from Child's Play was the scariest fucking thing ever. Obviously with age, I could see the humour in it all, but try telling Mini-Me that. Also, I just saw 28 Days Later and it has not made the total impact on me yet. I thought it was quite good, but then I didn't like the second-half as much as the first.

10) Poltergeist-

This scene comes out of nowhere. Always manages to take me aback. I think the biggest asset of this film was the child actor Heather O'Rourke, whose angelic face and singing bird-like voice, especially when she says the very famous line "They're here" that both scares people and make them want to save this poor little girl.

9) Scream-

Ghostface has become one of the most recognisable villains of the last two decades, because of this film. I suppose the basic plot is the same- group of teenagers being killed in gory fashion by some scary-looking murderer, but it re-invented the slasher genre very effectively.

8) The Sixth Sense-

I am a person who knew of the big secret at the end before watching the film, but it shocked me still. This film, with Haley Joel Osment's prodigious performance, is always entertaining to watch as well as touching to see a little kid so affected by all the death in the world.

7) The Blair Witch Project-

The most amazing film this film does, and why it is so popular, is that we never actually see what it is haunting the three documentary film makers. It is all about the sounds and the shivers and the strange things found that creates the fear in our head. So while they were getting more and more frightened, so were we.

6) Rosemary's Baby-

This Roman Polanki's classic makes one feel breathless and claustrophobic in my opinion, just like its protagonist Rosemary Woodhouse, played by the divine Mia Farrow, when she finds out that everyone is after her and her baby. It also makes one distrustful of one's neighbours because if Ruth Wilson turns out to be a Satanist then well... The ending is the best part.

5) The Others-

Such a film will not exist were it not for the "demonic child" movies of the 70s. Nicole Kidman is great as the concerned and possibly mad mother. I love this film as everything is the opposite of what you think and the final reveal is easily among my most favourite movie twists of all time.

4) Carrie-

One thing this film always makes me think is that if you felt that you had an awful puberty, imagine being Carrie White. Margaret White is easily one of the worst and most horrifying mothers of the silver screen. Of course Carrie turned out the way she did. It doesn't mean she deserved it though. Sissy Spacek as the eponymous protagonist is someone I feel bad for because she had to grow up with her psycho-religious-fanatic mother and mean girls from high school, and well telekinetic powers. In my opinion the prom scene is one of the best scenes ever made.

3) The Shining-

Inspired by events in a real-life hotel, this Stanley Kubrick masterpiece based on a Stephen King novel is as iconic as they come. The whole motif of a hotel from hell and strange things in different rooms has become a cliché ever since, but it is still most potent here. Everyone in this film-  the naturally crazy-looking Jack Nicholson, spaced-out horrified Shelley Duvall and cute creepy kid with quite an imaginary friend Danny Lloyd, is perfect. Add to that the Kubrick precision and hallways being flooded with blood...ah Christmas!

2) Psycho-

Surprised this wasn't in any of the horror films lists I have seen so far. I think this film is so popular and so a part of people's psychology, that we never really look back to see trivial things like what genre it belongs to. Technically this Hitchcock spectacular gave birth to the slasher films genre, thanks to Mrs. Bates. It is so beautifully made, this film, and Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates is such a pathetic little villain, that I don't know, I always feel bad for him. But he does go a little mad sometimes, which results in some of the most beloved murder scenes in all of film history.

1) The Exorcist-

Yes I am the cliché of all clichés, but this film really is that good. And the first time I saw it, I actually did the whole sitting in the dark alone thing, which is not nice. At all. I love that this film is not a lesson in religious dogmas and stuff and the fact that even the priests don't believe in the possession until the very end. Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil and Ellen Burstyn as her mother Chris are excellent in this film. I know everyone just credits the make-up department for Blair's work, but god I would never ever ever want to look like that. This is a film that truly scares us, and makes us think that if a bad spirit can do such horrific things to someone as innocent as Regan, who knows how we will survive it? 

HAPPY ALL HALLOW'S EVE EVERYONE!

"You can't handle the truth!" ~Jack Nicholson as Col. Nathan R. Jessep

Guess who takes the crown...why it's the devil himself in human form- the one, the only, the brilliant, the notorious JACK NICHOLSON!

Looking at his filmography I do realise that I haven't seen a lot of his films, but seriously has he ever played a completely good guy? Something about his grimacing face, the mischievous twinkle in his eyes, the gruff yet smooth voice, and enough acting talent to fuel an entire film industry, I tell ya'.

A look back... 

Jake Gittes: You're dumber than you think I think you are.

Randall P. McMurphy: I must be crazy to be in a loony bin like this.

Daryl Van Horne: Men are such cocksuckers aren't they? You don't have to answer that. It's true. They're scared. Their dicks get limp when confronted by a woman of obvious power and what do they do about it? Call them witches, burn them, torture them, until every woman is afraid. Afraid of herself... afraid of men... and all for what?

The Joker: Tell me something, my friend. You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?

Col. Nathan R. Jessep: Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.

Will Randall: I've never loved anybody this way. Never looked at a woman and thought, if civilization fails, if the world ends, I'll still understand what God meant.

President Dale/Art Land: If the Martians land, the're gonna need a place to stay. Just like everybody else.

Melvin Udall: Some have great stories, pretty stories that take place at lakes with boats and friends and noodle salad. Just no one in this car. But, a lot of people, that's their story. Good times, noodle salad. What makes it so hard is not that you had it bad, but that you're that pissed that so many others had it good.

Harry: I have never lied to you, I have always told you some version of the truth.

Frank Costello: I got this rat, this gnawing, cheese eating fuckin' rat and it brings up questions... You know, see, Bill, like you're the new guy. Girlfriend... Why don't you stay in the bar that night I got your numbers. Social Security numbers. Everybody's fuckin' numbers.

And finally...

Jack Torrance: I dreamed that I, that I killed you and Danny. But I didn't just kill you. I cut you up in little pieces. Oh my God. I must be losing my mind.

Fabulous, ain't he? We love you Jack!


This was part 8 (the last one) of Favourite Actors who play Villains and Anti-heroes.
The others:
-Hugo Weaving
-Kevin Spacey
-Alan Rickman
-Michelle Pfeiffer
-Sir Anthony Hopkins
-Gary Oldman
-Ralph Fiennes