Best Slasher Movies

The Lodger is billed as a remake, but I’m not entirely sure I would consider it that. The Lodger is more of a reimagining. The premise is the same as its predecessors, but it’s updated to have a more contemporary feel, and I think it worked well.

The acting is incredible and the story is believable, although some spots were a little questionable. All in all though, it’s an entertaining movie and it leaves you guessing.

The Lodger doesn’t really have that suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat vibe, but it does a great job of building mystery and really shows that the misdirect can be a great tool in cinema if used properly.

Is Jack the Ripper the mysterious lodger living in the garage? You’ll have to watch the movie to find out. Just pay attention or the ending will leave you a little confused.

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Horror remakes suck. Everything about them sucks and I’m not even going to bother watching the stupid movie because I know it’s going to suck. Then I’m gonna write a review and tell everyone it sucks because that’s just how cool I am. Then everyone else is going to say it sucks and then I’ll sit back and laugh at what I helped create – a chain of bad reviews that will most likely doom the movie to never be seen by anyone because people are mindless sheep and believe what the media says about everything all the time.

Okay, so clearly that isn’t my point of view, but that seems to be the point of view of most of the people that reviewed Mirrors because Mirrors was a pretty decent movie – one of the better remakes that’s come out in the last little while. Kiefer Sutherland is great in it and the movie succeeds every way a horror movie should. It’s scary, gory and uses its creepy setting to its full potential.

The biggest problem with Mirrors is its attempt to explain what’s going on. Since there are such heavy supernatural elements, it’s hard to rationalize it in a believable and logical way. The movie would’ve been better off letting the viewer decide what’s going on instead of trying to make it make sense.

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I’ve always liked Sarah Michelle Geller so I was pretty excited to see her in The Grudge, and I’m going to be honest – I’m still (five years later) not sure if I liked this movie or not.

Let’s be honest – in general, American remakes of Japanese horror films suck. It’s just a fact, so there’s not much point in exploring that further. The Grudge is of course one of those American remakes and whether or not it’s better than the average film in this category is really something I’ve never really been able to decide.

The Grudge succeeds in being creepy and giving the audience plenty of decent jump scares. I’m one of the few that actually really liked the ending. Although it’s not overly gory, it is frightening and if that’s what’s what you’re looking for, this is a good movie for you – a good, creepy, watch-with-the-lights-out movie with gorgeous Sarah Michelle Geller in the lead role.

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If you’ve never seen the original When A Stranger Calls (released in 1979 and staring Carol Kane) you likely won’t be disappointed by this 2006 remake. And hey, even if you have seen the original but have an open mind, you likely won’t  be disappointed either. When A Stranger Calls isn’t as good as the original, but if you just watch it as a stand alone movie it isn’t that bad either.

Camilla Belle (10 000 BC, The Ballad of Jack and Rose, Push) is great as tormented babysitter Jill Johnson and the movie is successful most when trying to be creepy and ominous. There are some decent scares although the rating prevents any real decent gore from being shown.

Sure the 2006 remake of When A Stranger Calls isn’t as good as the 1979 original, but it is worth watching. This is a fun movie; just don’t expect it to live up to its namesake or expect a cinematic masterpiece. This one is definitely one of those movies where most of the fun comes from throwing popcorn at the screen andyelling at the lead for doing stupid things. Enjoy it for that and a great performance by Camilla Belle.

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So, here we have Funny Games US, the American adaptation of the 1997 German film of the same name. These days, there’s really nothing unusual about remaking a newer foreign horror film. It happens all the time. What is unusual is that both films were brought to us by the same man, Michael Haneke.

So… why did he make what is essentially the same film twice? Well, he said he believed violence as entertainment (the main premise of Funny Games) is an ‘American Phenomenon’. Is that true? I’m not sure. But hey, I don’t have to be. Funny Games (both versions) doesn’t really try to make that point. The point it tries to make (and succeeds at making) is that people are so comfortable in their existences that they don’t really see what happens around them. They feel safe and secure in a world that really doesn’t allow that, and this movie pounds that point home.

The performances in this movie are amazing. Tim Roth and Michael Pitt are especially good but Naomi Watts… oh Naomi Watts. She’s so fabulous. She’s excellent in this movie, but she’s excellent in everything she does.

There isn’t really a lot of gore in this movie, but this is yet another example of a movie that uses implied gore to make a stronger impact. Funny Games is terrifying, real and unbelievably disturbing. See it.

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Come on guys, it’s not that bad.

Rarely have I seen such overwhelmingly negative reviews for one movie. One Missed Call, a remake of 2003’s Japanese horror film Chakushin Ari, has been called a million name and most of the reviews seem to think puns on the movies name are funny. They’re not. Well, maybe the first ‘One Missed Call should be one missed movie’ joke was, but it get more than a little old after the tenth variation. Really… enough already.

I don’t generally listen to reviews. There are reasons regarding my belief that the general movie going public has no clue what a decent horror movie is, but that’s a whole other rant. The fact remains that I like to make up my own mind about a movie, and One Missed Call was no different… although…

I have to admit I was skeptical. I mean, can that many people really be wrong? After watching the movie, I don’t really have an answer for that. I didn’t love it, but I definitely didn’t hate it. One Missed Call was very effective in building that creepy vibe that makes a good horror movie work so well, but on the other hand, the PG-13 rating really restricted the filmmakers in terms of decent gore.

All in all, it wasn’t a terrible movie and it at least succeeded in a few good jumps, some diturbing images and being creepy. Edward Burns and Margaret Cho (briefly, but worth mentioning) give fairly good performances. Shannyn Sossaman… well, I love that girl. I refuse to rag on her performance when she really didn’t have much to work with.

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So, I’m kind of tired of people looking for a superb plot in a slasher film. That’s not the point folks, generally speaking of course. Slasher films aren’t for the brain – unless you’re looking to see a brain splattered all over a wall.

There are some movies that manage to be intelligent and some that actually seek to make a point among the carnage. These are a rare exception and The Hitcher isn’t one of them.

The Hitcher is a gory, frightening and suspenseful mess. You know what’s going to happen and what’s wrong with that? There are plot holes you could drive an ambulance through. Again, I don’t see the problem.

You aren’t meant to nit pick this movie. It’s just a fun ride with a super scary passenger. Just sit back and enjoy it. It’s not a masterpiece (and it’s nowhere near as good as the original), but it’s not garbage either.

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The Wizard of Gore… wow. I don’t know what else to say. This movie is a shining example of how to do a remake. It isn’t a carbon copy of the original. It tries to add depth and meaning to the story and characters and while it may be debatable as to whether or not that was a successful attempt, kudos to the filmmakers for trying.

The cast is phenomenal. Brad Dourif (the voice of Chucky in the Child’s Play series, Rob Zombie’s Halloween), Jeffery Combs (House on Haunted Hill, The Re-Animator series), Crispin Glover (Nurse Betty, The Doors, Willard), Bijou Phillips (Hostel II, Venom, Almost Famous) and Kip Pardue (Driven, Undiscovered, Bitter/Sweet) are just some of the fine actors who turn in incredible performances in this deliciously gory and twisted tale. And definitely check out the appearance by the Suicide Girls – gorgeous.

The Wizard of Gore is an admirable remake of a slasher movie classic and a must see for all bloodlusting gore-hounds.

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When House of Wax was released, one of the main selling points was that Paris Hilton was in it and she dies.

While that is one excellent reason to see the movie (and a big part of why I did), House of Wax offers a lot more than the death of an annoying celebrity. The gore is top notch and the movie itself is genuinely creepy. Even though it is a remake, the premise feels unique. When you find out the ugly truth about the town our victims find themselves stranded in, you’re not really surprised but the reveal is well done.

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Much less sadistic and violent than the 1972 version, The Last House on the Left still provides plenty of blood and guts to keep its twisted audience happy.

Aside from the name, and the names of a few of the characters, The Last House on the Left of 2009 has little in common with its 1972 predecessor. This is a movie that definitely stands on its own – which can’t be said for many remakes.

Perhaps the movies does tone down a few of the more sadistic aspects of its namesake, but it does so without losing any of the true horror the first movie provided. There are many genuinely scary and disturbing moments and a few surprises along the way. Worth watching at the very least.

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