Lurker > Snake5555555555

Genny - Enter a world inspired by Clive Barker but written by Alan Wake. Into the Mouth of Madness combines Lovecraftian horror with body horror and features the Children of the Corn. Honestly there's not much to say about this movie other than that it feels like a hodgepodge of other successful movies, tropes, and ideas so much so that despite the (at the time) unique premise it loses its own voice. I mean sure it was interesting to see all of them play out together, but it was better the first time I saw each of them elsewhere. In the Mouth of Madness is a fitting title, because it's nothing more than insanity in cinematic form. 5.7/10
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I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back.
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Charon - Sometimes a headtrip, this movie requires a lot of contemplation afterwards to really appreciate it. Initially, this film was much lower on my list until I began to think more about it, ultimately adjusting it to this position. It reminds me of Alan Wake; except Alan is the antagonist here. I really loved the portrayal of Sutter Cane, probably the most memorable character from the film. It's definitely something you have to come around to I think, because even though everything is interesting it is also a little puzzling at times. That said, I did eventually come around to enjoying this one.

Inviso - God bless Sam Neill. He tries so hard to pull off an American accent, but he manages to fuck that up in almost every movie Ive seen him play an American. At some point, I imagine the director just gets sick of retaking scenes, and prints whatever. But yeah, this is a weird, meta movie. Its creepy and unsettling, and its actually interesting the way the film paces itself. You open with Sam Neill in an insane asylum, telling a story about how exactly he came to reside there. But then the central character shifts slightly, to focus on a woman from the publishing house representing a major horror writer. So for the first half of the movie, Sam Neill isnt really experiencing the horror, but she isand this allows the audience to enjoy the creepy atmosphere while still maintaining a slow burn in terms of the scares.

The plot gets crazy once Sam Neill takes over at the center though, because hes privy to a bunch of disturbing imagery involving tentacles and eldritch horror. Slowly, he runs afoul of Hobbs Ends demonic energy, and discovers that hes merely a fictional character, written on the pages of a horror authors latest novel. This is the meta element I mentioned, and I think its handled well, because it really emphasizes the whole dont read the ending plot point for the main character, meaning that hes pretty much forced to live out the plot of the novel without any outside interference. By the time the film reaches its conclusion, the world has just devolved and its hard to tell if the events are meant to be real, or merely an ending to a story in which Sam Neills character is fictional in and of himself. That kind of mindfuck makes for a solid ending, and I enjoyed the film overall.

Johnbobb - I liked this way more than I thought I would. It's a little campy, but the right type of campy, where it never really takes away from the creepiness of everything. If anything, it just makes it even more disturbing. It's bizarre and surreal, which was just exactly what I was hoping for from it. The whole thing is a wild trip.

Scarlet - While it doesnt exactly meet the expectations set by one H.P. Lovecraft, Carpenter actually pulls an excellent actor out of his hat to anchor this strong script that consistently defies the reality of an observer with the sorts of twists and unreliability that create a sense of disorientation. My only real issue with this movie is that it feels rushed in terms of editing and filming. The budget just seems perilously low here, and it really does affect my enjoyment of this story. That said, Carpenter is the perfect choice for this movie. I cant imagine someone else trying to present this narrative. I just wish he was handed a few more bucks to make it feel less like a studios allowance ran out when they were picking up lighting equipment and cameras.
Rating: 48/100
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I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back.
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10. In The Mouth of Madness

JONA - 2
KBM - 7
Snake - 10
Karo - 12
Charon - 15
Inviso - 16
Johnbobb - 16
Scarlet - 17
Genny - 31

JONA - Man, John Carpenter Is great when it comes to movies about paranoia. I just found the film so entertaining. Sam Neills performance is great and I love how his psyche breaks from not knowing whats reality or fiction. The mix of Stephen King and Lovecraft here is awesome and the film has this somewhat inconsistent atmosphere with it being serious some times and cheesy other times but it actually helped the movie for me, since it worked with the theme of questioning reality. This film is a crazy, vastly entertaining ride and one I would want to go on again.

KBM - Oh, John Carpenter. This might be the single most underrated movie in your entire filmography. Featuring a much better Sam Neill performance than that other movie on this list that he stars in, In the Mouth of Madness takes the ground work laid by the likes of H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King and takes off running with it. I'm all about the atmosphere in my horror movies, and Carpenter is perhaps the king of horror atmosphere. Engrossing as hell, lovingly and stylishly crafted, this is definitely one that more horror fans should see.

Snake - Why I Chose It - I mean, it's John friggin' Carpenter! That should be enough to get on any 90s horror list. In The Mouth of Madness is the 3rd film in Carpenter's thematic "Apocalypse Trilogy" that also includes The Thing and Prince of Darkness. It draws fully from Lovecraft mythology and also homages Stephen King. It only broke even at the box office but has gained a strong cult following thanks to a stronger modern interest in meta, self-reflexive works.

My Thoughts - I will admit, it took me a couple of viewings in order to fully appreciate this one. As a teen, I thought it was dull and nonsensical. Now, with my brain fully indoctrined on Lovecraft's works, I have a better understanding of what makes this film so damn effective and terrifying. This is one of the most intense dives into the human mind I've ever seen, and one of the only truly accurate films to capture Lovecraft's tone perfectly. Sam Neill is incredible, and this is easily my favorite role of his. Carpenter has always been a master of the atmospheric, and it's no different here. I adore the meta-fictional breakdown at the film's end, a truly maddening conclusion to an already hellish nightmare. It just checks all the boxes in what makes an awesome horror experience for me.

Karo - A man seeks to solve the disappearance of a popular horror novelist and unfortunately ends up in a quiet New England town ruled by Cthulhu or something. The story is standard Lovecraftian fare, ancient beings want to break through into reality and everyone gets mindfucked and grows an unhealthy amount of tentacles. The things that set this movie apart are how the author's narrative begins to spill over into the real world leading to a breakdown of the very nature of sanity and reality, with the protagonist finally realizing to his horror that he is nothing but a character in a movie. While it doesnt really stand out in any other way, the blurring of truth and fiction in the story do make it seems somewhat original at least.
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I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back.
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Mr. Pink (Reservoir Dogs)
Pompidou (Life is Strange)
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I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back.
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My plan right now is War > 80s > 10s most likely.
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I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back.
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Eddie Van Blundht
Clayface
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I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back.
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Carnage
Freddy Krueger
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I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back.
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And here's your top 10!

From Dusk till Dawn
Interview with the Vampire
In the Mouth of Madness
Jacobs Ladder
Misery
Se7en
Scream
Stir of Echoes
The Silence of the Lambs
The Sixth Sense

Score reminders:
35
41
52
71
74
83
107
110
116
126

Any predix, surprises, disappointments? I'm personally surprised In The Mouth of Madness made it this far! Eleventh Hour replacement Stir of Echoes is also a little bit of a shock.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Inviso - This movie has an interesting concept, and a solid air of mystery, as the viewer never really finds out what the hell is going on. And while the movie burns through its best kills as the first two in its runtime (cheese wire intro, and face melting), the mere concept of several of the avoided traps is enough for me to feel intrigued. I also like when you take a collection of people with unique personalities, and force them into a survival situationjust to see how different people bounce off one another. Watching them slowly discover their use and purpose (escape artist, mathematician, autistic savant, architect) helped to add a method to the madness of Cube, although Quentin made it seem like a psychological experiment at its heart. The ONLY thing holding this film back is that the acting seemed like the lowest priority in filming. Everyone is one-note and over-the-top, and it became a bit much by the end. Props for turning Quentin from introductory protagonist into the villain by the end of the film though. Over-the-top character developmentbut character development nonetheless.

JONA - I really like the setting of Cube. Its such a standard design but its also eye-catching and its interesting to see all the different traps the rooms have. The mystery behind the situation, the problem solving and Quentins descent into madness were quite entertaining to watch.

KBM - To get this out of the way first and foremost: I've always hated when movies portray autistic people the way this movie does. However, when you have a movie that's this brilliantly atmospheric, where the concept and the production design are this strong I'm willing to give it a pass. Despite some stilted dialogue and a couple performances that aren't as strong as they could have been, the plot is intelligent and refreshingly doesn't feel the need to sit down and explain everything that's going on. The traps are creative, the directing is great, and the great concept is well-served. I've also heard GREAT things about Cube 2: Hypercube. [/sarcasm]

Snake - Why I Chose It - An unlikely independent success, Cube was a huge box office hit against a small budget of 350k. Cube has received much praise for its minimalist, industrial setting and philosophical approach to its characters. Cube received two sequels and has a remake upcoming.

My Thoughts - A very straight-forward film, Cube is brisk and purposeful, always marching towards its endgame. The settings are weird and disorienting, which is this film's best aspect. I tend to enjoy "characters trying to escape" plots greatly, and while Cube may not be very original in this regard, it feels unique in that all the characters have an actual purpose in being there and have their specific skill to help the group. However, said characters tend to be very forgettable and I don't really feel much when they die. Cube is ultimately a great concept marred by some problems, but still an enjoyable film overall.

Genny - Believe it or not I had heard of The Cube very recently to describe Escape Room, specifically that it's The Cube meets Saw. I can't agree with that, as both movies have a little more substance than Escape Room, but I can see why someone would make that comparison. Let me tell you guys of all the sole survivors of all the horror movies ever, this one gets my made up award for Least Likely to Succeed, and yet he does. Until the last act of the movie I thought this man was a complete nothing character specifically designed to impede the others when the game was getting too predictable, but charon predicted he would be something of an idiot savant who would somehow save the day and while that didn't quite end up happening he was partially right all the same. I feel bad that he'll never get his twenty-seven bags of gum drops. 6.(20) 7/10
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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11. Cube

Scarlet - 5
Johnbobb - 6
Karo - 9
Charon - 12
Inviso - 14
JONA - 16
KBM - 18
Snake - 21
Genny - 28

Scarlet - There arent a lot of high concept pieces on this list, and a good Hell in a Cell match was just what the doctor ordered with Cube, one of the more puzzling films Snake added to this project. Much like the movie Primer, Cube is reliant on a strong story that is designed to be digested through the understanding of rules and laws within a petri dish presented as a film. This understanding is the ultimate capstone that makes the film fall in place with itself, and thats also the general presentation of Primer as well. I highly recommend Cube despite its low budget because a movie that presents the very setting as a mystery is something special. Rats in a maze.
Rating: 73/100

Johnbobb - Cube has a solid spot as one of my favorite cult horror movies. There are plenty of horror movies based around "a bunch of people trapped in a place" but something about Cube just stands out so strong. The brightly colored, industrial environment. The way all the characters seem to have a reason for being there, like they're all just pieces of the greater puzzle, because that's ultimately what the Cube is, an inconceivably massive escape room created by a force we never get to see or understand.

Karo - A group of people wakes up inside a gigantic cube with no recollection of how they got there and have to find a way out. In a series of tense scenes the captives make their way through the booby-trapped cube through improvisation and use of their special talents until the can get some answers. But these answers are where things start to unravel. Government bureaucracy built the cube just because? They kidnap people and throw them into the cube to die just because? This is idiotic. It is hard to tell if they were trying to make a weird political point about wasteful government spending or if they just literally couldnt come with any better excuse for the cube's existence. The strength of the movie is the cast of characters and how they interact with each other and evolve with the situation thrust upon them, much like in Lost. Unfortunately, also much like Lost, the writers seem more interested in giving everyone the runaround instead of actually making sense, until ultimately the world around them begins to collapse under its own stupidity.

Charon - A movie about escape rooms before they were a thing, this movie uniquely tackles shooting a film in several, small enclosed spaces. Another unique thing done in this film is taking the general cliches of heroes and villains and turning them on their head. That heroic cop you figure is the main character and contender for survivor? He's actually going to be the villain. The young "last girl" trope student that will surely be the one to make it out? Nope. I will say that sometimes these trope defiers hold the film back for me a bit, as it's hard to care about the one character that does survive as he's not exactly very endearing. The concept is unique however, and I appreciate trying something new in this case even if it dooms to to just being a good film instead of a great one.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Seinfeld
Holy Grail
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Damn only 1 RE made it
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Celsius
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
https://i.imgtc.ws/2Q88rI4.gif

Okay, I will say that I definitely wish there was more discussion. It really disheartens me when I see comments like "this is why I don't respond anymore" or anything along those lines. I know everyone responds differently to criticism, but for me I find it exciting when someone has a different opinion from the rest and I enjoy understanding why that is. Scarlet may say no one cares about his horror opinions but I most certainly do, since it's so completely 180 from me as he's an outsider to the genre as a whole. That goes for anyone participating too who may have similar thoughts.

That said, I'm still having a ton of fun hosting the project. It honestly just makes my day when I see someone rank an unexpected film highly that they may have never seen otherwise. And that's why I'll continue to host these horror lists for the foreseeable future as well!

I don't know, it's late and I hope this made some lick of sense.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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I noticed the Candyman one, I didn't know you changed #1 and #2 though.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Yeah I'm a bit surprised scarlet didn't at least like the score and maybe Tony Todd's performance.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Outlier

Inviso - 298
Genny - 239
Charon - 230
KBM - 191
Johnbobb - 177
Scarlet - 173
Karo - 159
JONA - 146
Snake - 140

Scarlet makes a significant jump, and Vis almost reaches 300.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
https://i.imgtc.ws/2Q88rI4.gif

Sorry I missed KBM's write-up:

An impressively woke horror movie, especially for 1992, this Clive Barker fable actually has a lot to say about gentrification, class, and race, on top of just being a really, really effective horror film in its own right. Tony Todd is a goddamn legend, and is absolutely pitch-perfect in the title role, while the rest of the cast is filled out with standout performances from the equally underrated likes of Virginia Madsen, Xander Berkeley, and Vanessa Williams. The amazing Philip Glass score also serves to elevate what is already clever and creepy material.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Charon - Tony Todd intimidates as this unsung badass in a film about race and commitment. I've always had a special place for Candyman, the original at least. The concept and deliver is truly frightening. A modern-day Bloody Mary, but easily a dozen times more frightening, Candyman blends some slasher mainstays with some interesting backstory to really be an effectively dark masterpiece. The villain himself is in my opinion the most physically terrifying presence on this entire list, with a hook for a hand and the always horrifying bees, it's just easily the most monstrous killer on the list. Outside of all that, the story here is interesting and a good take on the "urban legend" genre.

Johnbobb - This was... much better than I was expecting. Good enough that I could see Candyman becoming one of my new favorite slasher villains (even if he doesn't quite hit the level of people like Patrick Bateman and Jack Torrance. The film is carried by two excellent performances with bizarrely impressive chemistry. I went into this expecting the generic villain I knew from the typical "say this into the mirror" stories I heard growing up, but instead, this film carries a weird psychological weight to it, with Candyman himself being much more intelligent and disturbing than I had imagined (which is only added to by the orchestral music that plays anytime he's on screen. Really just a great slasher.

Karo - Two college students researching urban legends get the bright idea to go into the projects and visit the site of a murder perpetrated by a supposedly mythological killer. It takes a surprisingly long time for them to reach the obvious result of getting mugged by gangsters, though in an even worse turn of events they end up offending the ghetto's resident ghoul and many people end up eviscerated. It is far more cerebral than your standard slasher schlock and while that isnt saying very much it does try to pace things out so there is least a little sense of suspense and mystery between mindlessly painting the hallways red with the blood of innocents. It is never conclusively revealed whether the Candyman is a real phantom or just a psychosis of Heather, and the ambiguity works well in this context. Still, there is only so much you can do with a 'maniac hacks people apart' storyline, and despite the producers best efforts it remains a mediocre film overall.

Inviso - This movie was fine. Wasnt too bad, wasnt too good, wasnt too long. It was just fine. I dont know what to say, really. I mean, the urban legend concept is a good one, and I appreciated the fact that this was a movie with a primarily African American backdrop (even though the main character was a white woman.) Having this grad student in over her head and traveling to the projects to research an urban legend already creates a bit of an unsettling atmosphere, but then the murders happen, and Tony Todds chilling portrayal of the Candyman rears its ugly head, and shit starts to go down. While Tony Todd is unsettling in and of himself, the movie starts to crawl up its own ass around the time he first appears. Helen is accused of murder, and everything looks like she really did it, and Candyman starts tormenting Helen forreasons? Seriously, just kill her and stop fucking around. I dont care if youre trying some Freddy Kreuger my power comes from people talking about me shitif youre gonna be a slasher, BE a slasher.

Scarlet - There is just nothing about this movie that I like. For fans of the franchise, Im sure comments like that really sting. But, honey, sometimes you have to face the truth.
Rating: 7/100
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
https://i.imgtc.ws/2Q88rI4.gif

12. Candyman

Genny - 6
Snake - 7
JONA - 8
KBM - 8
Charon - 10
Johnbobb - 11
Karo - 18
Inviso - 24
Scarlet - 38

Genny - This was at the very least my 5th time seeing Candyman and yet the watches have been so far apart that it was basically like I was seeing it for the first time again. I recalled a few jumpscares that charon did not (so big ups to the movie for giving me the joy of seeing him react while I smirked and laughed), but I had forgotten all about the tragic ending and the false prophet that assaulted Helen in a shit stained bathroom while she tried to gather information for her doomed thesis. I also didn't remember the titular character ruining Helen's life by making it look like she committed all the murders. Or did he mind control her to make her actually do it? It's really debatable. It's far from perfect, but at 9.1/10 it's one of the best 90s horror has to offer methinks.

Snake - Why I Chose It - Candyman was a critical and commercial success that established both Tony Todd and his titular character as horror royalty. Candyman was significant in its timely and pointed commentary on race and social class. It's also famous for its score (especially the main theme), and according to composer Philip Glass, he still gets money from that score every year. It has spawned two sequels and is receiving a remake directed by Jordan Peele.

My Thoughts - As scary as it is thought-provoking, Candyman commands your attention thanks to Tony Todd's imposing performance and the background of the notorious CabriniGreen housing project, a real-life horror show that informs much of this film's social commentary. Candyman may be the focal point of the film, but the real horror comes from the gang violence and deplorable conditions that the residents of Cabrini-Green live in and experience daily. The residents using the Candyman legend as their way of coping is such an interesting way of approaching a horror story, and ties reality into fiction so well. I definitely don't want to discredit the horror of Candyman either. His backstory is tragic and his methods are nothing short of terrifying. I like that he can be both a physical and psychological threat to Helen, and shots like the infamous parking garage really show off Candyman's all-seeing, all-reaching presence. I'm typically not a fan of jumpscares, but damn does this movie have some good ones! It's one of the best slashers ever in my book, a testament to how you can have your kills without having to sacrifice a compelling story.

JONA - Helens investigation of the urban legend of Candyman is compelling to watch and the urban setting of Chicago helps contribute to the unsettling atmosphere. Seeing Helens psyche deteriorate as the movie went one was both entertaining and sad to see. The climax with her in the fire was very tense and it was nice to see her redeem her reputation to some people. Candyman, the character, is a great antagonist with his creepiness and seriousness. Tony Todd provides a great performance for him. I also liked the book end.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Doki Doki Literature Club!
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Carnage
Freddy Krueger
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
https://i.imgtc.ws/2Q88rI4.gif

Loved Sonic as a kid, first game series I was really obsessed with. Haven't played a new Sonic game in ages and I mostly just stick with the Genesis games now. Music's still kinda cool though.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Chainsaw (Dead Rising)
Detective Mode (Batman Arkham games)
Grenade Launcher Glitch (Resident Evil Remake)
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Charon - Though the American remake is more relatable to native audiences, the original is still a good film in its own right. I think my hangups with this film are the main actors; that is, Reiko and her son. They don't capture my attention the same way Naomi Watts was able to. I will say that the twist on her ex-husband being kinda psychic was nice, and I did like him as much as his American counterpart. Samara was also more frightening than Sadako, and while I've heard that the similarly popular remake The Grudge is not actually as good as the Japanese version, I just think the American version is more scary. It might sound like I'm complaining about this movie too much, which I obviously still liked to rank it here. It's just that The Ring would have definitely been my #1 in the first horror project so I can't help but be critical of this version of one of my favorite horror movies.

Scarlet -




Rating: 53/100

Johnbobb - "It's been one week since you looked at me.
Your phone started to ring and shit got scary.
Five days since you copied me saying.
Something in this film's trying to kill me.
Three days since the living room,
Your son and ex watched the film; I'm hunting them too
Yesterday you'd forgiven me
But this'll continue to spread till I say I'm sorry"

KBM - The creepy, memorable film that was the genesis of the modern J-horror renaissance, Ring may not be the best movie of its kind, but it's certainly among the most influential. I vacillate between this and the American remake in terms of which one is better (I know, heresy) they certainly both have their problems. The American version is more tightly plotted and has fewer narrative dead-ends; in particular, the well sequence in this original version really does go on for too long to no real purpose. However I think what makes this the stronger picture overall, apart from the somewhat pat answer of this did it first, is the strong cast particularly having perennial genre favorite Hiroyuki Sanada in the role of the ex as opposed to the black hole of charisma that is Martin Henderson. Rie Ino'o's creepy backwards walking as Sadako is also particularly unforgettable here. It's not one of my favorite horror movies, but I certainly see the appeal of the concept and appreciate it for its themes and its influence on top of its freaky imagery.

Inviso - Having seen the American remake, this is DEFINITELY a case of cultural difference having an impact on my overall enjoyment of a film. And unfortunately, Im gonna have to make a lot of references to The Ring (which made the top half of my list when we ranked 2000s horror movies), because it spoiled me on what to expect here. Ultimately, while I can appreciate the final few minutes of Ring (and it does get some lingering good will from The Ring), its very boring. The movie lacks any sense of dread or foreboding that one might expect to accompany a horror movie. It doesnt help that the actress seems incapable of conveying fear at any point, and half the times when the atmosphere is supposed to be frightening, she has this smile plastered on her face like shes unaware of what movie shes in. I dont know. Even the tape itself feels watered down, like its not even remotely scary. It just doesnt work for me.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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13. Ring

Karo - 7
JONA - 10
Genny - 12
Snake - 12
Charon - 14
Scarlet - 14
Johnbobb - 15
KBM - 21
Inviso - 31

Karo - The classic japanese horror movie about killer videotapes and girls crawling out of TVs. It moves at a deliberate pace that is excellent for building tension, yet still has the time limit looming large to remind you that they better get this shit done fast. Something that western horror movies could learn from this is fear of the unknown is more scary than someone in a dumb mask. Hell, Sadako isnt even shown until the end of the film yet her presence looms large throughout the whole story. It is a classic that is known even outside its home country for a reason.

JONA - The first scene is a really great mood setter and shows how good direction can help a low budget movie. Ring really plays its simplicity and minimalism to its strength. The movie has great creepy moments and the investigation is engaging.

Genny - Whatever, The Ring is better. I once heard a quote (this was a long time ago so don't ask me to source it please) that the reason The Ring did so well is because Americans don't "get" Japanese horror. Having Ringu fresh on my mind, I have to agree. It's not bad by any means. The performances of the actors are solid, and Sadako is just as sinister as Samara. I think the fault lies in the "ring" itself in that unless something went right over my head (not impossible) there is no visual cue for the ring in this movie. Unless the ring refers to the sound the telephone makes when Sadako tells you how much time you've got left on this earth then it's not present. I vastly prefer the American take on this, but the original is not bad by any means. 7.9/10

Snake - Why I Chose It - Ring is the single most influential J-horror film of all time. Not only was it a runaway success in Japan, it was one of the first big J-horror films to cross over to North American audiences and popularize that style here, influencing many directors and inspiring American remakes. Sadako has become one of the biggest and most recognizable Japanese horror icons, second only to Godzilla. Also a bit of trivia, Ring and it's sequel Rasen were both released on the same day, although the latter was far less successful.

My Thoughts - It was interesting having watched the American remake first, then seeing this one, and noting how similar the two actually are, with the American version being mostly faithful. However, there are several key differences that help both versions stand on their own. I think one of the biggest differences is what the tape represents. In the American version, it's not really much more than a conduit for the plot, but in the Japanese version, it's used more to represent the virus of technological advancement, overshadowing and at war with Japanese traditions and old-fashioned beliefs. It's very similar to how Godzilla captured the fears of Japan in the Atomic Age. Besides that, there's also a deliberately slower pace with more focus on the mystery of it all, with nothing too outright scary happening for most of the film's runtime. That's not to say it makes it boring though, in fact, it captures my attention in a whole different way from the American film. It's hard not to compare the two, but I love both and they both have their different places and influences in the world.
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Hamlet
Forrest Gump
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What Remains of Edith Finch
---

Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Eddie van Blundht
The Thing
---

Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Carnage
Freddy Krueger
---

Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Outlier

Inviso - 268
Genny - 232
Charon - 227
KBM - 179
Johnbobb - 174
Karo - 147
Scarlet - 146
JONA - 139
Snake - 134

Vis looks almost untouchable at this point for the top spot. Charon catches up to Genny and Snake makes his biggest jump ever, but still lurks at the bottom.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Snake - Why I Chose It - It would be remiss to not have a Tim Burton film among its 90s horror brethren. Sleepy Hollow is actually Burton's only directional film of the 90s that can really be considered full horror, though Edward Scissorhands & Ed Wood certainly brush shoulders with the genre. Sleepy Hollow was a box office smash and won several accolades across several award ceremonies.

My Thoughts - Sleepy Hollow is very similar to Bram Stoker's Dracula in my eyes. An overwrought, overlong, indulgent borefest that has no engaging central plot to speak of and it's up to Depp's charm to carry this film on his legs, back, shoulders, and head, and well, let's just say it crumbles under all that pressure. In Burton's quest to establish the perfect Gothic atmosphere, he forgets to bring along meaningful characters, a script, satisfying story details, or anything else besides scenes that service the only thing Burton seems to care about. And honestly, I don't even care for the atmosphere all that much to begin with. Ooooh, an old village, oooooh, an a spooooky forest, damn I'm so enthralled by this exciting imagery. It's all a cardboard facade for a boring, straight-forward film, and this is certainly not Burton's best showing by any means.
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Genny - While I really wasn't looking forward to rewatching Sleepy Hollow for this list it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It wasn't quite as mediocre as my previous watch led me to imagine it. It's rather competently acted (especially if you don't mind Depp and Ricci reprising typical roles around this time) and even the CG animation isn't a complete eyesore. The plot twist is somewhat predictable given the step mother's behavior near the end; however I can forgive these transgressions given it's a decent loose adaptation of an established lore. 7.5/10

Johnbobb - I tend to like the darker side of Burton more than the goofy side, and his skill with visual gloom is in full-force here. Story wise, it's honestly a little dull. Depp himself is fun, as is the Horseman, with the rest of the players mostly just filling the space around the two. Where it shines though is the production and art style of everything. It's violent and sleek and captures the setting powerfully.

KBM - Too unnecessarily convoluted to be a truly great film, but too gleeful and stylish to be a bad one, this lands right smack dab in the middle of Tim Burton's wildly hit-or-miss filmography. The screenplay pulls its characters in so many different directions at once that it really is hard to keep track of what's happening at any given point, but then we'll cut to something like Christopher Walken having way too much fun screaming his head off as the Horseman, or the delightful council of elders featuring Dumbledore, Palpatine, Vernon Dursley, and *gulp* Jeffrey Jones, and all the narrative shortcomings are (more or less) forgiven. Johnny Depp is also at the top of his game here, disappearing into the character as he was pretty consistently able to in the heyday of his career. This also features some of the most beautiful (and Academy Award-winning!) production direction of Burton's entire oeuvre, which is quite high praise indeed. It's definitely a hot mess, but the strong cast, the visuals, and the sheer apologetic lunacy make it an incredibly entertaining viewing experience.

Scarlet - I tend to grade Burton on a curve. His luscious, phenomenal setwork and costuming is almost a given. I tend to look deeper and desire those apparently unattainable things like a script that is actually interesting. And Burton is oftentimes lacking in the storytelling department. His talent is sometimes exclusively visual. If anyone is a worldbuilder over a storyteller, its Tim. And thats why the most loaded cast on this list ends up being one of the more underperforming casts on this list.
Rating: 41/100

JONA - The atmosphere and Johnny Depp pretty much carry the movie but it feels like its missing something that would make the movie more compelling.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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14. Sleepy Hollow

Inviso - 2
Charon - 4
Karo - 14
Genny - 17
Johnbobb - 17
KBM - 20
Scarlet - 20
JONA - 23

Inviso - Okay, I know. I know that this probably has no business being at the top of this list and there are probably a handful of consensus top ten picks that this movie has no business outranking. But I just cant deny my enjoyment of this film. For all intents and purposes, this is a whodunnit. Its a slasher flick, sure. But its a whodunnit slasher flick that focuses much more on the dark, gothic elements than on the killings (which, although they get more elaborate as the film goes on, are still mostly a variety of beheadings.) Johnny Depps Ichabod Crane is quirky and fun, and I like the idea of an investigator who is too squeamish around blood to properly perform the very investigations he proports to be an expert at performing. I enjoy the slow, unraveling of the mystery surrounding the headless horsemen, and I also find it to be a nice touch, having the horsemen be a genuine ghost, but having him CONTROLLED by a flesh and blood person. It grounds an otherwise supernatural tale. Overall, I just really enjoyed the entire concept and execution of the film.

Charon - With Tim Burton at the helm, Elfman running the music and Johnny Depp at the lead, and even Christina Ricci on support how could this be anything but great? It might be easy to please me, as you can just use a combination of the names above and probably achieve a high success rate, but I think this film is probably a good bit underrated. The source material is of course one of the best short stories of all time, and this is probably that work's best adaption. Depp adds in the quirky flavors he's known for giving his characters and for this one, it works. I enjoyed the evil stepmother being thrown in here as well, and Christopher Walken is eerie as the Horseman. It follows the short story's script and adds upon it nicely, all whilst talented people weave it all together.

Karo - Otherwise known as the Tim Burton movie with Johnny Depp and a lot of black. No not THAT one, the other one. No, the OTHER other one. No, the... ah fuck. Anyway, this is an adaptation of the classic short story of the same name, and by adaptation I mean just making whatever shit up they felt like. So instead of a being a mysterious and ephemeral phantom you tell tales about around a fire, the Horseman is an 18th century Jason Voorhees who lumbers around chopping up people with medieval weaponry and is controlled by a witch who is holding his skull hostage so she can get revenge on people in the town she doesnt like. What the actual fuck. Add in more mystical occult mumbo jumbo than a fanfiction written by a 14 year old wiccan edgelord and it bares so little resemblance to the original story that you might as well not even call it sleepy hollow at this point. The sole saving grace of the film is Depp's performance as Ichabod, who is now a slightly comedic policeman attempting to solve the murders with logic and deduction. Don't get me wrong, a version of sleepy hollow where Ichabod gets the girl and unmasks Brom with his wits is a great idea, it is just not this movie. Brom is chopped in half by the Horseman midway though the story and the new villain is this cartoonish monologing sorceress whose backstory is pulled right out of the ass. It is a dreary, mediocre movie that violates most of the precepts of a good mystery and leaves one a combination of bored and bewildered by the time it reaches its ridiculous conclusion.
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Kingpin (Marvel Comics)
Penguin (DC Comics)
Fatman (Metal Gear Solid 2)

HMs:
The Flab (Emperor Joker)
Tobias Whale (DC Comics)
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Simpsons
The Room
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Inviso - There are just a variety of reasons this one didnt work for me. As Im sure people remember from my utter hatred of Martyrs on the previous list, torture porn is really hard for me to enjoy unless there is a quality storyline (and there also has to be a certain level of detachment in terms of my ability to believe the events of a torture porn film are really happeninglike the Saw franchise.) But those last thirty minutestheyre just awful. It starts out terrible with visions of Asami forcing a bagged victim to eat her vomit, and then its just needless torture and suffering of a guy who didnt really do anything TOO wrong (outside of faking an audition to find a girlfriend I suppose). And then the movie ends with a bizarrely-realistic portrayal of Asami as a total fuck-up, dicking around with pepper spray and eventually getting kicked down some stairs to her death. Itsnot right at all.

Additionally though, while the movie did eventually have a segment (the third quarter) that intrigued me with how off-putting and creepy Asami isthe film is not well-paced in my opinion. I think its a cultural thing, because this isnt the first Japanese movie Ive watched where it feels less like drawing out the tension and more like just padding the runtime (Im thinking specifically about the scene where the son clears the table for far too long, early in the film.) I dunnofor a movie thats almost 2 hours long, it just felt like it dragged way too much. Far too much filler for a movie with a gross-out ending that ALMOST feels completely detached from the rest of the movie (aside from the information provided during the visit to the closed-down bar.)
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Karo - A middle aged man stages a fake audition in order to acquire a new wife, an act that probably ranks at about a 7.5 on the Creep-O-Meter. He soon meets what seems to be the perfect girl but it turns out she is actually a serial killer who specializes in Xtreme Acupuncture. The yandere concept isn't really a novel one, nor does a whole lot really happen in the movie, but cute + evil is generally a winning combination and the story doesnt ever become uninteresting.

Genny - I had never heard of Audition before this list. Admittedly it is a bit of a slow burn until the third act, with rare shining moments of subtle horror, eerie atmospheric intrigue, and lots of foreshadowing. Unfortunately this is where Audition shines the brightest as upon the onset of the third act all subtlety and intrigue is thrown out the window for blatant gore and torture porn. The effects are fantastic, enough to make me physically queasy which I can't say about many recent films in this genre, but man that's not the turn I was hoping or wanting this movie to take. That said it's still good enough for a 7.5/10, but mostly for the first two acts.

Scarlet - I respect that there is some audacious thematic material in this movie, but ultimately, torture porn is torture porn. I dont like it, and I think the world is worse for its existence. I dont think theres a reasonable explanation on why we should endeavor to make movies of this nature. For me, its unsettling in a way thats not acceptable. It makes me feel physically ill. And even with everything else about this movie firing on all cylinders, I just cant respect that.
Rating: 40/100

Charon - A chance to be psychologically chilling and unnerving is passed up for some torture porn that goes on for way too long. Audition is a film I figured I'd like more, and I did like it up until the twist where we watch a guy be tortured for what seemed like an eternity. I wasn't like grossed out by it or anything either, I was simply bored. It lost its shock value and turned into a total snoozefest after that. There were creepy moments early on in the film, like the way Asami eerily waited for that phone call. That was legitimately scary, but unfortunately rather than being a thriller it turned into a film that would influence some of my least favorite horror directors out there. It's just not my thing, and I was highly disappointed that it was this type of film. The acting was really on point but I can't in good faith rank something very high that I enjoyed so little.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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15. Audition

Snake - 5
Johnbobb - 9
JONA - 9
KBM - 11
Karo - 13
Genny - 18
Scarlet - 22
Charon - 33
Inviso - 39

Snake - Why I Chose It - One of Japan's most prolific directors, Takashi Miike is well-known for his extreme violence, sexual themes, & extremely dark humor. Audition is representative of this perfectly, and, along with Ring, helped popularize J-horror in the west. A notable director influenced by Audition is Eli Roth, inspiring the "torture porn" genre and directly informing his film, Hostel.

My Thoughts - This was the first foreign language horror movie I had ever seen, opening my mind up to some really fucked up movies that come from Japan and other countries. It takes a look at the power struggle between men and women, and works as a devilishly tricky subversion of both masculine dominance and extreme feminism. It's absolutely frightening how Audition and Asami switch tones from an almost delightful rom-com to brutal psychological and bodily horror. Asami's quiet anger and anguished performance is one of the all time best. Her expressions as she uses acupuncture needles and a wire saw on Aoyama is absolutely the stuff of nightmares. Even with all the physical pain and gruesome detail happening on screen, Asami always remains the scariest and focal point of the scene, leaving you reeling at how a person could ever become this damaged. It's a film where the lines of morality are completely blurred, and I love the countless ways you can read into this film. On one hand it's a feminist revenge piece. On the other it's a male perversion power fantasy gone horribly wrong. Asami herself is full of contradictions and hypocrisies; maybe this film is simply what happens to an abused, hurt child who never really got over her pain. Either way, Audition is a one of a kind horror film, a slow-burning exercise that escalates into a scene for the ages.

Johnbobb - What a sweet rom-com. I down on his luck widowed man finding love? It's like a Japanese Sleepless in Seattle! But it also has an adorable A24 indie drama quality. Two awkward and unlikely people happen to meet and their connection is immediate. Wait, what's happening? Huh, nevermind, probably nothing. Oh, I'm sure he'll find her, these two are meant to be! Look how devoted he is to her. He-- wait, what? Wh-- what? Wait don't-- wh-- NO-- FUCK NO WHY WHAT IS WHY WHAT NO FUCK

JONA - Asamis a great antagonist and I really like how her mysterious aura is slowly taken away as the movie goes on. Once her true colors are shown, the actions she does are just sick and grotesque. Audition is a bit of a slow burn, but its absolutely worth the wait.

KBM - Now this is a slow-burn horror thriller. This reminded me of some of my favorite horror movies of the '60s and '70s, which did such a great job of slowly building up the tension and creepy factor to an almost unbearable level before finally letting loose in the final act. I can definitely understand this movie taking a bit too long to get going for some people, but I appreciated the amount of effort put into establishing the characters and the situation, giving this movie a depth that a lot of horror movies don't manage. Even the filmmaking style bears this out in the opening act of the movie we get lots of long takes and flat angles, but as the movie goes on and our hero gets himself further and further into a bad situation, we start getting quick cuts, frenetic handheld camera movement, and some Dutch tilts that highlight his deteriorating mental state. The slow build makes the twisted final act feel all the more earned, with Eihi Shiina's performance pitch-perfect as she plays out her misdirected revenge fantasy.
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For me:

NN > 1 > 3 > 5 >>> 2 > 4 >>> FvJ > 6 >>>>>>>>> Remake

The first three in the ranking are pretty universal I think. The visuals in 5 are pretty great imo. Of all the slasher series, Elm Street has the best track record. The only one of these I wouldn't really want to watch again is the remake.

Here's a fun ranking of the movies' original songs as well:

Dream Warriors > Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter > Nightmare > How Can I Live > Are You Ready for Freddy > I'm Awake Now
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Eddie van Blundht
Thing
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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I feel neutral but ultimately went with good. I grew up with Sony systems, but I did have a Gamecube, GBA, DS, 3DS which were pretty great systems and have since gotten into future Nintendo systems usually when they become cheaper. Emulating old Nintendo games is also fun.
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Outlier

Inviso - 232
Genny - 226
Charon - 199
KBM - 169
Johnbobb - 165
Karo - 145
Scarlet - 133
JONA - 124
Snake - 103

Snake calculated the latest outlier scores from the rankings of Cronos and New Nightmare, carefully concentrating, hoping he didn't make any crucial mistake. He thought about what comment to make for the latest outlier list, noting his own crossing over into the hundreds at long last. Fresh out of other ideas, he posted as is.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
https://i.imgtc.ws/2Q88rI4.gif

Karo - Upset with bad sequels, Freddy Krueger decides to come to the real world and try to kill the movie crew before they can make any more. Yes, seriously. Anyway, Nancy um, I mean Heather is having nightmares and prank calls featuring Mr. Krueger, and after meeting with Wes Craven (yes, inside the actual movie), she realizes that Freddy is some ancient being who can be easily distracted by watching slasher movies, so they should make another one before he takes over the world. And that's the movie we have here. Maybe. It is an interesting take on Freddy to make him more of an eldrich evil rather than a vengeful ghoul, though it seems given the revelation of his true nature it seems he is defeated way too easily. You should need fucking Doctor Strange to deal with someone like this, not just randomly stabbing him a few times and pushing him into an incinerator. It is always good to try new things, particularly in the excruciatingly formulaic slasher genre, and this deserves props for the attempt I guess? However, the scenario is silly and way, way too meta, and seems more like an excuse for Wes and everyone to shamelessly insert themselves into their own series. Should just stick with the old nightmare.

Scarlet - I appreciate the creativity at play here from ol Wes, breaking down the fourth wall in order to breathe new life into a stale product. But its still a slasher, it still looks like low-budget garbage, and I still judge people who think this is entertainment.
Rating: 24/100

Inviso - I really did want to appreciate this film for how meta it was, but then its almost two hours long, and the plot was stretched EXTREMELY thin, to the point where it became outright lame. The little kid actor is fucking annoying in literally every second of the film, and I kinda wish hed been murdered early on to facilitate the plot. But yeah, the main actress from the original Nightmare on Elm Street starts having nightmares and premonitions related to Freddy Kreuger, and it turns out that hes being manifested into the real world. Thats an interesting concept (and like I said, very meta like some of Cravens later works.) Buttheres this weird, supernatural element, and the film isnt quite hokey enough to match the fore factor of the original films. Oh! And can I just say that Freddy himself looks absolutely terrible in this? It looks like the studio cheaped out and bought a visible man mask, and thats all they bothered dealing with. Ultimately, the concept was interesting, but it lacked ANY real bite to it.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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BM - The original postmodern, self-referential slasher-satire, and (with the eventual exception of Cabin in the Woods) my favorite of its type. Despite its ability to make fun of itself and the Elm Street series it's ostensibly part of, this also represents a welcome return to form for Freddy Krueger after the Elm Street sequels turned him more and more campy, and thereby less and less scary. Heather Langenkamp is great as both herself and her character from the films; also great as themselves are the likes of Bob Shaye, Wes Craven, and of course, Robert Englund in his own double-role. This is just so creative without being in any way smug about its own cleverness, and definitely ends up being one of the best, and certainly most intelligent entries in the franchise.

Genny - Aw yeah Freddy's back with a brand New Nightmare (presented by Wes Craven) that's more of a meta mind fuck than anything else. I'm okay with this. It's a clever way to refresh a series that was starting to run out its welcome while still paying homage to a time when the Nightmare franchise wasn't so stale, worthy of a 7.6/10

Johnbobb - Conceptually, this is one of Wes Craven's coolest ideas. He's not the only person to ever do the "fictional creature comes into the real world" trope by any stretch, but this is definitely one of the most intriguing examples of it. Freddy's reality-bending abilities have always been a defining aspect of the character, so twisting not just dreams but fiction as well into reality is just such a cool move. In execution, it could use a little work, falling victim to some of the cheesiness associated with both Freddy and 90s horror, but overall is just such a neat idea that it's easy to forgive some of its flaws.

JONA - Snake was patiently awaiting all the writeups for his board project. He checked his e-mail and he received writeups from scarlet and Genny. He decided to post on Discord confirming that he received them and to give a notification to others to send their writeups in. Snake posted Got both scarlet and Genny's. @gauntlet Just to check in and confirm again, I have Inviso, Karo, John, Genny, and Scarlet atm. And I'm waiting on charon, KBM, and JONA. JONA was not at all prepared to hand in his writeups. As of that notification, he only wrote passages for 12 of them and even he knew that they were simple. JONA started to do more writeups but then wondered if he should do a wacky writeup for Wes Cravens New Nightmare. He was unsure about his feelings on the movie and its meta-ness. He felt it helped made the movie feel fresh and that it gave some insight into the minds of people who worked on horror films. On the other hand, the meta-ness made the threat of Freddy was lessened due to it and it made the film somewhat alienating, due to him not knowing the franchise well. Then, JONA knew what his writeup should be like. He started typing, Snake was patiently awaiting

JONA: Alright, this writeup will do.

is what JONA originally wrote down to conclude his writeup, but then he decided to end his dumb writeup with this sentence right here.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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16. Wes Cravens New Nightmare

Snake - 2
Charon - 8
KBM - 13
Genny - 15
Johnbobb - 18
JONA - 19
Karo - 20
Scarlet - 30
Inviso - 34

Snake - Why I Chose It - The seventh film in the Nightmare on Elm Street series, New Nightmare features Wes Craven's return to the directorial chair, his first reappearance in the franchise since the original film. New Nightmare treats the original series as in-universe films, requiring little continuity knowledge to watch and enjoy. It also returns Freddy to his darker roots, after progressively getting more goofier with each installment. New Nightmare would go on to inform Craven's future film Scream, and would be the last Freddy movie for nearly a decade.

My Thoughts - New Nightmare, in my opinion, is Wes Craven's magnum opus. In the film, Craven analyzes his position as a "master of horror", and the responsibility and role he had in crafting one of horror's most enduring icons. His films literally unleash Freddy into the world at large, an analogue to the real-life nightmares many viewers of the real Freddy films have experienced themselves. Craven himself has often tried to escape the pigeon-holing of being that one "horror director", and New Nightmare makes it clear that spectre forever looms over his legacy almost too greatly to escape from. It's incredible contemplative and introspective, and yet, New Nightmare also manages time to be a damn scary, fun time too. Beyond the sub-text, Robert Englund portrays Freddy with a whole new menace to him, and with the exception of the first film, I've never found him scarier than here. Heather Langenkamp is also fantastic, and both the similarities and differences between her and her character Nancy are extremely fun to notice. She's definitely horror's premiere dual-role final girl! In closing, the idea of Freddy becoming reality is an idea I've always loved. In my opinion, we make these fictional entities real everyday, by discussing them, by being frightened of them, by giving them new life through fan writing or drawings. Yet, Craven proves that, in the end, it's all just a story, and it's our responsibility to remember that. Craven gives himself and the viewer an out, we just have to play our roles one last time to realize that.

Charon - An obviously darker take on Freddy, this film successfully revamped the dream haunter, sadly they just didn't continue from where they should have. It's hard to believe that this film basically ended the original line of Nightmare films, which is a shame because it's clearly superior to all of the other sequels that came after the original. Not only that, but it failed in the box office. With Craven gone, it's hard to imagine a good movie coming, but I digress. The premise here is interesting, as they treat the entire rest of the films as if they were simply that, films. This is a concept we'd see borrowed later by other films, that is, making a horror movie around the production of a horror movie. The whole malevolent being that happened to get written into being Freddy just now likes to be Freddy is neat, and while they tone down the campiness of his antics a bit, they keep all that made him a great slasher.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Carnage
Freddy Krueger
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas)
Sir Daniel Fortesque (Medievil)
Director Bones (DC Comics)
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Inviso - I dont really know how to describe my feelings about Cronos, other than saying that I think the pacing really hurt the film as a whole. Likeokay, mysterious device reinvigorates a human body, but at the same time turns said human into a vampire. Fine. Im TOTALLY cool with that as a premise. I also find the main protagonist to be a likable person who warrants to level of emotional investment the movie gives him. However, around the fifty-minute mark, I realized the movie had been going on for as long as it hadand the bare minimum of plot had unfolded. Aside from the initial creepiness of having a robot beetle clamp down on ones handtheres no real horror stuff. But then, the back end of the film is so backloaded with vampirism, and creepy imageryit feels rushed in my opinion. I feel like the slow transformation couldve been spaced out over a longer period of time, and because it WASNT, the end result just feels sloppier, I guess.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
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Snake - Why I Chose It - Guillermo del Toro's first feature film, Cronos is often hailed as both one of the best vampire films of all time and one of the best Spanish-languange films of all time. It even foreshadowed some of Del Toro's notable hallmarks, including working with recurring actors (Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman) & his penchant for small, thoughtful films that blur the lines between horror, fantasy, and drama.

My Thoughts - This is easily one of my favorite vampire movies of all time. Del Toro's debut feature already shows a master at work, with gorgeous cinematography and a slow, tense build punctuated by some seriously affecting moments of drama. A really great example of this is when Gris uses the Cronos device, and it pierces his wrist in an excruciating way, as gears turn and the music swells a little. Then, the scene cuts to quiet, with Gris' granddaughter watching him from above, worried for his safety. It's so effectively sad and the whole film is filled with scenes like that. It's also one of the most unique takes on the vampire mythos by far. Though the typical tropes are all there, the Cronos device really helps set it apart from the pack, acting as almost an addictive drug for Gris. Can't go without mentioning Perlman's great performance, filled with both menace and levity as only he can pull off. The film is capped off with an ambiguous ending, which makes the film that much more touching and thoughtful overall. Cronos and Del Toro deftly analyzes the effects of immortality on the human condition, crafting a masterwork that's universally frightening.

Charon - An interesting film about immortality; del Toro surprises here with this Mexican originated dark film about the dangers and wonders of it. I didn't really know what to expect from this film, but given it wasn't "really" an American film I was nervous of it a little bit, but I ended up liking this one quite a bit. The cast here is brilliant in their roles, especially Federico Luppi and Ron Perlman. You have to love just watching Perlman kick his ass most of the film so you'll be happy when he gets his in the end. I enjoyed the twist near the end here, where we avoid that bad ending for our hero. Instead del Toro leaves this ambiguous, which is something that the horror genre could apply more often in my opinion.

Johnbobb - Man it's weird looking back at this now and seeing all the future Guillermo Del Toro tells. The bizarre faith-focused fantasy, the striking makeup and prosthetics, the Ron Perlman. Cronos is really rough around the edges but Del Toro's creativity shines through it. It's a far cry from his later masterpieces but goddamn if you can't see the potential lying in it all.

Genny - Cronos poses the question of what it means to be immortal and whether it's worth it to live forever if the cost is having to feed on life. Gone are the overkill gory moments and overgrown beasts running rampant in many other 90s offerings, instead Hellboy lays a smackdown or two of realistic violence, but he's not the villain nor is his invalid uncle. Instead it's desire. I can buy that. Who wouldn't want youth, health, and longevity? 7.3/10

JONA - While I liked the concept and characters, it just felt plodding for the most part with few moments that felt important.
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Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
https://i.imgtc.ws/2Q88rI4.gif