1. Evil Dead 2, directed by Sam Raimi
Most horror movies work because of their tension; this is why horror comedies rarely work. Comedy often negates any suspense created by horror. Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead 2 is the perfect combination of horror and comedy. Raimi lets legendary actor Bruce Campbell take over for most of the film’s runtime. Campbell’s performance in this film is one of the rare comedic performances in which every time he blinks, it is funny. Evil Dead 2 is more of a cult classic comedy than a horror movie. Evil Dead 2 is available from the Broomfield Public Library.
2. Rosemary’s Baby, directed by Roman Polanski
Rosemary’s Baby breaks the classic Hitchcockian method of suspense; this is why it works. Hitchcock is selective about what his audiences know and intentionally leaves out vital details to keep the tension in his films. Part of what makes Polanski’s style work in Rosemary’s Baby is how much the audience knows. There is, by definition, a plot twist in Rosemary’s Baby, though by the time it occurs, only Rosemary seems not to know. Polanski leverages this to create a feeling of dread unmatched by any other film in the genre. Polanski, a Polish emigre, had constructed a substantial collection of independent movies in Poland and France before coming to America, and his art-house sensibilities are prominent throughout Rosemary’s Baby. The film feels like a big-budget art film. One noteworthy aspect of Polanski’s reputation is that he raped a 13-year-old girl in the late seventies. I like to think legendary actor/director John Cassavetes ghost-directed this film (and John Huston ghost-directed Polanski’s other masterpiece Chinatown). Rosemary’s Baby is available from the Broomfield Public Library.
3. The Exorcist (1973), directed by William Friedkin
The Exorcist is often called the scariest movie ever made; this isn’t true. Friedkin, with The Exorcist, excels at taking a horrifying concept and placing it within a familiar domesticized setting. Stephan King called The Exorcist a “social horror film.” The film will disturb your parents more than it will scare you, and that’s Friedkin’s goal. There is a near documentary quality to some of the horror; this is primarily due to the horrid work environment Friedkin created. Friedkin was known to fire blanks and hit cast members to get a reaction he wanted, and several significant special effects, particularly a bed, were dangerous to the cast and crew. The Exorcist is a mixed bag: on one hand, it is one of the most effectively directed movies of all time; on the other, Friedkin abused his power to an absurd degree. The Exorcist is available on HBO Max and at the Broomfield Public Library.
4. Night of The Hunter, directed by Charles Laughton
Charles Laughton, a longtime resident of the league of Hollywood character actors, only directed one film. That film, Night of The Hunter, was a massive critical and commercial failure upon its release; the director was so embarrassed that he never directed another film. After Laughton’s death and the advent of film schools, Night of The Hunter finally received the credit it deserved. The film follows two young siblings on the run from a raving, mad pastor somewhere in the Deep South. Night of The Hunter is a simple movie; what makes it remarkable is the brilliant expressionistic visuals and the extraordinary lead performance by Robert Mitchum. Many of the most tense scenes in this film are nearly pitch black and only filled with Mitchum’s haunting whistle. Night of The Hunter is the most renowned horror movie of the classic Hollywood period. Night of The Hunter is available for rent on Amazon Prime and at the Broomfield Public Library.
5. The Thing, directed by John Carpenter
Legendary film critic Roger Ebert called John Carpenter’s The Thing “a great barf-bag movie” in an overall dismissive review. He describes the film’s focus on special effects and cutting-edge filming techniques as a negative, as narrative and characters are not the focus; I argue this makes The Thing excellent. The film follows a group of scientists at an Antarctic research station who uncover a creature that can morph into anything it kills. The scientists are trapped at the station by the lethally frigid conditions and must confront the beast to survive. Carpenter’s impersonal approach allows the Arctic to feel oppressively cold in a way the film demands, and the clinical behavior of the researchers on the station reflects how such characters would respond to such a situation in the real world. Carpenter is also a master of pacing a film; this film features his strongest pacing. The Thing is available for rent on Amazon Prime.
