Editorials
00’s Retrospect: Bloody Disgusting’s Top 20 Films of the Decade…Part 4
You’ve all been waiting, and now it’s here: the unveiling of Bloody-Disgusting’s list of the Top 5 horror films of the last ten years. Again, the list reflects the opinions of all B-D contributors (each of whom came up with their own personal Top 20 list from which the results were tabulated). You may not agree with the films on the final list (in fact, it’s inevitable that the majority of you probably won’t, at least not in the order they’re assembled), but these five movies are all excellent examples of the genre that will go down in history as classics in the eyes of the majority of horror movie fans. Of course, if one of your faves was left out and you’d like to rant about it, let us know. We can relate: keep in mind that every B-D contributor had films from their own personal lists that didn’t make the cut either… And now, without further adieu, we present to you the Top 5 horror films of the 2000s.
Also read: 00’s Retrospect: Dead on Arrival — Ten Horror Duds of the Last Decade
The last ten years have been a wild ride for horror fans. Thanks to countless innovators and a host of amazing films, it can safely be said that the 2000’s trump the 1990’s by a wide margin. Sure, that decade had groundbreakers like Scream and The Blair Witch Project, but that’s nothing compared to the number of great horror films (and, for that matter, the number of total horror films) that this decade has had to offer. To celebrate, the staff of Bloody-Disgusting decided to take a vote on the Top 20 horror films* of the 2000’s (along with one honorable mention), and the below list is the result. Looking over it, it’s actually pretty telling that nearly half the movies (9 out of 21) were produced on foreign soil, which just goes to show that this decade in horror was as much about the range of impressive imports as it was about the American product. Your favorites aren’t on there? Cry us a river. Or better yet, let us know what we missed. And make sure, at some point before the New Year, to get on your knees, clasp your hands together and pray to the horror gods to make the next decade as good as the last. – Chris Eggertsen
5. Session 9 (USA Films; August 10, 2001)
As they often say in real estate, location is everything. And Brad Anderson couldn’t have set his nerve-wracking, slow-burning horror opus in a better one: an abandoned New England mental hospital. Of course in filmmaking, location really isn’t everything, and Anderson clearly understands that. Which is why Session 9 isn’t just a cheap, hack `n’ slash, instantly-forgettable type horror film, but a psychologically probing, deeply unsettling journey off the edge and into the abyss of the human mind. The film is old-school in a lot of ways, particularly in that it doesn’t just rely on cheap shocks to scare the living daylights out of us. Indeed, the scariest moments in the film are those that involve disembodied voices, eerie visuals and the mere suggestion that something horrible is about to happen. This is the stuff bad dreams are made of.
4. The Mist (Dimension Films; November 21, 2007)
Frank Darabont, known for helming adaptations of Stephen King’s more dramatic works, totally nailed this adaptation of King’s short story about a group of small town folk who become trapped inside a grocery store when a mysterious mist rolls into town and simultaneously unleashes a host of nasty creatures. The scary stuff works extremely well (including a mostly-great use of CGI), but what really drives this one home is Darabont’s focus on the divide that forms between two factions of the townspeople – the paranoid, Bible-thumping types led by rabid fundamentalist Mrs. Carmody (played by a great Marcia Gay Harden) and the more rational-minded, decidedly left-wing members of the populace. Love or hate that downer of an ending, this allegorical microcosm of Bush Jr.-era America is spot on, and elevates an already-excellent film to even greater heights.
3. The Descent (Lionsgate; August 4, 2006)
This Neil Marshall-directed film begins as a tale of gung-ho female empowerment and ends in a blood-soaked orgy of every-woman-for-herself pandemonium. One of the scariest films of this or any decade, The Descent is so effective because Marshall understands how to layer on the frights. It would be bad enough if this group of female spelunkers was facing flesh-eating humanoids in a normal, everyday setting, but the fact that they’re battling them while trapped in a series of claustrophobia-inducing caverns is almost too much to bear. Marshall is an expert at conveying an all-consuming dread and disorientation, but what really makes the film work is that he takes the time to give the characters actual personalities so we truly care what happens to them. Ultimately, The Descent is the purest kind of horror film – ruthless, unforgiving, showing no mercy.
2. Shaun of the Dead (Focus Features; September 24, 2004)
Shaun of the Dead isn’t just the best horror-comedy of the decade – it’s quite possibly the best horror-comedy ever made. Edgar Wright’s film about a couple of aimless English blokes caught in the middle of a zombie pandemic seemingly came out of nowhere and went on to become one of the biggest cult films of all time. It’s a case of all the right elements coming together at just the right moment – not only is the film smartly and stylishly directed, but the endearing performances by the entire ensemble cast are pure comic gold. Wright also takes a page out of Romero’s book by providing a sharp satiric subtext that serves to elevate the film above mere slapstick. Simply put, Shaun of the Dead is about as close to perfection as movies get; intelligent, thrilling, one-of-a-kind.
1. Let the Right One In (Magnolia Pictures; March 10, 2009)
It’s rare enough for a horror film to be good; even rarer are those that function as genuine works of art. Let the Right One In, adapted from the novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist, is one of those films – an austerely beautiful creation that reveals itself slowly, like the best works of art do. The simplicity of the story – a young boy, bullied in school, meets a young girl who just happens to be a 200-year-old vampire – allows Swedish director Tomas Alfredson to focus on these two pre-teen characters with a penetrating insight that not only makes it a great vampire film but a great coming-of-age film as well. Of course, calling it a coming-of-age story is likely selling it short. Because at its core, Let the Right One In is, simply, a human story, a pensive meditation on the transcendent possibilities of human connection. Most of all, it’s a film that sticks with you, and whose stature will continue to grow in the decades to come.
Editorial written by Chris Eggertsen
*Editor’s Note: For those of you interested in knowing how the list came to be, here’s an explanation. Bloody Disgusting writers collaborated on a list of some of the best films this decade. The entire list was given to the Bloody Disgusting staff who then built their own Top 20 lists. Each film was given a point value. 20 received 1 point, 19 received 2 points, and so on all the way to number 1, which received 20 points. The numbers were tallied and the result are the top films listed. The bonus film had tied with #20 and the tie was broken by the number of actual votes.
The following participated in the project: Mr. Disgusting, Tex Massacre, BC, David Harley, Ryan Daley, Chris Eggertsen, Jeff Otto, John Marrone, Horror_Guy, Mr_Bungle, Klown, Caustic Coffee and Tool Shed
I was never against Sony’s initial idea to produce solo movies based on Spider-Man’s most memorable supervillains. After all, a hero is only as good as his Rogues’ Gallery is intimidating, so it stands to reason that there were plenty of dark stories to tell here.
While rushed productions like Morbius and Kraven the Hunter didn’t quite turn out as I had hoped, it’s a relief to see James Gunn and the DC Extended Universe learn the right lessons from Marvel’s flops by investing in supervillain stories that aren’t afraid to step into the horror genre.
The new trailer for James Watkins’ upcoming Clayface movie is a great example of this, as the new footage confirms our suspicions that the movie is set to be a full-on piece of body horror focusing more on telling a standalone scary story than setting up a brand.
With that in mind, I’ve decided to take a closer look at the trailer in order to find out what we can expect from this highly anticipated comic-book adaptation from hell.
So without further ado, here are four things we learned from the new Clayface trailer!
4. Matt Hagen is a Club Vesuvius Regular
A seedy nightclub owned by “former” mobster Johnny Sabatino, the comic books have established Club Vesuvius as a hotspot for criminal activity and metahuman action since 2009. Throughout the years, the club has seen everything from an attempted arson by Firefly to magical acts performed by Zatanna herself.
The trailer for Clayface appears to suggest that Vesuvius will feature prominently in this story as well, as the footage shows us several shots of Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) casually attending the club as well as a couple of more concerning moments where Gotham City Police roll up to the establishment to deal with some kind of emergency.
3. The Movie Will Not Adapt Any Single Specific Comic
As I mentioned before in my Clayface primer for horror fans who aren’t all that familiar with the character, the initial teaser for the film had me convinced that the project would be more of an adaptation of Batman: The Animated Series’ two-part episode Feat of Clay rather than any specific comic-book.
This latest trailer has only confirmed my suspicions, with Hagen’s predicament here feeling much more in line with Marv Wolfman and Michael Reaves’ sympathetic vision of the character than the more traditional criminal that we usually see in the comics. That being said, I’m curious to see how the filmmakers intend to connect this tragic version of Clayface to the more unpleasant monster we saw in Creature Commandos now that it’s been confirmed that these are indeed the same person.
2. James Watkins is Combining Practical and Digital Effects
I’ll always prefer a well-executed practical effect over CGI simply because the former is closer to the stage magic that inspired early moviemaking. That being said, there’s an undeniable artistry to well-crafted visual effects, and I’d argue that a character like Clayface requires the best of both worlds in order to be convincingly brought to life on the big screen.
I’m clearly not the only one who thinks so, as the trailer has shown us that Watkins is combining digital imagery with prosthetics and plenty of flesh-colored goop to depict Hagen’s unique brand of monstrous body horror. James Gunn had already promised us that the film would feature plenty of old-school practical effects wizardry, so it’s exciting to see that this approach in action.
1. Hagen Will Eventually Transform into Clayface’s Iconic True Form
In the comics, whenever Clayface isn’t pretending to be someone else, the character spends most of his time in his “natural” form resembling a gigantic golem-like monster. This look has certainly evolved over the years, but, at this point, most artists have settled on a vaguely humanoid shape accompanied by a gaping maw (though the villain’s terrifying re-imagining in DC’s Absolute Universe is a bit more complicated than that).
While fans were initially skeptical regarding whether or not the upcoming adaptation would even feature this admittedly outlandish design, the trailer has basically confirmed that Hagen’s condition will get progressively worse until he finally resembles the hulking monstrosity from the comics!
Be sure to comment below if you think we overlooked any interesting details in the trailer, and keep in mind that Clayface will be hitting theaters on October 23.
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