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Some New Era Horror Movies That Deserve Classic Respect

What makes a clasc?

As a horror movie fan we all know the names that get tossed around the most.

From Dracula, The Wolf Man and Frankenstein to Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees , Freddy Kruger and Leatherface, these are the creatures we have been talking about and (cringe) doing remakes of for years.So..what DOES make a clasc and what are some new entries to the Horror movie hall of fame?

Posble spoilers ahead but if you’re on this te and haven’t seen most if not all of these movies then you should take the weekend off and fire up your DVD player.

Of course there are more than the names listed above that many of us conder as clascs, especially in their specific sub genres but if I was to list those then this article would never end.

Instead I will list what I conder to be my clascs list as well as those that very well have the potential to be looked upon as the new breed.

The Clascs: I won’t go into detail on these, they speak for themselves.

The only thing I will add (as sad is it is that I have to add this) is that these are the originals not the remakes.

Halloween

A Nightmare on Elm St.

Friday the 13th The series was mostly fun, you know you like it!

Texas Chainsaw Massacre

An American Werewolf in London Some may say The Howling but I have to disagree

Evil Dead

Jaws

Dawn of the Dead

The Exorcist

Rosemarys Baby

The Shining

Dead Alive for the awesome gore fest!!

Scream brought the American horror movie out of limbo

There are just a few of the most well-known horror movies that are still talked about today. PLEASE feel free to add/agree/disagree. We might see a movie mentioned that some of us have never seen. Ok now for (my opinion) the candidates for the New Clascs….

Dog Soldiers: A smart, scary well-paced thriller with some of the most realistic werewolf degns ever put on screen.

I first discovered this movie years ago while searching for a decent werewolf film after

being utterly disappointed with a slew of horrid attempts at the sub-genre.

This movie deserves more respect.

From the kills to the acting all you have to do is take away the werewolves and you still have a smart thriller. Being that American Werewolf has the coolest transformation scene of all time thanks to the amazing Rick Baker, it was nice to see this film not fully delve into that but instead showcase the creatures fully transformed.

I know Dog Soldiers doesn’t have a lot of humor but in the werewolf movie world there are so few that deserve to stand next to AMIL, I believe Dog Soldiers does.

Hatchet: Some love it, some hate it but what you can’t deny is that

Adam Green loves the horror world and in my opinion the horror world is a better place with him. Hatchet brings back the fun and absurd nature of the early 80’s Slasher film, you can laugh one minute and then the next you’re covering your mouth in shock because someone’s face just got torn off.

With Hatchet 2, he showed us that he wasn’t willing to compromise his vion and that (along with Frozen) really gained my respect and will be talked about for a long time.

The kills in the Hatchet series are some of the most original I’ve ever seen and as a fan of practical effects, I applaud them.

Let’s not forget about cameos….Adam Green you and Eli Roth know the importance of the cameo!

Victor Crowley is Jason Voorhees without the hockey mask; instead he shows his disfigured face and much like Jason, Victor lives by the water and just won’t die. Victor Crowley's also has a “campfire story” origin which is sometime missed in the Slasher film.

The Collector: Takes “Go out the front door!!”

out of the equation.

The film is very smart and very violent, what’s not to like?

The mask is scary, the acting is good and it was nice to see a different take on the Slasher film, one that is mixed with Saw like scenarios.

Glad to hear the sequel is coming out in the near future because it would be nice to know how the Collector chooses who he collects.

If done right, this one and the next one on the list could really have franchises.

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon: (An ode to all Slashers) I’ll admit, I was really hetant at first because the Slasher genre is one of my top favorites.

I had heard that this one didn’t take itself that seriously….Not true at all.

The greatest thing about this film is it’s “I’m telling you that I’m going to do this, I’m smiling but I’m not joking vibe.

Leslie Vernon gives us a Michael Myers esq. villain that just so happens to be like the eccentric next door neighbor that you don’t think twice about.

You don’t HAVE to be a fan of campy horror to fully enjoy this one but it does help.

House of the Devil: This movie has now become one of my favorite horror films of all time.

It does the “slow burn” like nobody’s buness and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, waiting for something to happen at any second.

Ti West really has a masterpiece (yes I said masterpiece) on his hands here, an amazing throwback to 70’s suspense films like “Let’s Scare Jesca to Death”.

If you are a fan of that era then this film really deserves some of your attention.

Lake Mungo:

I’m putting this movie in here because this movie gave me the creeps like no other ghost movie has ever done.

Yeah, that says a lot nce I’ve seen a lot of horror films.

This one just feels real, everything about it from how the family interacts to the documentary film style.

My girlfriend and I watched it for the first time the other night and were mad at ourselves for not seeing it sooner.

I know these statements are a lot to live up to but in my honest opinion I believe it’s that good.

Hollywood is doing a remake but I honestly don’t know how they can improve on this film, they already messed up Freddy, [Jason and Leatherface….leave this one alone.Paranormal Activity:

Yep, it belongs on the list.

It was an original idea that brought non horror movie fans to theaters based on buzz alone.

After the “vote to have this movie in your town”, the buzz didn’t wear off, it was all I heard about when people were talking about movies at that time. Like it or hate it, Paranormal Activity (and the sequel) told remakes to take a hike..

High Tenon:

Brutal.

It’s been talked about on top horror gore lists nce it came out.

Leave it to a foreign horror film to deliver a gruesome tale of the psychotic.

The Descent:

Creatures? Check.. Closed off surroundings? Check..Got a sequel? Check….I love the Descent, this movie “got me” a couple of times.

It belongs on this list!

Some runners up that I really enjoyed are: Hostel 1 and 2 for the awesome make-up effects of KNB, Frozen, Laid to Rest (awesome concept I just couldn't get past some of the acting) The Human Centipede and Ginger Snaps 2

There you go.

I’m sure I’m leaving a TON out but this was my list off the top of my head and my way of saying LONG time reader, and first time contributor!

Glad to be a Bidite!

There are a few more that I would add to the new clascs list.

The first would be Trick 'r Treat, my new all-time favorite horror anthology.

I can watch that movie on a 95 degree day in the middle of July and it's instantly Halloween.

Another would be Let the Right One In (Let Me In).

It's a testament to the perfection of the original that American filmmakers left it pretty much completely intact when it was remade.

Gummi I have to instantly latch onto your TRICK 'R TREAT argument. One of my personal favorite anthology movies and THE best Halloween holiday movie ever made, period!

With that being said, I truly love this list. HOUSE OF THE DEVIL is a fav that often gets knocked for its "slow" pace. I am a HATCHET nerd as well and the French flick HIGH TENON is one of the greatest foreign horror films that I have personally seen. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire film.

I love LET THE RIGHT ONE IN also and it probably has its place although I am not sure I am ready to call it a clasc yet. (Yes, I do realize the irony of grouping a film like HATCHET into the mix however, lol)

The only film that didn't make the list that I wish may have is THE DEVILS REJECTS. I personally thought that was a truly great film adaption of not just old school horror but the sadistic, gritty style that only Rob Zombie could bring with his unique film style. Don't get me wrong. Zombie's style works for some films and doesn't work for others. REJECTS is a really fun watch for me and a film that I think could stand the test of time.

Great article!

Gummi I have to instantly latch onto your TRICK 'R TREAT argument. One of my personal favorite anthology movies and THE best Halloween holiday movie ever made, period!

With that being said, I truly love this list. HOUSE OF THE DEVIL is a fav that often gets knocked for its "slow" pace. I am a HATCHET nerd as well and the French flick HIGH TENON is one of the greatest foreign horror films that I have personally seen. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire film.

I love LET THE RIGHT ONE IN also and it probably has its place although I am not sure I am ready to call it a clasc yet. (Yes, I do realize the irony of grouping a film like HATCHET into the mix however, lol)

The only film that didn't make the list that I wish may have is THE DEVILS REJECTS. I personally thought that was a truly great film adaption of not just old school horror but the sadistic, gritty style that only Rob Zombie could bring with his unique film style. Don't get me wrong. Zombie's style works for some films and doesn't work for others. REJECTS is a really fun watch for me and a film that I think could stand the test of time.

Great article

Awesome article man! I'm quoting booman because although I agree with a lot of your choices for modern clascs, I really enjoy The Devils Rejects as well. The muc is great, the horror has a nice mix with comedy and I still feel that to date this is Rob Zombies best film.

http://youtu.be/NKt4loXpVZ0

Great dialogue and scene.

I would probably add House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects, Orphan and Indious. But great list! I agreed with all of the entries

I applaud your choice to omit Hostel and the Saw franchise from your list of "New Clascs". Yes, I realize they garnished a huge fan base, and yes, I can appreciate a gore film as much as the next guy but lets face it TORTURE PORN ISN'T SCARY! A "clasc" horror film is one that can be watched over and over but never lose its ability to engage you. The Saw and Hostel types rely on one thing, the initial shock of the audience and a quick paycheck. While movies like Trick r' Treat and Hatchet (among many others) have an appeal that captures what we truly love about the horror genre.

I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT TO PUT IN TRICK R TREAT!!!! HAHATrick r Treat is one of my all time favorites....sorry about that one!!

Thank you to all that have commented, HorrorBid is my favorite te for horror related news so I knew this was the best place to post this article!

Awesome avatar MLeeHolmes!! Huge Dexter fan here!

I applaud your choice to omit Hostel and the Saw franchise from your list of "New Clascs". Yes, I realize they garnished a huge fan base, and yes, I can appreciate a gore film as much as the next guy but lets face it TORTURE PORN ISN'T SCARY! A "clasc" horror film is one that can be watched over and over but never lose its ability to engage you. The Saw and Hostel types rely on one thing, the initial shock of the audience and a quick paycheck. While movies like Trick r' Treat and Hatchet (among many others) have an appeal that captures what we truly love about the horror genre.

I do agree that torture porn isn't scary but I really don't think Saw should be put into that category. The first Saw was and still is very engaging and I think that if it didn't have so many sequels it would be thought of as a far superior film that it is.

What about Jeepers Creppers?

Absolutly Trick R Treat, Devil's Rejects, and Let Me In.

But Fellas what about CHROMESKULL??!!!!!!!!!

This is a mighty fine list of both old & new horror clascs, and I definitely agree with some of the additions mentioned in the responses. For instance, Trick 'r Treat is a hands-down clasc and the best Halloween themed horror movie in YEARS, Jeepers Creepers was a brilliant new creature flick that introduced us to the infinitely scary "Creeper", and Indious has already found its way into the hearts of horror movie fans. Here are some more of my personal favorites that I'm nominating for the "old" era clascs:

1) Pet Sematary: One word and one word only...Zelda. That is the essence of horror. 2) Poltergeist 1 & 2: Especially 2, thanks to the always cheery Reverend Henry Kane. 3) The Thing: Thank you, Rob Bottin. The special makeup effects still hold up today. 4) Hellraiser: Clive Barker is a ck, ck man. 5) Alien: This is just an ass-kicking good time.

And finally, here are my nominations for some more "new" era clascs:

1) The Exorcism of Emily Rose: This was a brilliantly told story with flawless trantions between the past & present. This movie could frighten even the most rational folks thanks to Jennifer Carpenter's bodily contortions.

2) The Orphanage (El Orfanato): Little Spanish children in masks = scary. 3) 28 Days & 28 Weeks Later: I thought that I liked slow zombies until this series. I still like them, but fast zombies are a whole other ballgame. A very bloody, very hungry ballgame. 4) Martyrs: Beyond disturbing. To me, this movie made the Saw franchise look like a Hannah Montana after-school special.

5) Halloween (yes, the Rob Zombie remake): Proof that not all horror movie remakes are terrible. Rob Zombie did a great job here of spending a lot of time exploring Michael Myers' childhood and then moving on to the ever important slasher sequences. A job well done in my book. 6) Event Horizon: I'm not sure why I find this movie so utterly disturbing. All I know is that I don't want to explore the depths of space with Sam Neill. Not ever.

That's just my two cents worth though :-) Cheers to horror movie fans everywhere!

1) Pet Sematary: One word and one word only...Zelda. That is the essence of horror.

Raaaaaaachel!! Zelda is the scariest horror movie character of all time. Hands down.

Did you know the actor who played her was actually a male? Interesting tidbit: in watching the special features for Hatchet 2, Adam Green admitted that he was going for a "Zelda moment" in the scene where Mrs. Crowley gets off the couch. While creepy, it definitely was nowhere near Zelda. By the way, if you haven't seen this bust, you need to check it out: http://theeffectslab.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8186&d=67cbad4a7361e50a7d812d2634bfc409

Regarding this article and all of the comments, we've got some GREAT films listed here, so great in fact that I am having a hard time coming up with additions. I'll continue thinkin' on it...

Hell yeah The Devil's Rejects and Trick R Treat belong on the list of new clascs. And I am sorry, I somewhat disagree with the original list..I have seen most of the films on the list that were listed as new clascs, and they are not on par with films such as the original NOES, the original Halloween, The Exorcist, or The Shining. At least not in my opinion.

Paranormal Activity was ok in my opinion, but very, very, over rated. The House of the Devil was also ok, but not that special to me, I didn't want to run out and buy a copy after seeing it. I couldn't really get into Behind the Mask or Dog Soliders.

The Devils Rejects should be on that list, fuck, I am not going to lie, all of Zombie's films should be on that list.Ginger Snaps, Indious, Trick R Treat and many other films should be on there too. And of course Hellraiser, shame on anyone who doesn't give Pinhead clasc respect.

Absolutly Trick R Treat, Devil's Rejects, and Let Me In.

But Fellas what about CHROMESKULL??

I agree on the 1st 2 but LMI was a good movie, but i didnt feel it to much. Laid to Rest wouldve been a good ont too!

I do agree that torture porn isn't scary but I really don't think Saw should be put into that category. The first Saw was and still is very engaging and I think that if it didn't have so many sequels it would be thought of as a far superior film that it is.

I agree with you on this.

The first Saw is definitely a new era clasc.

Like you said, the long string of tired sequels has turned me off to the franchise as a whole, but the original is one of the best horror films of the last decade.

On a de note, the only one from your list that I haven't seen is Lake Mungo, but I'm going to remedy that tonight.

I'm looking forward to this one.

Gummi I want to know what your thoughts on LAKE MUNGO are!

I do agree that torture porn isn't scary but I really don't think Saw should be put into that category. The first Saw was and still is very engaging and I think that if it didn't have so many sequels it would be thought of as a far superior film that it is.

I agree with you on this.

The first Saw is definitely a new era clasc.

Like you said, the long string of tired sequels has turned me off to the franchise as a whole, but the original is one of the best horror films of the last decade.

On a de note, the only one from your list that I haven't seen is Lake Mungo, but I'm going to remedy that tonight.

I'm looking forward to this one.

Thanks gummi, the original is definitely one of the best films in the last decade and after watching INDIOUS last night, I truly believe that it should be added to the new clascs even though it is still in theatres. The muc was reminiscent of The Shining, the sound Fx, cinematography and story were awesome. First film in a long time that made me want to buy it before I even left the theatre.

Indious came out the day before my birthday, so guess what I did to celebrate..I loved the movie so much. Lin Shaye was awesome in it, and all the paranormal stuff in the movie was so different than a lot of the supernatural stuff I have seen in movies before. I really want a copy of it on dvd right now, sucks I have to wait a few months, and when I finally get my copy of Indious, I am going to make my new roommates watch it with me. It has been a while nce I loved a movie that much, so yeah, it does deserve clasc respect.

Gummi I want to know what your thoughts on LAKE MUNGO are

I just finished Lake Mungo, and while it was a good movie, I don't know if I'd put it solely in the horror category.

Overall it was more of a drama/mockumentary with paranormal elements; it was a ghost story, but not really a scary ghost story.

I will say that the acting was superb.

In fact, if I hadn't known it wasn't an actual documentary I may have been duped into believing it.

It reminded me of when The Blair Witch Project first came out, and people weren't sure if it was real.

All in all, it was very well-made and pretty interesting, and as more of the story surrounding Alice unfolded it did suck me in.

If you're a fan of documentaries, you'll probably enjoy the movie; however, if your more interested in the horror aspect you may be disappointed.

It's definitely worth a watch either way.

I know I havent been around in awhile but come on guys nobody has been looking out for me obviously in not adding The Burning as an old clasc???? Killer cast and Cropsy just kicked major @ss.

Great thread idea and some great pics. As far as saw I'd say maybe the first may some day go in there but still not 100% sure and the rest of the series just went downhill to much for me with such a great idea to start with.

@TheFreaka and Horror_Gal....YES! Zelda is one of the creepiest Horror movie characters of all time and I'm not very happy that you both dug her out of my memory banks, now every time I hear the name Rachel, all I'm going to hear is Raaaaaaaaaaachel, followed by me running and hiding in the next town over!

Hellraiser belongs on the Clascs list as well....my bad

@Sephit..I agree, the first Saw isn't torture porn and does somewhat belong on the New Clascs list.

I just find that for a movie with such a great concept that the plot holes become even bigger than they would have normally been.... and the acting....

@Gummi..I can see what you mean about Lake Mungo being more of a drama but for the pure fact that it creeped me out as a ghost story, that's Horror all the way in my book.

I agree about the Blair Witch Project "real or not" vibe.

I left certain movies off the Clascs list because I wasn't sure if they were just Horror or Horror/Science Fiction.

My girlfriend and I LOVE The Thing, I should have put it on the Clascs list because Rob Bottin is a master of Special Effects and the movie does have clasc horror movie written all over it (and it was a superior remake).

Indious....awesome!

I just wanted it to be in theaters for a while before I added it but....it belongs on the list!

@Gummi..I can see what you mean about Lake Mungo being more of a drama but for the pure fact that it creeped me out as a ghost story, that's Horror all the way in my book.

I agree about the Blair Witch Project "real or not" vibe.

Yeah, I can definitely see where your coming from.

The movie did have some creepy moments, but as time went on it was just so "real" that the overall vibe for me became sympathy rather than fear.

I'm going to do a bit of research about how they promoted this movie in Australia and see if they tried to get audiences to think it was actual footage.

I can see Australian movie-goers saying to each other, "Yeah, I think I remember seeing something about that on the news a while back."

Also, I know I'm going out on a limb here, but what do you all think about putting the original Child's Play on one of the clascs lists.

No matter how goofy it is, Chucky has become a horror icon.

Does that quality it for clasc status?

i loved all those movies but ima have 2 add the strangers....lol but thats just me :)

i loved all those movies but ima have 2 add the strangers....lol but thats just me :)

You totally read my mind, boogeyman8! The Strangers, without doubt, belongs on the list of new clascs. I was hetant when it first came out because I generally prefer my horror movies to have unknown actors, but I forgot about that preference REAL quick in this case. The suspense was heavy from start to finish, the acting was spot-on and I was genuinely shaken for a few days after watching it. Actually...every time I watch it it leaves me shaken, because that shit could actually happen! Great great horror flick.

Gummi - I think the original Child's Play does belong on the clascs list. Chucky is a horror icon and rightly so...I mean look at how ambitious the little guy was! Dolls today just try to poison you with lead, but Chucky was so much more creative. He wanted to play with you, talk to you, kill you AND take over your body! What an overachiever.

Ahh....The Strangers, yes a new clasc.

I love this movie as well, it was Manson family meets Slasher film....Let's hope Strangers 2 (if it gets made) is as good....

@Gummi....I feel ya on the sympathy feeling watching Lake Mungo but..some of those images scared the crap out of me....

The first Childs Play is a clasc, I had forgotten how good it was when I first saw it due to the horrible sequels (excluding Childs Play 2)

All this talk of clasc horror has me re-watching some movies that I haven't seen in a while.

I just finished watching The Ring again.

Man, what a terrific movie that is.

It's also proof that sometimes remakes can actually be a good thing (I've never seen Ringu, but I'm sure it's as good or better than the American remake).

I think that this movie will one day be condered a clasc.

Gum, Ringu is a great film but has an ultra low budget feel. Whether that bothers some or not is up to that person. I personally found it great and I never mind sub-titles. The rest of the world has to watch our films in sub-titles so why not repay the favor.

Also appreciated your review of Lake Mungo. I was in the same "boat" so to speak with you. This is a great thread and judging by the comments TRICK 'R TREAT is getting the love it deserves. One of my top 10 horror films of the past 10 years and a MUST watch on Halloween - a literal no brainier.

Yeah, it's great seeing Trick 'r Treat mentioned so many times.

I'm getting ready to watch it again right now.

It's been a few months nce my last viewing.

I remember reading a review for Trick 'r Treat in Wizard (rip) magazine.

It was (don't quote me on this) as one of the first movies to come out as a Warner Premiere movie which is the straight to DVD format that WB and DC comics uses for all of it's animated films....straight to DVD cartoons I'm cool with but sometimes it's death for Horror films, thankfully not the case with Trick 'r Treat....I really hope the sequel gives us even more fun to look forward too....

I definitely have to agree with the excluon of the Saw movies, they're just ridiculous at this point.

Devil's Rejects was awesome, and Let Me In, while not what I would necessarily call a horror film, was a beautiful piece of work.

nce I've been nging its praises already on this te, I should mention The Ring too.

I love that movie.

Dark Night of The Scarecrow is one that I feel is really underrated. I think that if if hadn't recently released on dvd, this excellent flick might have slipped into obscurity. It is mply a must see film for all horror fans. And it's a film that really needs to be viewed in this day and age of all this SAW and HOSTEL-type nonsense.

"modern clascs":

HOUSE of 1000 CORPSES THE DEVILS REJECTS SAW HOSTEL LET ME IN HIGH TENON TRICK R TREAT HATCHET MURDER SET PIECES DOG SOLDIERS

close calls: MARTYRS INDE GUTTERBALLS

LAID TO REST? THE COLLECTOR? good, fun but not clasc imo.