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Overlooked Horror Directors - They Deserve Respect Too
When discusng the best horror movie directors in the history of cinema, the same names invariably come up: Romero, Carpenter, Hitchcock, Argento, Fulci, Hooper, Bava, etc. and rightfully so. These men have earned their stripes and have been responble for some of the most terrifying scenes ever committed to celluloid. However, they are not the only ones responble for the evolution of the horror genre. Here are five directors who might not immediately come to mind when discusng the greats, but they should...
Tod Browning - Best known for 'Dracula' (1931), Tod Browning's career was unfairly destroyed after the release of his controveral magnum opus, 'Freaks' (1932). The enormous public outcry due to the shocking subject matter and the portrayal of actual deshow performers resulted in Browning being shunned by the studios. Browning had directed over 40 films in the 15 year span leading up to 'Freaks'. Afterwards, he would only go on to direct four more feature, a couple of which are some of the best horror movies to come out of the 1930s ('Mark of the Vampire' and 'The Devil-Doll'). Prior to 'Freaks', Browning was responble for such horror clascs as 'Dracula' and 'The Unknown', as well as the infamous 'London After Midnight'.
Jacques Tourneur - Over a two year period from 1942 to 1943, director Jacques Tourneur and producer Val Lewton collaborated on some of the most suspenseful, haunting horror movies ever crafted. Their dynamic debut, 'Cat People' (1942) is a psychological thriller with some real spine-chilling scenes. This shadowy clasc was a huge hit with audiences at the time as well, enjoying an extended theatrical run. Immediately following 'Cat People' was 'I Walked with a Zombie' (1943), which many people believe to be the best of the Tourneur/Lewton trio of films. Taking place in the West Indies, 'I Walked with a Zombie' provides a creepy, surreal atmosphere that you can choke on. 'The Leopard Man' (1943) provides more of the same from the legendary Tourneur/Lewton tandem, providing astonishing set-pieces and near flawless direction. The movie that truly propels Tourneur into the upper echelon of directors is his 1957 masterpiece, 'Curse of the Demon' (AKA 'Night of the Demon'). Against Tourneur's wishes, the studio forced him to show the demon at the end of the movie. Despite the studio's tampering, 'Curse of the Demon' is still one of the most terrifying movies to come out of the 1950s.
Sergio Martino - Master of the giallo, Sergio Martino tends to be overshadowed by his Italian contemporaries. Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Mario Bava, Lamberto Bava, and Ruggero Deodato are the usual responses when asked who the best Italian horror directors are. Unfortunately, Martino flies below the radar despite being one of the innovators of the giallo sub-genre. Martino's first giallo, 'The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh' (1971) was the first movie to combine the combination of sex and violence that the giallo sub-genre would become known for. Martino's next 4 offerings are condered to be giallo royalty as well. Often featuring giallo stalwarts Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, Anita Strindberg, and Ivan Rasmov, 'The Case of the Scorpion's Tail' (1971), 'All the Colors of the Dark' (1972), 'Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key' (1972), and 'Torso' (1973) are all highly respected entries into the soon-to-be overpopulated sub-genre. While Martino's other horror outings ('Mountain of the Cannibal God', 'Big Alligator River', etc.) might not be as magnificent and innovative as his gialli, Martino still deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as his Italian counterparts.
Nacho Cerda - Although he only has a few horror titles under his belt, Nacho Cerda is one of the best potential horror directors working today. Cerda's nihilistic short, 'Aftermath' (1994), which features a morgue attendant graphically violating the victim of a car accident is a cold, sobering look into how powerless and helpless we actually are. Cerda's follow-up short, 'Genes' (1998) is a beautiful, poetic complement to the extremely graphic atrocity that is 'Aftermath'. Do yourselves a favor and watch both of these back-to-back to get a true sense of just how talented a filmmaker Nacho Cerda truly is. 'The Abandoned' (2006) is Nacho Cerda's first feature length horror film and it doesn't disappoint. Making great use of the bleak, desolate location, Nacho Cerda succeeds in providing us with one of the scariest horror movies to be released this decade.
Amando de Ossorio - Amando de Ossorio's "Blind Dead" series might be the greatest, most original, and most constent horror franchise outde of Romero's "Dead" movies. The first entry, 'Tombs of the Blind Dead' (1971), features the blind, rotting, undead corpses of the Knights Templar returning to life and terrorizing a group of people. The captivating, slow-motion shots of the knights riding on horseback are some of the most riveting scenes in horror movie history. The way in which they locate their victims - through the sound of their beating hearts - is one of the most innovative and frightening gimmicks ever relegated to a horror movie. The sequels, 'Return of the Blind Dead' (1973), 'The Ghost Galleon' (1974), and 'Night of the Seagulls' (1975) give the viewers more of the same eerie, nightmarish sequences that appeared in 'Tombs of the Blind Dead'. The "Blind Dead" series should be condered essential viewing for every horror fan.
Tod Browning - Best known for 'Dracula' (1931), Tod Browning's career was unfairly destroyed after the release of his controveral magnum opus, 'Freaks' (1932). The enormous public outcry due to the shocking subject matter and the portrayal of actual deshow performers resulted in Browning being shunned by the studios. Browning had directed over 40 films in the 15 year span leading up to 'Freaks'. Afterwards, he would only go on to direct four more feature, a couple of which are some of the best horror movies to come out of the 1930s ('Mark of the Vampire' and 'The Devil-Doll'). Prior to 'Freaks', Browning was responble for such horror clascs as 'Dracula' and 'The Unknown', as well as the infamous 'London After Midnight'.
Jacques Tourneur - Over a two year period from 1942 to 1943, director Jacques Tourneur and producer Val Lewton collaborated on some of the most suspenseful, haunting horror movies ever crafted. Their dynamic debut, 'Cat People' (1942) is a psychological thriller with some real spine-chilling scenes. This shadowy clasc was a huge hit with audiences at the time as well, enjoying an extended theatrical run. Immediately following 'Cat People' was 'I Walked with a Zombie' (1943), which many people believe to be the best of the Tourneur/Lewton trio of films. Taking place in the West Indies, 'I Walked with a Zombie' provides a creepy, surreal atmosphere that you can choke on. 'The Leopard Man' (1943) provides more of the same from the legendary Tourneur/Lewton tandem, providing astonishing set-pieces and near flawless direction. The movie that truly propels Tourneur into the upper echelon of directors is his 1957 masterpiece, 'Curse of the Demon' (AKA 'Night of the Demon'). Against Tourneur's wishes, the studio forced him to show the demon at the end of the movie. Despite the studio's tampering, 'Curse of the Demon' is still one of the most terrifying movies to come out of the 1950s.
Sergio Martino - Master of the giallo, Sergio Martino tends to be overshadowed by his Italian contemporaries. Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Mario Bava, Lamberto Bava, and Ruggero Deodato are the usual responses when asked who the best Italian horror directors are. Unfortunately, Martino flies below the radar despite being one of the innovators of the giallo sub-genre. Martino's first giallo, 'The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh' (1971) was the first movie to combine the combination of sex and violence that the giallo sub-genre would become known for. Martino's next 4 offerings are condered to be giallo royalty as well. Often featuring giallo stalwarts Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, Anita Strindberg, and Ivan Rasmov, 'The Case of the Scorpion's Tail' (1971), 'All the Colors of the Dark' (1972), 'Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key' (1972), and 'Torso' (1973) are all highly respected entries into the soon-to-be overpopulated sub-genre. While Martino's other horror outings ('Mountain of the Cannibal God', 'Big Alligator River', etc.) might not be as magnificent and innovative as his gialli, Martino still deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as his Italian counterparts.
Nacho Cerda - Although he only has a few horror titles under his belt, Nacho Cerda is one of the best potential horror directors working today. Cerda's nihilistic short, 'Aftermath' (1994), which features a morgue attendant graphically violating the victim of a car accident is a cold, sobering look into how powerless and helpless we actually are. Cerda's follow-up short, 'Genes' (1998) is a beautiful, poetic complement to the extremely graphic atrocity that is 'Aftermath'. Do yourselves a favor and watch both of these back-to-back to get a true sense of just how talented a filmmaker Nacho Cerda truly is. 'The Abandoned' (2006) is Nacho Cerda's first feature length horror film and it doesn't disappoint. Making great use of the bleak, desolate location, Nacho Cerda succeeds in providing us with one of the scariest horror movies to be released this decade.
Amando de Ossorio - Amando de Ossorio's "Blind Dead" series might be the greatest, most original, and most constent horror franchise outde of Romero's "Dead" movies. The first entry, 'Tombs of the Blind Dead' (1971), features the blind, rotting, undead corpses of the Knights Templar returning to life and terrorizing a group of people. The captivating, slow-motion shots of the knights riding on horseback are some of the most riveting scenes in horror movie history. The way in which they locate their victims - through the sound of their beating hearts - is one of the most innovative and frightening gimmicks ever relegated to a horror movie. The sequels, 'Return of the Blind Dead' (1973), 'The Ghost Galleon' (1974), and 'Night of the Seagulls' (1975) give the viewers more of the same eerie, nightmarish sequences that appeared in 'Tombs of the Blind Dead'. The "Blind Dead" series should be condered essential viewing for every horror fan.
MichaelMyersBrother
Wednesday 5/18/2011 at 11:58 PM | 76508
