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Countdown Epilogue: Honorable Mentions That Didn't Make My Top 25 Favorite Horror Movies



As many of you have probably noticed, I just finished up my countdown of my 25 favorite horror movies here at Horrorbid.com. For every film that made it onto my final list, there was at least one other film that I truly love, yet ultimately had to cut for a variety of reasons. For your reading pleasure (and to salve any offense I may have caused by omitting some of them from the actual countdown) here is a list of some of those films:Paranormal Activity 3

The film I eventually bumped to make room for The Cabin in the Woods. Creative, innovative and, especially at the end, as scary as this series has ever been. My reasons for cutting it actually come down to PA2, which is the weak point of the series for me, because it feels too much like the middle chapter it is. When something had to go, I figured that if I wasn't including the middle part of the series, it might be less confung to go with just the original.Rob Zombie's Halloween

Far more hardcore and ballsy than the original. Watching young Michael Myers slowly become the serial killer we now know

him as is haunting. When he makes the school bully his first kill, the scene is more shattering than anything in the John Carpenter original, in my opinion. However, at almost two and a half hours, it's a little bloated. Certain scenes (such as the extended rape of a very, very minor character) seemed thrown in mostly for shock value and the film could do without them. Halloween 5

This installment in the Halloween series is flat out, unpredictable insanity. It also features a bravura performance from a young Danielle Harris as Jamie Lloyd. The sheer, dizzying chaos of the story mostly works in the film's favor, but it could have been reined in just a little towards the end. The movie ends up feeling a bit uneven, which kept it out of my top 25.Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers:

Lampooned by critics for its out-of-left-field Druid subplot, this chapter in the Halloween saga is still one of the most hardcore and horrific of the bunch. It also features a strong performance from Paul Rudd as Tommy Doyle and represents the final appearance of Donald Pleasance as Dr. Loomis. Yes, the Druid storyline is convoluted and is nothing that had been in any of the earlier films, but I give this chapter credit for at least trying to explain why Michael Myers is so hard to kill for good. The plot is a bit too muddled for me to call it one of my 25 favorites but this film is still better than it gets credit for and worth a look for anyone who hasn't seen it.Jeepers Creepers

The introduction of the Creeper, one of my favorite new horror movie killers. Quite a good film overall, though it suffers from some awkward dialogue and strange plot developments (for instance, it's hard not to laugh when a main character's underwear becomes seemingly important). Still, excellent fun with some damn well-crafted scares. The ending is especially powerful.Jeepers Creepers 2

I like this one even more than the first. It features a larger cast and gives us a more in depth concept of what the Creeper can do. There is also a cool element of claustrophobia for much of the movie, as the main characters are mostly a team of athletes and cheerleaders afraid to leave the relative safety of a broken down school bus. Sadly, the film doesn't explain certain plot threads very well and certain characters seem to be completely forgotten at the end. The movie ends without the viewer knowing if a few of them are alive or dead. Dance of the Dead

This zombie-centric horror/comedy was barely beaten out by Zombieland. I'll always conder Dance of the Dead a low budget masterpiece but you just can't win against a cameo by Bill Murray. Also, Dance of the Dead features an ending which makes it seem like a set up for a sequel that never came. Zombieland left enough room for a sequel but didn't seem like it was already plugging it. Don't get me wrong though, Dance of the Dead is still an original and entertaining entry in the ranks of zombie films, even if it's not quite one of my top 25.Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

In essence, a low budget Scream with a twist involving a news crew following a serial killer as he plots his crimes. Hilarious, but more adept at living up to the comedy of its premise than the horror, although several moments do have the potential to startle. Behind the Mask is not just a one note rip off and it has elements that are uniquely its own, but there's no denying that Scream got there first.We Need To Talk About Kevin

A slow-burning horrific drama. This shocker stars Tilda Swinton as a mother who is not so happy to be a mother and Ezra Miller as her increangly deranged and violent son. Truly disturbing and featuring powerhouse performances, this film was kept off the list because it focuses more on its dramatic aspect. It was edged out by The Exorcism of Emily Rose, another horror/drama that is a little more well divided between the two genres and which I like just slightly better.Child's Play 2

A perfectly serviceable sequel, featuring a memorable turn from Christine Elise as the new foster ster of Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent). In my opinion, the last installment before the series started turning to crap. This film is a lot of fun but it also gets a little bit hokey. Solid overall but not quite one of my all time favorites.Final Destination 3

For some reason, this is the only installment in the series that I'm thoroughly entertained by. The death scenes seem more well crafted here, for the most part, and the premise is handled better than in the other installments. This one also features Mary Elizabeth Winstead in a starring role. Again, not quite an all time favorite, but definitely the high point of this particular franchise so far. Near Dark

An excellent vampire flick from Hurt Locker

director Kathryn Bigelow. A good movie that engages the audience with the plot and characters. It achieves a keen sense of eerieness and features some tense scenes. However, it never quite works its way up to scary, which kept it out of my top 25.Quarantine

An excellent zombie flick. Scary and absolutely riveting. However, I have never seen Rec., the Spanish film which this is a remake of. Not being able to compare the two, I didn't feel right about putting Quarantine in my top 25.Let the Right One In

Another case of liking the remake better than the original, even if many might disagree. I explained at length why I like Let Me In a little better when I made it my 10th favorite. Still, Let the Right One In has many fine qualities and a vivid artistic senbility. Not as coheve or effective as the remake, in my view, but not to be passed over, either.Urban Legend

Of all the movies that owe their existence to the success of Scream, this one is probably the best. It does at least put a somewhat original twist on its slasher/murder mystery premise by having its serial killer pattern their killings after urban legends. Watching Tara Reid get offed brings with it a special joy. Too derivative to be a favorite but still a well-crafted, taut slasher flick. Arachnophobia

A clasc horror/comedy. If you're scared of spiders, this film might very well belong in your top 25. But I am not scared of spiders.Wes Craven's New Nightmare

An admirable attempt to secure a fresh start for the Elm Street series without doing an official remake. A very strong film overall, with a cool premise. However, that premise requires the viewer to accept that the first A Nightmare on Elm Street was just a movie and that this one is replacing it as Freddy's first "real" killing spree. A lot of fans of the franchise are understandably reluctant to do that. Plus, a couple of the special effects are a little corny and the actor portraying Heather Langenkamp's son can be annoying. That might be mean to say about a little kid, but there you have it. This is still a unique and nister horror flick and the only one I like in the series bedes the original.Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

A hysterical horror comedy featuring two hapless rednecks who get mistaken for serial killers and end up accidentally creating a real psychopath. A great film with tons of replay value, but definitely more of a comedy than a horror film, and some of the characters could have been more fully developed. There's plenty of potential for a sequel here, so it's posble a future installment of the series could challenge one of my top 25 for a slot on the countdown. Dead End

A tale of a family on Holiday vacation that gets lost on a seemingly endless back road and then falls victim to a bizarre and macabre turn of events. Confung and disorienting, this film may leave the viewer with no real sense of resolution, but its scary enough to at least warrant an honorable mention, and it features damn fine performances from Lin Shaye and Ray Wise. Trick 'r Treat

An often touted favorite here at horrorbid which vividly captures the spirit of Halloween. Definitely in my top 30 favorites, but I like some of the vignettes it's comprised of more than others. Another one that I'm hoping will get a sequel.There are, of course, at least a dozen other films I could write about here, but these are the ones I felt it essential to at least mention. Thanks to everyone for reading and supporting my countdown. Finally, I'm sorry if your favorites didn't end up quite where you feel they should or were not included at all. Feel free to compile your own top 25 list and share the love of your personal favorites with all of us!
ImmortalSidneyP Friday 10/19/2012 at 10:45 AM | 97188