By guest writer Phil Hogan

10. Dead Alive (Brain Dead)
Peter Jackson was once the Hunter S. Thompson of filmmaking, in that the only word capable of describing his eclectic vision was “gonzo”. And the epitome of this is 1992’s Dead Alive, a zombie movie so ludicrously over the top it is often cited as the grossest film ever made. Even though some of the effects are dated by today’s standards, it is hard to argue against the revulsion affect of a man using a lawnmower to literally mow down a house full of zombies in ten minutes of unbroken mayhem. Throw in a rabid rat-monkey, a giant she-beast-monstrosity and a karate-crazed priest and, well, you get the picture. If any of this sounds at all appealing, track down the unrated edition and give it a whirl.

9. Night of the Comet
This low budget wonder capitalized on people’s fear and uncertainty surrounding the first return of Haley’s Comet in 75 years. One of the better acted zombie films of the era and one of the few with characters you actually care about, unlike, say, Day of the Dead. Part comedy, part social commentary about the need for family, Night of the Comet is an overlooked treasure from the 80’s that finally arrived on DVD in 2007.

8. Return of the Living Dead
Following on the heels of Night of the Comet was this black comedy/homage to Night of the Living Dead written by that film’s co-writer John Russo and Alien co-writer Dan O’Bannon. Everything in this film is cranked to 11, from the performances to the metal/punk soundtrack. Highlights include a headless cadaver on a rampage, a slice of a dog corpse reanimated, scream queen Linnea Quigley prancing around a cemetery in absolutely nothing, and the classic line “Send more paramedics.” The first true Zom-Com.

7. Planet Terror
A perfect fusing of Italian-style zombie splatter and the kinetic energy of maverick director Robert Rodriguez, Planet Terror is probably the most enjoyably over the top horror film ever made. Forgoing logic for the absurd, Rodriguez piles on every cliché in the book and takes them to the extreme. There is so much going on in this film that you need to see it more than once to fully appreciate it, from the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameos to sly homages to other genre pics. Like having KISS open for the Monkees, this film made Death Proof seem all the more pedestrian when Grindhouse debuted.

6. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Zach Snyder made a splashy debut with this daring remake of the horror classic and it all hinges on one smart decision: downplay the social commentary that made the original so revolutionary and important, and go for the throat of the trapped-in-a-nightmare that Night of the Living Dead did so well. The result is a film that once seems at once comfortably familiar and nerve-wrackingly fresh. This film does almost everything right and manages to throw in a few things Romero never even thought of (zombie baby’s escape from the womb is grotesque AND brilliant). The only stumbling point is the coda during the end credits that sadly negates all that we just witnessed and backhands the audience across the face for investing in the characters.

5. Lifeforce (Director’s Cut)
Conceived as a vampire tale (the source novel by British author Colin Wilson is actually called The Space Vampires), Lifeforce is closer in spirit and design to a zombie apocalypse. Adapted by Alien scribes Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shussett, this strikingly photographed film is epic in every way. When the space shuttle encounters an alien ship in the tail of Haley’s Comet, it returns unmanned, burned out and carrying a trio of naked humanoid aliens in its hold. Once on earth, they awaken and begin to absorb the lifeforce from all of England, turning everyone into withered zombies. And that only begins to describe the turn of events in this altogether unique picture from Poltergeist director Tobe Hooper.

4. Shaun of the Dead
Released the same year as the Dawn of the Dead remake, this British self proclaimed Rom-Com-Zom flick is equally gruesome but its tongue is planted firmly in cheek. If you only like your flesh-eaters straight up and scary, avoid this brilliant satire, but if you like equal doses of laughter and screams, sit back and enjoy. The wit is dry, the effects bloody and the action non-stop. Unlike the pace of the film, the zombies here move at a comical shuffle, which as Romero’s classics proved, are often more frightening in their relentless single-minded gait than the Olympian sprinters so frequently seen in the last decade. Picking up where Return of the Living Dead left off, this film would lead to new subgenre efforts like Zombieland.

3. 28 Days Later
Danny Boyle continued his assault on every genre possible with this horror entry, often referenced as the first to feature speed-zombies (that right actually belongs to Return of the Living Dead). What this film does do is offer a documentary style realism to the zombie film, utilizing handheld digital video cameras to heighten reality and a strong focus on three dimensional characters over gruesome effects (a flaw the sequel would make despite its best efforts). This film actually gets better the more times I watch it, though I do wish the ending were a little more ambiguous. A classic that will hold up better than every other zombie film from the last twenty years.

2. Night of the Living Dead
The one that started it all, at least as far as flesh-eating zombies are concerned, NOTLD still holds up 40+ years after its original release. Ripped off and remade countless times since, few films invoke as visceral a response as well as this one. Shot on a shoestring budget with local actors, director George A. Romero makes the most of rural Pittsburgh’s late 60’s emptiness, shooting in stark black & white. The film creates a slow-building sense of dread by at first implying what has happened and then showing us the brutal, gory reality of it. Few scenes have the power and succinct efficiency shown here in the moment that an infected child turns on her mother, kills her with a garden tool and proceeds to devour her flesh on screen. The bastard offspring of Hitchcock’s “Psycho” and “The Birds” and H.G. Wells “War of the Worlds”, NOTLD took horror cinema out of the pastel hued 60’s and launched it into the crimson soaked heyday of the 70’s.

1. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
There was never any doubt in my mind as I compiled this list that Dawn of the Dead would be # 1, for no zombie film has loomed as large over the rest as greatly or for as long as this one has. Ten years after introducing the world to flesh-eating zombies, Romero decided to return to the subject in glorious colour. Not one to simply rehash an idea, Romero created a world gone astray and collapsing in on itself, a world where undead monsters give birth to a society of living savages filled with decadence and bloodlust and in search of a thrill. For the true monsters of DOTD are the fledgling bands of survivors who roam the roads , scouring for weapons, food and sex, taking out zombies and humans in equal measure if they stand in the way. This is just part of the deep social exploration Romero takes us on in DOTD, a film that lulls us into a carefully constructed sense of comfort mirroring its heroes’, before suddenly and violently opening the floodgates of horror on us and them all at once. There is hope at the end of this film, though. A hope Romero has yet to fulfill both thematically and creatively, in his 4 sequels since, showing just what a landmark achievement DOTD truly is.

Interest Dawn of the Dead, Movies, Zombies

By guest writer Phil Hogan

Following my vampire film list, I decided to tackle another famous monster as a follow-up. Werewolf films have been hit and miss (more often miss) over the years, with plenty of junk like “Cursed” filling up the video dump bins. Sadly, some of the better films in this sub-genre have been comedies like Teen Wolf. So I decided to focus my list on more serious fare in hopes of drawing attention to some unseen classics.. Once again, feedback and suggestions are welcome.

The Ten Greatest Werewolf Films of All Time

10. Ladyhawke

This 1985 medieval adventure is often overlooked as a werewolf film, but in truth Rutger Hauer’s character is a lycanthrope through and through. Cursed to exist in wolf form by night while his love (Michelle Pfieffer) exists as a hawk by day, Hauer brings his unsung charisma to yet another underwritten part. The film is entertaining and well made, but lacks enough focus on any one genre to make it easily labelled. Still, watch it for Hauer and the beautiful Pfieffer and try to ignore the disco-laced score which ranks as one of the worst conceived in film history.

9. Ginger Snaps

I know a lot of people who would place this late 90’s flick higher on the list, but I found it more successful as an allegory for the difficulties of girls experiencing sexual awakening than as a traditional werewolf film. Kudos to the filmmakers for breathing a breath of fresh air into a subgenre that has never truly reached the heights of vampires and zombies on film, but I often wonder what might have been, given a larger budget and stronger writing. Of all the films on the list, i find it the least likely to be viewed again.

8. Underworld (Director’s Cut only)

Again, hardly a traditional werewolf film, and one in which they are overshadowed by vampires yet again, but Underworld is so full of style it makes a $20 million dollar budget seem 5 times bigger. The wolves do get a lot more story and screen time in the director’s cut, making the theatrical release seem all the more idiotic. I’ve rarely seen two versions of one film seem so different than here. Forget the moronic sequels/prequel and stick to this cut alone. Also, this has Kate Beckinsale in tight leather, which for some, is worth the price of admission.

7. Dog Soldiers

If you took the core group of soldiers from Aliens, placed them in the abandoned house of Night of the Living Dead and surrounded them with the vicious werewolves of The Howling, you’d have this wonderful (monster) mash-up from the director of The Descent. That’s really all I can say about it because if that doesn’t pique your interest, nothing will. And it has one of the funniest one-liners ever, winking at The Matrix.

6. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Although this film is not a stand alone movie, the story does focus a great deal of attention on lycanthropy, often to the point where the film does achieve a certain degree of separation from the rest of the series. All the historic touches are there – full moons, man losing control of senses to wolf nature, the desperate search of the afflicted for social existence – and a truly great hero in Sirius Black, one of the rare instances where the wolf is the good guy.

5. Wolfen

There was a point in the early 1980’s where werewolf themed films exploded into the mainstream, largely due to advances in special effects by artists like Rick Baker and Rob Bottin. But where other films sometimes seemed to exist as an excuse to show off the make-up, Wolfen relied almost entirely on mood and tone. Parts of the movie are seen through the eyes of the wolf, add to the gritty feel provided by the backdrop of early 80’s Bronx, NY. Though some would argue that the wolfen are shapeshifters and not traditional werewolves, I disagree and feel that they are an evolutionary step up from both wolf and man. Part police thriller, part mystical horror, Wolfen is a forgotten classic for fans of restrained effects and sustained tension – films like The Changeling (1979) and Cat People (1982).

4. An American Werewolf In London

This was the first werewolf film I ever saw and the thing that struck me most about it (even more than Rick Baker’s groundbreaking SFX) was the tone. Directed by comedy director John Landis, AWIL effectively blends humour and horror in equal measure, creating a constant sense of unease. A romance at its core, the film makes us feel deep sympathy for its lead character, while always reminding us of the unavoidable necessity to rid the world of his brutal, savage alter-ego. Still the finest work of Landis’s spotty career.

3. The Howling

A year before Wolfen and AWIL came out, Joe Dante directed this dark as pitch comedy/horror, very loosely based on a pulp novel by Gary Brandner. Focusing strongly on the psychological aspects of lycanthropy and the inherent violent sexuality that goes with a creature that rips off its skin to become a primal naked creature of darkness, The Howling engages the mind as much as the eyes. And oh what sights there are to be seen. Rob Bottin’s make-up would not only go on to inspire a generation of artists and werewolf interpretations but also stand as the most commonly referenced design of a werewolf in pop culture. In fact, it is funny to look back at Michael Jackson’s Thriller video and see that his werewolf bares more of a resemblance to those of the Howling than they do to Rick Baker’s own in AWIL, directed like this video by John Landis. This film may also hold the record for sly references to horror fiction and films in history.

2. The Wolf Man

Lon Chaney Jr. was never a great actor, but he was an iconic, towering presence as Lawrence Talbot, AKA the Wolf Man. The granddaddy of werewolf movies and source of a great deal of modern werewolf lore in general, this Universal horror masterpiece is part of the triumvirate of landmark horror films alongside Dracula (1931) and Frankenstein (1931) that rang in the first renaissance of horror cinema. Unlike the rest, this one is only now getting a big budget remake due next year, but it is unlikely to ever be equalled.

1. The Company of Wolves

Many were surprised to see Irish director Neil Jordan selected to direct Interview With The Vampire in 1994, but to those like myself who had fallen in cinematic love with this gothic werewolf film a decade earlier, it came as no surprise at all. Taking the effects advancements from earlier films and placing them intermittently in a series of interlocking stories full of subtext and metaphor about sexual awakening (Ginger Snaps owes a lot to this film) and fear of strangers, The Company of Wolves is the perfect werewolf movie. Beautifully crafted, stylishly photographed and ingeniously woven together. Essentially the story of Little Red Riding Hood brought to life, the film asks many questions about human versus animal nature and shows us that it is sometimes our species that is the least evolved. A stunning, rarely seen or discussed film that has sadly never been given its due on DVD. A true shame for a wonderful cinematic achievement.

Interest Movies, Werewolf

By guest writer Phil Hogan

So, as I have been shooting a vampire film this last month or so and as Halloween quickly approaches, I decided to make a list of what I consider to be the best of the bunch. Now, like any list, I’m sure there will be many who disagree, some who agree and many more who either have no opinion, couldn’t give a shit or actually consider Twilight to be about vampires and not just a bunch of bedazzled-in-the-sunlight emo kids. If you fall into any of these five categories, feel free to respond here. I am no authority on vampire films, but I have literally seen hundreds of them. There are no doubt several I have never seen that may deserve to be on this list, so feel free to suggest them to me. There are also some great films I left off the list for varying reasons (i.e. “Martin”, “Chronos”, “The Reflecting Skin”) but mostly because I felt the ones included deserved to be there for the reasons I explain herein. Enjoy.

10. Horror of Dracula

This 1958 classic was Christopher Lee’s first portrayal of the Count, and the one that has stood the test of time. Lee’s performance is so commanding that his presence is felt throughout, even though he has relatively limited screen time. One of the first of many pairings of Lee and Peter Cushing, this film kicked off the second renaissance of classic horror films, this time by Hammer Studios of England, and remains the studio’s most respected and valued title.

9. Night Watch

A fascinating study of what can be achieved on screen with so little, this 2004 Russian film is somewhat unclassifiable, fitting into almost every genre be it horror, sci-fi, drama, romance and even comedy. Made for just 4 million dollars, it looks like it cost 20 times as much and with a convoluted story and mythology to match. Critics and moviegoers are strongly divided on this frenetic film, but it is undeniably impressive visually.

8. The Lost Boys

I remember seeing this in theatres when I was a kid and being swept up in its romanticized vision of vampires as rogue gothic teens. While the film’s fashion and setting have not aged as well as some, its themes of the need for strong parental attachment and fear of growing up (let alone growing old) still resonate today and have been copied numerous times. The mid 80’s was a heyday for comedic vampire movies and its influence on people like Joss Whedon and Stephanie Meyer is obvious. Also, the soundtrack kicks ass.

7. Fright Night

Having come out a full 2 years before Lost Boys, this 1985 cult classic remains one of the smartest vampire films to date. The story is simple – a horny, horror movie obsessed teen becomes convinced his new neighbor is a vampire, the vampire finds out and intends to kill him and the only person who can help him is the host of a cancelled late night horror movie public access channel show. The brilliance of Fright Night lies in the depth of the characters and their need for each other beyond the immediate problem – Charlie (the hero) has no father and Peter Vincent (the show host) has no family, things that they both clearly need and eventually find in each other. And Chris Sarandon’s portrayal of the vampire is so beguiling and menacing all at once, it is one of the great unheralded genre performances of the decade. Topping it all off is a sly wit, innumerous references to classics of the genre and influences (Rear Window, anyone?) and understanding of teen issues that would make John Hughes tip his hat in respect. If you’ve never seen it, check it out. You’ll thank me.

6. Interview With The Vampire

Say what you will about this dark, brooding film, but there is no denying importance and place in vampire movie history. Assembling perhaps the most attractive cast in film history (Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, Christian Slater) Neil Jordan’s film succeeds in making you forget you’re watching movie stars and guides you through an underworld never seen before with a vampire as both hero and anti-hero. The source material deserves much of the credit for the themes and style, but until this film came about it had remained on the bubble of mainstream influence. An entire generation of goth kids exploded after this and there would be no moping, tortured would-be epics like the Twilight Saga were it not for this film.

5. Let the Right One In

The most recent, and perhaps most original, of all the films on this list, this Swedish masterpiece is all about mood, tone and pacing. The story of a pick-ed on, fragile boy who befriends a strange girl who quickly becomes his protector, this film never shies away from its inherent taboos – pubescent love, children committing murder against children and adults – but instead makes us understand that there is nothing more frightening in this world than being alone. The riveting performance of 11-year old Lina Leandersson as the vampire Eli is truly astonishing, as she reveals more with her melancholy eyes than most actors twice her age could ever dream of. This film is not for everyone and I’ve seen it polarize a room, so watch at your own discretion. But I think it will stay with you long after you’ve seen it, no matter what.

4. Near Dark

At the same time that audiences flocked to see Lost Boys in 1987, they all but ignored this cult classic in theaters. Directed by Katherine Bigelow (Point Break, The Hurt Locker), Near Dark is probably the most original American vampire film made. In short, it is the story of a young man in the American Midwest who meets a shy, lonely girl and precedes to spend the night getting to know her, only to discover she is a vampire who lives and travels with a nomadic “family” of fellow vampires who violently tear across the desert in search of food and sanctuary. The cast is fantastic (many of them supporting players from Aliens) and the tone is more western than horror. Of all the American vampire films I’ve seen, this one still remains the closest in my mind to what a true modern day vampiric existence would be like – cold, unromantic, lonely and afraid… and always on the run from the dawn and those that would never understand them.

3. Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Don’t get me wrong, this film has its flaws (Keanu Reeves, anyone) but it does SO many things right it is easy to overlook them. Francis Ford Coppola’s immense talent is all over this film (I think he spent it all, too, as nothing he would do after would compare to his earlier work) as he employs every filmmaking trick in the book to make a film that not only pays tribute to all that have gone before it in the genre, but does so without the use of any CGI. More impressive, is how close this movie comes to presenting the novel on screen compared to every other version made, while still making it exciting for modern audiences. Imminently watchable, daringly original and visually unforgettable, it’s no wonder no one has made this novel into another major film since. And that has to be some kind of record, considering Dracula is one of the 3 most often portrayed characters in film history (the other 2 being Tarzan and Sherlock Holmes).

2. Nosferatu

This silent masterpiece from 1922 contains some of the most influential images and techniques of any early film and deserves to be spoken in the same breath as Battleship Potemkin and Birth of a Nation when discussing early film history, despite the fact it is a plagerized telling of Dracula once ordered by the courts to be destroyed for all time. Max Schreck’s portrayal of the Count is animalistic and alien, a cross between a rat and Yoda when viewed today. But it is still absolutely terrifying when watched in a dark room even now, some 87 years after it first screened. F. W. Murnau, the director, and Schreck do more with shadows in this film than most artists today achieve with all the special effects money can buy. Even if you aren’t a fan of classic, silent cinema, you have to admire the lasting impression this once forgotten film has had on every generation since.

1. Dracula

I didn’t originally intend to place this 1931 Universal classic at number 1 on my list, but as I began to write I realized that no other film on this list would exist here without it, including Nosferatu, which survives to this day I believe largely because of the popularity of vampires and Dracula brought about by Bela Lugosi’s performance. This film is far from perfect (and in fact is eclipsed in many ways by a Spanish version famously filmed at night on the same sets) but it created, in Lugosi’s portrayal, the most enduring characterization of a vampire of all time. Dracula, in this film, is charming, terrifying, savage, attractive, and unforgettable long after the credits have rolled. There are traits of Lugosi’s interpretation in almost every film on this list, and because they all exist in the shadow of this film (where vampires should exist anyway), it is unavoidably and rightfully number 1.

Interest Dracula, Movies, Vampires