FINAL GIRL explores the slasher flicks of the '70s and '80s...and all the other horror movies I feel like talking about, too. This is life on the EDGE, so beware yon spoilers!

Oct 31, 2010

SHOCKtober: 10-1



Can you believe this? The last chunk of list. One month featuring 732 movies counted down to this one, glorious moment. Stupid November, ruining everything! October should just annex September and November and be three months long. That'd be fine with me.

This may be the end of the list of your favorites, but it doesn't signify the end of SHOCKtober, so quit blubberin! I've still got at least one Special Guest Top 20 on the way, and come tomorrow (stupid November) I'll be putting on my science glasses in order to analyze the data. That should prove scintillating. Without further ado, here are your ten favoritest faves!

Wait, shouldn't I have gone straight to the list after saying "ado"? Wouldn't any intro after that- no matter how wee- count as "further ado"? I mean, even simply "here are your ten favoritest faves" puts off the list itself, rendering "without further ado" totally false. Anyway. Bold number = numbers o' votes!

10. The Descent -- 2005, Neil Marshall -- 65


9. A Nightmare on Elm Street -- 1984, Wes Craven -- 72


8. Suspiria -- 1977, Dario Argento -- 76


7. Dawn of the Dead -- 1978, George Romero -- 81


6. Night of the Living Dead -- 1968, George Romero -- 82


5. The Shining -- 1980, Stanley Kubrick -- 85


4. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre -- 1974, Tobe Hooper -- 89


3. The Exorcist -- 1973, William Friedkin -- 91


2. The Thing -- 1982, John Carpenter -- 95


1. Halloween -- 1978, John Carpenter -- 123


So there you go. I have to admit, The Thing at #2 surprised me, but it was evident early on in the voting that Halloween was going to leave everyone else in the dust. I almost feel like I take that film for granted sometimes- "Yeah, yeah...Halloween is great" comes out by rote when talking horror movies. Maybe I've seen it too many times and its marvelousness, its...well, perfection no longer hits me on an emotional level- it's become an appreciation. I think Halloween and I need a second honeymoon so we can get our groove back!

So. Now what do we do?

25 comments:

Kmork said...

John, Karen, Jesus: everything's coming up Carpenter!

Andre Dumas said...

Now we put funny hats on our cats and eat pumpkin flavored things...duh!

Faith said...

While I can't say I'm a fan of everything in the top 10, I am at least proud to say I've seen all of them!

Andreas said...

John Carpenter sure won the fuck out of this list. Go him! And HAPPY SHOCKTOBER/HALLOWEEN!

Seriously, thanks so much for this countdown. It's made for one rocking month.

Anonymous said...

Interesting that The Descent is the only movie in the top 10 that was made in the past 25 years.

I'm not sure if it deserves to be up here with these other time-worn classics, but I guess we'll have to wait and see how it holds up over the years.

Cody said...

Oh yes! I was hoping Halloween would be number one! The Thing at two was a surprise and really made me happy too. This is the best Shocktober ever!

Hud said...

I think I'm the only person who doesn't quite "get" The Descent. It was good but I don't feel the need to ever watch it again...

Happy to see Halloween on top!

John Kenneth Muir said...

I know SHOCKtober isn't *officially* over with the posting of this 10 - 1 list, but I just want to thank you, Stacie, for making the last thirty-one days so much damn fun.

I know you had a huge number of votes to sift through here, but watching this tally progress has really been awesome and informative.

All my thanks, and appreciation,
John

Maynard Morrissey said...

great to see Carpenter on 1 AND 2!!

A.J. Axline said...

In the battle of the Romeros, "Night" edges "Dawn" by one vote!

Maison De Sante said...

So, Stacie, my guru, explain the appeal of The Descent to me. I saw it. I didn't hate it or anything but it didn't really grab my attention. Now, I keep seeing it on Top 10 and Top 20 lists all over the internet. I just keep telling myself people haven't seen enough horror movies but now here it is again in the top 10 of this massive collective.

Clearly, I'm going to have to give the film a second chance but, help me out, what am I missing?

Stacie Ponder said...

Well, if you didn't like it or it didn't work for you, then that's just the way it is, most likely. Different films appeal to people differently, and while it's an odd sensation to not get what everyone else seems to get, it doesn't really matter. There are plenty of beloved movies that don't thrill me the way they thrill other people. No one's wrong and no one's right, and it doesn't speak to the quality of the movie itself, necessarily.

If you want to know what people like about it so much, I'd just read some reviews. If you want to give it another shot, go for it...but there are probably plenty of films out there you've yet to see that you may end up loving.

Mark Simmons said...

Seconding John Kenneth Muir: Thanks so much for doing this! I've really enjoyed seeing each day's tally, and this has been a great list any way you slice it. I never expected "Suspiria" to make the top ten, and "The Thing" was a shocking but very worthy runner-up. This was like the Halloween version of a chocolate-filled Advent calendar!

jen said...

Thank you for this year's list, Stacie! I had SO much fun reading this list everyday!!! And I agree with those who weren't totally wowed by The Descent. I really enjoyed it, but I do NOT get why it would be in the top 10. Not that I see a problem with that haha, I just don't think it's as great as so many think it is.

Super stoked by Halloween at number one. How appropriate ;)

jen said...

This was like the Halloween version of a chocolate-filled Advent calendar!


Couldn't have said it better LOL!!!

Ryan Midnight said...

It makes me very happy that the entire 10 Ten list is sitting in my DVD collection waiting to be watched right now.

Thanks for putting this list together. Will you be making one giant list of all 732 films available for the masses to download?

goblin said...

Happy Halloween, everybody!

You can count me among the people who didn't really "get" 'The Descent.' It was a good movie, sure, but no Top 10 material, IMHO.

Anyway, thanks a lot for putting this huge list together! It's been fun following the countdown and the guest lists were great reads, too.

Stacie Ponder said...

"Will you be making one giant list of all 732 films available for the masses to download?"

Doubt it. I figure you guys can cut and paste or something! :)

Mark Simmons said...

Ryan: Here you go. Feel free to reformat, fold, spindle, mutilate, and re-post (subject to Stacie's approval, of course).

http://www.ultimatemark.com/stuff/shocktober_list.txt

Stacie Ponder said...

Awesome! Yeah, do whatever you want with it- it's a hell of a resource. If anyone's going to officially post anything about it, I'd love a shout-out. :)

MAR said...

Oh come on! I guess this was for nothing then:

http://thegornivore.blogspot.com/2010/11/shocktober-aggregated-for-convenience.html#more

As long as it gets out there, I guess. It's a great reference.

Will Errickson said...

I am *extremely* happy to see THE DESCENT in the the top 10. I loved that the women's situation is truly, truly horrifying and dire... *and then* the monsters show up.

Ryan Midnight said...

Thank you Mark and M.A.! Sooo many movies to investigate and watch. This is a checklist to be slowly checked off for the rest of my life.

DVD Infatuation said...

Awesome, Awesome list. Six of these are on my top 10 (and I'm new around here...I didn't even get a chance to vote!)

A very well-done series. I'm definitely a new fan.

Stacie Ponder said...

Thanks Dave! And welcome!