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 19, 2010

SHOCKtober: 282-258



Exciting times, people...exciting times. A few more dynamic duos and then we move into the totally kinky realm of the threesomes!

The following films received TWO VOTES each:

282. Halloween -- 2007, Rob Zombie
281. Isle of the Dead -- 1945, Mark Robson
280. Frontier(s) -- 2007, Xavier Gens
279. Prophecy -- 1979, John Frankenheimer
278. The Old Dark House -- 1932, James Whale
277. Motel Hell -- 1980, Kevin Connor

The following films received THREE VOTES each:

276. Dark Night of the Scarecrow -- 1981, Frank De Felitta
275. Black Cat -- 1934, Edgar G. Ulmer
274. Frankenhooker -- 1990, Frank Henenlotter
273. Messiah of Evil -- 1973, Willard Huyck
272. I Spit on Your Grave -- 1978, Meir Zarchi
271. Mr. Vampire -- 1985, Ricky Lau
270. The Seventh Victim -- 1943, Mark Robson
269. Trouble Every Day -- 2001, Claire Denis
268. Splinter -- 2008, Toby Wilkins
267. Popcorn -- 1991, Mark Herrier
266. Cure -- 1997, Kiyoshi Kurosawa
265. Tales from the Crypt -- 1972, Freddie Francis
264. House of Wax -- 1953, Andre De Toth
263. Altered States -- 1980, Ken Russell
262. Wolf Creek -- 2005, Greg Mclean
261. Who Can Kill a Child? -- 1976, Narciso Ibanez Serrador
260. Battle Royale -- 2000, Kinji Fukasaku
259. The Thing from Another World -- 1951, Christian Nyby
258. The Eye -- 2002, Danny Pang & Oxide Pang Chun


  • Motel Hell! My introduction to that film came courtesy of the cover article in Fangoria back in the day and let me tell you- that shit was not funny. It's an entirely different experience watching it today, but back then? A dude wearing a bloody pig's head and brandishing a chainsaw? Terrifying!
  • Also, sister Ida. Awesome.
  • Count me in with the Messiah of Evil fans- in spirit, at least, as it didn't make my Top 20. Still, awesome awesome movie.
  • Pretty sure I went with my parents to see Altered States at the drive-in. Pretty sure I was bored out of my gourd. Pretty sure that means it's worth checking out again, since I was but wee at the time.
  • I know Amanda by Night mentioned this, but it's worth repeating: Dark Night of the Scarecrow is finally out on DVD, so no more excuses. Get to it! Go see how made-for-TV was, and weep over the fact that those days are gone. WEEP! Weep for the loss, but rejoice that you can still watch the movie anytime you'd like. You won't be sorry, unless you're a jerk.

28 comments:

Thomas Duke said...

Thanks for reminding me about Scarecrow. I will snag that shit up like a madman. My bootleg DVD-R of it will soon be an ineffective frisbee.

I like the idea that a Claire Denis movie got three votes for a horror list. Also, Popcorn is pretty damn underrated, I say. Most people seem to think it's a piece of shit, to which I say "GO HOME IN A BOX!".

Brett said...

This threesome section is also for hooking up soulmates, right? Because I want to meet the other two voters for The Thing From Another World!

Stacie Ponder said...

You can have as many soulmates as you want, especially when it comes to horror movies. We're all we've got! ALL I SAY!

jen said...

I can't believe Motel Hell only got two votes! Not that I have a right to say anything; I forgot to send in my list. BUT STILL! lol

jen said...

Oh, and Dark Night of the Scarecrow TRAUMATIZED ME as a child. I keep thinking I should watch it again now that I'm an adult; it would probably be cheesy & not scare me at all. But it scared and disturbed me SO much at the time I'm too scared to watch it again...LOL

Anonymous said...

That's right Prophecy. A giant melted bear and Armand Assante playing an indian. Me and someone else know class when they see it.

Sarah said...

Motel Hell and Battle Royale, fuck yeah!

Mike McFarland said...

Hey, I like this little slice of list. I remember that Fango cover story on Motel Hell, I watched Dark Night of the Scarecrow on TV when it was originaly broadcast, and I voted for I Spit on Your Grave. I'm not sure if it's horror exactly, but it's a classic. SP, you should really give Altered States a second chance. It's like American Werewolf in London meets Scanners meets The Big Chill...and it's based on a true story!

Stacie Ponder said...

Oh, I definitely will- I know I was WAY too young to see it te first time. Some movies are simply not made for a child's attention span (or brain). I mean, at the time, I thought Track of the Moon Beast was the scariest thing ever...

Nick Mullins said...

Who-hoo! Messiah of Evil threesome! Maybe we can start a coven!

I never thought of Altered States as a horror flick, but it makes sense. Anyone remember that old A-Ha video for "Take On Me" that borrowed from the film?

Frankenhooker… that creation scene is classic. Very close to Mary Shelley's original intent ;)

Bryce Wilson said...

Whoo Hoo for Messiah Of Evil. First film on my list to make an appearance.

Dementia13 said...

I love Motel Hell, but two votes is about right for it, especially considering some of the movies that only got one vote.

Altered States is definitely worth another try; maybe more "interesting" than "exciting", not that that's a negative. Also, it's fun to see John Larroquette and that twerpy guy from A Mighty Wind as young people. It might not hurt to be out of one's gourd, but not from boredom. It has some very trippy sequences.

Mikey Sarago said...

I never imagined my love for Dark Night Of The Scarecrow would result in a threesome. This should be fun. Please contact me so we can set up this magical event as soon as possible.

Thomas Duke said...

Dark Night of the Scarecrow was a runner up for my list, so I should be allowed to at least watch the threesome, assuming one of the three is a hot chick. I promise not to distract the action by making funny noises and/or yelling out Seinfeld quotes.

gord said...

Your Fangoria comment made me semi-sad. I loved Fangoria as a youngin' (though to be fair, my youngin days were the 90s, woo 80s child!). I'd love to get the mag now, but I'm just so uninterested in new horror films. If only it were covering films from the 50s-90s. Now there's a Fangoria I'd read.

Verdant Earl said...

Woohoo! I was hoping one of my 20 would be me and just one other person. Well, I guess Brea and Zane picked it as well. So does that make it three votes for Frontier(s) or just two? Interesting times.

Stacie Ponder said...

The movies in the "special guest" lists don't count in the master list because many of them came in past the deadline. So, Frontier(s) got 3 votes PLUS the vote of Zane & Brea, which would be 4 all told. Or 5.

Dang, math is hard!

Thomas Duke said...

...and Frontier(s) is plural, so that would make it 10, I believe. Or 8, if Zane and Brea have a Master Blaster situation going on (not the game, but the dude(s) from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome). Unless special guests count double (or half). Christ, whoever invented numbers is an asshole. I give up(s) (times infinity).

Stacie Ponder makes my head hurt. IN A GOOD WAY! It's a compliment. Really.

Matt said...

I just saw "Frontier(s)" for the first time (after I compiled my Top 20 list), and it totally would have made it -- that movie rocked my socks off! Great pick.

And for the "Popcorn" love -- sigh. I sincerely thought that when it didn't show up in the one-votes, Stacie had just overlooked it somehow (sorry, Stacie!), but I am thrilled that there are 2 other souls in this world who love that movie like a fat kid loves cake. It is an underrated classic, from the likable Jill Schoelen, the creepy basement scene, a bunch of above-average characters that actually garner some sympathy, and some easy humor to go along with the horror.

To those 2 others, as Whitney sang, I will always love you...

Andreas said...

I didn't vote for The Old Dark House or The Black Cat, but I still loves 'em like my own children.

And being in a threesome with two other fans of The Seventh Victim makes me so, SO happy. That's just the best kind of threesome.

Thomas Duke said...

More math horrors Andreas. Spitting The Seventh Victim three ways! (fraction(s)....fuck). I too picked that one, although I could have gone with several Val Lewton productions. The best kind of threesomes are borne out of satanists lurking in the dark.

digitaldd said...

Motel Hell gets mad props for John Ratzenberger, yes Cliff Clavin as a drummer in a rock/punk/whatever band with a mohawk. "It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent Fritters!"

Cody said...

Trouble Every Day and Cure! Yay!

The Scream Queen said...

LOVE Motel Hell and this reminds me that I should give it another watch.

Also, I commend the love for RZ's Halloween. I loved it, and although it didn't make my top 20...House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects did.

Verdant Earl said...

Nothing to do with the list, but I just noticed the Barry quote in your testimonials section. Ah, Barry.

Stacie Ponder said...

I only started putting testimonials up there after I got that "diseased piece of waste" one, which I find hilarious...because then, also, I can make the "it's unanimous" joke. I HAD to put Barry's quote in there! Believe me, though, I wouldn't jerk off like that if not for the funny bad stuff.

Lazarus Lupin said...

I remember Alan Moore once in his "Swamp Thing" comics summed up Motel hell as "A bunch of meat things afraid of what they do to trees every day, now close your eyes and say 'timber.'" Or something like that I'm paraphrasing.
The point is the thing that makes it scary (besides chainsaws) is that it is dehumanizing. You aren't you that unique beautiful snowflake. You are just FOOD. A commodity. It doesn't matter if farmer vincent actually believes in cruelty free butchery, he's already taken your most precious possession.

Lazarus Lupin
http://strangespanner.blogspot.com/
art and review

dementia13 said...

I eat at McDonalds maybe once every 2 or 3 years, but I may hoist a Big Mac in Barry's honor. BTW, I found this site by Googling "diseased piece of waste".