SHOCKtober: Zane & Brea Grant's Top 20

Hey, it's time for another list by a special guest! This one is way specialer, however, as it's by TWO special guests- the impossibly awesome Grant siblings, Zane and Brea. You've heard them on The Scare-ening! You've read We Will Bury You, the comic book mini-series they co-authored- perhaps in four individual issues or the recently released trade paperback! You saw Brea get killed by Michael Myers! You've checked out Zane's website! You've checked out Brea's website! Now...it's time to THRILL to this list of their Top 27 favorite horror movies as you wonder how they came up with a number as random as 27! As for me, I will wonder why "specialer" doesn't have that YOU SPELLED THIS WRONG red line under it.




The Signal (2007, David Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry)

BREA: When I first saw The Signal, recommended by the incredible director Lis Fies, I immediately went online and started stalking the directors. I made Jacob Gentry have a lunch with me so I could gush about how amazing the movie was. Now I have to say that I have successfully infiltrated his life as a friend, made friends with all of his friends, and plan to single white female his life.




Night of the Comet (1984, Thom Eberhardt)

BREA: I love most things post-apocalypse, but Night of the Comet is far more than that. It combines the 80s, malls, zombies, conspiracies, and the dead streets of Los Angeles. Oh and video games. You can’t ask for more.







Dead Alive (1992, Peter Jackson)











28 Days Later (2002, Danny Boyle)











Basket Case (1982, Frank Henenlotter)

ZANE: Former conjoined twins seek revenge on the doctors that separated them and left the freaky looking one to die. The stop-motion animation in this film when Belial has his freakout because Duane is making out with a girl deserves a post-dated Oscar, as does Beverly Bonner's stylist.






A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987, Chuck Russell)

BREA: This was on both mine and Zane’s list I think because it’s a great example of people fighting back. So often the power is taken away from characters who run just run around and whine about bleeding to death and blah blah blah. Dream Warriors does that thing that people always told me you could do as a kid. Control your dreams and therefore, control your nightmares. Hell yeah.



May (2002, Lucky McKee)











Drag Me To Hell (2009, Sam Raimi)











The Descent (2005, Neil Marshall)











Suspiria (1977, Dario Argento)

BREA: The other day at a party, this boy told me his favorite horror movie was Suspiria. Wait. You’re telling me your favorite movie, sir, is about an all-girl ballet school that is secretly a coven of witches and has one of scariest soundtracks of all time? Mine freaking too! And now I won’t quit calling him and asking him to marry me.





Dawn of the Dead (1978, George Romero)











Shaun of the Dead (2004, Edgar Wright)











Driller Killer (1979, Abel Ferrara)











Frontier(s) (2007, Xavier Gens)











The New York Ripper (1982, Lucio Fulci)

ZANE: People always talk about Fulci for Zombi 2, but the New York Ripper is such the better film and so often overlooked. It's a giallo set in NY in the early 1980's that plays on the sex economy that made up so much of the city landscape at the time. There is a great nosy neighbor in the police station, a weird scene with a live sex show that looks like a movie in the movie, and a really scary part where a lady of the night realizes she is in bed with 'the killer' but she's handcuffed and has to get the keys without waking him. Oh, did I mention the killer talks like Donald Duck? Awesome!

Deep Red (1975, Dario Argento)

I love Argento's early giallos. Four Flies on Grey Velvet, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, and Tenebre... “It's always a maniac and the police never catch him.” Sure, Four Flies has the cool gay detective who has never solved a case and Tenebre has my favorite shoplifting scene, but Deep Red has... Daria Nicolodi! She plays the liberal feminist reporter so well. It's an amateur detective story that is set off by the murder of a psychic, and there is a creepy mechanical doll for no reason. 'Nuff said.


Phenomena (1985, Dario Argento)

Jennifer Connelly is a troubled teen with telekenetic power over insects, they give a helper chimp a knife, and Iron Maiden is on the soundtrack. We all love those Goblin soundtracks, but the metal in this brings a level of refinement. Someone wash that child's face!






The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974, Tobe Hooper)











Wild Zero (2000, Tetsuro Takeuchi)

Japanese garage punk masterpiece! The band Guitar Wolf fights zombies and helps their biggest fan Ace through the apocalypse as he comes to terms with falling in love with a transexual.







Return of the Living Dead (1985, Dan O'Bannon)











Evil Dead 2 (1987, Sam Raimi)











Fright Night (1985, Tom Holland)











Phantasm (1979, Don Coscarelli)











The Shining (1980, Stanley Kubrick)











The Exorcist (1973, William Friedkin)

ZANE: When I was a kid, my mom told me there was a movie so scary that it made people barf and pass out. It was The Exorcist. A few years ago, I worked a remodel job on the house in D.C. that was used as the facade, and, I think, for some of the scenes in the film. It's right next to the stairs from the poster, and sometimes we would sit on them at lunch. People would walk up to me on my lunch break, and say ask me if I'd seen anything weird. I wish. Someone told me the house where the 'real' exorcist story took place is in Maryland and is used as a practice space for firefighters. I am skeptical.

The House of the Devil (2009, Ti West)