Welcome to another post! Today we will be basically doing what I did in the previous post, except it’ll be in two parts and will be exploring the many horror films out there. The rating system is basically the same, just remember to not take it too seriously okay? Anyways, onwards…

Ju-On / Grudge

Scares: JPN-10        USA-10

Creepiness: JPN-8        USA-8

Story: JPN-6        USA-5

Style: JPN-10        USA-10

Total: JPN-34/40        USA-33/40

The grudge series is a pretty standard ghost flick, well standard for Japanese ghosts anyways. But still, it is a very iconic and clever series that still gets to people. Plus the idea of pale and crawling (or meowing) ghosts is super freaky! We appreciate the original for its interpretation of ghosts and we enjoy the American version for introducing the concepts to the states.

Grave Encounters

Scares: 10

Creepiness: 9

Story: 6

Style: 9

Total: 34/40

Again, like discussed on another post, this is probably the best ghost hunting film as well as among the best found footage films out there. It starts standard but then really shifts into crazy gear halfway through. Highly worth the watch.

The Conjuring

Scares: 10

Creepiness: 8

Story: 8

Style: 8

Total: 34/40

Surprisingly based on a true case and real people, this story is both a classic ghost haunting tale as well as a film among the few that brought a new salvation to the horror genre, which at the time was nothing but lame horror films. Geoff recommends watching this alone in the dark, which is highly effective. It is also fun with a group in the dark so long as you’re not too chatty. Just be sure to have some holy water on the side in case it becomes too much to handle.

Poltergeist

Scares: 9

Creepiness: 10

Story: 7

Style: 9

Total: 35/40

This original classic was the first horror film I ever watched, and it is still among my favorites. The idea of building atop of burial grounds is one that is still commonplace for great classic stories, and it is surely done well here. Also, it’s amazing to see what sort of effects they were able to do back in the day. Just make sure you don’t watch the rebooted version and you’ll have a splendid time!

Ringu / The Ring

Scares: JPN-9     USA-9

Creepiness: JPN-10     USA-10

Story: JPN-7      USA-7

Style: JPN-9     USA-9

Total: JPN-35/40     USA-35/40

Again, the best thing about Japanese ghosts is that they come with very detailed rules and guidelines, superstitions if you will. And the idea behind the ring is a good one, and luckily both the Japanese and the American ones are a great watch. While the series may have suffered greatly with the recent release of Rings, we cannot forget how much the original films (both Japanese and American) were loved.

The Blair Witch Project

Scares: 8

Creepiness: 10

Story: 5

Style: 10

Total: 33/40

One that is almost a must on a list. This film was famous for getting people invested into the idea that this was a real incident that happened. And the way the film deals with slow burns and ambience is incredible. This is again a must see for avid fans of horror and found-footage.

The Sixth Sense

Scares: 7

Creepiness: 10

Story: 8

Style: 9

Total: 34/40

Arguably the best M. Night film, the sixth sense was the first film to really make mediums and ghost whisperers seem as though their lives are a living hell. And of course the plot twist is great as well.

The Thing

Scares: 8

Creepiness: 8

Story: 10

Style: 10

Total: 36/40

While the idea seems silly on the outside, the way the film embraces these ideas are great and unexpected on the inside. This is basically the dead space film in the snow, where the practical effects and gore captivate the universe. Surprisingly, this is a rebooted film from an even older film.

Alien

Scares: 10

Creepiness: 9

Story: 9

Style: 10

Total: 38/40

Before Alien, there was never an indication that space horror could be possible. When this movie came out the whole world realized their mistake. This film still holds its ground to this day, even looking better than most of its newer sequels. And whole the monster in the movie has been overdone by Hollywood, it is still an incredible beast of design glory.

It

Scares: 9

Creepiness: 10

Story: 10

Style: 9

Total: 38/40

I would also like to recommend the original IT film as well, it’s not on the list and it’s not that scary anymore when your older but it’s still a fun ride. However the new is scary, but in many different ways than you’d expect. Yes there is a clown, but you come to realize there are more monsters than you know. This one is still in theaters at the time of this post, and we recommend it strongly.

TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW…