peter jackson
AFI’s DISRESPECT AND SHUNNING OF THE HORROR FILM.
AFI. The American Film Institute. Recently gave us yet another list, the 10 Top 10. Covering categories from Comedy to Drama to Animation and Western, Sports and Mystery. Noticeably off the list ? The category of Horror.
Horror and the art of scaring audiences has been around for a hundred years, not too mention old legends of folklore and Fairy Tales for children. The genre is a staple of Cinema and storytelling as a whole. Why the omission ?
Nate Yapp put it nicely over at Classic Horror with the following word bite on AFI’s Top 100 (100 Years, 100 Movies)
A scant four horror films were worthy of the AFI’s mention: Psycho (#14), King Kong (#41), Jaws (#56), and The Sixth Sense (#89). Significant amongst the omitted is Frankenstein, which held the 87th slot on the same list ten years ago.
I’m not sure which I’m more annoyed with — the poor representation of the genre in general, or the dropping of what I consider to be the cultural milestone in Hollywood Horror. I’m not going to dig into their other selections; each film on the list has its champions and they have spoken. It’s just a bummer that the AFI’s creative think tank is treating horror like the poor cousin. Given the glitzy Hollywood focus of the list, I’m not expecting Night of the Living Dead to make the cut, but why not Rosemary’s Baby? If not The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, what about The Exorcist (which is not a film I enjoy, but it made #3 on the AFI’s own 100 Years… 100 Thrills list)?
1922’s Nosferatu
Makes no sense to me and is a virtual slap in the face to all moviegoers. We’re not talking about harcore horror or cultish fanboy stuff, I’m talking about omitting some of the greatest films in history, films that scare people and leave legitimate impact on them.
Whether outright horror (looks like, tastes like, feels like; it must be …) or horror sub-genres, Great, great films have been made that are screaming for attention
Four films listed on this one, and not a single category of respect in their latest 10 Top 10. I personally don’t even consider Animated Films to be real films (it’s my own spin) and am wondering how they could not come up with the Top 10 Best ever horror films for the respect of the genre.
Many a director has gotten their start in horror while others, even great ones have built entire bodies of work in the subject matter.
The Masta
Masters of the genre:
John Carpenter (The Thing, Escape from New York, The Fog, Halloween), Alfred Hitchcock, forever known as the Master of Suspense (The Birds, Psycho) , Brian De Palma (Carrie, Dressed To Kill, Sisters), Cronenberg (Rabid, The Brood, Scanners, Videodrome, The Dead Zone, The Fly), George Romero (The Dead Trilogy), Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead Series), Dario Argento (Suspiria), Lucio Fulci, Wes Craven (The Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes, A Nightmare on Elm Street), Rob Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects) and Richard Donner (The Omen)
Not too mention, notable Directors who got their start in Horror
Peter Jackson (Bad Taste, Heavenly Creatures, The Frighteners) and Steven Spielberg (Jaws) come to mind. I would love to see Steven tackle a legitimate horror film.
Which brings me to my (and it seems many) all time favorite horror films. It takes a lot to scare m in a movie, to really have any kind of serious affect. I’m making this list an unofficial AFI list, it is authoritative.
10. Salem’s Lot
‘Salem’s Lot is a 1975 horror novel written by Stephen King, and was the author’s second published novel. The title King originally chose for his book was Second Coming, but he later decided on Jerusalem’s Lot. The publishers, Doubleday, shortened it to the current title, thinking the author’s choice sounded too religious.
I don’t think there’s ever been a film that scared me more that was a Made For TV movie. Directed by Tobe Hooper, this film left scars on my child hood ass.
9. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American independent horror film written, directed, and produced by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel. So bizarre it could happen. Which is exactly what makes a horror film scary. Realizing that it could be you.
8. Carrie
Carrie is a 1976 American horror film directed by Brian De Palma and written by Lawrence D. Cohen, based on the novel by Stephen King. The film and the novel deal with a socially outcast teenage girl, Carrie White, who discovers she possesses telekinetic powers after being subjected to both physical and mental harassment by her peers, teachers, and her mother. The film stars Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Betty Buckley, Amy Irving, Nancy Allen, William Katt and John Travolta.
Regarded as a watershed in the horror genre and is arguably one of best feature film adaptations of a Stephen King work.
7. Rosemary’s Baby
Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse move into an apartment in a building with a bad reputation. They discover that their neighbours are a very friendly elderly couple named Roman and Minnie Castevet, and Guy begins to spend a lot of time with them. Strange things start to happen: a woman Rosemary meets in the washroom dies a mysterious death, Rosemary has strange dreams and hears strange noises and Guy becomes remote and distant. Then Rosemary falls pregnant and begins to suspect that her neighbours have special plans for her child.
6. Jaws
Favorite film of all time, first film I remember seeing. My brother asked me “Jaws ? A horror film?” I said “Can you go in the ocean and not think for just one moment that Bruce is coming?”
5. Night of the Living Dead
Played to death in the public domain, I remember seeing this growing up and being mesmerized by how freaked out I was.
Here, watch the entire film for free
4. The Exorcist
Ain’t no intro needed
3. Psycho
2. The Shining
1. Halloween
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If you like this then please subscribe to the Senses of Cinema adds Peter Jackson.
Quick update, I’m working on my screenplay this evening.
Check it out, I absolutely love Senses of Cinema, an online zine journal devoted to serious and eclectic discussion of cinema. The reviews, Daily Reports from the festival circuit, Feature Articles and Cinémathèque Annotations on Film, awesome. But best of all, is their ever growing database of Great Directors.
On the set of The Lovely Bones.
Never mind they have yet to include my man Quentin Tarantino on the list (maybe their waiting for me to make the case?), but they just added Peter Jackson to their latest issue. I have been a fan of Jackson for what seems like ever, from the early witness of Bad Taste, the zombie blood bath schlock of Braindead (Dead Alive), the masterpiece Heavenly Creatures, the definite inspiration of The Frighteners or the complete genius epic of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
Senses of Cinema contributor Matthew Stephenson, gives a short, but exhaustive dossier on Jackson (I too used to make World War II films in my, damn it.)
I have watched Jackson grow, taking quantum leaps from Braindead to The Frighteners with Heavenly Creatures being the bridge. The guy is pure Auteur and a gifted storyteller. Hailing from New Zealand, and at one point rejecting the call from Hollywood to stay put, he has become a directing legend, winning the Oscar 3 times for Directing, Best picture and Screenwriter (2003’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King).
I felt Jackson fell flat on his face with his King Kong remake. He took out the sense of adventure and inserted over the top sequences that shattered the realm of plausibility. This may be a good thing, a reality check with a man fresh off of the Oscar’s. Maybe this is why James Cameron hasn’t helmed a project since winning Titanic gold ? Don;t get me wrong, I dig the film, but it isn’t making the list on any point.
Next up for Jackson ? The Lovely Bones, a story of a young girl, after being brutally raped and murdered, watches the effects of her death on her family from Heaven. Based on the best selling book by Alice Sebold, I’m hoping for an R Rating on this one.
Anyways, here’s that Senses of Cinema page on the man. Now, how can I get my man Tarantino in there ?
STEVEN SPIELBERG - ‘39 Clues’
I’ve been seeing this around the web recently via Variety, NY Times and several blogs and thought I’d shout it out on my side of the blogosphere. Any Spielberg news is worthy of a quick post.
DreamWorks secured rights to “The 39 Clues,” an adventure series being launched in the fall by Scholastic Media. Steven Spielberg is eyeing the project as a directing vehicle. Scholastic Media is the the U.S. publisher of the Harry Potter series. “The’ 39 Clues” series will feature 10 books with related Web-based games, collectors’ cards and cash prizes.
