SHOCKtober: 116-93
Wow, now that we are undie one hundie things are really starting to heat up! It's like we're at that point in a slasher movie where two of your friends have gone off somewhere to Do It but they've been gone way too long and you feel like something is super wrong, but when you say "Haven't they been gone way too long?" your other friends say "I'm sure they're fine, they'll be back any minute now." But of course the audience knows that your absent friends are already dead, killed either whilst they were Doing It or right after. Know what I mean?
Anyway, here are some movies that earned six votes each.
116. Kill List – 2011, Ben Wheatley
115. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter – 1984, Joseph Zito
114. Eyes Without a Face – 1960, Georges Franju
113. Bride of Chucky – 1998, Ronny Yu
112. Annihilation – 2018, Alex Garland
111. A Tale of Two Sisters – 2003, Kim Jee-woon
Now spend seven minutes in Heaven (or however long you'd like) with these films, each of which got seven votes.
110. Zombie (aka Zombie Flesh Eaters) -- 1979, Lucio Fulci
109. You're Next – 2011, Adam Wingard
108. X – 2022, Ti West
107. Watcher – 2022, Chloe Okuno
106. Talk to Me – 2022, Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou
105. Session 9 -- 2001, Brad Anderson
104. Ringu -- 1998, Hideo Nakata
103. Prince of Darkness – 1987, John Carpenter
102. Pearl – 2022, Ti West
101. Paranormal Activity – 2007, Oren Peli
100. Eraserhead – 1977, David Lynch
99. Demons – 1985, Lamberto Bava
98. The Autopsy of Jane Doe – 2016, André Øvredal
97. Aliens – 1986, James Cameron
96. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night – 2014, Ana Lily Amirpour
95. Under the Skin – 2013, Jonathan Glazer
94. The Slumber Party Massacre – 1982, Amy Holden Jones
93. The Night of the Hunter – 1955, Charles Laughton
- A reader on Eraserhead: "Thanks Lynch, now I’m scared to eat rotisserie chicken."
- PS: now that I watch Twin Peaks (have you heard of it?) I look at Henry and instead of actually thinking about Eraserhead, I think "Aww, it's little baby Pete Martell."
- PPS: I love Twin Peaks and I'm so happy I'm doing that podcast, otherwise I might never have started watching it!
- PPPS: The podcast is The Detective and the Log Lady, in case you don't already know.
- Whoa, X and Pearl both nabbing seven votes! I should have given them a sudden death vote-off. Personally, while Mia Goth is so perfect in Pearl (duh), overall I prefer X.
- See, I love that I ask for readers' favorite horror movies because that way you get a list that has The Slumber Party Massacre and The Night of the Hunter ranked next to each other. I'd like to see one of those contentious "best horror movies" lists do that!
- A reader on Watcher: "My most recent favourite! I absolutely love the trope of 'Is she right or is she a crazy woman?' but only when she’s right. Maika Monroe is, to me, flawless in this performance."
- PS: Watcher director/co-writer Chloe Okuno became a cyberpal yearrrrrssssss ago thanks to this here blog, as she was a Final Girl reader. So getting to see her short films when she was in school back in The Day to seeing her making, like, legitimately terrific horror features that Final Girl readers are calling their favorites?? Her movies are listed alongside John Carpenter and David Lynch and Lucio Fulci and and and??? It makes my eyes misty and my heartplace warm, like Final Daughter is all grown up now, it's so cool.
- Paranormal Activity opening night late show remains one of the best, most fun movie theatre experiences I've had as a horror fan, from waiting anxiously in line to screaming and yelling at the screen. I don't think it holds up to many repeat viewings, but I don't care, it will always be a favorite of mine!