My Top 10 Favorite 90’s Horror Movies

    The 1990’s was my generational decade of discovery, and it’s the decade I think back to with the most fondness when it comes to Horror movies. This was a time of transition, when horror was starting to become self-aware, and a subject of parody. However, this was also the age in which less conventional human monsters took center stage. Thus, it was both an age of maturing, while also paying tribute to the fun, care free monster movies of the past. As such, my favorite movies from this decade range from tongue-in-cheek camp, to serious and gripping. I’m not trying to make any kind of official best of 90’s countdown, I just want to highlight my personal favorite horror movies that the decade had to offer. You’ll forgive me if some big titles like “Silence of the Lambs” or “Scream” don’t make it on my countdown, which isn’t to say their bad either, just not quiet in the ball park of my personal favorites.

 

#10 “The People Under the Stairs” (1991) 

Kicking off my list is something of a guilty pleasure from director Wes Craven. When a young boy breaks into the home of a greedy and unfeeling landlord, disturbed secrets begin to unravel, including people imprisoned under the stairs, and a little girl who’s likewise being held captive by her deranged parents. Thus, it becomes an exciting cat and mouse game for the two kids to escape a house full of booby traps, and outwit the vileness home owners. Whenever I think of the late great Wes Craven, “The People Under the Stairs” is one of the first titles that comes to mind. It’s not perfect, but undeniably one of his most unique offerings, as well as exciting, and even has it’s share of socially conscious subtext at the center. Beyond that, I’ve always been a fan of kids going on a spooky adventure in a memorable setting. Both the kids are easy to cheer for, with the girl Alice being exceptionally lovable, and the lead boy is played by a young Brandon Quintin Adams before his more famous child-role in “The Sandlot”.  

 

#9 “Deep Blue Sea” (1999) 

In a deep Ocean facility, we follow a group of people who are trapped, but escaping isn’t the only thing the group needs to accomplish, as they also need to find a way to kill 4 super intelligent tiger sharks that are trying to escape into the ocean, and are picking the team off one at a time. The plots almost like a mix of “Jurassic Park”, “Poseidon” and “Jaws”, and the result is a simple, yet extremely fun monster movie. It’s not on the same high caliber as “Jaws”, but not every movie needs to be, and with all the cheesy B animal attack movies that saturated the decade … “Deep Blue Sea” is the one I’ve always enjoyed the most. The characters are admittedly stock, yet great in their respected tropes, especially this awesome African American cook who kills a shark by saying “You ate my Bird!” Then there’s Samuel L. Jackson, who gets the funniest “Oh shoot, I didn’t that coming” death sequence ever. The underwater base offers many cool locations for action sequences, the sharks are pretty menacing, and we even have some refreshing twists to old, monster movie clichés. If I was flipping through channels on some afternoon with nothing to do, and I came across this film, I would definitely put that remote down to finish it.

 

#8 “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (1997) 

A small group of graduates have big plans ahead, but life takes a sudden dark turn when they seem to have accidently killed someone on the road while driving at night. Shaken from the incident, they try to cover up the accident and move on with their lives … which is impossible for any of them. After a year, these young adults are completely different from who they were, and what’s worse … some mysterious foe knows their dark secret. Following after the success of Wes Cravens “Scream” came a number of teen horror films, and “I Know What You Did Last Summer” was obviously part of the fad. I know this isn't a popular opinion, but if I'm being honest with myself ... I genuinely preferred “I Know What You Did Last Summer” over the more famous "Scream", as I just found the characters more interesting, the mystery more exciting, and the vileness fisherman to be more intimidating. There’s some white knocked cat and mouse chases on display, and for once, I genuinely wanted to see the characters make it out alive.

 

#7 “Ringu” (1998) 

It’s the urban legend of a cursed video tape, one that will kill anyone within a week of watching it. A young reporter soon fears that both her life, and the lives of her family are in danger, so she and her ex-husband set off on a supernatural detective case to lift the curse, while unraveling its dark secrets. Most big horror movies of the 90’s, even the best ones still feel like products of their time, but “Ringu” is an exception, as it genuinely feels like something that could have come from any decade ... that is with the slight exception of VHS tapes, those really aren’t around anymore. What really sets this film apart is it’s slow-building suspense, and eerie mood. It’s far more subtle than most other films of this sort, and lets the spooky content quietly sneak up on you. Granted, the American remake may entertain you more, but the original just feels scarier to experience, and you just can’t deny the originality of the film. It’s method of combining supernatural elements with the anxieties of modern technology is still very innovative, and honestly quiet frightening to experience as long as you’re in the right mind set.

 

#6 “Misery” (1990) 

When the secluded Annie Wilkes rescues her favorite author in the world from a car accident, she treats him with care while he recovers in her privet farm land. Unfortunately, her obsession of him quickly turns this into a hostage situation, as she refuses to let him leave her house, and dose every cruel thing you could do to keep him their indefinitely. 

She straps him to a bed, breaks his legs, shoots down police officers investigating the aria, and all while claiming that she loves him more than life itself. Based on the novel of the same name by Steven King, “Misery” is one of his greatest book-to-screen adaptations to date. It’s also a special case in which less is more, as this simple premise is perfectly executed as one of the most suspenseful and thrilling pictures of the decade. Kathy Bates is downright chilling in the part of the overly obsessive fan, winning her the Academy Award for best actress in a leading role. What really makes her so scary is her constant changing mood ... at one point she can seem like the kindest lady on the planet, then before you know it, she’s the most unstable and threatening person that you’d never want to be left alone with. Along with a solid performance from the victim Author played by James Kaun, and a tight direction from Rob Reiner, “Misery” proves that you don’t need anything supernatural, or overly violent to be a griping horror experience.   

 

#5 “From Dusk Till Dawn” (1996) 

Now here’s a wild horror movie that doesn’t aim for scares, it just busts loose and has fun. With the combined talents of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, you can’t go wrong. The movie begins with a slightly series tone as we follow two criminals who have taken a family hostage, and are aiming to sneak out of the country. 

Once they venture into Mexico, the group stops at a bar that just happens to be full of vampires, and that’s when things get really crazy, and off the wall entertaining. It may sound like a dumb film, which it certainly is, but that’s the point, this isn’t a movie that’s meant to be taken seriously, it’s all B movie fun. If you’re a monster movie buff, you have to check this film out, because it has everything ... creative vampire action, monster transformations, memorable characters, no shortage of cool ways to see vampires die, and there’s this one dance involving the Oh so attractive Salma Hayek that’s worth the price of admission alone. This film also marks the film debut of George Clooney, and it’s without a doubt one of the most entertaining performances of his carrier. This is a movie where you need to just let loose, kick back and have a wild time, because it breaks all the conventional rules, and kicks some serious ass!  

 

#4 “Wes Cravens New Nightmare” (1994) 

This is the seventh entry in the “Nightmare on Elm Street” series, and a rare sequel that I honestly think out matches the original. This film actually steps outside of the horror universe, focusing on the actual film crew and actors as their making a new “Nightmare on Elm Street” film. Heather Langenkamp plays herself, while also playing the role of Nancy. 

During production of the film, lots of strange things start to happen to her and she begins to wonder if the character of Freddy Krueger is actually coming to life, or maybe she’s going insane after staring in so many of these Freddy films. It’s an interesting study of how acting in a horror film can leave a twisted impact on the actors or the crew involved. Rather than focusing on a cast of disposable characters, all the attention is on Heather Langenkamp who carries this film beautifully. The character of Freddy Krueger has also never been more frightening or more interesting then as portrayed in this film. His makeup is much scarier, and the dream sequences are haunting spectacles. While the original “Nightmare on Elm Street” is obviously a classic, I personally think that its seventh sequel “New Nightmare” is far superior, and one of the greatest horror movie sequels ever made.

 

#3 “Sleepy Hollow” (1999) 

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is one of the most classic ghost stories of all time, and has been retold in several new ways throughout the ages. The 1999 version directed by Tim Burton probably has the least to do with Washington Irving’s novel, but it’s the first one that comes to mind whenever I think of the Headless Horseman. 

This version plays like a supernatural detective case, and captures the look and feel of a 60’s Hammer Horror film. When the monstrous headless horseman awakens from his grave, it goes on a killing spree throughout the town of Sleepy Hollow. All the murders get the attention of Ichabod Crane, played brilliantly by Johnny Depp, who’s on a mission to solve the mystery of the resurrected Headless Horseman. For an extremely over the top and violent film, it sure has all the stuff I love in a good thriller. Every time I watch it, I’m blown away by its haunting atmosphere, and it’s visually a marvel to look at. Tim Burton’s direction gives it a creepy yet magical dream like quality. The cast fill their respected roles very well, and the Headless Horseman is one of the most thrilling movie monsters of all time. While this obviously isn’t a movie for everyone, I personally think it’s one of Tim Burton’s best films, and his first true horror flick. 

 

#2 “The Sixth Sense” (1999) 

Now we come to a very special Horror film, one that will scare you to death, but also pull at your heart strings all the way. The story revolves around a young boy with an abnormal ability to see the spirits of dead people. Every encounter with these ghosts is the stuff of nightmares, but the real horror comes from their back stories. We soon learn that these spirits were all victims of untimely deaths. 

By communicating with the young boy, these lost souls will have the chance to be given proper closure and move on. The most terrifying aspects of the film come into play when we learn just how tragic and disturbing the events of their deaths were. For example, there’s a subplot revolving around the spirit of a dead girl, who was secretly poisoned, and killed by her wicked mother. This alone is more terrifying than anything supernatural related that I’ve ever seen in a horror film. Just the thought of this horrible woman slowly killing her child without the father knowing is one of the most frightening concepts you can possibly imagine. This for me is what other horror movies lack, and that’s “REAL LIFE HORROR”. It’s a movie that covers issues of pain, remorse, sorrow, regret, loss, things that are very sad, and emotional. It’s more than just an exciting scary movie, it feels deep and meaningful. “The Sixth Sense” has all the makings and style of a classic Hollywood picture, yet it’s packed with all the chills and atmosphere of a modern horror movie. With standout performances, especially from the young Haley Joel Osment, and a twisted, original ghost story make this every bit as haunting as it is poetic.   

 

Before I reveal my number one favorite, here are some quick honorable mentions …

Anaconda (1997)

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Tremors (1990)

Scream (1996)

Arachnophobia (1990)

 #1 “The Mummy” (1999) 

Okay, so this film is obviously more of a fun action-adventure film, but it is still a remake of one of Universals most classic monster movies ... “The Mummy” from 1934, so I say it counts. The adventure takes place in Egypt and follows a team of explorers who accidentally unearth a mummy, whose evil curse spreads across the land like a plague. 

Boris Karloff’s original film will always be a classic, but this mummy is the most unforgettable, and a very personal favorite of mine. This was one of the very first horror ... anything, that I’ve ever experienced, and it’s this film that actually paved the way for me discover other horror films like the ones I previously mentioned on my list. The creature itself is one of my favorite modern day movie villains, and a testament to the wonders of both special and practical effects. I love how the mummy changes his appearance in every scene, as he slowly becomes more human, that way the film can surprise us with something new each time our hero’s face him. The characters are also very likable in their own clichéd action hero ways. While a lot of the film can be regarded as campy, it’s still not without some subtly scary moments, and creepy sound effects. It may not be pure horror, but it’s still my personal favorite genera offering of the decade, and still stands as one of my favorite entertainment movies all these years later.

Thanks for reading my countdown … and continue to enjoy the movies you love!

 

Happy Halloween!  

 

 

Corpse Bride (2005) (Movie Review)

     Even though Tim Burton didn’t direct 1993’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, his name is still frequently associated with spooky stop-motion films aimed at younger viewers. I’ll admit, ever sense I first watched “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, as well as Tim Burton’s haunted stop-motion short titled “Vincent”, I so badly wanted to see a theatrically released, spooky themed stop-motion picture that would be both written and directed by Tim Burton himself. My childhood wish was finally granted way back in 2005, with the animated picture “Corpse Bride”. 

I remember being in my middle school years when this movie premiered, and I remember not liking it upon my first viewing. Over the years, it’s grown on me, and now days I look back on it as a more favorable Tim Burton offering. While I wouldn’t call this movie a classic in the same vein of other Burton or even other animated productions, it’s never the less had a secure placement among the many animated movies that I love to re-watch around the Halloween season. I suppose you could call it a guilty pleasure, although, despite some reservations I have with “Corpse Bride”, I really don’t think the film is quiet polarizing enough for me to brand as a “guilty pleasure”. At the 78^th Academy Awards, “Corpse Bride” was nominated for best animated picture, and personally, I wish it won over Dream Works “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit”. So, lets take a closer look at the very first spooky themed, animated stop-motion movie that Tim Burton directed.  

    Set in a fictionalized Victorian era village in England, a young man named Victor is getting cold feet, as he’s forced into an arranged marriage with a young woman named Victoria, who he has yet to meet. By the way, am I the only one who finds it a little redundant that a man named Victor is marrying a girl named Victoria in the Victorian era? Anyway, while their time together is short, the young lady takes a liking to her groom to be, all while her cranky parents are put-off by his clumsy antics during a rehearsal. Grief-stricken after his performance, Victor wanders out into the woods, and aims to hopefully perfect his wedding vows. 

Through an absolutely breathtaking sequence, Victors vows resurrect the corpse of a bride, who was slain in the woods, and waiting for someone to set her spirit free. Seriously though, the scene when she first comes to life is a thing of gothic beauty to behold, with great build-up, and these awesome haunted visuals of moon light shining through skinny trees, and birds ominously present ... it’s easily one of the great highlights of the film, and gives me chills every time. Also, the segue between the spooky woods and Victor’s arrival in the land of the dead is bridged with one of the most inventive scene transitions I’ve ever seen. Now as a resident in the world of the dead, Victor finds himself in quiet the odd predicament, especially between helping the cursed zombie bride named Emily find her proper match, or returning to the young Vitoria who won his heart first. Meanwhile, lurking in the shadows is a mysterious Lord Barkis, who aims to win the hand of Victoria, and is secretly the murderer of our Corpse Bride Emily.

    The film is drenched in the same kid friendly, yet gothic atmosphere that characterized “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, and it carries Burton’s signature trademark of crafting a whimsical experience through a macabre story and setting. 

It feels like something original that came straight from the mind of Tim Burton, and it’s so refreshing for a film to capture the same spirit of all those classic fairytale stories, without being a reimagining of an already known title. Naturally, the film is gorgeous to look at, with Burton’s signature designs and practical puppet effects carrying the film. Also, just like how both Halloween and Christmas were characterized as polar opposite settings in “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, “Corpse Bride” features an equally effective contrast between the land of the dead and the land of the living. 

In a clever twist, it’s England’s living inhabitance who are characterized as being more dead and life-less than all the residents of the underworld, who’ve learned to truly live after losing everything that tied them to the mortal world. It works as both a satire and commentary, but what I really love is how it characterizes the individual settings. The land of the dead is bursting with personality, color, and in my view is even superior to the previously featured Halloweentown from “The Nightmare Before Christmas”. While I always loved the concept, I never liked how that films Halloweentown was characterized as a joyless black and white picture. This time around, it’s the spooky setting that’s drenched in all these stunning purples and greens, as well as populated with an assortment of delightful characters.

   Honestly, I find the majority to these ghostly inhabitances more likable and appealing then the main leads. We have Michael Gough, who’d previously played Alfred in Tim Burton’s Batman, voicing an Elder Skeleton, and is easily one of the most lovable additions in the film. Jane Horrocks brings a lot of charisma to the voice of a residential Black Widow Spider. Even Enn Reitel dose a solid Peter Lorie impression as he voices a Maggot that resides within the corpse bride’s head. 

Of course, it’s the Corpse Bride herself named Emily who’s at the heart of the picture, and carries the film with ease. She has a tragic backstory that effectively plays to our sympathy, but beyond that, the character is so innocent, and chalk full of charisma, to the point where I’m with her on every step of the journey. Helena Bonham Carter delivers a spirited performance, infusing the bride with a lot of personality, but can also convey the more complex emotions of the character. I also like how the tables are reversed in this figurative beauty and beast story, as the girl is usually the normal good looking human, while the male is grotesque and deformed. This time it’s the male with a normal appearance, and the woman who’s monstrous. Although, with that said, Emily is actually quite beautiful for a zombie … in fact, I think she’s more appealing than the human female.        

On that note, the main characters all play their parts fine, and are acted well, but with the exception of the corpse bride Emily, I’ve never really loved any of these main characters. Johnny Depp voices our lead named Victor, and while he isn’t bad, there was nothing about the character that stood out to me other then the straight forward goof-up who finds his feet at the end. His human love interest named Victoria is again voiced well by Emily Watson, but I just find the character average and forgettable. Richard E. Grant delivers an enjoyably sinister vocal performance as the villainess Lord Barkis, but I must admit, he too is kind of a boring and generic antagonist. Despite serving an integral part of the story, and effectively tying into Emily’s tragic fate, the character simply doesn’t have much of a presence, which makes him dull when compared to other memorable villains from countless other animated Halloween movies. The one other human character I have to mention is the village Pastor named Galswells, who was voiced by the late great Christorpher Lee. Despite being a small part, Christorpher Lee is a lot of fun, and is given full rein to elevate his voice in a way that he rarely did in live action. Personally, I think this film would have been better if he was somehow the main antagonist, as opposed to the actual villain.  

    Just like with “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, “Corpse Bride” is also a musical, but this time with half the number of songs, and honestly, only half of them are descent. The opening number called “According to Plan” does its job setting up both story and character, but I wouldn’t call it a high-note to kick off the film. 

Emily’s song called “Tears to Shed” would have been one of the films great emotional highlights if it was just Emily seeing alone, but unfortunately that Peter Lorie Magot and Black Widow Spider are also singing, and they spoil the sobering mood of the song. The third act of the movie kicks off with “The Wedding Song”, which is an absolutely rousing musical number, with all the colorful underworld inhabitance getting together for one big joyous celebration. My favorite song number by far is the “Remains of the Day” sequence, in which we’re given the full backstory off our re-animated bride, but the tragedy of the subject is in contrast to an up-scale musical number in a jazzy night club. It genuinely fits with the tone of the film, and the animation on display is outstanding, with striking colors, a busy environment, and arguably the greatest ensemble of stop-Motion Skeletons senses the days of “Jason and the Argonauts”. In fact, I think this song was meant as a homage to Disney’s classic animated Silly Symphony short called “Skeleton Dance”.

    Also, you can’t get any better than the lead Skeleton singer voiced by the wickedly talented Danny Elfman, who’s clearly channeling Sammy Davis in his delivery. As per usual with Burtons films, Danny Elfman both wrote the songs and composed the music. While the songs come off as hit and miss, Elfman’s instrumental score for “Corpse Bride” is excellent, and his use of piano ques really help adding some dimension to the characters. One of my favorite scenes is when Victor attempts to make an apology to Emily for deceiving her earlier, and instead of a long “forgive me” speech, the two just sit-down in silence while tapping a few random keys on a piano. Things escalate into a delightful little piano duel, and the two have excellent chemistry in this one scene. It’s so good, it makes me wish the two got together in the end. While that doesn’t happen, we do still get a satisfying conclusion in which both our bride and groom are released from their own figurative and spiritual bondages. Despite kind of a forced climax in which Victor gets into a sword fight with the villain, the film still closes on a subtle, and even beautiful final note. I especially like this one detail in which the bride takes her first and final breath of air before her spirit departs, as her lack of breathing had been established several times through the picture.    

   It’s also worth noting that the film was dedicated to the memory of Executive Producer Joe Ranft, who sadly passed away in a car accident during production. If you’re not familiar with his name, he storyboarded a number of classic Disney movies from the late 80’s through the 90’s, including “Beauty and the Beast”, “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, “The Lion King”, and “Toy Story”, so it’s great that he contributed to this film as well. In the end, “Corpse Bride” is a great example of how you should never judge a film by its title. 

I remember after first seeing the trailer, “Corpse Bride” looked and sounded like a really stupid idea for a Halloween special, but director Tim Burton gave it a really nice touch, and surpassed my expectations. The story revolving around a man who finds himself accidently engaged to zombie bride plays less like a gothic horror, and is a testament for original story ideas in our repetitive age of remakes and reboots. It’s an original, romantic, and a surprisingly toughing film about long lost love, and is a visual marvel to behold. Again, I wouldn’t place “Corpse Bride” quite as high on the animated Halloween totem pole as films like “Coraline” or “ParaNorman”, but it’s still good, and well worth checking out this October if you haven’t seen it yet. It’s one of Tim Burton’s more uplifting and wholesome films, but not without some enjoyably dark visuals, and a lot of imagination on display.

Thanks for reading my review of the animated 2005 Halloween movie “Corpse Bride” … and continue to make every day in October feel like Halloween!