It's nearing Halloween, so let's talk horror movies! Today, let's focus on zombies and vampires.
Top Five Vampire Movies
First of all, let's get the also-rans out of the way:Honorable Mentions: Blood & Donuts, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, From Dusk Till Dawn, The Hunger, My Best Friend is a Vampire, Once Bitten, Shadow Of The Vampire
Intentionally Omitted Because They Suck: Blade (all three of them), Bram Stoker's Dracula, Interview With The Vampire, Vampire In Brooklyn
The Film Snob In Me Thinks This Should Be In The Top Five But The Gore Fan In Me Says Screw It: Nosferatu
Now onto the Top Five:
5. Fright Night
After learning his next-door neighbor is a vampire, a teenager goes to a cheesy late-night television horror movie host for help. A funny flick that is often overlooked.
4. Salem's Lot
This movie scared the hell out of me when it came out. Might have been because I was nine at the time. It's no longer scary, but it's still a great movie.
3. The Lost Boys
You've all seen this. A very stylish movie that just reeks of the 80s. And it stars the Coreys!
2. Vampire's Kiss
Nicolas Cage stars as a publisher who may or may not be a vampire in one of the funniest and most outlandish roles of his career.
1. Near Dark
A band of vampires stalk tiny western towns, looking for prey. The young female vampire turns a teenager into a vampire and he must choose between his own survival and protecting his family. The movie has a great ending that teaches you how to reverse the effects of vampirism (should the need ever arise).
Top Five Zombie Movies
First of all, let's get the also-rans out of the way:Honorable Mentions: 28 Days Later, Re-Animator, Shaun Of The Dead
Intentionally Omitted Because They Suck: Night Of The Comet, Pet Sematary
The Film Snob In Me Thinks This Should Be In The Top Five But The Gore Fan In Me Says Screw It: Night Of The Living Dead
Now onto the Top Five:
5. Dawn Of The Dead (original version)
Zombies at the mall! And yeah, there's a message in there, too.
4. Evil Dead II
For the longest time, this was one of my favorite movies. I could quote damn near every line from it. It probably should've been ranked higher.
3. Dead Alive (Braindead)
A monkey bites a woman, turning her into a zombie. One of the bloodiest movies ever made, this flick was directed by Peter Jackson, who went on to make movies about Hobbits and large gorillas.
2. Return Of The Living Dead
A moron unleashes a dangerous chemical which causes all the dead in the nearby cemetery to rise from their graves. Probably best known for Linnea Quigley's stripping. Great soundtrack!
1. Cemetery Man (Dellamorte Dellamore)
Ella refers to this movie as "an artsy-fartsy horror porno." If that doesn't make you want to see it, nothing I say will change your mind. Stars Rupert Everett as a guy who's paid to take care of a cemetery where the dead rise every night.
P.S. If anyone sees 30 Days Of Night this weekend, please drop me a note and let me know how it was. That flick looks very promising to me.
P.P.S. While there is a damn good chance that most of my posts for the rest of the month will be somewhat related to Halloween, I do know that all my Songs Of The Day for the rest of the month will revolve around Halloween. Just a friendly warning for those who might not be interested.
P.P.P.S. What are your favorite vampire and zombie flicks?
Song of the day: Cry Little Sister by Gerard McMann
