Another list that was painful to make. There are so many amazing songs that I wanted in the list, but I wanted to keep it at 20 songs. But I think this is as good as it’s going to get. Like last time, I kept it to one song per artist which was hard as hell. How do you choose between perfect songs? So here they are, my top 20 songs of the 2000’s.
20 – For All the Lost by Necessary Response
Such a great song to dance to. This brings me back… No video for this one, but I hope you enjoy the audio.
Released in 2007, from the album Blood Spills Not Far From The Wound.
19 – Mein Herz Brennt by Rammstein
Some people might have gone with Sonne or Mutter for this place, but I really prefer this lesser known song. So good.
Released in 2001, from the album Mutter.
18 – The Nobodies by Marilyn Manson
(s)AINT almost took this spot, but listening to them again, I realized that this is the superior song. Maybe. Did I mention this list was hell to make?
Released in 2000, from the album Holy Wood.
17 – Destroy Everything You Touch by Ladytron
I’d completely forgotten just how much I actually love this song. I haven’t heard it in a while, and I still remember all the lyrics (but not why I walked into the kitchen. Brains, am I right?)
Released in 2005, from the album Witching Hour.
16 – TZDV by Faderhead
I still remember the first time I heard this song. I was sitting in a club for a goth night in Quebec City just chatting with friends. This song came on and I was instantly in love. Love that pounding bass!
Released in 2008, from the album FH3.
15 – Military Fashion Show by And One
Such a great song to dance to. Man, do I ever miss dancing… *nostalgia kicking in* No video for this one.
Released in 2006, from the album Bodypop.
14 – Change (In the House of Flies) by Deftones
Passenger almost went here, but then I listened to this one again and was like, yup, that’s the one. Such a powerful song.
Released in 2000, from the album White Pony.
13 – Your Joy is My Low by IAMX
When I heard this for the first time, I was dancing in a goth club in Montreal (significantly more people in there than the club in Quebec City, lol) and this song came on. Halfway through the song I literally stopped dancing and just listened. So good.
The original of this song is just so-so, but this VNV remix is awesome. They added some great melody to it. At around the 3 minute mark they added an instrumental bit that was heaven to dance to.
Released in 2000, from the album Hellraiser.
11 – Map of the Problematique by Muse
Singer Matthew Bellamy, besides being a cutie, has such an amazing voice. I had a hell of a time choosing just one Muse song, there are so many amazing ones. Undisclosed Desires had the spot before I went “hold on…” and remembered this song. This video is the only official one they have out, live at Wembley Stadium. But here you can hear just how good they are live.
Released in 2007. from the album Black Holes and Revelations.
10 – Judith by A Perfect Circle
Might seem like the obvious choice, but this really is an amazing song. Singer Maynard James Keenan’s voice is just so powerful. Shoutout to Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums, it was thisclose to being the one I picked.
Released in 2000, from the album Mer de Noms.
9 – Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes
Singer Jack White was made up to look like a pretty boy for this video, and the girls (and some guys, I’m sure) went crazy. Jack hated it and made sure he looked weird in videos from that point on. I was so disappointed, lol. Oh, and the song is an absolute banger. Simple but oh so effective.
Released in 2003, from the album Elephant.
8 – Exterminate Annihilate Destroy by Rotersand
Another one that’s just amazing to dance to. Plus it’s a little geeky, just like me! Unfortunately no video for this one. Not an official one anyhow. There’s a few that viewers made with clips of the Daleks, lol.
Released in 2005, from the album Welcome to Goodbye.
7 – Breath by Breaking Benjamin
Here’s another one that was hard to pick just one. But, listening to them again, this song is head and shoulders above the rest. I was so sure there was a video to this song…
Released in 2006, from the album Phobia.
6 – Like a Stone by Audioslave
Such a loss to the music world, singer Chris Cornell had a voice like butter. I love doing this song at karaoke. Or in the shower… lol.
Released in 2002, from their self-titled album.
5 – The Bitter End by Placebo
I was waffling between this song and Song to Say Goodbye for this spot, but this one won. And it has (almost) nothing to do with how hot singer Brian Molko is in it *fans self*.
Released in 2003, from the album Sleeping with Ghosts.
4 – In Repair by Our Lady Peace
I’d started listening to Our Lady Peace less in the 2000’s. A lot of the newer stuff I just didn’t like. This song is a massive exception. So good.
Released in 2000, from the album Spiritual Machines.
3 – I Don’t Care by Apocalyptica, with Adam Gontier
The 2000’s is when Apocalyptica started making their own music. Before then, they were doing Metallica covers on cello. On a few tracks per album from then on, they would borrow a singer from another band, in this case Three Days Grace’s Adam Gontier, and actually have lyrics. Their instrumental stuff is really nice, but I like to sing along. I also have a massive crush on “lead” cellist Eicca Toppinen (he’s the one with the long blond hair). Whew…
Released in 2007, from the album Worlds Collide.
2 – Crawling by Linkin Park
Choosing which Linkin Park song is the best of the decade was almost impossible, but I finally decided on Crawling. I always did prefer the songs that were heavier with Chester’s vocals more than Mike’s. He is sorely missed.
Released in 2001, from the album Hybrid Theory.
1 – Wreath of Barbs by :Wumpscut:
I was waffling a long time which should take first place, this or Crawling, but I finally decided on this. It might change tomorrow, but for now, this is it. I love everything about this song.
Released in 2001, from the album Wreath of Barbs.
And that’s it! As usual, a lot of the rankings are probably interchangeable, but for today, this is what I went with. I hope I was able to turn you on to some new music, and help revive old favourites. Next up, sometime in the not-too-distant future, the best of the 2010’s!!
The 2010’s saw a significant decline in the number of movies and shows I was watching. I was mostly watching science, history, and nature documentaries at this time. But I still managed to watch some bangers, so here are the 30 best films I saw in the 2010’s.
Number 30
Title:Before I Wake Year: 2016 Plot: After tragically losing their own son, a man and his wife welcome an eight-year-old foster child into their lives, and soon discover he has a strange ability. Starring: Kate Bosworth, Thomas Jane, Jacob Tremblay, Annabeth Gish, Topher Bousquet, Dash Mihok Directed by: Mike Flanagan Based on: An original screenplay written by Mike Flanagan and Jeff Howard. Notes: After seeing The Haunting of Hill House, I decided that Mike Flanagan was the one to watch, and promptly watched almost everything he did from that point on. Before I Wake is just a lovely dark fairy tale with just enough creep in it to call it a horror movie.
Number 29
Title:The Blackcoat’s Daughter Year: 2015 Plot: During winter break, two students stay in an all-girls boarding school in the company of a terrifying presence. Starring: Emma Roberts, Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Boynton, James Remar, Lauren Holly, Greg Ellwand, Elana Krausz, Heather Tod Mitchell Directed by: Osgood Perkins Based on: An original screenplay written by Osgood Perkins. Notes: Oz Perkins (son of the legendary Anthony Perkins) is definitely another one to watch, at least some of the time. I’ve seen only 3 of his films, but have loved 2 of them (I am the Pretty Thing that Lives in the House is a total snore-fest). They’re twisty-turny, and you’re never quite sure where he’s going with the story. I’ve been meaning to watch his 4 other films, but haven’t gotten around to it yet.
Number 28
Title:World War Z Year: 2013 Plot: Former United Nations employee Gerry Lane traverses the world in a race against time to stop a zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatens to destroy humanity itself. Starring: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale, Ludi Boeken, Matthew Fox, Fana Mokoena, David Morse, Peter Capaldi Directed by: Marc Forster Based on: The book World War Z written by Max Brooks. Notes: Now, I never read the book this film is based on. I’ve been told that had I read it, this movie would have insulted me. As it is, I found it a fun, popcorny good time.
Number 27
Title:Eli Year: 2019 Plot: A boy receiving treatment for his auto-immune disorder discovers that the house he’s living in isn’t as safe as he thought. Starring: Charlie Shotwell, Kelly Reilly, Max Martini, Lili Taylor, Sadie Sink, Deneen Tyler, Katia Gomez Directed by: Ciarán Foy Based on: An original screenplay written by David Chirchirillo. Notes: This one surprised me. I thought I was in for a standard haunted house fare, which isn’t a bad thing, but then it flipped the switch and became something totally unexpected. Quite a good little film. Even my boyfriend liked it, and he doesn’t do horror.
Number 26
Title:Ouija: Origin of Evil Year: 2016 Plot: In 1967 Los Angeles, a young girl tries to communicate with her late father through a Ouija board, but unleashes a demon instead. Starring: Elizabeth Reaser, Lulu Wilson, Annalise Basso, Henry Thomas, Parker Mack, Halle Charlton, Alexis G Zall, Doug Jones Directed by: Mike Flanagan Based on: An original screenplay written by Mike Flanagan and Jeff Howard. Notes: There’s some really bad cgi in this, but on the whole it’s really quite good. So much better than the first Ouija film. Mike Flanagan was really starting to show what an awesome filmmaker he is here. The Haunting of Hill House came soon after, and that show just blew me away.
Number 25
Title:The Innkeepers Year: 2011 Plot: During the final days at the Yankee Pedlar Inn, two employees determined to reveal the hotel’s haunted past begin to experience disturbing events as old guests check in for a stay. Starring: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis, Alison Bartlett, Jake Ryan Directed by: Ti West Based on: An original screenplay written by Ti West, based on his real-life experiences at the supposedly haunted Yankee Pedlar Inn. Notes: This is definitely a slow burn, but unlike West’s other film House of the Devil, this one actually goes somewhere. There’s a nice, creepy atmosphere, an empty hotel is always a good choice for a haunting.
Number 24
Title:The Vatican Tapes Year: 2015 Plot: A priest and two Vatican exorcists must do battle with an ancient satanic force to save the soul of a young woman. Starring: Olivia Taylor Dudley, Michael Peña, Dougray Scott, John Patrick Amedori, Peter Andersson, Djimon Hounsou, Kathleen Robertson Directed by: Mark Neveldine Based on: An original screenplay written by Christopher Borrelli and Michael C Martin. Notes: I wasn’t expecting much when I pulled this out of the bargain bin at WalMart. Imagine my surprise when I actually loved it! No, it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a fun, creepy good time.
Number 23
Title:Legion Year: 2010 Plot: An out-of-the-way diner becomes the unlikely battleground for the survival of the human race. When God loses faith in humankind, he sends his legion of angels to bring on the Apocalypse. Humanity’s only hope lies in a group of strangers trapped in a desert diner with the fallen Archangel Michael. Starring: Paul Bettany, Dennis Quaid, Adrianne Palicki, Charles S Dutton, Lucas Black, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Durand, Doug Jones Directed by: Scott Stewart Based on: An original screenplay written by Scott Stewart and Peter Schink. Notes: A great idea executed very well, besides a little bit of questionable cgi. And how hot was Paul Bettany in this era? Whew! fans self
Number 22
Title:Evil Dead Year: 2013 Plot: Five friends head to a remote cabin to help one of them get clean, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads them to unwittingly summon up demons living in the nearby woods. Starring: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Jessica Lucas, Lou Taylor Pucci, Elizabeth Blackmore Directed by: Fede Alvarez Based on: An original screenplay written by Fede Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues, which is a soft reboot of the film The Evil Dead written and directed by Sam Raimi. Notes: I loved this film, but I will probably never watch it again. The gore is much more gory than I usually like it, but they did a really good job with this film. I hated the original, so I was hesitant to see this one, but was pleasantly surprised to see that all the silliness of the original was gone, replaced by a dour, bleak atmosphere.
Number 21
Title:Europa Report Year: 2013 Plot: An international crew of astronauts undertakes a privately funded mission to search for life on Jupiter’s fourth largest moon. Starring: Sharlto Copley, Michael Nyqvist, Christian Camargo, Embeth Davidtz, Daniel Wu, Karolina Wydra, Anamaria Marinca, Isiah Whitlock Jr Directed by: Sebastián Cordero Based on: An original screenplay written by Philip Gelatt. Notes: Some minor technical issues aside, this film is refreshingly accurate when it comes to science fiction. There was a great attention to detail, and it paid off. Very well done.
Number 20
Title:The Void Year: 2016 Plot: Shortly after delivering a patient to an understaffed hospital, a police officer experiences strange and violent occurrences seemingly linked to a group of mysterious hooded figures. Starring: Aaron Poole, Kathleen Munroe, Ellen Wong, Kenneth Welsh, Art Hindle, Stephanie Belding, James Millington Directed by: Jeremy Gillespie, Steven Kostanski Based on: An original screenplay written by Steven Kostanski and Jeremy Gillespie, although they were heavily inspired by HP Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos. Notes: When cosmic horror is done right, it can be really awesome. When done wrong, it’s silly and dumb. This movie falls into the former category. So good. And the practical effects were really great. It’s always good to see filmmakers who don’t rely too heavily on cgi.
Number 19
Title:Insidious Year: 2010 Plot: Josh and Renai Lambert move into their new home with their three children. As a mysterious accident leaves their boy, Dalton, in a science-defying coma for months, blood-chilling occurrences in the house can only mean one thing: something evil has set its sights on robbing the Lamberts of what they hold dear. Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Barbara Hershey, Joseph Bishara Directed by: James Wan Based on: An original screenplay written by Leigh Whannell. Notes: A creepy story written by Leigh Whannell, masterfully directed by James Wan, and a moody-ass, string-heavy score by Joseph Bishara, there was no way this film was going to be bad. I did find the last 20 minutes or so a little silly, but it was still very well done.
Number 18
Title:Incarnate Year: 2016 Plot: A scientist with the ability to enter the subconscious minds of the possessed must save a young boy from the grips of a demon with powers never seen before, while facing the horrors of his past. Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Carice van Houten, David Mazouz, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Keir O’Donnell, Matt Nable, Emily Jackson, Paul Vincent O’Connor Directed by: Brad Peyton Based on: An original screenplay written by Ronnie Christensen. Notes: I never see anyone talk about this movie, and it’s a damned shame. The idea is so good, I’m surprised I haven’t seen more like this. Aaron Eckhart was great as the broken scientist who’s still doing good in the world despite himself.
Number 17
Title:A Quiet Place Year: 2018 Plot: A family struggles for survival in a world invaded by blind alien creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing. Starring: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Cade Woodward Directed by: John Krasinski Based on: An original screenplay written by Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, and John Krasinski. Notes: Such a great idea and executed almost perfectly. Even the cgi aliens didn’t bother me so much, they were really well done.
Number 16
Title:Star Trek Into Darkness Year: 2013 Plot: After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction. Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldaña, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Greenwood, Leonard Nimoy Directed by: JJ Abrams Based on: An original screenplay written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. Based on characters created by Gene Roddenberry. Notes: I know I’m probably in the minority here, but I really loved this movie. It’s just a fun, action packed good time. Now, would I have loved it as much without Benedict? Hm, hard to say…
Number 15
Title:Devil Year: 2010 Plot: A group of strangers are trapped in an elevator while a detective watches them via the elevator’s security cameras. Soon it becomes clear that they aren’t alone in there, and they begin dying, one by one. Starring: Chris Messina, Logan Marshall-Green, Caroline Dhavernas, Bokeem Woodbine, Jenny O’Hara, Bojana Novakovic, Geoffrey Arend, Jacob Vargas, Matt Craven Directed by: John Erick Dowdle Based on: An original screenplay written by M Night Shyamalan and Brian Nelson. Notes: Another one that doesn’t get talked about enough. Such a simple premise, but it’s executed flawlessly. It’s always a gamble to have your entire film set in one location, but this was never boring.
Number 14
Title: Winter’s Tale Year: 2014 Plot: One night in winter, Peter Lake, orphan and master-mechanic, attempts to rob a fortress-like mansion on the Upper West Side. Though he thinks the house is empty, the daughter of the house is home. Thus begins the love between Peter and Beverly Penn, a young lady who is dying. Starring: Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Russell Crowe, William Hurt, Jennifer Connelly, Ripley Sobo, Scott Grimes, Graham Greene, Kevin Durand, Finn Wittrock, Will Smith, Novelisto D (Listo) the Horse Directed by: Akiva Goldsman Based on: The book Winter’s Tale written by Mark Helprin. Notes: Movies don’t get much more schmoopy than this, folks. Disgustingly romantic, filmed beautifully, with a haunting score by Hans Zimmer, this movie is simply beautiful. And bring a whole box of Kleenex. You’re gonna need it!
Number 13
Title:Sinister Year: 2012 Plot: A controversial true-crime writer finds a box of Super 8 home movies in his new home, revealing that the murder case he is currently researching could be the work of an unknown serial killer whose legacy dates back to the 1960s. Starring: Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, Michael Hall D’Addario, Clare Foley, James Ransone, Vincent D’Onofrio, Fred Thompson, Nicholas King Directed by: Scott Derrickson Based on: An original screenplay written by Scott Derrickson and C Robert Cargill. Notes: This movie got a 6.8 on IMDb, which is amazing for a horror film. Ethan Hawke gives an amazing performance under Scott Derrickson’s masterful direction. It was a match made in heaven.
Number 12
Title:The Cabin in the Woods Year: 2011 Plot: Five young people visit a remote cabin and explore its cellar, finding strange items. When Dana reads from a book there, she unleashes zombie killers. But the situation is more complex than it appears. Starring: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford, Brian White, Amy Acker, Tom Lenk, Dan Payne, Jodelle Ferland Directed by: Drew Goddard Based on: An original screenplay written by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard. Notes: I had no intention of seeing this film after watching the trailer. Meh, I thought, another teen slasher, no thanks. But then I saw it: “written by Joss Whedon”. And that changed everything. I was already a huge fan of his from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, so I had to see it. And boy, am I glad I did. This movie is the perfect balance of comedy and horror, and the idea is just so damn good. Sure, Joss Whedon is a piece of shit, but he knows how to write!
Number 11
Title:The Autopsy of Jane Doe Year: 2016 Plot: Sheriff Burke delivers an unidentified body to Tommy and Austin Tilden. As they perform an autopsy, impossible discoveries emerge. Each new finding deepens a mystery that threatens their survival. Starring: Brian Cox, Emile Hirsch, Olwen Catherine Kelly, Ophelia Lovibond, Michael McElhatton, Sydney the Cat Directed by: André Øvredal Based on: An original screenplay written by Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing. Notes: I had to wait so long to watch this film because it wasn’t available on any platform in Canada. Finally, I was able to buy it on YouTube, and let me tell you, it was worth all the trouble. This film is tense from start to finish, each new layer more interesting than the next.
Number 10
Title:Warm Bodies Year: 2013 Plot: After a highly unusual zombie saves a still-living girl from an attack, the two form a relationship that sets in motion events that might transform the entire lifeless world. Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich, Analeigh Tipton, Rob Corddry, Dave Franco, Cory Hardrict Directed by: Jonathan Levine Based on: The book Warm Bodies written by Isaac Marion, with some inspiration taken from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Notes: Parts funny, parts romantic, and parts tense, this film really delivers. Anyone saying it’s just Twilight with zombies has obviously never seen the film. The book is also good, albeit a bit darker.
Number 9
Title:Warcraft Year: 2016 Plot: As an Orc horde invades Azeroth using a magic portal, a few human heroes and dissenting Orcs must attempt to stop the true evil behind this war. Starring: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell (v.o.), Ben Schnetzer, Ben Foster, Robert Kazinsky (v.o.), Ruth Negga, Daniel Wu (v.o.), Clancy Brown (v.o.), Anna Galvin (v.o.), Callum Keith Rennie, Burkely Duffield Directed by: Duncan Jones Based on: The Warcraft game series created by Blizzard Entertainment. Notes: As an avid player of World of Warcraft, I was super excited when this was announced. I waited with bated breath and when it finally came out, I went to see it on opening night, which I never do. And it did not disappoint. Besides engaging characters and clever dialog, this film looks beautiful. I generally don’t like when there’s too much cgi, but they really spared no expense making this movie, and you can see it. The Orcs look absolutely stunning, and the magic is suitably showy. Just wonderful.
Number 8
Title:The Avengers Year: 2012 Plot: Earth’s mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity. Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgård, Samuel L Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Bettany (v.o.) Directed by: Joss Whedon Based on: The comic book series The Avengers created by Stan Lee for Marvel Comics. Notes: Before superhero fatigue set in, I was all about the Marvel films, and this first Avengers movie remains the best of them. Written and directed by Joss Whedon, it’s a fun, quippy, action packed good time.
Number 7
Title:Dracula Untold Year: 2014 Plot: As his kingdom is being threatened by the Turks, young prince Vlad Tepes must become a monster feared by his own people in order to obtain the power needed to protect his family, and the families of his kingdom. Starring: Luke Evans, Dominic Cooper, Sarah Gadon, Art Parkinson, Charles Dance, Diarmaid Murtagh, Paul Kaye, William Houston, Noah Huntley Directed by: Gary Shore Based on: A character from the book Dracula written by Bram Stoker (origin story). Notes: Absolutely wonderful. They did a great job with the origin story of Dracula as Vlad the Impaler. I very much doubt he was as loving and kind as he was portrayed in the film, but that’s besides the point. My only gripe with the film is Dominic Cooper, who’s quite white, as a Turk. Other than that, it’s almost perfect.
Number 6
Title:The Martian Year: 2015 Plot: An astronaut stranded on Mars must rely on his ingenuity to survive and arrange a potential rescue. Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sean Bean, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Benedict Wong, Mackenzie Davis, Donald Glover Directed by: Ridley Scott Based on: The book The Martian written by Andy Weir. Notes: I was very apprehensive about this movie. The book was one of the best I’d read in a long time, and I didn’t want Hollywood to ruin it. I also wasn’t thrilled at the casting of Matt Damon. Nothing against him, I just didn’t think he could pull off nerdy. Well, I had nothing to worry about. I think this has to be one of the best adaptations I’ve ever seen. Sure, there are parts missing, but that’s to be expected when you want to tell a story in or under 2 hours. Simply marvelous!
Number 5
Title:The Woman in Black Year: 2012 Plot: A young solicitor travels to a remote village where he discovers that the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals. Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Ciarán Hinds, Janet McTeer, Shaun Dooley, Mary Stockley, Jessica Raine, Liz White Directed by: James Watkins Based on: The book The Woman in Black written by Susan Hill. Notes: Now this is how you do period piece horror! Dripping with atmosphere, it’s suspenseful and sometimes scary. It’s a great ghost story. I haven’t read the book, but I hear this was a good adaptation.
Number 4
Title:Crimson Peak Year: 2015 Plot: A new bride investigates ghostly visions at a remote gothic mansion that holds dark secrets. Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Charlie Hunnam, Jim Beaver, Burn Gorman, Doug Jones Directed by: Guillermo del Toro Based on: An original screenplay written by Guillermo del Toro and Matthew Robbins. Notes: I actually wasn’t thrilled with this one the first time I saw it, mostly because it wasn’t entirely what I expected. But subsequent viewings changed my mind, and now I think it’s wonderful. The locations, the costumes, and yes, the actors, are all stunning.
Number 3
Title: Deliver Us from Evil Year: 2014 Plot: New York police officer Ralph Sarchie begins investigating a series of disturbing and inexplicable crimes. He joins forces with an unconventional priest schooled in the rituals of exorcism, to combat the frightening and demonic possessions that are terrorizing their city. Starring: Eric Bana, Edgar Ramírez, Olivia Munn, Joel McHale, Sean Harris, Chris Coy, Dorian Missick, Lulu Wilson, Olivia Horton Directed by: Scott Derrickson Based on: The book Beware the Night written by Ralph Sarchie and Lisa Collier Cool. Notes: I absolutely love this movie. It’s dripping with atmosphere (literally, it’s always raining), it’s tense and scary. All the actors do a standout job.
Number 2
Title: It Year: 2017 Plot: In the summer of 1989, a group of bullied kids band together to destroy a shape-shifting monster, which disguises itself as a clown and preys on the children of Derry, their small Maine town. Starring: Jaeden Martell, Finn Wolfhard, Sophia Lillis, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Jack Dylan Grazer, Chosen Jacobs, Wyatt Oleff, Nicholas Hamilton, Owen Teague, Jackson Robert Scott, Bill Skarsgård Directed by: Andy Muschietti Based on: The book It written by Stephen King. Notes: I have nothing but love for the original 1990 miniseries, Tim Curry was the bomb as Pennywise. But this is clearly the superior film. It’s tense, it’s scary, and it’s heartwarming all at the same time. The characters are wonderfully written (which is no surprise considering they’re Stephen King characters). And Bill Skarsgård really made the character his own and did an amazing job at it.
Number 1
Title:The Conjuring Year: 2013 Plot: Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Starring: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Shanley Caswell, Joey King, Hayley McFarland, Kyla Deaver, Shannon Kook, John Brotherton, Mackenzie Foy, Sterling Jerins, Steve Coulter, Joseph Bishara Directed by: James Wan Based on: The book House of Darkness, House of Light by Andrea Perron. Notes: Over the years, this has become my comfort movie. Whenever I’m not feeling well, or if I don’t know what to do with myself, I’ll throw this film on. It’s so well done, we really care about the family since they spend time getting to know them. Whatever your thoughts on the real Ed and Lorraine Warren are (cough frauds cough), there’s no denying that their stories make for excellent films!
And that’s it! I hope you enjoyed my list. What are your favourites of the 2010’s? Let me know!
These were incredibly hard to rank, harder than any other decade, because this is the decade that I grew up in and started to mold my mind into what kind of media I’d like for the rest of my life. I saw most of these films before I was 10 years old (yes, I was probably too young for some of them), and they’re imprinted permanently into my brain. It was very hard to keep the list to 30 (not as hard as it was in the upcoming 90s list, but still). So here they are, my top 30 movies of the 80s!
Number 30
Title:Weird Science Year: 1985 Plot: Two high-school nerds use a computer program to literally create the perfect woman, who promptly turns their lives upside-down. Starring: Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Anthony Michael Hall, Kelly LeBrock, Suzanne Snyder, Judie Aronson, Bill Paxton, Robert Downey Jr Directed by: John Hughes Based on: The comic book Weird Science #5: Made of the Future by Al Feldstein Notes: Yes, it’s got some problematic things in it, but this film is so much fun! A classic teen movie (made way before I was a teen) that just makes me laugh. Plus, it’s fun to see Bill Paxton (rip) and Robert Downey Jr in early roles.
Number 29
Title:The Secret of NIMH Year: 1982 Plot: To save her ill son, a field mouse must seek the aid of a colony of rats, with whom she has a deeper link than she suspected. Starring: Elizabeth Hartman, Derek Jacobi, Dom DeLuise, Peter Strauss, Arthur Malet, Hermione Baddeley, Shannen Doherty, Wil Wheaton, John Carradine, Paul Shenar Directed by: Don Bluth Based on: The book Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C O’Brien Notes: One of my absolute favourites growing up. I kept on wanting it higher on the list, but there are simply too many amazing movies from this decade! Also, I had no idea that Shannen Doherty (rip) and Wil Wheaton were the voices of two of the Brisby kids!
Number 28
Title:Ghostbusters Year: 1984 Plot: Armed with proton packs, four paranormal investigators battle mischievous ghouls in New York. Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, Rick Moranis, William Atherton, Slavitza Jovan Directed by: Ivan Reitman Based on: An original screenplay written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis Notes: What can I say about this film? It’s an absolute classic! It never fails to make me laugh.
Number 27
Title:Silver Bullet Year: 1985 Plot: In a small town, brutal killings start to plague the close-knit community. Marty Coslaw, a paraplegic boy, is convinced the murders are the doings of a werewolf. Starring: Corey Haim, Gary Busey, Everett McGill, Megan Follows, Robin Groves, Leon Russom, Terry O’Quinn, Bill Smitrovich Directed by: Daniel Attias Based on: The novella Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King Notes: Corey Haim (rip) was one of the first actors that I remember really having a crush on when I was a kid after seeing him in The Lost Boys and Watchers. He’s much younger in this film, but still adorable. The film itself is fun, and the werewolf effects were pretty good for the time. I miss practical effects…
Number 26
Title:The Serpent and the Rainbow Year: 1988 Plot: An anthropologist goes to Haiti to research a drug that makes someone appear dead by suspending all vital signs. Starring: Bill Pullman, Cathy Tyson, Zakes Mokae, Paul Winfield, Michael Gough, Brent Jennings, Conrad Roberts, Badja Djola Directed by: Wes Craven Based on: The non-fiction book The Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis Notes: The author famously hated the film, and it faced some serious backlash for its fictionalized portrayal of Haitian Vodou and the Haitians in general. But, and I may be wrong here, it’s a fictional movie. It never pretends to be a true story. I loved this film, I thought it was a very neat and different angle to the zombie story.
Number 25
Title:Warlock Year: 1989 Plot: A warlock flees from the 17th to the 20th century, with a witch-hunter in hot pursuit. Starring: Julian Sands, Richard E Grant, Lori Singer, Mary Woronov, Kevin O’Brien Directed by: Steve Miner Based on: An original screenplay written by David Twohy Notes: This film is so good. The film takes its subject matter seriously, even though the premise is kind of silly. Wonderfully campy and acted better than most movies in its genre, it’s definitely a gem of the 80’s. And Julian Sands (rip), my goodness. One of my very first crushes on a grownup. I can still picture tween me watching this with hearts in my eyes, hehe.
Number 24
Title:Pet Sematary Year: 1989 Plot: After tragedy strikes, a grieving father discovers an ancient burial ground behind his home with the power to raise the dead. Starring: Dale Midkiff, Denise Crosby, Fred Gwynne, Brad Greenquist, Miko Hughes, Michael Lombard, Blaze Berdahl Directed by: Mary Lambert Based on: The book Pet Sematary by Stephen King Notes:Pet Sematary is one of my favourite Stephen King books, and this happens to be a great adaptation. Sure, they changed some things, but on the whole, they did an awesome job. It’s sure to give you goosebumps!
Number 23
Title:Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Year: 1989 Plot: In 1938, after his father goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, Indiana Jones finds himself up against the Nazis again to stop them from obtaining its powers. Starring: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody, Denholm Elliott, John Rhys-Davies, Julian Glover, River Phoenix Directed by: Steven Spielberg Based on: An original screenplay written by Jeffrey Boam Notes: The best of the three Indiana Jones films, this is the only one that I still rewatch from time to time. Fun and sometimes tense, this is a wonderful conclusion to the story. (Yes, I’m fully aware there’s more, I just don’t acknowledge them). The addition of Sean Connery (rip) as Indy’s dad is wonderful. They really seem like a father and son.
Number 22
Title:Rock & Rule Year: 1983 Plot: A malevolent rock star kidnaps a singer to force her to participate in the summoning of a demon, and her band must help her stop him. Starring: Don Francks, Susan Roman, Paul Le Mat, Dan Hennessey, Greg Duffell, Chris Wiggins, Brent Titcomb, Catherine Gallant, Catherine O’Hara Directed by: Clive A Smith Based on: Loosely based on the short story The Devil and Daniel Webster by Stephen Vincent Benét Notes: I don’t remember how I came to see this film. I know we didn’t own the vhs. Maybe taped off of late night tv? In any case, this little, mostly forgotten Canadian film is, in my opinion, the very best in the genre. Forget the much over-rated Heavy Metal, this adult cartoon is where it’s at. Awesome animation, kick ass soundtrack, and great story, this is a must-see for anyone who likes adult animation.
Number 21
Title:From Beyond Year: 1986 Plot: A group of scientists have developed the Resonator, a machine which allows whoever is within range to see beyond normal perceptible reality. But when the experiment succeeds, they are immediately attacked by terrible life forms. Starring: Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Ken Foree, Ted Sorel, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon Directed by: Stuart Gordon Based on: The short story From Beyond by HP Lovecraft Notes: I tend to love adaptations of Lovecraft’s works even when they aren’t that good. This one is great, with a wonderful lead performance by Jeffrey Combs (the go-to actor for Lovecraft adaptations). The practical effects are stunning and hold up well, even today.
Number 20
Title:Beetlejuice Year: 1988 Plot: The spirits of a deceased couple are harassed by an unbearable family that has moved into their home, and hire a malicious spirit to drive them out. Starring: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones, Glenn Shadix Directed by: Tim Burton Based on: An original screenplay written by Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson Notes: Back when Tim Burton was still at the top of his game. So much fun, completely off the wall bonkers, and I love every second of it. It’s wickedly funny with awesome practical effects, it’s been one of my favourites since I was a kid.
Number 19
Title:Return to Oz Year: 1985 Plot: Dorothy Gale (who’s somehow much younger now), saved from a psychiatric experiment by a mysterious girl, is somehow called back to Oz when a vain witch and the Nome King destroy everything that makes the magical land beautiful. Starring: Fairuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie, Sean Barrett, Denise Bryer, Brian Henson, Lyle Conway, Justin Case, John Alexander, Deep Roy, Emma Ridley, Tansy the Dog Directed by: Walter Murch Based on: The books Ozma of Oz and The Land of Oz by L Frank Baum Notes: It’s not often a sequel is better than the first film, but this one definitely is. It’s crazy on so many levels, and shit-your-pants terrifying in others, they simply don’t make them like this anymore. What a shame.
Number 18
Title:Amadeus Year: 1984 Plot: The life, music, and death of musical prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Starring: Tom Hulce, F Murray Abraham, Elizabeth Berridge, Roy Dotrice, Simon Callow, Christine Ebersole, Jeffrey Jones, Charles Kay Directed by: Milos Forman Based on: The play Amadeus written by Peter Shaffer, also based on a true story… more or less Notes: I knew going into it that it wasn’t historically accurate. And do I care? Not a lick. I know a biopic is supposed to tell a true story, and I’m sorry that people might think that this is the way things actually went down, but I’ll be damned if I don’t just love this film to pieces. Fart jokes and all.
Number 17
Title:Moonstruck Year: 1987 Plot: Loretta Castorini, a bookkeeper from Brooklyn, finds herself in a difficult situation when she falls for the brother of the man she has agreed to marry. Starring: Cher, Nicolas Cage, Olympia Dukakis, Vincent Gardenia, Danny Aiello, John Mahoney Directed by: Norman Jewison Based on: An original screenplay written by John Patrick Shanley Notes: I absolutely love this film. Cher is wonderful (and disgustingly beautiful) as Loretta, and her chemistry with Nicolas Cage’s Ronnie is electric. This is one of my very favourite chick flicks.
Number 16
Title:The Neverending Story Year: 1984 Plot: Troubled Bastian “borrows” a book from a bookstore and dives into the world of Fantasia where a dark Nothing is destroying everything. The only one who can save the day is young warrior Atreyu. Starring: Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Alan Oppenheimer, Tami Stronach, Sydney Bromley, Patricia Hayes, Deep Roy, Tilo Prückner, Moses Gunn, Thomas Hill, Gerald McRaney, Alma the Horse Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen Based on: The book Die Unendliche Geschichte by Michael Ende Notes: This was one of my favourites as a kid, and it’s still now. I’m surprised it’s not higher on my list because I literally wore the vhs out, but that just goes to show how awesome 80s films were. Despite some of the acting being rather shaky (especially the Child-like Empress, yikes), this film is simply marvelous. Fantasia is beautiful, most of the practical effects are cool, and while it’s quite different from the book, the story is still amazing, even today. Noah Hathaway as Atreyu was my very first movie crush, and remained so until I passed the character in age, about 7 years later.
Number 15
Title:Ladyhawke Year: 1985 Plot: An evil Bishop curses a woman and her lover when she rejects him. With the help of a sly thief, they will travel back to the Bishop and try break the curse. Starring: Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Leo McKern, John Wood, Ken Hutchison, Giancarlo Prete, Alfred Molina Directed by: Richard Donner Based on: An original screenplay written by Edward Khmara, Michael de Guzman, Tom Mankiewicz, and David Peoples Notes: Such a beautiful film. Nauseatingly romantic, this film has a bit for everyone. Schmoop, laughter, action, and drama, this is simply a wonderful, wonderful film.
Number 14
Title: The Great Mouse Detective Year: 1986 Plot: Detective Basil of Baker Street investigates the kidnapping of a toy maker and uncovers its link to his archenemy, Professor Ratigan. Starring: Barrie Ingham, Vincent Price, Val Bettin, Susanne Pollatschek, Candy Candido, Alan Young, Diana Chesney Directed by: Ron Clements, Burny Mattinson, Dave Michener, John Musker Based on: The book series Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus Notes: One of my very favourite Disney films, surpassed only by one, which is later in the list. I absolutely love this little mousey version of Sherlock Holmes, and Vincent Price (rip) as the villain? Of course he is. No one could have done it better.
Number 13
Title:A Nightmare on Elm Street Year: 1984 Plot: In the dreams of his victims, a spectral child murderer stalks the children of the members of the lynch mob that killed him. Starring: Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, Johnny Depp, Amanda Wyss, Nick Corri, Charles Fleischer, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley Directed by: Wes Craven Based on: An original screenplay written by Wes Craven, although he was heavily inspired by real-life news reports of refugees dying in their sleep from extreme nightmares, often referred to as Sudden Unexpected Nocturnal Death Syndrome. Notes: This was the very first horror movie I ever saw, which means I was just a wee thing (only 3 or 4 years old) when I partially saw it from where I was hiding while my cousins, who thought I was in bed, were watching. And it’s stuck with me ever since, still one of my favourites, even with the sometimes laughable acting and effects. When a movie is this good, lots of stuff can be over-looked!
Number 12
Title:Poltergeist Year: 1982 Plot: A young family are visited by ghosts in their home. At first the ghosts appear friendly, moving objects around the house to the amusement of everyone, then they turn nasty and start to terrorize the family before they kidnap the youngest daughter. Starring: Craig T Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Beatrice Straight, Heather O’Rourke, Dominique Dunne, Oliver Robins, Martin Casella, Zelda Rubinstein Directed by: Tobe Hooper Based on: An original screenplay written by Steven Spielberg, Michael Grais, and Mark Victor, although they were heavily inspired by the supposed true haunting of the Hermann family in Long Island, in 1958. Notes: An absolute classic of the genre, it’s still one of the very best haunted house films ever made, even 44 years later. Also, I hate clowns, even toy ones *shudder*
Number 11
Title: The Princess Bride Year: 1987 Plot: While home sick in bed, a young boy’s grandfather reads him a story called The Princess Bride, about a young woman, believing her true love to be dead, who settles with marrying a wicked prince. When her love turns out to be alive, he sets about rescuing her from the prince’s clutches. Starring: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Chris Sarandon, André the Giant, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, Peter Falk, Fred Savage, Peter Cook, Mel Smith, Billy Crystal, Carol Kane Directed by: Rob Reiner Based on: The book The Princess Bride by William Goldman Notes: This film is both schmoopy and full of adventures, perfect for kids and adults alike. And one more thing: Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.
Number 10
Title:The Goonies Year: 1985 Plot: After finding out that his family will loose their home to an unscrupulous developer who’s buying up the neighbourhood to tear everything down and build a golf course, a teen and his friends make a pact to find a hidden treasure of legend in a local cave. Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Jeff Cohen, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, Ke Huy Quan, John Matuszak, Robert Davi, Joe Pantoliano, Anne Ramsey Directed by: Richard Donner Based on: An original screenplay written by Chris Columbus, based on a story by Steven Spielberg Notes: I can’t count the number of times I watched this as a kid. It’s so much fun with lots to appeal to both kids and adults. Adventure, danger, traps, and even a little romance.
Number 9
Title:Near Dark Year: 1987 Plot: After being bit by a beautiful vampire, a young man is given an ultimatum by her family: make a kill within a week, or die. When he realizes he can’t kill, he and the girl run off, with her family in hot pursuit. Starring: Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, Jenette Goldstein, Joshua John Miller, Tom Thomerson Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow Based on: An original screenplay written by Kathryn Bigelow and Eric Red Notes: The other vampire film that came out in 1987, this one is decidedly more adult, and was criminally overlooked. I saw this for the first time as a teenager, and it had everything a teenage girl could possibly want. Romance, eye candy, and lots and lots of blood. Oh yeah!
Number 8
Title:Willow Year: 1988 Plot: A reluctant dwarf must play a critical role in protecting a special baby from an evil queen. Starring: Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Jean Marsh, Patricia Hayes, Billy Barty, Kevin Pollak, Rick Overton, Pat Roach, Gavan O’Herlihy, David Steinberg, Phil Fondacaro Directed by: Ron Howard Based on: An original screenplay by Bob Dolman, based on a story by George Lucas Notes: Such a wonderful, beautiful story. Good acting and surprisingly good effects for its time, it still holds up very well today. Plus, Val Kilmer (rip) is smokin’ hot as Madmartigan, who was one of my very first adult crushes.
Number 7
Title:Aliens Year: 1986 Plot: Decades after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley is sent out to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring. Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, Paul Reiser, Jenette Goldstein, William Hope, Al Matthews Directed by: James Cameron Based on: An original screenplay written by James Cameron, although he acknowledged inspiration from Robert A Heinlein’s novel Starship Troopers Notes: Simply the best space/alien movie ever, full stop. I saw this (probably way too young) on tv when I was about 8 or 9 and have loved it since then. Action packed and tense, with killer effects, this film rocks!
Number 6
Title:The Black Cauldron Year: 1985 Plot: A young boy and a group of misfit friends embark on a quest to find a dark magic item of ultimate power before a diabolical tyrant can. Starring: Grant Bardsley, Susan Sheridan, Freddie Jones, Nigel Hawthorne, John Byner, Arthur Malet, Phil Fondacaro, John Hurt Directed by: Ted Berman, Richard Rich Based on: The first two books in The Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander, titled The Book of Three and The Black Cauldron Notes: This is my favourite Disney movie, and probably their darkest. It didn’t do well upon release, so that put an end to “dark Disney”, which was a real shame for weirdo kids like me.
Number 5
Title:The Dark Crystal Year: 1982 Plot: On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal, and so restore order to his world. Starring: Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Percy Edwards, Billie Whitelaw, Barry Dennen, Jerry Nelson, Joseph O’Conor Directed by: Jim Henson, Frank Oz Based on: An original screenplay written by David Odell, based on a story created by Jim Henson and Frank Oz Notes: So many of the films I loved as a child are like this one, “too weird and scary” for today’s wimpy children. I’m not sure what the people who made children’s movies were on in the 80s, but I want some. This film is both heartwarming and tense, with simply stunning puppetry and locations.
Number 4
Title:Fright Night Year: 1985 Plot: A teen becomes suspicious of his new neighbour when bodies of young women are found dumped in trash bags. He soon realizes the suave, handsome man is an evil vampire, and he tries to enlist the help of a tv vampire slayer to stop him. Starring: Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, Roddy McDowall, Stephen Geoffreys, Jonathan Stark, Dorothy Fielding, Art Evans Directed by: Tom Holland Based on: An original screenplay written by Tom Holland Notes: One of the original great horror-comedies, this film is fun, campy, and scary. The actors are perfect in their roles, especially Chris Sarandon as the evil yet seductive Jerry Dandridge. The remake, while nowhere near as good as this one, is still worth a gander.
Number 3
Title:Legend Year: 1985 Plot: A young man must stop the Lord of Darkness from both destroying daylight and marrying the woman he loves. Starring: Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry, David Bennent, Annabelle Lanyon, Alice Playten, Billy Barty, Cork Hubbert, Robert Picardo Directed by: Ridley Scott Based on: An original screenplay written by William Hjortsberg, although he was heavily inspired by classic fairy tales and Celtic art, particularly the book Faeries by Brian Froud and Alan Lee. Notes: I’m not sure if the creators of this film intended it to be a kids film or an adults, but I know I saw it as a kid (of course I did). This film, effects-wise, was so far ahead of its time that it would be impressive even if it came out today. And Tim Curry is deliciously evil as Darkness (although I heard that he hated the makeup process, those horns weighed a ton!)
Number 2
Title:Labyrinth Year: 1986 Plot: Fifteen-year-old Sarah accidentally wishes her baby half-brother, Toby, away to the Goblin King Jareth, who will keep him if Sarah does not complete his Labyrinth in thirteen hours. Starring: Jennifer Connelly, David Bowie, Brian Henson, Ron Mueck, Dave Goelz, David Shaughnessy, Michael Hordern, Denise Bryer, David Healy, Robert Beatty, Toby Froud Directed by: Jim Henson Based on: An original screenplay written by Terry Jones, based on a story by Jim Henson and Brian Froud, although they acknowledged they were heavily inspired by Outside Over There by Maurice Sendak Notes: If I had to absolutely choose a favourite fantasy film of all time, this would be it. I saw it at 5 years old, when it came out, and I’ve seen it well over 100 times. I learned all the words, songs and talked, in a very short time, and I still know most of them now. It’s an absolutely perfect piece of film. And David Bowie (rip) is so beautiful in this, I can’t help but swoon every time. They just don’t make them like this anymore. What a pity…
Number 1
Title:The Lost Boys Year: 1987 Plot: When brothers Sam and Michael move to a new town after their parents’ divorce, they quickly realize that the town is over-run by vampires. Sam gets help from self-appointed vampire slayers, but for Michael it may be too late… Starring: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Keifer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, Dianne Wiest, Barnard Hughes, Edward Herrmann, Jamison Newlander, Alex Winter, Billy Wirth, Brooke McCarter, Chance Michael Corbitt, Folsom the Dog, Cody the Dog Directed by: Joel Schumacher Based on: An original screenplay written by Janice Fischer and James Jeremias Notes: It was the first vampire movie I ever saw, and was the beginning of a life-long love affair with all things that go bump in the night. I was 6 when this came out, and my mom bought it on vhs and hid it from me, saying it was “too scary”. By the time she’d caught me with it, I’d already watched it about 20 times. Not too scary for this weirdo!
And there it is, 30 of the best films from the 80s. I had a hell of time choosing between Labyrinth and The Lost Boys as my number 1, I think I love them both equally. And I do think the ranking is pretty fluid here. A lot of these can be interchangeable, depending on my mood.
Shout-outs go to the following films for almost making the list:
Watchers Re-animator Cellar Dweller Just One of the Guys Pretty in Pink The Breakfast Club Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Twice Upon a Time Stand By Me Firestarter
Some of these were so close to making the list that it hurt to leave them off, but adding them would just make an already long list even longer, so here they are.
I love watching lists on YouTube, and one of the guys I like watching is Daniel over on The Cobwebs Channel. He’s a fan of all things horror, so his lists often reflect that. One series of videos he made is his favourite horror films of each decade, starting with the 30s. I was inspired to make my own version of that, but not only horror films. So be prepared for a grab bag of stuff, hehe. I’m not really a fan of old timey films, so my first post will be for the 70s and before, and I was only able to find 12 that I really loved. Starting next post, though, it’ll be a top 30, and I had all the trouble in the world to keep it at 30. So, without further ado, here’s my favourite films of the 70s (and before)!
Number 12
Title:Cleopatra Year: 1963 Plot: Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt experiences both triumph and tragedy as she attempts to resist the imperial ambitions of Rome. Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison, Richard Burton, George Cole, Hume Cronyn, Cesare Danova, Kenneth Haigh, Andrew Keir, Martin Landau, Roddy McDowall, Robert Stephens, Pamela Brown Directed by: Joseph L Mankiewicz, Rouben Mamoulian Based on a book?: Yes, The Life and Times of Cleopatra by Carlo Maria Franzero Notes: I absolutely love ancient history, so it’s almost a given that I’d love this. It’s beautiful, it’s lush, the costumes are out of this world (and cost a pretty penny, even in 1960s terms). The only reason it’s not higher up on the list is the second half of the film lulls a bit and is not nearly as good as the first half. The film is also unbelievably long, clocking in at 5h 20m, which I wouldn’t have minded if the Marc Antony part was as good as the Julius Caesar part.
Number 11
Title:The Rocky Horror Picture Show Year: 1975 Plot: A rain-soaked couple take refuge in the castle of a (sweet) transvestite mad scientist from outer space who is about to unveil his greatest creation. Starring: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O’Brien, Patricia Quinn, Little Nell Campbell, Peter Hinwood, Jonathan Adams, Meat Loaf, Charles Gray Directed by: Jim Sharman Based on a book?: No Notes: I hated this film the first time I saw it. I don’t even remember who got me to give it a second chance, but I thank them. This is one of only 2 musicals in any of these lists, cause I’m generally not a fan (I’m not counting Disney films as musicals, they’re their own beast). It’s silly, it’s campy and it’s a lot of fun.
Number 10
Title:Dracula Year: 1979 Plot: In 1913, the charming, seductive and sinister vampire Count Dracula travels to England in search of an immortal bride. Starring: Frank Langella, Laurence Olivier, Kate Nelligan, Donald Pleasence, Trevor Eve, Jan Francis, Tony Haygarth Directed by: John Badham Based on a book?: Yes, Dracula by Bram Stoker Notes: This is the first iteration of Dracula that I ever saw (when I was probably too young), and so when I saw Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1992, I was confused as to why they switched Mina and Lucy’s characters. Imagine my surprise when I read the book and found that the ’92 version had the right of it. I still have no idea why this version switched the names. It’s a little long winded at times, but it’s a beautiful film, Langella is very smooth as the Count.
Number 9
Title:Psycho Year: 1960 Plot: A woman on the run stops for the night at a lonely motel where she meets the nice, if a little odd, Norman Bates. Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, John McIntire, Simon Oakland Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock Based on a book?: Yes, Psycho by Robert Bloch Notes: What can I say about this classic, besides the fact that it’s almost surprising I like it as much as I do? I’m generally not a fan of old timey movies, and I’m generally not a fan of slashers, but there are exceptions to everything. I also can’t deny the effect that this film had on the horror industry as a whole. Being done by a respected director, it put the whole world on notice that horror was more than B-movies.
Number 8
Title:The Ghost and Mrs Muir Year: 1947 Plot: In 1900, a young widow finds her seaside cottage is haunted and forms a unique relationship with the ghost. Starring: Gene Tierney, Rex Harrison, George Sanders, Edna Best, Vanessa Brown, Anna Lee Directed by: Joseph L Mankiewicz Based on a book?: Yes, The Ghost and Mrs Muir by Josephine Leslie (under the pseudonym RA Dick) Notes: Such a cozy, warm movie. I loved the interaction between the gruff old sea captain’s ghost and the eponymous Mrs Muir. I really don’t have much to say about this film besides I was pleasantly surprised that I loved it.
Number 7
Title:Some Like it Hot Year: 1959 Plot: After two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in. Starring: Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe, George Raft, Pat O’Brien, Joe E Brown, Joan Shawlee Directed by: Billy Wilder Based on a book?: No Notes: I absolutely love this film. Yes, the relationships are a little problematic when you think too hard about it, but it’s so charming, so romantic, even funny at times. And Marilyn Monroe was stunning!
Number 6
Title:Invasion of the Body Snatchers Year: 1956 Plot: A small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates. Starring: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates, King Donovan, Carolyn Jones, Jean Willes, Ralph Dumke, Virginia Christine Directed by: Don Siegel Based on a book?: Yes, The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney Notes: When this title is brought up, it’s usually the 70s version that gets all the love. But I prefer this one by leaps and bounds. The sense of creeping dread is there just under the surface, and it’s wonderfully executed.
Number 5
Title:Robin Hood Year: 1973 Plot: Robin Hood, an outlaw with a heart of gold, must save his beloved Nottingham from the evil Prince John all the while wooing his childhood love, Maid Marian. Starring: Brian Bedford, Phil Harris, Monica Evans, Peter Ustinov, Terry-Thomas, Andy Devine, Pat Buttram, Roger Miller, Carole Shelley Directed by: Wolfgang Reitherman, David Hand Based on a book?: While the story itself originates from poems written starting in the 14th century, the first real book written about Robin Hood was The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle Notes: This was one of my favourite movies growing up, so imagine my surprise to learn that it was not well received when it came out. Sure, the character of Little John is basically just Baloo from The Jungle Book (even voiced by the same actor), but the film itself is fun and sweet with some great songs.
Number 4
Title: The Last Man on Earth Year: 1964 Plot: When a disease turns all of humanity into the living dead, the last man on earth becomes a reluctant vampire hunter. Starring: Vincent Price, Franca Bettoia, Emma Danieli, Giacomo Rossi Stuart, Umberto Raho Directed by: Ubaldo Ragona, Sidney Salkow Based on a book?: Yes, I Am Legend by Richard Matheson Notes: Vincent Price is an absolute legend in the horror community, and even though I haven’t seen many of his films, I know this. This film is dark, bleak, and lonely, with a gut punch ending. An absolute hidden classic in my opinion.
Number 3
Title:Wizards Year: 1977 Plot: On a post-apocalyptic Earth, a wizard and his faire folk comrades fight an evil wizard who’s using technology in his bid for conquest. Starring: Bob Holt, Jesse Welles, Richard Romanus, David Proval, Steve Gravers, Jim Connell, Peter Hobbs, Mark Hamill Directed by: Ralph Bakshi Based on a book?: No Notes: I saw this when I was way too young to appreciate the gravity of what was happening in this world. Now that I’m older, I still love it, but for entirely different reasons. This animation is definitely not for kids. Unless, of course, we’re talking about a kid like me, hehe.
Number 2
Title:The Sword in the Stone Year: 1963 Plot: A poor boy named Arthur learns the power of love, kindness, knowledge and bravery with the help of a wizard called Merlin in the path to become one of the most beloved kings in English history. Starring: Rickie Sorensen, Karl Swenson, Junius Matthews, Sebastian Cabot, Norman Alden, Martha Wentworth, Alan Napier Directed by: Wolfgang Reitherman, Clyde Geronimi, David Hand Based on a book?: Yes, The Sword in the Stone by TH White Notes: This is one of my absolute favourite Disney movies of all time. While my love of others that I saw as a kid has somewhat faded, I can still watch this one and love it as much as I did back then. It’s so much fun! The scene where Archimedes is laughing his ass off at Merlin after he got his beard stuck in the propellers of a toy airplane gets me every time.
Number 1
Title:The Exorcist Year: 1973 Plot: When a malevolent entity possesses a young girl, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life. Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow, Lee J Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, William O’Malley, Rudolf Schündler Directed by: William Friedkin Based on a book?: Yes, The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty Notes: As if this is a surprise to anyone who knows me. Thinking of other horror films of the era, this one just stands head and shoulders above the rest. It’s such a bleak film, dealing with things such as the loss of faith and despair. Yes, of course, there are the gross out and scary scenes, but the film is so much more then that. I strongly recommend it to anyone who loves horror and for some reason still haven’t seen it. It holds up surprisingly well for a film made in the early 70s.
And that’s my list! What are your favourites? Stay tuned for the 80s, coming soon!
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved space and everything surrounding it (which, I guess, is literally more space…) I’ve always said, as I look up longingly at the night sky, “all that space, and we’re stuck here”. So it’s no surprise that I also love space movies (aliens optional, but appreciated). So here are my top 18 favourite space/alien films.
Number 18
Title:Independence Day Year: 1996 Plot: After aliens invade the Earth and destroy many major cities around the world, an Army captain, a tech wizard, and the President all fight for the survival of mankind. Starring: Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Vivica A Fox, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Randy Quaid, Margaret Colin, Harry Connick Jr, Robert Loggia, Brent Spiner, James Duval Directed by: Roland Emmerich Based on a book?: No Notes: It’s a bit of a guilty pleasure, but I’ll be damned if I don’t love this film. I just stuff popcorn into my cakehole and have a blast!
Number 17
Title:Invasion of the Body Snatchers Year: 1956 Plot: A small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates. Starring: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates, King Donovan, Carolyn Jones, Jean Willes, Ralph Dumke, Virginia Christine Directed by: Don Siegel Based on a book?: Yes, The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney Notes: I’m not a huge fan of old timey films, but every so often one pops up that I love. This is the best iteration of this story except for…
Number 16
Title: The Faculty Year: 1998 Plot: Six students band together as their high school is over-run by a parasitic alien. Starring: Elijah Wood, Josh Hartnett, Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Shawn Hatosy, Famke Janssen, Salma Hayek, Piper Laurie, Bebe Neuwirth, Robert Patrick, Usher Raymond, Jon Stewart Directed by: Robert Rodriguez Based on a book?: Not as such, but is greatly inspired by The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney and The Puppet Masters by Robert A Heinlein Notes: …this one. I know it’s not exactly the same story, but it’s close enough that it counts. I loved this when it came out, and still love it today. So much fun!
Number 15
Title:Arrival Year: 2016 Plot: Linguist Louise Banks leads a team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors. Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, Mark O’Brien, Tzi Ma, Frank Schorpion, Christian Jadah Directed by: Denis Villeneuve Based on a book?: Yes, the novella Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang Notes: I have yet to see a film by Denis Villeneuve that I haven’t liked and this one is no exception. It’s tense and heartwarming at the same time, with wonderful characters and beautiful alien effects. As a side note, I can pronounce Villeneuve’s name properly cause I’m from Quebec, just like him. It never fails to make me chuckle when I hear someone who doesn’t speak French try pronounce it.
Number 14
Title:Starman Year: 1984 Plot: An alien takes the form of a young widow’s husband and makes her drive him to his departure point in Arizona. Distrustful government agents, along with a more ambivalent scientist, give pursuit in hopes of intercepting them. Starring: Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen, Charles Martin Smith, Richard Jaeckel, Robert Phalen, Tony Edwards, George ‘Buck’ Flower Directed by: John Carpenter Based on a book?: No Notes: This is pure, unadulterated schmoop, and I’m here for it.
Number 13
Title:The Blob Year: 1988 Plot: A deadly entity from space crash-lands near a small town and begins consuming everyone in its path. Panic ensues as shady government scientists try to contain the horrific creature. Starring: Shawnee Smith, Kevin Dillon, Jeffrey DeMunn, Donovan Leitch Jr, Candy Clark, Joe Seneca, Del Close, Paul McCrane Directed by: Chuck Russell Based on a book?: No Notes: This film is so 80’s, and I mean that in the best possible way. The practical effects in this are mind blowing!
Number 12
Title:A Quiet Place Year: 2018 Plot: A family struggles for survival in a world invaded by blind alien creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing. Starring: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Cade Woodward Directed by: John Krasinski Based on a book?: No Notes: This movie was original and tense, and we really feel for this family trying to survive in this new world. Great stuff!
Number 11
Title:Star Trek Generations Year: 1994 Plot: With the help of long presumed dead Captain Kirk, Captain Picard must stop a deranged scientist willing to murder on a planetary scale in order to enter a space matrix. Starring: Patrick Stewart, William Shatner, Malcolm McDowell, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Marina Sirtis, James Doohan, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Walter Koenig, Alan Ruck Directed by: David Carson Based on a book?: No Notes: I loved many of the Star Trek films from each generation, but decided to only put one on this list. I may be in the minority here, but I find Generations to be one of the best. Two captains and a great villain equal a great time!
Number 10
Title:Signs Year: 2002 Plot: A widowed former reverend living with his children and brother on a Pennsylvania farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields, which suggests something more frightening to come. Starring: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin, Cherry Jones, Patricia Kalember Directed by: M Night Shyamalan Based on a book?: No Notes: I love this film. Sometimes schmoopy, sometimes spooky, it’s so well done. And it has one of the best jumpscares ever.
Number 9
Title:The Fifth Element Year: 1997 Plot: In the far future, cab driver Korben Dallas unwittingly becomes the central figure in the search for a legendary cosmic weapon to keep a great evil, and the man helping it, at bay. Starring: Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Chris Tucker, Charlie Creed-Miles, Brion James, Tom Lister Jr, Luke Perry Directed by: Luc Besson Based on a book?: No Notes: This film is a blast, start to finish. Very colourful, action packed fun.
Number 8
Title: The Iron Giant Year: 1999 Plot: A young boy befriends a giant robot from outer space that a paranoid government agent wants to destroy. Starring: Eli Marienthal, Harry Connick Jr, Jennifer Aniston, Vin Diesel, Christopher McDonald, James Gammon, Cloris Leachman, John Mahoney, M Emmet Walsh Directed by: Brad Bird Based on a book?: Yes, The Iron Man by Ted Hughes Notes: One of the best animated films ever. It’s fun, quirky, and boy get your Kleenex ready cause you’re gonna need it!
Number 7
Title:K-Pax Year: 2001 Plot: A psychiatrist tries to determine how best to help a patient who convincingly claims to be from a distant galaxy. Starring: Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges, Mary McCormack, Alfre Woodard, David Patrick Kelly, Saul Williams, Peter Gerety, Celia Weston Directed by: Iain Softley Based on a book?: Yes, K-Pax by Gene Brewer Notes: I adore this movie so much, but I have trouble watching now with such a problematic actor playing such a lovable character.
Number 6
Title:The Avengers Year: 2012 Plot: Earth’s mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity. Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Stellan Skarsgård, Cobie Smulders, Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L Jackson, Paul Bettany (v.o.) Directed by: Joss Whedon Based on a book?: Yes, the comic book series Avengers created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby Notes: Ah, the good old days before superhero fatigue set in for me. This film is all kinds of quippy, quotable awesomeness. And Tom Hiddleston is absolutely delicious as Loki.
Number 5
Title:The Martian Year: 2015 Plot: An astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assumes him dead in a storm, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive and can survive until a potential rescue. Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Michael Peña, Sean Bean, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, Benedict Wong, Mackenzie Davis, Donald Glover Directed by: Ridley Scott Based on a book?: Yes, The Martian by Andy Weir Notes: I adored the book this was based on so much that I went into this with much trepidation, mostly about the casting of Matt Damon as Mark Watney. But I was very wrong. While it does leave a few key scenes out (I imagine for length purposes) the rest is amazing, and very faithful to the book.
Number 4
Title:Pitch Black Year: 2000 Plot: A transport ship crashes and leaves its crew stranded on a desert planet inhabited by bloodthirsty creatures that come out during an eclipse. Starring: Radha Mitchell, Vin Diesel, Cole Hauser, Keith David, Lewis Fitz-Gerald, Claudia Black, Rhiana Griffith Directed by: David Twohy Based on a book?: No Notes: I don’t know if I’m in the minority here, as I often am, but I loved this film so much. I love it just as much now as when I first saw it in the cinema. Great fun!
Number 3
Title:Stargate Year: 1994 Plot: An interstellar teleportation device, found in Egypt, leads to a planet with humans resembling ancient Egyptians who worship the god Ra. Starring: James Spader, Kurt Russell, Jaye Davidson, Alexis Cruz, Mili Avital, Leon Rippy, John Diehl, Erick Avari, Djimon Hounsou, Carlos Lauchu Directed by: Roland Emmerich Based on a book?: No Notes: Marrying ancient Egyptian-like culture and space travel? Sign me up! It also doesn’t hurt that James Spader was an absolute fox…
Number 2
Title:Event Horizon Year: 1997 Plot: A rescue crew is tasked with investigating the mysterious reappearance of a spaceship that had been lost for seven years. While the ship seems empty at first, it’s clear that it did not come back alone. Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Joely Richardson, Kathleen Quinlan, Jason Isaacs, Jack Noseworthy, Richard T Jones, Sean Pertwee Directed by: Paul WS Anderson Based on a book?: No Notes: This film scared the snot out of me when I first saw it when it came out (I was 16), and still manages to give me goosebumps today. A sign of a job well done!
Number 1
Title:Aliens Year: 1986 Plot: Decades after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley is sent out to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring. Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, Paul Reiser, Jenette Goldstein, William Hope, Al Matthews Directed by: James Cameron Based on a book?: No, although James Cameron acknowledged inspiration from Robert A Heinlein’s novel Starship Troopers. Notes: Simply the best space/alien movie ever, full stop. I saw this (probably way too young) on tv when I was about 8 or 9 and have loved it since then. Action packed and tense, with killer effects, this film rocks!
And that’s it. Yes I’m aware some notables are missing from the list like Alien and The Thing. I’ve either not liked or haven’t seen them. That happens a lot with me, not liking the classics. I can acknowledge that they were important to the genre, but that doesn’t mean I gotta like them! Hehe So I hope you enjoyed it!
In memory of Erich von Däniken, who we just lost this past January 10th, I decided to put together a list of my favourite episodes of Ancient Aliens. It’s one of my favourite shows, I tend to put it on to fall asleep to, or if my brain is not up to watching anything else. Now I haven’t seen every single episode, in fact I’ve missed a lot of the latest seasons, so there might be ones I’ve missed that I’d really love. Hopefully they’ll put out a box set once the show is done. I don’t really believe any of this stuff, but you can’t deny the effect that Däniken, and the show, has had on pop culture. Rest well, Erich. I hope you’re with your ancient astronauts now. (Side note, this is taking longer than I expected, so I’m separating it into two posts.)
Number 15
Title:The Mystery of Puma Punku Season: 4, episode 6 Who they talk to: David Childress, Hugh Newman, Philip Coppens, Brien Foerster, Giorgio A Tsoukalos, Christopher Dunn, Paul Goldstein PhD, Erich von Däniken, George Noory What they discuss: Puma Punku (duh). But seriously, they discuss how complex and flawless the stonework is, positing that primitive man could never have made the type of cuts found on the site. They also make a comparison of the stone from Puma Punku to stone that has been sawed and stone that’s been laser cut. They discuss the creator god Viracocha, who’s depicted in carvings at nearby Tiahuanaco, and how it looks like the site was destroyed by a giant cataclysm. Notes: The show says the stones used were andesite, diorite, and granite, but in reality, it was andesite and red sandstone, which is actually much softer. Andesite, however, is still incredibly hard, so search me as to how they actually did it way back then. Giorgio’s hair:
Number 14
Title:The Evidence Season: 1, episode 1 Who they talk to: Philip Coppens, Giorgio A Tsoukalos, Dr Uwe Apel, Dr Algund Eenboom, Graham Hancock, Robert Bauval, Robert H Frisbee PhD, Michael Cremo, Dr Steven M Greer, David Childress, Jonathan Young PhD, Roger Hopkins What they discuss: A wooden figure found in a tomb in Egypt of what is called the Saqqara bird, and how it’s incredibly aerodynamic. 1500-year-old peoples in Columbia called the Tolima made golden figures of animals, of which a few dozen look eerily like aircraft. They show how they made a model of one of these figures and it actually flew. The Vimanas, what they say are aircraft described in the ancient Indian Sanskrit texts. The Nazca lines and wondering what they were for. Runways, perhaps? The Bible’s book of Ezekiel, and what the object he saw really was. Ancient Egyptian tools, and how they couldn’t have been primitive. They talk to a professional stone sculptor who seems baffled by some of the ancient stonework, saying that, yes, it’s possible, but incredibly hard, and why do something the hardest way possible? He admits that he would have trouble replicating the blocks from Puma Punku, even with his modern machines. Explaining what the manna that sustained the Israelites while in the desert from the Bible was. Maybe it came from a nuclear-driven device that was housed in the Ark of the Covenant. What were the pyramids really for? Maybe some kind of power plant? Notes: I keep feeling that the OG episode should really be higher on my list, but there are so many great ones coming that I really couldn’t place it higher. Giorgio’s hair:
Number 13
Title:The Viking Gods Season: 5, episode 11 Who they talk to: Timothy R Tangherlini PhD, Kirsten Wolf PhD, Jonathan Young PhD, Scott A Mellor PhD, Robert Schoch PhD, Dr Karl EH Seigfried, Giorgio A Tsoukalos, Jason Martell, Philip Coppens, William Henry, David Childress, Michael Dennin PhD, Peter H Schultz PhD What they discuss: How the Vikings were a lot more than the stories lead us to believe. They were traders and travelers more than they were raiders. They made it to the new world centuries before the Europeans. Their shipbuilding skills were almost unmatched. An attack on Lindisfarne seemed to be enhanced by otherworldly occurrences. The origin of the gods and the 9 worlds of their realm. About Odin and his weapons that sound like futuristic weapons. Are his ravens Huginn and Muninn spy satellites? About Thor and his weapons. Is his magic belt of strength, Megingjord, some kind of exoskeleton? About Freyr and his ship, Skidbladnir, gifted to him by Loki, perhaps a space craft? The Sons of Ivaldi, the beings who crafted the weapons that the gods used. The Rainbow Bridge, Bifrost. Is it a wormhole? A professor demonstrates a device that propels a marble with kinetic energy, and it almost disintegrates a stone block. Could Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, have been a weapon of kinetic energy? The Viking burial rituals. Was Valhalla a space station? Notes: Ancient history has always been my bag, and the Vikings and their mythology have always fascinated me. Giorgio’s hair:
Number 12
Title:Secrets of the Exoplanets Season: 14, episode 22 Who they talk to: Michael Summers PhD, William Henry, Michael Dennin PhD, Amy Shira Teitel, Michio Kaku PhD, Giorgio A Tsoukalos, Jason Martell, Jonathan Young PhD, David Childress, Joel Sercel PhD, Bill Birnes PhD, Nick Pope What they discuss: The launching of survey satellite TESS, and how it works. Giordano Bruno, and how he was burned at the stake in Rome for saying that there were aliens on other planets. The first exoplanet was found in 1992. Explaining the transit method of looking for exoplanets. The sheer number of planets in the universe, and how there must be life on some of them. Proxima B, the planet found around the star closest to us, Proxima Centauri. Breakthrough Starshot, the program that wants to send tiny probes to Proxima B. Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, and how it makes possible wormholes. How ancient structures are aligned to the constellation Orion, like the pyramids of Giza, and how a lot of ancient cultures say their gods came from Orion, Sirius, or the Pleiades. Zechariah Sitchin’s theory that there’s a planet in our own solar system, Nibiru, with alien life, the Anunnaki. There may actually be a planet way out there, called Planet X, according to two astrophysicists from CalTech. Asteroid mining. Did aliens come to our planet for resources? What life forms on other planets could theoretically look like, depending on the size of the planet and its star. Visitors from water worlds would have amphibious features. Notes: I love anything that has to do with looking for and finding exoplanets. And now that the James Webb Space Telescope is actually up there, it’s even more exciting! Giorgio’s hair:
Number 11
Title:Angels and Aliens Season: 2, episode 7 Who they talk to: Fr William J Fulco PhD, Philip Coppens, Giorgio A Tsoukalos, Bill Birnes PhD, George Noory, Erich von Däniken, Thomas E Bullard PhD, David Wilcock, Linda Moulton Howe, Rev Michael JS Carter, Michael Cremo, Richard Rader, Jason Martell, Michael Dennin PhD, Jonathan Young PhD, LA Marzulli What they discuss: What are angels? They are found in every ancient culture, not just Christianity. They are otherworldly creatures who’s name in other languages translates to “messenger” or “intermediary”. Was the war between angels and fallen angels some kind of extraterrestrial mutiny? In the Book of Enoch, the angels wanted to marry human women, and they produced offspring called the Nephilim. Two angels went to warn Lot in the Bible and the Quran that the city will be destroyed, and he needs to take his family and leave. Were these angels extraterrestrials who were taking sides in a war? The debate between scholars about the fallen angels. 55% of American adults believe they have a guardian angel. What could they be? The story of Peter, who was helped by an angel to escape imprisonment then disappeared. Was this an extraterrestrial? Do they want to help humanity? Where does the concept of angels having wings come from? Was it just ancient man’s way of depicting the fact that they could fly, maybe in some kind of jet pack or a craft? A humanoid with wings centered on their backs would not be able to actually fly. How an angel would never have asked Abraham to kill his son. But a wicked extraterrestrial might. The Djinn and where they might have come from. Was the “genie in a bottle” actually some sort of hologram? History is full of people who claim to have been influenced by otherworldly forces to do the things they do. Notes: I love all kinds of mythology, so it’s no surprise to see this on the list. I’m a sucker for all kinds of documentaries about history, mythology, folklore, and religion, which is what drew me to this show in the first place. Because, along with all the crazy, there is a lot of those things. Giorgio’s hair:
Number 10
Title:Aliens and Lost Worlds Season: 3, episode 8 Who they talk to: Payson Sheets PhD, David Cheetham PhD, Philip Coppens, Adrian Gilbert, Giorgio A Tsoukalos, David Childress, Erich von Däniken, Jon C Lohse PhD, Donald Sanders PhD, Jason Martell, Giuseppe Orefici PhD, Brien Foerster, Jorge Luis Delgado Mamani, Chris Stevenson PhD, George Noory, Charles Love PhD, Robert Mullins PhD, Juris Zarins PhD, Graham Hancock What they discuss: Copan, one of the cultural hubs of the Mayan people. It was abandoned in the 9th century AD, and its people seem to have vanished. Would their carvings and statues they left behind depict proof that they were contacted by extraterrestrials? The theory that the Mayans have had contact with people on the other side of the world. The depiction of the gods flying down from the heavens in flying serpents. Were the Mayan rulers descendants of extraterrestrials? The ancient ruins of Commagene, in Turkey, built by King Antiochus I, merging Greek and Persian gods. The remarkable knowledge that they had about the stars. Was the star of Bethlehem some kind of craft? Were the Magi in possession of some kind of technology? Was Antiochus I a Magi himself? The capital of the Nazca people, Cahuachi. The Nazcan disappeared about 1200 years ago. They drew enormous geoglyphs known as the Nazca Lines. Some believe they could not have made these figures without guidance from above. The legends of the “star people”. The elongated skulls found in the area. Were they alien hybrids? The Moai of Easter Island. The Rapa Nui people were nearly wiped out by the time Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen and his crew arrived in 1722. How did this relatively primitive people move these giant statues? Legend says the Moai “walked” into place. Do the “birdman” carvings on the island represent extraterrestrials that visited them? Does the Garden of Eden exist? If so, where could it be? Some believe it’s under the waters of the Persian Gulf. Was mankind engineered by extraterrestrials in Eden? Notes: Ancient history has always been one of my favourite subjects, so of course I was going to love this one. Giorgio’s hair:
Number 9
Title:The Satan Conspiracy Season: 6, episode 5 Who they talk to: Henry Ansgar Kelly PhD, Kathleen McGowan, Rev Bob Larson, Adam Blai, Jonathan Young PhD, Pastor Brett Peterson, Patrick Cooke, Kenneth L Hanson PhD, William Henry, Rev Barry H Downing PhD, Fr William J Fulco PhD, Giorgio A Tsoukalos, Scott Roberts, David Childress, Richard Rader, Erich von Däniken What they discuss: Satan, the representation of evil on earth. An exorcist believes he can exorcise demons from people who think they’re possessed at a church in Florida. The myths and legends that depict Satan’s origins. The story of Adam and Eve and the serpent. The story of Job, who was tested by Satan with the ok by God. The Watchers from the Book of Enoch. The leader of these Watchers was an angel called Shemihaza. The story is similar to Lucifer’s in that there is a hierarchy of species between us and God. Were these Watchers, these Fallen angels, extraterrestrials that disobeyed their leader in making contact with us, guiding us? If Shemihaza and Lucifer are like beings, could they have been misrepresented all these years? The similarities between these stories and those of the Anunnaki. The similarities between those stories and that of the feathered serpent deity Kukulkan from Mayan mythology. The similarities again with the story of the Greek Prometheus and the Incan Viracocha. Why are all these stories so similar? Were they all based on the same visitors? Demonic possession. The Book of Revelation and the final battle between Satan and God. Notes: Dark mythology, my favourite kind of mythology. But that Floridian Reverend is so full of shit, I can’t even. And to take advantage of those poor people who clearly need psychiatric help, it’s kinda gross. Giorgio’s hair:
Number 8
Title: The Shadow People Season: 18, episode 8 Who they talk to: David Childress, Bill Birnes PhD, William Henry, Jonathan Young PhD, Mike Ricksecker, Paul Christensen, Heidi Hollis, Giorgio A Tsoukalos, Amir Hussain PhD, George Noory, Jason Offutt, Caroline Cory, Linda Moulton Howe, Michio Kaku PhD What they discuss: The refugees of Laos in 1975. Healthy men dying in their sleep and how they thought it was because they couldn’t do their rituals properly. Describing shadow people as ethereal entities who are dark, opaque, with little to no facial features. A journalist recounts his encounter with the shadow people. Wake up, can’t move, and there’s a dark entity around you. An author describes her experiences with the shadow people, and talks about her book. The difference between shadow people and ghosts. The Choctaw people and their legend of the Nalusa Chito. The Sumerian myth of the Alû. The Djinn in Islamic folklore. So many cultures around the world have the same kind of legends that involved shadow people. Some people report feeling energy emanating from the shadow people. Are shadow beings misunderstood alien technology, like maybe a cloaking technology? The similarities between the shadow people experience and alien abductions. The entity known as the Hat Man. Are the Hat Men the same as the Men in Black? Are shadow people inter-dimensional beings? The effect that DMT has on people. Many of them see the same thing. Does it change your brain to be able to perceive what we can’t normally see? Notes: Hey, hey you guys… ever heard of sleep paralysis? Yeah, that explains everything. But it’s an episode about ghosty demony stuff, and I’m all over that! Giorgio’s hair:
All right, this is it, the last day! Sorry for the delay, my few but loyal readers, I’ve had quite the busy past few days, and have been paying for it today (so worth it though), so I haven’t had time (or energy) to take out the ol’ laptop. But, as I’m feeling better now, we can finish up this list. So let’s get to it!!
Day 26 – Best Horror Movie for a Chicken: Hocus Pocus
Ok, so technically, this isn’t really horror. But for a film that was clearly aimed at teens, it does have a surprising amount of horror-esque scenes, not to mention some of the subject matter. So for someone who is a real chicken, something like this would be perfect for them, not too scary, while still entertaining. Three witch sisters want to stay young and, err, “beautiful” forever. To do this they capture children, and suck the life-force right out of them (which we witness. See? Pretty dark already, for a kid’s movie). Standing in their way are three teens and a talking cat, who’s not really a cat, but a boy whom the witches cursed after killing his sister. One of my favorite Halloween films when I was a kid, and I still enjoy it today. If you find yourself almost peeing your pants in fright every time a horror movie is on, Hocus Pocus is the film for you. Wimp.
Day 27 – Horror Guilty Pleasure: The Covenant
I don’t really have a guilty pleasure, because that would suggest that I feel guilty about liking anything. Which I don’t. I like what I like, and I really don’t care what other people say about it. But, that said, I do know what it means. I chose The Covenant as my “guilty pleasure” because, in general, horror fans like to crap on this movie. It’s not really a very good movie. The acting is mostly sloppy, the story is a little dumb, the effects and dialogue are both cheezy, and yet I have a great time whenever I decide to watch it. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and yes, the actors are all pretty boys with rippling abs. The movie is basically just an excuse to ogle some man-beauty, and, really, there’s nothing wrong with that.
Day 28 – Horror Film I’d Like to See Remade: Night Watch
Night Watch, by Sergei Lukyanenko, is the first in a trilogy of Russian horror novels (Day Watch and Twilight Watch are the others). It was such an amazing book, with cool and interesting ideas, that I was intensely excited when I heard they were making a movie of it. It was to be a Russian production, but I didn’t care since I’ve evolved a very special feature called “reading subtitles”. You’d be surprised to know how few humans possess such a gift. But I digress. Finally, after months of waiting, it was available for purchase here, and I scooped that shit right up and prepared to have the time of my life. About halfway through the film, I couldn’t do it any more, and turned it off. Night Watch has to be one of the worst films I’ve ever had the displeasure of seeing, and I’ve seen a lot. The story was basically the same, but the acting… oh my god, the acting. It was horrible. It made me want to laugh and cry at the same time. I was so disappointed, because the book is incredible. So if I were to choose any film to be remade, this would be it. I’m not loosing hope that they’ll do it eventually, and do it right this time *fingers crossed*
Day 29 – Worst Horror Film Ever: The ABC’s of Death
This film is so awful, I don’t even want to talk about it. But since it’s the top film in this category, I have to. So I will. Briefly. The ABC’s of Death has a cool concept: 26 directors each get a letter of the alphabet and make their own short film about a word starting with that letter. It sounded interesting, and I was looking forward to watching it. But it wasn’t interesting, it was just bad. The kind of bad that makes your eyes hurt and your nose bleed. I sat through the whole thing (although I’ll admit that I skipped forward a few times), and no matter how many times I said to myself “well, this couldn’t possibly get any worse”, wouldn’t you know it, it got worse. Not a single of the segments is worth watching, and I feel violated and slightly nauseous for having to sit through that. And yet, apparently, it was popular enough to warrant a sequel. What the hell is wrong with you people??? Ugh…
Day 30 – All Time Favorite Horror Film: The Lost Boys
So this is it, the film that could have gone into a few different categories, but I was saving the best for last. The Lost Boys has been my favourite film since I first saw it at the ripe old age of 7. My mother bought it on VHS and hid it, because it was “too scary”. I must have watched it at least a dozen times before she caught me. This film is everything a good vampire story needs to be. It’s got tense moments, funny moments, likeable characters (heroes and villains), not to mention a bitchin soundtrack. I was so in love with this movie that I could, starting from the beginning, recite the whole film. And it didn’t even have to be on. Once a friend of mine and I played out the whole film, start to finish, every single line, just for fun. I also had a major crush on Sam (played perfectly by a pre-drug-crazed Corey Haim). The film may have it’s faults, but I don’t see them. To me, it’s absolutely perfect.
And there you have it. The 30 Day Horror Challenge, accepted and completed! Thanks for reading, and stick around for even more entertaining shenanigans soon! 🙂
Day 11 – Favorite Horror Comedy: Cabin in the Woods
Before Cabin in the Woods came out, this spot was long occupied by Army of Darkness. As I’ve said before, I really didn’t like The Evil Dead, or it’s sequel. But Army of Darkness made me laugh so hard the first time I saw it, I almost peed myself. It was definitely the horror comedy to beat, and Cabin did it, and them some. When I originally saw the trailers, how they set it up didn’t really make me want to see it much, it looked like just another slasher flick. I figured I’d see it at some point once it was out on dvd or Netflix. But then after it came out, I noticed, on Facebook, as one by one my friends saw it and raved about it. I was told, often, that I absolutely NEEDED to go see this on the big screen. Not understanding why such a generic slasher could cause such a fuss, I went to IMDb to read up a bit on it, and that’s when I saw it: Written by Joss Whedon. So I grabbed my mom, and went to see it in the cinema as soon as I possibly could. And it was the greatest thing since, well, everything. It was absolutely hilarious, and yet still managed to be scary at the same time, something Army of Darkness wasn’t able to do. And of course, that ending… I don’t use the word “epic” much, but that’s exactly what it was. Epic. It had epicdom in spades. If you happen to be one of the three horror fans on the planet who hasn’t seen this film yet, I won’t spoil it for you. But I will say WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU WAITING FOR?? Go see it, now! No really, stop reading my silly little blog, and go see it. Schnell!!
Day 12 – Most Disturbing Horror Film: Stephen King’s It
This film is occupying this slot for one reason, and one reason only. Pennywise the fucking Dancing Clown. I saw this film when it first aired as a two part mini-series in ’90 (based on the Stephen King novel of the same name), and it scared the ever-living snot out me. No, it’s not the best film, some of the acting is a little shakey, some of the dialogue is a little hokey (you have to remember that it was made for early ’90s televison), but that clown. That goddamned clown. I watch it every couple of years, and it still gets to me, 23 years later. I’ve heard whispers that they’re looking to remake it for the big screen. If they get anyone but Tim Curry to play the role, I think I may just boycott it, because he was it. No one else could fill those ridiculously big shoes. Oh yes, they float. They all float down here. Ugh, I got goosebumps just writing that…
Day 13 – Favorite Zombie Film: Warm Bodies
I’m not the biggest fan of the zombie movie. I’ve seen the original Night of the Living Dead, and while I enjoyed it, it’s definitely not my favorite anything. I just find the whole genre a little dumb. It has to be really good, and contain a lot more than just shambling dead folks to keep my attention. When I saw the trailers for Warm Bodies, I almost peed myself. A zombie comedy that also has a love story? I definitely had to see this. It was way funnier than I had even expected, while still managing to have some good, tense moments, and the romance, while really being the whole point of the “humanizing” that’s happening to the shufflers, is not shoved in your face. Anyone saying that this is just Twilight with zombies needs to shut up and actually go see the movie.
Day 14 – Favorite Indie Horror: The Woman in Black
From Hammer Films, the gods of indie horror, The Woman in Black is an almost perfect piece of film-making. Daniel Radcliffe ups his game, putting Harry Potter far from our minds as Arthur Kipps, a young widowed father who goes to a small town to settle the estate of an old woman who has just passed away. But things in the sprawling mansion are not as quiet as they first seems. This film is tense, atmospheric, an amazing study in gothic horror. The boo!scares are kept to a minimum, which is always a pleasant surprise. Too many films are relying on those these days. Yes, it gives you a fright, but it’s not a “real” fright. Very, very well done. I may even use the word masterpiece. Yes, I think I will. This film is a masterpiece.
Day 15 – Favorite Monster Movie: Watchers
For this category, almost anything could be called a monster, so I decided to cut out everything that often has it’s own sub-genres (vampires, werewolves, ghosts, aliens, etc), and went straight to “undefined” monsters. Watchers gets a lot of flack from people who loved the novel (by Dean Koontz) for being almost nothing like it. And yes, it’s true. Book and movie don’t have a whole lot in common. But if you’re able to put the novel out of your head while watching, it’s a pretty entertaining piece of film. The acting and effects are mostly pretty crappy, but it’s still a fun, campy popcorn flick. Plus, I totally had a major crush on Corey Haim.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned tomorrow for Days 16 to 20! 🙂
Day 6 – Favorite Vampire movie: Interview with the Vampire
Anyone who knows me even just a little will be able to tell you that I love vampires. Throw a rock in my house and chances are good that it’ll hit something vampire-related. I’ve seen so many vampire films, and I’ve enjoyed almost all of them to one extent or another. For me not to like it, a vampire film has to really be a truly colossal piece of shit. So trying to pick one single favorite vampire movie is like trying to pick the prettiest star in the sky. There’s one that I would have put here without question, but I’m saving it for later. So for this category, I’ll go with Interview with the Vampire, based on the novel of the same name by Anne Rice. When I first heard of this film, I was super excited… until I heard who was playing in it. To say I’m not particularly a fan of Tom Cruise is an understatement, and Brad Pitt was definitely not the first face to come to mind when I thought of the character of Louis. And I wasn’t the only one less than thrilled by the casting. Anne Rice herself was apparently livid when she found out Tom Cruise was playing Lestat. All that changed, however (for her and for me), after the movie came out. I saw it and fell in love with it immediately. It’s so well done, beautifully acted, shot and filmed. Some movies I watch once or twice, and even if I love them don’t feel the need to watch them again. Others, like Interview, I can watch time and time again and never get bored of it.
Day 7 – Horror Film I Think No One Has Seen: The Club
This film is so little known that doing a Google image search yielded exactly 5 pictures, all of them crappy. Even the film’s IMDb page has no pictures. During the graduating class’s high school prom, a strange man named John is amongst the students. He wants them to join his very exclusive club, you see. Initiation is simple, all you have to do is commit suicide… or murder. It’s a campy piece of film, but quite enjoyable for those who enjoy the genre. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend it.
Day 8 – Favorite Foreign Horror Film: The Eye
Since I’m from Canada, I could have gone with any film from the States and it would technically be a foreign film. But that would be cheating. So for this category, we go to China for the Pang Brothers’ extremely creepy ghost story, The Eye. Mun is a young lady who’s been blind all her life. After a cornea transplant, she starts seeing things that she’s unsure if they’re real or not. She slowly realizes that she’s able to see things that other people can’t, and goes on a trip to Singapore to find who her new eyes used to belong to, and what this person is trying to tell her. Such an amazing film, scary, tense and very well acted. The elevator scene (that almost killed me the first time round) gets my heart pumping every time.
Day 9 – Favorite Supernatural Horror: The Sixth Sense
Since I’m not a huge fan of the slasher flick, pretty much all the horror films I watch, and the ones I love the most, are technically in the supernatural category. But I decided to go with what the creator of this list probably meant, and that’s ghost stories. I do love me a good old haunting. I remember when I saw The Sixth Sense for the first time. I went to see it at the cinema with my cousin. And we were both so blown away by that ending, we went back to see it again right after, just to see if we could spot any mistakes that would have the twist make no sense. We didn’t see any. Too bad so many of the director’s subsequent films sucked…
Day 10 – Horror Film Everyone Loved, But I Didn’t: Suspiria
As with the film I thought I like, but didn’t, so many films could have gone here. The Shining, Halloween, Friday the 13th, Alien, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, all boring-ass films that everyone seems to love. But the worst has to be Suspiria. Much like Kubrick, I will never understand Dario Argento‘s appeal. I’ve seen a few of his films, and they’re all horrible. Like a whole new level of horrible. Sure, they’re pretty and bright, but a good film that does not make. The acting was painful, effects laughable and the story… so… bloody… slow. I do like me a good slow burn, but at some point, something has to happen. A bright red murder after every 25 minutes of watching someone walk around doesn’t count as something happening. Really. The only thing this film has going for it is that awesome theme song by Goblin.
That’s it for tonight! 11 to 15 coming up tomorrow! 🙂
Ok, so this was supposed to be another top 10. But after paring down my list as far as it would go, I was still left with 18 titles, and was unwilling to take any more off. But, since top 18 sounds ridiculous, I (reluctantly) put 3 in “honourable mentions” and then had the joy of putting the remaining 15 in order. After literally pulling my hair out for about half an hour, I’ve done it, although I’m still not 100% sure they’re in the exact right order. But it will have to do, because I’m not starting that process over.
So, before we start, here are the 3 honourable mentions:
The Replacement – Xander gets zapped with a magical device aimed at Buffy, and wakes up alone in the dump the next morning. He goes to his apartment, and sees that a clone has taken over his life. One Xander on screen is great. Two is just gravy. Anya’s plea that she be able to take the two of them home for a while had me in stitches.
Once More, With Feeling – I keep thinking that this fun musical extravaganza needs to be on the list, and then I look at it and realize that, as awesome as this episode is, everything else on my list is just slightly better.
Something Blue – Trying to magic away her pain, Willow only ends up accidentally casting spells on all her friends instead. One of the funniest episodes, despite it’s sad reason of being.
So, without any further ado, here’s my Top 15 Episodes of Buffy!
15 – Wild at Heart
Oz finds himself inexplicably attracted to a beautiful new student, who’s also a musician. After busting out of his cage one night, he meets another wolf, and is surprised to find himself wake with her, entwined and very much naked, the next morning. The other wolf, Veruca, wants Oz for herself, and tries to get him to see that they belong free, not locked in a cage. With more dialogue from Oz than in a lot of episodes combined, this was a poignant episode. Lots of kleenex needed here.
14 – Nightmares
Something strange is happening in Sunnydale: everyone’s worst nightmares are happening for real. Buffy meets a quiet boy who seems to be at the center of the mystery, and they band together to try stop the phenomena, before reality collapses completely. The one and only episode where we see what Buffy would be like as a vampire.
13 – Earshot
While fighting a mouthless demon, Buffy wounds it, and some of it’s blood is absorbed into her skin. The next day she realizes that she can hear everyone’s thoughts. What at first is a cool novelty, quickly becomes unbearable as it, at first, starts to alienate her friends, then becomes an awful racket in her head she can’t turn off. But just before she slips into total chaos, she’s able to give the others a warning: someone is planning a massacre at the school. This episode was originally supposed to air around the time of a real school shooting, purely by coincidence, but they decided to postpone it a few months. Good thing there wasn’t too much of a continuity screwup.
12 – Buffy vs Dracula
What else to say that the title doesn’t cover? Buffy meets the infamous Count, and is, understandably, attracted to him. But that still doesn’t stop her from kicking his butt when the time comes. Xander as a Renfield type character is hilarious. Poor Xander, always getting the short end of the straw.
11 – Band Candy
Buffy’s school is selling chocolate bars to raise money for the marching band. The chocolate seems to have an addictive quality, and soon all the adults in the town are sucking it back like crazy. And, strangely, the more they eat, the more immature they get. When Buffy goes to the factory to get to the bottom of things, it’s a teenaged Giles, with a teenaged Joyce in tow, that accompanies her. Any fan that ever shipped Giles / Joyce was very happy to see this episode. Featuring Ethan Rayne, one of my favorite recurring villains.
10 – Passion
This was an unbelievably awful episode, and I mean that in the best way possible. Jenny buys an Orb of Thesula, hoping to be able to translate the original text to recurse Angel. Angelus finds out about it, thanks to a vision that Drusilla had, and chases Jenny through the school, after destroying both her computer and the Orb. Such a sad episode, really pushes Angelus’ evil to the very limit. What he does to Giles is so much worse than anything else he could have done.
9 – Normal Again
After being attacked by a demon sent by Warren and the gang, Buffy has vivid hallucinations of being locked in a mental institution. So vivid, in fact, that she’s no longer sure which world is real. She decides, for a moment, that her life is Sunnydale is the dream, and goes about trying to eliminate everything, and everyone, in it. Awesome episode.
8 – The Zeppo
This Xander-centric episode has him worrying that he’s got nothing to offer the gang, so he gets himself a beautiful new car. Which, as luck would have it, brings him nothing but trouble, as he gets in the way of campus bad boy Jack O’Toole. Sparing Xander after Xander told cops there was nothing going on, he hops in Xander’s car, and drags him around town, to get his friends. Much to Xander’s horror, Jack’s friends are all dead, and he’s raising them from their graves. And this is the beginning of Xander’s very long, very strange night. Equally funny and tense, this is a perfect showcase for the awesomeness that is Xander Harris.
7 – The Pack
This is the very first episode of Buffy I ever saw. I didn’t even know it existed before then, since I didn’t have cable tv at home. But I was at my grandparents place, just channel surfing, when I came across this, and I was hooked right from the get go. In this episode, Xander and a group of bullies from school get possessed by hyena spirits. The mean kids act basically the same, but Xander, who’s usually so nice, starts to act just like them. Buffy knows something’s wrong, though, especially after the school mascot, a cute little piglet, is found dead, seemingly eaten alive.
6 – Halloween
Another chaos filled evening courtesy of Ethan Rayne. It’s Halloween night and, after chanting a spell, every child and teen who bought a costume at Ethan’s shop turns into their costume. Buffy becomes a fainting 17th century lady (much to Angel and Cordelia’s chagrin), Willow becomes a (very sexy) ghost, and Xander is turned into a super soldier. Hearing Buffy’s been weakened, Spike comes looking for her.
5 – Killed By Death
A terrible flu is going around town, and Buffy, after being knocked out during patrol, is rushed to the hospital, burning with fever. While there she encounters one of the freakiest demons in the show’s history, Der Kinderstod. Invisible to anyone who’s not feverish, Buffy purposefully makes herself sicker so she can fight him.
4 – Doppelgangland
After doing a spell to help Anya find her pendant, an evil Willow is summoned from another dimension. Sickened that everything around her is normal and “safe”, she traps everyone in the Bronze with a group of vampires to have some fun. When she comes across the Willow from this reality, things really get fun.
3 – The Body
Call me masochistic to have an episode like this so high on my list, but it really is one of the best episodes of the whole show. Everyone’s acting is top notch, and, needless to say, tears fall like rain. I started crying at the beginning of the show, and kept crying all the way through, even after the credits were done rolling.
2 – The Wish
After making a seemingly innocent wish that Buffy would have never come to Sunnydale, Cordelia is stunned to find herself in world that is just that. She’s happy to find out that in this world she’s still Queen B, but her happiness is put on hold when she realizes just how many deaths there have been, including Xander and Willow’s. Deaths that had been prevented by Buffy. Going to Giles to get him to call Buffy, she encounters a vampire Xander and Willow. After a much changed Buffy arrives in Sunnydale to help with the dire situation, Giles summons the demon who granted the wish, to try get her to change the world back to the way it was.
1 – Hush
And finally, the very best of the best, the season 4 episode Hush. After a group of fairy tale-like creatures arrives in Sunnydale, every single person in town looses their voice. The creatures stalk the night, choosing victims who have the perfect hearts they need, and cut them out of their chests. Like the last line of the poem says: “You’re gonna die screaming, but you won’t be heard”. This mostly silent episode is really a perfect piece of television. It still gives me the creeps today.
And, that wraps up my top 15 Buffy episodes. Enjoyed it? Agree? Disagree? Let me know! And stay tuned for more! 🙂
