20 Favorite Horror Films Pt. 6

15) "The Exorcist" - I hesitated to include this one, for several reasons. It's such an unconventional horror film, for one. There's only one true "murder" in it, and most of the film deals more with the psychological and religious aspects of the possession, at least until the last 45 minutes or so. Also, my initial viewing of it was about a decade after it was released originally (and then in an edited for TV version), so its impact upon me was a lot less than it could have been. In the intervening years, I saw "The Omen" and "Rosemary's Baby" and others of this genre. Also I heard so much about it there was no way it could have lived up to the hype.

But I've just watched it again (unfortunately, again in the edited version) for maybe the sixth or seventh time, and I've decided it does deserve to be on this list. "The Exorcist" is horrifying more for it's non supernatural elements than it is for anything else, really. It's horrifying because it keys into a very basic human fear; seeing your child in increasingly dire peril and not being able to do anything about it. It's horrifying because it places its "monster" in an everyday, modern setting away from the Gothic castles and mist shrouded graveyards. It sets its horror in the world we see everyday and takes us through all the bland (yet all the more frightening for it) developments that would occur in such a case. We see a score of doctors baffled as each rational explanation for Regan's disorder is eliminated and the characters must confront the awful specter of the real explanation. It's terrifying because even in a world that compels us all to believe that such ancient outmoded concepts as pure good or pure evil don't really exist, we are doubly frightened by anything that presents evidence to the contrary.

Another reason I didn't initially include this one on the list is that I'm not even sure it was originally intended as a "horror" film. The more times I watch it, the more I'm convinced it's a story about a priest (Father Damien) who is losing his faith and ironically rediscovers his belief in God by being confronted by evil incarnate. But there are certainly enough elements of horror in this film to place it in the genre, and the pacing, mood, story structure and fine acting make it a superb drama in any event. The horror is just icing on the cake, really; but what sweet tasting "icing" it is.

16) "The Invisible Man" - Of all the classic Universal horror films, this one may have actually scared me the most. The special effects were ahead of their time. All the images of Dr. Jack Griffin disappearing and unravelling his disguise bandages to reveal nothing underneath, and moving tables and chairs around on their own really echo the later supernatural films like "Poltergeist" or "The Exorcist" or "Amityville Horror". Even though the film's fantasy element is scientifically, not supernaturally, based, the effect is the same. We are chilled to consider that there could be unseen, hostile forces in our midst.

Claude Rains does a superb job here, even though he only "appears" in the final scene. His strong, alternately sympathetic and megalomaniacal voice really defining the film in a way a lesser actor's couldn't hope to. And like Lon Chaney's Wolfman or Karloff's Frankenstein, Rains' Invisible Man has a strong sympathetic component to him. He was only a doctor trying to improve man's condition and didn't intend on hurting anyone. Like Dr. Frankenstein or Dr. Jeykll, however, he committed the sin of pride in delving into areas where man should perhaps never delve. He paid the price with first his sanity, and eventually, his life.

This is nearly a perfect film, with unforgettable scenes of horror (the car ride, the initial scene at the inn, the scene in the drawing room), fine acting and some dark, twisted but effective humor.

17) "The Blair Witch Project" - I've always liked horror films that had a documentary feel to them, and this one certainly fits that description. I love the way this film allows the horror to build gradually, as the kids' initial enthusiasm and optimism gives way to dread and depression when they realize they are not only lost, but being stalked by something they don't understand.

I've heard a lot of criticism that the film is too slow and many of the scenes are pointless. Yes, the dialogue is banal at times, and yes, there are scenes that seem to go on a long time. But real life is like that. People don't always end conversations with dramatic pronouncements or clever zingers. Sometimes they just fade away from the boredom of the participants. That's what the film is aiming for; a kind of everyday dullness that renders the horror that much more effective once it insinuates itself into the mind of the characters, and the viewers.

The film's ruse, that is was a real video found by someone who is just now "releasing it" for viewing, is a clever one, but I knew going in that it was a fake and it didn't harm my appreciation of the film for what it was; a unique way of exploring standard horror themes of being lost, confronting supernatural evil and everyday people trying to find the strength within themselves to confront such circumstances.