Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Boo, Indeed

I assume we'll be getting loads of these lists over the next couple of weeks, we always do in October - Yahoo! UK did an online poll of 1000 people of what they discern to be the Scariest Movies Ever Made (via The Guardian), and here's what they answered:

Top 10

1- A Nightmare on Elm Street
2- Saw
3- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
4- Halloween
5- Candyman
6- Friday the 13th
7- Scream
8- Hostel
9- Child's Play
10- I Know What You Did Last Summer


Now, I've seen many of these lists, and I agree with Stale Popcorn, whom I found this list through, that this is quite possibly the worst one I have ever seen.

I just cannot continue to understand why reasonably sane people keep defending Saw as a great horror film. Or, in this case, even being scary. This isn't me being anti-gore - I've explained my complicated feelings towards films like Hostel before, and it's not one of total abhorrence, I get the need for it within the genre, but just feel it's something that needs to be done intelligently, responsibly - Saw is just a piece of crap. It's horribly acted - like, phenomenally horribly acted; Cary Elwes should never work again he is so bad in it. It looks every bit like it cost five bucks to be made, which in a film like Blair Witch works to the film's benefit but here just looks as if everything was filmed in the same parking garage with cardboard doors. It's edited to hell, and has the soundtrack straight out of the WWE. It's practically unwatchable. It has absolutely nothing interesting or new to say.

That these 100 people put Saw above a classic like Halloween, or even Candyman - which is a great horror film - immediately discredits their opinions. And Child's Play? Really??? 1000 stupid people! Stupid bastard people!

Glenn at SP responded by making his own list, which is a vast improvement over theirs. I already made a similar list a couple of months ago, looking at just the past 7 years - you can see that here. I do have something in the works for Halloween coming up soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

--- On a related note, Cinematical takes a look at the guilty pleasure that is the Friday the 13th series today. I must admit, I've seen every single one many, many times; as a teenager these were practically weekly viewing. Yes, I had problems even then.
.

2 comments:

Glenn Dunks said...

I admit to being slightly ignorant of Halloween. I saw it a few years back and I liked it a lot, but, i dunno... maybe it's cause I've never babysat in my life? lol. I'd still watch Halloween over any number of I Still Knows and Saws and all that bullshit.

I discussed before (but atm the link is gone but i'll find it when i fix my sidebar) how Friday the 13th Part III is hysterically bonkers.

Glenn Dunks said...

Oh, and for what it's worth, I thought Danny Glover (an actor I don't like to begin with) gave the worst of many in Saw. I skipped the sequel. It just looked stupid and revolting.

And thanks for the linkage. Twice.