Best Slashers

Scream (1996): Directed by Wes Craven; Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette

Scream redefined the slasher flick and gave itself a new life and new generation. A great example of 90's teen movies as well.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The original 1974 version AND the 2003 remake. Both are worth watching.

Saw (2004): Directed by James Wan; Starring: Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover

One of those gratuitous violence kinds of movies. The traps, the blood, the gore, they're all scary, but the truly terrifying thing about this movie is the mind that came up with the scenarios and devices. I mean, how twisted can someone be?

Black Christmas (1974) : Directed by Bob Clark; Starring: Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder

Watch the original, not the remake. Trust me.

Disturbia (2007): Directed by D.J. Caruso; Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Sarah Roemer, Carrie-Anne Moss

It's basically a rehashing of Rear Window but with teens. Tension, bodies in the basement, Shia Labeouf, what a great combination.

American Psycho (2000): Directed by Mary Harron; Starring Christian Bale, Chloe Sevigny, Reese Witherspoon

Wonderful performance from Christian Bale (as usual) elevates this slasher to a character drama. 

Child's Play (1988): Directed by Tom Holland; Starring: Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Alex Vincent

I must have caught this on TV when I was a kid, because I remember having the worst nightmares about it. I couldn't trust my stuffed animals for weeks.

Friday the 13th (1980): Directed by Sean Cunningham; Starring: Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Kevin Bacon

The original, none of the follow ups. You really can't do better as far as true slashers go. Ok, maybe Halloween.

Halloween (1978): Directed by John Carpenter; Starring: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis

Honestly, not my favorite slasher, but still, it's pretty awesome.

The Hills Have Eyes (1977): Directed by Wes Craven; Starring: Susan Lanier, Robert Houston

Creepy creepy creepy

The Hitcher (2007): Directed by Dave Meyers; Starring: Sean Bean, Sophia Bush, Zachary Knighton

There's a tremendously inventive/grody death scene in this one. It's one of the few things I remember about the movie.

I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997): Directed by Jim Gillespie; Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Freddie Prinze Jr.

Another classic 90's teen slasher.

Last House on the Left (1972 AND 2009)

The 2009 version deviates a bit, but it's a good addition to the list. Some might not be able to take it though, so viewer be warned.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984): Directed by Wes Craven; Starring: Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp

Again, the original, none of the follow ups. Inventive and amazing shots.

More Reviews Coming Soon!

The semester is over and finals are done! This means Spring Break and a parental visit. I might not have classes for the next week, but I do have a house to clean :-(  I have several movie reviews to come, I just need to put pen to paper (so to speak). Those reviews will include: Brick, An Education, Moon, Skeleton Key, Twelve Monkeys, Tombstone, The Pianist, and a foreign film called Priceless. There will also be more lists and actor and director profiles.

If you're looking for something to watch in the coming days, I highly recommend Priceless. It's light, comedic, sweet, and occasionally a little heartbreaking but with a happy ending. A good date movie.

As a thanks for reading I give you:

And for you dudes:

Best Animated

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Fantasia (1940)

Pinocchio (1940)

Dumbo (1941)

Bambi (1942)

Cinderella (1950)

Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Peter Pan (1953)

Lady and the Tramp (1955)

Sleeping Beauty (1959) This is one of my personal favorites.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)

Robin Hood (1973) Another one of my absolute favorites.

The Little Mermaid (1989)

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Aladdin (1992)

The Lion King (1994)

Pocahontas (1995)

Hercules (1997)

Mulan (1998)

The Emperor's New Groove (2000)

Lilo & Stitch (2002)

The Princess and the Frog (2009)

Tangled (2010)

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Toy Story (1995)

Monsters, Inc. (2001)

Finding Nemo (2003)

The Incredibles (2004)

Cars (2006)

Wall-E (2008)

Up (2009)

 I know these are all Disney and Pixar movies, but lets be honest: Are there any cinematically successful animated movies from any other studios? 

Best Teen Movies

 Sixteen Candles: Directed by John Hughes; Starring Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Justin Henry

Pretty in Pink: Directed by Howard Deutch; Starring Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer, Harry Dean Stanton 

The Breakfast Club: Directed by John Hughes; Starring Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy 

Can't Buy Me Love: Directed by Steve Rash; Starring Patrick Dempsey, Amanda Peterson, Courtney Gains 

Ferris Bueller's Day Off: Directed by John Hughes; Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jennifer Grey

Grease: Directed by Randal Kleiser; Starring: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing

Heathers: Directed by Michael Lehmann; Starring: Winona Ryder, Christian Slater

Just One of the Guys: Directed by Lisa Gottlieb; Starring: Joyce Hyser, Clayton Rohner, Billy Jayne

Risky Business: Directed by Paul Brickman; Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca de Mornay

Say Anything: Directed by Cameron Crowe; Starring: John Cusack, Ione Skye

Bye Bye Birdie: Directed by George Sidney; Starring: Dick Van Dyke, Ann-Margret, Janet Leigh

Back to the Future: Directed by Robert Zemeckis; Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson

Dazed and Confused: Directed by Richard Linklater; Starring: Jason London, Wiley Wiggins, Matthew McConaughey

Election: Directed by Alexander Payne; Starring: Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Klein

Fame (1980): Directed by Alan Parker; Starring: Eddie Barth, Irene Cara, Lee Curreri

The Craft: Directed by Andrew Fleming; Starring: Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell

Friday Night Lights: Directed by Peter Berg and Josh Pate; Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Jay Hernandez, Derek Luke

The Karate Kid (1984): Directed by John Avildsen; Starring Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita

Rebel Without A Cause: Directed by Nicholas Ray; Starring: James Dean, Natalie Wood

10 Things I Hate About You: Directed by Gil Junger; Starring: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Varsity Blues: Directed by Brian Robbins; Starring: James Van Der Beek, Jon Voight, Amy Smart

Scream: Directed by Wes Craven; Starring: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette

She's All That: Directed by Robert Iscove; Starring: Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard

Bring It On: Directed by Peyton Reed; Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford

Can't Hardly Wait: Directed by Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan; Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green

Mean Girls: Directed by Mark Waters; Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried, Tina Fey

Clueless: Directed by Amy Heckerlng; Starring: Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd, Donald Faison

American Pie: Directed by Paul Weitz; Starring: Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Alyson Hannigan, Shannon Elizabeth, Tara Reid, Sean William Scott, Eugene Levy

The Perfect Score: Directed by Brian Robbins; Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Erika Christensen, Chris Evans

Saved!: Directed by Brian Dannelly; Starring: Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin

Easy A: Directed by Will Gluck; Starring: Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Penn Badgley

Fired Up!: Directed by Will Gluck; Starring: Eric Christian Olsen, Nicholas D'Agosto, Sarah Roemer