top 10s....(Action, Horror)

I was bored, so here for you guys at home are two lists of my top 10 action films and top 10 horror movies; and to make it even more indecisive on my part they are in no real order of preference either, so hah!

My Top 10 favourite Action films:

#1 Aliens (1986, dir. James Cameron)What can i say other than this film is the epitome of the word "masterpiece". Put simply: Perfect. 10/10

#2 The Terminator (1984, dir. James Cameron)

I actually love this movie more than it's sequel. It's darker, grittier and more violent in tone than it's sequel, and i actually love the cheaper budget and SFX more (I'm an old-skool effects guy at heart!).

#3 Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991. dir. James Cameron)


Bigger and badder than it's predecessor and in short the greatest action movie of the 90s. The only other film which comes even close to taking it's crown was The Matrix, though i feel that T2 is still the king of that generation, bar none. A masterpiece, though I prefer the first one more as stated above.

#4 Commando (1985, dir. Mark L Lester)

An 80s classic make no mistake- fun non-stop action from the start. This film I feel encompasses everything about the genre and the decade. The simple plot, the outrageous violence, the hilarious one-liners- everything in this film screams classic- it's impossible not to be entertained. Inspired so much, including the video game Contra. The film is entertaining now and a classic as they just don't make action films as light-hearted and fun as this anymore. Much imitated but never bettered!

#5 Predator (1987, dir. John McTiernan)

I see this movie more of a sci-fi horror film more than an action film, however the action in the film is spectacular and has to be mentioned- it's a B-movie executed with AAA class.

#7 Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985, dir. George P. Cosmatos)


Another 80s classic which epitomises the era beautifully. Again this film has been imitated countless times but never beaten- Stallone's Rambo was the ultimate hero of the 80s alongside Arnie. Much imitated again but never bettered. The film again inspired Contra as well as the Metal Gear Solid series. (Solid Snake was hugely inspired by both Rambo and Snake Plisskin). The film helped paved the way for 80s action cinema, if not being one of the first to do so.

#8 Robocop (1987, dir. Paul Verhoeven)

A perfect combination of styles. 80s hardcore action and sci-fi comic book and satire mixed together in one hugely entertaining and darkly comedic movie.

#10 Die Hard (1988, dir. John McTiernan)

One of the best action movies on the 80s if not THE best. It was previously my number #1 favourite film of all time, and though it isn't anymore it still features at the top of many all-time best of lists.

My top 10 favourite Horror films:

#1 Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992, dir. Francis Ford Coppola)

An all round perfect movie apart from one major flaw- Keanu Reeve's acting and accent is laughably bad.... but i can take it, it makes it into even more of a classic! Fantastic visuals, effects and costume design, brilliantly directed, amazing acting (especially from Gary Oldman who churns out in my opinion his greatest performance ever) a superb score and an awesome re-telling of the novel (which is my favourite book ever). I love this film and always will; the epitome of high Gothic horror romance.

#2 Evil Dead 2 (1987, dir. Sam Raimi)


A classic. Brilliant fun. Creative and imaginatively inventive old-skool special effects, plenty of OTT gore and some fantastic design, directing as well as being visually superb- the film is so experimental in the techniques it uses you can't help but take notice (stop motion animation, hand-drawn animation, stop motion with real people amongst a few). Very good movie and one of the best horrors of the decade, as well as I feel being Sam Raimi's best film ever.

#3 Ringu (1998, dir. Hideo Nakata)

The original Japanese version of The Ring is the one that started it all and of course it is the best version of the story as well as being vastly superior to both the American and Korean remakes. I was absolutely terrified when i first saw this in the cinema in 1998, unaware at what it was about as back then it was only released in a few small cinemas with no hype. I have never been that scared by a film since, so the movie is a pinnacle in horror for me as i don't get scared by anything yet Ringu managed to single-handedly frighten me to near death. Both movies are different executions of the source material and I enjoyed them both. I love the original more than the remake and always will because it's more quaint, quieter and definitely a lot more scarier (imo), it's also very Japanese.

Whilst not beyond nonrecognition, I felt there are some good things about the American remake which elevates it as the best remake of an Asian horror film to date (as much as I hate remakes it's not that bad). Gore Verbinski's version was obviously done to western standards which are very different to Asia, and whilst I'm not a big fan of this kind it was still a good remake, and Verbinski managed to have a long, brooding sense of constant dread throughout the picture which I admired. The only thing I didn't like was Samara's exit out of the TV which just looked too contrived, cliche, over-glossed and generic in that Hollywood way, where I felt the original was far better in it's "less is more" premise. I also felt the tape was better in the original movie than the remake where it looked like a Nine Inch Nails music video. But the other effects were really well done (the corpses) and the scares where awesome, and not cheap like what it usually done in American horror films. I also love Japanese mythology and folklore and for them to weave it into the original was brilliant because it's a different culture so it was creepy in that sense as it wasn't anything I was familiar with; I didn't get a sense of that in the American version as it was just a normal village town, something I am familiar with and nothing foreign about it.

I think the remake is a solid and really well done adaptation though but I will always prefer the original as the definitive version as it's the better movie imo and it scared the hell out of me more than the American one.

#4 Candyman (1992, dir. Bernard Rose)

Brilliantly directed and an all round well crafted film. From the imagination of Clive Barker (based on his short story "The Forbidden") the film still holds up today as a great example of a fine psychological/horror film.

#5 Hellraiser (1987, dir. Clive Barker)

A true classic of 80s horror cinema. Clive Barker once again shows us that his imagination knows no limits as he adapts and directs his short story "The Hellbound Heart" into one of the most surprisingly effective horror films of the 80s decade. The film is a pure Gothic tale which harks back to the classic age of Edgar Allan Poe- and this is where the film stands out as it is not a typical teen slasher movies full of psychotic killers which the 80s was full of but rather a tale of obsession, intrigue, madness and desire. To be honest I hated the film when I first saw it years ago; I thought it was one of the worst directed, acted and boring horror films I had ever had to endure. But after viewing it again, and consequently again and again I realised this was a different kind of horror and understood what Barker was trying to do with it. Once you get it and understand it, it really and truly is a revolutionary and highly original piece of fantasy horror fiction.

#6 The Cell (2000, dir. Tarsem Singh)


I personally think this film is very underrated, and in my eyes it's a near masterpiece of art and design. Jennifer Lopez gives a great performance but ultimately it's the directing, visuals and design which shine brilliantly. Every single frame of the mind sequences is a work of stunning art in my view- the film works as a surreal journey into the dark reaches of the imagination as well as a highly proficient psychological horror film.

#8 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974, dir. Tobe Hooper)

A classic. The first is the best movie of the series and i still think it's as powerful as it ever was. The exploits of the Hewitt family's first outing is still memorable and frightening and easily exceeds any contemporary horror movie, the recent remake and prequel included. A tour de force in low-budget high impact cinema.

#9 Saw (2004, dir. James Wan)


A fantastic horror/thriller expertly crafted by young and talented director James Wan, co-written by himself and Leigh Wannel who stars. Simple and highly effective with a fantastic twist making it one of the best horror films of the past 10 years as well as the most successful horror franchises of recent years. They should definitely end the saga now as i feel it's reached it's peak but it still never fails to pleasantly surprise me. The king of the genre which is now referred to as "torture porn".

#10 Silent Hill (2006, dir. Chrisophe Gans)


As a huge fan of the video games i thought this movie nailed it completely. It's slick, well directed and the visuals are sublime- every frame a work of art. It works well as a game adaptation but i also feel it works great as a stand alone movie. Paul Anderson, take note. THIS is how to successfully adapt a video game.

Honourable Mentions:

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984, dir. Wes Craven)


I love this film but I really can't get it to fit into this top 10! It deserves it's place somewhere higher, and maybe I will come back to the list and re-evaluate it so it can accomapny this classic. We Craven gives us a classic tale of child molsetor Freddy Kruger who has come to haunt the dreams of Elm Street's teenagers as he exacts revenge for the parents who murdered him as well as having some fun in his own sick and depraved way. The first is obviously the best in the series though a few of the sequels are also very good. Rober Englund gives the performance of his entire career as the iconic Freddy and Heather Lagenkamp cements herself as princess of 80s horror scream teens. An original and respected work of 80s horror brilliance- it may be cheesy in parts now but it's still a great watch!

Alien (1979. dir. Ridley Scott)


Another classic horror film which needs to be put higher in the list but again I can't seem to figure out where or even if this is the right genre for it, even though it is, it's both horror and sci-fi and does both genres really well. A fantastic film which hasn't aged in it's scared at all- I watched it recently and still found parts of it to be genuinly creepy, especially with the claustrohphiba and expert directing (lighting, choreography, design and intense acting all make it a suspensful journey into ou deepest fears of space and extra-terrestrial life). It's still one of the best out there and it's got it.