It's like Groundhog's Day but the mean girl gets whacked

Happy Death Day (2017)

Dir- Christopher Landon

A college student named Tree wakes on her birthday after a wild night partying, and through the course of her day, she shows herself to be a massive bitch who shows little concern for those around her. As the evening commences, she finds herself face to face with a masked figure who murders her. She awakens immediately after and notices that she is reliving the same day with the same fate awaiting her. Many people are comparing this film to Groundhog's Day, and they are correct in some respects. It is a film that utilizes a loop to show the protagonist having to repeat the same day while she tries to determine the identity of her assailant. Happy Death Day does differ from Groundhog's Day in that Tree does alter her routine significantly as she tries to deduce who may be stalking her. In this respect, the movie is more similar to The Edge of Tomorrow in that each life she relives takes her one more step closer to finding the identity of the murderer. Happy Death Day does inject dark humor into the series of events as Tree learns to become a better person even if she still gets murdered. The level of violence is not as bad as many other slasher films resulting in a teen-friendly PG-13 rating. Overall this is a pretty original take on the slasher genre, with praise for Jennifer Rothe as the main character.

85 Great Horror Movies of the 21st Century

I have compiled a list of 85 great horror, thriller and suspense films from 2001 to 2017. I have the movies separated by year in lists featuring 5 movies. This all based on opinion but all rate well with critics and/or fans of horror films.

2001

The Others

Session 9

Donnie Darko

Devils Backbone

Frailty

2002

28 Days Later

The Ring

Ju-On

Dark Water

Dog Soldiers

2003

A Tale of Two Sisters

High Tension

Dead End

Open Water

Identity

2004

Shaun of the Dead

Dawn of  the Dead

Saw

Hellboy

Three Extremes

2005

The Descent

Hard Candy

Land of the Dead

The Loved Ones

Hostel

2006

The Host

Pan's Labyrinth

Slither

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

ILS (Them)

2007

REC

The Mist

28 Weeks Later

The Orphanage

Trick r Treat

2008

Let the Right One In

Cloverfield

Martyrs

Eden Lake

Pontypool

2009

Zombieland

The House of the Devil

Drag Me To Hell

Dead Snow

Antichrist

2010

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil   

Piranha 3D 

I Saw the Devil

Troll Hunter

Let Me In

2011

You’re Next

The Tunnel

Attack the Block

Innkeepers

Woman

2012

Cabin in the Woods

VHS 

The Bay

Woman in Black

American Mary

2013

Oculus    

The Conjuring 

VHS 2 

We Are What We Are

Evil Dead

2014

The Babadook

It Follows 

A Girl Walks Home Alone

What We Do in Shadows

The Honeymoon

2015

The VVitch 

The Invitation  

Creep 

We Are Still Here

Bone Tomahawk

2016

Hush 

Don't Breathe

Train to Busan

The Autopsy of Jane Doe

Raw

2017

It 

Get Out

It Comes At Night

Geralds Game

Creep 2

31 Days of Horror Lists by the Losman-Top 20 Horror Movie Franchises by Box Office

For the month of October I will put out a list of Top 10’s on a number of subjects each day, this should be fun as I would enjoy feedback and discussion on my list and will welcome feedback on how to improve the list as I plan on featuring them on my website.

Top 20 Horror Movie Franchises

(Not Adjusted for Inflation) 

Alien 

8 Films (1979-2017)

$590 Million US 

$1,500 Million Worldwide

Saw 

8 Films

$432 Million US

$889.5 Million Worldwide

The Conjuring 

4 Films

$426 Million US

$1,199 Million Worldwide

Jaws 

4 Films

$408 Million US

$794.4 Million Worldwide

Paranormal Activity 

6 Films 

$401 Million US

$890.5 Million Worldwide

Friday the 13th 

12 Films

$380 Million US

$223.2 Million Worldwide

Nightmare on Elm Street 

9 Films

$370 Million US

$250.3 Million Worldwide

Scream 

4 Films

$331.7 Million US

$604.4 Million Worldwide

Halloween 

10 Films

$308 Million US

$204 Million Worldwide

The Exorcist 

6 Films

$331 Million US 

$630.5 Million Worldwide

Final Destination 

5 Films

$263 Million US

$665.1 Million Worldwide

Underworld 

5 Films

$252.7 Million US

$539.6 Million Worldwide

The Purge 

3 Films

$215 Million US 

$319.8 Million Worldwide

Blade 

3 Films

$204 Million US

$415.1 Million Worldwide

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 

8 Films

$199 Million US

$206.1 Million Worldwide

Insidious 

3 Films

$189 Million US

$371.9 Million Worldwide

Poltergeist 

4 Films

$179 Million US

$95.4 Million Worldwide

Amityville Horror 

15 Films (Only 5 Box Office totals found)

$170 Million US

$115.3 Million Worldwide

The Omen 

4 Films

$162.5 Million US

$180.4 Million Worldwide

Child's Play 

5 Films

$126 Million US

$176.0 Million Worldwide

31 Days of Horror Lists by the Losman- Best Horror Movie Remakes

For the month of October I will put out a list of Top 10’s on a number of subjects each day, this should be fun as I would enjoy feedback and discussion on my list and will welcome feedback on how to improve the list as I plan on featuring them on my website. 

Best Horror Movie Remakes

The Thing (1982)

A remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic by Howard Hawkes, this film directed by John Carpenter is considered by many in the horror movie community to be the best and most popular sci-fi/horror film. Outstanding cast, excellent setting and most importantly a creature that was one of the most amazing feats of work in the old school style of special effects. The Thing is also known for the tension that adds greatly to the mystery of who may still be human.

The Fly (1986)

In usual Cronenberg form, we have another remake of a classic horror movie that uses a lot of sex and gore in its interpretation. Jeff Goldblum plays Seth Bundle, a brilliant scientist who invents the technology that can teleport matter. The inevitable happens, and the intrepid scientist soon develops a huge appetite and an insatiable sex drive. Little does he realize that his DNA is being altered to that of the fly that rode with him. Cronenberg delivers a great film with incredible FX and a show-stopping metamorphosis that won an Academy Award for FX Artist Chris Walas.

Let Me In (2010)

A remake of the Swedish film"Let the Right One In" follows the story of the original movie relatively close and is an excellent film in its own right. In this remake, Chloë Grace Moretz plays the young vampire who befriends the pre-teen boy played by Kodi Smit-McPhee. They form a close bond as he learns of her secret and has to decide if he can accept the responsibility that comes with knowing who she is. This remake was well received, but many fans of the original movie prefer the original Swedish movie. 

Piranha 3D (2010)

Another remake of the Joe Dante’s Jaws parody has a local sheriff facing problems when underwater explosions release prehistoric piranha as thousands of college coeds invade the small town during Spring break. The events that occur are bloody and intense as the beach party turns blood red from the feeding frenzy as well as the panic that follows. Excellent cast and a surprisingly competent script make this a B movie worth watching. Followed by an even campier sequel called Piranha 3DD

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

A remake of the George Romeo’s 1978 horror classic, a group of strangers seeks refuge in a shopping mall when they are faced with swarms of fast zombies.  Director Zack Snyder would win praise for this worthy remake that followed the original premise yet set itself apart in its way.

The Ring  (2002)

A journalist looks into a mysterious videotape after the death of her niece and some of her friends. She discovers that watching the tape will result in your imminent death after receiving a mysterious phone call. A remake of a 1998 Japanese film, The Ring would help usher the way for some Japanese inspired remakes such as The Grudge, Pulse, and Dark Water.

The Crazies (2010)

This remake of the 1973 George Romero film had a much bigger budget and slicker look than the original. Unlike so many remakes, The Crazies improves on the story by using the zombie trope invented by George Romero and injecting elements of 28 Days Later into this derivative genre. Upping the violence, tension and adding some dark humor Director Breck Eisner took a relatively minor terror film from the seventies and reinvented it for the 21st Century.

The Blob (1988) 

The ultimate red menace returns to infest a new town and eats up everything in its path. Rarely does a remake outdo the original and what we have here is an all-out special effects delight? Kevin Dillon plays the rebellious teen who has to battle the Mega goo before it makes his town into nothing. The effects are what make this movie better than the original.

Evil Dead (2013)

A group of friends who are helping a fellow friend rehab from drug addiction, they go out to a family cabin so she can clean up. While in the cabin a mysteries book is found that when read aloud releases evil spirits that attack the group. This installment is not so much a remake of the Sam Raimi 1981 classic but more a reboot to continue the franchise. This movie ups the violence, gore and has less of the humor found in the previous films, fan reaction has been positive, and the possibility of sequels reuniting Bruce Campbell is most likely to occur.

My Bloody Valentine (2009) 

A remake of the early 1980’s Canadian slasher film, this time the movie is in 3D. The plot is still the same, a group of coal miners are caught in a cave in after an explosion, the one miner kills the rest of the survivors to conserve air before he is rescued. A year later he seeks revenge at a party and is supposedly taken out. Ten years later a series of murders occur that make people in the town wonder if the killer from 10 years before has returned. My Bloody Valentine received mixed reviews but still made over a 100 million and utilized the 3D gimmick to great effect; this would help launch the latest craze of 3D movies.

31 Days of Horror Lists by the Losman- Most Disturbing Movies

For the month of October I will put out a list of Top 10’s on a number of subjects each day, this should be fun as I would enjoy feedback and discussion on my list and will welcome feedback on how to improve the list as I plan on featuring them on my website.

 Ten Truly Disturbing Films

Martyrs (2008)

Dir- Pascal Laugier

After being imprisoned by an unknown group, a young woman and her friend seek out clues to the mysterious family who tortured and abused her. As she seeks her revenge, she finds that all the preparation in the world may not be enough to help her overcome her former captors. Martyrs was part of the New French Extreme movement that featured extreme violence, sex, and psychological issues. Martyrs is a highly divisive film, rejected by some studios and actresses due to the intense level of gore and nature of the film. In the decade since its release Martyrs has attracted the attention of horror movie fans who consider the film one of the best and most intense movies ever made. Martyrs push the boundaries of extreme cinema and are considered the best film of the New French Extreme movement.

Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

Dir- Ruggero Deodato

Like the spaghetti westerns of the sixties, Italian cannibal films were the rage in the seventies. Like many of those westerns, these films had similar plots as well as the same tragic conclusions. A group of white explorers would enter the dense jungle of the Amazon rain forests and meet up with seemingly friendly cannibals who were only looking to have these guests as their next meal. With the many films made one wonders why no one noticed the very similar techniques and stories. We see women gang-raped, and men getting their testicles cut off or having their skulls opened up for a dessert of fresh brain. Everyone seemed to be a potential meal for each other. What sets this film apart from the other cannibal stock is the brutal nature of both the cannibals and the explorers. The addition of a genuine animal death is quite unsettling and resulted in the film being banned in Italy. It may have been put into suspending our belief, but little can divert the fact that this is still a cannibal movie and a ruthless one at that. The filmmakers revel in showing us that the explorers are at times just as cruel and brutal as the savages they are visiting. Cannibal Holocaust is considered by many to be the most graphically intense and brutal film ever made even when compared to its grotesque contemporaries. 

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989)

Dir- Peter Greenaway

From its violent and disgusting opening to its even more disturbing ending Peter Greenaway's THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE & HER LOVER sets itself apart from any movie you may have encountered. In a gourmet restaurant, the film details the lives of the four title characters, the dutiful yet tortured chef, the mobster owner, his abused love-starved wife and her bookworm lover. This film in many ways is a parable for every emotion from love, greed & revenge. The desire of the mobster and his control over everyone sets the film up for its shocking yet appropriate ending. The actors involved have portrayed important characters in Shakespeare plays, their training, and delivery raises this movie above the freakish elements that would be exploited in any other film. This is far from any freak show, and it's a beautifully shot and well thought out the movie with very believable and sympathetic characters.  They are asked to do things that few human beings would have the nerve or the stomach for. The subject matter may be unsettling, but this is because humans are every bit as corrupted; on or off screen.

Last House On The Left (1972) 

Dir- Wes Craven

Wes Craven has made a name for himself as a leading director in the horror genre with such notable films as A Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Serpent and the Rainbow. His directorial debut will always remain one of the most perverse and vile movies to recognized as a horror classic. Joined by Sean Cunningham (Friday the 13th), Craven used Ingmar Bergman's Virgin Spring as a loose guide in this film that has two young girls out for a good time meeting up with a trio of murderers. The gang brutalizes, rapes and murders both girls. Afterward, the trio somehow finds their way back to the house of one of the girls and when caught face a wrath far worse than anything committed by the trio. This film is a compelling look at revenge and the day-to-day violence with which we have become blind to in our daily routine. What also adds to the film's shock value is that it was a shoestring budget with a cast of unknown actors, making it feel more like a documentary than an exploitation slasher flick. Usually, a piece of cheap exploitation like this would be hidden away or fall into the abyss of rental hell, yet with Craven's reputation and a surprisingly positive review by none other than Roger Ebert (I kid you not, this was a personal favorite of the critic). The Last House on the Left has found itself to be a milestone of splatter flicks and as one of the most disturbing revenge films made.

Audition (1999)

Dir- Takashi Miike

A widower decides to find a new romantic partner with the help of a friend who is a film producer. He conducts auditions and is intrigued by a young dancer who attends the mock audition named Asami. His new lady reveals to him that she had a troubled background and the two begin a relationship only to have her seek revenge after she feels betrayed by him when she learns of his past relationships. Asami is sadistic, manipulative and a total psychopath. Audition shocked films goers when it was released and remains one of the most disturbing movies to come from Japan. Asami is portrayed by Japanese fashion model and actress Eihi Shiina, and her portrayal remains one of the scariest villain roles in the recent decade.

Begotten (1991)

Dir- E. Elias Merhige

Begotten, which has been both praised for its artistic originality and condemned as a "metaphysical splatter film" for its gruesomely chilling images, has taken its place as one of the nightmare cult classics of the 90s. Told without dialogue, Begotten opens in an unknown land during a strange time, where a single God disembowels himself with a razor. A new spirit, a goddess full of energy and mystery, arises from the inert remains of the self-immolated God and dances through the woods. To described any further would rob the viewer of the experience of this incredibly bizarre and visually unique film. This is by far one of the weirdest, creepy and all out whack films ever put on screen and may require multiple viewings to get a grasp of what is going on.

Salo, 120 Days of Sodom (1977) 

Dir- Pier Paolo Pasolini 

The Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini was known for controversial material, and the last film he directed was easily his most vile. Salo is a modern adaptation of the works of the Marquis de Sade. Set in Fascist Italy during World War II, Salo is the story of a group of perverted fascists who indulge in their demented desires and prey upon a panel of adolescents. They are stripped, dehumanized and told not to pray or engage in normal sexual urges. Violations of the rules result in swift and painful punishment followed by a cruel and prolonged execution. Pasolini has made this movie more of an homage to Sadism then he has in trying to condemn it as if he is attempting to show us visually how disgusting de Sade was in print. The Fascists engage in every perverted and disgusting manner that their imagination can bring forth. If Pasolini was trying to show us the sick parallel between de Sade and these fascists, he is relishing in their depravity than he is in trying to condemn them. The film is full of sodomy and rape, both heterosexual and homosexual. The audience is also subjected to such disgusting scenes as people being forced to eat cooked feces, razor blades and urinating on one another. We also see the prisoners praying on one another as each transgression leads them to their ultimate and final act of punishment. Whatever Pasolini is trying to say about fascists and de Sade is not clear, but Salo is so deep in its filth that we are forced almost to choke over its content. It is well filmed, and each scene of torture is shown in full color and shocking detail. It is hard to imagine the utter shock of this movie without realizing that the adolescents were probably underage.

Santa Sangre (1989) 

Dir- Alejandro Jodorowsky

Picture a movie that crosses Psycho with Freaks, and adds a little Fellini for cosmetic charm. The gifted Mexican director Alejandro Jodorowsky brings forth yet another typical trip into genuine horror. We meet a young man named Fenix, who is confined to a mental hospital and through a series of flashbacks we are witnesses to many brutal events. His parents were circus performers, his mother an aerialist and his father a tattooed strongman. His mother was also the leader of a religious cult that worshiped a limbless saint; the saint was a poor woman who attacked by a man and had her arms severed. The blood of this saint is "Santa Sangre," holy blood, and is collected in a pool in a church that is scheduled to be bulldozed. Fenix is close to a young mute girl named Alma, the two share a special bond, and it is his relationship with her that he can handle the problems with his family. Later we witness a horrible event transpire, his mother sees his father having an affair with another carnival performer, and she tracks them down and attacks the woman and fatally injures her husband. During the assault she loses her limbs, much like the saint, she worships. All of this is supposed to have happened years before but did it transpire. We return to Fenix at the asylum, and he is met by his limbless mother who uses him as her "Limbs" in a series of gruesome murders and acts of revenge. We also find a grown-up Alma wandering the streets looking for Fenix; she may be the only person who can bring him to reality. Along the way we are witnessed to a multitude of images and powerful scenes that may or may not be real, all the while we must consider that we may be seeing the delusions of a person with a mental health condition. Like his previous work, El Topo, Santa Sangre is a powerful and violent film that does not follow standard conventions. Its style is unique and wildly imaginative. Director Alejandro Jodorowsky has again created another wild ride in the weird world of Mexican horror. Available in NC-17 and a  toned down R version.

Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

Dir- John McNaughton

This sick little number came onto the scene rather quietly, made in 1986 but released on video in 1990 where it received a cult following in the horror video market. The MPAA had tried to slap the movie with an X rating that was used mainly for porno's but may have been done to stigmatize this intense and shocking film. Michael Rooker plays a man loosely similar to famed serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. Henry seems to be an average looking guy, and except for the occasional dead body, he may have left behind he is a pretty cool guy. Working with a scummy partner named Otis, the two enjoy kidnapping and brutalizing woman, often raping and mutilating their bodies. What makes Henry unique is that for such a small budget and graphic plot we have a well-made and well-acted film that is above the level of most video store fare. The producers have stymied the viewers by delivering a great movie with fantastic direction. What comes across even more significant is that by showing the viewers the life and feelings of a sociopath we find ourselves looking into a dark mirror and staring at a sad reflection of ourselves. I strongly recommend this film but must warn you to be cautious as this is pretty strong stuff.

Freaks (1932)

Dir- Tod Browning

Tod Browning gives the viewers a look at a carnival sideshow and shows us the world where the freaks are every bit as human as we are. A little person inherits money and is seduced by a greedy aerialist into marriage. From there she hopes to poison him and run off with her lover yet is caught and hunted by the freaks for hurting one of their own. Browning wisely portrays genuine carnival performers as circus freaks and shows the audience that it is the seemingly normal humans who are the monsters and the freaks as normal. The film was released to an unfavorable audience and banned in Britain for almost 50 years. The real tragedy was that Tod Browning found himself shunned by Hollywood for some years due to the film's controversial content. The film is a real treasure that has finally found its recognition in recent years even inspiring a season of American Horror Story.