The Five Worst Horror Films, and Three that Might Surpirse You

by Jennifer G.
(Richmond, IL)

I love horror! After seeing a lot of horror movies and reading the 100 Best Horror Movies on this site, I’ve developed a few lists of my own including “the five worst horror ever made” and “three that may surprise you.” I may have listed films you disagree with, and I welcome feedback. But I’ll give you my reasons for labeling them as such.

The Five Worst Horror Films Ever Made

• The House of 1000 Corpses - I know, this one shows up on many best of lists. But I found this movie to be icky, creepy, and disturbing....and not in a good way. There is something suspenseful about wondering whether the hero is going to escape death, like the main character in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. In The House of 1000 Corpses, however, it’s obvious that the kids in the movie don’t have a chance against those nutbags from the get-go. And it just gets more depressingly hopeless as the film drags on.

• Boo - (On DVD, aired on Sci-Fi a couple months ago). I watched Boo and never once had any idea what was going on. I think it’s about ghosts in a mental institution and they possess people. I think the main character has something to do with the ghosts. All I know is the acting was really, really bad. I think the script for Attack of the Killer Tomatoes was better than this one.

• The Hills Have Eyes - (New version on DVD). Again, many may disagree with this pick of the remake of a Wes Craven classic. And I thought everything was kosher with this film until the rape scene. I had friends walk out of the theater after this scene. It was beyond gratuitous. Yuck.

• Devil Bat - This one recently aired on Turner Classic Movies and it’s as boring as ever. What a snooze-fest. This old film doesn’t even have kitsch value. Poor Bela, I can only assume Universal was trying to capitalize on his fame as Dracula.

• Silent Hill- The trailer looked so promising. But this was another bore and a half. There really wasn’t any plot. Just an hour and a half of special effects, and bad ones at that.

Three Horror Films That May Surprise You:

• The Exorcism of Emily Rose - Many have dismissed this film as over the top Hollywood fodder. But there’s something genuinely creepy about The Exorcism of Emily Rose. The rural setting combined with the naive, over-religious family gives the film an edge, and there’s a scene with Laura Linney in her apartment at night which, if it doesn’t creep you out, nothing will.

• Rest Stop - This one recently aired on Sci-Fi. I usually find Sci-Fi’s Saturday night films pretty boring but this one surprised me. The script was well written. The acting was good. Joey Lawrence, (yes, Dancing with the Stars’ Joey Lawrence) plays a small but good role. Anyone who has done a road trip knows that rest stops are menacing places with unknown histories– a perfect setting for a horror film.

• Clownhouse - A late 80's horror film about three patients that escape from a mental institution, happen upon a traveling circus, kill the clowns and take their costumes, then proceed to hide out in a nearby family’s home. Need I say more.

So...Happy viewing and tell me what you think!