BGH Staff Picks Top 25 Horror Films of the Decade Part 3

Hot on the heels of our latest site redesign, Mark faxes his top and bottom 5 films in from the nerd dungeon. He's joined today by reviewer and writer extraordinaire, Todd Rigney.

MARK NEWELL

Top 5

1. May
"May" has it all, an original story, liberal gore, and a quirky, awkward sense of humor. There are perhaps funnier films, and gorier films, but this one really stands out for me as the most original and memorable horror film of the decade.

2. Inside
In a decade defined in part by the 'torture porn' movement, "Inside" manages to be extremely violent, visceral, and downright scary at parts, but in a nuanced, thoughtful way.

3. Cloverfield
"Cloverfield" was a complete, awe-inspiring package from the first seconds of the viral marketing to the catastrophic closing of the film.

4. Ginger Snaps
The best horror films defy genre classification, and "Ginger Snaps" was far more than just an angsty teen werewolf flick.

5. Let the Right One In
There was very little about the past decade that I would call beautiful, but "Let the Right One In" is a remarkable exception.

Bottom 5

1. Postal
Uwe Boll took the political incorrectness and over the top gore of a Troma film, and removed all of the wit and soul. They should have made the scene with Verne Troyer getting attacked by thousands of monkeys the entire film, because it was by far the best part.

2. THE Final Destination
None of the first three "Final Destination" films were great films, but they've all at least fun. The 3D gimmick was made for the series, and somehow this last installment managed to squander it all.

3. Prom Night/The Stepfather/PG-13 Slashers
Slasher movies should never be PG-13. There's nothing worse than aggressive mediocrity, and that's almost impossible to avoid when you try to shoehorn a horror feature into a lesser rating.

4. The Unborn
Despite the best efforts of Odette Youstman's tush, and one creepy demon dog with an upside down head, you'd be hard pressed to find a more cliched supernatural flick this year, except...

5. Mirrors
I love you Kiefer, but the shtick of screaming "GOD DAMMIT!", and then trying to shoot the nearest mirror into oblivion was funny the first time, and tremendously boring the next 50 times.

TODD RIGNEY

Top 5

1. The Descent
A swift, unnerving nightmare. Easily the scariest movie I've seen in the last ten years.

2. Let the Right One In
A strangely heartwarming twist on the vampire mythos. Sweet, touching, and frequently brutal.

3. Trick 'r Treat
The sharpest American horror film in ages. Think "Tales from the Crypt" for a new generation.

4. 28 Days Later ...
A lean, mean, living dead flick with an edge. And, yes, running zombies are far more frightening than their shambling counterparts.

5. Martyrs
Profoundly disturbing and inescapably haunting. Although faintly reminiscent of "Hellraiser," I've honestly never seen anything quite like it.

Bottom 5

1. It's Alive
A failure in every conceivable way. From it's tepid acting to its bargain basement computer-generated effects, Josef Rusnak's pathetic reimagining is everything that's currently wrong with modern horror.

2. Paranormal Activity
A product of hype, nothing more. I've seen scarier movies on public access at four in the morning.

3. Quarantine
Take the premise of an excellent Spanish horror film, slap a goofy-looking mustache on Johnathon Schaech, and completely screw everything up. Learn how to read and watch the original.

4. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch Project 2
If you don't know what's wrong with this one, slap yourself. Hard.

5. One Missed Call
The worst Americanized Asian horror movie I've ever encountered. French director Eric Valette is a fine filmmaker, but you'd never know it from watching this.