Now that “Scream 4” has people remembering how ground-breaking and exciting the original “Scream” was back in 1996, it seems like a good time to point you towards my latest MSN Movies gallery, which celebrates a few other horror films that took unexpected chances and changed the way people saw the genre.
After much internal debate, I decided to leave out John Carpenter’s “Halloween”. Oh, it’s brilliant, and its sustained, unrelenting terror remains unparallelled, but it wasn’t revolutionary in the same way as the other films in the gallery. It just inspired the most knock-offs.
… crap, now I really want to watch “Halloween” again. I wish I had the time.
Awesome list! Loved all of these (except for the unreleased Mandy Lane, but you’ve certainly piqued my interest)! But I’m surprised…no Shaun of the Dead? I know you love it; did you just not consider it a gamechanger? I suppose the earlier American Werewolf in London did do a good job blending horror and comedy.
It’s rather funny/sad to read the bevy of comments at Many Lane’s IMDB listing, with posters screaming about available international releases, and unrealized north American distribution. One rumour blamed the issue on the Weinsteins for buying and subsequently abandoning the film, then E1.
Of course, if it does get released in R1 land, it’ll be one up on Dobermann (1997). The director himself accused the Weinsteins of neglect for buying and sitting on his film due to a proposed U.S. remake. 13-14 years later, and still no North American release… Sigh….
– MRH
@ Chris — Ordinarily I’d seize upon any excuse to get “Shaun” into a gallery. But I can’t really argue for it as revolutionary in this context … though “Shaun of the Dead” perfects the self-reflexive horror film, “Scream” made it possible in the first place, so it deserves all the credit. (And there’s an acknowledgement of “Shaun” in “Scream 4”, so everybody’s cool.)
@ Mark — Fortunately for all of us, the “Mandy Lane” UK Blu-ray is region-free, and surprisingly cheap …