Best Horror Or Slasher Movie

[Dave]

2011 Zonie Awards

Nominees for Best Horror Or Slasher Film

Halloween (1978)

Scream

Black Christmas (1974)

Final Destination

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

I Know What You Did Last Summer

Friday The 13th (1980)

The Exorcist

Silence Of The Lambs

Psycho

Jaws

Alien

The Shining

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Poltergeist


To hasten this process, voting will now begin immediately with all discussion also taking place henceforth from the moment this thread is posted. Voting will last 7 days.


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[Mac Attack]

This clearly has to go to Nightmare on Elm Street. Not only is it a very murderous movie but it is a figure head in all slasher films. It has set up many other slasher movies and it is the pinnacle of slasher movies. It is overall very well made and I think overall topples all of these other movies whe comparing them. It has given us an iconic slasher villain and it has been very documented in slasher movie history. Out of this list it is the best slasher.

 

[Gilly?]

The Exorcist for me is the best horror film ever, easily my favourite. Everything about it is exactly how a horror film should be.

It's powerful, brilliantly acted and at the time was totally taboo for the content of it.

As for slasher flicks, my favourite is Friday the 13th. Whilst they're cheesy, poorly acted and full of T&A but they're campy fun and can't be hated. They're just about my favourite franchise.

 

[Blue Chipper]

No other horror film has made an impact on society quite as big as The Exorcist, and it therefore gets my vote. The combination of an uneasy atmosphere, frightening special effects, the supernatural aspect, and terrifying scenes make this one of the most scariest and memorable films in the lore of horror and should be required viewing for anyone looking to be scared.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

I went with Silence of the Lambs.

One of the key themes in this poll - with the noted exception of The Exorcist - is the creation of a legendary villain. Well, not Freddy, Jason, Michael, Johnny (Shining), Jaws, Leatherface, Ghostface, etc. can even approach the legendary status of Hannibal Lecter.

I always bring up this stat - to my knowledge, only two films in history have ever swept the Academy Awards top 5 trophies - Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Director, and Screenplay. Those films are One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Silence of the Lambs.

Horror is a genre often panned by critics and beloved by audiences, but Silence captured them both. The honest cinematography and the development of the Clarice Starling character are both magnificent, but nothing beats the existance of the painfull evil - but undeniably likable - Hannibal Lecter character. Anthony Hopkins brought this character to life in a way few actors have ever done, and considering he wasn't the first to play the role (1986's Manhunter saw Brian Cox in the role, admirably).

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

Going to go with Jaws. Movies can be incredibly powerful and affect your everyday life, and Jaws did just that. It terrified audiences to go near water. Water is something that every human requires to live. The fact that a film can scare people away from something as basic and everyday as water is damn impressive. Sharks became feared by an entire generation and a large percentage of the planet's population will say there first real exposure to sharks was Jaws, and some are afraid of sharks for that very reason.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Going to go with Jaws. Movies can be incredibly powerful and affect your everyday life, and Jaws did just that. It terrified audiences to go near water. Water is something that every human requires to live. The fact that a film can scare people away from something as basic and everyday as water is damn impressive. Sharks became feared by an entire generation and a large percentage of the planet's population will say there first real exposure to sharks was Jaws, and some are afraid of sharks for that very reason.

Yes, FunKay, they require water to live, but I doubt anyone refused to drink from the tap due to fear of a 25-foot shark coming out and attacking them in their homes. Now The Blob, well, that put people off of Jell-O for a while, but I doubt Aquafina would have batted an eyelash at Jaws if it had been around when the film was made.

I had trouble classifying Jaws as a horror. It was a drama, sure, and a nature film, but it's hard to call it horror. Fact is, it was a terrific film. Well directed, and even better acted. Robert Shaw was brilliant.

What made Jaws effective was the presence of the only possibly truly unbiased and emotionless killer. Horror films TRIED to do that with Michael Meyers and others, but failed, because humans have emotional motivations. Jason wanted revenge for his mother. Freddy wanted revenge for himself. Michael because he hated his sister for some unknown reason. Jaws killed to eat, which made him nearly unstoppable.

I still prefer the depth and layers of Silence of the Lambs, but Jaws was a remarkable film.

 

[LSN80]

This clearly has to go to Nightmare on Elm Street. Not only is it a very murderous movie but it is a figure head in all slasher films. It has set up many other slasher movies and it is the pinnacle of slasher movies. It is overall very well made and I think overall topples all of these other movies whe comparing them. It has given us an iconic slasher villain and it has been very documented in slasher movie history. Out of this list it is the best slasher.

Yes,but the title is best "horror or slasher" film, is it not? I find myself curious as to how many of the movies on the list you've seen, because The Shining, Exorcist, Psycho, and my choice, Silence of the Lambs, far surpass Nightmare. There's more to them then just being a slasher all combine the elements of a slasher movie with true horror and psychological depth. Nightmare is a nice franchise if youre looking for blood and gore but its nonsensical to think it surpasses the others in terms of quality.

With Silence of the Lambs comes some of the foundation of the true horror genre. that other movies ascribe to be. It is a first-rate production all around. It boasts a witty and suspenseful script based on the Thomas Harris novel, full of memorable quotes as well as characters. The Silence of the Lambs, accomplished the rare feat of winning all five of the major Academy Award categories it was nominated for, most notably Hopkins and Foster. Gruesome, pulpish material was transformed by dedicated participants on all levels of production, and a film that would have failed in the hands of many others wound up becoming a modern masterpiece. Taut direction and a superb screenplay might be the best arguments for the film's power, but the flashiest are certainly delivered in the bravura performances of Hopkins and Foster. Their interplay together made for the most chilling and riveting form of theatre Ive ever seen, despite the two only sharing a hndful of scenes together. he film lacks nothing within the horror/slasher genre and hasn't been topped since 20 years later. For anyone who has seen this film and votes otherwise wasn't watching closely, to be blunt.