BY RON CAIN

HORROR MOVIES ON PARADE

Times & Plots of Upcoming Movies

• American Horror -- Director/Writer: Clive Barker. Comments: A horrible creature stalks the western railroads in the 19th century. Little has been heard about this movie idea recently.
• Beyond Re-Animator -- Director: Brian Yuzna. Starring: Jeffrey Combs. Comments: A follow-up to the Re-Animator and Bride of Re-Animator.
• Blade 2 -- Director: Guillermo Del Toro (Mimic). Writer: David Goyer. Starring: Wesley Snipes. Comments: Expect this film to begin shooting in the spring of 2001.
• Bones (Oct. 26, 2001) -- Producer: Rupert Harvey (The Blob, A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child). Director: Ernest Dickerson (Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight). Starring: Snoop Dogg, Pam Grier (Jackie Brown) Comments: Gangsta rap singer Snoop Dogg stars as Jimmy Bones, an urban protector killed by former friends. His spirit comes back to clean up the neighborhood and get revenge on those who betrayed him. This is another movie that is being delayed for an unnaturally long time for no good reason. This has the potential for being a great haunted house picture if it ever makes it to movie theaters.
• Bride of Frankenstein -- Universal Pictures. Comments: An updated version of the classic which takes place 10 years in the future. Rick Baker the monster-maker will be doing the makeup.
• Bruiser -- Director: George Romero. Starring: Jason Fleming (Deep Rising), Leslie Hope. Comments: Frustrated worker loses his face but not his sense of humor as he systematically eliminates those who have betrayed him. Anything from the creator of the living dead trilogy cannot be all bad.
• Carnivore -- Director: George Romero. Producers: Wachowski Brothers (Matrix). Comments: Tenants at a boarding house become the main course.
• Cat People -- Producer: Will Smith. Comments: A remake of the twice-done tale that takes place in the 1990s.
• GGI Frankenstein -- Comments: ILM's animated version of the classic Frankenstein story. The Wolfman may be included. This project may be dead. However, it may be revived someday like Frankenstein himself.
• Children of the Dead -- Comments: Based on the Midnight Comics miniseries about a group of adolescents and how they deal with a world full of zombies.
• Chupacabra -- Writer: Tom Savini.
• Church of the Dead Girls -- Director: Joel Schumacher (Lost Boys). Comments: Based on a novel of the same name. The story involves the brutal murder of three girls in a small town in upstate New York.
• Cold Hearts -- Director: Robert Masciantonio. Starring: Marisa Ryan, Christopher Wiehl, Amy Jo Johnson (Felicity), Robert Floyd, Christian Campbell, Fred Norris. Comments: Two young female vampires living near the boardwalk in New Jersey are threatened when an ex-boyfriend and fellow vampires come to town.
• Creature From the Black Lagoon -- Director: Stephen Sommers (Deep Rising, The Mummy). Comments: Universal's remake of the classic fish monster. May be a campy version like The Mummy.
• The Crow Salvation (Video 2001) -- Director: Bharat Nalluri. Starring: Kirsten Dunst (Interview with a Vampire). Comments: A young man returns from the dead to protect his deceased girlfriend's younger sister. I'm not a big fan of the Crow movies, and I'm not even sure they qualify as horror films, but Kirsten Dunst should add a little star appeal to this lethargic series.
• Cut -- An Australian teen-slasher movie. Starring: Molly Ringwald, Jessica Napier, Kylie Minogue (popular Australian singer), Stephen Curry. Comments: It received a lukewarm reception in Australia. I hope Americans will soon have a chance to see for themselves.
• Deadworld -- Director: Mark Pavia (Night Flyer). Comments: A world overrun by zombies.
• Domu -- This is a Japanese comic adaptation about a lonely, old man who causes the death of several of the residents and a little girl who challenges his powers. Director: Guillermo Del Toro. Comments: According to Del Toro, it is a horror lullaby with dense characters and a great atmosphere.
• Faust -- Director: Brian Yuzna. Starring: Andrew Divoff (Wishmaster), Mark Frost, Jeffrey Combs. Comments: Tim Vigil and David Quinn's Rebel Studios comic book series turned into a movie.
• A Fate Totally Worse Than Death -- Director: John Ketchmer. Comments: Based on a book by Paul Fleischman, three teenagers begin to age after an exchange student comes to their high school. It appears she is the ghost of the girl who was killed the year before by the actions of the threesome.
• Freddy vs. Jason -- Director: Rob Bottin. Starring: Robert Englund as Freddy Kruger, Kane Hodder as Jason Voorhees. Comments: This could be the fright fest of the new millennium.
• Ghost Riders in the Sky Comments -- Jan De Bont (Twister) on-again-off-again project about cowboys and aliens.
• Hannibal (Feb 14, 2001) -- Writer: Thomas Harris. Director: Ridley Scott (Alien). Starring: Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter, Julianne Moore (Psycho) as Clarice Starling. Comments: Sequel to Silence of the Lambs. It appeared in bookstores on June 8. The ending of the book has been revamped to present a more positive and realistic ending. Jodi Foster has said she will not reprise her role as Clarice Starling, showing once again how stuck-up actresses enjoy poking the horror genre in the eye.
• Hellboy -- Producer: Lloyd Levin (Mystery Men/Event Horizon), Director/Writer: Guillermo Del Toro. Comments: A big-screen version of the Mike Mignola comic book.
• House of 1000 Corpses -- (Jan. 2001) Director/Writer: Rob Zombie. Starring: Karen Black, Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), Sid Haig (Spider Baby) Michael J. Pollard, Tom Towles, Chris Hardwick, Jennifer Jostyn, Rainn Phillips, Erin Daniels. Comments: A group of unsuspecting travelers encounter a psychotic family and a bushel of zombies. Early opinions from test audiences and a remarkable trailer lead me to believe this is a cross between Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things. A liberal use of red and blue color give it an almost comic book quality. This should be a must-see film.
• I Am Legend -- Director: Rob Bowman (the X-Files). Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger. Comments: A long-awaited remake of the Richard Matheson book about the last man on earth and his battle against vampire-like creatures. It appears Arnold will not appear in Legend anytime soon if at all.
• In Between -- Director: Mary Lambert (Pet Semetery).
• I Know What You Did Last Summer 3 -- Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt. Comments: Columbia Pictures announced that they have no plans to make this picture.
• Island of the Dead -- Director: James Bruce. Comments: Thousands of zombies on a small island alter the plans of a greedy land developer.
• I Walked with a Zombie
• Jason X (August 2000) -- Director: Jim Isaac (The Horror Show). Starring Kane Hodder as Jason. Comments: Newest in the Friday the Thirteenth slasher series. Not to be confused with the Freddy vs. Jason movie. Jason and a young woman are unfrozen out of cryogenic tanks in the future. It doesn't take Jason long to get back to his old tricks.
• The Little Vampire (in theaters now) -- Starring: Alice Krige (Sleepwalkers/Ghost Story). Comments: A young boy helps a dysfunctional family of vampires. This looks like a great gothic vampire story for kids.
• Lord of Illusions Sequel -- Starring: Scott Bakula.
• Lost Boys 2: The Coldest of Hearts -- Producer: Joel Schumacher, Director: Robert A. Masciantonio (Cold Hearts). Comments: A vampire hybrid sequel combining characters from Cold Hearts and Lost Boys.
• Monkey Bone -- Director: Henry Selick (James and the Giant Peach). Starring: Brendan Fraser, Bridget Fonda, Chris Kattan, Whoopi Goldberg, Rose McGowan (Scream). Comments: A blending of live action and animation, Monkey Bone is about a cartoonist (Brendan Fraser) who goes into a coma after an accident. Only Monkey Bone, an animated character of his creation, can save him from Darktown and a host of strange characters.
• Monsters Inc. -- Pixar/Disney Production -- Director: David Silverman. Comments: A child falls into a secret nightmare world under the bed in a CGI production.
• Mothman -- Staring Edward Schofield, Douglas Langdale. Comments: A sci-fi comedy about the title character.
• The Mothman Prophecies -- Director: Carl Franklin. Starring: Richard Gerre, Kathy Bates, Harrison Ford? Comments: This movie is based on a book The Mothman Prophecies by John A. Keel. It revolves around a true-life account of UFO sightings, a winged humanoid creature and other paranormal phenomena in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, in 1966.
• Munchies -- Director: Adam Rifkin. Comments: Stick chicks join an anorexia clinic and develop a taste for human flesh.
• The Mummy Returns (May 11, 2001) -- Director: Stephen Sommers. Starfing: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Arnold Vosloo. Comments: Most of the original cast returns. The action takes place in London several years after the events in the original. The Fraser and Weisz characters are married and have a young son. The Mummy and a new character, the Scorpion King, torment the happy family. Expectations are high for this sequel.
• The Others -- Producers: Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner. Starring: Nicole Kidman. Comments: A 1940s ghost story about a mother and her two children haunted by a spirit on an isolated island.
• Paranoia -- Staring: Jessica Alba (Dark Angel/Idle Hands), Jeanne Tripplehorn, Ian Glen, Kevin Whately, Tom Arnold, Coolio, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Julie Benz. Comments: A young fashion model is stranded in a mysterious lodge. Psychological games ensue, leading to death.
• Picking Up the Pieces -- Director: Woody Allen. Starring: Woody Allen, Sharon Stone (Sphere), David Schwimmer (Friends, Apt Pupil), Kiefer Sutherland (Dark City). Comments: Writer, director, and funny man Woody Allen plays a kosher butcher who makes mincemeat of his wife (Stone) and buries her in the Mexican desert. Her hand makes a reappearance and begins performing miracles much to Woody's dismay.
• Pinata -- Director/Writers: David and Scott Hillenbrand. Starring: Nicholas Brendon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Nate Richert, Garrett Wang, Jaime Pressly. Comments: A dark force is unleashed from a pinata in an ancient Central American city when college students open it during a scavenger hunt.
• Presence of Mind (Remake of the novel The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.) Director: Antonio Alloy. Starring: Sadie Frost, Ella Jones, Dayna Danika, Nilo Mur.
• Psycho Beach Party -- Director: Robert Lee. Writer: Charles Busch. Starring: Nicholas Brendon (Buffy), Lauren Ambrose, Thomas Gibson, Matt Keeslar (Scream). Comments: This is part beach party movie and part psycho killer movie with an emphasis on comedy.
• Shadow of the Vampire (Dec. 29) -- Director: E. Elias Merhige. Starring: William Dafoe as Max Shreck(Nosferatu), John Malkovich as (F.W. Murnau). Comments: Rumor has it that director F.W. Murnau hires a real-life vampire (William Dafoe) to star in Nosferatu. The movie preview is excellent.
• Quills -- Director: Philip Kaufman. Staring: Michael Caine, Geoffery Rush (House on Haunted Hill), Joaquin Phoenix, Kate Winslet. Comments: The sadistic Marquis de Sade is challenged by a respected doctor (Caine).
• Real Monsters -- Producer: Gene (KISS) Simmons. Director/Writer: Jeph Loeb, Adam Rifkin. Comments: Two dock workers open the wrong crate during the graveyard shift and unleash a trio of monsters in New York City. Designed to be a lot like Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein.
• Really Scary -- Director/Producer: John Landis (American Werewolf in London), Director: Joe Dante (Gremlins). Comments: According to Landis, this is a four segment anthology which goes for real suspense and horror. Real scares aren't selling these days. Word has it this production has been canned.
• Red Harvest
• Requiem For A Dream (Sept. 29) -- Director: Darren Aronofsky (PI). Starring: Ellen Burstyn (The Exorcist), Jennifer Connelly (Phenomena), Jared Leto (Urban Legend), Marlon Wayans. Comments: The plot is a bit foggy, but it has something to do with addiction and the internal monsters it creates. This star filled movie is definitely worth a look, but it does not look like a real horror movie.
• Resident Evil -- George Romero/Director. Comments: Word has it that Romero is no longer associated with this project.
• The St. Francisville Experiment (Video) -- Comments: This movie could be called Blair Witch Light. This time the video tape concerns a group of young people and a haunted house. A negative test screening is sending this straight to video. Watch Fear on MTV instead. It is a combination of Real World, Survivor and The Blair Witch Project.
• The Seed of Chucky -- Director: Don Mancini, Starring: Brad Dourif as Chucky, Jennifer Tilly as Tiffany. Comments: Jennifer Tilly gets to play herself as well as Tiffany. A confused son-of-Chucky makes his appearance. This seed has been uprooted. It's not likely to ever be produced.
• Spooky House -- Starring: Ben Kingsley (Species), Mercedes Ruehl. Comments: According to other reports, this is like an Our Gang in the haunted house comedy/horror movie. Recent pictures from this movie and a great cast make this look like a fun movie.
• Soul Survivors (January/Feb. 2001) -- Director/Writer: Steve Carpenter (The Kindred). Starring: Eliza Dushku (Buffy), Wes Bentley, Casey Affleck, Melissa Sagemiller. Comments: A supernatural scare-a-thon set on a college campus. Survivors has shades of Carnival of Souls with ghostly visions of a dead boy friend after a car accident.
• The Sun Dog -- Producer/Writer Lawrence D. Cohen (Carrie). Comments: Based on a novella from Stephen King's collection Four Past Midnight. The plot revolves around a camera that takes strange pictures of another dimension. Since this is an IMAX Corporation (Everest) production, it could be a visually stunning experience.
• Spawn II: Dark Justice -- Director: Terry Fitzgerald. Starring: Michael Jai White. Comments: A sequel for Todd McFarlane's comic book character. Early gossip suggests this will be darker and more adult than the previous entry.
• That Spooky Place -- Director: Robert Masciantonio (Cold Hearts). Starring: Matt Lillard (Scream), Tom Savini. Comments: Two college students move into a haunted house that has been empty for 15 years. More of a psychological suspense film like The Shining.
• Twilight of the Dead -- George Romero.
• TX25: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre -- Comments: This is another highly anticipated film, but will it ever get made? News of this film has been suspiciously sparse lately. Comments: This project appears to be dead for now. However, a remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is in the works.
• Waking the Dead -- Director/Writer: Keith Gordon (A Midnight Clear). Starring: Jennifer Connelly, Billy Crudup. Comments: Ghost haunts a former lover, a congressional candidate.
• When A Stranger Calls Back III. -- Director: Carol Kane, Charles Durning. Comments: Third in a series of babysitter suspense movies. The scary phone calls to young teenage girls are reminiscent of the Scream movies, which came much later
• The Wisdom of Crocodiles -- (Video) -- Director: Po-Chi Leong. Starring: Jude Law (Existenz), Elina Lowensohn (Nadja), Timothy Spall, Rachel Weisz. Comments: Advanced word has it that this is a modern but interesting take on vampires and their mythology.
  
  TEN MOST ANTICIPATED MOVIES: Of all the movies expected to be released within the next year, these are the ones I most want to see. (Freddy vs. Jason would be great, but I'm not sure if it will ever come out.)
  1. Hannibal (Feb. 14, 2001) -- This tops my list of all the movies I want to see. Jody Foster, we don't need you.
  2. Shadow of the Vampire (Dec. 29, 2000) -- This should fill your diet of Gothic horror.
  3. Jason X (August 2000) -- Our favorite hockey-masked maniac is ready for a long overdue appearance. It has just been delayed until summer 2000, further decreasing the chances that we will ever see a Freddy vs. Jason movie.
  4. The Mummy Returns (May 11, 2001) -- Director: Stephen Sommers. Staring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Arnold Vosloo. Comments: Most of the original cast returns. The action takes place in London several years after the events in the original. Fraser and Weisz's characters are married and have a young son. The Mummy and a new character, the Scorpion King, torment the happy family. Expectations are high for this sequel.
  5. House of 1000 Corpses -- (Jan. 2001) Director/Writer: Rob Zombie. Comments: A group of unsuspecting travelers encounter a psychotic family and a bushel of zombies. Early opinions from test audiences and a remarkable trailer lead me to believe this is a cross between Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things. A liberal use of red and blue color give it an almost comic book quality. This should be a must-see film.
  6. Bones (Fall 2001) -- Comments: This is another movie that is being delayed for an unnaturally long time for no good reason. This has the potential for being a great haunted house picture if it ever makes it to movie theaters.
  7. 13 Ghosts -- If you liked House on Haunted Hill from the same company, you should love 13 Ghosts.
  8. Unbreakable (Nov. 22) -- Unbreakable is written and directed by the same man who brought you The Sixth Sense, perhaps the best horror movie of last year. Should be great if he doesn't stray too far from the horror field.
  9. Dracula 2000 (Dec. 22) Starring: Christopher Plummer -- This updated version of the dark prince should prove interesting if not great.
  10. Soul Survivors (January/Feb. 2001) -- Director/Writer: Steve Carpenter (The Kindred). Starring: Eliza Dushku (Buffy), Wes Bentley, Casey Affleck, Melissa Sagemiller. Comments: A supernatural scare-a-thon set on a college campus. Survivors has shades of Carnival of Souls with ghostly visions of a dead boy friend after a car accident. The trailer looks pretty good.
  

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MONSTER MOVIE SPOTLIGHT

Highlighting the best new horror or science fiction movies

GRAVEYARD GAZETTE

Mini reviews on recently released horror films

5 Tombstones -- Excellent
4 Tombstones -- Very Good
3 Tombstones -- Good
2 Tombstones -- Fair
1 Tombstones -- Poor

American Psycho -- Director: Mary Harron. Starring: Christian Bale. Comments: This could have been a very good movie, but some of the more horrifying elements of the book have been taken out -- not a good idea. Nevertheless, Psycho stays true to the spirit of the book, and Christian Bale is an inspired choice for the title character. He is incredibly funny one moment and frightening the next. However, some of the content of the film is definitely not for younger viewers.
The Astronaut's Wife --Director: Rand Ravich. Starring: Johnny Depp, Charlize Theron, Clea DuVall. Comments: Wife is a tacky version of Rosemary's Baby meets I Married a Monster.
Bats -- Director: Louis Morreau/ Starring: Lou Diamond Phillips (The First Power), Dina Meyers (Starship Troopers). Comments: Similar in theme to the Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece, The Birds. Perhaps I am the only one, but I really enjoyed this picture. It shows respect for the horror genre without taking itself too seriously.
The Blair Witch Project -- Starring: Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, Michael Willms. Comments: Advanced word-of-mouth suggested this may be the scariest film of the last several years. Unlike most recent horror films, its intent seems to be to really scare the audience. While well-done in many ways, it is not the great horror movie that many critics suggested. It is hard to take it seriously or find it scary if you do not accept the false premise that what was found on the tapes was real. Cannibal Holocaust used the same gimmick in 1978. And yet this film uses archetypical images that stick in your head long after it is over.
Bless The Child -- Director: Chuck Russell (The Blob). Starring: Kim Basinger, Christina Ricci, Jimmy Smits. Comments: Some critics thought this devil-child movie was over-the-top with its computer generated angels and demons. In truth, its tone goes from deadly serious to slightly silly. Even so, I found this an enjoyable way to spend an evening.
The Bone Collector -- Director: Philip Noyce. Starring: Denzel Washington, Angela Jolie, Queen Latifah. Comments: A detective in a wheelchair investigates a serial killer. Ironside meets Seven. Collector joins the ranks of well-done serial killer movies.
Bringing Out the Dead -- Director: Martin Scorcese. Starring: Nicholas Cage, Patricia Arquette, Tom Sizemore, Ving Rhames, John Goodman. Comments: A paramedic has frightening visions of people who die in his care. A compelling vision of life as a paramedic in the big city. But it is not really a horror movie, so who cares?
Candyman: Day of the Dead -- Director: Turi Meyer. Starring: Tony Todd as Candyman, Donna D'Errico (Baywatch), Robert Gowron, Nick Corri. Comments: Third in the Candyman series. This is an entertaining installment but does not live up to the other two.
The Cell -- Director: Tarsem. Writer: Mark Protosevich. Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Vincent D'Onofrio (Men in Black), Vince Vaughn (Psycho). Comments: An attractive doctor (Lopez) travels through the mind of a serial killer to save a young woman. An incredibly freaky landscape is painted for the viewer to enjoy. Images of victims made doll-like after their death, a possessed youth, and a monstrous villain create a very weird and suspenseful movie. Part Silence of the Lambs, part Nightmare on Elmstreet, this movie never fails to deliver the goods.
Cherry Falls -- Director: Geoffery Wright. Starring: Michael Biehn, Jay Mohr. Comments: A serial killer in a small town who only kills virgins is the intriguing premise in this slasher film. Just imagine Scream meets Peyton Place and you have an idea what it's like. Cherry Falls bypassed movie theaters completely and debuted on the USA Network. One can only imagine how many cuts were made, decreasing the impact of the film. Nevertheless, it is a well scripted and entertaining addition to the mad-killer genre.
The Dead Hate the Living -- Producer: Full Moon. Director: Dave Parker. Starring: Eric Clawson, Matt McGary, Wendy Speake, Matt Stevens. Comments: A Rob Zombie look-a-like brings back the dead and torments a film crew. It is refreshing to see a new zombie movie with a respect for the genre. It takes a while for the real zombies to make their appearance, but when they do, they more than make up for the delay.
Deep Blue Sea -- Director: Renny Harlin. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Thomas Jane, Stellan Skaregard, Saffron Burrows. Comments: A fantastic action-horror movie from start to finish. No Jaws but not fish bait either.
End of Days -- Director: Peter Hyams. Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator), Robin Tunney (The Craft). Comments: It never makes up its mind whether it wants to be an action flick or scary picture. There is some of both, but not enough to make up for an incoherent script.
The Eternal/Trimark's Mummy -- Director: Alemereyda (Nadja). Starring: Christopher Walken, Jared Harris, Alison Elliott. Comments: Director Alemereyda's quirky take on an Irish bog mummy. There is enough suspense to make it worth renting.
The Exorcist: The Director's Cut (1973/2000) -- Director: William Friedkin. Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Jason Miller, Linda Blair, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, voice of Mercedes McCambridge. Comments: Undoubtedly, the most frightening movie ever made. I still remember the screams of the audience during several shock sequences while a friend of mine covered his eyes. It is based on the William Peter Blatty novel concerning the possession of a young girl. The book, in turn, is based on a true report of an exorcism of a young boy. After playing with a Ouija board, a young girl (Linda Blair) is possessed by the devil. Her mother, a doubting priest, and the exorcist must confront this evil and deal with their own personal demons. Younger audiences, after having seen it on video and after viewing many bad ripoffs, may not realize how scary it was during its original release. Perhaps this new release will rekindle their fear. Praise should be given to everyone involved with this new cut of a timeless classic. The spider walk scene, subliminal images of the demon, and enhanced music make this an almost perfect movie. My only fear is that when this new version comes to video, they will cut some of the added scenes that have made it great. Don't mess with Mother Nature or this devilish good version.
Final Destination -- Producer: Glen Morgan (X-Files). Director: James Wong (X-Files). Starring: Devon Sawa (Idle Hands), Ali Larter (House on Haunted Hill), Kerr Smith (Dawson's Creek). Comments: A group of people miss a plane that crashes. It doesn't keep them from dying under mysterious circumstances. Destination is a highly original and satisfying horror movie. A dark, eerie mood is created from the beginning and maintained to the very end. Devon Sawa, who has great comedic timing in Idle Hands, does an equally competent job in this more serious role. Ali Larter, performs just as well as the first person to take Sawa's premonitions seriously. Candyman's Tony Todd has a small but chilling role as an undertaker. This is a thinking man's horror movie about fate and our ability to cheat death.
Godzilla 2000 -- Director: Takao Okawara. Comments: First Japanese Godzilla film to use CGI effects. Godzilla tackles an alien menace. It is great to see old green skin devastating Tokeo again after the weak American-made Godzilla.
Hangman's Daughter -- Starring: Sonia Bragg, Marco Leonardi, Rebecca Gayheart, Michael Parks. Comments: Dusk Till Dawn prequel. This western/horror hybrid is a fairly entertaining way to spend a couple hours. However, the two main characters are neither interesting or sympathetic. The all-out vampire fight at the end is reminiscent of the first film and its highlight.
The Haunting -- Director: Jan DeBont (Twister). Writer: David Selzer (The Omen). Starring: Liam Neeson as Dr. John Markway, Lili Taylor as Eleanor Lance, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Theodora, Owen Wilson as Luke Sannerson, Bruce Dern (Family Plot), Virginia Madsen (Candyman). Comment: I always felt the original 1963 The Haunting of Hill House was overrated but had great potential. While the new film has the advantage of modern special effects, it falls flat when it comes to scares. After watching the remake I've found a new appreciation of the original.
Hellraiser V: Inferno -- Writers: Scott Derrickson/Paul Harris Boardman. Starring: Craig Sheffer. Comments: This direct-to-video bomb makes the much criticized last entry in the series seem like a treasure. Obviously, the authors of this mess had no respect for the mythology of the Cenobites or the Lament Configuration. The story revolves around a corrupt cop and his discovery of the puzzle box. Much to-do is made about nothing. The Cenobites are used poorly, and Pinhead is only given a few minutes of screen time. This movie was created by the kind of people who think you should have a Halloween without Michael Myers or a Friday the 13th without Jason. Dimension Films should stay out of the sequel business if the are not willing to give much-beloved characters their due.
The Hollow Man -- Director: Paul Verhoeven (Starship Troopers). Starring: Kevin Bacon, Elisabeth Shue, Josh Brolin (Mimic). Comments: An updated version of the Invisible Man, Hollow Man is a love triangle gone wrong as one man uses his power of invisibility for revenge. While managing to pull off a fair amount of suspense and fantastic special effects, it still falls short of imagination. It turns into a typical slasher movie instead of exploring the powers of invisibility in depth.
House on Haunted Hill -- Starring: Geoffrey Rush (Shakespeare in Love), Famke Janssen (Deep Rising), Jeffrey Combs (Reanimator), Peter Gallagher, Lisa Loeb. Comments: This remake involves a billionaire who offers a million dollars each to five strangers if they can stay in a haunted house overnight. The original House on Haunted Hill is one of my favorite movies of all time. However, this remake lacks the charm of the original. There is a suitably spooky haunted house and some scary moments, but why must profanity be substituted continuously in place of clever dialogue?
Idle Hands -- Director: Rodman Flender (Leprechaun 2). Starring: Devon Sawa, Seth Green (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Vivica Fox. Comments: Idle Hands is a clever slasher-movie comedy about three lazy teenagers. There is gore galore as Devon Sawa's hand becomes demonically possessed and begins killing friends and foes alike. I give this movie four tombstones for its high energy level and sly sense of humor.
The In Crowd -- Director: Mary Harron (Pet Semetery). Starring: Lori Heuring, Susan Ward. Comments: Is it worth being popular if you must risk your life? That's what one young lady must decide when murder makes its appearance at an exclusive country club. A totally dead and uninspired slasher flick.
Lake Placid -- Director: Steve Miner. Starring: Bill Pullman (Independence Day), Bridget Fonda, Oliver Platt. Comments: Voracious crocodile goes on an eating spree. Don't shed any crocodile tears for this turkey.
Lost Souls -- Director: Janusz Kaminski. Starring: Winona Ryder (Alien Resurrection), Ben Chaplin, Sarah Wynter, John Hurt (Dark City), A formerly possessed woman and a group of Catholic priests exorcists band together to stop an innocent man from becoming the earthly vessel for Satan. This movie is better than many may have expected due to its long delayed release. Some creepy moments are delivered, including a failed exorcism, an escaped mental patient stalking the two main characters through a house, and a really startling ending. Lost Souls asks the question: How far would we go to stop someone who may or may not be the devil in human form? It tells us that evil wins if we are not willing to back our faith with action.
Monster Mash: The Movie -- A television Halloween special about classic monsters trying to prove they are still scary. The Bobby Boris Pickett song of the same name and new monster songs are in the movie. A fun, fledgling effort but strictly kid stuff.
The Mummy -- Director: Stephen Sommers (Deep Rising). Starring: Brendan Fraser (George of the Jungle), Rachel Weisz, Arnold Vosloo (Darkman) as Imhotep. Comments: Universal's new Mummy lives up to its hype as a fast-paced action adventure. The special effects and sets are impressive. The gore is minimal, and the mummified priests rising out of the ground are corny but enjoyable. Imhotep is an impressive villain. The rest of the cast also are right for their roles. In fact, its their likability that makes the film work. Anyone demanding a scary horror flick will feel cheated. But if you take it as an old-fashioned monster movie with many chills and thrills, you will not be disappointed.
The Night of the Headless Horseman -- Comments: Cinematek Productions produced a full 3-D computer graphic version of the Sleepy Hollow classic on television with associated company Computer Animation Technology. This is an attractive version of this classic.
The Ninth Gate -- Director: Roman Polanski. Starring: Johnny Depp, Frank Langella, Lena Olin, James Russo, Emmanuella Seigner. Comments: An art dealer discovers a satanic plot involving two rare books that could summon the devil. Fascinating characters and an interesting premise are undermined by an ambiguous ending. Still Polanski's fingerprints are all over this film, compelling the viewer to be drawn into his dark world. A more satisfying conclusion would have made this one of his best films.
Pitch Black -- Director: David Twohy. Starring: Van Diesel, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser. Comments: Bat-like alien creatures come out during a solar eclipse and attack survivors of a crash on a strange planet. Vin Diesel is excellent as a violent prisoner who may or may not turn into a hero at the end. This is a good movie but no better than the soundly trashed Bats.
TBA Prophecy III. -- Starring: Christopher Walken. Comments: Angel Gabriel played by Christopher Walken stirs up more trouble in this sequel.
Scary Movie -- Director: Keenan Ivory Wayans. Starring: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans. Comments: Spoof on slasher movies. There are some genuinely funny moments in this film, but some of the humor is over the top and just plain obscene.
Scream III -- Director: Wes Craven, Writer: Ehren Kruger (Arlington Road). Starring: Neve Campbell as Sydney Prescott, Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers, David Arquette as Dewey Riley, Liev Schreiber as Cotton Weary, Scott Foley (Felicity), Lance Henriksen (Millennium), Jenny McCarthy (Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead), Parker Posey. Comments: Ghostface slashes again as Stab 3 is being made in Hollywood. Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley investigate while Sydney remains in hiding as a crisis hot line counselor. After a botched attempt on her life, Sydney joins the investigation on the set of Stab 3. A lot of the humor comes from the actor and actresses who play Sydney, Dewey, and Gale in the movie Stab as they meet their real life counterparts. Suspicion grows as the cast are murdered. Scream III is, perhaps, as enjoyable as the earlier entries but somehow doesn't quite seem to fit the formula, undoubtedly, because Kevin Williamson bailed out on his fans. Nevertheless, there is enough murder and mayhem to go around, so enjoy.
Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday The 13th -- Director: John Blanchard. Starring: Harley Cross (Dance With the Devil), Julie Benz (Buffy), Danny Strong, Majandra Delfino (Roswell), Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Tom Arnold. Comments: A parody of the Scream/Summer slasher films, it fails to deliver the laughs that are plentiful in Scary Movie. There are some funny moments, but the jokes are mostly strained and unoriginal.
The Sixth Sense -- Director: Night Shyamalan. Starring: Bruce Willis, Donnie Walberg, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams, Haley Joel Osmont. Comments: Psychotherapist treats young boy with paranormal powers. This is one of the best horror movies of the decade. Not only is the acting superb but it is also incredibly creepy.
The Skulls -- Director: Rob Cohen. Starring: Joshua Jackson (Dawson's Creek), Paul Walker, Hill Harper. Comments: A young law student (Joshua Jackson) joins an elitist secret fraternity at an Ivy League college. When his roommate dies under suspicious circumstances, he must fight for his life against the Skulls. The most interesting thing about this film is the secret society itself and some of its traditions. It lapses into silliness towards the end.
Sleepy Hollow -- Director: Tim Burton. Starring: Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands), Christina Ricci (The Addams Family), Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers), Christopher Walken, Christopher Lee. Comments: In this excellent adaptation of the Sleepy Hollow legend, Tim Burton does what Tim Burton does best; he creates an atmospheric world with lavish sets and quirky characters. Set in 1799, Depp plays Ichabod Crane, a modernistic police officer from New York City sent to the wilds of upstate New York to investigate a series of brutal murders. The tag line says heads will roll, and that they do. The decapitations are gory but staged in an almost comic manner that make it acceptable. The movie starts slowly but quickly builds momentum, drawing the viewer into a supernatural world of suspense and mystery. Christina Ricci's character Katrina Van Tassel seems somewhat cardboard and undeveloped. But that is more than made up for by the attention paid to the monstrous Headless Horseman and the equally creepy Hollow witch. Anyone interested in transporting themselves into a wild and wicked world of monsters and phantoms would do well to see Sleepy Hollow.
Sometimes They Come Back ... For More -- Director: Dan Berk. Starring: Chase Masterton, Clayton Rohner, Faith Ford, Michael Stadvec. Comments: Second sequel to Stephen King's short ghost story. An arctic rescue team become involved in a supernatural mystery. Faith Ford of Murphy Brown and G vs. E Clayton Rohner add some life to this otherwise silly horror movie.
Stigmata -- Director: Rupert Wainwright. Starring: Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne, Nia Long, Patrick Muldoon, Jonathan Pryce, Portia Rossi. Comments: Stigmata is a rather dull Exorcist wannabe. I was especially turned off by the heavy metal soundtrack. However, there are a few intense moments that make it worth watching.
A Stir of Echoes -- Director: David Koepp. Starring: Kevin Bacon, Liza Weil, Illcana Douglas. Comments: Atmospheric direction and well-defined characters set this apart from similar films. It's no Sixth Sense, but it has its moments.
Summer of Sam --Director: Spike Lee. Starring: John Leguizamo (Spawn), Mira Sorvino (Memic), Jennifer Esposito, Ben Gazzara, Bebe Neuwirth (The Faculty), Roger Gueneur Smith, John Savage, Adrien Brody, Michael Badalucco, Anthony LaPagilia, Pati LuPone. Comments: This movie explores the paranoia surrounding the Son of Sam killing spree in the summer of 1976 in the New York City area. This is a movie that is so disgusting and filthy, with characters so unlikable, you cannot wait for the whole thing to be over.
Super Nova -- Director: Walter Hill. Starring: James Spader, Robin Tunney, Wilson Cruz. Comments: The number of times this space adventure/horror movie has been postponed is an indication of how good it is. Do not expect too much from this genetically enhanced super human film. Special effects are toned down to create a more realistic feel, but what we have instead is a meltdown of suspense.
Talos the Mummy -- Director: Russell Mulcahy (Highlander). Starring: Jason Scott Lee, Shelley Duvall. Comments: A fairly entertaining mummy movie with nice special effects. But judging from the acting, it is hard to tell who was more dead: the mummy or Jason Scott Lee.
Teaching Mrs. Tingle -- Director/Writer: Kevin Williamson. Starring: Katie Holmes (Dawson's Creek), Molly Ringwald, Lesley Ann Warren, Barry Watson, Marisa Coughlan, Helen Mirren as Mrs. Tingle. Comments: An irate high school honors student plans to take revenge on an unpopular teacher. This is not a horror movie but light entertainment for those bored. It is more Dawson's Creek than Scream.
Urban Legend: The Final Cut -- Director: John Ottman. Starring: Jennifer Morrison (Stir of Echoes), Joseph Lawrence, Matt Davis, Loretta Devine. Comments: This is a sequel to the first Urban Legend, minus most of the cast from the first one. A student film crew doing a production about urban legends get picked off one by one. Loretta Devine, the security guard from the first film, makes a welcome return appearance. Jennifer Morrison, the ghostly gal from Stir of Echoes, does a nice job of portraying a young film student doing a thesis on urban legends.
The Warlock: End of Innocence -- Starring: Bruce Payne, Paul Francis, Angel Boris. Comments: This may be the end of the Warlock saga. Bruce Payne's Warlock is the best thing about this sequel.
What Lies Beneath -- Director: Robert Zemeckis. Starring: Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfeiffer. Comments: The wife of a college professor is asked for help by a ghostly graduate student. This horror movie/thriller is not particularly interesting. Zemeckis borrows heavily from Hitchcock, but never approaches the master's skill at building suspense. Decent acting from Pfeiffer and Ford make it worth a look, though.

HUNDRED BEST HORROR FILMS

This is my list of the hundred best horror movies in the last 50 years. While many of the old Universal monster pictures would easily place on this list, they haven't been included because they differ so much in tone and structure from movies made after 1950. Some may argue, but I believe the modern-day horror picture started in the 1950s. Every week I will add to my favorites starting with the best horror movie of the last 50 years. You will probably notice that I strongly favor movies that have a great sound track and are atmospheric, gothic, serious, and extremely scary. New movies might change the order of this list. I believe anything that makes the top hundred must be good and well worth watching. Please see these movies for yourself and let us know your opinion.

1. Psycho (1960) -- Director: Alfred Hitchcock. Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam. Comments: My favorite horror movie of all time is not a supernatural thriller, but a psychological suspense yarn of the highest order. It introduced everybody's favorite mama's boy, Norman Bates, to the world. Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh are superb as the main characters. Based on real-life psycho killer Ed Gein from Wisconsin, this film never fails to scare. Droves of people switched to baths after watching the infamous shower scene. This should not be confused with the far inferior shot-by-shot remake by Gus Van Sant starring Vince Vaughn as Norman Bates and Anne Heche as Marion Crane.
2. The Exorcist (1973) -- Director: William Friedkin. Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Jason Miller, Linda Blair, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, voice of Mercedes McCambridge. Comments: Undoubtedly, the most frightening movie ever made. I still remember the screams of the audience during several shock sequences while a friend of mine covered his eyes. It is based on William Peter Blatty's novel concerning the possession of a young girl. Blatty's book, in turn, was based on a true report of an exorcism of a young boy. After playing with a Ouija board, a young girl (Linda Blair) is possessed by the devil. Her mother, a doubting priest, and the exorcist must confront this evil and deal with their own personal demons. Today's young audience, after having seen it on video and after viewing many bad ripoffs, don't realize how scary it was during its original release. After watching this movie, you'll never look at pea soup the same way.
3. Halloween (1978) -- Director/Writer: John Carpenter, Debra Hill (Co-producer/writer). Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Nancy Loomis, P.J. Soles, Charles Cyphers, Kyle Richards, Brian Andrews, Nick Castle. Comments: Undoubtedly, this is John Carpenter's greatest gift to the movies: slasher cinema at its best. A restrained but incredibly suspenseful film, Halloween set the standard for the teenager in trouble slasher movies to come. It starts with young Michael Myers killing his teenage sister in 1963. Many years later he escapes from an asylum (one of the scariest scenes) and heads back to Haddonfield, his hometown to seek revenge. Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence), his obsessed psychiatrist, chases after him. Originally planned to be called the Babysitter Murders, Halloween follows three teenage girls and their encounter with The Shape. Jamie Lee Curtis is excellent as the naive good girl who must survive Myer's murderous attack on Halloween. Carpenter's mood-inducing musical score for Halloween is possibly the best ever done for a horror movie.
4. Jaws (1975) -- Director: Steven Spielberg. Starring: Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Carl Gottlieb. Comments: Based on Peter Benchley's best-selling novel, Jaws is a relentless suspense film. Anyone who doesn't think this is a horror movie should take another look at the film's opening when a young girl is devoured by a shark while going for a night swim. Seldom has a scene been so real or so terrifying. The action takes place in Amity, a small seaside resort town in the northeast. Scheider as the reluctant police officer, Dreyfuss as the shark expert, and Shaw as the crusty sea captain band together to kill the shark and save the economic future of the town. The casting is excellent as well as the theme music by John Williams. The summer of 1975 is the summer that no one would go in the water -- really. On a visit to Atlantic City, a friend and I found the water devoid of people while Jaws played on the Boardwalk. Bruce, the mechanical shark used in the movie, was also something of a sensation at the time.
5. Curse of the Demon (1958) -- Director: Jacques Tourneur. Starring: Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins, Niall MacGinnis, Maurice Denham, Liam Redmond, Athene Seyler. Comments: This is not the first, but is certainly the grand daddy of demon films. Rumor has it that director Jacques (Cat People) Tourneur only wanted to suggest the possibility of a demon, not actually show it. Fortunately for monster movie fans everywhere, he was overruled and the demon shown. Based on the novel Casting the Runes, Curse is a subtle psychological study about the power of belief and the dangers of dabbling in the unknown. Andrews does a creditable job as the disbelieving psychologist while Cummins acquits herself well as an exasperated school teacher who tries to convince Andrews of the danger involved. It is MacGinnis, however, who steals the show as the demon cult leader and master of the occult. He appears as a harmless children's magician, dutiful son, and dangerous villain. There are so many good scenes in the movie that it is impossible to pick only one. But in addition to the demon scenes bracketing the movie, the children's Halloween party and the scary walk through the woods are two of the best.
6. The Shining (1980) -- Director: Stanley Kubrick. Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Barry Nelson. Comments: The Shining rates as one of Stanley Kubrick's greatest in a long line of great films. It is truly a chilling horror film. Based on a Stephen King novel, it tells the story of a young boy with psychic powers who is stranded with his mom and emotionally disturbed and abusive dad in a snow-bound resort hotel. Jack Nicholson plays the doomed caretaker while Shelley Duvall takes the role of his long-suffering wife. Danny Lloyd is the boy with the special psychic gift known as the shining. Soon he is confronted with horrifying images of murdered twin girls and other ghastly spectacles, such as an ocean of blood pouring out of the hotel's elevator. Dad Nicholson confronts his own demons or ghosts although it is not clear whether he is imagining them or if they're real. The film kicks into high gear when he goes on a murderous rampage and chases his family. Nicholson's "Here's Johnny" line is both frightening and extremely funny. The most unnerving scenes in the movie, however, show young Danny Torrence riding his tricycle down the long, isolated corridors of the Overlook Hotel. The Shining succeeds as an exercise in claustrophobia and shiver-inducing dread. In the novel, King revisits the classic "bad place" that he also handles so well in Salem's Lot. His own politically correct television remake is well done but lacks the intensity of Kubrick's film.
7. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) -- Director: Wes Craven. Starring: Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Amanda Wyss, Johnny Depp, Ronee Blakley, Nick Corri, Charles Fleischer. Comments: Nightmare is a creepy excursion into a surreal world of dark dreams. It concerns Freddy Krueger, a child murderer, who is burned to death vigilante style by the Elm Street locals. He, in turn, comes back through the dreams of the children of Elm Street. Heather Langenkamp plays a young teen who watches as her three friends are picked off one by one in their dreams. She plays a convincing heroine as she struggles to outwit the spectral killer. Johnny Depp is her boyfriend in one of his earliest roles. Nightmare maintains a dream-like state throughout its running time, creating a world of bad dreams from which it is impossible to awake. What makes it work is its ability to tap into our archetypical fears that we all share in our childhood. Robert Englund stars as everyone's favorite bogeyman Freddy Krueger.
8. Night of the Living Dead (1968) -- Director: George A. Romero. Starring: Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea, Russell Streiner, Karl Hardman, Marilyn Eastman, Keith Wayne, Judith Ridley, Krya Schon. Comments: Night of the Living Dead offers an uncompromising nihilistic view of the world. Shot during the Vietnam War and the end of the turbulent 60s, it presents a pessimistic picture of the human condition and our self-destructive tendencies. Critics of the time rallied against the excessive gore. But the truth is that Living Dead was a carefully calculated small movie that was meant to shock people out of their complacency. Living Dead is about a small group of people who become trapped in a farmhouse surrounded by flesh-eating zombies. Duane Jones plays a courageous man who takes it upon himself to become the leader of the trapped inhabitants. The failure of the group to work together seals their fate. The movie ends on a decidedly downbeat note leaving the audience wondering who the true ghouls are: the zombies or the humans.
9. Alien (1979) -- Director: Ridley Scott. Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Yaphet Kotto, John Hurt, Harry Dean Stanton, Ian Holm. Comments: When a deep-space freighter decides to investigate a distress call from a small planet, bad things begin to happen. Members of the motley crew are picked off one at a time after a small space alien bursts through John Hurt's chest cavity. While the basic plot is derived from earlier sci-fi films, several ideas are highly original. The face hugger and chest bursting scenes are alone worth the price of admission. The movie exhibits several fine set pieces created by Ron Cobb and H. R. Giger, including the spacecraft Nostromo and the alien planet. Created by H. R. Giger, the alien is both beautiful and terrifying at the same time. The gritty realism of the future as depicted by the ship and crew are copied in other fine films like Blade Runner. But it is the film's suspense and unpredictability that makes the movie. No one member of the crew stands out as the main star; therefore, their fate is never telegraphed. The film begins slowly, but once the creature is loose, the audience is taken on a wild roller coaster ride that doesn't end until the final scene.
10. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) -- Director: Tobe Hooper. Starring: Gunnaar Hansen, Marilyn Burns. Comments: Chainsaw is a masterpiece in low budget exploitation. Its pseudo-documentary feel adds a touch of realism to the stark horror experienced in the film. Like Psycho the movie is based loosely on the Ed Gein case. And like The Blair Witch Project shot 25 years later, its own mythology developed. Rumors emerged that grisly murders actually took place in the farmhouse in which it was shot outside of Austin, Texas. This is a testament to the film's believability. I first saw Chainsaw in an auditorium at the University of Texas before it was released to the general public. While it is not especially bloody or gruesome by today's standards, its violence is sudden and relentless. The idea of slaughtering people like farm animals without any remorse was shocking to audiences at that time. The chain saw family, including Leatherface (Gunnaar Hansen), was especially creepy. What was perhaps most unsettling is the idea that there really were people devoid of humanity like the chain saw family. Like the zombies in Night of the Living Dead, this family could not be expected to show pity or sympathy. Marilyn Burns is superb as the terrified sole survivor who is pursued and tormented during the last half of the picture. It's horrifying because they are us.
11. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) -- Director: Francis Ford Coppola. Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves, Gary Oldman, Sadie Frost . Comments: Praised by some, panned by others, Bram Stoker's Dracula remains a masterpiece of gothic horror. Rich in stunning set pieces with an enchanting musical score, Dracula transports the viewer into late 19th century Transylvania and London. Gary Oldman's Dracula is both frightening and sympathetic. His arch-enemy Van Helsing is played to the hilt with dark humor by Anthony Hopkins. The other actors do a respectable job in their roles. What makes the movie work, however, is the dark world in which the movie is set. The Carpathian Mountains have never been more haunting or ominous. The movie stays true to its roots, never straying too far from Stoker's novel. All the elements are there, including the mad Renfield, the death and rebirth of Lucy as a vampire, and the strange attraction between Vlad and Mina (Winona Ryder). Keanu Reeves' Jonathan Harker and the 19th century version of the Scooby Gang come to the rescue at Dracula's castle. In the final analysis, Stoker's Dracula is so successful because it captures the viewer's imagination and delivers a world of magic and menace like no other horror picture.
12. The Sixth Sense -- Director: Night Shyamalan. Starring: Bruce Willis, Donnie Walberg, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams, Haley Joel Osmont. Comments: Were you fooled the first time you saw this? I was. The Sixth Sense is an incredibly chilling picture about a young boy's ghostly visions and a psychiatrist's attempt to help him. Willis is shot at the beginning of the picture by a former mental patient. The disturbed young man then kills himself with the same gun he used on his doctor. A year later, Willis finds his life in shambles. His career is on the skids, there is no communication between himself and his wife, and he is plagued by guilt and doubt. The reluctant psychotherapist treats a young boy that reminds him of his former patient. Willis looks at this opportunity as a chance to redeem himself. Osmont's outstanding performance as the confused young boy with paranormal powers won him an Academy Award nomination. Not only is the acting superb, but this is also one of the best horror movies of the decade. There are some incredibly creepy set pieces that leave the audience with a general feeling of unease. The words "I see dead people" have taken on new meaning since the release of The Sixth Sense.