underrated horror movies of the century

[A.J. Hakari]

As the new millennium rolls around (yes, I'm one of the majority who thinks 2001 is the start of the new century), I think it's time to look back on five of the most underrated horror flicks ever:

"Final Destination" - Am I the only one who thinks this is one of the best damn movies of the year? Convincingly acted and truly scary, this flick re-defined teen horror as we knew it.

"The Last Broadcast" - Freakingly similar to "Blair Witch", but it rounded out some nice characters with a freaky ending.

"The Night Stalker" - The best TV movie about vampires from the '70s next to "Salem's Lot", featuring a great performance by Darren McGavin and a fearsome villain to boot.

"Phantasm" - Need I say more?

"Wait Until Dark" - Not so much a horror film than a psychological thriller, but Audrey Hepburn's performance as a blind woman terrorized by thugs searching for heroin in her apartment is convincing, and so is the "Rear Window"-type suspense.

Your thoughts?

[the night watchman]

I posted a similar topic about two months ago called "Top Five Forgotten Horrors."

My top five were:
1.From Beyond
2.The Brood
3.Monkey Shines
4.Repulsion
5.Black Sunday

Check the topic itself for my comments on them if you'd like to read them.

PackBacker added some others including "The Haunting" ('64), which is one of my all-time faves, and *veers* brought up "The Wicker Man", which is truly a movie that ought to get a little more attention.

Maybe I'm just not in step with the times anymore (shockerooni there), but I think "Phantasm" has held a fairly large fan-base since it was released. The fact that it has spawned four sequels in twenty years suggests its popularity hasn't diminished a whole lot.

And isn't "Wait Until Dark" also known as something like "Bird in a Cage"?

[Snert]

I thiunk everyone underestamated Final Destination also...

[Screamer]

I think final destination was under rated due to the fact people thought it was another scream wannabe slasher flick which it totally wasn't

[Jezka]

Final Destination is an awesome movie. Morgan and Wong rule.

Love The Haunting ('64).

Stir of Echoes was really good. Underrated because it looked a lot like Sixth Sense (it was almost nothing like it, except for the psychic little boy)

[Bry Bry]

FINAL DESTINATION was definitely a different movie..it was pretty cool..

i HATED the HAUNTING and STIR OF ECHOES..i thought horror movies were supposed to be suspenseful???

it seems like BLACK CHRISTMAS is pretty underrated..

[Dehydrator]

at christmas I ran over a copy of a movie called "Spider Labyrinth".

Judging from the Responses at the imdb, rarely anybody ever saw it, which is a pity. If you're into Italian Horror Movies ( Argento, Mario Bava), you should defenitely try to find it.

The Plot actually hasn't got much Spiders, it's about an occult Sect called "the weavers".

I think there are many underrated / overlooked films in the dark corners of every Videostore. "Spider Labyrinth" is surely one of them.

[Phantasus]

I must say that final destination scared me shitless at some points. THe bit when the girl got hit by the bus was fucking made me jump alright, didnt expect it thats for sure. And it was a very well written and made movie, really not that much gore but i think that this made it better as it turned it away from being a standard blood filled horror movie. Pretty good i must say.

[The Texas Chainsaw Master]

Man Final Destination is way underated. Too many anre overrated I think. I dont just want some teen slasher flick I WANT ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT TERROR!!! I WANT MY GIRLFREIND TO GET SCARED AND CUDDLE WITH ME!!! AND I WANT MORE TITS IN HORROR MOVIES, DAMMIT!!!!!

[evanfx]

I just saw April Fools Day for the first time tonight, well I saw bits and pieces as a kid but that doesnt count. You gotta watch the entire thing to appreciate it. This is definetly an underated flick. Great plot, extremely clever mixture of humor and creepiness, surprisingly good actors I actually found myself rooting for 'em. An immediate classic in my opinion. They just dont make 'em like this anymore.

[Wong Fei Hong]

I agree that FINAL DESTINATION and FROM BEYOND are underrated. I've worked in videostores for almost five years and it seemed not enough people knew about THE THING! I also say that though not really horror THEY LIVE is one of the most underrated genre films there is...

[the night watchman]

I love "They Live." It's one of those rare movies I never get tired of watching.

"I have come to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum."

[Wong Fei Hong]

And god bless that fight scene!!!!

I like John Carpenter a lot, and I really do think lots of his stuff is underrated...

[arminhammer25]

Here is my " Most Underated List " of the 90's (in no particular order). Althogh a couple of them weren't really "underated" I feel they did not gain the respect they diserved.

* John Carpenter's Vampires

* Final Destination

* Stir Of Echoes

* The Faculty

* Idle Hands

[unicorn207]

No GREAT horror film is given the respect they deserve. The horror film genre is called gory or sleazy. Has The Texas Chainsaw Massacre EVER been shown on television, and HBO doesn't count????????????

[Crazy Ol' Loomis]

I doubt that TCM would ever be shown on TV...ever. And Final Destination was very under rated.

[Deckard]

THE BOSTON STRANGLER with Tony Curtis is a great docu-horror from the 60s directed by Richard Fleischer who went on to make tons of stuff including Superman 2

FRENZY under rated hitchcock serial killer thriller

NEAR DARK My favourite tongue in cheek vampire flick directed by Kathryn Bigelow who went on to make Strange Days & Point Break

The remake of PSYCHO yeah yeah why make a remake, I agree. However once the studio decides that they were going ahead with it, I applaude Van Sant for taking the reigns over before some young hack destroyed what was a perfect film. Van sant merely colorised it & out of respect for Hitch didnt change a camera angle merely gave us the complete vision of what Hitch would have given us had it not been for censorship, if nothing else the janet leighs naked torso was taken out of the original because nudity was just not aloud, escpecially after such a horrific event. Yes I do still feel I have to defend my appreciation of what many still consider a bastardised film

[Hans, wihout Franz]

Ok, so I can't spell, anyway:
"Deathdream", a zero-budgeter directed by Bob Clark(Black Christmas)that I liked even better than Black Christmas. It's a good update of "The Monkey's Paw" with some very good early make-up work by Tom Savini.
I always thought "Deadly Blessing" was a good early Wes Craven movie. Only considered bad for its slow start and dumb ending. It's still worth checking out for a scene in a barn you will not forget.
"The Changeling" and Legend of the Hell House" were both very underrated. Along with Bava's "Twich of the Death Nerve" and "Lisa and the Devil(a visual buffet)."
"Stir of Echos" is probably the most underrated new horror movie. Ok,I'm done.

[nightmarewilly]

i might get bashed for this but i think the FOG was very underated.

[the night watchman]

I love "The Fog." That and "Prince of Darkness" are the movies I play for the "Horror movies ain't scary" crowd. And I always have to send 'em home with a nightlight afterward.

Hans, I saw "Deathdream" about ten years ago. Very low budget, but you're right, very creepy, as far as I remember.

[!MorganOnyx!]

CLOWNHOUSE (Victor Salva 1988)

This is an excellent film.Not as many cliches as a regular horror, and it is one of the only movies i have seen where the director understands that the threat of violence is a lot scarier than the act!Anyone seen it?

[!MorganOnyx!]

vid Schmoeller 1979)

Ok its weird, but different also. Those mannequins are so freaky!and so is Chuck Connors.I also heard that Stephen King says this is one of his favourite movies of all time!Oh and Tanya Roberts is an immense babe!

HALLOWEEN 3 (Tommy Lee Wallace 1983)

Am i the only person who likes this?A classic horror story, perfect for halloween nights.The ending is class.

[!MorganOnyx!]

sorry, cut it off.

i meant TOURIST TRAP (David Schmoeller 1979)

[AntonioDelLago]

These gems are the most underrated in the horror genre:

Afraid Of The Dark (1991) Mark Peploe
Alice, Sweet Alice (1977) Alfred Sole
Clownhouse (1988) Victor Salva
Dead and Buried (1981) Gary A. Sherman
The Faculty (1998) Robert Rodriguez
The Innocents (1961) Jack Clayton
The Lady In White (1988) Frank LaLoggia
The Other (1972) Robert Mulligan
The Reflecting Skin (1990) Philip Ridley
Stir Of Echoes (1999) David Koepp


[This message has been edited by AntonioDelLago (edited 02-28-2001).]