The Horror 100: 9 and 8

Now, isn't this getting exciting...alright don't answer that...I may be a bit of a loser, but who cares. Here is a film a lot of you have probably never seen, and another film you may not consider a "horror" film...but it's my list so F you.




















#9 When a Stranger Calls
(1979, directed by Fred Walton, starring Carol Kane, Charles Durning, and Tony Beckley)

The first fifteen minutes of this film may be the scariest 15 minutes in the history of cinema. One of the only few things to rival it are the final five. The film is based on an old babysitter fable that I don't want to reveal as it will potentially ruin the film…but the film opens with Carol Kane arriving to baby-sit for the Mandrakis family who are heading out for the evening.

Carol Kane was 27 at the time, but she looked as young (if not younger) than the high school girl she was playing. Her wide eyes emoted the innocence as much as her subtle performance. Kane played babysitter, Jill Johnson, who immediately begins to receive harassing and menacing phone calls from a man who doesn't just do the typical heavy breathing…he continuously asks her "have you checked the children?" The scene is shot brilliantly and paced perfectly. The editing and camera angles create an absolutely gut wrenching suspense that you can feel in your tense nerves. The eerie music and sound design add to the tension. It is one of the very few perfect scenes you will ever see.

The middle of this film gets a little slow, but I like it and enjoy the character development and getting to know our villain. There are also a few good scares mixed in…then we get to the end of the film and another scene that will have you jumping out of your skin. If you haven't seen this film, nor have you heard about it…do yourself a favor. Go to the video store, rent it, go home, turn out all the lights, make some popcorn, and set a perfect scary movie mood, then watch this film alone…it is scary as hell!

#8 Requiem for a Dream

(2000, directed by Darren Aronofsky, starring Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, and Marlon Wayans)

“Requiem for a Dream,” the sophomore effort by “Pi” director, Darren Aronofsky, is a darkly hypnotic vision of addiction and delusion. It features outstanding and daring performances by an ensemble cast and some of the best cinematography I’ve ever seen. This is a brilliant adaptation of Hubert Selby’s dark 1968 novel by the same name, and it is the highest ranked "not quite a horror movie" to make the list. Don't be fooled however….this is a horror movie…it is some of the most disturbing cinema moments I've ever been privy to. Try to not get a physical reaction to the final 30 minutes of this film.

The story deals with the intertwining lives of four addicts reaching for their version of the “american dream.” A widowed mother, Sara Goldfarb, played brilliantly by Ellen Burstyn (“The Exorcist,” “The Last Picture Show”), who is hopelessly addicted to television also becomes addicted to diet pills when she is told she will appear on her favorite television program. Struggling to fit into her favorite red dress, she takes a friend’s advice and decides to visit a croaker doctor, who hands out diet pills like popcorn. Meanwhile, Sara’s son, Harry, played by Jared Leto (“American Psycho,” “Fight Club”), is struggling to make the one “big score” while dealing with his heroin addiction. Harry and his girlfriend, Marion, played by Jennifer Connelly (“Dark City,” “Labyrinth”), are reaching for the historically unattainable junkie dream. Aided by the assistance of their junkie cohort, Tyrone, played excellently by Marlon Wayans (“Scary Movie,” “Senseless”), the couple strives to make the “big score” that will set the three of them up with dope for life and cash to start a small business.

Needless to say, nothing comes easily for the four drug addled compatriots, and the real story becomes the sacrifices made and the proverbial lines crossed to stay afloat in a narcotic fueled environment. The dreams, nightmares, and regrets of the four become an integral part of the story line as their goals become simultaneously closer and farther away.

The true power of this film, however, is its style, photography, and performances. Matthew Libatique (“Pi”) returns as Aronofsky’s director of photography, and this time, he left behind the highly contrasting look of black and white reversal film and explored the beauty and despair of color film. This is where the film strikes perfection. The lighting and composition are absolutely flawless, with Libatique and Aronofsky capturing a gritty, dark vision with deep greens and stunning blues. The four stars of the film put in exemplary performances, but I was most impressed by Marlon Wayans, who took a big risk, departing from comedy and taking on a highly dramatic role. This is, by leaps and bounds, his best performance to date, and I hope he continues to cut his dramatic teeth on roles such as this because I think he can excel as a dramatic actor. Unfortunately, his next (ahem) film was Scary Movie 2.

Another notable about this film is that the producers took a commendable stand by releasing this film unrated, instead of subjecting the film to censorship via public enemy #1, the MPAA. Instead of releasing it with the (unfortunately) kiss of death stamp, NC-17, or cutting scenes to appease the MPAA and get an R rating, they forwent the whole system and released it unrated. So even if you hated “Pi”, get out there and support a film which took a stand against censorship and show the suits out there that controversial, adult-natured films can be profitable too.

My recommendation for this film…get out there and employ your opportunity to see a truly innovative, visually stunning piece of cinema. Rarely will you get a chance to see the combination of striking cinematography, outstanding acting, and daringly poignant subject matter. Aronofsky has officially taken the idea of the “sophomore slump” and shoved it back in the viewer’s faces. See this film and see the reason the Academy Awards are officially a sham....watch this and try and convince yourself that Julia Roberts in "Erin Brokovich" put in a better performance than Ellen Burstyn in this film…this may be the finest acting performance ever put in by an actress.