Following on from a post on the Top Ten Best Films to Watch in Bed, featured on the
TV Beds Centre blog, Im now going to choose the worst films to watch in bed. In light of the release of the Walking Dead Series 3 trailer on Youtube, perhaps it is therefore best to warn people in advance of the televised zombie apocalypse, and make sure that they arent tempted to watch the programme in bed, just before going to sleep. So, here are a few films (horror or not) that have caused sleepless nights throughout the history of film.
10. Nosferatu (1922)
Combining shadow play, the distortion of angles and sheer skill of make-up; Nosferatu not only set the bar for any horror film that followed, but it simply terrified audiences upon its release in 1922, so much so that it still affects audiences today, long after its predecessors have been forgotten about.
9. Ju-on (1998-2012)
Otherwise known as The Grudge, and in fairness a series of films, the Ju-on series started life as direct to video releases until they were picked up by loving audiences around the world, later inspiring the Hollywood film of the same name. Utilizing the innocence of children as the primary fear tool, theres nothing in this film that will set you on a night of blissful slumber.
8. Memento (2000)
The first of our none horror films here, but it is the startling complexity of the film which will leave you thinking about it for hours to come. With a narrative so intricately woven as this, there is no surprise that it remains one of the most accredited movies of the late 20th century.
7. Waltz with Bashir (2008)
Quite possibly the most hard hitting animation film ever made, Waltz with Bashir was released to a string of awards and nominations and is the most successful film ever to come out of Israel. Based around the emotional consequences of the 1982 Lebanon war, it is a compelling film that is best left for daytime viewing.
6. Kids (1995)
Probably one of the most important films never seen by a mainstream audience, Kids follows the lives of a small set of individuals as they embark on a drug and sex rampage across New York City. With enough darkly realistic imagery to make the most inebriated person sober, Kids offers its audience stark reality and remains one of the most loaded independent films ever made.
5. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Directed by horror mastermind, George A Romero, the film remains one of the best horror films ever devised and is largely accredited as the film which set off the zombie craze that currently thrives throughout film and television. Indeed, watching someone slowly die, only to come back to life again, is one of the most disturbing lengths of film in any horror flick.
4. The Exorcist (1973)
Quite an obvious entry here, but let us suppose that it makes up for the ones that have been a surprise. Only released on video in 1998, the film remains one of the most shocking and controversial films in horror film history. Definitely a film that leaves you with the feeling of exposure upon bed time, The Exorcist is quite probably best reserved for viewing with friends.
3. Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
Controversially placed perhaps, but the third instalment to the Paranormal Activity series simply takes the franchise to a new level; enough to surprise and shock anyone expecting the blasé efforts of the first two instalments. Not only is the film almost entirely silent, but subtle visual tactics of a different game make this film one of the most fearsome films of the decade so far.
2. The Sixth Sense (1999)
One of the greatest psychological thrillers ever released, taking the genre to a whole new level, The Sixth Sense is perhaps of the greatest films of the 20th century and set the standard for director, M. Night Shyamalan; something in which he is still yet to top. With enough dead people to fill the largest of graveyards, just make sure you watch it before someone tells you the ending.
1. Schindlers List
The final film, Im sure can speak for itself. Offering quite possibly the darkest subject matter available to us, it is a film where you really have to be in the mood for a good cry. Quite possibly the epitome of Spielbergs film career, it is possibly the one film out of any on this list which is certain to stand the test of time.