100 Greatest Horror Movies Of All Time
93. Black Christmas
Although When a Stranger Calls takes the cake for the best retelling of ‘the babysitter and the man upstairs’ urban legend (or, at least its first 15 minutes do), Black Christmas is the superior film.
A seasonal horror that takes a beloved holiday and turns it into a nightmare for all concerned, the film predated the coming of the slasher boom and was an instant success, finding appeal in its retelling of an old legend that concerned human horror, as opposed to creepy goblins and ghouls.
It holds up remarkably well, and though there have undoubtedly been better slasher movies since its release, Black Christmas is still a thoroughly unnerving feature.
[EP]
92. Interview With The Vampire
Long before Twilight tried to transform vampires into sparkly tweener heart-throbs, Interview With The Vampire dead a hell of a lot more for anyone craving a bit of necking on. Starring a brooding Brad Pitt as reluctant biter Louis de Pointe du Lac, it's a gorgeous film that manages to be somewhat understated in terms of actual plot detail, but which sours nonetheless thanks to its performances.
Tom Cruise is brilliant - despite how ill-fitted his casting seemed at the time - and young Kirsten Dunst is disquietening and assured as Claudia, the child vampire. And they've got a beautiful canvas to play on: expertly crafted to be both opulent and eerie in equal measure. It might not be terribly scary, but it's a wonderfully-crafted film.
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