Funny coincidence then if you ask me

Link to report: https://files.ontario.ca/moh-covid-19-report-en-2021-02-01.pdf
Detailed tables: Google Sheets mode and HTML of Sheets

Due to process adjustments and transitioning to CCM, additional records were reported for Toronto Public Health on January 31, 2021. This impacts overall case counts for Ontario.

• In 1969, a man walked on the moon (or on a Hollywood movie set depending on your conspiracy/sanity ratio). Also in 1969, Walmart was incorporated.
• Today is the first day since January 11 that the 7 day average has gone up (1889 vs. 1887 yesterday)
• 7 day positive rate up vs. yesterday - first time since January 10th

Testing Data:

• Backlog: 11,651 (-3,965), 30,359 tests completed (4,828.9 per 100k in week) 26,394 swabbed
• Positive rate (Day/Week/Prev Week): 6.49% / 3.68% / 4.38% - Chart

Other Data:

• Current hospitalizations: 1,158(-1), ICUs: 354(-2), Ventilated: 260(+8), [vs. last week: -240 / -43 / +8] - Chart
• LTC Data: 62 / 30 new LTC resident/HCW cases
• ICU count by Ontario Health Region (vs. last week): TORONTO: 74(-12), CENTRAL: 117(-18), EAST: 63(-9), WEST: 99(-4), NORTH: 1(+0),
• Based on death rates from completed cases over the past month, 34.2 people from of today's new cases are expected to die of which 0.4 are less than 50 years old, and 1.1, 3.0, 7.2, 10.4 and 12.0 are in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s respectively.

Vaccines: Source

• Total administered: 341,900 (+2,256 / +55,790 in last day/week)
• 2.34% / 0.61% of all adult Ontarians have received at least one / both dose(s) to date
• To deliver at least one/both doses to all adult Ontarians by September 30th, 47,205 / 95,249 people need to be vaccinated every day from here on
• To date, 411,650 vaccines have been delivered to Ontario (last updated January 21 ) - Source
• There are 69,750 unused vaccines which will take 8.8 days to deliver at current rates
• Adults make up 79% of Ontario's population

Global Vaccine Comparison: - doses administered per 100 people, to date - Source

• Israel: 54.72 United Kingdom: 13.95 United States: 9.4
• Italy: 3.24 Spain: 3.15 Germany: 2.77 France: 2.25
• Canada: 2.48

Global Case Comparison: - Cases/Tests per 100k in the last week - Source

• Canada: 80.62 (1,147) United States: 313.86 (2,666) Mexico: 78.37 (136)
• Germany: 92.97, Italy: 142.6 (2,866) France: 220.4 (3,286) Spain: 520.93,
• United Kingdom: 250.9 (6,340) Israel: 531.82 (5,722) Sweden: 196.07, Russia: 88.47 (1,791)
• Vietnam: 0.28, South Korea: 5.83 (532) Australia: 0.16 (934) New Zealand: 0.33 (934)
• Dominican Republic: 93.23 (451) Monaco: 336.36, Cuba: 47.9 (956) Jamaica: 26.14 (251)

Reporting_PHU	Today	Averages->>	Last 7	Prev 7	Totals Per 100k->>	Last 7/100k	Prev 7/100k	Source (week %)->>	Close contact	Community	Outbreak	Travel	Ages (week %)->>	<40	40-69	70+	More Averages->>	Jan	Dec	Nov	Oct	Sep	Aug	Jul	Jun	May
Total	1969		1888.7	2370.9		88.9	111.6		47.9	28.4	22.4	1.3		49	39.4	11.6		2775.6	2118.5	1358.9	774.8	313.4	100.1	133.8	240.3	376.7
Toronto PHU	886		678.1	767.3		152.1	172.1		27	57.4	15.1	0.5		48.9	40.7	10.4		814.4	611.1	425.8	286.2	110.4	21.1	33.9	97.7	168.9
Peel	330		329	423.4		143.4	184.5		58.6	26.5	13.5	1.4		51.4	41	7.6		489.5	448.9	385.1	151.9	65.7	19.7	23.9	45.2	69.4
York	128		169.6	218		96.8	124.5		60.9	28.8	9.5	0.8		45.5	44.6	9.7		260.6	211.5	135.5	80.3	26.1	6.2	9.7	18.8	28.8
Durham	90		70.3	76.1		69	74.8		52	30.3	16.3	1.4		50.7	39.4	9.9		110.1	90.8	48.4	26.7	8.8	3	3.4	8.2	16.6
Windsor	72		52.1	104		85.9	171.4		105.8	-57.5	47.1	4.7		40.8	37.8	21.1		145.3	126.6	26.7	5.6	4.6	7	22.8	20.9	12.3
Niagara	61		84.4	94.7		125.1	140.3		45.7	15.7	37.1	1.5		44.5	37.7	17.8		126.1	57.8	24	11.4	4.6	2.4	3.5	3.8	5.1
Waterloo Region	60		68.3	89.9		81.8	107.6		42.7	24.3	31.2	1.9		52.1	36.6	11.2		113.9	74.6	46.8	13.6	9	2.8	2.7	7.2	13.2
Halton	55		53.1	69.3		60.1	78.3		48.1	21	27.7	3.2		46	38.2	16.1		78.6	69.9	48.2	27.9	9.7	1.9	2.3	3.7	6.2
London	47		36.1	60.7		49.8	83.7		69.2	-37.5	61.3	7.1		51.8	41.9	8.8		78.3	53	15	8.4	4.8	1.8	1.5	3.1	4.3
Hamilton	39		66.6	77.9		78.7	92		40.8	21	37.1	1.1		48.7	34.4	17		102.9	92.1	45.5	20.9	6.1	2.7	1.7	5.4	8.4
Wellington-Guelph	36		41.6	57.1		93.3	128.2		46	5.5	48.1	0.3		52.5	30.6	16.8		53.9	39.2	17.1	7	2.8	1.1	1.7	3.2	3.6
Simcoe-Muskoka	36		44	62.7		51.4	73.2		50	20.8	27.3	1.9		50.1	37.3	12.6		61.4	47.8	24.1	15.6	6.3	1.5	2.1	4.3	6.4
Ottawa	25		53.4	87.9		35.5	58.3		164.2	-104.8	36.6	4		58.8	32.6	9.1		105.2	51	49.7	86.5	44.9	14.4	14.1	4.7	20.5
Haliburton, Kawartha	19		8.4	12.9		31.2	47.6		23.7	16.9	57.6	1.7		33.9	32.3	35.7		10.9	6.6	2	0.4	0.5	0.4	0.6	0.7	0.5
Southwestern	15		12.3	21.6		40.7	71.4		44.2	10.5	45.3	0		38.4	44.2	17.5		31.7	24.3	7.8	1.7	0.5	3.6	1.9	0.3	0.5
Chatham-Kent	15		16.3	12.9		107.2	84.6		34.2	9.6	56.1	0		34.2	30.7	35.1		16.6	6.2	2.8	1.3	0.2	3.9	2.8	0.5	2
Eastern Ontario	14		20.7	22		69.5	73.8		51	13.8	36.6	-1.4		39.3	35.1	25.5		34	17.8	7.9	10.9	2.4	0.5	0.5	0.5	1.8
Lambton	9		8.6	19.6		45.8	104.6		48.3	11.7	40	0		53.4	33.4	13.4		34.9	10.9	1.3	0.8	0.3	1.3	0.5	0.7	2.7
Thunder Bay	7		15.6	19.6		72.7	91.4		25.7	22	52.3	0		75.3	22	2.7		12.4	8.9	6.2	0.4	0.1	0.3	0.1	0.3	0.3
Brant	5		8	8.4		36.1	38		57.1	17.9	25	0		67.9	28.6	3.6		16.2	12.5	8.5	4.5	0.9	0.6	0.7	0.5	0.5
Huron Perth	5		8	20.4		40.1	102.3		28.6	14.3	53.6	3.6		33.9	32.1	33.9		17.7	11.1	6.2	0.8	0.2	1.7	0.4	0.2	0.2
Peterborough	4		4.9	5.3		23	25		58.8	5.9	35.3	0		41.2	38.2	23.5		6.8	3.9	2.1	0.9	0.5	0.3	0	0.3	0
Haldimand-Norfolk	4		4.9	9.3		29.8	57		41.2	23.5	38.2	-2.9		44.2	38.2	14.7		13.1	7.6	3.6	1.6	0.4	0.7	0.5	7.5	1
Grey Bruce	3		4	2.4		16.5	10		39.3	32.1	21.4	7.1		39.3	53.6	7.2		6.2	4.4	4.7	1.2	0.4	0.2	0.2	0.6	0.4
Rest	4		30.4	27.5		16.2	14.7		46.2	18.9	31.1	3.8		56.2	37.7	6.6		34.9	30	13.9	8.3	3.2	1	2.3	2	3.1

Canada comparison - Source:

Province	Yesterday	Averages->>	Last 7	Prev 7	Per 100k->>	Last 7/100k	Prev 7/100k
Canada	3924		4370.1	5504.9		80.5	101.4
Ontario	1848		1887.0	2459.4		89.6	116.8
Quebec	1223		1278.6	1531.3		104.4	125.0
Alberta	461		487.9	565.1		77.2	89.5
British Columbia	0		328.1	476.6		44.6	64.8
Saskatchewan	238		241.0	272.1		143.1	161.6
Manitoba	118		123.9	169.4		62.9	86.0
New Brunswick	26		18.9	25.3		16.9	22.6
Nunavut	10		2.0	2.0		35.6	35.6
Newfoundland	0		1.4	0.3		1.9	0.4
Nova Scotia	0		1.3	2.0		0.9	1.4
Prince Edward Island	0		0.1	0.9		0.6	3.8
Yukon	0		0.0	0.0		0.0	0.0

LTCs with 5+ new cases today:

LTC_Home	City	Beds	New LTC cases	Current Active Cases
Fairfield Park	Wallaceburg	103.0	13.0	32.0
Caressant Care on McLaughlin Road	Lindsay	96.0	9.5	22.0
The Village of Riverside Glen	Guelph	192.0	7.0	30.0
Heidehof Long Term Care Home	St. Catharines	106.0	7.0	23.0
Burton Manor	Brampton	128.0	6.5	2.5
Seaforth Long Term Care Home	Seaforth	63.0	5.5	41.0
Fieldstone Commons Care Community	Scarborough	224.0	5.0	5.0
Woodland Villa	Long Sault	111.0	4.5	17.0

LTC Deaths today: Why are there 0.5 deaths?

LTC_Home	City	Beds	Today's Deaths	All-time Deaths
Burton Manor	Brampton	128.0	4.0	23.0
Caressant Care on McLaughlin Road	Lindsay	96.0	3.5	6.0
Seaforth Long Term Care Home	Seaforth	63.0	2.5	2.5
Woodland Villa	Long Sault	111.0	2.5	2.5
Crescent Park Lodge	Fort Erie	68.0	2.0	11.0
Extendicare Kapuskasing	Kapuskasing	61.0	1.0	7.0
Niagara Long Term Care Residence	Niagara-On-The-Lake	124.0	1.0	11.0

Today's deaths:

Reporting_PHU	Age_Group	Client_Gender	Case_AcquisitionInfo	Case_Reported_Date	Episode_Date	2021-02-01
Toronto PHU	30s	FEMALE	Community	2021-01-23	2021-01-21	1
Toronto PHU	40s	MALE	Outbreak	2021-01-25	2021-01-23	1
Toronto PHU	40s	FEMALE	Outbreak	2021-01-22	2021-01-21	1
Grey Bruce	60s	MALE	Close contact	2021-01-05	2021-01-04	1
Hamilton	60s	FEMALE	Outbreak	2021-01-30	2021-01-29	1
London	60s	MALE	Travel	2020-03-26	2020-03-19	-1
Peel	60s	MALE	Travel	2020-03-26	2020-03-19	1
Toronto PHU	60s	MALE	Outbreak	2021-01-11	2021-01-10	1
Eastern Ontario	70s	FEMALE	Outbreak	2021-01-26	2021-01-20	1
Huron Perth	70s	MALE	Outbreak	2021-01-17	2021-01-16	1
Lambton	70s	MALE	Community	2021-01-20	2021-01-19	1
Simcoe-Muskoka	70s	FEMALE	Community	2021-01-30	2021-01-30	1
Toronto PHU	70s	MALE	Community	2021-01-21	2021-01-16	1
Toronto PHU	70s	MALE	Outbreak	2021-01-13	2021-01-12	1
Toronto PHU	70s	MALE	Outbreak	2021-01-10	2021-01-08	1
Durham	80s	FEMALE	Outbreak	2021-01-25	2021-01-18	1
Haliburton, Kawartha	80s	FEMALE	Outbreak	2021-01-10	2021-01-09	1
Niagara	80s	MALE	Outbreak	2021-01-15	2021-01-06	1
Porcupine	80s	FEMALE	Outbreak	2021-01-23	2021-01-22	1
Simcoe-Muskoka	80s	FEMALE	Outbreak	2021-01-22	2021-01-21	1
Simcoe-Muskoka	80s	FEMALE	Outbreak	2021-01-10	2021-01-08	1
Toronto PHU	80s	MALE	Community	2021-01-28	2021-01-26	1
Toronto PHU	80s	MALE	Community	2021-01-22	2021-01-21	1
Toronto PHU	80s	MALE	Community	2021-01-14	2021-01-04	1
Toronto PHU	80s	MALE	Community	2021-01-09	2021-01-03	1
Toronto PHU	80s	MALE	Community	2021-01-07	2021-01-04	1
Toronto PHU	80s	FEMALE	Community	2021-01-22	2021-01-20	1
Toronto PHU	80s	FEMALE	Outbreak	2021-01-19	2021-01-15	1
Toronto PHU	80s	FEMALE	Community	2021-01-05	2021-01-01	1
Windsor	80s	MALE	Close contact	2021-01-22	2021-01-15	1
Niagara	90s	FEMALE	Outbreak	2021-01-03	2020-12-27	1
Simcoe-Muskoka	90s	MALE	Outbreak	2021-01-19	2021-01-14	1
Simcoe-Muskoka	90s	FEMALE	Outbreak	2021-01-19	2021-01-14	1
Simcoe-Muskoka	90s	FEMALE	Outbreak	2021-01-17	2021-01-16	1
Toronto PHU	90s	FEMALE	Outbreak	2021-01-18	2021-01-18	1
Toronto PHU	90s	FEMALE	Community	2021-01-15	2021-01-13	1
Toronto PHU	90s	FEMALE	Outbreak	2021-01-13	2021-01-11	1
Wellington-Guelph	90s	MALE	Outbreak	2021-01-28	2021-01-25	1

(2020) Invisible Man 9/10
This remake, simply put, is excellent. I’m a huge fan of Leigh Whannell and while I do think the story itself is fantastic, it’s his directing that blew me away. This movie is so fucking tense without showing anything for a huge majority of its runtime. When shit actually starts to go down, it’s the definition of thrilling. Elisabeth Moss killed her role.
(2020) The Rental 8/10
The meat and bones of this movie is a character driven drama story. It’s tense and having so much knowledge right away as the viewer that the characters don’t have is frankly anxiety inducing, in a good way. I thought all four main performances were fantastic, especially Sheila Vand. There’s a moment in the film where everything is abruptly subverted in a grand horror fashion and depending on your tastes, that may be off-putting. To me, it was absolutely genius. Dave Franco directed the fuck out of this movie and eliminated all the comfort of campiness that great slashers usually hold.
(2020) Relic 8/10
Robyn Nevin is fantastic here and all the supporting roles are great but not only does this woman make the movie, she is the movie. Her dialogue, her delivery and her body language, at least to me, are a huge chunk of the entire plot. I just found this movie to be gentle until it isn’t, which makes for the most tense moments. It’s a very claustrophobic film; I think it does justice to a very serious and frightening illness.
(2020) Palm Springs 8/10
It doesn’t take long to catch on that, while this is a romantic comedy, it’s also a sci-fi horror film and a specific subset of sci-fi that makes me anxious. So in some regards, at least to genre placement, there’s my bias. The movie is seriously a treat though. It’s a new spin on an old formula and it’s genuinely funny, suspenseful and endearing. Even if you disagree that it shouldn’t be discussed in the horror circles, you won’t regret watching it.
(2020) Shirley 7/10
It’s an incredibly interesting film for many reasons but mostly because it exists as a biopic, as well as a psychological horror film. Jackson is played Elisabeth Moss who is just wonderful. She really brought to life the internal struggle of Jackson. I’d suggest doing some research before diving into this because her profession during the time period was not glamorous or widely accepted, which gives context to, well, everything.
(2020) Becky 8/10
Kevin James was fantastic. He’s a sadistic fuck in this movie. But he doesn’t deserve all the credit and the writers don’t either. I’m going to highlight Greta Zozula here. The most powerful moments in this entire film were purely cinematography based. Melanie Garros and Jenn McGouran deserve a shoutout as well. This was a cookie-cutter home invasion film at its core and these people, among others, made it one of my favorite home invasion films of the decade. Alissa Gee deserves recognition too for creating the most disgusting moment I’ve seen in a minute.
(2019) Parasite 9/10
This film is most obviously on-the-nose but in the same breath, so incredibly impactful. I can’t even describe the seamless transition from black comedy to horror. It’s a heartbreaking view on classism and poverty while also just being a thrilling experience. Every single performance is remarkable and natural. I’m not even sure what else to say without spoiling it. This film isn’t just specific to Asian culture but very relevant to anyone feeling that they’re in a rut.
(2019) Villains 8/10
The premise is sort of simple but the horror is in the details. i loved how everything played out and I thought all four main actors did an incredible job. Everything was super convincing which had me invested and tense. There’s a scene at the end, despite the movies dark, comedic aspects, that was really sweet and very climactic.
(2019) Swallow 9/10
Haley Bennett delivers a heartbreaking performance with a powerful but melancholy ending. The narrative itself is twisted and sadistic. This film make me anxious, depressed and in the end, I’m not sure it offered much reprieve. I loved this film but I’d caution anyone going through mental trauma to venture cautiously into it. It doesn’t promote anything negative but the subject matter can be difficult.
(2019) Nimic 8/10
When I googled the name of this film it gave me the Romanian translation of “nothing” but also, “everything”. For a 10-minute short it offers so much. It felt like a powerfully dark statement about performance in general.
(2019) The Head Hunter 9/10
This was one of the most creative, restrained yet somehow absolutely insane movies I’ve seen all year. I’m absolutely blown away. The exposition is limited and told so refreshingly through almost entirely visuals. It’s caused many viewers frustrations but for me, it was absolutely the best aspect. That’s saying a lot because visually, stylistically, it’s fucking remarkable. I’ve heard people say this movie is boring and to me, there’s not a dull moment throughout the entire film, not a single wasted shot. It’s thrilling, dark, gritty, campy at times and embodies this identity that’s both somehow fluid and refined. It feels like an arthouse film in its minimalism but avoids any pretentiousness you may associate with that sub-genre. Jordan Downey has done some intentionally so-bad-it’s good movies in the past and he clearly wanted to still reference those aspects through some of his shlocky, 50’s horror inspirations in here; especially Fiend Without a Face. That’s a creative decision that will turn a lot of people off but I just really appreciated it and it made the actual watching experience so incredibly fun.
(2019) The Lighthouse 9.5/10
This film is among the few that I felt compelled to watch it again almost immediately. It’s so incredibly rich in every aspect that can make a movie successful. The visuals are jaw-dropping; almost every single frame of this film is photographic. The soundtrack is stripped down to just these haunting sounds of fog horns and piss buckets. The package everything is delivered in, from an artistic standpoint, is so memorable. The performances by Pattinson and Dafoe are both some of the best I’ve seen this entire year and really, the decade…possibly of all time. They deliver this brilliant script’s dialogue with such passion, humor and intensity. The story in this film is shrouded in mystery but the clues and tools needed to decipher it do exist and with a rewatch, finding them felt so rewarding. It’s the kind of movie that I want to make my friends watch, simply so I have someone to discuss it with. It’s one of the best horror films I’ve ever seen.
(2019) I Trapped the Devil 7/10
This one is a bit of a slow-burn but I felt the tension from beginning to end so none of it felt like a blind investment. It had the potential to be another, cookie-cutter, pretentious statement but what I found it to be was simply a well-crafted horror film.
(2019) Pet Sematary 7.5/10
The original film was entertaining to me but I felt it was also dated and a bit too unintentionally silly for my tastes. So going into this, I was hoping for a darker, more serious film and I’m happy to say, that’s what I got.
(2019) Guns Akimbo 7.5/10
This is non-stop gory action, an absurd story and an insane performance by Radcliffe, who I’m such a big fan of at this point. The best part? It’s genuinely, laugh-out-loud funny, both through physical comedy and clever dialogue.
(2019) Harpoon 7/10
I enjoyed this movie a lot and I mean “enjoyed” in every sense of the word. It was the kind of movie to stop making me think so critically about the acting and cinematography because I just find the stranded genre so fun. This movie really delivered in both dark humor and pure, unpredictability.
(2019) Annabelle Comes Home 7/10
I know that Gary Dauberman has worked closely with the series so he definitely understands Wan’s Conjuring universe’s vibe. I mean that from both a pacing and cinematography standpoint. I loved that all the possessed artifacts come into play.
(2019) Vivarium 8/10
This movie is fucking terrifying. The cast may even be too loaded because it’s the environment and Senan Jennings that makes everything so scary. The final 30 minutes of this film are a complete mindfuck and just left my jaw on the floor.
(2019) It Chapter 2 9/10
It embodies the heartfelt, character driven story of King’s novel so incredibly well. Every single performance by the adult actors is fantastic and as much as people didn’t like the overuse of humor, it felt like a natural evolution to me. Things were destined to be less scary with the adult characters coming into contact with an evil they’ve faced before. The last 30-min to me were just so touching, sad and it was the culmination I was hoping for.
(2019) Zombieland: Double Tap 7.5/10
It’s certainly a sequel as far as sequels go but I had a ton of fun with it and it was great to see this group back together. It’s a super cheesy film and I would expect some hate but the original is cheesy fun too, if even to a lesser extent.
(2019) The Color Out of Space 7/10
The entire suspense if the film is how each individual character reacts to this unknown force but Cage’s is of course the most volatile. I love the body horror and I think the entire movie is pretty goddamn exciting in that aspect. It goes so far beyond what you’d expect.
(2019) Joker 9.5/10
To have a Batman-universe film stand out this much among all the others is incredible. This film intentionally evokes almost every emotion until a raw, chilling finale. Gotham is unkempt, unstable and teetering.
(2019) Come to Daddy 7.5/10
This movie is definitely a dark comedy but it’s incredibly interesting in that, among the dark humor, is a real horror movie and a very graphic one at that.
(2019) The Lodge 9/10
The misdirects in this story are excellent and I was blown away about how well the cinematography was used to manipulate the viewer. It feels like it’s twist after twist but in reality, nothing changes and that’s the scariest aspect to the entire movie.
(2019) Home with a View of the Monster 7/10
They do a fantastic job of storytelling, switching timelines and perspectives throughout the film. It’s a technique that’s been around longer than we’ve all been alive but one that’s not easily mastered.
(2019) Ready or Not 7.5/10
It’s just a ton of fun and Samara Weaving is fantastic. There’s so much great meta-humor and the effects are top notch. I think this sub-genre of sadistic games being played has been done to death so it was a welcomed surprise to see a film do it in such a successful way.
(2019) The Platform 9.5/10
One of my favorite things about horror is that you can trace history itself through the decades, with films reflecting the current political, social and economic state around the globe. First we has Us and then another incredible film Parasite, all with similar desperate themes of class instability. Then you have The Platform, which in its pure brutalism combines horror, religion and politics to make an incredibly powerful statement.
(2019) I See You 9/10
This film consistently surprised, disappointed and impressed me throughout its runtime based purely on my own expectations. It frankly made a fool out of me.
(2019) The Vast of Night 7/10
This movie is pretty low-budget but they really worked with what they had to create this warm, throwback aesthetic that just tickled my tiny little nuts. It’s a dialogue driven, on-the-nose Twilight Zone homage and I really enjoyed it.
(2019) John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum 8/10
The choreography and production is mesmerizing. This might be a Hollywood mainstream action film but the kills are powerful and fucking brutal.
(2018) Bloodline 7.5/10
Sean William Scott is a forever type casted actor but has managed to break free of that throughout the years and this is another great example of him doing just that. His performance is reserved but effective.
(2018) Gwen 8.5/10
It’s an incredibly heartbreaking story that, while exists in the folk-horror genre, subverts any and all expectations. Eleanor Worthington-Cox and Maxine Peaks carry the entire film.
(2018) Freaks 8/10
Emile Hirsch, Amanda Crew and Lexy Kolker were all great but it was Bruce Dern who blew me away. He’s such a powerful on-screen presence; just his delivery alone establishes a lot of the more horrifying elements to this film.
(2018) Overlord 8/10
I thought it would be a traditional zombie movie and the circumstances would be the twist but it was its own thing. It’s kind of difficult to describe but I think action-war-horror would be the closest thing I could pin it too. Jovan Adepo was a great fucking lead.
(2018) Monster Party 7.5/10
It’s awesome to experiment but this is a film that will appeal to almost everyone without feeling unoriginal or sold out. This is dark humor at its most enjoyable and the practical effects and gore are fucking awesome.
(2018) Pledge 7.5/10
It’s a simple premise but so well executed. I loved the ending and pretty much 95% of the creative decisions. This isn’t a bloodbath of a horror film but it’s violent as hell.
(2018) High Life 7/10
This film is a really uncomfortable watch from beginning to end. It’s filled with violent, psychosexual imagery, a disjointed narrative and cum. It ends and if you don’t outright hate it, it’s hard to explain why you like it because it’s such a rough watch. I fall in the latter category.
(2018) Possum 8/10
I love the way the story unfolds in the end, just methodically bit-by-bit until a crushing reveal. I felt for this main character and his pain seemed so real.
(2018) Wildling 8/10
Bel Powley and Liv Tyler both play very complimentary fantastic roles. There’s an extended portion of the film that’s almost uplifting and pleasantly strange, following their relationship with each other. I’m happy to say things turn sinister quickly and the last 30-minutes are a wild ride, to say the least.
(2018) The Nightingale 9.5/10
Jennifer Kent decided to put in such a universally disgusting scene that had people walking out of screenings and almost justifiably so. It’s really difficult to watch in portions. It’s just fortunate she followed it up with a masterpiece.
(2017) John Wick: Chapter 2 8/10
These assassins dance so carefully around innocent civilians that it almost comes off as a black comedy, in a great way.
(2017) My Friend Dahmer 8/10
To me, especially with Ross Lynch’s performance, it was an equally endearing and chilling film. It humanized someone who I’ve always considered to be a literal monster, which is something I don’t know how to feel about.
(2017) One Cut of the Dead 7/10
This movie is super creative and pretty fucking hilarious. It feels like a modern day Bowfinger.
(2017) Marrowbone 7.5/10
The characters portrayed are vibrant and fully realized, whether it be through substance or lack-there-of. I obviously don’t actively try and predict movies like a gameshow but this film seemed to excel in misdirect.
(2016) White Girl 8/10
It reminded me a lot of Larry Clark’s Kids but actually intelligently modernized to make a statement on these neighborhoods on the fringe of gentrification.
(2016) The Lighthouse 7.5/10
Mark Lewis Jones and Michael Jibson play their respective roles as the lighthouse keepers really well. Towards the end of the film when the story demands even more of them both, they truly deliver.
(2015) Room 9/10
Brie Larson is an incredible actress and plays this profoundly realistic character. There's moments where emotions do bubble over but most of the time, she does so much by doing so little.
(2015) Jurassic World 7.5/10
Some people will be completely turned off by some of the more absurd and out-there plot elements but I have to say, despite it being cheesy on paper, a lot of the newer sci-fi concepts just happen to work. This is bound to forever be kind of divisive but I liked it.
(2015) Tag 8.5/10
It’s like Tokyo Gore Police meets The Matrix. Sono makes a powerful statement on film media, gender oppression and interestingly enough, he doesn’t leave himself out of the lens of criticism.
(2015) The Invitation 9/10
This movie’s horror aspect is incredibly telegraphed and manipulated with these creepy violin sounds. However, Karyn Kusama’s impeccably clean cinematography and direction use all of that to its benefit.
(2014) John Wick 8/10
I saw this movie in theaters and let me just say, as a beagle owner, this may be my favorite revenge movie. Keanu Reeves is badass as shit and it was the first film in a long time to make me interested in action.
(2014) Spring 8.5/10
It feels helpless and hopeful at the same time, Benson’s script is amazing. I’ve always said that films shot in idyllic landscapes are a blank canvas for horror. There’s so much beautiful contrast.
(2014) The Treatment 7.5/10
This film is so unnerving, dark and depressing. The bones of it are structured like any crime thriller but the meat of it is pure depravity.
(2014) Clown 8/10
This is body horror and one of the better ones out there; the slow, methodical transformation throughout this movie was so effective.
(2014) The Incident 9/10
Bleak doesn’t even begin to describe this film. It’s pure nihilism, screamed loudly into the universe.
(2014) The Guest 8.5/10
I fucking love the story, Dan Stevens is fantastic and the production was cleanly executed. It’s Adam Wingard’s best film so far.
(2013) Blue Ruin 9/10
It’s a standout to me among revenge films. Macon Blair’s character isn’t some bloodthirsty ex-navy seal bent on revenge. He’s a completely broken man that’s overcome by heartbreak.
(2013) Evil Dead 7.5/10
It’s one of the few examples where a remake of a classic, near perfect movie, actually works.
(2013) Redemption 8/10
The film is shot so well, the editing and portrayal of the visuals all correspond to the ebb and flow of his characters physical and mental health.
(2013) Under the Skin 9/10
The second death in this movie is one of the most remarkably unsettling scenes I’ve witnessed to date.
(2011) The Strange Thing About the Johnsons 7/10
Astor flips child molestation on its head in a tense, sickeningly well-made film and I absolute hate it. Do not watch this movie, this will only detract from your overall happiness.
(2011) Contagion 9/10
There’s some fantastic performances by Paltrow, Law, Fishburne and quite a few others. However, it’s the research and writing of this film, the frightening scientific accuracy, that makes it so effective.
(2011) We Need to Talk About Kevin 9/10
This is probably one of the most sensitive subjects you can approach and I’m a huge fan of Lynne Ramsay. Ezra Miller has one of the most chillingly realistic performances of the decade.
(2010) Inception 9.5/10
It’s Nolan’s masterpiece in my mind and that statement isn’t to be taken lightly, as everything he’s done has felt powerful.
(2010) Buried 8/10
This is one of my favorite movies filmed all in one location. It’s tense, claustrophobic (obviously) and it feels genuinely helpless.
(2010) Skeletons 7/10
It’s a strange little film but it’s charming, smart and a refreshing take on the exorcism sub-genre.
(2009) The House of the Devil 8/10
My absolute favorite aspect of this film is the retro feel. It captured 70’s horror so incredibly well. Ti West is a talented filmmaker and this is one of my favorites by him.
(2009) Cropsey 7/10
If there was one thing I really took away from this film, it would be how society and children in particular adapt to unsolved murders.
(2009) The Loved Ones 7.5/10
It reminds of almost a modern day interpretation on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, if the dinner scene was the entire film.
(2008) Lake Mungo 9/10
This family is so incredibly natural, real and convincing. It’s not too over the top. The horror is hidden in every frame and simultaneously interwoven with heartbreak. Despite many previous and later films attempting to do what it does, I’ve never seen anything like it.
(2007) An American Crime 7.5/10
Elliot Page is wonderful as Sylvia Likens, she just has this innocent nature to her that amplified the violent aspects of the film. I loved the editing of courtroom footage throughout the runtime, it was a constant reminder that what you’re watching actually happened, despite the theatrical nature of the film at times.
(2007) Teeth 8/10
Teeth is actually such an incredibly hard movie to review critically. The film itself, as a whole, is so many things at once. It’s a comedy, an exploitation film, a revenge film and even sort of…a slasher? I have to give respect where respect is due.
(2007) Death Sentence 7/10
This movie is so goddamn intense during the action sequences that it actual reminds me more of a Max Payne video game film adaptation. It’s so over-the-top but in a really entertaining way.
(2007) Timecrimes 8.5/10
I loved this movie when I first saw it but upon re-watching it, I can’t help but stress its influence in the time-loop horror sub-genre. Sure films like Primer definitely helped pave the way but Timecrimes really manages to focus less on the science fiction and more on the horrifying consequences that come with time travel.
(2007) Zodiac 9/10
It’s not the most violent film, it’s much more story driven but the moments of violence feel fucking powerful. The horror in this film isn’t about the serial killer, it’s really about obsession and Gyllenhaal absolutely nails his performance to bring that aspect home.
(2006) Population 436 7/10
It didn’t aim to disgust or push boundaries; it’s just a fun, creepy story with a satisfying ending.
(2006) Children of Men 9.5/10
It’s a bleak film, as bleak as they come from some perspectives but through the violence and despair is a powerful message of hope. Clive Owen’s character is as a broken as the world around him and one of my favorite character arcs of all time.
(2005) Red Eye 7/10
The setup is sinister enough, being in the confines of a plane, to warrant it being discussed as a horror but it does devolve into an action thriller, not that I’m a genre-snob. Both Cillian Murphy and Rachel McAdams are fantastic and it’s a tight knit package.
(2005) The Descent 9.5/10
It’s absolutely terrifying and top-to-bottom, one of the most effective horror movies ever made. After seeing over a thousand horror projects, this still remains one of the most intense, period.
(2005) Constantine 8.5/10
Listen, I’ve obviously never even heard about this comic but let me just say, as a standalone movie, it’s fucking awesome. It’s basically Keanu Reeves battling his way through hell, murking demons and basically just being badass as shit.
(2004) Saw 8/10
It’s one of the most creative projects of the 00’s and a project that launched Wan’s and Whannell’s career. I can safely say, the two of them haven’t had any major misses since. This movie is raw, disturbing and has a strong mystery-driven backbone that makes it iconic and endlessly re-watchable. I absolutely love it.
(2004) Hellboy 7.5/10
Listen, I’m not a fucking nerd who is all-knowing about these comics and how well they translate to film but let me tell you, this movie fucking rocks. Ron Perlman kills this role and has so much personality.
(2000) The Gift 8.5/10
Everyone here is wonderful. If I had to pick a standout though, it would be Giovanni Ribisi. His performance is so raw and emotive. The unstable nature of his character actually held up as the backbone to the mystery portion of this film, making it very much unpredictable.
(1999) The Ninth Gate 9/10
It’s two hours of a giant satanic onion being peeled back layer by layer. It’s clear that when Polanski isn’t raping children, he’s creating filmmaking masterpieces.
(1999) Deep Blue Sea 7.5/10
The science-fiction aspects may be super contrived to someone smarter than I am but the entire movie is so goddamn entertaining. I love all the characters and LL Cool J is particularly hilarious.
(1998) Pi 7.5/10
Aronofsky is challenging religion with science and mathematics and it comes together in a really insane way.
(1997) The Lost World: Jurassic Park 7/10
One scene in particular that stuck with me was the raptors in the tall grass, so aesthetically gorgeous and well-shot. It’s not a perfect movie but Goldblum and Moore are charismatic, it’s fucking action packed and the set pieces are diverse as shit. This isn’t some dialed in bullshit for a quick buck.
(1997) Men in Black 9/10
Vincent D’Onofrio was fucking incredible. The entire villain that is Edgar is one of my favorites of all time. Everything from his speech, his loose-skin and awkwardly stiff gate just really sell it.
(1996) The Craft 7.5/10
I love all the acting and characters but Fairuza Balk is probably my favorite. She’s just so eclectic and over-the-top.
(1995) Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight 7/10
This is such a fun movie and very much in the Tales from the Crypt vein. It’s campy but super violent too; the practical effects are fucking dope. It’s kind of like Evil Dead meets From Dusk till Dawn. Billy Zane is great in it and just brings a ton of personally to the film. I even really dug the raunchy, meta-horror opening.
(1994) The Mask 7/10
Jim Carrey is his usual, hilarious, eclectic, over-the-goddamn-top self which softens the edges. There’s also a villain though and the same childish aspects don’t apply to him. As a kid, he was kind of scary actually.
(1993) Jurassic Park 9.5/10
Even just typing that title blows my mind, this movie was made in 1993 and 27 years later, it still looks better than most modern monster movies. Jurassic Park is everything. This movie is the perfect blend of horror, action, adventure and sci-fi.
(1991) Highway to Hell 7.5/10
This is an absolutely awesome 90’s horror movie. It has cameos from the entire Stiller family, even fucking Gilbert Gottfried. You also have Chad Lowe, who I truthfully didn’t even know existed. The story, set pieces and script are also all excellent. It’s darkly funny, well-paced and just a wild ride from start to finish.
(1990) The Exorcist 3 8.5/10
This movie, for a film following such an iconic movie, being a third film in a series, is just bafflingly good. The original writer of the first film is returning and his script as well as directorial product both deliver.
(1989) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 8/10
Indy is still Indy here, he’s fucking badass; his character and dialogue excel in this entry immensely. Not just dialogue but this film contains some of the best action choreography of the entire series, something that almost seems unfairly diminished through repetition. This movie is fucking awesome.
(1988) Akira 7.5/10
This story is one that would feel very difficult to pull off through traditional media. The level of violence and body horror would possibly be even too much for Cronenberg’s plate. The ending of this film is mind-melting.
(1988) Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 7.5/10
It’s violent, dark, disgusting and gory as fuck. It feels like a fever dream of hell. I loved the female character kind of forcing this disgusting erotic nature and it doubled down on the series soul which is the deadly allure of hell.
(1988) Vampire’s Kiss 7/10
I love American Psycho and watching this, I can see where a ton of the performance inspiration in that film came from. Cage’s body language here is so insanely expressive and probably my favorite part of the entire project. Even if you’ve seen this one before, I highly suggest a re-watch, there’s something special about it.
(1987) Fatal Attraction 7.5/10
Holy shit Glenn Close you goddamn crazy bitch, such a great performance. This movie is so incredibly and exponentially tense as it plays out. I loved Micheal Douglas and the entire film is just a reminder to never fucking cheat.
(1987) The Believers 7/10
It gets a bit absurd at certain points but the cult aspects are awesome. I also think it’s the first horror movie I’ve seen specifically about Santeria. It’s not perfect but it stuck with me.
(1987) The Lost Boys 8/10
Joel Schumacher’s The Lost Boys is so indicative of 80’s horror that it could very well be the face of the decade itself. The one-liners, the practical effects, aesthetics and story are all just wonderful. I’m not sure what else to say, this movie feels like a warm blanket to me.
(1986) Little Shop of Horrors 8/10
Rick Moranis is as goofy as ever and good god…the practical effects are mind-blowing. You’re watching this giant plant movie and it just melts your brain thinking about how it was accomplished.
(1986) Aliens 7/10
They exploited the action of the first film to capture a larger audience and lost what made Alien such an effective horror movie in the first place. I still like this movie because it contains my favorite heroin and monster but I’m sick of acting like the Alien series ever needed a director like Cameron. The ending is absolutely insane and bumps this up a few points for sure.
(1984) The Terminator 8/10
This movie, simply put, is badass as shit. I’m aware the series kind of progresses into more action focused territory with the sequels but the original will always be a horror movie to me. The pacing, the unstoppable force that is Arnold, it’s all thrilling as shit.
(1984) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 8/10
I think it’s a scary movie and a really dark turn in the trilogy. There are quirky aspects of it character wise that are kind of goofy but playful. Overall though, goddamn dude, these set pieces are amazing.
(1984) Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter 7/10
Jason is super fucking powerful here; he moves quickly, intelligently and is able to drive the suspense of the movie. The success is greatly attributed to a solid performance by Crispin Glover but more importantly, Corey Feldman. I know Corey gets a lot of shit these days but he was an eclectic child actor.
(1981) Raiders of the Lost Ark 9/10
Raiders of the Lost Arc is such an important movie to me. It helped open my eyes to darker content as a child, for better or worse. Everything that could ever be said about this film has been said, I’m just here to show my appreciation.
(1980) City of the Living Dead 8/10
This movie is batshit insane in the best way possible. It’s ultra-gory, tons of crazy impressive practical effects which are very much Fulci in style. The narrative is a bit confusing but I think, or hope at least, intentionally so.
(1980) The Ninth Configuration 7/10
The Ninth Configuration, while still representing William Peter Blatty’s struggle with religion, is tonally very different from The Exorcist. It’s a tedious, slow, detail oriented, character driven film that exceeds so well because of great writing.
(1979) Nosferatu the Vampire 8/10
This film not only embodies and celebrates the original in terms of structure as well as substance, but in its restrained filmmaking methods; its ability to let shots live without intervention. It’s atmospheric, well-trimmed and just an all-around, exceptional film. Klaus Kinsi as Nosferatu is perfect.
(1979) The Amityville Horror 7/10
I like James Brolin’s character, he’s odd and the axe sharpening is somewhat iconic. The film has both pacing issues as well as dialogue issues. With that being said though, the finale in sinister as fuck and really brings life, quite literally, to this evil house.
(1979) Alien 9.5/10
My love for this single film transcends my love for the genre itself. Ridley Scott pulled off an absolute masterpiece and despite having watched it 25 times, I still cannot comprehend how a film of this quality was pulled off in 1979. It’s as close as perfection can be.
(1978) Dawn of the Dead 8/10
Obviously at first glance you can tell this is a really lengthy film at over 2-hours long. However, the pacing is actually my favorite part. Romero really builds up to the climax slowly and lets you linger in his world for such a long time that it becomes fleshed out through pure exposure.
(1978) Slave to the Cannibal God 7/10
I love the visuals, the story and Ursula Andress’ great big dirty milkers. It’s a wonderful, sleazy little exploitation film. The audio is also fantastic; I just love the way this film is edited all around.
(1977) Shock Waves 7/10
Peter Cushing is awesome and I really liked Brooke Adams as well. Despite the cheesy premise though, this film is dark and moody. The tension and action really builds throughout the film and with the atmospheric nature, you kind of forget the ridiculousness of it all.
(1975) Satanico Pandemonium 7/10
This is a pretty great, atmospheric, old-school exploitation film. It dives right into the temptations of sex and the devil among this convent. It gets pretty fucking dark, especially for the time period, specifically for Mexican horror.
(1974) Vampyres 9/10
It’s dark, moody, sexy and offers one of the most unique vampire film experiences to date. It’s a film that makes Dennis’ idea from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia about a full-penetration, Dolph Lundgren crime fighting movie seem almost plausible.
(1973) Soylent Green 8/10
I loved all the concepts and details in this film. It took me a bit to get invested but once I was, real food was replaced with gold in my brain watching the plot play out. Charlton Heston did a great job of bringing life to this fictional universe as well through his dynamic and invested performance.
(1973) The Crazies 7/10
There’s this great scene with this old lady knitting that I just adore. The innocent and violent clash in such an effective way. Obviously the horror aspects in that scene, as well as the virus itself are very fictional. The government response though, seems almost plausible, considering how they’re currently handling Covid-19.
(1972) Horror Express 8/10
It’s genuinely creepy to this day and the storyline is ambitious as fuck. I’d be hard-pressed to say it’s not one of the better horror-sci-fis of the 70’s and that category includes some great fucking films.
(1968) Even the Wind is Afraid 8/10
Coming over a decade before Suspiria, I can’t but feel, despite how unknown this film is, how influential it was to the genre. The story is great; it’s not super violent or anything and when they do show anything, it’s so well built up. It’s either a reveal at either peak tension or the opposite, when it’s least expected.
(1967) Our Mother’s House 8/10
Jack Clayton, simply for directing The Innocents, is one of my favorite directors. He manages to capture super poignant emotional moments unlike no one else. We have some great modern directors working today that do the same but in terms of 1960's horror, it was harder to come by.
(1967) Violated Angels 7/10
It’s actually based on an American case, about a man Richard Speck who broke into a hospital in 1966, raped and murdered eight nurses. The cinematography is startling cold. The dialogue is profound and helpless. This has to be up there with the most cynically sexualized piece of exploitation cinema.
(1964) Lady in a Cage 7.5/10
It’s a really great little thriller with a solid performance by Olivia de Havilland and also James Caan. I think this movie captures such a helpless nature really well.
(1964) The Last Man on Earth 7.5/10
I loved this movie. It’s actually one of my favorite Price films, which at least for me, is a bold statement. His films tend to have this warm, campy feel to them but this one actually felt pretty dark and desolate. It still contains those less-serious scenes and bits of dialogue but the writing and ideas themselves feel like a huge leap forward for the horror genre.
(1960) The Virgin Spring 9/10
This is clearly the inspiration for The Last House on the Left and while I appreciate that film immensely, it didn’t evoke the same emotions this one did. The cinematography, per-Bergman, is impeccable.
(1958) The Fly 7.5/10
The plot is actually non-linear and the first half is my favorite. Patricia Owens plays up the paranoia of her character incredibly well and I was actually really happy to see Price in a supporting role.
(1956) Forbidden Planet 8/10
I personally think it’s one of the best sci-fi films of the decade. I know I’m going to get chirped for saying this but there’s even a scene towards the end that I believe could have inspired the tesseract in Interstellar.
(1935) The Black Room 7/10
This is another Universal horror film starring Karloff, directed by Roy Neill. It presents itself with the usual, tight-knit flair you may have come to expect but it somehow has seen much less recognition than any of the major monster movies. I really liked this movie.
(1932) The Old Dark House 8/10
This is also Karloff’s best look to date. I mean seriously, his performance is pretty muted and mostly expressed in body language but he has the same screen presence as Mickey Rourke.

St. Louis Jane Doe of 1983 (Also known as Hope, Little Doe, Little Jane Doe, "Precious Hope.", Lily, Sweater Girl, and The Girl Nobody Seems To Miss)
Content Warning: The case involves the gruesome death of a child. ​
I picked this case in hope of a quick and easy write-up. However, the more I looked for basic information the more and more the information became blurred. A game of telephone if it were. Please keep this in mind as you read through my write-up. I did my best to gather as much possible info but there are so many details that seem wrong or misinformed. Interestingly enough the lead investigator of the time also thought this would be an easy case. "Back then I thought this would be an easy case to crack," recalled Burgoon, one of the city's first homicide detectives at the scene. We'd find out who the girl was and that would lead us to the killer." - Joe Burgoon
Feel free to copy-paste and use my collected info in any way you wish. Credit is nice but never needed for any cases I write-up. I would rather the info be used and our Little Doe's case eventually solved. Also, I'm probably going to keep adding and working on this write-up. The piles of information laying around are so vast! I am not worried about my spelling or grammar but I understand if you must point out my mistakes. There will be discrepancies with the info on this case just because the information available was so contrary! Lastly, if I have quoted you and you do not want your name attached just let me know, or if you want your name edited.
The Story ​
The story of the Little Doe starts out on a cold day on February 28, 1983, in St. Louis, Missouri. Two people often described as looters, enter an abandoned Victorian home (at one point renovated into an apartment) of 5635 Clemens Avenue in the city's West End Cabanne neighborhood at about 3:30 pm. Then straight from the pages of a penny dreadful, one of the men lit up a cigarette and illuminated the headless body of Little Doe who was there in the dark laying on the ground. Police quickly arrived and they assume she is a discarded prostitute, but when they turn her over they realize she was only a child. The newly appointed and first black commander of the homicide division Leroy Adkins was desperate to solve this case. Adkins wanted to show his community that the police cared for its black community just as much as it cared for its white. However, as hard he worked the case remains to this day unsolved.
The Location And Day Details ​
The historical records of weather for that address in St. Louis Missouri back up the claims that it was very cold that day. You can also see in the older news photographs that the police in the area dressed warmly and some are even smoking cigarettes as they searched. This is an important note because the weather had an impact on the body conditions and recoverable evidence.
On that day in history the last TV episode of "M*A*S*M*A*S*H" airs. The day falls on a Monday and Ronald Reagan was president. It has been 37 years since this date.
The site and area as seen in the photographs were defunct. The building itself was described as "a crumbling vacant apartment building." The photographs available can attest to this. Trash strewn about, full dumpsters and the building has opened windows, along with vacant property signs attached to the door. It is north of a previous invisible dividing line that divided cities even after de-segregation. It has been said that this area was predominantly black and there are some crime scene photos showing crowds of young black children watching the investigations. In the photos, the area is crowded with parked cars. The area is off the main loops or well-traveled zones but is close to several known drug areas and a loop notorious for prostitution at the time. Nowadays this area has seen improvements as well as a boost from an older generation and middle class.
This is the best historical outline for this building that I could find. Tues. Sept 23 1975 the building was listed in the newspaper with a notice of delinquent tax liens and then the building was owned by a Bland S. Before that in the 1940's a man named Abraham Grabel lived there and before that, a catholic man of John Kern Boderick from the 1800s may have owned the home. The building is large, with red brick, and reaches about three stories tall. It has white stone trim and seems to have an overall feeling of once grandeur. Above the door frame in Latin is the inscription Domi the word for home.
The homes in this area on average were built before 1930 and in particular, this area is known to have a great many mansions and large historical buildings. Some well cared for but most in disrepair. It is important to note that St. Louis has a particular abandoned property problem. It causes crime to sky-rocket and though non-so as gruesome similar crimes have happened in these abandoned buildings. It is sadly very common to find raped and tied up women in these buildings. Dog fights, homeless activities, and other crimes. The area was used as a dumping ground for trash and bodies.
People that used to live there in the area described that in the 1940s through 1950s it was a mostly white middle classed neighborhood. Then it became predominantly black. The building has been demolished and replaced with a similar building in 2002 that provides housing for older adults called the "Leisure Living Community". It's unclear if the older building was bigger or if the new building was built just off to the side of the old location.
They did a sweep around the area and canvassed the northwest St. Louis neighborhood but it was in vain. It was said they searched a 16 square block radius around the crime scene, searching sewers, trash cans, and even roofs for the head or any other clues but found nothing useful came up.
Also important to note that the body was found in the building's basement furnace room. There was a lack of blood at the scene. Save for a few reports that there was a smear on the wall of the stairs and “You could see where there were trails of blood on the stone, where she was brought in there,” said Burgoon. which just concluded she had been carried down. The lack of blood is what makes the detectives certain that she had been killed elsewhere and placed. The fact she was placed here makes detectives think it might have been a local that knew crimes like this occurred in abandoned houses of the area.
The basement was so cold the police report that it was too cold for "even rats". Thus the body had been well preserved. The photos show a darkened room with stone-like stairs and stone brick walls. The floor is littered and a few bottles can be seen on the ground including a bleach bottle. It's possible Little Doe was found under debris. Looking at an older video it seems the basement *might* have been accessible from the outside. There were outside stairs going down made of stone and the broken stairs above (before entering) were wooden and breaking. I have seen indoor house pictures featuring walls of blue wallpapers or paint. So, that's why it's a bit unclear if the basement was accessible from the outside.
Investigation ​
Within hours of her discovery, the police started a media blitz in hopes someone would come forward with a missing child that matched her description. Teletype messages were sent throughout Missouri and Illinois with no results. I've read some of these teletypes when nationwide. Months later these were stopped because of the cost. Adkins pleads with the community directly and held meetings at places like Bethesda Temple on Delmar Avenue. "Somebody out there knows something," he said. "Talk to your neighbors. Talk to your friends. Somewhere out there is a mother without a little girl, a brother without a sister, a neighbor without a little girl running up and down the street." Adkins continued going to community meetings for some time. Adkins said they corresponded with every police agency as well. When the case was fresh at least 15 officers and detectives worked the case.
They questioned the community and surrounding area. In the old film, I can see crowds of people watching the crime scene area. Many of them are young children just like Little Doe. However, nobody knew anything. Then they went through the local school rosters and some surrounding areas. "We've even gone through school absentee records and haven't come up with anything" - Captain William E. Relling (Juvenile Division). With no results here wither this is what leads police to the idea that maybe the victim wasn't a local. It is important to note here that most of the school systems were disorganized and not very reliable in tracking children's names and whereabouts. School systems at the time got money for each child enrolled. Kids who were no longer in school were still being kept on records. Brenda Schlegel was upset about that public information and made it a point to harass the newspaper to write about it. They wanted the public to know that only "some" of the schools had issues but not all.
Then a search of the area began to look for any evidence. Jerry Thomas and Frank Booker were only some of the police officers who searched the area. Looking at an old photo they searched every nook and cranny. Even dumpsters. The local area can be seen with large piles of trash. They had over 100 men searching at one point on Wednesday after the body was found on Monday.
The case garners national attention and it's very obvious that detectives worked as hard as they could. Adkins pleaded with the black community for information and wrote ads in at least three black newspapers and magazines. They even put the word out in the prison systems in hopes someone would be mentioned.
Groups in the northwest St. Louis neighborhood, begin a campaign to get the vacant buildings occupied, securely boarded, or torn down. A protest is held by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) outside of the building Grant Williams an organizer said about 40 people showed up. Skinker-Page-Union-Delmar (SPUD) organization discussed the vacant building issue. It helped at 7:30 pm at the New Mount Gideon church. It was an important topic that Little Doe was found in a building that had not been boarded up. Myrtle Hartfield of SPUD said that SPUD had been working with the Land Reutilization Authority to get the buildings boarded up. Little Doe also prompts community action to offer free fingerprinting services to young children in the area. Calena Glasby and organizer of a neighborhood said "The kids talk about everybody's anxious for it to be solved" Joe Burgoon seeks help from the FBI Academy In Quantico, VA in 1986 (A unit that operates a national database for unsolved killings.) however at the time only Little Doe's case was unique.
Kristin Cole Brown of Child Find, a non-profit national organization that tracks down missing children. "Ms. Brown said the organization had recorded only one similar case - the July 1981 abduction of a 6-year-old Hollywood, Fla., boy whose head was found three weeks after he disappeared. (Adam Walsh the son of the TV Show host "America's Most Wanted") Adkins said the case of the beheaded girl may go unsolved if the girl was brought here from some other area or if a relative was involved in her death. Child Find did try to offer a 1,000 reward to anyone who could identify her. They probably should have then and now offered a reward for ANY lead.
With this, the case winds down. Little Doe had lain in the cold room for nearly 10 months unclaimed.
Unsolved ​
Nearly 30 years after Little Doe was found Adkins said the case gave him nightmares. Adkins was the first African-American homicide commander. It was important to him to try to solve this case because he wanted to show the black community they were cared for. "Besides finding out who she was, the other thing that really bothered me was, 'Did we do everything we could in our investigation? Did we miss something?" Adkins kept a chart on the wall of his office listing details of the Little Doe case and it included dozens of index cards with names of people that had been questioned.
Detectives spent years trying to solve the case following just wisps of leads and stab into the dark. In the later years of the investigation, they would call families of missing children even remotely resembling the Little Doe just so they could rule them out. At least eleven families gave DNA. When one family didn't the investigators went so far as to search their trash for anything they could use as DNA evidence.
I've consistently found news articles through the years of the detectives doing their best to keep this case in the public eye and very obviously trying to solve it. In 2016 Burgon again asked the FBI to run the case again. Burgon even used to send new bulletins across the country every year on the anniversary of her discovery. In 1990 he went on Oprah Winfrey's TV show to discuss the case. Adkins occasionally writes letters to local newspapers to remind people of the case.
The Use of Psychics ​
One of the more puzzling sides to this case is the frequent use of psychics. Looking only through the lens of today it seems absurd but during the time I can imagine the police had nothing to go on and were desperate. They also wanted to show the public they cared. Unfortunately, this cost the police the only pieces of evidence to LIttle Doe's case. When the authorities approached psychics, one said her head would be on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico. Another in Florida requested to see her sweater and the nylon bounds, but they were lost in the mail. Even another one, Sharon Nolte, believed she was a Chippewa Indian named Shannon Johnson and her killer was a drifter living in southern Texas. All the psychic claims led to dead-ends or were disproven.
Other leads have been less conventional. Grasping for clues, Burgoon once sat in on a séance in a Maplewood home. Under dim candlelight, the detective passed around photocopied fingerprints of Jane Doe to a table full of psychics. As the clairvoyants channeled the spirits, Burgoon sat in the corner and observed. "The psychics put their hands on the fingerprints and would shoot straight up in their chairs like they got a jolt or something," remembers Burgoon. "At the end of the meeting, they told me to call the Coast Guard. The head is on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico."
The séance wouldn't be the last time homicide detectives looked to the paranormal for help. In 1994 Burgoon and Adkins agreed to appear on Sightings, a nationally syndicated television show on the occult and the supernatural. Connected by phone, the homicide detectives sat in St. Louis with notepads at the ready while a psychic in Florida entered the mind of Jane Doe. Producers filled in the backdrop with Hitchcockian theme music and shadowy, slow-motion footage of children at play. The product was vague enough to seem eerily real, but it only harmed the investigation.
Prior to the show's taping, detectives mailed the psychic the bloodied sweater and the nylon rope used to bind Jane Doe's hands. They never got them back. The evidence was lost in the mail. I heard the TV show was supposed to have mailed it back but they did it improperly and the items were lost.
A group of psychics arrived to view the body in the cold room but nothing came of it.
Little Doe ​
Little Doe had been found laying on her stomach under trash and with her hands bound behind her back. Wearing only a dirty yellow jumper. Little Doe had the unfortunate honor of being the only decapitated eviction in the nation of the time.
At first Little Doe was mistaken for being a prostitute or drug addict from the Cabanne Courts, a nearby housing project. It's hard to see why someone would confuse a child's body with an adult but Little Doe was bigger than average. Though only between the ages of 8-11 years old (it is possible she was older), she is around 5ft to 5 ft 4 inches tall and around 70 to 75 pounds. Even though she was thin it has been observed that was she was well-nourished. Little Doe had dark skin and it was of dark to medium complexion. Described as well cared for and not homeless her stomach had been empty at the time of her death so we know she had not eaten within 8 hours of her death. Little doe was reported to have not gone through puberty and did not have developed breasts. Her fingers had chipped nail polish in shades of red and at least two coats. There were no signs of previous abuses prior to this on her body.
A white substance found on her stomach was initially believed to be semen, but further tests showed it contained no DNA.
A public hair on her leg was also found but detectives are confident this belonged to someone on the scene after she had been found.
Little Doe's sweater was described as a once-bright yellow orlon with long sleeves. There is no manufacturer's label. Often described as dirty there are several photos of the sweater available. The tag seems to be a darker color and possibly sewn in on the four corners. in one older newspaper, it described the label as ripped out. Does not seem to have any major dirt drag marks on it.
The nylon cord is red and white and heavy. A newspaper clip suggests that this is similar to a ski rope or a boat line. Another news article of the time says it could have been jumping rope or a boat roap like that used to moor small boats. The autopsy (autopsy number 441-83) contrary to current popular belief failed to disclose a cause of death. Little Doe is oft-reported that strangulation was her cause of death. However, there is no conclusive evidence that this is so. The decapitation itself could have been a cause, strangulation, or suffocation. No other bodily injuries were there. * I have heard she may have had a bruise on her chest. No scars or abnormalities, no prior broken bones, and she still had her appendix. They think she had been dead only 2-3 days before her body was found. However important note some sources say the basement and the weather were so cold she was frozen through and the exact time of death could not have been pinpointed at the time. It wasn't until the mold testing was there a proper answer. The weapon may have been an ax, a large knife. Detective Riley said "Her head appeared to have been cleanly cut off, it was like somebody took a carving knife to her." large serrated knife. I also was not able to find a definitive document to say if she had been sexually assaulted but in general it seems to be thought that a one-time rape had occurred.
Missouri Botanical Garden performed mold tests on her body which determined she had been killed within five days of her discovery. It had been concluded that she was raped by some articles but in others, I found contrary statements so this is debatable. Little Doe's fingerprints, footprints and DNA had been collected.
I can't find any newspaper article that mentions this but there may have been some marks on her thighs that correspond with a dragging motion.

PT. TWO to be posted in the comments my write-up is actually too long! Adding a link here to a resource even though I will have collected info in PT. TWO just so I can post this submission.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis_Jane_Doe
https://www.wunderground.com/history/daily/KSTL/date/1983-2-28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wPkgV_Htqw
http://www.popflock.com/learn?s=St._Louis_Jane_Doe

How many of us are supposed to be working right now, but you are instead fantasizing about the Disney World trip you are going to take once the pandemic is over?
A day at the parks involves a lot of walking and then more standing in lines. You should not be surprised to take 20,000-30,000 steps a day. You are going to be on your feet a lot. The average American is not very active, closer to 4,000-6,000 steps per day. If it normally takes you three weeks to get 100,000 steps, and you are instead getting 100,000 visiting four parks in four days... you are not going to make it to 100,000 steps.
This is the pattern I have seen on several first trips:

• Day 1: Magic Kingdom. Rope drop to fireworks! Excitement!
• Day 2: Epcot. We can sleep in a bit, right? World Showcase won't be open for a few hours. Reschedule that dining reservation.
• Day 3: Hollywood Studios. Up early to check for Rise of the Resistance boarding passes! Feeling a little better after rest yesterday. Is that a blister coming in? Oh good, sit-down shows.
• Day 4: Animal Kingdom is a half-day park because you're done. You're tired, and dang this park is hot.

So start walking now. You don't need a full "couch to 5K," but you can start getting more steps per day and work up to 10,000-15,000. You might not have time in a normal day for 15,000 steps, but how about getting a few 15-30 minute walks over the course of the day? It might be too cold to walk outside, but you can walk laps inside your house (and be ready for longer walks outside when it warms up).
If you are comfortable walking 10,000-15,000 steps in a day, you will survive a few days doubling that. Have two pairs of broken-in walking shoes so you can switch between them on alternate days; they will rub your feet differently, rather than wearing down and blistering the same spots every day.
I will see you in the parks in 2022!

My list - green spaces. so much green space in cities, many parks and even forested areas. its so easy to get back to nature - traditional food. some of most satisfying gut busting food in world. cepeliniai, zemaiciu blynai, balendeli, kibinai my favorites - multilingual. everyone speaks multiple languages. lithuanian, russian, english, polish, even spanish, italian, and german sometimes. - young people love traveling. it's great for opening minds, getting new perspectives and ideas, and good sign for future. - multicultural. despite the fringe talk, the different ethnic groups get along, work together, intermarry. compared to other baltics much better. - the old towns. i think there is 8 or 7. i visted 6. they are incredible architecture and beautiful open air museums. can imagine how country should look if it wasnt for occupations and wars. Vilnius has biggest and best, Kaunas has most chilled and European vibes, Kendainiai is best small one. - three biggest cities is totally different. Vilnius is Baroque, Kaunas is art-deco, and Klaipeda is german-scandinavian. super rare to have such architectural diversity in small nation. - seaside has great sand. - the amount of lakes, never far from finding a place to boat or fish - village weekends. the real heartbeat of summer. the saslykas, the beers, the fires, the old houses. its lovely - beer - first dark beers i liked was as student in Lithuania. the traditional small village brewers are very unique and tasty. craft beers really nascent but they are trying, just too expensive - im a guy, so gotta say the women. most beautiful women I have ever seen are in Lithuania, and its common, most look lovely, are stylish and quite strong will. 200 thumbs up. - fast changes. in six years living there country changes very much. not just building of offices and flats but infrastructure like roads and sidewalks amd parks and politics - tinginys. i think it is single greatest muchies snack ever. made for stoners - hospitality. when people invite you over, you feel well taken care of. especially peoples moms, they will cook 10 meals on the drop of a dime, treat you like their own children. - hard work. people work hard, aren't lazy. i worked in office, hospitality and even construction for a week!! every field people were quite honest workers. - maisto prekes. i love a good neighborhood maisto prekes. much more fun experience than big grocery stores - cheap potatoes and meat - compared to other foods, which are really too high priced, potatoes and meat is a lot cheaper than anywhere I been - Christmas markets and trees. Kaunas and Vilnius always knock it out of park with creativity, and seeing all the small cities trees posting on Facebook, some lovely ones. - old wooden houses. zaliakalnis in kaunas and zverynas in vilnius have some stunning old homes. - movie theaters. all Hollywood movies are in English with lithuanian subtitles. might suck for locals but for foreigner super nice. also they sell alcohol, have a beer with your popcorn and movie. perfecto - curious minds. if locals find out you're foreign they ask so many questions, they always shocked a foreigner wanted to live in Lithuania. - national team basketball games and their fans. they are crazy. pure passion. watching a game in bars, everyone reacting, the crowd shots, those paddy cake guys. - flag colors. some of the best (jah rastafari!) - fitness popularity. lots of young people are health conscious. they go to gyms or participate in fitness in some way. people look healthy and handsome. - giant malls exist to keep teenagers away from bothering adults :D go eat mcdonalds - trakai castle. fucking wow. like a fantasy novel - hostels are cheap if you wanna go visit other city, compare to Western Europe or North America - curonian spit is peace. a place for any style of beachgoer. family, nude, bar area, isolated. - nida is picturesque. lovely houses. a bit boring but for quiet vacation its perfect. - small but quality graffiti commumity. if you know where to go, there are some incredible graffiti paintings around cities. government and society should embrace them more and give them boring spaces to paint. still lots of empty ugly walls - black bread. nothing else like it - kepta duona. best beer snack ever invented - cheap cars compared to Canada. can get decent car in good shape, less than ten years old, not too old for few thousand euro. unthinkable in canada, would be getting 15 years old for such price or junk. - THE VIBES(not winter so much) people are generally calm, never seen people accept queuing and respectfully like Lithuanians.

(2020) I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Charlie Kaufman seems unrelentingly obsessed with tearing apart and exposing the male psyche. It’s something I love about his films but it also can be depressing how much I relate to them.
Runners- up: Possessor Uncut, Nocturne, Invisible Man, The Rental, Relic, Palm Springs, Shirley, Becky
(2019) The Lighthouse
The story in this film is shrouded in mystery but the clues and tools needed to decipher it do exist and with a rewatch, finding them felt so rewarding. It’s the kind of movie that I want to make my friends watch, simply so I have someone to discuss it with. It’s one of the best horror films I’ve ever seen.
Runners-up: Little Monsters, Furie, I Am Mother, Glass, Crawl, Ma, Godzilla: King of Monsters, Us, Color Out of Space, Ready or Not, Midsommar, Zombieland: Double Tap, The Head Hunter, Parasite, Villains, Swallow, Nimic, The Head Hunter, I Trapped the Devil, Pet Sematary, Guns Akimbo, Harpoon, Annabelle Comes Home, Vivarium, It Chapter 2, Zombieland: Double Tap, The Color out of Space, Joker, Come to Daddy, The Lodge, Home with a View of the Monster, Ready or Not, The Platform, I See You, The Vast of Night, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
(2018) The House That Jack Built
In my mind, this is Lars Von Trier’s masterpiece and Matt Dillon’s best performance to date. It’s hands down the most fun, engaging, darkly humorous, disturbing, bleak and creative film I’ve seen this year.
Runners-up: Annihilation, Apostle, The Bad Seed, Summer of 84, Mandy, Upgrade, Calibre, Hereditary, A Quiet Place, Bird Box, Lords of Chaos, Head Count, The Witch in the Window, Dragged Across Concrete, Braid, Climax, Incident in a Ghostland, Hold the Dark, The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot, The Strangers: Pray at Night, Suspiria, Halloween, Monster Party, Bloodline, Gwen, Freaks, Overlord, Monster Party, Pledge, High Life, Possum, Wildling, The Nightingale
(2017) Mother!
Mother! is an incredibly conscientious statement on the nature of humanity, steeped in religious allegory. The last 30 min or so makes up for any weariness over the pacing. It’s one of the most intense, impressive sequences I’ve seen in a horror film in the last decade. The absolute perfect icing on the cake for what is such a masterful dip into surrealism.
Runners-up: Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil, The Endless, You Were Never Really Here, The Ritual, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Creep 2, Brawl in Cell Block 99, It, It Comes at Night, Get Out, Tigers are Not Afraid, Jungle, Cold Skin, The Crecent, Pyewacket, A Ghost Story, The Bar, Ghost Stories, My Friend Dahmer, One Cut of the Dead, Marrowbone
(2016) The Wailing
The photography direction and cinematography are astounding. I could pause the movie at any given moment and marvel at an iconic photograph. This film had me guessing up until the very last moments. It’s exactly what I crave, an unapologetically evil entry into horror cinema.
Runners-up: Better Watch Out, Boys in the Trees, We are the Flesh, ‘Sweet, Sweet Lonely Girl’, Here Alone, The Girl with all the Gifts, Raw, Nocturnal Animals, A Dark Song, The Void, Split, Train to Busan, Arrival, The Eyes of My Mother, Blair Witch, The Good Neighbor, Don’t Breathe, Phantasm: Ravager, Swiss Army Man, Before I Wake, The Shallows, In the Deep, Are We Not Cats, Sam was Here, White Girl, The Lighthouse
(2015) The Witch
I really think it focused on expressing the idea of evil being a completely separate entity from god and that the characters in the film can do fuck-all about it. The incredible struggle that every single character is going through in this film is palpable in literally every shot. It’s astounding how well Robert Eggers was able to get this exposition across with such little dialogue.
Runners-up: Tale of Tales, The Gift, The Devil’s Candy, I Am a Hero, The Lure, Evolution, Hell House LLC, Landmine Goes Click, Green Room, The Visit, The Final Girls, Southbound, Baskin, Remember, Room, Jurassic World, Tag, The Invitation
(2014) Alléluia
It’s a gritty tale of heartbreak, loneliness, jealousy, greed and obsession. It’s just fucking real; the kills feel impulsive and impactful. It’s also shot in this dirty format where both killer’s (the woman’s more so) physical appearances degrade as the film progresses.
Runners-up: It Follows, Zombeavers, Interior, Backcountry, Dig Two Graves, The Taking of Deborah Logan, A Girl Who Walks Home Alone at Night, What We Do in the Shadows, The Voices, The Town that Dreaded Sundown, Wolfcop, Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead, Creep, The Babadook, Tusk, Girl House, Tusk, Honeymoon, As Above So Below, Life After Beth, The One I Love, John Wick, Spring, The Treatment, Clown, The Incident, The Guest
(2013) The Conjuring
One of the most established and refined supernatural horror films ever made. James Wan’s style is immortalized here and would go on to be imitated by dozens of other horror filmmakers.
Runners-up: Insidious: Chapter 2, Pee Mak, The Sacrament, Escape from Tomorrow, Oculus, We Are What We Are, Coherence, Evil Dead, Afflicted, Horns, I Spit on Your Grave 2, V/H/S 2, Bad Milo, Jug Face, Under the Skin, Blue Ruin, Evil Dead
(2012) Byzantium
This film really transfixed me on vampires until I was at a point where instead of fear and dread, I was really in-tune with that intense, multi-life spanning loneliness, rather than the violence. It’s really a tale of romance, even just the way it feels. There’s moving Beethoven piano music flooding a sort of neo-gothic atmosphere which, by the way, intertwined perfectly with the flashbacks throughout the film. It’s inevitable that a vampire movie would be grounded in classic elements of the sub-genre but Byzantium manages to push in its own direction, inspiring a surprising amount of mystery.
Runners-up: The Battery, Antiviral, Cosmopolis, The Collection, Resolution, The Conspiracy, Chained, The Bay, Vamps, V/H/S, Sinister
(2011) Sleep Tight
Luis Tosar puts on a sickeningly realistic performance that boasts up an already incredible script. His character is this unstable complex mess of depression, sadism and sociopathy. He’s the world’s worst nightmare, hiding in plain sight.
Runners-up: Scream 4, Take Shelter, Guilty of Romance, The Innkeepers, The Woman, Detention, The Rite, You’re Next, Kill List, Apollo 18, The Cabin in the Woods, Source Code, The Strange Thing About the Johnsons, Contagion, We Need to Talk About Kevin
(2010) I Saw the Devil
Jee-Woon Kim makes actions feel loud and crisp. Both the villain and our protagonist are powerful in their own right. It’s both intensified but also remarkably realistic. I get that that’s a paradox of sorts but I just mean, it’s just not what audiences are used to seeing. There’s not too much left to the imagination with this one in terms of the violent sequences.
Runners-up: Insidious, Trust, Trollhunter, Dream Home, Helldriver, The Crazies, Tucker and Dale vs Evil, I Spit on Your Grave, Inception, Buried, Skeletons
(2009) Dogtooth
Yorgos Lanthimos’s filmmaking style is darkly calculated with deadpan cinematography and tip-toeing dialogue thats minimalism only adds to its strangeness. I haven’t been made this uncomfortable by a film since Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom. Dogtooth offers a difficult, albeit alluring glimpse into a world of isolationism, abuse, violence and psychopathy.
Runners-up: The Forbidden Door, [REC] 2, The Collector, The Fourth Kind, Orphan, Drag Me to Hell, The House of the Devil, Antichrist, Zombieland, Jennifer’s Body, Cropsey, The Loved Ones
(2008) Let the Right One In
The way this film deals with both sexuality and immortality is genius. It’s a rotten dichotomy between pedophilia and loneliness that ends up being darker than the actual violence.
Runners-up: Cloverfield, The Strangers, Quarantine, Four Nights with Anna, Pontypool, Vinyan, Surveillance, Eden Lake, Martyrs, Lake Mungo, The Ruins, Lake Mungo
(2007) 1408
1408 captures the magic of The Twilight Zone and blends it expertly into the most horrific supernatural waterboarding experience.
Runners-up: 28 Weeks Later, The Orphanage, Hansel and Gretel, Funny Games, Resident Evil: Extinction, The Girl Next Door, Trick r’ Treat, Paranormal Activity, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Stuck, The Poughkeepsie Tapes, An American Crime, Teeth, Death Sentence, Timecrimes, Zodiac
(2006) Inland Empire
Inland Empire is the most ambitious conceptual interpretation of Hollywood and film making that I have ever or could ever conceive. It challenged my mind for three consecutive hours and reinvented the way I interpret his films.
Runners-up: Fido, Sheitan, Severance, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, Hatchet, Slither, Final Destination 3, Bug, Population 436, Children of Men
(2005) The Descent
The impassioned and realistic performances in this movie by every single female actress involved cannot be overstated. It’s absolutely terrifying and top-to-bottom, one of the most effective horror movies ever made.
Runners-up: John Carpenter’s Cigarette Burns, Noriko’s Dinner Table, The Call of Cthulhu, A History of Violence, Lady Vengeance, Funky Forest: The First Contact, Haze, The Skeleton Key, The Decent, Doom, Hostel, Strange Circus, Red Eye, Constantine
(2004) Shaun of the Dead
This movie is just wonderful. I find it hilarious on a personal level but also so intelligently funny that it could go down as one of the greatest horror-comedies of all time. Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have an undeniable chemistry and just simply make an entire new breed of film-style. It’s dry, whimsical, crass, darkly funny and wholesomely endearing.
Runners-up: The Phantom of the Opera, Shutter, Dumplings, Three Extremes, Calvaire, Saw, Dead Man’s Shoes, The Village, The Butterfly Effect, Saw, Hellboy
(2003) Oldboy
Everything about this film is exceptional. It looks fantastic, the acting is fantastic and Chan-wook Park wrote an incredible story. I think when you try and sell a revenge movie to someone, it can imply some degree of formulaic filmmaking but Park’s films are anything but. This one had me guessing up until the very last minute.
Runners-up: Dead End, Open Water, Willard, Identity, High Tension, Dark Water, A Tale of Two Sisters, Gozu, House of 1000 Corpses, Jeepers Creepers 2, Scary Movie 3, Final Destination 2, Alexandra’s Project
(2002) The Ring
The Ring is a terrifying film that relies on an unstoppable force. It utilizes one of the few shining examples of a successful grey-scale and manages to convey a horrifying sense of bleakness and helplessness. It’s better than the original.
Runners-up: 28 Days Later, Blade 2, May, Dog Soldiers, Resident Evil, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, In My Skin, The Eye, Irreversible
(2001) Pulse
How a horror movie can make ghosts infiltrating our world through the internet not stupid is beyond me but everything here just worked. For 2001, the visual effects for the ghosts are perfect and don’t steal the spotlight away from the emotionally driven horror that makes this project successful. I’ve yet to be more moved by a horror film, this one absolutely broke me.
Runners-up: The Devil’s Backbone, Frailty, Suicide Club, Visitor Q, Ichi the Killer, Trouble Every Day, Dagon, Jeepers Creepers, The Others
(2000) American Psycho
You won’t see a much better performance by Christian Bale; he’s top notch, however, the success is owed to everyone involved. It’s an excellent script, written from excellent source material and expertly directed by Mary Harron. This film is pure genius and it’s well worth noting that even if you’re not viewing the film under a super-critical lens, it’s highly entertaining.
Runners-up: Fail Safe, Ginger Snaps, Final Destination, The Gift
(1999) The Sixth Sense
I can’t praise this movie enough. It’s dark, depressing and only offers the humblest of reprieve in the end; much like what many of the films characters go through. This is M. Night’s masterpiece.
Runners-up: Arlington Road, The Blair Witch Project, Nang Nak, Idle Hands, Audition, eXistenZ, Sleepy Hallow, The Ninth Gate, Deep Blue Sea
(1998) Ringu
This is a benchmark in atmospheric horror and a film that spawned an entire generation of psionic horror films. It’s dark and heartbreaking.
Runners-up: Blade, Bride of Chucky, Phantasm IV: Oblivion, The Faculty, Disturbing Behavior, Pi
(1997) Lost Highway
This film is about how powerful the human mind is and how we cope with intense guilt, fear and regret. Specifically, in this instance, the compartmentalization of murder. Although that all seems inherently negative, especially in the context of the movie, it’s really just about confronting your issues; even if that means accepting your punishment.
Runners-up: The Devil’s Advocate, Funny Games, Alien: Resurrection, The Cure, Cube, Event Horizon, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Men in Black
(1996) Scream
Scream just may be the best meta-horror film ever made. It’s so special to me and was probably the film that sparked my fascination with horror. I watched it the year after it came out, at 8-years old, alone in my dark basement. I shut it off after the opening scene with Drew Barrymore and never saw the rest until years later. However, if I had just stuck with it, it actually evolves into this darkly funny, poignant statement on slasher films.
Runners-up: Ebola Syndrome, Naked Blood: Magyaku, From Dusk Till Dawn, Crash, The Craft
(1995) The Addiction
This was Abel Ferrara’s extremely personal vampire film that tackled addiction and through the gritty melodramatic landscape of New York, he really sheds his skin. It’s raw and rightfully claims the best film of the year.
Runners-up: The Eternal Evil of Asia, Habit, The Day of the Beast, Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight
(1994) In the Mouth of Madness
Simply one of the best Lovecraftian films ever made. The special effects in this movie range from miniature set pieces shot up close to a full size 30-man operated partially animatronic wall of creatures. Some people will say that these 80’s style techniques hurt the production value but those people don’t know shit about shit.
Runners-up: Interview with The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, Cemetery Man, Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, The Mask
(1993) Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park is everything. This movie is the perfect blend of horror, action, adventure and sci-fi. It was the “fuck yeah, dinosaurs!” of many or our childhoods. As an adult though, re-watching it for the 50th time, it feels like so much more.
Runners-up: The Eight Immortals Restaurant: The Untold Story, Necronomicon: Book of the Dead, Fire in the Sky, Return of the Living Dead 3
(1992) Man Bites Dog
One of the strangest aspects to some horror movies is their ability to make light of ultra-violent crimes like rape and murder. Man Bites Dog will actually have you laughing out loud until you realize you’re in a kitchen watching three men rape a woman while she pleads for mercy. Whatever way you choose to digest this movie, I can guarantee you’ve never seen anything quite like it before.
Runners-up: Ghostwatch, Army of Darkness
(1991) The Silence of the Lambs
While the film does stand out in blatant, suspenseful, scary moments; it’s the conversations between Clarice and Dr. Lecter that make it so memorable. It just adds this timeless psychological horror element that helps establish it as a classic in my eyes.
Runners-up: Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky, The Addams Family, Sometimes They Come Back, Naked Lunch, Highway to Hell
(1990) Der Todeskin: The Death King
While often wavering between the blunt, literal message and depressive expressionism, Der Todesking manages to feel all too real. It’s one of the best arthouse-style horror films I’ve seen to date.
Runners up: It, Misery, Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, Jacob’s Ladder, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, The Exorcist 3
(1989) Santa Sangre
Easily the most impressive aspect of this film is the ventriloquism inspired acting. It starts out as a goofy aspect of the plot, something that doesn’t really necessarily grab you. However, by the end of the film, it’s molded into this beautiful, creepy display of possession.
Runners-up: The ‘Burbs, Ghostbusters 2, The Woman in Black, Bride of the Re-Animator, Society, Intruder, The Cook, The Thief, his Wife & Her Lover, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
(1988) The Vanishing
The Vanishing is an absolutely raw tale of abduction, almost like a Norman Rockwell imagining of an American’s European vacation turned horror story. It takes this incredibly simplistic but underlying dynamic approach to horror that’s as refreshing as it is captivating.
Runners-up: Child’s Play, Dead Ringers, Men Behind the Sun, Pumpkinhead, Pin, Phantasm II, Brain Damage, The Following, Halloween 4: The Return, Beetlejuice, Akira, Hellbound: Hellraiser 2, Vampire’s Kiss
(1987) Evil Dead 2
Just from a technical perspective, everything is so fucking impressive. It’s all basically hand-done, practical effects and the camera work is just remarkable. The film leans more towards the humor side of the series but it does so both intentionally and gracefully. I adore this movie, it’s on par with the original
Runners-up: Hellraiser, Creepshow 2, Near Dark, A Nightmare on Elm Street: Dream Warriors, The Witches of Eastwick, Anguish, Prince of Darkness, Angel Heart, Fatal Attraction, The Believers, The Lost Boys
(1986) In a Glass Cage
It’s an incredible movie about consequence and revenge that’s told in a manor that I think bewildered reviewers for years. It blurs the lines between right and wrong, willing to sacrifice lives in the process of condemning an extraordinary evil. The specific breed of revenge, as portrayed in this film, isn’t noble but rather an inevitable product of abuse. If you think you can stomach it, I can’t recommend this enough.
Runners-up: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, The Fly, The Hitcher, Blue Velvet, Night of the Creeps, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, From Beyond, Little Shop of Horrors, Aliens
(1985) Come and See
Come and See is a raw and sobering look at WW2 from the Soviet perspective. It’s one of the least “Hollywood” war movies I’ve ever seen. Some of the scenes towards the end were truly gut wrenching and will most likely stick with me for quite some time.
Runners-up: Lifeforce, Silver Bullet, Fright Night, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, The Return of the Living Dead, Re-Animator, Day of the Dead
(1984) A Nightmare on Elm Street
This felt like a first glimpse into Wes Craven’s mind and the last glimpse into my well-rested sleep. It’s creative, vile and fucking scary.
Runners-up: Poison for the Fairies, Countdown to Looking Glass, Threads, Gremlins, The Terminator, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
(1983) Videodrome
Videodrome is a fucking trip and it’s an incredible feat of psychological horror while also being a visually horrific movie.
Runners-up: Something Wicked This Way Comes, Angst, The Day After, Special Bulletin, The Boxer’s Omen, Eyes of Fire, Christine, The Dead Zone, Cujo
(1982) The Thing
It’s one of the best sci-fi body-horror films ever made and the fact that no one is steeping up to say otherwise should be a clue.
Runner-up: Creepshow, Poltergeist, Cat People
(1981) The Evil Dead
I’ve wracked my brain trying to think of a good description. This is one of the most incredible horror films ever made. It manipulated both the body and time itself to establish such a pure horror environment.
Runners-up: The Howling, Halloween II, Dark Night of the Scarecrow, Ms. 45, An American Werewolf in London, The House by the Cemetery, Raiders of the Lost Ark
(1980) The Shining
Absolute perfection. This is such an enthralling psychological horror film.
Runners-up: Inferno, Hex, Altered States, Cannibal Holocaust, City of the Living Dead, The Ninth Configuration
(1979) Alien
A classic and possibly the best creature film ever produced. There hasn’t ever been a better blend of sci-fi and horror.
Runners-up: Salem’s Lot, The Driller Killer, The Brood, Zombie, Apocalypse Now
(1978) Invasion of the Body Snatchers
I love this fucking movie with all my heart, it’s seriously one of the best alien invasion movies I’ve ever seen. It’s drenched in dread from start to finish, a film that never gave you a safe moment to take a breath.
Runners-up: Beauty and the Beast, The Shout, Magic, Halloween, Dawn of the Dead, Slave to the Cannibal God
(1977) Suspiria
Its psychedelic, pastel, fun-house atmosphere, coupled with a fantastic score lend a benchmark aesthetic for Italian horror and well, horror in general. Many have tried to emulate it and most have failed.
Runners-up: The Hills Have Eyes, Shock Waves
(1976) God Told Me To
Cohen takes all this religious subtlety and blows it all up for the finale into a very Cronenberg-style conclusion. Despite all the veils seemingly being lifted at once, I still found myself unsure of what to think during some of those pivotal scenes. After the credits rolled, I was damn sure I was into it.
Runners-up: The Tenant, Carrie
(1975) Jaws
This movie actually made people scared to go in the water. It’s almost difficult to think of a more impactful film off the top of my head.
Runners-up: Deep Red, Shivers, Satanico Pandemonium
(1974) Vampyres
It’s dark, moody, sexy and offers one of the most unique vampire film experiences to date. It’s a film that makes Dennis’ idea from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia about a full-penetration, Dolph Lundgren crime fighting movie seem almost plausible. It plays with the dynamics of Vampire lore in general, while somehow getting to the true root of this sub-genre.
Runner-up: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue
(1973) The Exorcist
William Friedkin takes the time to let the characters accept their reality in a realistic manner. It’s a technique that creates a very human aspect to them and watching the mother and the priest break down actually becomes as horrific as anything else here.
Runners-up: The Legend of Hell House, The Wicker Man, Don’t Look Now, Soylent Green, The Crazies
(1972) Images
Robert Altman’s Images is an exhibition into how to fully encapsulate an idea within the confines of a visually and sonically refined film. You could throw away the plot entirely and I’d still tell you this is one of the best looking films, period.
Runners-up: Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key, Morgiana, What Have You Done to Solange?, Don’t Torture a Duckling, Raw Meat, Tales from the Crypt, The Last House on the Left, Horror Express
(1971) The Devils
It’s tough to tell how accurate of a representation The Devils is of what actually occurred in Loudun, France back then but either way, it seems eye-opening. It’s a very powerful film, I really enjoyed this one.
Runners-up: THX 1138, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Short Night of Glass Dolls, The Cat o’ Nine Tails, Blade the Ripper, Malpertuis, A Bay of Blood
(1970) Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
I would absolutely consider this a coming-of-age film and they balanced the horror and whimsical elements perfectly. For that reason alone, I don’t believe I’ve seen any other film quite like this. With a tantalizing soundtrack and colorful visuals, I really felt transported into this strange new world.
Runner-up: The House That Screamed
(1969) Horrors of Malformed Men
I’ve never been so confused only to have everything wrap up so emotionally that the vision and artistic direction became so clear. I don’t want to ruin anything so I’ll just leave the teaser as, this film might be among the strangest Japanese horror films I’ve seen to date.
Runners-up: Cremator, One on Top of the Other
(1968) Hour of the Wolf
Hour of the Wolf is a top to bottom, beautifully produced psychological, surrealist nightmare. The first half of the film is fueled by pure intrigue through the perplexity of events that unfold. Like most surrealist films, a portion of your attention is devoted to figuring out what’s real and what isn’t. To speak to that aspect specifically, not a whole lot is left to the imagination, at least through my interpretation. I definitely feel like this project inspired filmmakers like David Lynch to push some of those boundaries, eliminating the extra explanation and leaving more up to the viewers interpretations.
Runners-up: Kuroneko, Rosemary’s Baby, Night of the Living Dead, Even the Wind is Afraid
(1967) Viy
This is the first and possibly only soviet horror film. For the resources they had, everything looks amazing. It’s an incredibly fluid experience that takes zero time before jumping straight into the scares.
Runners-up: Wait Until Dark, ’Spider Baby or, The Maddest Story Ever Told’, Our Mother’s House, Violated Angels
(1966) Persona
It’s instantly one of my favorite arthouse-style films of all time. All of the flashing images, cuts and effects are almost unbelievably purposeful. Just 5-minutes of this films would spell pretentiousness but as a whole, it’s a masterpiece.
Runners-up: Seconds, ‘Kill Baby, Kill’, Cul-De-Sac
(1965) Repulsion
Sonically the movie thrives in the negative. When our lead actress is being raped Polanski purposely takes her voice away, really emulating the fear and helplessness in a genuinely scary way. The delusions she’s having are clearly transparent but intentionally so, though they tend to bleed into reality towards the end in a satisfying way. Couple this with a claustrophobic atmosphere and we’re given a seriously trimmed up psychological horror thriller that was way ahead of its time.
Runners-up: Fists in the Pocket, Planet of the Vampires
(1964) Kwaidan
This is an anthology but rather than dissect each segment I’d rather just speak on the film as a whole. All four stories really encapsulate a sort of morbid beauty and tend to compliment one another over the course of the three-hour long movie.
Runners-up: Castle of Blood, Blood and Black Lace, The Tomb of Ligeia, The Masque of the Red Death, Lady in a Cage, The Last Man on Earth
(1963) The Haunting
The Haunting, despite being such an influence in the horror genre in general, seems to be an incredible lesson in use of space. Architecture, ceilings and walls are constantly the focus. Wise creates a ton of claustrophobic tension and before the story even begins to evolve, you get the sense that these individuals are indeed, trapped inside this house.
Runners-up: Black Sabbath, The Birds, The Haunted Palace, Twice-Told Tales
(1962) What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
This film was fantastic. Beyond the poignant statement it makes, it’s just such a solid, performance driven thriller. I’m very surprised I’ve never heard of it before today.
Runner-up: Carnival of Souls
(1961) The Innocents
This is simply one of the most beautifully shot horror films from the early 60’s. Every frame is truly a picture and for that alone, I’d call this a must watch for horror fans.
Runners-up: Mother Joan of the Angels, Pit and the Pendulum
(1960) Psycho
There’s a scene where Norman Bates first shows real nervousness. The actor playing him, Anthony Perkins, puts on probably the most believable performance here that I’ve ever seen. It really gave me chills. If you haven’t seen this before, it just might be the first and greatest execution of a theatrical misdirection.
Runners-up: Peeping Tom, The Brides of Dracula, Village of the Damned, Jigoku, Black Sunday, Eyes Without a Face, The Virgin Spring
(1959) A Bucket of Blood
This is such an awesome Corman film. It’s pure entertainment and just an excellent horror-comedy. Dick Miller is a great lead.
(1958) Horror of Dracula
Both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee are fantastic in their roles and it’s strange to even be saying this is one of the best Dracula films at this point, after having seen so many.
Runners-up: The Fly
(1957) Curse of the Demon
Certain aspects of the ending sequences don’t exactly age gracefully but for the most part, Curse of the Demon remains compelling and creepy.
(1956) The Bad Seed
Outstanding performances from both mothers and really just an excellent film all around. It’s probably the earliest film to tackle childhood evil in a realistic sense, without all the usual campiness.
Runner-up: Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Forbidden Planet
(1955) The Night of the Hunter
The film just looks fantastic, I mean seriously, it doesn’t get much better for the era. The depth for a black and white film is incredible, especially in the backdrops. It makes for some really iconic looking scenes and those moments are probably what I’ll hold onto as time passes. The underwater shot of the car was fucking stunning.
(1954) Rear Window
This film just feels like Hitchcock flexing. He knows how to make the perfect theatrical experience in technicolor with all the hottest stars.
Runner-up: Godzilla
(1953) House of Wax
House of Wax, much like other Price films, is meant to be fun. It’s definitely dark and horror focused but it’s also colorful and accessible. Phyllis Kirk is also a very capable female lead.
(1952) The White Reindeer
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Finnish horror film before but this was great. It’s super mellow but builds into this atmospheric horror-fantasy.
(1951) Strangers on a Train
This is such a fantastic crime thriller and I absolutely loved the character Bruno Antony. It added such a creepy element seeing this seemingly desperate man reveal himself to be something entirely different.
(1950) Sunset Boulevard
It totally brings a smile to my face to say this this is, yet again, another film that had to inspire David Lynch. It’s certainly film-noir but the melodrama itself is so creepily in-tune with the struggles of Hollywood actors and actresses. It’s almost as if acquiring fame is accepting a deal with the devil.
(1949) The Queen of Spades
Dickinson managed to capture the both literally figuratively cold vibe of imperialistic Russia and I think that’s one of the main components that makes it stand out to me. It certainly is an exercise in greed but within the setting you almost adopt an understanding for our main character, however devious he may be.
(1948) Rope
Despite a very straightforward plot, I can’t help but thinking there’s a ton going on in this movie, a lot of which was way ahead of its time. It’s not just about two men attempting to get away with murder but it also introduced this widely controversial notion of lesser lives being expendable to the more powerful sector of society.
(1947) Black Narcissus
This film is absolutely breathtaking. For anyone who’s ever considered technicolor to look fake, blown-out and oversaturated, this is a shining example of it done right. It’s an entirely created set with gorgeous artwork. This film so elegantly says what I believe religious detractors have a hard time putting into words. There’s a huge portion of the movie that’s confronting sexual temptation and it’s an aspect that’s woven into every single frame of this film. I mean that literally.
(1946) Bedlam
This film is hugely influential and may just be the first film to explore the horrors of being accused of insanity. It also happens to be pretty diverse between horror, cruelty, meta-humor and wholesomeness.
(1945) Dead of Night
This is a clear inspiration for The Twilight Zone and just the structure alone felt way ahead of its time. It’s a nightmarish journey adapting many horror traits but really building a foundation around surrealism. There’s just so much that stands out as influential to modern horror that I’m a bit surprised to have never heard of this film before. It’s one of the earliest examples of a film that initially inspired skepticism from strange acting, performances that ended up being integral to the heart of the film.
(1944) The Uninvited
The character relationships are comically whimsical and coupled with the upbeat score, I didn’t get really any “scary” vibe from it. It’s an aspect I didn’t hate though, it’s really what this film is about, the characters.
(1943) Shadow of a Doubt
Joseph Cotten’s character really stands out as the focal point of the film. Hitchcock manages to build suspense throughout the film my highlighting his presence in subtle powerful ways. Whether it be through camera framing or the subversive violent tone of his dialogue, you really feel tension whenever the man is on screen. It’s techniques like these that made some of his later films great as well, such as with Strangers on a Train.
Runner-up: The Seventh Victim
(1942) Cat People
Simone Simon is a fantastic lead and even with the short runtime, I came to understand her character rather quickly. Tons of anxiety as well as repressed sexuality sort of hone her into this timid and frighted woman who brings her own fears to life.
(1941) Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
As with any Jekyll and Hyde film, it all really hinges on the performance of the two and Spencer Tracy fucking killed this role. The first scene with him as Hyde in the bar was super creepy and also pleasantly rape-y. Is that weird to say?
Runner-up: The Wolf Man
(1940) The Invisible Man Returns
A young Vincent Price plays our perp this time and he’s excellent as always. It’s not paced exactly as intensely as the original but I enjoyed the steady decent into madness.
(1939) Son of Frankenstein
I probably should have watched the original Frankenstein first but eh, what can you do? I totally dug this though! Of course there’s that 1930’s cheesy sci-fi but the film as a whole is very entertaining and the set pieces are incredible.
(1938) They Drive by Night
This is a great fucking movie that totally embodies crime-noir. It reminds me a ton of early Hitchcock and for the 30’s, the narrative is spectacularly clean.
(1937) Song at Midnight
I wasn’t really looking forward to watching a 2-hour long remake of The Phantom of the Opera and thankfully, Song at Midnight managed to really set itself apart from the original, even more-so than many US remakes. I’d consider it more of a reimagining, a film inspired by the original. It is tedious but really, not overly so. A huge aspect of this film is character and tension building and in that regard, it really works.
(1936) The Invisible Ray
Man I love this movie. You obviously have Boris and Bela back together but it’s just such a legitimately fun sci-fi horror film. The plot is straight out of a 1950’s nuclear propaganda film which was probably the coolest aspect. With that, the effects are also fucking top-notch.
(1935) The Bride of Frankenstein
Boris Karloff is the only Monster in my mind. I would even consider this film to be family friendly as he’s the sweetest version of himself. There’s no really complex character development but The Monster is undoubtedly more self-aware which makes the entire film more engaging.
Runner-up: The Black Room
(1934) The Black Cat
When I thought of things that struck me that were worth mentioning, I actually thought of vacation-horror. Beyond all the elements of lust and innocence, I actually was struck by how much this film probably influenced destination horror films. These films excelled at taking our protagonists out of their comfort zones, before even introducing fucked up shit to the plot. It’s smart, concise and something I feel is even worth revisiting.
(1933) The Invisible Man
I’m absolutely floored by the production of this film. I went in with this preconceived expectation of the invisible man solely being portrayed wearing all the rags and shit. The effects for 1933 are very impressive.
Runner-up: King Kong
(1932) The Old Dark House
This is Karloff’s best look to date. I mean seriously, his performance is pretty muted and mostly expressed in body language but he has the same screen presence as Mickey Rourke.
Runners-up: The Mummy, Vampyr, Freaks
(1931) M
I feel like I, myself, never realized how far back people have been recognizing mental illness. I don’t mean in the specific and complex clinical sense, but more so, just in the obvious sense, certain displays that appeal to our natural, compassionate nature. Of course, in this film you do see the antithesis of that at times but really only to highlight the importance of law, reason and justice. Absolutely fantastic film and a staple in the horror genre with really the first truly dynamic killer that comes to mind.
Runners-up: Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein
(1930) L’Age d’Or
It’s very much one of the earliest, full-length, surrealist films and with that comes the usual loose narrative that can be hard to follow. When I say hard to follow, it’s probably because it wasn’t meant to be “followed”. I digested this film as sort of an anthology of poignant criticisms by the filmmakers and Dali.
(1929) Seven Footprints of Satan
This film is fucking insane. It’s a super surrealist spiral through satanic-based situations. It’s really indescribable. The effects and cuts are excellent. I loved the restored version I watched. I don’t even know what to say. I definitely think this inspired or at least should be mentioned as a precursor to films such as Bergman’s Hour of the Wolf.
(1928) The Man Who Laughs
Some people might not know but this film was the direct inspiration for the ultra-famous DC comics villain, The Joker. It’s pretty fucking incredible how much people took to this idea of someone being disfigured in such creatively sadistic manner. I would absolutely, especially with the role of Cesare in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, consider Conrad Veidt to be a horror icon.
(1927) The Unknown
It's a really fun movie. You’ve got Lon Chaney and he’s not just a modern day novelty in this. His expressionistic performance is actually the main highlight, even more-so than Joan Crawford.
(1926) The Bat
(1925) The Phantom of the Opera
(1924) Hands of Orlac
(1923) The Hunchback of Notre Dame
(1922) Nosferatu
(1921) Destiny
(1920) The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
(1919) Eerie Tales
(1914) The Egyptian Mummy
(1913) The Student of Prague
(1912) Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
(1910) Frankenstein
(1909) The Sealed Room
(1907) Satan at Play
(1906) The 400 Tricks of the Devil
(1905) The Black Imp
(1903) The Monster
(1902) Mephistopheles’ School of Magic
(1901) Bluebeard
(1900) Faust and Marguerite
(1899) The Sign of the Cross
(1898) A Trip to the Moon
(1897) The X-Ray Fiend
(1896) The House of the Devil
(1895) The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots