2. Saw (2004)
The directorial debut of James Wan, is groundbreaking in my eyes. It began a franchise that has gotten worse with every film, but made millions of dollars. Using extreme violence, this psychological thriller hits on all cylinders. While the film isn’t perfect, it began a horror trend that some call ‘torture porn.’ The franchise had a good run, but I’m hoping it’s over. Cary Elwes, of Princess Bride fame, is given a career resurrection with his role in the film. “Saw” was innovative and original. While Blair Witch Project was responsible for the ‘footage found’ film genre, Saw made torture popular, but also made it possible to have a horror movie that kept the viewer thinking.
1. The Evil Dead (1981)
Sam Raimi’s debut that was filmed on 16mm for around $350,000 is more than just a horror film. It’s more than just a cult-classic. The Evil Dead is an iconic piece of filmmaking. Yes, the first film was cheaply made, and it sometimes shows, but The Evil Dead made horror movies and comic books cool. Raimi’s film also led to Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness, both of which are also cult-classics. In 2013, Raimi’s classic was remade, and it was a success for the most part with both audiences and critics. It is not just an all-out gore fest, but an effective character study and compliments the original well. Star of the first three films, Bruce Campbell, gets producing credits and even makes an appearance after the credits. Raimi probably had no idea that in 1981, his cheaply made film in the woods of Tennessee would be stronger than ever over 30 years later. Judging by the success of the 2013 remake, there will undoubtedly be a sequel.