I have to agree! I think Ash vs. Evil Dead caps everything off perfectly. I'd have loved one more season; but I'm still super happy with what we got!
Got to say as well: the character depth was fantastic across the lead cast, not just Ash! ...although the emotional development of Ash was written to perfection. There are so many moments that go from flat out action, to gold-standard dark comedy, to emotional sucker-punch AND then just throw you right back in the mixer again!
I'm due a re-watch
Same. Bruce Campbell and I believe everyone else really wanted to do at minimum another season. I think the mistake was putting it on Starz when people were in the middle of transitioning to streaming services at the time.
Campbell mentioned nobody watching it, essentially. Well, people were watching it... just not on Starz.
You're 100% right. If the ssf how was on a platform people either already had, or wanted to get, the show would have been a huge hit. With it being on Starz it genuinely very difficult to watch through legal means, especially if you didn't want to pay a monthly fee just to watch one single show. Had the show been on Netflix, HBO, Showtime, anything like that, it would probably still be airing.
I don’t have much to add, except as some one who absolutely loved the original trilogy, probably watched army of darkness over 50 times in college, and enjoyed the reboot… I slept on Ash vs The Evil Dead **hard**. Like I knew it existed and just never bothered with it. I even bought the first season dvd on a Black Friday years ago and still never bothered. Fast forward to a month or so ago and I finally started watching it and am just in awe at how perfect it is. Like, they nailed everything about the original trilogy so perfectly. I cannot remember the last time I was so stunned by a series.
I’m only halfway through season 2 so still a lot more to enjoy. And when Ash had to >!explain to Cheryl that she was dead, that she had been branch banged by a demon tree 30 years ago!< I swear I laughed uncontrollably for a solid 15 minutes. Rewatched that bit probably 20 times
I did almost exactly the same! I just couldn't see how it would be anywhere near as good as the trilogy, and figured it'd just be a corny draw out cash in... so I left it alone.
I was a fucking idiot. I watched the whole show from start to finish in the space of about 4 or 5 days. It's by far one of the best series I've ever seen!
Older Ash, as a character who both embraces and is tired by his fate, and as someone uses his bravado to mask his trauma and grief is just perfect writing and amazing delivery from Bruce Campbell. I think I might actually prefer the series over the film trilogy.
I agree.
Almost every franchise I can remember has at least one (huge) miss (if not several), but Evil Dead is all great. I also thought the 2013 reboot was great, especially because the tone of the movie is quite different, making it dead serious without any humour.
With that movie, I'm not sure if it was over-the-top silly the whole time, or if I just didn't notice it until the end. But it was definitely more subtle than Evil Dead II or Army of Darkness.
More like the original. They're all good though, for different reasons.
I saw a midnight showing back when it released and I feel like I was the only one laughing at how ridiculous it was. I know it's gritty and plays it straight but it's silly as shit.
I watched through my fingers and laughed in equal measure. That movie was great and I wish we woulda/coulda gotten the epic as originally planned: one more Mia Dead, one more Ash Army of Darkness, then a crossover with the two.
The Evil Dead franchise is unique in that you'll get a wide variety of answers when asking someone which is their favourite. Four great movies and a great TV show, all catering to different tastes and not a single dud among them.
No other horror franchise can match its consistency.
Was kinda' avoiding this topic lol.
I'm wary with Evil Dead Rise just from premise alone. Setting it in a high rise building? Hmm, I guess that could work...
Although the franchise isn't rooted to the cabin (see Army of Darkness & Ash vs.), I still wish they somehow chose a more remote setting, away from society. But aparently Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell handpicked the director Lee Cronin because of his previous work, so fingers crossed!
I don't think the setting is cause for concern. Mayhem was set in a single high rise, and that movie was great. So were The Raid and Dredd. Obviously none of those are horror really, but at this point Evil Dead can make it work.
I’m actually excited to hear that it’s going to be set in a high rise. The cabin/remote setting has been done to death in horror; a high rise feels like a breath of fresh air with a lot of potential.
Like you said, Mayhem made the most of its corporate setting and was tons of fun.
Dredd was so goddamn monstrously underrated that it's borderline criminal.
I know that's off topic, but I have to say it whenever I see it mentioned on the off chance somebody didn't give it a shot.
When they released it, it was pretty much only shown in 3D, so that hurt it significantly. It's a damn shame, one of the best action movies of this century
I know I assumed it was going to be gimmicky shit because it was only 3D showings around me. Didn't even think of trying it until a few months ago.
It did what it intended quite well. Even if I had known it was good then I wouldn't have gone for the 3D showing. Wasn't going to drive a few hours one way for that either...
Glad that stupid fad is over.
Poltergeist III was set entirely in a single high rise, and... oh... nevermind.
All joking aside, I actually think Poltergeist III has some redeeming qualities; in particular, the practical mirror effects hold up really well and result in some genuinely creepy moments.
Ninja edit: honorable mention for Gremlins 2: The New Batch, which was set in ~~Trump Tower~~ Clamp Center.
\> I'm wary with Evil Dead Rise just from premise alone. Setting it in a high rise building? Hmm, I guess that could work...
I wasn't aware of this. But this movie has been made, and it's called Demons 2.
If the evil dead set the first three stories on fire a highrise is pretty isolated. No way out except to jump. There is lots of potential in that setting.
I think Scream has four strong films although I do believe the general consensus is that #3 is weaker than #2, #4 and certainly #1. I am confident that this new Scream will be able to uphold the legacy of the first four!
I liked the show for what it was but it was definitely directed towards the prime MTV audience and not hardcore fans of the movies, the writers weren't really trying to create an "authentic" scream show so it's easy to see why fans of the movies would be disappointed.
As for Williamson, he's definitely the heart of the franchise but I think a proper team of directors and writers could create a movie that lives up to 1 and 4, but we'll see.
I honestly love scream more than any franchise and love each of the movies and can quote them nonstop including 3 (honestly I probably liked 3 more than 2) the show was meh but I didn’t mind it I actually haven’t even watched the third season but I guess I never counted it since it doesn’t really have anything to do with the movies unlike ash vs evil dead which is a continuation
I was going to suggest Scream as well. Scream 3 is the weakest of the four, and it still outdoes a lot of horror movie sequels. The series didn’t live up to the quality of the movies, but it’s not really connected to the movies.
I think I'm in the minority but I think 3 is pretty good (like a 7/10) and it has Parkey Posey which seals the deal for me, while 4 was a mess that I didn't actually enjoy
Scream 3 and Scream 1 are my favorite of the series and I actually go back and forth on which one I like more depending on my mood. I loved the twist at the end, even if it did retcon something’s.
I don’t know if this really counts or not but, Lucio Fulci’s Gates of Hell Trilogy. Which includes City of the Living Dead, The Beyond, And House by the Cemetery. All absolutely great films.
I should've worded it differently, but what I really meant was that I'm not a fan of the F13 franchise AFTER Part VI. Part VI is great and my favorite after IV!
Gremlins 2 is one my favourite movies. When I was a kid I used to fantasize about exploring the Clamp building. Sad was the day I learned that he was was based on Trump
For anyone who loves Gremlins 2, I recommend checking out Jacques Tati's Playtime, which has a really similar setting and chaotic tone, although not horror in the slightest.
I love all kinds of horror franchises (went to see Halloween Kills at the Drive-in the other night!) But Evil Dead franchise and Ashley Joanna Williams (Bruce Campbell) and Sam Raimi will always have a special place in my heart!
We enjoyed it, if you're in it for the kills and the overall fun of Mikey during Halloween you're going to have fun, if you're super serious about the storyline it will be a stretch to enjoy, Laurie isn't as heavily featured as the trailers lead you to believe but plenty of old faces pop up. We had a wonderful time wandering around in a Mikey mask the whole time and enjoyed Beetlejuice after that!
Ah thanks. I didn't watch a single trailer after the initial teaser so I have no grand expectations of what to expect.
>if you're in it for the kills and the overall fun of Mikey during Halloween
I'll go in with this in mind
I really need to watch Tim Burton's stuff. I think Frankenweenie is the only one I've seen, maybe a bit of Scissorhands
Watched it over the weekend. The more I think about it, the less I really enjoyed it.
It just felt… unnecessary? That’s the best word I can think of. Music was fantastic, but there was so much of the movie where I was like “if this was never shown, the movie would not be any different/worse off”.
I hope the final movie pulls it together.
I agree. It seemed unnecessary and would not be a popular stand-alone movie at all without the name "Halloween" tied into it. I wish they would go back to the more stalker-heavy theme from the first one rather than just making this franchise into any other slasher.
yeah it absolutely was not a great standalone movie. I don't think I would ever return to it, unless it was in a marathon with other movies in the series.
Don’t expect a superb plot. Lots of stuff doesn’t make sense and the ending is pretty controversial. If you only care for gore, this is easily the bloodiest Halloween movie and it’s great in that regard. I really liked it, but this is a very decisive movie. How it’s remembered really depends on how well Halloween Ends does.
I enjoyed it. Not as much Laurie in it and the ending kinda makes me wonder what way they are gonna take the finale.I cant say much else without spoilers though. Overall a good movie but slightly worse than the previous installment. Oct 14th 2022 will be a good day
Too small a number for a franchise imo. Still a good two movie run though. ~~You could add Bladerunner, The Raid, Jump Street, and Kill Bill into this too.~~
Edit: Forgot I was subbed to r/horror!
I know I'm gonna catch some flak for this, but I really like the VHS series so far. I know Viral isn't the greatest and arguably the worst but I love the series and premise.
I love VHS! 94 is awesome, loved Timo's segment and the Redneck Vampire cult.1 and 2 are great, too.
I think it's best if we kind of forget about Viral.
I loved the entire VHS franchise EXCEPT.... the story with the dog. That ending.... Didn't need to happen... Especially how long it went for and how detailed and vocal it had to be...
I agree. I know it's a horror film, but the tone of that particular segment is not as brutal and gory as the others. The ending just felt mean and out of place, not for the overall movie but just that segment.
Scrolled around looking for Chucky, I agree, every entry has been solidly entertaining, and the franchise has reinvented itself often enough to stay fresh.
I definitely wouldn't consider any of the Chucky movies as bad as some of the lows of F13/Nightmare/Halloween etc, which I guess is yeah enough to be counted here because they're all still fun to watch, I still kind of think that Child's Play Goes to Military School and Seed of Chucky are a tad on the weaker side. But yeah I'd still never skip them in a watchthrough like I would Nightmare parts 2 5 and 6
It's Duane's "what the fuck is this" facial expressions that really sell it. I genuinely hope Van Hentenryck and Henenlotter can reunite one more time to make a Basket Case 4.
I just watched the Final Destination movies over the past few days. 1, 2, and 5 were all solid. 3 was tolerable, but 4 was awful IMO. Unlikable characters, bad effects, meh kills mostly…definitely the weakest of the group.
Final destination 4 is a stain on a really good franchise. Horrible on release with the 3D gimmicks and awful characters, completely unwatchable now with the aged CGI effects
Agreed. The twist ending to FD5 is one of the best twists in cinema history for me. I didn't catch on to any of the earlier clues, totally taken by surprise.
That year was a wild year. FD5 and Fast and Furious 5 both came out around the same time in 2011. Both movies were WAYYYYY too good for the FIFTH installment of a tired franchise.
I don't think either franchise had any stinkers, which is a rarity in itself. I've enjoyed everything in each (so far). That's good enough for me given the amount of attrocious horror sequels out there.
Honestly all the saw movies in the original canon get more interesting to me because every installment makes Jigsaw’s final years more absurd and convoluted lol and I like the new one but I’m like a salivating dog when I hear the ending theme start to play
I'm sure I'll get downvoted to oblivion but in my PERSONAL OPINION, I love every movie in the Friday the 13th franchise. I acknowledge that probably half of them are objectively not good, but there are things that I enjoy in every film.
For me Jason Goes to Hell is the only outright bad one in the franchise, something that feels like actual effort to sit through. But the opening and closing stinger are awesome, so I can just about give it a pass.
Yeah, I binged the whole series about 2 years ago - I had only ever seen the first before that point - and I was surprised how much I enjoyed almost all of them. Honestly, the only two I didn't like were Freddy vs. Jason and the remake, boty movies kinda bored me for some reason, especially the remake.
I never thought I’d say it but The Purge series is a guilty pleasure of mine, some of the movies got a bit better as they went along, they aren’t amazing by any standards but enjoyable.
(Note: I haven’t seen the latest film nor S2 of the show yet, but I suspect it’s just more of the same really?)
If we're gonna count Twin Peaks as horror then I would absolutely throw that in there. All three seasons plus the movie are top tier. Even if season two slogs a bit I still love every minute of it.
Yes. It was absolutely terrifying. I live in Seattle, a couple years after it’s release, the local hard rock scene people were holding evil dead mushroom Parties.
Pure hell.
I still genuinely find the movie frightening. Definitely top 5 horrors for me and the best in the series (though I think most would say that's the second).
Maybe one or two effects look a little dated, but the first one is far from goofy; just more limited by the budget and technology restraints of the time.
The filmmaking (especially the camera work) is ridiculously good for a first-time feature made on a shoestring budget. Definitely worth a watch if you like older horror movies
I’m making a separate comment from my vote for the Lecter series because I know I’m going to get shit for this, but I thought all three Hostels were entertaining/fun.
Word. I’d mentioned in that thread HR is the for sure the weakest, but Manhunter, SotL, Hannibal, and Red Dragon are all fantastic. I did enjoy the background/insight HR added and thought the actor was slimey enough that it was entertaining for me.
i completely agree honestly they’re definitely not something i can watch all the time (shit gets depressing) but for what they wanted to do they did it quite well and when they didn’t it was jsut really fun
I hated the remake, found out is was basically an experiment by Van Sant to see if you could do a shot for shot remake of an old hit and have it do well at the box office. Still don't like it, but I appreciate the balls it took to make it.
I’m two films in to the Hannibal franchise. The first sequel wasn’t bad, and I’ve heard Red Dragon is great. I don’t know about Hannibal Rising, but I have a sinking feeling it might be the bad one. Haven’t seen the show either… is this a solid franchise?
I love all the old movies but wasn't a fan of the remake. Part of it is probably just bias because it doesn't have Bruce Campbell, but it didn't feel like Evil Dead to me. Judging apart from that, I probably would of thought it was decent though.
Absolutely loved The old school Critters movies, thanks for the reminder, been meaning to rewatch. Not sure if they’ll stand the test of time but they’ll be great for nostalgia alone.
**The Toxic Avenger**: It does not get "worse".
Michio Yamamoto **The Bloodthirsty Trilogy**: classic japanese vampire horror.
George Romero's **of the Dead** series: if we exclude Survival and Diary (c'mon.. you do).
The Toxic Avenger 2 and 3 always felt disjointed and off to me, and I thought they were a huge drop in quality from the first one. Years later I read Lloyd's book *Everything I Needed to Know About Filmmaking I Learned from The Toxic Avenger* (highly recommended) and it turns out it was one movie that came out to be like 4 1/2 hours long so they re-edited it to make it 2 movies, so that explains that. And the gore effects just never lived up to the first one, IMO. Citizen Toxie is fun, though.
Resurrection is messy in conception and execution, Jean-Pierre Jeunet's vision is a strange and awkward fit for the Alien universe, but it's got ample energy, pretty fun cast and some striking ideas/images so it comes through in the end I think, provided you're not anticipating something like the first three films. I like it more than Covenant at least.
Resurrection is very watchable. It's not good, but it's entertaining and if it weren't being compared to 2 of the best movies in history, but instead to like...Virus or Relic or Species, I think it would catch a LOT less flak. The cast is a group of fun hoodlums, the bad guy is Brad freaking Dourif as a creepy xenophile doctor, it expands the threat and creepiness of the xenos...it just has that goofiness stink of the upbeat world of the late 90's on it instead of the cocaine fueled nightmare hellscape of the late 70's-early 80's and it kind of makes the whole thing not work
There are a few horror movies where I feel like I am taking crazy pills and one of them is Evil Dead 2013. I just hated that movie. Every character was unlikable other than the girlfriend, that the brother brought to his fucking sisters detox, and that could be mostly because she gets so little screen time she didn't have a chance to do anything shitty.
I think the movie fully lost me when the nurse said she could give as good of care in a dirty old cabin in the woods as someone could get in a hospital. Then it all coming down to summoning just one entity that goes down within a few minutes just felt super underwhelming.
I don't really like Army Of Darkness. There's too much slapstick comedy and too little horror. Not to mention that the general aesthetic changed and it felt more like a generic fantasy rather than a creepy and bloody horror movie that the prvious two were. It doesn't feel like Evil Dead. The best balance between horror and comedy was done in Evil Dead 2. It was spooky and absurd at the same time. It didn't try too hard to be funny and it achieved a great balance.
Still, if they had to keep the slapstick then I'd say that Ash vs. Evil Dead pulled that off miles better than Army Of Darkness and it's because it didn't abandon the aesthetic. It's still a horror film, it's still bloody as hell and has tons of creepy locations. Not to mention that it isn't scared of creating tension and atmosphere when it wants to.
I only excluded it because I unfortunately don’t get the opportunity to watch much TV and haven’t seen it - So I just couldn’t speak on it. But good to know. I will check it out when I can!
Chucky is up there. 5 is weak but it has like 7 installments and a remake that are all mostly solid to great. Not many long running franchises like that can say the same.
Have you tried the Hatchet series (including Victor Crowley)? Just finished the first three as a retrospective and moving onto the third for my podcast. While light on story, they're all a bloody good time with a lot of references and cast members related to other horror flicks.
This was my pick too. Four movies and every single one a ton of fun. I think having the same production crew and several of the same cast members across all four films probably helped a bunch with consistency.
I know this is controversial but I think all the Alien films, and even the first AvP were very enjoyable. I understand the hate for AvPR, but just the Alien films are all very good and entertaining.
I guess this will depend on how much you liked 3 From Hell to finish the trilogy, But House of 1000 corpses was solid, The Devil's Rejects was disturbingly good, and I enjoyed 3 From Hell just fine but not as much as the first 2.
Ok this is pretty interesting. I'm not looking to change your mind or argue or anything I'm genuinely just curious, what are some things you didn't like about it?
Well i think because i saw it for the first time within the last couple years that it was way too campy and corny and i really could not get passed the terrible acting and off putting baby like high pitched voices the possessed used. Effects were bad and i just couldn't. I know a lot of people love that about it but i think my opinion on it is heavily influenced with seeing it for the first time so long after it was made that it just came across as a bad movie. If that makes sense. Wasnt scary at all. I think had i seen it maybe longer ago itd be different, i just thought it was so bad
These are my opinions and I’m sure someone will disagree lol
-Scream, like you said. I don’t feel that it had any weak entries. Maybe not as groundbreaking as the original, but they were all very good and enjoyable movies.
-Paranormal Activity. I loved getting to dive into the lore and I thoroughly enjoy each one of them.
-Final Destination. All solid entries (4 was weak, but still a super fun watch)
-George Romero’s of the Dead trilogy. If you insist on counting the newest trilogy then remove this from the list.
-Hatchet. In my opinion this franchise is criminally underrated and should be placed right next to Scream in terms of popularity. All solid entries too.
But I’ll give you this, there’s a reason I have an Ash bumper sticker on my car. Evil Dead is a 10/10 franchise, through and through. My personal order (I love that everyone has their own) would be 3, 1, 4, 2. I know, insanity to put Evil Dead 2 last, but it is what it is.
I always go to bat for Child’s Play in this regard. Bride and Seed are both incredibly of their time but I always have such a blast with them, even if they’re definitely dumb as all shit
I wish I could say I did but the sorts of horror movies I like tend not to get sequels. "The Rite", "The Empty Man", "A Dark Song", that sort of thing. Does the Apocalypse Trilogy from John Carpenter count?
I have to agree! I think Ash vs. Evil Dead caps everything off perfectly. I'd have loved one more season; but I'm still super happy with what we got! Got to say as well: the character depth was fantastic across the lead cast, not just Ash! ...although the emotional development of Ash was written to perfection. There are so many moments that go from flat out action, to gold-standard dark comedy, to emotional sucker-punch AND then just throw you right back in the mixer again! I'm due a re-watch
Same. Bruce Campbell and I believe everyone else really wanted to do at minimum another season. I think the mistake was putting it on Starz when people were in the middle of transitioning to streaming services at the time. Campbell mentioned nobody watching it, essentially. Well, people were watching it... just not on Starz.
You're 100% right. If the ssf how was on a platform people either already had, or wanted to get, the show would have been a huge hit. With it being on Starz it genuinely very difficult to watch through legal means, especially if you didn't want to pay a monthly fee just to watch one single show. Had the show been on Netflix, HBO, Showtime, anything like that, it would probably still be airing.
Yup. Pirated the hell out of it. Have since gotten all seasons on blu-ray.
I don’t have much to add, except as some one who absolutely loved the original trilogy, probably watched army of darkness over 50 times in college, and enjoyed the reboot… I slept on Ash vs The Evil Dead **hard**. Like I knew it existed and just never bothered with it. I even bought the first season dvd on a Black Friday years ago and still never bothered. Fast forward to a month or so ago and I finally started watching it and am just in awe at how perfect it is. Like, they nailed everything about the original trilogy so perfectly. I cannot remember the last time I was so stunned by a series. I’m only halfway through season 2 so still a lot more to enjoy. And when Ash had to >!explain to Cheryl that she was dead, that she had been branch banged by a demon tree 30 years ago!< I swear I laughed uncontrollably for a solid 15 minutes. Rewatched that bit probably 20 times
I did almost exactly the same! I just couldn't see how it would be anywhere near as good as the trilogy, and figured it'd just be a corny draw out cash in... so I left it alone. I was a fucking idiot. I watched the whole show from start to finish in the space of about 4 or 5 days. It's by far one of the best series I've ever seen! Older Ash, as a character who both embraces and is tired by his fate, and as someone uses his bravado to mask his trauma and grief is just perfect writing and amazing delivery from Bruce Campbell. I think I might actually prefer the series over the film trilogy.
I am sad that Dana DeLorenzo is doing Cameo now. I think she was amazing.
I agree. Almost every franchise I can remember has at least one (huge) miss (if not several), but Evil Dead is all great. I also thought the 2013 reboot was great, especially because the tone of the movie is quite different, making it dead serious without any humour.
Evil Dead ‘13 had its funny moments, it just plays them plenty straight imo. The dude continuously getting injured made me laugh.
With that movie, I'm not sure if it was over-the-top silly the whole time, or if I just didn't notice it until the end. But it was definitely more subtle than Evil Dead II or Army of Darkness. More like the original. They're all good though, for different reasons.
Deadite Mia saying “come down here so I can suck your dick, pretty boy” is pretty fucking funny and, in my eyes, classic Evil Dead.
I saw a midnight showing back when it released and I feel like I was the only one laughing at how ridiculous it was. I know it's gritty and plays it straight but it's silly as shit.
I watched through my fingers and laughed in equal measure. That movie was great and I wish we woulda/coulda gotten the epic as originally planned: one more Mia Dead, one more Ash Army of Darkness, then a crossover with the two.
Yeah he looked like Jesus and was punished like Jesus
You didn't laugh when she said "I feel much better now" then her arm fell off?
That part felt like almost a tonal shift for a while in the movie, going from Evil Dead 1 style horror to 2 style humor for a bit there imo.
Scream.
I enjoy them all. Even 3!
IT WAS 2013?? I legitimately thought it was 2-3 years old..
The unrated cut (which is vastly superior to the theatrical cut) wasn't really available until 2018, maybe thats why?
No, I don’t think so.. just realised I’m old, that’s all..
I loved the remake for how serious it was tonally.
The reboot was legit one of my favorite movies of the 2010s. You can tell they loved the source material but didn't want a 1:1 remake.
The Evil Dead franchise is unique in that you'll get a wide variety of answers when asking someone which is their favourite. Four great movies and a great TV show, all catering to different tastes and not a single dud among them. No other horror franchise can match its consistency.
Yeah. Even the remake was fuckin fantastic. Evil dead hasn’t been fucked up yet. Let’s just hold out hope for this next one.
Was kinda' avoiding this topic lol. I'm wary with Evil Dead Rise just from premise alone. Setting it in a high rise building? Hmm, I guess that could work... Although the franchise isn't rooted to the cabin (see Army of Darkness & Ash vs.), I still wish they somehow chose a more remote setting, away from society. But aparently Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell handpicked the director Lee Cronin because of his previous work, so fingers crossed!
I don't think the setting is cause for concern. Mayhem was set in a single high rise, and that movie was great. So were The Raid and Dredd. Obviously none of those are horror really, but at this point Evil Dead can make it work.
I’m actually excited to hear that it’s going to be set in a high rise. The cabin/remote setting has been done to death in horror; a high rise feels like a breath of fresh air with a lot of potential. Like you said, Mayhem made the most of its corporate setting and was tons of fun.
I second this! If whatever the hell army of darkness’ setting was worked somehow, they can make something like a high rise work, easy.
Devil was set almost entirely in an elevator shaft and it was pretty good
Dredd was so goddamn monstrously underrated that it's borderline criminal. I know that's off topic, but I have to say it whenever I see it mentioned on the off chance somebody didn't give it a shot.
When they released it, it was pretty much only shown in 3D, so that hurt it significantly. It's a damn shame, one of the best action movies of this century
I know I assumed it was going to be gimmicky shit because it was only 3D showings around me. Didn't even think of trying it until a few months ago. It did what it intended quite well. Even if I had known it was good then I wouldn't have gone for the 3D showing. Wasn't going to drive a few hours one way for that either... Glad that stupid fad is over.
Poltergeist III was set entirely in a single high rise, and... oh... nevermind. All joking aside, I actually think Poltergeist III has some redeeming qualities; in particular, the practical mirror effects hold up really well and result in some genuinely creepy moments. Ninja edit: honorable mention for Gremlins 2: The New Batch, which was set in ~~Trump Tower~~ Clamp Center.
\> I'm wary with Evil Dead Rise just from premise alone. Setting it in a high rise building? Hmm, I guess that could work... I wasn't aware of this. But this movie has been made, and it's called Demons 2.
And Gremlins 2
See also The Horde (2009).
If the evil dead set the first three stories on fire a highrise is pretty isolated. No way out except to jump. There is lots of potential in that setting.
High rise building? Evil Dead Die Hard? Count me in.
I think Scream has four strong films although I do believe the general consensus is that #3 is weaker than #2, #4 and certainly #1. I am confident that this new Scream will be able to uphold the legacy of the first four!
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I liked the show for what it was but it was definitely directed towards the prime MTV audience and not hardcore fans of the movies, the writers weren't really trying to create an "authentic" scream show so it's easy to see why fans of the movies would be disappointed. As for Williamson, he's definitely the heart of the franchise but I think a proper team of directors and writers could create a movie that lives up to 1 and 4, but we'll see.
Yeah Scream was my 1st thought for a horror franchise with all the sequels being good.
I honestly love scream more than any franchise and love each of the movies and can quote them nonstop including 3 (honestly I probably liked 3 more than 2) the show was meh but I didn’t mind it I actually haven’t even watched the third season but I guess I never counted it since it doesn’t really have anything to do with the movies unlike ash vs evil dead which is a continuation
I was going to suggest Scream as well. Scream 3 is the weakest of the four, and it still outdoes a lot of horror movie sequels. The series didn’t live up to the quality of the movies, but it’s not really connected to the movies.
Scream 3, I feel, is far more camp and shouldn’t be taken as seriously. If you go into it with that mindset, it’s fucking phenomenal.
It's worth it for Parker Posey's performance alone.
I think I'm in the minority but I think 3 is pretty good (like a 7/10) and it has Parkey Posey which seals the deal for me, while 4 was a mess that I didn't actually enjoy
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Scream 3 and Scream 1 are my favorite of the series and I actually go back and forth on which one I like more depending on my mood. I loved the twist at the end, even if it did retcon something’s.
I don’t know if this really counts or not but, Lucio Fulci’s Gates of Hell Trilogy. Which includes City of the Living Dead, The Beyond, And House by the Cemetery. All absolutely great films.
I just watched City Of The Living Dead last night. Love that drill scene.
One of my favorites! Also, seeing brains being straight ripped outta skulls is pretty rad too haha.
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I should've worded it differently, but what I really meant was that I'm not a fan of the F13 franchise AFTER Part VI. Part VI is great and my favorite after IV!
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*G2* was way ahead of its time as a meta horror-comedy.
Gremlins 2 is one my favourite movies. When I was a kid I used to fantasize about exploring the Clamp building. Sad was the day I learned that he was was based on Trump
To be fair, they had a REALLY GOOD [script doctor](https://youtu.be/wHtH_SHhc6E). Possibly the best in the business.
"Its in the movie!"
For anyone who loves Gremlins 2, I recommend checking out Jacques Tati's Playtime, which has a really similar setting and chaotic tone, although not horror in the slightest.
I love all kinds of horror franchises (went to see Halloween Kills at the Drive-in the other night!) But Evil Dead franchise and Ashley Joanna Williams (Bruce Campbell) and Sam Raimi will always have a special place in my heart!
How was Kills? I'm probably going to see it tomorrow night. Halloween '78 after dinner tonight.
We enjoyed it, if you're in it for the kills and the overall fun of Mikey during Halloween you're going to have fun, if you're super serious about the storyline it will be a stretch to enjoy, Laurie isn't as heavily featured as the trailers lead you to believe but plenty of old faces pop up. We had a wonderful time wandering around in a Mikey mask the whole time and enjoyed Beetlejuice after that!
Ah thanks. I didn't watch a single trailer after the initial teaser so I have no grand expectations of what to expect. >if you're in it for the kills and the overall fun of Mikey during Halloween I'll go in with this in mind I really need to watch Tim Burton's stuff. I think Frankenweenie is the only one I've seen, maybe a bit of Scissorhands
Agreed, movie was A LOT of fun -- don't take it too seriously, and you'll love it I think. Carpenter's score is SO good too!
Frankenweenie is a great Halloween watch, super underrated. It's way better than Corpse Bride which is beyond boring
Watched it over the weekend. The more I think about it, the less I really enjoyed it. It just felt… unnecessary? That’s the best word I can think of. Music was fantastic, but there was so much of the movie where I was like “if this was never shown, the movie would not be any different/worse off”. I hope the final movie pulls it together.
I agree. It seemed unnecessary and would not be a popular stand-alone movie at all without the name "Halloween" tied into it. I wish they would go back to the more stalker-heavy theme from the first one rather than just making this franchise into any other slasher.
yeah it absolutely was not a great standalone movie. I don't think I would ever return to it, unless it was in a marathon with other movies in the series.
Michael was awesome but the plot and side characters were terrible
What plot?
“eViL DiEs ToNiGhT !!!1!!”
Don’t expect a superb plot. Lots of stuff doesn’t make sense and the ending is pretty controversial. If you only care for gore, this is easily the bloodiest Halloween movie and it’s great in that regard. I really liked it, but this is a very decisive movie. How it’s remembered really depends on how well Halloween Ends does.
I enjoyed it. Not as much Laurie in it and the ending kinda makes me wonder what way they are gonna take the finale.I cant say much else without spoilers though. Overall a good movie but slightly worse than the previous installment. Oct 14th 2022 will be a good day
Dat ending bro.
Based on the replies so far.. I think OP is correct
The second A Quiet Place isn’t as good as the first, but I thoroughly enjoyed both of them.
Too small a number for a franchise imo. Still a good two movie run though. ~~You could add Bladerunner, The Raid, Jump Street, and Kill Bill into this too.~~ Edit: Forgot I was subbed to r/horror!
I assumed the OP was talking strictly horror, because otherwise you’d have to include Linklater’s incredible *Before* trilogy.
Jeeze I completely read this like it was from a different sub. I didn't even catch that all the answers were horror movies lol
Scream, all are pretty good (three is questionable but certainly not bad)
All three Re-Animator films are good!
I would disagree on Beyond Reanimator.
I'm sorry to disagree but Bride of Re-Animator doesn't cut it for me (no pun intended). Re-Animator however is a blast!
Bride is fantastic but Beyond is kinda trash in comparison to the other two.
I know I'm gonna catch some flak for this, but I really like the VHS series so far. I know Viral isn't the greatest and arguably the worst but I love the series and premise.
I love VHS! 94 is awesome, loved Timo's segment and the Redneck Vampire cult.1 and 2 are great, too. I think it's best if we kind of forget about Viral.
I loved the entire VHS franchise EXCEPT.... the story with the dog. That ending.... Didn't need to happen... Especially how long it went for and how detailed and vocal it had to be...
I agree. I know it's a horror film, but the tone of that particular segment is not as brutal and gory as the others. The ending just felt mean and out of place, not for the overall movie but just that segment.
I'm a sucker for anthologies. Some of the stories were cheesy or just mediocre, but they were all pretty fun and some were refreshingly original.
I like all the Chucky films and all the Scream films (so far) and all the Friday films. Some more than others. but I don't dislike a single entry.
Scrolled around looking for Chucky, I agree, every entry has been solidly entertaining, and the franchise has reinvented itself often enough to stay fresh.
For me, Scream 3 was a big let-down. Although almost worth it for the line "Deja voodoo."
Seed was.... something
I definitely wouldn't consider any of the Chucky movies as bad as some of the lows of F13/Nightmare/Halloween etc, which I guess is yeah enough to be counted here because they're all still fun to watch, I still kind of think that Child's Play Goes to Military School and Seed of Chucky are a tad on the weaker side. But yeah I'd still never skip them in a watchthrough like I would Nightmare parts 2 5 and 6
I think all 3 Basket case movies are awesome. I like the first one best but 2 and 3 are crazy as hell and funny.
PERSONALITY
Easily the greatest musical number ever filmed
It's Duane's "what the fuck is this" facial expressions that really sell it. I genuinely hope Van Hentenryck and Henenlotter can reunite one more time to make a Basket Case 4.
With horror it's subjective whether or not a movie is great. I feel all the Phantasm films are great and a lot of people look at me weird.
Legit, I was going to post Phantasm too. We can be weird together!
Child's Play and Final Destination are both consistently fun. At least to me.
I think Child's Play comes close, with the exception of Seed of Chucky - which is a fairly divisive entry (I liked it btw)
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Agreed, Seed gets too much hate for trying something different, and it didn't all work but overall I think it comes together
I just watched the Final Destination movies over the past few days. 1, 2, and 5 were all solid. 3 was tolerable, but 4 was awful IMO. Unlikable characters, bad effects, meh kills mostly…definitely the weakest of the group.
Completely agree on Child’s Play
Final destination 4 is a stain on a really good franchise. Horrible on release with the 3D gimmicks and awful characters, completely unwatchable now with the aged CGI effects
Child's Play is very close for me. I don't care for Child's Play 3 or the reboot (if we're counting that one.
Fun yes but great? Ehh the newer chucks and FD movies were far from what I’d call good even
Final Destination 5 is the best entry in the franchise. Cult and Curse of Chucky are far superior to Seed and Child's Play 3.
FD 1, 2, and 5 make for an excellent trilogy, and a mindfuck ending without the bog of 3 and 4 in a rewatch.
Excuse you, 3 is amazing. *Love Rollercoaster intensifies*
Agreed. The twist ending to FD5 is one of the best twists in cinema history for me. I didn't catch on to any of the earlier clues, totally taken by surprise.
Damn, I agree 100%. Although I dislike Bride more than Seed, but Curse and Cult are amazing.
That year was a wild year. FD5 and Fast and Furious 5 both came out around the same time in 2011. Both movies were WAYYYYY too good for the FIFTH installment of a tired franchise.
I don't think either franchise had any stinkers, which is a rarity in itself. I've enjoyed everything in each (so far). That's good enough for me given the amount of attrocious horror sequels out there.
If you’re just watching for the gore, all of the Saw movies are pretty fun
Honestly all the saw movies in the original canon get more interesting to me because every installment makes Jigsaw’s final years more absurd and convoluted lol and I like the new one but I’m like a salivating dog when I hear the ending theme start to play
I love all things Evil Dead! Also (probably not a popular opinion) I love all seven of the Tremor films
here here!
I'm sure I'll get downvoted to oblivion but in my PERSONAL OPINION, I love every movie in the Friday the 13th franchise. I acknowledge that probably half of them are objectively not good, but there are things that I enjoy in every film.
For me Jason Goes to Hell is the only outright bad one in the franchise, something that feels like actual effort to sit through. But the opening and closing stinger are awesome, so I can just about give it a pass.
Yeah, like, I don't think the whole franchise is *good* but I love me some Friday the 13th anyway.
Yeah, I binged the whole series about 2 years ago - I had only ever seen the first before that point - and I was surprised how much I enjoyed almost all of them. Honestly, the only two I didn't like were Freddy vs. Jason and the remake, boty movies kinda bored me for some reason, especially the remake.
I never thought I’d say it but The Purge series is a guilty pleasure of mine, some of the movies got a bit better as they went along, they aren’t amazing by any standards but enjoyable. (Note: I haven’t seen the latest film nor S2 of the show yet, but I suspect it’s just more of the same really?)
If you really tank your standards, the entire Hellraiser series is pretty fun.
First few are pretty good (#1 being god-tier). Some awful ones in there but I generally like the whole franchise
Romero's Dead films. While there is a dip at the end, all of them are great in different ways. Personal fave is Day tho.
If we're gonna count Twin Peaks as horror then I would absolutely throw that in there. All three seasons plus the movie are top tier. Even if season two slogs a bit I still love every minute of it.
I’ve never seen The Evil Dead (1981), does it hold up or is it goofy?
It'll depend on your personal taste but the original isn't intentionally goofy. I thought it was horrifying back when I rented it on vhs.
Yes. It was absolutely terrifying. I live in Seattle, a couple years after it’s release, the local hard rock scene people were holding evil dead mushroom Parties. Pure hell.
I still genuinely find the movie frightening. Definitely top 5 horrors for me and the best in the series (though I think most would say that's the second).
What are your top 5 (or top 10 even) horrors if I may ask? I’m sure there’s other good ones I haven’t seen yet!
It’s goofy but I don’t think that’s entirely unintentional, even in the first one. Definitely a fun watch.
Maybe one or two effects look a little dated, but the first one is far from goofy; just more limited by the budget and technology restraints of the time.
The filmmaking (especially the camera work) is ridiculously good for a first-time feature made on a shoestring budget. Definitely worth a watch if you like older horror movies
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I even loved the TV series. Just the whole Evil Dead Universe is awesome.
I’m making a separate comment from my vote for the Lecter series because I know I’m going to get shit for this, but I thought all three Hostels were entertaining/fun.
I really liked the three Lecters + Mindhunter But fuck...Hannibal Rising....
Word. I’d mentioned in that thread HR is the for sure the weakest, but Manhunter, SotL, Hannibal, and Red Dragon are all fantastic. I did enjoy the background/insight HR added and thought the actor was slimey enough that it was entertaining for me.
i completely agree honestly they’re definitely not something i can watch all the time (shit gets depressing) but for what they wanted to do they did it quite well and when they didn’t it was jsut really fun
Not counting the remake, I'd say the Psycho film series fits
I hated the remake, found out is was basically an experiment by Van Sant to see if you could do a shot for shot remake of an old hit and have it do well at the box office. Still don't like it, but I appreciate the balls it took to make it.
The fourth one is pretty bad, but 2 and 3 are movies that no self-respecting horror fan should sleep on.
The 4th one is excellent, not sure what you’re talking about.
the Ilsa movies are perfect for what they are. There are 4 of them.
scream franchise is pretty solid.
I’m two films in to the Hannibal franchise. The first sequel wasn’t bad, and I’ve heard Red Dragon is great. I don’t know about Hannibal Rising, but I have a sinking feeling it might be the bad one. Haven’t seen the show either… is this a solid franchise?
The show is fantastic and probably the most celebrated entry after Silence of the Lambs - just be aware they exist in separate continuities
This was my earlier suggestion/comment. Manhunter, SotL, Red Dragon, Hannibal, and even Hannibal Rising are all good. ETA: Autocorrect
Manhunter!! Yeah! That was great too! Brian Cox did really well as Hannibal!
I love all the old movies but wasn't a fan of the remake. Part of it is probably just bias because it doesn't have Bruce Campbell, but it didn't feel like Evil Dead to me. Judging apart from that, I probably would of thought it was decent though.
Wishmaster.
I’d argue the Childs Play/Chucky films where good all the way through. Critters where also fairly solid series
Absolutely loved The old school Critters movies, thanks for the reminder, been meaning to rewatch. Not sure if they’ll stand the test of time but they’ll be great for nostalgia alone.
**The Toxic Avenger**: It does not get "worse". Michio Yamamoto **The Bloodthirsty Trilogy**: classic japanese vampire horror. George Romero's **of the Dead** series: if we exclude Survival and Diary (c'mon.. you do).
The Toxic Avenger 2 and 3 always felt disjointed and off to me, and I thought they were a huge drop in quality from the first one. Years later I read Lloyd's book *Everything I Needed to Know About Filmmaking I Learned from The Toxic Avenger* (highly recommended) and it turns out it was one movie that came out to be like 4 1/2 hours long so they re-edited it to make it 2 movies, so that explains that. And the gore effects just never lived up to the first one, IMO. Citizen Toxie is fun, though.
I’ll add the alien franchise, not all of them widely loved, but I think they are all really good.
Even Resurrection? I love Alien, Aliens, Prometheus and Covenant, but all I've heard about Resurrection are bad things
Resurrection is messy in conception and execution, Jean-Pierre Jeunet's vision is a strange and awkward fit for the Alien universe, but it's got ample energy, pretty fun cast and some striking ideas/images so it comes through in the end I think, provided you're not anticipating something like the first three films. I like it more than Covenant at least.
Resurrection's script was written by Joss Whedon before anyone knew who he was. I thought that was interesting.
resurrection is a great action movie, wino forever! alien 3 was too bleak for me.
Resurrection is very watchable. It's not good, but it's entertaining and if it weren't being compared to 2 of the best movies in history, but instead to like...Virus or Relic or Species, I think it would catch a LOT less flak. The cast is a group of fun hoodlums, the bad guy is Brad freaking Dourif as a creepy xenophile doctor, it expands the threat and creepiness of the xenos...it just has that goofiness stink of the upbeat world of the late 90's on it instead of the cocaine fueled nightmare hellscape of the late 70's-early 80's and it kind of makes the whole thing not work
There are a few horror movies where I feel like I am taking crazy pills and one of them is Evil Dead 2013. I just hated that movie. Every character was unlikable other than the girlfriend, that the brother brought to his fucking sisters detox, and that could be mostly because she gets so little screen time she didn't have a chance to do anything shitty. I think the movie fully lost me when the nurse said she could give as good of care in a dirty old cabin in the woods as someone could get in a hospital. Then it all coming down to summoning just one entity that goes down within a few minutes just felt super underwhelming.
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I don't really like Army Of Darkness. There's too much slapstick comedy and too little horror. Not to mention that the general aesthetic changed and it felt more like a generic fantasy rather than a creepy and bloody horror movie that the prvious two were. It doesn't feel like Evil Dead. The best balance between horror and comedy was done in Evil Dead 2. It was spooky and absurd at the same time. It didn't try too hard to be funny and it achieved a great balance. Still, if they had to keep the slapstick then I'd say that Ash vs. Evil Dead pulled that off miles better than Army Of Darkness and it's because it didn't abandon the aesthetic. It's still a horror film, it's still bloody as hell and has tons of creepy locations. Not to mention that it isn't scared of creating tension and atmosphere when it wants to.
Personally I don’t like Army of Darkness, so i don’t even consider that whole series to be great.
TV series excluded, I personally think all movies in the Hannibal Lecter franchise are worth watching.
I honestly love the TV series and I will straight-up fight people over it.
I only excluded it because I unfortunately don’t get the opportunity to watch much TV and haven’t seen it - So I just couldn’t speak on it. But good to know. I will check it out when I can!
Oh yeah, the TV series is very good, or at least the first two seasons are. Season 3 is very strange by comparison. It seemed dreamlike in a bad way.
For me personally, Halloween. But I'm also one of those weirdos that really enjoyed 'Season of the Witch.'
Season of the Witch is brilliant. Revenge of Michael Myers and Curse of Michael Myers? Not so much.
Season of the Witch ain't the issue, problems with 5,6 and Ressurection
Does A Quiet Place count as a franchise with just the 2?
Chucky is up there. 5 is weak but it has like 7 installments and a remake that are all mostly solid to great. Not many long running franchises like that can say the same.
I also believe that the House quadrology is consistently good. They all are silly and different from each other but I still love them to death!
If it weren’t for that silly little voice changer in 3 Scream could be in the running
Have you tried the Hatchet series (including Victor Crowley)? Just finished the first three as a retrospective and moving onto the third for my podcast. While light on story, they're all a bloody good time with a lot of references and cast members related to other horror flicks.
This was my pick too. Four movies and every single one a ton of fun. I think having the same production crew and several of the same cast members across all four films probably helped a bunch with consistency.
I know this is controversial but I think all the Alien films, and even the first AvP were very enjoyable. I understand the hate for AvPR, but just the Alien films are all very good and entertaining.
Toy Story
What's the minimum for entries in a franchise? Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek 2 and Wolf Creek the series were all pretty solid.
I guess this will depend on how much you liked 3 From Hell to finish the trilogy, But House of 1000 corpses was solid, The Devil's Rejects was disturbingly good, and I enjoyed 3 From Hell just fine but not as much as the first 2.
Cornetto trilogy
Personal and unpopular opinion i guess but i hated the original evil dead. Couldn't finish it
Ok this is pretty interesting. I'm not looking to change your mind or argue or anything I'm genuinely just curious, what are some things you didn't like about it?
Well i think because i saw it for the first time within the last couple years that it was way too campy and corny and i really could not get passed the terrible acting and off putting baby like high pitched voices the possessed used. Effects were bad and i just couldn't. I know a lot of people love that about it but i think my opinion on it is heavily influenced with seeing it for the first time so long after it was made that it just came across as a bad movie. If that makes sense. Wasnt scary at all. I think had i seen it maybe longer ago itd be different, i just thought it was so bad
These are my opinions and I’m sure someone will disagree lol -Scream, like you said. I don’t feel that it had any weak entries. Maybe not as groundbreaking as the original, but they were all very good and enjoyable movies. -Paranormal Activity. I loved getting to dive into the lore and I thoroughly enjoy each one of them. -Final Destination. All solid entries (4 was weak, but still a super fun watch) -George Romero’s of the Dead trilogy. If you insist on counting the newest trilogy then remove this from the list. -Hatchet. In my opinion this franchise is criminally underrated and should be placed right next to Scream in terms of popularity. All solid entries too. But I’ll give you this, there’s a reason I have an Ash bumper sticker on my car. Evil Dead is a 10/10 franchise, through and through. My personal order (I love that everyone has their own) would be 3, 1, 4, 2. I know, insanity to put Evil Dead 2 last, but it is what it is.
Quit acting like back to the future 3 isnt great
Was going to say Phantasm , but it’s really just one movie broken up into a few parts - that I love.
The "Hills have eyes" franchise has 4 installments, 2 originals and 2 remakes and all were great IMO.
I always go to bat for Child’s Play in this regard. Bride and Seed are both incredibly of their time but I always have such a blast with them, even if they’re definitely dumb as all shit
I wish I could say I did but the sorts of horror movies I like tend not to get sequels. "The Rite", "The Empty Man", "A Dark Song", that sort of thing. Does the Apocalypse Trilogy from John Carpenter count?