A list of horror movies recommended by Illbleed's development staff. Those who've seen all the films listed here would be called horror connoisseurs.
1. Funhouse: Tobe Hooper's depraved goodness is cooked at a B-movie quality, but his technique is A+. But, of course, the ending is cliche.
2. Friday the 13th Part 2: I went to see this movie at the Theatre Tokyo. There were four people in attendance.
3. Dead & Buried: There are lots of titles similar to this, but the scenes in this movie where the nurse kills people don't cut corners, and they actually stabbed a human eyeball with a needle.
Note: No, they didn't. The eyeball in question is resin; the "actor" is actually a puppet created by Stan Winston. Gore warning: This page from the Stan Winston School of Character Arts details how they did the shot in question; Winston himself goes into more detail about it in this featurette.
Note: Pg. 100 of the guide states that Banballow is based on the shears-toting villain from the movie The Burning, who also helped inspire Scissorman from Clock Tower. The guide also states that Bamballow's name is taken from the name on the Japanese video packaging (but not the Japanese version of the movie itself, apparently) gives the killer, "Banboro" in katakana. There's no clue how this is supposed to be rendered in Roman letters except this likely-unlicensed T-shirt that uses "Bambolo," which Wiktionary says is Italian for a "young attractive man" - possibly an ironic nickname, as the killer in The Burning is disfigured. This is more than I ever wanted to talk about The Burning, so we're moving on.
1. House: I saw it at the same time as the live-action Hi no Tori, and at the time, it shocked me so that the main feature, Hi no Tori, paled in comparison. An eyeball flies out of Yoko Minamida's mouth (I vaguely recall).
1. Full Metal Jacket: Snowball was so scary. Also, the face of the female Viet Cong at the end was so scary. Nam Rating: 86
2. Apocalypse Now: With the deadened atmosphere in the second half, the feeling of suffocation as I watched was SO scary. NAAAAM Rating: 90
3. Das Boot: That claustrophobic feeling you can get only on a submarine is just superb. The tension in the scene where they're enduring depth charges on the bottom of the ocean is unmatched. Kriegsmarine Rating: 92
4. The Cassandra Crossing: I saw this when I was about in elementary school. It might be the reason why to this day I get vaguely nervous every time I see a railway bridge. Railway Bridge Rating: 84
5. Dawn of the Dead: Holed up - or, rather cornered - in a department store; the feeling of being trapped is great. SWAT Rating: 70; M16 Rating: 80
6. The Final Countdown: The time slip scene; the terror in the power of the great unknown. The F-14s vs. Zeros battle scene also feels good. U.S. Navy Rating: 76
7. Sniper: Tom Berenger is scary. Sniper Rating: 100
8. Cube: Scary. Quadrilateral Rating: 100
9. Saving Private Ryan: MG 42s are scary. Landing Rating: 98
10. Capricorn One: NASA conspiracies are scary. Conspiracy Rating: 82
Note: This is probably an alias for character designer Masaki Segawa; see overlong explanation below.
1. The Omen: This scared me so much when I was little I couldn't go to the bathroom.
2. The Incredible Melting Man: I like the parts where he's falling apart.
Note: For your own sanity, do not look up stills from this movie, but this seems to be the inspiration for Michael Reynolds' first boss form. Well, the melting part, anyway.
*Note: This staff member seems to be going by an alias. They're listed simply as 大関, which is most commonly rendered as the surname I've listed above, but there's no one by that name in Illbleed's credits - or, for that matter, with a name containing those kanji who's unaccounted listwise. Under "2DCG Design," the credits list a Yuki Takazawa and an Akira Kurochi (in addition to Tatsuru Shimizu and Jyu Ikeda, who have lists).
However: The character designer, Masaki Segawa, is unaccounted. He is listed second in Illbleed's credits, after director Shinya Nishigaki. This list comes fourth in the article, which suggests, given the article's organization, it was by someone high-up in production. I think what happened here is that Segawa engaged in a bit of weird Japanese abbreviation, that's too troublesome to explain here fully but is classically familiar to students of Japanese through the word "deka" (cop), where a colloquial version of a word is made by rearranging its syllables/characters and/or cutting some off at the middle or ends (not necessarily the parts that would be elided or slurred in pronunciation, as with typical slang). Here, I think the artist abbreviated "SegawaMasaki" to "Seki" and slapped a 大, meaning "great," on the front, producing by liaison the "Oozeki" alias.
Man, you really wanted to hear about all this, didn't you? Hey, I was a detective! I figured something out, maybe!
1. The Thing: The Thing is so cool!
2. The Mangler: Unique subject matter, lovingly rendered - in that aspect, it's perfect.
3. Dawn of the Dead: Shamble, stagger... Awesome!
1. Saturn 3: The scene where the robot cuts off the space pilot's hand traumatized me. Also, the ones of red blood running down the robot.
2. Cat People: The scene where the leopard tears off its keeper's arm was the first time I learned you could die from blood loss.
3. The Blob: Washing your hair with amoebas is scary. Even though it's just tomato juice you're seeing.
Note: Internet sources are conflicted as to which Blob movie the Japanese title used here (Hitokui Ameebaa no Kyoufu, or The Terror of the Man-Eating Amoeba) is referencing: the 1958, 1972, or 1988 version. I have not watched any Blob movies and do not know which one features a terrifying hair-washing scene, as the internet is also no help here. You'll have to do your own research on that account.
Note: There is no No. 7, for whatever reason.
1. Inugami no Tatari (Wrath of the Dog God): The apex of made-in-Japan horror. Absolutely, definitely scary!
2. Jigoku (a.k.a. The Sinners of Hell) (Shintoho ver.): It's impossible for me to determine whether this is painfully earnest or just schlocky. Hell, both in this world and on the other side, is richly depicted. Lots of scenes that made me burst out laughing.
3. Ultraseven: "Nightmare of Planet No. 4": Surreal horror through the lens of Akio Jissoji. The visual of the four moons in the sky above the human city (the apartment complexes!) is scary to this day.
4. NHK Shonen Drama Series: "Tsubuyaki-Iwa no Himitsu" ("The Secret of Whispering Rock"): Skillfully depicts the lonely mindset of a boy who gets caught up in the eerie events surrounding a mysterious cave. A tour de force!
5. Forbidden Play (Kinjirareta Asobi): I caught this on a late-night broadcast when I was in elementary school, and it left me shuddering. Saw it again recently, and it was a finely-crafted masterpiece.
6. The Demon ('78 Shochiku): It's not a horror movie; it's horror beyond horror. The scene where the daughter is abandoned against the lights of the Tokyo Tower is stunning.
7. Grizzly: They frantically use camera tricks to make the bear look huge, but you never see it in full. This is the first time I ever saw gaijin in a rotenburo.
8. Flying Phantom Ship: Sci-fi horror, maybe? A hard sci-fi story about being brainwashed by the media; you'd never guess it from the title.
9. Oshin: There really is nothing scarier than raw, unadulterated humanity.
10. Judo Boy: This is a sports competition anime, but the art is too scary. I absolutely could not watch it when I was a child.
1. The Amityville Horror: I saw this pretty long ago on TV. It REALLY left an impression. Seeing it now, it might not be that scary, though. (laughs)
2. The Exorcist: Saw it again recently on DVD. Kinda liked it.
3. Sleepy Hollow: Less scary than chambara, really? It's fun, so it's OK!
Part 2 of the Illbleed development staff's horror movie recommendations. There's something here for everyone, from beginners to real horror maniacs. Haven't seen these? Now's your chance - hurry to the video store!
0. Starship Troopers (it has a special spot because it's not horror): It's cruelty on parade, but the content is a breath of fresh air for a youth-oriented work. It's the type of horror that depicts the awful side of humanity. Right now, it's my lifetime #1 movie. You can see it over a dozen times, and it's still interesting.
1. Army of Darkness: The third installment in the Evil Dead trilogy. It's 95% comedy. See it with a crowd, and big laughs are guaranteed. The scenes where over-the-top gags worthy of Dorifu Daibakusho are presented seriously with SFX are the best. There's a theatrical release and a director's cut; the director's cut's the one you gotta see.
2. Evil Dead 2: A strange movie; it's 80% comedy, but some people says it's scary. I think the correct way to see it is laughing until your sides hurt.
3. Sleepy Hollow: The images are really beautiful and cool. Funny scenes are deftly inserted in the scary scenes; it really is cruel, but it's great in how it doesn't descend to tragedy.
4. The Funhouse: The content's so shocking it can't be aired on TV to this day. There are lots of ambiguous scenes, and it's interesting both as horror and for laughs.
5. The Return of the Living Dead: A masterpiece with a fairly high dose of comedy. The famously-shocking last scene leaves an impression; it makes you wanna say, "What the hell did I just watch?!".
6. The Burning: The movie that inspired "The Home Run of Death." "Predictable" and "played straight" are the keywords here; the straightforward plot development, devoid of twists, is on the contrary refreshing. The killer's name is "Bambolo" (in the Japanese version only).
7. Deep Rising: Not quite horror, but still a tale of a man-eating monster. A dumb American movie.
8. Beetlejuice: Not horror, but it concerns the afterlife - merrily singing calypso with the dead, etc. The BGM is absolutely awesome.
9. Poltergeist: The classic ghost story. I saw it so many times on TV when I was little. I don't really remember what happened, but I loved it.
1. Kichiku Daienkai (Banquet of the Beasts; Director: Kazuyoshi Kumakiri): It's not horror, but the depictions of shotguns being shoved in mouths and heads exploding are beyond cruel. The madness of human degeneracy is fear beyond horror.
2. The Brave (Director: Johnny Depp): A tale of selling your own life for money to people who torture others to death for fun. It's not horror, but it is in a sense a very scary movie.
3. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (Director: Kenneth Branagh): Seeing him use this ridiculously huge setup to stick his lover's head on someone else's body and dance for joy...yeah, it's fun.
Note: Of course, the movie is not the definitive adaptation.
Note: This is likely Ryuzo Kishi, listed in the credits under "Background Modeling" and "Texture Design."
1. The Thing: For some reason.
2. Frankenstein: I like De Niro, so.
3. Vampires: I love how ridiculous it is.
4. From Dusk Till Dawn: I also love how ridiculous this is.
1. Evil Dead 2: Horror I never get bored of no matter how many times I see it! Seeing the joy in the faces of those who made it puts a smile on my face every time!
2. Dawn of the Dead: A landmark achievement in modern horror! An absolute must-see! A Book of Revelations about living in a world overrun by the dead.
3. Dead Alive: A wide-eyed 'n' innocent romance overcoming-your-mother-complex zombie monster comedy with gouts and gouts of gushing blood - enough to fill a pool - and a touch of kung fu action.
4. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 2: 1 is too scary, but 2 is too awesome! The parade of characters just keeps getting weirder and weirder! And there are DOUBLE chainsaws this time!
5. Re-Animator (Zonbaio: Shirei no Shitatari or Zombio: Tricklings of the Dead): What's with that title, but you're guaranteed to be astonished. It's a zombie movie, but it's so over-the-top you can't help but laugh. A little hentai.
6. The People under the Stairs: A refreshing film with an underlay of a fairy tale, with a beautiful captive maiden and a perverted psychopath and seven freaks, where good is rewarded and evil punished.
7. In the Mouth of Madness: Paranoiac metafiction horror. I was surprised by how enraptured by it we ended up being when we saw it. The old guy on the bike was particularly scary.
8. The Shining: A little corny, but it sure is scary! The faces of the people who show up in it!! It's cool how they're all so scary, and the scared faces are the best. The face game here is unfair.
9. Jacob's Ladder: Life is but a dream - according to this film? In Western film, they were already doing that "ghost photography" cinematography, weren't they? The visuals are so beautiful.
10. Big Trouble in Little China: A yokai film drawn for hot-blooded men in whom the heart of kung-fu still beats thanks to a certain cyber film. The three stupid yokai generals are a big laugh! Set in L.A.
1. The Exorcist: I saw this as a child and remember it being incredibly scary.
2. Friday the 13th: As per the cliche, you have sex, you're dead. I've seen a lot of this series, so this is what I think of when someone says "horror."
3. Hellraiser: I happened to catch this in the middle of the night and had an unexpectedly good time with it. I like the painful-looking special makeup.
4. Return of the Living Dead: I remember seeing it pretty long ago with friends. By the way, Part II is boring.
1. Carrie: Absolutely: that last scene! Ohh, it gives me chills just thinking about it. What else would you expect of De Palma? What else would you expect of King?
2. The Exorcist: Extremely earnest. Enjoyable as a film.
3. Psycho: The famous "murder in the shower" scene has been parodied everywhere, so you might end up laughing if you see it now.
4. The Thing: I like how it's not just extravagant SFX - it really is scary.
5. The Blair Witch Project: This got a mixed reception, but I personally enjoyed it. I'm praying no weird monsters show up in the sequel.
1. Sweet Home: This was the first horror movie I saw alone; I was in elementary school. It should have been a movie to remember, but all I recall is "it was scary" and "someone got cut in two."
2. The Sixth Sense: I took the plunge on this with my purchase of the second iteration of a certain console. I was an idiot; the ultimate mystery caught me completely flat-footed, and I was so shocked.
3. Army of Darkness: I saw this movie on Kojima's recommendation. It was a comedy. Chainsaw hand.
4. Sleepy Hollow: The Headless Horseman was so cool. I just love him. Also, heads are flying as much as in Blue Stinger.
5. Tremors: Is this horror, really? The characteristics of the creatures were a breath of fresh air. Hey, I think I saw something like them in Illbleed! (laughs)