Pumpkinhead
Near Dark
Blue Velvet (Frank Booth is one scary SOB)
Demons
Sleepaway Camp (Bigface makes a convincing case for it)
Cat People (This is just a brilliant film with mind-blowing imagery, stunning art direction, stellar performances and a knockout soundtrack)

Thanks for posting Streets of Crocodiles! I never would have seen this if you hadn't posted it. I'm an aficionado of the art form. The sets, photography and music are very beautiful and unique (to me). One doesn't often hear classical violin, cello, harpsichord and flute with juice harp. I had to laugh when the engineers displayed the different length screws to the released puppet man. I needed to read the plot/themes on Wikipedia to see if I was understanding the subtle meanings/themes. Would love to see this on the big screen. I look forward to seeing their other works.

For Honorable Mentions, I'm good with the top 5, and believe Predator is the worthy 6th. Besides my 5 backings already noted on the list page, I also support Streets of Crocodiles as the 6th.

Also, Cat People is beautifully shot. Giorgio Moroder musical score is excellent. Love his compositions What a Feeling, Danger Zone, Take My Breathe Away, theme for NeverEnding Story.

Glad you enjoyed it, you'll find plenty of reviews and essays online to help with some of the meanings and subtext but while interesting reading, you are unlikely to be fully satisfied with the interpretation of others. So much of it works on a subconscious level and fires up your own imagination and while you (meaning the viewer) might feel like you don't fully understand it, there is something in the imagery that just resonates.

Yes, I know what you mean. One can feel one's heart resonating with the subconscious' interpretations of the imagery and music, so to speak. [Interesting to note: studies reveal the electrical signature waves, seen between heart beats, have recognizable wave signatures correlating to emotional states (anger, fear, compassion, etc). Ancient references to the heart have more basis than originally thought.]

Gonna absolutely put everything behind Sleepaway Camp.

One of the most imaginative and unique American horror films ever made, it plays with genre conventions (almost in a Lynchian way). It utilizes soap-opera drama to contrast with increasingly bizarre murder scenes, as well as dealing (tangentially?) with gender/sexuality issues. And the ending. My God. A master stroke that, in one jaw-dropping instant, recontextualizes everything that came before it, casting an instant haze of sickening confusion and creeping menace. Here's a little blurb I wrote for it quite some time ago if you're looking for additional backup on this movie: http://enjoythemonologue.wordpress.c...rier-scariest/

Looks like our 6th Honorably Mentioned film won't be either Pumpkinhead or Predator, but Sleepaway Camp!

http://www.horror.com/forum/showthre...=57593&page=99

Although, both films can still contend for that spot with one more backing.

Have your say, folks.

I'll back Sleepaway Camp.... I think its received enough strong backings to make it a worthy inclusion so I'm happy to get behind it too.

I would have liked Predator (1987) to have at least made honorable mentions (for the reasons I described earlier in this thread). It definitely deserves it, but those six choices are really great and they are fine with me.

Nice writeup, and beyond that, great blog. I dig your writing style. I don't suppose you plan to start updating it again? I'd definitely RSS that shiz. Love the post about the movie posters.

Id prefer having Predator and Pumpkinhead in after thinking about it but I dont want to hold things up. So those are good with me.