15 Images for 15 Years of Horror, Part 1 (2000-2014): some of the greatest, goriest, most shocking and most memorably defining moments in horror since 2000

Greetings, horrorounds!  We spend so much of our time complaining about re-used, recycled, unoriginal, tired out horror tropes and stories and stale archetypal horror character roles presented by actors that can’t act, directors who can rarely direct, and budgets that don’t get us anywhere.  So I thought it was time for us to take a moment to remember that even today in the modern horror era we find the occasional delight in our modern horror in the form of worthy remakes or original approaches to old ideas…maybe even some new ideas.

So I give you 15 photos for 15 years of horror.  These don’t necessarily represent the 15 best horror movies since 2000, but rather 15 of the most memorable moments.  I really wanted to include movies like Session 9 and The Skeleton Key, but such films are more about tone that single iconic images.

The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)

There is little more shocking than watching a rapidly-senescing, possessed elderly woman swallowing a child’s head whole like one of those egg-swallowing snakes!  Even more surprising is that nothing in this film was ridiculous, but rather largely rational and the characters were likable and not completely inept.  Very good, unexpected film.

Oculus (2014)

No. No. No. No.  NO!!!!  I don’t care if it’s your lovely, long-dead mother who looks so happy to see you with her caring arms outreached to embrace you.  Those outreached arms are breaking the reflective barrier of a mirror and that’s ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS evil!!!  DO…NOT…HUG!

The Conjuring (2013)

Were the noises loud? Yes. But The Conjuring accompanied those loud noises with startling imagery and even more startling sideburns while combining a haunted house movie with a possession story…not an easy task, and James Wan did a stellar job creating an instant classic-feeling film.

The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Most people like referencing the Merman as the most memorable aspect of this brilliantly funny, gory and clever film.  However, I refer you to the board and the premise behind it.  Was it genius?  No.  Was it 100% what we horror fans never knew we wanted?  ABSOLUTELY!!!  With such entries as “angry molesting tree” honoring Evil Dead, sexy witches and the much discussed “Kevin”….this film managed to give nods to a broad sweep of the horror genre’s better moments.

Final Destination 5 (2011)

Boasting one of the best, shocking, misleadingly elaborate deaths in the franchise and the horror genre, I give you this!  I love the finger twitch.

Grave Encounters (2011)

Such a perfectly simple tagline for this great flick we never saw coming: “They were looking for proof…they found it.”  This film blew away my expectations, did found footage WELL, told a good story, had good acting and clever dialogue.

Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)

No scene in 2010 had me laughing more than when this teen accidently threw himself into a woodchipper…and when our innocent would-be hillbilly tried to “save him” while he was being “chipped.”

Drag Me to Hell (2009)

From being gummed by a toothless gypsy and drinking her embalming fluids to vomiting dead kittens, Sam Raimi was in full form with this gastrointestinal cinematic experience.

Martyrs (2008)

I used to think that Hellbound: Hellaraiser II was creepy as Hell with that skinless lady making her way from one victim to another.  But you know what’s worse?  Seeing someone get skinned!  This film is hailed as the most thoughtful torture-porn made today…and I should add that for this particular film, I don’t like the term “torture-porn” as it seems to detract from the very deep tone set in this film.

Hatchet (2006)

Hatchet was such a deliciously gross farce.  Every effort was made to maximize the laughs and the gore.

Saw (2004)

Remember that moment when you realized what would happen when the timer hit zero?  Terror and chest tingles!  Her eyes tell the story of what my mind felt when we were introduced to the mania of the Saw franchise.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

The cameraman was definitely doing his job here behind the behind of the lovely Jessica Biel.  This same type of shot can be enjoyed in Texas Chainsaw 3D with Tania Raymonde’s butt-cam and the 1974 original version, when this type of horror-centric shot seemed to really premiere in popularity.  A good rule to live by is that if you see a rundown house in the middle of nowhere with a really nice butt in the foreground, don’t go in!  The inhabitants will almost certainly want to eat you and wear your skin.

The Ring (2002)

Remember when Samara got really, really close to the TV screen while they were watching the video?  Wasn’t it freaky as HELL when she put her hands through it and started crawling on the floor with her evil Japanese-girl-hair-in-the-face thing going on?  So creepy!

28 Days Later (2002)

You wake up in the hospital and don’t know how you got there or what’s wrong with you, the city seems deserted as if The Rapture took everyone to Heaven except for you, and…oh right, the dead are walking–slash that–RUNNING after you ravenously while on FIRE!  Yeah, I’d say 28 Days Later it was a pretty bad day.

Ginger Snaps (2000)

A coming of age scene in a coming of age horror story.  This came out when I was 19 years old.  I remember thinking she was both weird looking and yet strangely sexy in her pre-wolf lycanthropic state.

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Hope you enjoyed some of my favorite mania-feeding moments.

Please read on to 15 Images for 15 Years of Horror: Part 2: The Good, the Bad and the Hilarious.