Tags: Benedict Wong, Charlize Theron, Damon Lindelof, Emun Elliott, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Kate Dickie, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Rafe Spall, Ridley Scott, Sean Harris, Prometheus, Science Fiction Horror

It’s no mystery that I am more excited for Prometheus than any normal human being should be. With that in mind, it’s a delight that the film will be released in just a week here in the Netherlands (May 31^st) and soon after in the UK (June 1^st) and US (June 8^th). In honor of Ridley Scott’s return to the realm of science fiction horror after a 33 year hiatus, I’ve put together my top ten films of the sci-fi horror genre.

Before we begin, here’s a quick synopsis of what to expect with Prometheus:

Ridley Scott, director of 'Alien' and 'Blade Runner,' returns to the genre he helped define. With PROMETHEUS, he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle
to save the future of the human race.

Now on to the list!

I’d like to start things off by being clear on what I feel qualifies as “science fiction horror”. That’s a pretty specific yet vague term. As such, I have set one bit of criteria for the films on this list: they have to have a scientist in them at some point. That’s it. That said, here’s my top ten, starting with…

10. The Invisible Man (1933)

The oldest addition to this list, The Invisible Man was a cornerstone in the science fiction genre. The H.G. Wells story centers on a scientist (Claude Rains) who discovers the secret to turning one’s self invisible. Unfortunately, the scientist is unable to reverse the effects of his serum and slowly goes mad as a result of his alienation with the outside world. What makes this film so influential in the sci-fi horror genre is the depiction of a desperate man succumbing to his inner demons and acting on his darkest desires. If it weren’t for Claude Rains’ phenomenal portrayal of the film’s protagonist/antagonist, The Invisible Man would be just another science fiction story amongst countless others. Luckily, Universal lucked out with having Rains take the helm and develop a truly tortured character for us to cheer and revile all at the same time.

This is a story of knowledge versus society where, ultimately, society wins.

9. Pontypool (2008)

Hailing from Ontario, Canada comes this highly inventive and deeply unsettling film. The concept of Pontypool is its selling point, and what a cool concept it is. The story’s premise is simple (if, albeit, a bit silly): a small town in Ontario is overrun by a virus that causes the infected to hunt down and slaughter the uninfected. It’s been done to death (if you’ll pardon the pun), but not quite like this. You see, the coolest part of Pontypool, apart from Grant Mazzy’s (Stephen McHattie) too-cool-for-school-smooth-as-butter voice, is that most of the action takes place offscreen.

Set in a local radio station, Pontypool relies on delivering scares through graphic descriptions via phone and internet sources. It’s the descriptive nature of the carnage, coupled with Mazzy’s rockin voice, that make Pontypool an intriguing and truly spine-tingling film.

8. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

If The Invisible Man is one of the grandparents of science fiction horror (Frankenstein being the other), Night of the Living Dead is the genre’s abusive mother. The film, made during the height of the Vietnam War, was both topical and terrifying in its day. Oh, who am I kidding? The film still holds up today!

Upon first viewings, Night of the Living Dead still manages to captivate and terrorize its audience through George A. Romero’s masterfully in-your-face approach to a society eating itself alive…literally. The black and white image does little to take away from the graphic violence presented on the screen. In fact, it does quite the opposite by making the audience use their imagination to really get a feel of the carnage they’re witnessing. This is Romero’s Magnus Opus and it set the bar for all science fiction horror films afterwards.

7. Sunshine (2007)

More science fiction than horror, Sunshine is the story of a team of scientists and astronauts who are delivering an atomic bomb to jump start the dying Sun. Unfortunately, the crew come across unforeseen obstacles along the way ad eventually find themselves in a deadly game of cat and mouse. That’s where the horror of the story comes into play. Danny Boyle has crafted a brilliant looking film with a phenomenal cast (including Cillian Murphy’s eyes). The pace lags a bit in some parts, but it’s all for the high-octane third act.

Mark Strong’s Pinbacker is a perfectly creepy depiction of a religious zealot taking matters into his own hands. Mix this up with some deeply disturbing subliminal shots and the awe-inspiring score by John Murphy, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a frightfully good time.

6. Event Horizon (1997)

There’s a lot of hate aimed at this film, but I quite enjoyed it. Paul Anderson, now famous for his Resident Evil films (and for being Mr. Milla Jovovich), served us all this little morsel back in 1997 and it fits the time period well. Sure the graphics are a bit dated. Sure the story sort of unravels around the end. Sure the odor of cinematic cheese can be smelled throughout.

So what? This is the mid-90s we’re talking about. For every Terminator 2 there was a Mac & Me. Event Horizon manages to balance between the two, resulting in a pretty darn entertaining film. In fact, it’s even hard to believe with some of the more gruesome sequences that this film was directed by the same guy who recently gave us The Three Musketeers. Sam Neil is great. Laurence Fishbourne is great. And, the Event Horizon is a delightfully hellish ship.

5. Re-Animator (1985)

Take one part Weird Science, one part Night of the Living Dead, and one part H.P. Lovecraft. Mix them together, and you have Re-Animator. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if Re-Animator is “so bad it’s good”, “so gross it’s funny”, or “so funny it’s scary”. My opinion?

All of the above.

Re-Animator is a fantastic little romp through 1980s humor, horror, and bat shit crazy antics. Loosely based off of H.P. Lovecraft’s “Herbert West – Re-Animator”, the film is just as much fun as it is disgusting. Jeffrey Combs’ portrayal of Herbert West is a delight throughout, and the gore is enough to please any horror fan.

P.S. Be on the lookout for some awesome references to other films in the horror genre!

4. 28 Days Later (2002)

Danny Boyle rears his twisted head for the second time in this list. Where Sunshine was more science fiction than horror, 28 Days Later is more horror than science fiction. But, hey…it has a scientist in it at some point. That’s good enough for me.

Boyle’s approach the zombie epidemic is both fresh and brutal. The camera work is as gritty as the film’s plot, which surrounds a group of average citizens in the UK (also starring Cillian Murphy’s eyes) as they try to evade the hordes that are infected with “rage”. The pace varies throughout, keeping a sense of tension that could cut through steel like butter. Bravo Mr. Boyle, bravo!

3. The Fly (1986)

Now things are getting serious…deadly serious. David Cronenberg’s The Fly is the perfect example of how a remake should be implemented. Same story…different approach. Cronenberg took the classic, made famous by Vincent Price, and pulped it up in a bloody blender. Everything is done better in this film. Even Jeff Goldblum actually manages to give Vincent Price a run for his money where the portrayal of “tortured scientist” is concerned. And let us not forget the magnificently excruciating “Brundle-fly” scene.

From the suspense to the drama; from the tone to the intense visual effects; The Fly is one of the most innovative horror films of the 1980s.

Speaking of innovation…

2. The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter’s classic tale of paranoia and bodily horror is as scary today as it was in 1982. I’ll admit that I hadn’t seen this film until about a year ago, and I cursed myself for neglecting myself with this masterpiece. The Thing is a deeply disturbing film based on the very basic human fear of everyone else around us. Carpenter took the wonderful premise from 1951’s “The Thing From Another World” and injected it with nightmares (blood test scene anyone?).

The practical effects used in this film alone are enough to warrant it such a high position on this list. The monster designs were (and still are) spine-tingling and disgusting. Toss in an excellent film score from composer Ennio Morricone and career-defining performances from Kurt Russel and Keith David, and The Thing is easily one of the best things to come out the horror genre (let alone science fiction horror).

1. Alien (1979)

As if you didn’t see this coming? Maybe it’s the fact that Prometheus has me excited beyond or words. Or maybe it’s just an honest position.[1] In any case, I think Ridley Scott’s original “haunted house in space” is by far the best-crafted and most terrifying film in the science fiction horror genre.

It’s not just one or two things that stand out to make Alien such a memorable film. It’s the collection of details put together as a whole that makes the film so potent. Ridley Scott’s almost drill sergeant approach to directing is clear throughout as every single frame of the film has his signature seemingly written all over it. Scott put together the perfect cast for the right roles (spearheading Sigourney Weaver’s soon-to-be prosperous film career in the process); hired the right artist to designs the film’s signature creatures (Mr. Giger, my therapist thanks you for the continuous sessions); and got the perfect composer to make the right musical score to accompany the horrific events that unfold over the course of the film (even if Mr. Goldsmith wasn’t exactly pleased with the way his music was edited for the screen).

Alien is a true slow burning film, but it’s that slow burn that makes it so effective. From the moment the computers spring to life after catching the distress signal, there is a sense of dread that drives the film forward. With possibly the most famous shocks in a horror film (next to The Exorcist), Alien serves as an example for the standards all science fiction horror films should strive.

Which leads to the big question: Can Ridley Scott do it again? Will Prometheus be able to knock The Thing down a notch and take the number 2 spot (it will never surpass Alien, the first is always best folks)? The short answer is: probably not. I expect that Scott has delivered yet another film to be talked about for ages, but I just can’t imagine him being able to repeat the success of Alien. Perhaps I’m wrong. I’ll just have to wait until May 31^st (here in Holland) to find out.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know about any films I’ve overlooked or missed. Leave a comment or toss us a shout out on Facebook and/or Twitter!

Tags: Benedict Wong, Charlize Theron, Damon Lindelof, Emun Elliott, Guy Pearce, haunting horror films, Hollywood Treasures, Idris Elba, Kate Dickie, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Ridley Scott, Best of, Chandler Bullock, horror remakes, John Carpenter, Prometheus, Science Fiction Horror

For months now the speculation over the rating for Ridley Scott’s (Alien, Blade Runner) newest foray into the sci-fi genre, Prometheus, has been churning like a tidal wave. Well, after 5 trailers for the film, the wait is finally over.

Before we dive into the film’s rating, here’s a quick synopsis to get idea of what to expect:

Ridley Scott, director of “Alien” and “Blade Runner,” returns to the genre he helped define. With PROMETHEUS, he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

After a myriad of reports concerning a pre-sale ticket, Collider.com got the skinny and confirmed the film’s rating after being approached by a 20^th Century Fox executive. Well, if that all sounds a bit suspect, earlier today a new TV spot for the film aired, revealing that Prometheus is indeed rated R in the US. According to Collider’s info, the film is rated R for “sci-fi violence including some intense images, and brief language.”

For all you gore hounds out there, don’t get too excited just yet, though. Earlier today the Facebook account for Prometheus Movie UK confirmed that the film will be receiving a certificate 15 rating in the UK. For those not in the know, the UK use an age labeling system for their ratings. Your standard gory R-rated flick will usually garnish a harsh certificate 18 rating in the UK. 15 is more commonly associated with “soft” R flicks lacking in anything too extreme. So, don’t go into the film expecting buckets of blood to splash your 3D glasses.

Keeping in mind that the Alien films, with which Prometheus is related, were in their own right “soft” R films, I have no doubt that Prometheus will deliver the scares and overall atmosphere we all desire.

Excited by this news? Have complaints? Let your voice be heard in our comments section and/or on Facebook and Twitter (@horrorfix)!

Prometheus will be released June 8^th in the US and June 1^st in the UK.

Tags: Benedict Wong, Charlize Theron, Damon Lindelof, Emun Elliott, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Kate Dickie, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Ridley Scott, Prometheus

Since December, the world has been all a buzz about Ridley Scott’s return to science fiction, Prometheus.

Synopsis: Ridley Scott, director of “Alien” and “Blade Runner,” returns to the genre he helped define. With PROMETHEUS, he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

 For the last few months there has been debate over what rating the film will receive (R or PG-13), but after the latest trailer—which premiered Sunday evening on Channel 4 in the UK—that became a completely moot point. Despite the film’s eventual rating, it’s clear that Scott has crafted a fitting “prequel” to Alien where tone and scares are concerned. But, don’t take my word for it. Check out the trailer for yourself:

Was that crazy or what? The film’s previous trailers and online viral campaign have brought on a lot of excitement amongst sci-fi and horror fans alike, but this latest trailer is certainly the icing on the cake.

Agree? Disagree? Give us a shout in the comments section and have your voice heard!

Prometheus opens June 8^th in the US and June 1^st in the UK.

Starring: Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Logan Marshall-Green, Sean Harris, Rafe Spall, Emun Elliott, Benedict Wong, and Kate Dickie. Written by Damon Lindelof. Directed by Ridley Scott.

Tags: Benedict Wong, Charlize Theron, Damon Lindelof, Emun Elliott, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Kate Dickie, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Rafe Spall, Ridley Scott, Sean Harris, Prometheus