Loyal readers of this blog will no doubt remember the Hound’s list of Ten Truly Underrated Horror Films. That list got us thinking here at the MovieRetriever.com offices (which we do from time to time – contrary to what some of you may think) about films that get maybe a bit too much attention. So, we set out to draw up a list of ten films we think are just a bit overrated. Don’t get us wrong, many of these movies are some of our all-time favorites (believe us, you’ll know when they’re not), we’re just pointing out that sometimes when everyone tells you how great a movie is or when it becomes part of the pop culture lexicon and is crammed down your throat day after day after day it starts to lose some of what made it cool in the first place. You may disagree with some of the films at first glance, but hopefully, our reasoning makes a bit more sense as you read on. So, please sit back and enjoy MovieRetriever’s picks for ten unbelievably overrated horror movies:

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1. Hellraiser (1987)

The directorial debut of horror novelist Clive Barker has often been singled out as one of the most original horror films of the last thirty years. But is there really anything more to this story of sadomasochistic torture than just that? The story has little in the way of actual drama or thrills and once the shock value of all the gore dissipates after an initial viewing, there’s just nothing to get scared by. Sure, one could say the concept of the Cenobites is inventive but one could also put a really spiffy looking door on an outhouse (it still wouldn’t change what you’ll find inside).

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2. The Shining (1980)

While some may consider it sacrilege to claim that any Stanley Kubrick film is overrated, this loose adaptation of the Stephen King novel is a prime example of a mediocre film getting by on its director’s name. Arguably, not one of Kubrick’s best efforts to begin with, the only reason to go back to The Shining again is the maniacal performance of Jack Nicholson (and even that comes on a bit strong a little too quickly). Other than the oft-quoted Jack and a few stunning bits of cinematography, there’s not really anything to justify the horror masterwork label given this film by some.

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 3. Re-Animator (1984)

While Stuart Gordon’s camp-classic may be considered a must have on many top horror film lists, it’s simply popular for the gore-factor. Loosely based on a story by H.P. Lovecraft, it’s the tale of a, well, mad scientist who develops some sort of green goo that can reanimate the dead. Of course, resurrected corpses are notorious for their poor listening skills and all hell eventually breaks loose. There’s even a graphic sex scene between the heroine and a decapitated head. High art? Not really, it’s just gory for the sake of being gory and that makes us wonder if it deserves all of the love it gets as a “classic.” Gordon has gone on to do some really suspenseful work (see the recent Stuck) but none of that talent is evident here.

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4. Friday the 13^th (1980)

While this rip-off of the far superior Halloween (1978) did give the world the character of Jason Voorhees and his trademark hockey mask (though he didn’t show up until the very end of the first film and the mask doesn’t appear until much later films in the series), it’s little more than a sophomoric version of things done better and more effectively in other films. As a cultural phenomenon, the entire series is a sad comment on that state of our culture. Had the series stopped after the first or second entry (it’s currently at 10 – unless you feel the need to include Freddy vs. Jason), it might be looked at as the best of the Halloween clones, but the cult following that has grown up around the franchise and character of Jason leaves one wanting for more substance and less of whatever it is these films provide.

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5. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

By now, every horror fan knows the story of the little film that could. Made for just over $20,000, the film was picked up at the Sundance Film Festival and went on to gross over $240 million worldwide. Don’t get us wrong, the novelty of the story of found 16mm footage chronicling a failed film project is on initial viewing, wildly effective and entertaining (heck, who doesn’t dream of getting this lucky with their creative pursuits). But, like your first kiss, it’s not all that special the second or third time around. Let’s not even think about, let alone acknowledge, the sequel Book of Shadows (2000).

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6. The Sixth Sense (1999)

M. Night Shyamalan’s moody film about a boy who can “see dead people” features fine performances from Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, and Haley Joel Osment and some fairly creative camera work. But, without the now-famous “twist” ending (which has since become the director’s trademark), the film is not memorable in the slightest. In fact, if you ask anyone about it, the ending is probably the first thing they’ll mention. They may say something like “Oh my gosh…could you believe that Bruce Willis was actually dead the whole time?” and then follow with talk of how it’s so easy to figure out if you noticed all of the clues. You know, the ones they saw but didn’t say anything about because they didn’t want to give anything away. Blah blah blah. It’s a decent little thriller that became more than that because of the over-hyped ending. That’s it, pure and simple. Plus, M. Night’s entire career demands reevaluation after the abysmal mess of The Happening.

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7. The Birds (1963)

Hot off the success of Psycho (1960), Alfred Hitchcock attempted to shock audiences with a tale of nature run amuck. While it may have been little more than B movie drivel in the hands of a lesser filmmaker (we’re talking to you M. Night!), it still pales in comparison to Hitchcock’s other work and is a harbinger of the things to come in his final years as a filmmaker. The film’s enduring mystique is undoubtedly built on the Hitchcock name and that is its cross to bear.

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8. Scream (1996)

Wes Craven gave new life to the slasher genre (one he originally helped create) by poking fun at the conventions of the genre. Apart from introducing millions of teenage boys to the wonders of Neve Campbell, the film was able to give the horror oeuvre a touch of humor that had been missing (and would soon be replaced by the torture films of the new millennium). But, with two increasingly ridiculous sequels, the series quickly turned into the very thing it was lampooning in the first place (in an example of supreme irony, the series inspired the Scary Movie franchise). For this reason, it’s difficult to ever look at the initial film in the trilogy as it was originally intended.

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9. Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Those responsible for this hyper-kinetic remake of the 1978 George Romero classic should send the makers of the far superior 28 Days Later (which was released two years earlier) a gift basket and apologize for ripping them off to every time they get a royalty check. By aping the new-look 28 Days Later zombies, the filmmakers eschewed the slower character studies which were the chief concern of Romero’s film for a gorier, less thoughtful film. Often called a modern horror masterpiece, this just doesn’t measure up to anything before it.

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10. Grindhouse (2007)

Conceived of as a tribute to exploitation films by directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, this “double-feature” (which includes Tarantino’s Death Proof and Rodriguez’s Planet Terror) is more self-indulgent than entertaining. Rodriguez’s zombie-movie entry embraces the tone of the project a bit better than Tarantino’s fetish-driven ode to car chases and women’s feet, but the whole affair is overly long and plodding and undeserving of the cult-status it has achieved.

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