Top 10 Breaking Bad Moments

Three years ago one of the greatest, most well-written television shows wrapped up for good as AMC's Breaking Bad came to an end. The show followed the journey of former chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston) from humble family man to ruthless drug lord when he turns to cooking meth to fund his cancer treatment. The show is undoubtedly one of the most iconic pieces of television of the decade and its fanbase has only grown vaster since it came to an end three years ago, it was clever, it was violent and it overflowed with suspense. The show contained numerous memorable moments that left audiences on the edges of their seats with mouths wide open in awe, the following list is my choices for my ten favourite moments of the show. Needless to say if you haven't finished the show yet there are spoilers ahead.

10. Say My Name

Like many great shows, Breaking Bad was filled with memorable quotes that have become plastered over merch everywhere since, one of the most iconic of these being 'say my name'. In season five Walt had made his way to the top after taking out former crime boss Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), now nothing could stand in his way. When his accomplice Mike (Jonathan Banks) decides to retire, Walt looks for somebody to take over his role which he finds in the form of a group of dealers led by a man called Declan (Lois Ferreira). Once the dealers agree to take up Mike's end, Walt begins to taunt them by letting them know who's boss, requesting that Declan say his name. When the nervous dealer finally acknowledges Walt as Heisenberg, he responds by saying 'you're goddamn right'. I think this is a brilliant scene, Walt is finally at the top and unopposed so he decides to assert his dominance over the group of dealers. It is a prime example of how really nasty Walt gets with his growing power and one of his most badass moments on the show. You can watch that moment here.

9. Car Park Ambush

Throughout the third season of Breaking Bad a pair of formidable twins (Daniel and Luis Moncada) made their way to Albuquerque with one goal, to kill Walter White. They were seeking vengeance on Walt as they believed that his betrayal of their cousin Tuco Salamanca (Raymond Cruz) led to his death, they almost had their revenge and everything until they were stopped by Gus Fring. Fring knew that Walt was a valuable asset and instead told the twins that Tuco's killer was in fact Walt's brother-in-law Hank, this prompted them to go after him instead. What followed was an extremely intense scene where the twins attempted to kill Hank in a car park, luckily Hank managed to crush one with his car first before shooting the other in the head, narrowly escaping his axe. It is an incredibly suspenseful scene as we watch Hank fight for survival against these two terminator-esque foes who are seemingly unstoppable and when Hank finally delivers that final shot a long sigh of relief was breathed. Truly intense stuff which you can witness here.

8. Jane's Death

Season two saw the introduction of Jane Margolis (Krysten Ritter), the landlord turned love interest of Walt's partner in crime Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul). Jane was fiery and strong-willed and her and Jesse got on like a house on fire, however for Walt she proved quite the problem. Not only did she get Jesse hooked on heroin which resulted in Walt almost missing a deal with Gus Fring but she even went as far as blackmailing him so that he would give Jesse his share of the deal. Walt heads to Jesse and Jane's apartment to reconcile however when he moves her to shake Jesse awake she begins to overdose and choke on her own vomit while Walt simply stands and watches it happen. It is a truly harrowing scene as we see Walt's manipulative and cunning nature surfacing, it also acts as a defining moment of season two as it sparked off several other events such as Mike's introduction and the infamous plane crash. What makes it most distressing however, is the fact that Jesse was completely unaware of Walt's presence at the time and remained unaware right up until season five. You can watch that scene here.

7. I Am The Danger

Another brilliant Walter White quote this time directed at his nagging wife Skyler (Anna Gunn). There was always tension between Walt and Skyler, especially when he finally began to crawl from beneath her thumb and gain a new sense of independence. In the sixth episode of season four Skyler once again tries to push Walt to do what she believes to be the right thing, going to the police, which is something Walt clearly disagrees with. She believes that her family is in danger and that going to the police would be the best option, however Walt soon snaps and shoots down her statements by assuring her that they are not in danger because he is the danger. He goes on to say that when someone opens their door and gets shot that he is the one who knocks, these statements leave Skyler speechless for once as Walt has finally managed to assert his dominance. It is a great scene for Walt, he takes a stand against his domineering wife and assures her that he is the biggest and most ruthless power in the meth industry, something that leaves Skyler with a lot to think about. You can see that iconic scene here.

6. Machine Gun-Car

The final episode of Breaking Bad was one of the best possible ways to finish up the show, it saw Walt tying up all of his loose ends before exacting revenge on vicious neo-Nazi Jack (Michael Bowen) in preparation for his inevitable death. In order to eliminate Jack and his men, Walt fitted a machine gun to his car which he then turned on via remote control during negotiations with them. What resulted was a catharsis of violence and gunshot as the gang of neo-Nazis get pumped full of lead relentlessly, Walt then shoots Jack with his own gun and frees Jesse who had been kept by the gang as a prisoner. It was an explosive and satisfying final confrontation for Walt which ended with himself and Jesse making amends before parting ways for good. It was essentially Walt tying up his final loose ends before embracing his impending death, an action packed sequence that you can watch again and again here.

5. Hank's Death

As a DEA agent, Hank Schrader found himself clashing with Heisenberg quite a lot, unaware that the mysterious cook was in fact Walt. After eventually finding out and apprehending Walt in the desert it looked as though Hank had finally closed that case for good, that was until Jack and his gang of neo-Nazi's arrived on the scene. In the thirteenth episode of the fifth season the final scene sees a gunfight breaking out between Hank and his partner Gomez (Steven Michael Quezada) and Jack's gang, one that's aftermath is shown in the next episode. With Gomez dead and Hank severely injured things did not look too good for him, although Walt pleaded with Jack to spare Hank's life, the DEA agent knew that he could not escape this one. In one of the shows most powerful scenes, Hank accepts his fate and refuses to beg for mercy knowing that Jack had already made up his mind, something which he tells Walt before abruptly being shot. It was a truly harrowing scene as Hank was such a major character, it leaves a heavy emotional impact on the characters and audience alike. You can watch that harrowing scene here.

4. Train Heist

Not exactly a scene, moreso the guts of an entire episode, the train heist takes place during season five and sees Walt, Jesse and Todd (Jesse Plemons) attempting to rob a train of its methylamine. It is a nailbiting sequence that is so clever and elaborate that it left me sweating with anticipation, not only did the trio have to drain the methylamine from the train but also simultaneously pump it full of water to keep its weight consistent. Things begin well until the train begins to move earlier than expected which placed the whole operation in jeopardy. Despite being told to stop the operation Walt pushes on, risking the lives of both Jesse and Todd, however the trio ultimately get what they came for before the train begins moving again. A truly remarkable sequence like something straight out of a film, it is not only one of season five's most well-written moments but also one of Walt's biggest risks as he puts his partners' lives on the line for the sake of their mission. You can view the fantastic train heist here.

3. Gus Kills the Cartel

Speaking of elaborate moments, the following, for me was one of the highlights of the shows fourth season and sees crime boss Gustavo Fring taking his revenge on the Mexican Cartel. It was previously shown that Gus held resentment towards the Cartel's leader Don Eladio (Steven Bauer) after he killed his business partner years beforehand. Fring arrives at Eladio's villa with Jesse and Mike and for a while it looks as though he has forgiven Eladio, presenting him with a bottle of tequila from which he and his capos proceed to drink along with Gus. However it is soon revealed that the tequila was poisoned as Gus forces himself to vomit it back up, all of the capos and Don Eladio soon succumb to the poison and die thus granting Gus his revenge. Not only was this scene a clever one but it was just so cool, seeing Gus being as calm and collected as ever despite the circumstances really made his character stand out among the rest and it is one of his finest moments in the show. Although he was a bad guy, it was satisfying seeing Gus finally get justice for his partner killed by the Cartel. For me it was one of the coolest scenes on the show and you can watch it in all its glory here.

2. The Prison Massacre

Taking place in season five's midseason finale, the prison massacre sequence is one of the most brutal moments of the show and definitely one of the most memorable ones. After Mike's death, Walt orchestrates a plan to assassinate his nine henchmen and their lawyer simultaneously in three different prisons in the space of two minutes. An ambitious scheme, Walt enlisted the help of Jack who had contacts in the prisons who could carry out the assassinations in the given time and as the clock begins to tick the body count rises in a montage of ultraviolence. There is stabbing, throwing and even burning alive as the ten lives are slowly whittled down to zero and as the chaos ensues in the prisons Walt simply waits in the comfort of his own home. This explosion of violence and mayhem was truly one of Walt's most ruthless schemes and he organised it all without having to kill anybody himself, the juxtaposition of the violent imagery with the music of Nat King Cole playing over it also worked nicely. You can watch the fantastic prison massacre here.

1. Hank Finds Out

My favourite moment from Breaking Bad is not some clever operation or a violent showdown, in fact it has no action at all. However, this scene acts as one of the shows most pivotal turning points and as it was placed at the end of the midseason finale the impact was only enhanced. Earlier in the show Hank found a lead to the identity of Heisenberg in the notes of Walt's former partner Gale (David Costabile) where the initials 'W.W.'were written. He jokingly accused Walt of being W.W. which they both proceeded to laugh about. However, later in season five while Hank is in Walt's bathroom he flicks through the pages of a Walt Whitman book given to Walt as a present from Gale, it is then when he finds Gale's message inside referring to Walt as W.W. After seeing this, Hank finally puts two and two together and realises that Heisenberg had been hiding under his nose the whole time. It is one of the greatest cliffhangers in television history and marked a pivotal turning point in both the show and the relationship between Hank and Walt. Hanks expression of realisation is one that will remain with audiences forever. You can watch that scene here.

So those were just my top ten favourite moments from the show, there are tons of other brilliant scenes in Breaking Bad but these were my personal favourites. If you have a favourite moment from the show let me know in the comments, other than that thank you for reading!

Thoughts on the Universal monster movie reboots

At the beginning of the 1930's, Universal studios helped to bring horror films into the mainstream. Their early talkie horror films included the likes of Dracula and Frankenstein and have went on to influence countless later films and other forms of media. These early monster movies are extremely significant in the history of cinema as, in some ways, they are what set the standard for horror cinema both thematically and stylistically, they also introduced some true legends of the genre such as Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney Jr. Recently it has been announced that Universal plan to reboot these classic films in a Marvel style shared cinematic universe, which sounds great on paper. However, whether this is a success or not all depends on the execution and how the final productions turn out. Production has already begun on The Mummy with Kingsman actor Sofia Boutella attached as the eponymous mummy and Tom Cruise as the protagonist while Johnny Depp seems like the top contender to play the invisible man in his own film, but what about the rest? Who will be the next person to don Dracula's cape or transform into the Wolfman when the moon is full? These are my thougts.

Dracula

Universal already gave us a Dracula reboot of sorts in Dracula Untold which was a dreadful film in both its portrayal of Dracula and its historical accuracy. Although Luke Evans is a good actor, the role was written to be a protagonist and I think if Dracula is to be rebooted the character needs to be as sinister as ever. First of all I think the perfect director for a Dracula reboot would be Robert Eggers, if he could bring that suspenseful atmosphere from The Witch to a film about Dracula then I think it could work really well. Secondly, I think Mads Mikkelsen would be fantastic as the titular vampire. If Hannibal has thought us anything it is that Mikkelsen has this very strong presence onscreen, he played a character who held a unique blend of sophistication and animalistic violence which is something that he could bring to Count Dracula that could work really well. As for his arch nemesis Abraham Van Helsing, I think Christoph Waltz would be a very interesting choice. The Austrian actor has given many memorable performances throughout his career and seeing him in the role of the devout vampire hunter facing off against Mikkelsens Dracula would be a sight to behold. Other casting choices that I would like to see in a Dracula reboot are Domhnall Gleeson as Johnathan Harker, Janet Montgomery as his fiance Mina Murray and Iwan Rheon as Reinfield. There is still an extensive ensemble cast to be filled depending on whether the film follows the novel or stage production like the 1931 version, or who knows, Universal may take an entirely different route.

Frankenstein

One director who has previously expressed interest in making a Frankenstein adaptation is Guillermo Del Toro and personally, I can think of no better man for the job. Del Toro has a very unique visual style that I think would suit a Frankenstein film down to a T, along with this the Mexican director has a penchant for designing memorable and grotesque monsters which is something that he could incorporate into the creature design. As for the creature himself, it would only be right that if Del Toro was directing then frequent collaborator Doug Jones would be cast in that role. Jones has appeared in almost all of Del Toro's films and is usually unrecognisable under the layers of makeup he wears, he has played the likes of Abe Sapien in Hellboy and Hellboy 2 and both the Faun and the Pale man in Pan's Labyrinth. His expressive face and memorable features make him a big contender for the role of the monster. As for Dr. Frankenstein himself I think that Benedict Cumberbatch would excel in the role, he has already played both Dr. Frankenstein and the monster in Danny Boyle's stage adaptation and his performance would undoubtedly be powerful enough to match that of Colin Clive's. David Tennant would be a great choice for the hunchbacked assistant (his performance in The Goblet of Fire is proof enough) while Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer could play Elizabeth. 

The Wolfman

After watching his film The Hallow, I think that Corin Hardy would be the director for the job when bringing The Wolfman back to the big screen. Along with being favourable towards practical effects, he has a relatively small filmography so directing such a big film as The Wolfman could really help to further his career. As for the Wolfman himself, Lawrence Talbot, I think Tom Hardy would be perfect for the role. Hardy is known for playing characters who are wild an unhinged while maintaining a certain level of depth and that is basically what the Wolfman is, a man struggling between his humanity and the beast inside. Hardy would certainly give one of his best performances yet. As for Talbot's stern father, Sir. John, I think Charles Dance could channel some of that inner Tywin Lannister from Game of Thrones to portray that strict father figure. Jenna Coleman of Doctor Who fame would be a good choice for Talbot's love interest Gwen, she is a character who entices Talbot from the beginning and Coleman is no stranger when it comes to playing strong female characters. The film was remade about 6 years ago with Benicio Del Toro in the lead and although it was praised for its creature effects, it was criticized for being a bit boring. Perhaps if Corin Hardy were to direct this he could make is just as suspenseful and chilling as The Hallow was.

The Creature From the Black Lagoon

This is one of the few films on this list that would work well in a contemporary setting and if there was one director who could really capture the beauty of the Amazon rainforest while providing suspense and scares it is Cary Fukunaga. The director is known for his distinct visual style as seen in the likes of True Detective and Sin Nombre where he really managed to capture the beautiful settings and use them as backdrops for the thrilling stories. True Detective star Matthew McConaughey would be a great choice for the male lead Dr. Reed while Scarlett Johansson could play his collegue and love interest Dr. Kay Thompson. Other members of the expedition include fellow scientists Carl Maia and Mark Williams who could be portrayed by Javier Bardem and Idris Elba respectively. As for the creature itself I think a full CGI gill man would be a bad choice, in order to avoid the rubbery look of the original they could even use a combination of CGI and practical effects. Then of course there is the motion capture route and in that case give Andy Serkis a call. I like to think that if the film was remade it could be a Prometheus-esque horrific adventure film, something like Alien in the Amazon. It could act as an opportunity to make the gill man a more serious and menacing baddie as opposed to the original rubbery one.

The Bride of Frankenstein

Assuming it would be a sequel to Del Toro's Frankenstein it would contain the cast members in their respective roles from that film while adding a couple more. First of all the bride herself, Universal had expressed interest in Angelina Jolie directing this one and that would be an excellent decision in my opinion, she could also star as the bride if she wished as I believe she could bring a level of depth to the character, something she lacked in the original. Another important role from the original is Dr. Frankenstein's former mentor Doctor Pretorious, a camp character who was implied to be homosexual, I think openly gay actor Ian McKellen would do wonders with the role. One thing I would love to see in this film is more background for the bride, where did she come from? Who was she in life? I also would like to see her on screen more as opposed to the few minutes of screen time she had in the original. If Jolie chooses to remain behind the camera for this one then perhaps Rooney Mara could even take on the role, the bride is a character who I feel needs much more attention.

So those are my thoughts, I am curious to see if any of this does end up happening and if not, how will Universal go about these films. If Dracula Untold was in fact the first of these and the rest of the films will be similar to that then I cannot see things going well. The original monster movies are milestones in cinema, they are films that deserve a certain amount of care and respect when being rebooted and if Universal are just going to throw out any old CGI-filled fantasy film then they should be ashamed. It will be interesting to see how these films do turn out and I look forward to seeing them all, I like to think that they will be handled with care and executed well but these days it is easy to just spew out anything that will rake in profit. Only time will tell how these films turn out.

10 Most Influential Horror Films of All Time

Every once in a while there is a film, a film that stands out among the rest, a film that can have a profound impact on the viewer and even help to shape a genre. Films like these have gone down in cinematic history for being extremely influential to their genre, to fellow filmmakers and even to fans, they hold a special place in history and in the hearts of many cinemagoers. Horror is one of my favourite genres and over the years there have been countless horror films that not only influenced the genre, but cinema itself. Groundbreaking films that pushed boundaries and paved the way for films in the future. So without further ado I present to you my pick for the top 10 most influential horror films of all time, I must stress this is not a list of the scariest films ever, but horror films that helped to shape the genre over the years and that I find to be influential.

10. Scream (Wes Craven, 1996)

Wes Craven had already become an established horror filmmaker by the nineties, known for the likes of A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Hills Have Eyes Craven was a big name in horror cinema. The 80's had seen a large number of slasher films released across the decade but after the transition into the nineties the subgenre had apparently died out. Then came along Mr. Craven with his 1996 meta-horror Scream, a film which I feel brought the slasher film into the modern age. The film was a tongue in cheek look at slasher films, it almost dissected the genre by pointing out the general formula and 'rules' to slasher movies. I feel like Scream made the horror genre very self-aware, it showed that it was possible to poke fun at the conventions of horror cinema without being a full blown comedy, yes despite being a bit of a parody at heart, Scream was still pretty thrilling. It helped to revive teen slasher films for a new generation, being followed by similar films such as I Know What You Did Last Summer while also inspiring more tongue in cheek horror flicks such as Bride of Chucky. 

9. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)

Working with a low budget in filmmaking can either go one way or the other, one way being horribly and the other being surprisingly refreshing. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre falls into the latter category, filming on a budget of under $30,000 Tobe Hooper managed to bring us one of the most controversial and refreshing horror films of its time. The film was highly criticized for its violent and unsavory content such as cannibalism and torture, by today's standards the violence is pretty minimal but that does not make it any less shocking. The film is a heart-racing thrill ride from start to finish and its grimy aesthetic makes it all the more unnerving, Hooper showed us that even with a minimal budget one can still deliver a truly shocking film. Along with Hooper making the most of his budget, the film is a prime example of the intersection of horror and the arthouse, it is an indie masterpiece that is as beautifully shot as it is exhilarating. The film is not only influential to the horror genre but to indie filmmakers everywhere.

8. Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)

In 1979, Ridley Scott gave us what is perhaps the most terrifying sci-fi film of all time, Alien. It took a well known formula of a crew fending off an alien creature aboard their spaceship but used heavy elements of horror to create a truly nail biting experience. The film plays on the themes of isolation and the uncertainty of space as we follow Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) as she fights for her life against the deadly Xenomorph, never had space seemed so horrifying until this film. It is known for being one of the many horror films to have a strong female lead, Weavers performance as Ripley is phenomenal and has gone on to influence countless action heroines of today. Alien is quite possibly one of the most suspenseful horror films ever and I have yet to see something that truly matches its levels of intensity (The Thing and The Witch have come extremely close), not only that but it spawned a number of sequels, spin-offs and other media making it one of the most successful horror franchises ever. Alien is what helped to incorporate sci-fi into the horror genre without being too corny or camp.

7. Dracula (Terence Fisher, 1958)

Speaking of corny and campy sci-fi, those are the types of films that began to dominate the big screens in the 1950's, the atomic age was in and the days of gothic horror seemed to be long gone. That was until Hammer's first gothic horror production, Terence Fisher's Dracula. Now don't get me wrong, for me Bela Lugosi is the definitive Count Dracula, but if it wasn't for this film and Christopher Lee's performance as the eponymous count then gothic horror films may have been dead for quite some time. The film was the first to use Dracula's now signature hiss along with giving him that terrifying, animalistic appearance that we have grown so accustomed to, along with that it was released in full colour allowing for a lot more bloodshed than previous vampire films. Terence Fishers Dracula managed to revive gothic horror cinema in a more bloodier way than ever and it set the bar for future Hammer horror films along with other films of a similar nature. 

6. Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)

Earlier I mentioned how Scream managed to revive the slasher genre, now we come to the spark that set off the explosion of slashers in the first place. Much like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween was a low budget production, however it managed to defy all odds and go on to be one of horror cinemas most suspenseful slasher flicks. From its iconic soundtrack by director John Carpenter to some truly tense sequences, the film had audiences hearts racing without being a big-budget blockbuster and went on to spawn a number of sequels. Above all else, Halloween is essentially the beginning of the slasher boom in the following decade, it is not the first slasher film but it is one of the most influential as after its release a wide variety of films with a similar structure and formula went into production. Halloween is truly a milestone in the history of horror.

5. Frankenstein (James Whale, 1931)

After the success of their first talkie horror production Dracula, Universal Studios quickly followed it up with an adaptation of Mary Shelley's gothic horror novel Frankenstein. What is most notable about this film is its production design, taking inspiration from German expressionist films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari while putting a unique spin on it. This is what set the bar for the aesthetic of gothic horror films, the sinister looking castles, exaggerated sets and gigantic laboratories are all things that can be found in this film and have appeared in countless films since. It does take heavy inspiration from German expressionist films but it develops that into something that was fresh and new, something that really suited the tone of the story well. Plus, Frankenstein is what gave us the horror icon Boris Karloff, a man who's career in horror spans over 30 years. This was horror genesis.

4. The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973)

When you look at lists about the scariest films of all time The Exorcist usually lies in the top spot, personally it never really scared me but one cannot deny its profound influence on horror cinema. What is most important about this film is that it really pushed the boundaries of what can be shown in a mainstream film, it was packed to the brim with some truly shocking and gut wrenching sequences such as the headspin and the chilling spider walk. It thoroughly shocked audiences at the time and had to be heavily cut upon its release, its visuals were not the only controversial thing about The Exorcist however, its subject matter regarding religion and losing faith also met a fair amount of controversy. The film is one of the first mainstream horror films that really took a risk, one that pushed boundaries as far as it could to create something truly scary. The film is even more relevant now due to the extreme popularity of demonic possession films, each one having some nod to The Exorcist in them.

3. A Bay of Blood (Mario Bava, 1971)

For many, slasher films are very much an American thing, but their roots in Italian giallo films are undeniable and A Bay of Blood is the perfect example of this. The unseen killer taking out unsuspecting teenagers one at a time as they indulge in various types of debauchery is a formula that has become all too familiar, one that Bava used in A Bay of Blood way before slashers became so popular in America. It is often considered to be Bava's most violent films and it does contain a fair amount of blood and gore for its time, this aspect was highly influential on the American slashers of the following decade. One of the films death scenes involving the impalement of a man and a woman was even directly imitated in Friday the 13th: Part 2 10 years later. It is a bit of an obscure one compared to some of the films on this list which is a shame because A Bay of Blood (or Twitch of the Death Nerve or whatever one of its various titles you choose to call it) is without a doubt one of the biggest influences on the slasher genre, predating the likes of Halloween and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

2. Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)

One important film that did predate A Bay of Blood, however and one of the first slasher films is Alfred Hitchcock's iconic film Psycho. Based on the novel by Robert Bloch, who was a good friend of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, the film was a highly ambitious production for its time due to its shocking nature and controversial subject matter. Even by today's standards Psycho is still a shocking piece of cinema, it is a film that is not afraid to take risks and even after 56 years it has not become dated. It is immensely suspenseful, suspense being Hitchcock's forte after all, and highly unpredictable, this is a film that was way ahead of its time. A combination of Hitchcock's directorial skills and Bernard Herrmann's string-heavy score is what made this film so nail-bitingly intense, along with a brilliant performance from Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates, the film has not only inspired countless slasher films but also a variety of films from a variety of genres. Psycho is a very important film.

1. Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968)

This film is the real gamechanger for zombie films, before Night of the Living Dead zombies were merely mindless humans under the control of some sinister voodoo priest, they were not the flesh eating monsters we all know and love today. Then along came George Romero and all of a sudden zombies were these terrifying monsters who posed a real threat despite being so slow moving, without this film there would probably be no Zombieland or The Walking Dead. Along with giving birth to what we now consider to be zombies, the film is also extremely culturally significant mainly due to the male lead being an African American man which was a brave move at the time, Duane Jones' performance has since become iconic. It also sparked this sense of nihilism linked with horror cinema in a way that by the time the film ends and the threat has been overcome, our heroes may not get the ending they hoped for. Night of the Living Dead truly helped to develop horror cinema, it gave us the modern zombie, it took many risks both in its casting and story and it definitely raised the bar for horror cinema. It is without a doubt the most significant horror film of the 20th century.

So those are the top ten horror films that I feel have really influenced the genre and helped to develop it into what it is today. Without these films things may have been entirely different, these films took risks, the people behind them took risks, they pushed the boundaries of cinema and in turn allowed future filmmakers to do the same. They are truly films that are culturally significant.

Thoughts on TWD Season 6

It's been nearly 6 years since the cult comic book series The Walking Dead was adapted to our small screens, and what a journey it's been. Since it first aired back in 2010 our group of survivors led by ex-sheriff Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) have been through quite a lot, from the unstable Shane (Jon Bernthal) to The Governor (David Morrissey) to cannibals, and that's not even taking into account the hordes of surrounding zombies. Yes our protagonists have been through a lot since the dead began to walk, but as season five came to a close it looked as though things were finally looking up for them after taking up residence in the idyllic town of Alexandria. But all good things must come to an end as the gang were soon to learn in what was quite possibly one of the most exciting and action packed seasons of The Walking Dead in a long time. (Warning, the following post may contain spoilers).

Now I don't know about everyone else but for me, seasons 4 and 5 of The Walking Dead felt as though they were lacking something. They felt a bit uneven and at times quite boring, every week felt like a chore sitting down to watch the show, but thankfully that all changed this season. One of the main reasons for this, which may sound strange, was that this season felt a bit more humorous. Now of course, The Walking Dead is not at all supposed to be a comedy show, but the early seasons had a sense of humour every now and again to ease the tension. Glenn (Steven Yeun) was funny, Merle (Michael Rooker) was funny, but with Merle dead and Glenn losing that playful attitude from the early seasons the show was beginning to feel a little dry. This season however saw a change to that, mainly due to the characters of Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) and Eugene (Josh McDermitt) and their onscreen chemistry. They had been with the show since season 4 but I felt this season really gave them the opportunity to show off their full potential, be it through Eugene's random moments of stupidity or Abraham's classic one liners ('why are dangleberries brown?' being my personal favourite) , the two brought some life into a show about the dead.



Another thing that made this season so enjoyable was that it gave more personality to its characters. In the previous two seasons it felt as though some of the characters who used to be so enjoyable to watch had become boring shells of their former selves, but this season changed all of that. Rick was a risk taking leader again, Daryl (Norman Reedus) was as bad ass as ever (the rocket launcher scene in particular) and Carol's (Melissa McBride) development was a pleasure to watch in the early episodes at least. Along with bringing back the shows sense of humour and making the characters more exciting again, season 6 also was heavy on the action. The previous two seasons were a lot more focused on character driven episodes as opposed to action packed ones, which is fair enough, characters needed to develop and such. However this season managed to find the balance between character development and hardcore zombie action so that each episode had that solid story while also keeping you on the edge of your seat. Episodes such as No Way Out and Not Tomorrow Yet were particularly nailbiting. Yes The Walking Dead was finally becoming one of the most exciting shows on television again.

Of course, the whole season had been ultimately building up to the shows newest big bad, Negan (Jefferey Dean Morgan). Already gaining quite the reputation for his role in the comics, Negan had been subtly teased throughout season 6 due to the introduction of his sadistic gang of crazies known as The Saviours, as the season progressed he was teased even more explicitly and then the finale came. There was so much hype built up around this finale, the promise of Negan making an appearance was enough to get us fans excited but the knowledge that he would be killing off one of the protagonists left us dying with anxiety in the weeks building up to it. Yesterday I finally got to watch the eagerly anticipated finale and as I expected, they were saving the big bad until the end which was cool in my book. Suspense slowly built throughout the episode as the saviours stalked our heroes while day slowly turned to night, there was even an appearance by Stephen Ogg aka Trevor Philips from GTA V which I felt was an excellent addition. Then the last scene came, Negan made his debut and Jefferey Dean Morgan gave it socks, it was quite possibly the most captivating performance I've ever seen on the show. The tension slowly built in the episodes final minutes leaving us hanging from the edges of our seats in fear of who would meet the end of Negan's baseball bat, Lucille. To put a long story short, we still don't know who did.



As Negan is about to make his swing it switches to the POV of his victim who then receives quite the beating and before we can tell who the victim was the episode ends. What a shame. The season had been so good up until that point and myself and many others felt disappointed and a little bit betrayed that we were left pondering the identity of Negan's first victim. You see, something about The Walking Dead that I have recently noticed is that it is a show that is very cautious about taking risks. Shows like Game of Thrones have led us to expect the worst case scenarios, but The Walking Dead seems to be playing it quite safe in comparison. Not only in the finale, but that whole Glenn storyline earlier in the season. We were led to believe that Glenn had been eaten by walkers after falling off of a bin into a crowd of them, it was an emotional moment and for a second it looked as though the writers were starting to take more risks this season. However a couple of episodes later we find that Glenn was okay as he crawled under the bin to safety, like what?

In the early seasons beloved major characters died without any elaborate getaways or cliffhangers in the way, the likes of Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn), Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) and even Hershel (Scott Wilson) met their untimely demise which really allowed the show to maintain its edge. Now it seems to prefer killing off the minor characters instead, from Doctor Denise (Merritt Wever) to those annoying little brats in the mid-season opening, the characters being killed are not ones that we've been given enough time to grow to like. I don't mean to sound like some sort of sadist but more major characters need to die in order for the show to maintain that edge. More risks need to be taken by the writers in order to keep things exciting, we don't fear for the likes of Rick or Daryl anymore because we know that the writers wouldn't risk killing off such popular characters. This notion was almost challenged many times, Glenn almost died, Daryl almost died in the penultimate episode, but deep down we knew they couldn't die, we knew that the writers couldn't take that risk. When season 7 finally does come around and Negan's victim is finally revealed it should be a big character, someone we've grown close to and care for and not a secondary one who still needs time to grow and develop. That will keep things exciting in future episodes, that will pose the question of who really is safe.

As a whole I think season 6 of The Walking Dead was one of my favourites since the first. It had a captivating story that only at times felt uneven, the characters felt like themselves again and the whole experience was suspenseful and gripping. It was nice to see the likes of Rick and Daryl being complete bad asses again, it was equally enjoyable seeing female characters like Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) being just as strong as their male counterparts as well. Even the humour brought by characters like Abraham and Eugene felt refreshing. However, for season 7 to improve on this one the show needs to start taking more risks. The protagonists need more threat and less security so that we as an audience genuinely do fear for their lives, so that the line between who's safe and who isn't becomes more blurred. A big improvement on the previous two seasons but still flawed in some ways, season 6 of The Walking Dead has left us all in anticipation to say the least.

Vault of Doom- 'House of 1000 Corpses'

Hello again, I realise this post is a bit belated as I have been a bit busy lately and prioritised reviews over this but now the time has come for another installment in the vault of doom, this time with Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses. The directorial debut from the rockstar turned director follows four teenagers (one of which is Rainn Wilson of the American version of The Office) who travel through the backroads of Texas in search of the burial site of local legend Doctor Satan, a sadistic doctor who experimented on his patients. However their journey soon becomes a lot more sinister when they come into the company of the Firefly family, a family of psychotic murderers with a penchant for the macabre. The film stars horror veterans Bill Moseley and Sid Haig along with Zombies wife Sheri Moon Zombie, Academy Award winner Karen Black also joins the fun along with Dennis Fimple in his final role before his death.



I first heard about this film when I was about 10 years old after reading a Bart Simpson comic that had been written by guest writers such as Alice Cooper, Gene Simmons and Zombie himself. Zombie's segment was a parody of the film entitled House of 1000 Donuts in which the Simpsons wind up in a similar scenario to the films protagonists. I remember Krusty taking up the role of Sid Haig's Captain Spaulding while Doctor Satan was Lard Lad with syringe fingers and a doctors outfit. As a 10 year old I had no idea what was going on but I was just like hey this is cool. A few years later I finally got around to watching the film one evening when I was home alone and then that Simpsons comic finally started to make sense.



Like a lot of Rob Zombies work, House of 1000 Corpses is a bit of an acquired taste. Not only because of the bizzare and graphic scenes of violence that may cause a few to feel sick but also because, well, it's not the best. Don't get me wrong however, I love this film a lot but I am aware of why people don't, I simply don't care. Yes there is some questionable writing and yes it is very style over substance (but it's stylish as hell so) but it has some great characters fueled by the brilliant performances of some of the cast. The highlight of the film for me was Bill Moseley's character Otis Driftwood, a member of the insane family who considers himself to be an artist of sorts. Moseley is fantastic as ever, giving the character so much life and personality allowing him to steal all of his scenes while spurting out some memorable quotes and torturing cheerleaders along the way. Standing out in a similar manner to Moseley in a much smaller role is Sid Haig as Captain Spaulding, a crude clown who owns what can only be described as a cross between a Texaco garage and Ripley's Believe it or Not. He too gives a brilliant performance in his limited screentime, stealing all of his scenes early on in the film as he takes the protagonists through his glorified ghost train.



It has its shocks, so beware of spoilers from here on out. One scene which I found particularly shocking was when one of the protagonists father, Don (Harrison Young) goes to the Firefly residence along with two deputies portrayed by the late Tom Towles and Walton 'cut my legs off and call me shorty' Goggins. What follows is a catharsis of gunshot and bloodshed set in slow motion to the tune of I Remember You by Slim Whitman. It was not the tortured cheerleaders or the surprise shootout that shocked me however, it was the scenes final moments where Otis stands over Don with a gun in hand as it slowly zooms out. For a moment it lingers on the shot we become unsure of what is about to happen while this subtle tension builds until Otis eventually shoots Don. For such a bizzare film this scene is a bit emotional as it cuts between the bloodshed and home video footage of Don and his daughter Denise (Erin Daniels). Other memorable moments for me include the the nightmarish murder ride, the 'fishboy' scene (fishboy can be seen below in all his glory) and the outlandish climax where Denise ventures into the subterranean lair of Doctor Satan and his mutant experiments. Crazy stuff.



The film gained a lot of criticism at the time even before it was released, being shelved initially by Universal Studios in fear of an NC-17 rating. When it was finally released by Lions Gate it was criticised for its gore and for being a bit sloppy and uneven, Zombie himself has even stated that he feels the film was a bit of a mess. Despite all of the negativity around this film it has gained a cult following by many (including myself) due to its unique style and performances by the likes of Moseley and Haig. Looking back on it now it is almost like a Tobe Hooper film with no involvement of Tobe Hooper, taking elements both stylistically and in story from films such as Eaten Alive and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Even the murder ride scene feels a bit like Hooper's film The Funhouse. However, House of 1000 Corpses takes these Hooperesque influences and blends them with Zombies own unique vision to make a film that is visually memorable despite having some heavy flaws. It has since spawned a grittier and much more polished sequel called The Devil's Rejects that has been praised by the likes of Stephen King himself and holds a similar cult status to its predecessor. Although it has its mistakes, House of 1000 Corpses is a film that hardcore genre fans will appreciate that will have you both laughing and gagging from start to finish.