Wost2First: My Top Ten Animal Horror Films
Wost2First:
My Top Ten Animal Horror Films
My Top Ten Animal Horror Films
Here are my personal top ten animal horror films, worst2first...
**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**
#10
Black Sheep
Blending horror and humor, "Black Sheep" is a small independent movie out of New Zealand featuring practical effects from the Weta Workshop (the same company that did work for "The Lord of the Rings") that centers on a man named Henry who returns home to tend to his family's estate that includes a lot of sheep (that he has a phobia of). He finds out that his older brother has been experimenting on the sheep and turning them into vicious killing machines that turn people into were-sheep, and it's up to him and his friends to stop them from taking over the world. Filled with gory goodness and fun practical effects (including a not-so-subtle nod to "An American Werewolf in London," "Black Sheep" will have you eyeing sheep a little more suspiciously.
#9
Monkey Shines
George A. Romero is synonymous with the modern zombie genre, but his first major film directorial debut didn't involve the walking dead, but rather a monkey who shares a psychic link with its owner and kills anyone that displeases her master. "Monkey Shines" centers around Alan, a recent quadriplegic who is given a helper monkey to assist in his daily routines, but the monkey was tested on and given a serum of human brains to increase its intelligence, and instead it leads to it mind-melding with Alan, and strikes with a vengeance against anyone who comes against Alan. It's an outlandish plot, but I still remember seeing this as a child and being freaked out by monkeys.
#8
Primeval
In the lush African wilderness, a relentless ages-old killer roams the water, striking at the least expecting moment, and claiming over 300 lives. Based on the real-life Nile crocodile named Gustave, "Primeval" centers on a team of Americans who head to the Nile to find Gustave for a news story, but find themselves the next prey. Set against the beautiful African landscape, "Primeval" proves why crocodiles (creatures that have existed since the age of the dinosaurs) are some of the most deadly predators in the world.
#7
Crawl
Focusing on nature's ancient apex predator, "Crawl" centers on a father and daughter caught in the middle of a hurricane - but the winds are the least of their problems. The hurricane brought with it alligators from the ocean, and Haley and her father Dave find themselves at the mercy of these creatures. What ensues is an intense cat-and-mouse game as they try to find a way to get out of their flooding house and avoid being eaten as well, as the alligators use their cunning and stealth to strike. Kaya Scodelario gives a commanding performance as she battles wits against her alligator predators, ensuring an exciting action horror adventure. #6
The Shallows
Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water. "The Shallows" follows Blake Lively's Nancy Adams, a medical student who travels to a remote beach in Mexico after the death of her mother to find solace in surfing the ocean waves. However, things go terribly wrong when she's attacked by a great white shark, leaving her stranded on a small rock in the middle of the water. Having to use her cunning, wits, and intelligence to outsmart her aquatic foe, Nancy finds all the strength inside herself to survive. Blake Lively gives a terrific performance (even moreso due to the fact that she was pregnant at the time, and has a phobia of sharks) and the film is filled with intense action and tense drama.
#5
Arachnophobia
Out of the countless number of movies I've seen in my life, only one has scarred me and to this day remains one I can never watch again - "Arachnophobia." I have a huge fear of spiders, and I remember watching this as a kid which is probably why I have this fear, and to this day I won't eat popcorn, put on my shoes, or eat a bowl of cereal without thoroughly checking it for those creepy eight legged freaks - and this film is a comedy! Jeff Daniels stars as a man who finds his town infested with poisonous spiders, and enlists the help of an exterminator (played delightfully by John Goodman) to take care of the problem, but soon finds the spiders running out of control. Even though several spider films have come and gone, "Arachnophobia" remains to me the scariest of them all.
#4
Cujo
From the master of horror Stephen King, "Cujo" is the film adaptation of his beloved book (and surprisingly an adaptation that King approves of) that shifts from man's best friend to man's ultimate killing machine. When the lovable Saint Bernard Cujo is infected with rabies, he turns into a maniacal killer, trapping a young mother and her son in their broken down car. Fighting hunger, thirst, the extreme heat, and the stalking dog, the mother and son must find a way to escape against insurmountable odds. To this day, people are hesitant to name their dogs Cujo for this very reason, and the film adaptation is filled with tense action and terrific performances by Dee Wallace and Danny Pintauro, as well as the Saint Bernard himself.#3
Pet Sematary
Everyone has dealt with the death of a pet, and many take it as loosing their own child. What if you can bring your lot pet back to life? That's the topic of another film based off a Stephen King novel, "Pet Sematary." When a family looses their beloved cat, their neighbor suggests burying it in the pet cemetery - a place where beloved pets are buried that's also on an ancient Indian burial ground. When their cat Church comes back, the family is overjoyed, but their joy is shot lived when their young son Gage is struck and killed by a truck. The father plans to bury Gage in the pet cemetery in hopes of bringing him back to life, but in the words of neighbor Jud Crandall, "Sometimes dead is better." Gage returns, but he's not the same old Gage - he's now a soulless killer bent on killing his former family. Filled with great performances (especially by the late veteran actor Fred Gwynne) and top-notch scares, "Pet Sematary" has withstood the test of time and remakes to remain a beloved horror film classic.#2
Jaws
Revolutionary for its time and still hailed as a horror classic, "Jaws" ignited a generation of people to fear the ocean, thanks to Steven Spielberg's direction and John Williams's haunting score. Known today as the first summer blockbuster, "Jaws" takes place in a small fictitious town by the ocean that comes under attack by a bloodthirsty man-eating shark. The film was amazing in the fact that the shark isn't seen for the first eighty minutes due to Spielberg not being a fan of the mechanical shark, so the majority of the shark attacks occur in shadow and darkness, from the creature's point of view, giving even more terrifying reactions. The film is also filled with memorable performances, especially from Roy Scheider), and over forty years later, it remains one of the most perfect movies ever made.#1
The Birds
No animal horror film list would be complete without the mother of all animal horror from the Master of Suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock. "The Birds" was released back in 1963, but it's still hailed as a revolutionary marvel due to Hitchcock spending over $200,000 on mechanical birds as well as trainers who worked with live crows, seagulls, ravens, and sparrows. Centering on the small town of Bodega Bay, the citizens find themselves under attack by a murderous group of birds as they try helplessly to defend themselves and their town. Tippi Hedren has gone on the record saying what a horrible experience it was to film the movie, due to Hitchcock's unwanted sexual advances that resulted in her getting injured on set and being deceived when she thought she was being attacked by mechanical birds when in reality they were the real thing, and her fear is palpable on screen. 
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