The Mike's Top 10 Horror Films of the 1990s!

If there's one thing I know, it's that I LOVE LISTS. So, when Chuck over at Zombies DON'T Run asked bloggers to vote on the Top 10 Horror films of the '90s, I jumped at the chance...until I actually looked at the list of horrors released in the '90s. Yikes.

Anyway, here's how I voted:10. Scream - Probably the most iconic mainstream horror film of the decade, which is a sad statement. However, it still works well as a thriller, especially when compared to the I Know What You Did Last Summer and Urban Legend type films of the decade. (I will admit, however, that I am rather fond of Urban Legend. So sue me.)

9. Nightbreed - Clive Barker's Hellraiser gets tons of praise, and rightfully so, but I've always been a little sad his followup didn't get the same fan base. I think it's one of the most inventive and fun monster films around.

8. Mimic - Guillermo Del Toro's most overlooked film. It's got a great claustrophobic feel to it, and the creatures are pretty cool when they show up. Mira Sorvino? FOXY!

7. Tremors - Speaking of creatures, bring on the Graboids! One of the most enjoyable bits of popcorn entertainment out there, plus a juicy role for Fred Ward. Good stuff.

6. Scream 2 - Wait, what? That's right - I strongly prefer Craven's second Ghostface flick to the first. Firstly because it features Liev Schreiber in a fantastic role and Timothy Olyphant, who's cooler than Matthew Lillard. Secondly because it takes the self-referential nature of the first film to new heights while not being afraid to take risks.

5. The Frighteners - My favorite Peter Jackson film. Great horror comedy with a fantastic performance from the awesome Jeffrey Combs.

4. Sleepy Hollow - Tim Burton's tribute to Hammer films is visually rich and splatter friendly. It also features one of my favorite horror scores of all-time from Danny Elfman.

3. Army of Darkness - I'm sure you're noticing a trend of horror comedies here. But when I think of horror comedies, Army of Darkness is the first place my mind goes, everytime. For me, this is the movie that made Bruce Campbell into Bruce Campbell.

2. From Dusk Till Dawn - Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez' vampire action flick is an undead Assault on Precinct 13 or Rio Bravo. If this thing came out today, it'd be a gigantic hit. Definitely ahead of its time.

1. Candyman - And, finally, I come to the only movie of the decade that still scares me silly. Also from the mind of Clive Barker, it harvests things I love about horror stories - from superstitious townfolk and ancient legends to the simple fear of whatever's behind you - to set what feels like a Victorian era ghost tale in a modern day Chicago ghetto.

Notice the fact that I didn't post as many alternatives to my picks as I did when I voted for the '80s bests? Well, that's because this decade was generally awful for horror. But I'm pretty comfortable with these 10, and I'm sure there are many others (In the Mouth of Madness, Demon Knight, and Cemetary Man come to mind) that I'm fond of too.

In the meantime, feel free to head over to Zombies DON'T Run to cast your vote for the Top 10 Horror Films of the 1990s. And of course, feel free to comment on my crazy monkey of a list below.