The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on December 12, 2012

One of the biggest trilogies of the new millennium came to a close over this year.  Since the summer of 2005, Christopher Nolan has taken the comic book based film genre into a higher sense of realism than it had ever seen.  Though these films are far from kid friendly,...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on December 5, 2012

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has got to be one of the most innocent, pure and beautiful experiences in all of film.  It was the birth of a new kind of feature film and an insurmountable risk for Walt Disney and his studio.  I grew up with a VHS...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on November 14, 2012

So, it’s the middle of November and there hasn’t been anything new here at The Best Picture Project since Halloween.  First off, sorry about that.  October was tons of scary fun, but November is a different kind of busy.  You see, for the past two weeks now, I have not...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 31, 2012

The first time I watched Halloween in its unedited entirety, I was about thirteen and babysitting my siblings.  Yes, perfect.  This was the late 90s, and the early days of parental passwords blocking television programs.  My technology-deficient dad needed my help to set the password, so I knew how   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 30, 2012

Under the wonderfully warped direction of Tim Burton, Beetlejuice is one of my favorite comedies to watch around Halloween.  In my family, the black and white stripes of sandworms and Beetlejuice’s suit are instantly recognizable.  I grew up on this film, watching it early enough that most of the mo   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 29, 2012

When I first heard of Cat People, I laughed at the ridiculous sounding synopsis:  A woman fears turning into a cat when she becomes sexually aroused.  How could I take that seriously?  It sounded like the birth of those horrible Halloween costumes, where all a girl needs is a short...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 27, 2012

When The Descent was first released to theaters, I was a lowly popcorn sweep at a local cinema.  During some slow evenings, I would quietly watch at the side of the theaters, hidden in the shadows.  It was the best spot to watch the audience and The Descent was one...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 25, 2012

When it comes to determining how great a horror film is, it always comes down to what you see, or don’t see.  Dialogue can be elaborate plot, but can bog the visual adrenaline down.  The thrill of terror rides on whether what we see is a monster or a zipper...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 24, 2012

The first time I saw The Birds, my dad turned it on television in the middle of the day.  He was so excited, telling me that the birds were going to attack and he was probably waiting for me to jump.  I must have been around seven, maybe eight years...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 23, 2012

Whether they love it or loath it, every 90s kid knows Hocus Pocus.  My uncle took my sister and I along with his children to see it in theaters.  This was back in 1993, when I was nearly eight years old, a good age for this movie.  Nowadays, I’m surprised...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 22, 2012

Of all the films based on Stephen King’s work I have seen, The Shining has to be my favorite.  Purists can scoff all they want, complaining that Stanley Kubrick didn’t stay true enough to the novel.  I must say that both works are amazing in their own ways.  Read The...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 21, 2012

The other day, I stumbled upon a morning full of Spencer Tracy movies on TCM.  When I saw that he starred in a version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I had to check it out.  It may not have been his best film, or best performance, but it sure...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 19, 2012

For most women, pregnancy is a joyous time.  All sweet Rosemary wants is a healthy baby in a happy home.  For a while, that seems like a dream coming more true every passing day.  However, she starts to become suspicious of her husband, the helpful neighbors and even her doctor....   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 17, 2012

One of my favorite horror films of the past decade is 1408.  It was released in the summer of 2007, my last summer working at a movie theater.  My brother and I had to go see it and couldn’t stop talking about it for weeks.  Not many movies grace my...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 16, 2012

House on Haunted Hill is one of those classic movies that has been endlessly parodied, but remains delightful.  Eccentric millionaire, Frederick Loren (Vincent Price) invites a group of people for a party at a haunted house.  Anyone who stays, or survives the night, gets ten thousand dollars. This g   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 15, 2012

There is an old VHS tape in my parents’ house with the original Frankenweenie short on it.  My mother must have recorded it from the television, along with other Halloween-ish shows in the early 1990s.  During my childhood, my siblings and I watched that wonderful little film countless times.  The...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 13, 2012

My first encounter with The Haunting was with the remake in 1999.  It was a jump fest starring Liam Neeson that relied on random gore, too much CGI, and *spoiler altert!* let Owen Wilson get his head knocked off in a gigantic fireplace.  That’s what I remember most today.  At...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 11, 2012

The first time I watched Night of the Living Dead was Halloween night when I was thirteen years old.  I had spent the evening trick-or-treating with my friends and had quite the candy haul.  After a little trading with my siblings, it was my main source of energy as I...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 8, 2012

Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is one of my favorite films and has been for many years.  I remember first watching it alone late one night, sneaking around the living room when I was seven years old.  There was a lot that I didn’t comprehend, but the basics were all clear to...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 5, 2012

A cornerstone in Universal’s classic monster movies is Dracula from 1931.  Starring Bela Lugosi, the haunting images and story exposed a wider audience to Bram Stoker’s work and vampire lore.  I grew up with classic vampire images based off of Lugosi’s character and rubber bats on strings ever   read more