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Top 10 Possession Horror Movies

By jasonbleau on

Possession is one of the most common story elements in horror films. Some of the most iconic in history revolve around the concept whether it’s due to a demon, a ghost or even the devil himself taking control of a physical human being. It’s so common in fact you could make an entire subgenre out of it and thus we have my list today. This weekend’s only new major release is a horror film that embraces this very premise called “The Possession of Hannah Grace” and I thought it would be fun to close out the month of November with a look at some of the best horror movies to work possession elements into their stories. These are my picks for the Top 10 Possession Horror Movies.

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Top 10 “Harry Potter” Movie Villains

By jasonbleau on

The world of Harry Potter has many great characters including some of the best villains in modern literature and film. Some stand out because of their despicable nature, others are more prominent as iconic pieces to the story of Harry and the Wizarding World. Regardless it’s safe to say that on paper or on film fans have grown to love and appreciate the villains that challenged the Boy Who Lived and his allies time and time again and even those who came before Harry’s time. This weekend we receive a movie centered around one of those villains in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” and having been a fan of the “Harry Potter” series myself over the years I wanted to honor the baddies that made this series so entertaining from the start. So in honor of the new movie this weekend I picked my favorite villains from the series, at least the ones that impacted the films. These are my picks for the Top 10 “Harry Potter” Movie Villains.

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Top 10 Stan Lee Cameos in Marvel Movies

By jasonbleau on

Yesterday we lost a true legend in pop culture, Stan Lee. A personal idol of mine and the former chairman of Marvel who helped the company become a comic book juggernaut Lee was an icon to many, helping originate countless superheroes many of which have earned cinematic adaptations. I thought hard about how I was going to honor this man and legend on my blog. This is a movie blog after all and I like to keep things pretty on topic. That said Stan Lee was not a movie star, but many did consider him a master of the cameo as he appeared in all 20 Marvel Cinematic Universe films to date as well as other Marvel-based properties that have hit theaters. While it has been confirmed we will see Lee at least one more time in the MCU in next years’ “Avengers 4” I felt the most appropriate way to honor this man and have a little fun at the same time was to put these cameos front and center. So, to honor Stan Lee and his legacy here are my picks for the Top 10 Stan Lee Cameos on Marvel Movies.

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Top 10 Movies Based on Children’s Picture Books

By jasonbleau on

There are countless movies based on books that are released year in and year out and many of them are based on some pretty lengthy works. But not every book that inspires a film is 500 pages long. Heck some aren’t even 100 pages long. For example, Dr. Seuss’ classic “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is only 69 pages and yet this weekend we get our second theatrical film adaptation of the legendary picture book with “The Grinch”. You’d be surprised how many of these short picture books have indeed been the subject of theatrical films and since “The Grinch” does grace the big screen this weekend I decided to take a closer look at these products and pick out the best movies that have captured, or at least tried to capture, the magic of our favorite childhood stories. These are my picks for the Top 10 Movies Based on Children’s Picture Books.

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Ten 2018 Movies (So Far) That Deserve Oscar Buzz

By jasonbleau on

Happy Election Day America! It’s officially awards season in the world of cinema as nominations have now opened for the Academy Awards. Throughout this month the ballots will be submitted deciding which films will vie for the coveted trophies in early 2019, but which movies that we’ve seen so far deserve to get a nod? Well that’s the theme for my list today. Not every Oscar hyped movie has been released for our viewing just yet, but many films containing Oscar worthy elements have already had their theatrical run so today I’m going to look at quality movies that were released prior to Halloween of 2019 that I personally believe deserve to be at least mentioned in Oscar conversations. These are my picks for the Ten 2018 Movies (So Far) That Deserve Oscar Buzz.

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Top 10 Horror Directors

By jasonbleau on

Happy Halloween everybody and welcome to the final countdown of Horror Month! There have been many filmmakers who have tried their hand at horror, but only a select few have made a career out of it and even fewer have earned the right to be considered iconic. For my final list of Horror Month here on Cinema Spotlight and just in time for Halloween I wanted to take a look at some of the best directors who have helped make horror a credible, marketable and beloved genre bringing us some of the most iconic horror features in history and etching their permanent place in pop culture. So to close out my month of horror let’s count down my picks for the Top 10 Horror Movie Directors.

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Top 15 Iconic Horror Movie Villains

By jasonbleau on

While the art of film has produced many great characters few, if any, genres have led to the creation of more iconic and memorable villains than the genre of horror. We know the faces, the masks, the weapons, even the voices or mannerisms of countless baddies who have graced the silver screen racking up scares, kill counts and memorable one-liners that still today stand the test of time. As Horror Month comes to a close here on Cinema Spotlight I’d be remiss if I didn’t pay homage to the greatest, most iconic and scariest characters in horror history. So it’s time to delve into the hall of fame of freights and celebrate the villains that have made the horror genre one of cinema’s most popular and successful. These are my picks for the Top 15 Iconic Horror Movie Villains.

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Top 10 Slasher Movies

By jasonbleau on

The slasher film. It’s a style of horror film that has become a genre all its own over the years making for some of the bloodiest, most terrifying and even sometimes the most stylish and self-aware films in all of horror. Almost every film in this genre follows the same premise, a usually masked or disguised villain hunts down a group of people or a single person with a sharp object leaving a trail of blood and death in their wake. While this may seem like a concept that would grow old fast a lot of movies have successfully utilized the idea which helped the slasher film become a genre all its own. With the new sequel to one of the most beloved slashers of all time, “Halloween”, in theaters this weekend I thought it was time to finally explore this subgenre-turned-genre of horror for myself. Where does “Halloween” fall on this list? Read on to find out. These are my picks for the Top 10 Slasher Movies.

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Top 10 Stephen King Horror Movies

By jasonbleau on

Oh Stephen King. He’s both the butt of many jokes and a visionary that brought some of the most legendary horror novels to the masses. Many of those books have been adapted for the big screen, some by his own hand and some with more creative license attributed to them. Recently details about the newest adaptation of his books, a remake of “Pet Sematery”, have been released which had me reminiscing on the Stephen King films we’ve seen so far. Whether we like them or hate them and whether HE likes them or hates then Stephen King movies have become something of a genre all their own and while not all of them are horror films today I’m going to look at those that are meant to bring the fright today. These are my picks for the Top 10 Stephen King Horror Movies.

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Top 10 Kid- Friendly Horror Movies

By jasonbleau on

While horror is obviously a very adult oriented genre that doesn’t mean kids can’t get in on the fun. In fact, horror is one of the few genres where even the most child-friendly material usually always includes an adult-friendly edge. In the 90s I was introduced to horror thanks to animated features that incorporated gothic themes and darker tones and over the years I’ve seen many quality products continue that trend using stop motion, computer animation and even live action. With a “Goosebumps” sequel on the way this weekend I thought it was the perfect time to look at some of my favorite horror movies that provide a perfect introduction for those still too young to embrace the more brutal aspects of one of cinema’s most popular genres. These are my picks for the Top 10 Kid-Friendly Horror Movies.

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Top 10 Zombie Movies

By jasonbleau on

October is horror month here at Cinema Spotlight and throughout the month I’ll be posting a variety of different horror-themed countdowns to explore the best this genre of fear and suspense has to offer. That said what better place to start than with one of the most popular horror genres of recent years, the zombie movie? It’s the perfect time for it too seeing as “The Walking Dead” returns this weekend. So maybe some of these cinematic features can serve as a warm up for our return to the zombie apocalypse on Sunday. The zombie craze, while dying down, is still in full force so today I’m going to explore the best cinematic features that incorporate the concept in their stories. These are my picks for the Top 10 Zombie Movies.

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Top 10 Movie Moments of the 1950s

By jasonbleau on

While there were countless classic movies over the course of the early years of film it was in the 50s that the medium started to find its footing with more definitive genres, riskier productions touching on a wider range of relevant themes, and visual styles that would set the standard for years to come. The 50s also brought us some of the most legendary moments in film as everything from risqué interactions to thrilling chase scenes, monologues and career defining snapshots and quotes all started to make their mark. Continuing my ongoing look at the best and most iconic moments in cinema for the month of September I decided to explore this decade and pick out moments I felt were the most notable from a decade filled with amazing films that today still stand the test of time. These are my picks for the Top 10 Movie Moments of the 1950s.

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