5. Down (2001)
Hitchcock. Capra. Haneke. Some extremely well-renowned directors have remade their own films. Then there is Dick Maas. The Netherlands director, perhaps best known for his canal themed Giallo Amsterdamned, revisited his killer elevator in the waning months before September 11th, 2001 which more than likely is the cause for its failure at the box office. It definitely can’t be an extended rollerblading scene where the sketcher is swallowed by the elevator before being vomited out its top floor. It just can’t be. Starring a who’s who of famous faces, from Naomi Watts to Ron Perlman, Edward Herrman to Dan Hedaya, not to mention one of the few roles James ‘Dean Hurley’ Marshall had post-Twin Peaks health issues, Down (also known as The Shaft) was never meant to be taken too seriously. If the killer elevator wasn’t any indication, it’s best not to look too closely behind the curtain to see the rough edges of some plotting and Watts’ rather egregious New York accent. See the film as levity in the dark times of its birth, where we can breathe easier in a world where the only thing we have to fear is decapitation hungry high rise elevators. (Jacob Trussell)
4. The Lift (1983)
That’s right — Dick Maas’ demonic elevator is so good it made the list twice! Elevatophobia is the unofficial name for the fear of elevators. That may sound like a completely ridiculous fear, but that just means you haven’t seen the 1983 Maas cult classic, The Lift. After an elevator in a high rise starts acting funky and killing those that use it, Maas regular Huub Stapel steps in to save the day. Mechanically speaking the elevator is fine, leaving our boy Huub stumped. He eventually teams with a journalist (Willeke van Ammelrooy) and together they discover the elevator has become sentient. As if elevators weren’t uppity enough, now they’re able to think? That’s a bad situation for everyone. This isn’t quite as graphic and gory as some of Maas’ other work, but it’s a B-movie treasure that easily ranks as one of the top two killer elevator movies of all time. (Chris Coffel)
3. Poltergeist (1982)
It’s hard to imagine a better inanimate villain for a horror fan than a possessed TV. The thing we love, but now it can kill us? Sign me up! It’s a perfect encapsulation of how Tobe Hooper’s film creates fear: the usual comforts of a cozy suburban home are now malicious entities capable of causing damage, destruction, and even death. The image of a spectral force reaching through the Freeling family’s TV is haunting and made all the better by little Carol Anne’s announcement that “They’re Here.” What could be more chilling? (Anna Swanson)
2. Rubber (2010)
Does Rubber (2010) even belong in this category? I’m not sure as the rubber tire that starts the film as an inanimate object becomes very animated indeed as it gains the ability to move, an interest in murder, and the telekinetic ability to explode heads. What I am sure of, though, is that this film is cinematic genius. It takes this object and makes it a character in its own right without the benefit of facial features or a voice — it simply rolls around, causes mayhem, and leads a revolution. God, now I have to go rewatch Rubber. (Rob Hunter)
1. Ringu (1998)
The evolution of technology has made VHS obsolete in the grand scheme of things, but for my money, Ringu is still the creepiest movie out there boasting horror of the inanimate variety. The premise is simple: watch a cursed tape, die seven days later. Our protagonists have a week to get to figure out what’s going on, or else they’ll find themselves falling prey to a well-dwelling spook who enters the realm of the living through television sets. Not only is Ringu a harrowing reminder of the detrimental hold that technology has over us, but it’s one hell of a thrilling mystery. (Kieran Fisher)
The object here is to read more entries in our 31 Days of Horror Lists!
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