WWTW’s best horror movies of 2010

We can’t let 2010 end without toasting the best horror movies of the past 12 months, right?

Last year gave horror fans fits with its inconsistent product. For every audacious horror entry like “Splice” we suffered through another inept remake.

Yes, Freddy Krueger, I’m talking about you.

But thanks to a crazed surgeon and a ski lift chair, 2010 managed to raise a few goose bumps all the same.

1. “The Human Centipede” – It’s upsetting, revolting and unforgettable. What else can a horror fan demand? Dieter Laser is the bee’s knees as the mad scientist who attaches three poor souls together via their … oh, man, I can’t even type it.
2. “Let Me In” – This horror remake is really the “best” horror film of 2010, but it can’t match “Centipede” for visceral impact. It’s still a beautifully crafted yarn about two teens who lean on each other in times of duress. And when one starts baring her fangs, her new friend doesn’t run away screaming. That’s love.
3. “The Last Exorcism” – A brilliant take on the possessed genre until the lackluster finale. Kudos to Ashley Bell and Patrick Fabian for delivering two smart, cerebral performances in a genre not known for either.
4. “Paranormal Activity 2” – It should have been a disaster. How could you build on the original’s rough and tumble shocks? Didn’t the folks behind the movie see “Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2?” But “PA2″ proved a chilling reminder than horror can bloom from the most surprising of sources. And let’s toast the dawn of a new film genre, the prequel/sequel.
5. “Piranha 3D” – Yet another horror film which gleefully defied expectations. B-movies are easier said than made, but “Piranha” managed to blend gore, bikinis and the third dimension into a rollicking good time. Extra points for shrewdly casting the ever-lovely Elisabeth Shue as the newest female action hero.
6. “The Crazies” – Horror remakes typically up the budget and downgrade the scares. Not so here. The great Timothy Olyphant anchors this tale of a water-based virus running amok in tranquil Anytown, USA. Director Breck Eisner modulates the scares, tension and character development so that no one element steps on the other.
7. “Daybreakers” – What if vampires took over the earth but still needed non-undead snacks to survive – and said snacks were going extinct? That double whammy sets up this solid genre entry, one which gives star Ethan Hawke the chance to prove he’s more than the slacker darling of those “Sunrise/Sunset” features.
8. “Splice” – So much promise … so disappointing in the end. But before “Splice” goes haywire it’s a thought provoking look at a DNA experiment gone wild. Dren remains a fascinating creation, both beautiful and revolting in ways we haven’t seen on screen before.
9. “Frozen” – Sometimes the best horror concepts are so simple you could kick yourself for not thinking of it first. Three friends get stuck on a ski lift chair just when the resort in question is shuttering for the week. Spare, effective and enough to make you think twice before renting skis.
10. “Devil” – Yes, M. Night Shyamalan actually did something good in 2010. His story of five poor saps trapped on an elevator – and one of them is El Diablo – is far from perfect. But the neat setup and fun wrinkle near the end gave us something we rarely see these days – a blast of originality from a mainstream horror flick.

(Photo: Ashley Bell -  on the bed – plays either an emotionally disturbed young woman or a teen possessed by Satan in “The Last Exorcism.” Lionsgate)

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