by Mike Pickle for MoreHorror.com

It's that time of year Horror hounds. Time to begin anticipating what this year will bring to the Horror genre and to reflect on what 2010 had to offer. Our crack team of self-proclaimed Horror experts consisting of little ol' me have compiled a list of 2010's TOP TEN most entertaining Horror films. The list is based on extensive research and long hours of trying to scare the crap out of myself to find films that have all the things that I and many other fans love about the genre and some things we haven't quite seen before.

You may ask what my criteria are for a film to earn a spot on the top 10. There are several factors that begin and end with entertainment value. Some are dumb fun, some are clever, some are raw and some are polished. They are not all critics’ darlings because not every movie you love, especially in Horror, will be accepted by critics. Horror is consistently misunderstood by critics who don't get the entertainment value of seeing an impossibly huge chainsaw cut two men in half from the crotch up. In fact; your favorite film may even be hated by many other fans and even your friends who warn you not to go see a recent Horror film because it "sucks".

The undoubtedly intelligent "Sucks" review some people give is very subjective. With the growing diversity of Horror fans; they are more divided than ever which is why you see so many articles, blogs, etc., complaining that each year is worse for Horror than the last. I'm here to tell you that this year isn't much better or worse than any other year in the last decade or two. Granted, there may be slim pickings at the multiplex on any given weekend, but if you know where to look and keep your eye out for the indies, I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised at what Horror has to offer year in and year out.

Before I get to the list I should mention some films that were, in their own right, very good, but didn't make it in the top ten for various reasons. The main reason being that I couldn't bring myself to bump any of my favorites off the list once I complied it. First of all; the Nightmare on Elm Street remake did not make the list, but it wasn't as bad as most people said. It had a hard time holding itself together, but it never completely fell apart thanks to decent acting and a good performance by Jackie Earle Haley in the role of Freddy. This re-imagining felt a little cold with none of the great atmosphere or humor of the original; a fact that I was constantly reminded of thanks to the film trying to duplicate many of the original's most infamous scenes.

This wasn't even the best of those that didn't make the list. In fact, there are 7 more (out of the ones I viewed) that were better than Nightmare, but not enough to bump any of the existing films out of the top ten.

Mirrors 2 was good, but not great; pretty standard stuff.  Daybreakers was really good, but just not good enough for the list. While it did have some good effects and great actors like Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill and Ethan Hawke, it felt more like an Underworld type of action film than straight horror. Dread was another good one. Based on a short story by Clive Barker; this was one of AfterDark Film's 2010 batch of its annual 8 Films to Die For. It was a well made film, but didn't make the list because I wasn't able to watch the other 7 of the series and the ending left me with a horrible feeling. A feeling that is usually good for horror, but this was depressed horrible, not disturbed horrible.

Shadowland and Victim were the best truly indie films of the year and were better than most of the major releases. Especially Victim which floored me as you can see in my review I wrote late in the year. It didn't make the list simply because the underground horror market had so many releases that there was no way I could give them all a chance. This is why I had to limit my list to the more readily available, major theater and DVD releases. The Descent: Part 2 was a very good and highly entertaining film, but not quite as good as the first. It might have made the top ten had it not been for the forced one-liner that caused the integrity of the otherwise great film to suffer.

Finally, the killer tiger film, Burning Bright narrowly missed getting the number 10 spot. It's a tight thriller with tons of suspense, great pacing and good acting. It centers on College student Kelly, played by Briana Evigan, and her autistic little brother who are trapped in their house with a ravenous tiger during a hurricane. Real tigers were used in this little gem of a film. If I were doing a top 11, this film would be number 11.

Now for the top ten; an interesting crop of films that consist of 3 sequels and 2 remakes. Two of the films are Unrated and had a limited release in theaters (One successfully and the other, unsuccessfully). Huge news for Horror and will hopefully pave the way for other Unrated films to bypass the easily manipulated and biased MPAA ratings board. Also on the list are two films that are rated PG-13. No one is more surprised than I am to see this on my top horror list (especially after my article earlier this year in which I trashed PG-13 horror films). I did say there were exceptions. It's a rating that is normally a kiss of death, but these 2 films are some of the exceptions. And without further ado; here are my TOP TEN HORROR FILMS of 2010.

10- George Romero's Survival of the Dead- A Horror Sci-Fi film and the latest in Romero's ...of the Dead series. It has a Rotten Tomatoes 30% critic rating based on 80 reviews and a 22% user rating based on 4,308 ratings. Written and Directed by George A. Romero with mostly unknown actors; it was somewhat poorly received, but stands apart from his other films and finds even more ways to make the Zombie sub-genre interesting. Much like the rest of Romero's films, it had several layers. The rarest of which being originality in an overdone sub-genre. This is something that can only be done by the best. The film centers around two warring families on an island off the coast of North America. They fight each other as well as the zombie epidemic that has taken over the world around them. The families are at odds because one family chooses not to harm the zombies in hope that a cure will be found to save them and the other family who thinks the epidemic is hopeless and that they should kill all zombies on sight in order to survive. Lots of surprises and off-center fun in this one that will put off some fans and impress others. I was impressed.

9- The Human Centipede- A Dramatic Horror film with a Rotten Tomatoes 49% critic rating based on 88 reviews and a 31% user rating based on 6,456 ratings. Written and Directed by first time director Tom Six; It stars Dieter Laser as Dr. Heiter in a brilliantly eerie performance as a mad scientist who kidnaps three tourists in order to "reassemble" them into a human centipede. A feat that is achieved by stitching the victims' mouths to each others' rectums. Not a pretty premise, but the movie looks beautiful even though the content is disgusting and morally questionable for even existing. It was fairly poorly received, but it's not because it's not a well done film. It's pretty easy to judge whether you will like it or not. Just look at the premise. If you aren't offended and appalled then this is a great film with a lot of really nice shots, great atmosphere and one hell of an instant classic horror villain Dr. Heiter. The film boasts the claim of being 100% medically correct which has since been called into question, but it no doubt looks realistic. If you can take seeing someone's mouth convincingly sewn to another person's butthole and the inevitable bodily functions that follow then this is a really good film.... that I could only view once.

8- The Last Exorcism- A Horror Thriller and the first of two PG-13 rated films on the list. It has a Rotten Tomatoes 72% critic rating based on 138 reviews and a 32% user rating based on 47,910 ratings. Critics and audiences were more divided on this film than any other on the list which, in my experience, is usually the sign of a great film no matter which way the viewers are divided. Originality always prompts the biggest debates. This faux documentary film is directed by Daniel Stamm who got the gig by directing another documentary style film in which a crew follows a man from first preparation to final act of suicide called A Necessary Death. Starring Patrick Fabian and Ashley Bell; it's about a troubled minister who agrees to let a documentary film crew film his last exorcism. This is an exciting, original and quality film despite it's meager budget and lesser known actors. For a detailed description of the film see my review recently posted here on MoreHorror.com.

7- I Spit On Your Grave- Classified as a Crime Thriller on IMDb and a Rape and Revenge Horror Film on Wikipedia with a Rotten Tomatoes 34% Critic rating based on 35 reviews and a 69% user rating based on 3,154 ratings. This remake of the slightly inferior 1980 film is directed by Steven R. Monroe and stars Sarah Butler in the breakthrough performance of the year as a writer who is brutally beaten and raped by a group of men and left for dead. Instead of being reduced to a trembling victim; she exacts cruel revenge on her attackers one by one. This film, too, had audiences and critics divided, but this time it was the critics who were on the offensive. Roger Ebert gave this film zero stars as he did with the original which he got banned in the U.S. I see why critics can find no entertainment value in this film. The first half of the film was not entertaining in the least and was morally reprehensible. It's realistic and sadistic brutality against the female victim that made me so uncomfortable that I could barely sit through it. What redeemed it was the star-making and dazzling performance by newcomer Sarah Butler and her disturbingly satisfying mission of revenge against all the guys who made you feel so awful in the first half. The effects were great and the impressive varieties of kills were crowd-pleasing and satisfying. This film is also the underplayed story of the year. It was released unrated in 12 theaters. It only made less than $93,000, but remained in theaters for 7 weeks. The first of 2 unrated films on the list to achieve this, but this one had staying power in theaters that didn't cave to political correctness because of the undeniable quality of the film.

6. REC2- Sequel to the hit Spanish Horror Thriller (w/ English subtitles) with a Rotten Tomatoes 69% Critic rating based on 61 reviews and a 59% user rating based on 9,372 ratings. Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza return to direct. This insane film stars Jonathan Mellor in a memorable performance as Dr. Owen. The action continues from REC as the doctor and a SWAT team are sent into the sealed off apartment building to look for survivors and search for a cure for the contagion. The film went into general release in Spain in October of 2009 and went number 1 in the Spanish box office which was the best opening weekend of the year for a Spanish film. Magnolia Pictures acquired the rights and released it in the U.S mid 2010. Unlike The Last Exorcism; this film leaned toward the much more consistently visceral side of realism. This is not for the faint of heart and definitely not for those who dislike the shaky camera, but if these things were attacking you from all sides I don't think you would hold the camera steady either. These guys know how to make a sequel. It had everything I loved about the first film including the perfect location. It even enriched the experience of the first by adding a supernatural element to the story, heavy artillery and additional cameras mounted on helmets of the SWAT officers which made for seamless and highly effective transitions and very scary perspectives on the action. Not to mention even more brilliant and truly scary use of night vision.

5. Hatchet II- The action comedy Horror sequel featuring the latest iconic horror villain Victor Crowley. It has a Rotten Tomatoes 37% Critic rating based on 30 reviews and a 56% user rating based on 1,276 ratings. Written and Directed by Adam Green; Hatchet II stars modern Scream Queen, Danielle Harris, former Jason Voorhees Kane Hodder and Candyman Tony Todd. Marybeth (Danielle Harris) escapes the deformed, swamp-dwelling Victor Crowley (Hodder). After learning about her family's connection to the killer from Reverend Zombie (Todd), she returns to the Louisiana swamps along with an army of hunters to recover the bodies of her family and avenge them. Not surprisingly; a film like this is a turn off for many critics. With quirky characters, impossible and ridiculous kills and tons of blood; it's over the top and pokes fun at itself. An inside joke that critics don't get, but gore hounds lap up with glee. Danielle Harris nails the hardcore victim turned avenger lead role and tops the list of the many entertaining reasons why this film was super fun. See my review here on MoreHorror.com for more details. Like I Spit On Your Grave, Hatchet was released unrated, but unlike ISOYG it was pulled from the theaters before the first weekend was over. Likely because of it's unapologetic and exploitative nature.

4. Devil- The M. Night Shyamalan produced Horror Mystery with a Rotten Tomatoes 55% Critic rating based on 77 reviews and a 51% user rating based on 38,165 ratings. It's directed by John Erick Dowdle who directed Quarantine, the 2008 remake of Spanish horror film REC who's sequel is #6 on the list. Written by Brian Nelson who wrote Hard Candy and 30 Days of Night and based on a story by M. Night Shyamalan; this surprisingly effective film is the first in a series of 3 films to be produced by M. Night called The Night Chronicles. Devil stars the magnetic Chris Messina as a Detective who tries to help five people played by the wonderfully cast Logan Marsharll-Green, Jenny O'Hara, Bojana Novakovic, Bokeem Woodbine and Geoffrey Arend as seemingly innocent people trapped in the elevator of a high rise building. The hapless victims of circumstance soon realize that one of them is the Devil and is brutally killing them one by one each time the lights go out. This film manages to be claustrophobic and frightening while inside the elevator, but sprawling and epic on the outside with beautiful crane shots and high tension drama as we and Detective Bowden (Chris Messina) rack our brains trying to figure out which of the people is the Devil. It's a high concept film that delivers in every way. An extremely taut thriller with genuinely chilling moments despite the constraints of a PG-13 rating.

3. Paranormal Activity 2- The sequel to the huge indie phenomenon that helped change the face of Horror. It has a Rotten Tomatoes 60% Critic rating based on 113 reviews and a 59% user rating based on 62,791 ratings. Directed by Tod Williams and starring Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat reprising their role from the first. It co-stars, most notably, Molly Ephraim portraying the daughter of Katie's sister who's family is terrorized by the same ghostly demonic force that possessed Katie in the first. This sequel is unique as it is both a prequel and a sequel showing what previously happened to Katie's sister's family as they deal with the demon and culminates in the events following the first film . After what the family thinks are a series of "break-ins", they set up security cameras around the house and begin to realize that there are malevolent supernatural forces who want more than to just scare them. Another worthy sequel; this film takes what made the first film work and adds more exciting dynamics like more cameras, more people, a dog and a baby. This is so high on the list simply because this movie really scared the shit out of me and I'm not afraid to admit it. Thanks to a slow build up where your eyes are darting all over the screen waiting to see what happens and superb and deceivingly natural acting by the entire cast; this film feels eerily genuine. Much like The Last Exorcism; audience participation is necessary for the full effect of the scares, but these scares are much more jump-worthy and topped off by one of the best and most satisfying and excitingly scary horror film endings in recent years.

2. Piranha 3D- The Comedy Horror film of the year! It boasts a Rotten Tomatoes 74% Critic rating based on 108 reviews and a 51% user rating based on 48,624 ratings. This remake of the 1978 Joe Dante cult classic is directed by Alexandre Aja who directed the gory thriller High Tension and the quality remakes of Hills Have Eyes and Mirrors. This terror from the deep, CGI laden comic horror ride stars Elisabeth Shue, Jerry O'Connell, Ving Rhames, Christopher Loyd, Eli Roth and Richard Dreyfuss among a much younger, tanner and nuder cast for the most fun I've had watching a Horror film all year. After a sudden underwater tremor releases thousands of prehistoric man-eating fish, an unlikely group of strangers must band together to keep from being part of one of the bloodiest massacres I've ever seen in a film. Filmed at the gorgeous Lake Havasu; I enjoyed this gloriously over the top film so much that I feel like putting an exclamation point after every sentence! Director, Aja, makes wonderful use of the location; CGI effects, mostly young and nubile cast, and seasoned actors who are all fan favorites in their own right. The most giddily exciting appearance coming from Christopher Loyd in all his Doc Emmett Brown glory. No other film this year has more blood, boobs and gratuitous everything. It makes for great entertainment when such an envelope pushing gore-fest is so well made. Most of the boobs might have been fake, but the excitement and suspense is very real.

1. Frozen- My number one horror film of 2010 is classified as a Drama Thriller on IMDb and Horror on Wikipedia. I classify it as all of the above and more. In numbers that don't reflect the ferociously stomach churning intensity of this film; it got a Rotten Tomatoes 62% Critic rating based on 81 reviews and a 47% user rating based on 11,128 ratings. With his 2nd and far superior film in my Top Ten; Adam Green wrote and directed this masterpiece survival thriller starring Emma Bell, Shawn Ashmore and Kevin Zegers as three skiers who are stranded on a chairlift at a ski resort that is not due to open for 5 long days. They start to freeze in the first night and are forced to find ways to get down that prove to be much worse than freezing to death. Things like frostbite, rabid wolves, flesh tearing cables and a snow storm further complicate the already impossible situation. Three main characters in one location for most of the film may not sound exciting, but Adam Green uses a finely crafted script and top notch, virtually unknown actors to piece together a film that is not fun to watch, but is one of the most visceral and exceptional movie-watching experiences of the year in Horror or any other genre.