Legacy of Terror 2021: 50 Horror Movie Prequels: Legacy of Terror

By Steve Hutchison

I review 50 of my favorite horror movie prequels. The movies are ranked. Their position in the list is established by the sum of 8 ratings: stars, gimmick, rewatchability, story, creativity, acting, quality, and creepiness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steve Hutchison
• Release date: Mar 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9781778871856

Steve Hutchison

Artist, developer and entrepreneur in film, video games and communications Steve Hutchison co-founded Shade.ca Art and Code in 1999, then Terror.ca and its French equivalent Terreur.ca in 2000. With his background as an artist and integrator, Steve worked on such games as Capcom's Street Fighter, PopCap's Bejeweled, Tetris, Bandai/Namco's Pac-Man and Mattel's Skip-Bo & Phase 10 as a localization manager, 2-D artist and usability expert. Having acquired skills in gamification, he invented a unique horror movie review system that is filterable, searchable and sortable by moods, genres, subgenres and antagonists. Horror movie fans love it, and so do horror authors and filmmakers, as it is a great source of inspiration. In March 2013, Steve launched Tales of Terror, with the same goals in mind but with a much finer technology and a complex engine, something that wasn’t possible initially. He has since published countless horror-themed books.

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Terminator Genisys

2015

7/8

Two time travelers attempt to stop the end of the world.

In this fifth installment of the Terminator franchise, we revisit many events included or alluded to in the previous films. Namely, a scene from the original 1984 Terminator is re-interpreted and turned upside down with a surprising twist. In this version of the past, three robots, including a T-1000, battle for the fate of humanity. These moments are hectic and big on special effects.

The visuals are photorealistic and extremely immersive. We meet a variety of robots. Most are overcome using creative tactics with stunning composited imagery. Various versions of Schwarzenegger’s cyborg prototype are presented to us; some young and some older. CG is brilliantly used to create this illusion. We learned that the T-800’s skin ages so we accept Schwarzenegger’s various appearances.

Expect good character chemistry, especially when considering the different timelines we travel in. The actors do an excellent job of giving life to extraordinary characters. Genisys ties loose ends left behind by the previous films and uses them to garnish its plot. The action sequences are, as always, the main attraction. This movie will, without a doubt, get your heart pumping!

Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare

1991

7/8

An amnesic teenager who fears sleep is brought to a shelter and is evaluated by mystified specialists.

The sixth Nightmare on Elm Street movie deals with the little damage left to be done in Springwood. Freddy’s goal was to wipe out the whole teenage population in town and he’s almost there. This is the apocalyptic one. It does feel final. It’s among the funniest. Freddy’s never been this comical and eccentric. Some slasher icons go to space, but Freddy stays in Springwood.

The murder scenes are imaginative. They’re mostly slapstick. Freddy’s world is now a cartoon, and sometimes a video game. He’s still very iconic. Freddy’s Dead explores new grounds. We owe a lot of the experience to director Rachel Talalay and screenwriter Michael De Luca who completely own this picture. It’s well-orchestrated, and the dream sequences are vivid.

It’s the best-looking and most superficial film in the franchise, at this point. Its predecessors were irreproachable, cinematographically, so it’s quite the accomplishment. It’s amazing how each installment has its formula. Considering the apocalyptic element, Freddy’s Dead takes the biggest step yet. It’s an origin story, too, and we finally see the stuff we could only imagine.

Hellraiser: Bloodline

1996

7/8

Aboard a spaceship, a scientist attempts to destroy a cursed puzzle box created by his ancestor.

Traveling back and forth in time and following a dynasty of protagonists who fought Pinhead in one way or another, this movie is a prequel and a sequel at the same time. One-third of the plot takes place in space. It features movable sets that it reuses plenty, but in a way to establish