F5: Five Smart Horror Films

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What makes Anna Paquin and Kristen Bell scream?

The two make celeb cameos in the newest Scream film. The new movie is filming, marking the 10-year anniversary of the last chapter -- in what is obviously no longer a trilogy.

With anticipation for the series’ next installment already building, there’s a long line to wait until April 2011. In the meantime, let’s look at a genre that’s often underrated as silly teen fare. Sometimes horror movies are smart. Here are 5 films that prove it!

Scream: Classic fright flick. Credited with bringing back the big screen slashers, this movie made fun of the genre at every turn; yet, it remained true to the format in every way.

Saw: Gore porn. There are so many I-can’t-look moments that the title is ironic. Gross and bloody to the max, the gore factor is driven by the plot. It’s not just some dude with a chainsaw cutting off heads. It’s like a chess game with body parts. Smart!

The Orphanage: International selection. Subtitles are needed for this slow-paced psychological ghost mystery, but I highly recommend it for people who can’t stand bloody horror flicks. There’s none of that, but it will pretty much freak you out with creepy kid ghosts and a very twisted plot.

The Ring: Brain teaser. The imagery in this movie is creepy and disturbing. Weird stuff, like student film weird. There is an original Japanese version too, since we’re all classy and international with this list.

Alien: Sci-Fi horror. Alien chest-popping FTW! This is a great cross-genre thriller with a tough female lead who isn’t scared of the monsters. She’s badass! The original still holds up, while any in the series is still worth watching.