As the end of 2008 closes in, most people look back at the year's best films, and which ones were Oscar-worthy. As for me, I reflect on the best films that likely won't be announced on Oscar night: horror films. This year showed us that giant monsters in New York, sadistic strangers in the middle of nowhere, and killer plants in Mexico were all the rage, and that torture porn is finally out.

Here are my top five horror movies of 2008 for your consideration:

1. The Strangers
There's nothing like a gritty home-invasion movie to get this guy jumping like a 12-year-old girl. I don't think I've ever been so terrified by the sound of knocking as I was here, proving that a truly scary movie doesn't necessarily need a high body count or mass amounts of gore to be effective.

2. Cloverfield
We thought we'd seen the last of the hand-held video camera experience with The Blair Witch Project, but we were wrong. Producer J.J. Abrams took it to the next level with this monster-takes-New York tale, which glued me to the screen and left nail marks in my thighs. A little over-hyped, but worth the roller-coaster of a payoff.

3. Mirrors
Any movie featuring the beautiful Amy Smart ripping her own jaw in half guarantees a place on my list of best horror flicks of the year. Throw in a moody atmosphere, a cool look from one of my favorite directors (Alexandre Aja), and Jack Bauer ... I mean, Kiefer Sutherland. This enraged ghost story was just what the horror doctor ordered during the dog days of summer.

4. The Ruins
While the book was exceptionally better, The Ruins gave a whole new meaning to "fear of plants." Weeks after I watched what happens when plants get really hungry, I couldn't do any weeding or yard work. I was too scared. Or at least, that's what I told my wife.

5. Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
Slap together some cool monster effects, a likable hero, and Robert "Freddy Kruger" Englund, and you have Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer in a nutshell. While not scary, this little horror-comedy gem was fun, fun, fun! Not quite this year's Feast, but a close second.

Since the year's not quite over yet, I plan on squeezing in the following flicks as I heard they scared the pants off the competition and will likely make my top-ten by December 31:

Let the Right One In
The ultimate in scary French vampire movies? I'm so there.

Midnight Meat Train
Great title based on one messed-up story by Clive Barker. Only Lionsgate's poor handling of its theatrical release stood in my way of checking this bad boy out.

Quarantine
Call me a sucker for hand-held video footage, but this "stuck in a building with something unknown" flick looked freaky as all get-out.

Inside
Another scary French movie involving a crazy woman looking to rip a baby out of the mother's womb with scissors? Count me in!

Hellboy II: The Golden Army
In Guillermo del Toro we trust.

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Ammon Gilbert has the latest in horror news every week.

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