Your Top 10 Horror Movies

[Dukefrukem]

See, earlier I was talking about my top 100 list, and in my list I highlight the horror movies (so they stick out easier). I was looking through the horror movies and found these movies ranked in this order. If you asked me to name my top 10 movies off the cuff, this is not how I would rank them, but this is how they show up in my top 100 list. I'm doing it wrong somehow.

List your top 10 horror movies of all time.

1. John Carpenter's The Thing
2. Alien
3. Aliens
4. The Descent
5. Drag Me to Hell
6. Night of the Living Dead (Romero)
7. Evil Dead
8. Jaws
9. Let The Right One In
10. Dawn of the Dead (Synder)

[MacGuffin]

There are so many different kinds of horror, but here it is...

1. Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock)
2. The Innocents (Jack Clayton)
3. The Tingler (William Castle)
4. Fascination (Jean Rollin)
5. Suspiria (Dario Argento)
6. Hausu (Nobuhiko Obayashi)
7. Inland Empire (David Lynch)
8. Black Sunday (Mario Bava)
9. Pit and the Pendulum (Roger Corman)
10. Onibaba (Kaneto Shindô)

[Spinal]

1. The Vanishing
2. Poltergeist
3. Hour of the Wolf
4. Santa sangre
5. Shaun of the Dead
6. May
7. Let the Right One In
8. Diabolique
9. Evil Dead II
10. Peeping Tom

Genre definition is hard. I probably have others in my top 100 that could fit, but I'm trying to avoid films that only fit the category loosely.

[endingcredits]

1. Audition (Miike)
2. Psycho (Hitchcock)
3. The Shining (Kubrick)
4. Let The Right One In (Alfredson)
5. Funny Games (Haneke)
6. Rosemary's Baby (Polanski)
7. The Wicker Man (Hardy)
8. Hausu (Obayashi)
9. Ringu (Nakata)
10. Bram Stoker's Dracula (Coppola)

[Bosco B Thug]

See, earlier I was talking about my top 100 list, and in my list I highlight the horror movies (so they stick out easier). I was looking through the horror movies and found these movies ranked in this order. If you asked me to name my top 10 movies off the cuff, this is not how I would rank them, but this is how they show up in my top 100 list. I'm doing it wrong somehow. Haha, yeah, I could totally see that happening to me. It's going from comparing them to all films, to then comparing only the horror films to each other.

1. The Birds
2. I Walked With a Zombie
3. The Haunting
4. The Leopard Man
5. Cure
6. Death Proof
7. Don't Look Now
8. The Seventh Victim
9. Day of the Dead
10. Candyman

I'm probably forgetting something essential.

EDIT: Ugh, reminded of The Shining, Psycho, and The Wicker Man... those might swap in for the ones near the bottom.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Off the top of my head:

1. Halloween
2. The Thing (1982)
3. The Vanishing
4. Jaws
5. Alien
6. Evil Dead 2
7. Creature from the Black Lagoon
8. The Exorcist
9. Onibaba
10. Repulsion

[Spinal]

I have this nagging suspicion that The Descent should be on my list. Gotta watch that again.

[MacGuffin]

I need to rewatch I Walked With a Zombie. I think I totally missed the boat on that one and while it may sound strange, after listening to a lot of Exuma, I feel like I have a better understanding of the tone that the movie was going for.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I have this nagging suspicion that The Descent should be on my list. Gotta watch that again.

Might be the only example I can think of where I can say, "That movie was scaring the hell out of me until the monsters showed up."

[endingcredits]

Might be the only example I can think of where I can say, "That movie was scaring the hell out of me until the monsters showed up."

I felt the same way.

[MacGuffin]

Might be the only example I can think of where I can say, "That movie was scaring the hell out of me until the monsters showed up."

The scene where they find the previous explorers' equipment is chilling in how it allows viewers to come to their own horrifying conclusions as to what occurred. So yeah, I think I'd probably agree with you, but I thought the creatures were pretty well designed.

[Bosco B Thug]

I need to rewatch I Walked With a Zombie. I think I totally missed the boat on that one and while it may sound strange, after listening to a lot of Exuma, I feel like I have a better understanding of the tone that the movie was going for. Well, the film can be a little stilted, so maybe my putting it at #2 is a bit forced, a bit much. Doubt: the peril of listing.

[Spinal]

Might be the only example I can think of where I can say, "That movie was scaring the hell out of me until the monsters showed up."

This is why I want to watch it again. It was admittedly a bit jarring, but I wonder what the experience of watching it a second time would be like, knowing it was coming. Still think it's an extraordinary film.

[D_Davis]

1. The Thing - Dir. John Carpenter (http://www.genrebusters.com/film/top100_11thething.htm)
2. Scream - Dir. Wes Craven (http://www.genrebusters.com/film/top100_14scream.htm)
3. Evil Dead 2 (1987) - Dir. Sam Raimi (http://www.genrebusters.com/film/top100_27evildead2.htm)
4 (http://www.genrebusters.com/film/top100_44descent.htm). Descent (2005) - Dir: Neil Marshall (http://www.genrebusters.com/film/top100_44descent.htm)
5. A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) - Dir. Ching Siu Ting (http://www.genrebusters.com/film/top100_47acgs.htm)
6. Misery (1990) - Dir: Rob Reiner (http://www.genrebusters.com/film/top100_50misery.htm)
7. The Haunting - Dir: Robert Wise (http://www.genrebusters.com/film/top100_52haunting.htm)
8. Re-Animator (1985) - Dir: Stuart Gordon (http://www.genrebusters.com/film/top100_54reanimator.htm)
9. Return of the Living Dead (1985) - Dir. Dan O'Bannon (http://www.genrebusters.com/film/top100_64rotld.htm)
10. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - Dir: Wes Craven (http://www.genrebusters.com/film/top100_70elmstreet.htm)

[Melville]

1. Possession
2. Dead Ringers
3. Hour of the Wolf
4. Rosemary's Baby
5. Eraserhead
6. The Wicker Man
7. Psycho
8. Audition
9. Let the Right One In
10. Hausu
11. Repulsion

Went to 11 because I'm not sure if things like Possession and Eraserhead should count.

[Dukefrukem]

Might be the only example I can think of where I can say, "That movie was scaring the hell out of me until the monsters showed up."

That's may be the only example I can think of where I can say, "That movie was scaring the hell out of me even after the monsters showed up".

[Raiders]

1. PULSE (K. Kurosawa, 2001)
2. EYES WITHOUT A FACE (Franju, 1960)
3. DIABOLIQUE (Clouzot, 1955)
4. TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, THE (Hooper, 1974)
5. DEAD RINGERS (Cronenberg, 1988)
6. INNOCENTS, THE (Clayton, 1961)
7. BLACK CAT, THE (Ulmer, 1934)
8. THING, THE (Carpenter, 1982)
9. OPERA (Argento, 1987)
10. GOD TOLD ME TO (Cohen, 1976)

A lot of films very tough to leave off, particularly The Seventh Victim, Peeping Tom, all three of Polanski's apartment trilogy, Alien, Bava's Kill, Baby...Kill! and Argento's Deep Red. Just to name a few.

[Bosco B Thug]

That's may be the only example I can think of where I can say, "That movie was scaring the hell out of me even after the monsters showed up". The first half of the film is undoubtedly superior, but I definitely enjoyed the over-the-top "BE SCARED!" close-up shots of the fully-revealed creatures' eyes rolling around in their sockets and green skin dripping mucus from every pore.

I was gonna hold it in, and no offense, but I am baffled by the love Let the Right One In is getting.

[number8]

This will need some serious thinking.

[Dukefrukem]

The first half of the film is undoubtedly superior, but I definitely enjoyed the over-the-top "BE SCARED!" close-up shots of the fully-revealed creatures' eyes rolling around in their sockets and green skin dripping mucus from every pore.

I was gonna hold it in, and no offense, but I am baffled by the love Let the Right One In is getting.

I loved the movie, but if I were doing this list NOT by looking at my top 100 movies list, it wouldn't crack the top 20. I need to make some adjustments in my lists.

[Bosco B Thug]

1. PULSE (K. Kurosawa, 2001)
2. EYES WITHOUT A FACE (Franju, 1960)
3. DIABOLIQUE (Clouzot, 1955)
4. TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, THE (Hooper, 1974)
5. DEAD RINGERS (Cronenberg, 1988)
6. INNOCENTS, THE (Clayton, 1961)
7. BLACK CAT, THE (Ulmer, 1934)
8. THING, THE (Carpenter, 1982)
9. OPERA (Argento, 1987)
10. GOD TOLD ME TO (Cohen, 1976) Ah, Eyes Without a Face and Diabolique slipped my mind. They would be very strong Honorable Mentions.

I love Hooper, but I've recently been accumulating a small collection of misgivings about TCM that prevent me from labeling it an unimpeachable masterpiece. Still great, though.

[Sycophant]

My mind doesn't seem to want to actually produce this list, but know that The Fly, Audition, The Thing, and a host of Kiyoshi Kurosawa films are on it.

[Kurosawa Fan]

2. EYES WITHOUT A FACE (Franju, 1960)


This should have made my list too. That's what I get for going off the top of my head.

[D_Davis]

The first monster reveal in The Descent is one of the best scares of all time. Gets me every freaking time, and I've seen the movie about 12 times. It's a movie in two halves, and each half is executed with perfection. The first half is the tense man vs. nature thriller, and the second half is the monster movie. And like From Dusk Til Dawn, the first half flows effortlessly into the second.

[jenniferofthejungle]

1. Night of the Living Dead '68
2. The Evil Dead
3. Halloween
4. Dawn of the Dead (78)
5. The Thing (Carpenter)
6. An American Werewolf in London
7. The Exorcist
8. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
9. Black Christmas
10. The Changeling

I'll have to think about the rest, but the list usually has the usual suspects on it (Halloween, The Thing, An American Werewolf in London, Black Christmas...)

[Spinal]

The first monster reveal in The Descent is one of the best scares of all time. Gets me every freaking time, and I've seen the movie about 12 times. It's a movie in two halves, and each half is executed with perfection. The first half is the tense man vs. nature thriller, and the second half is the monster movie. And like From Dusk Til Dawn, the first half flows effortlessly into the second.

Yes, this is one of the things I love about it ... the way metaphor and reality are blended.

[Dead & Messed Up]

10. GOD TOLD ME TO (Cohen, 1976)

This one weirded me out. I didn't think it was especially good, and the problem may have been that I was expecting something more focused, along the lines of It's Alive and Q. God Told Me To takes so many crazy twists and turns...but I'll be damned if it hasn't stuck with me.

Overall, I'm really impressed by the diversity of choices from everyone. I can't point to a single list that isn't packed with awesome.

Mine would be:

01. Dawn of the Dead (George Romero, 1978)
02. The Haunting (Robert Wise, 1963)
03. Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)
04. Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)
05. Nosferatu (F. W. Murnau, 1978)
06. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Don Siegel, 1956)
07. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
08. Evil Dead II (Sam Raimi, 1987)
09. Frankenstein (James Whale, 1931)
10. Pulse (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2001)
11. The Leopard Man (Jacques Tourneur, 1943)

[Philosophe_rouge]

narrowing it down to just 10 was sooo hard


1. The Birds
2. Suspiria
3. Possession
4. The Shining
5. Black Christmas
6. What have they done to Solange?
7. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
8. The Legend of Hell House
9. Let the right one in
10. Evil Dead II

[baby doll]

I'm not really a horror fan, but here's ten I like:

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Rouben Mamoulian, 1931)
I Walked With a Zombie (Jacques Tourneur, 1943)
The Seventh Victim (Mark Robson, 1943)
The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955)
Peeping Tom (Michael Powell, 1960)
Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
Rosemary's Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968)
Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
Trouble Every Day (Claire Denis, 2001)

[endingcredits]

If Possession counts, then it goes on my list next to Audition for the top. I also forgot about Diabolique and Pulse, which should bump the ones off at the bottom.

[Bosco B Thug]

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Rouben Mamoulian, 1931) Ah, there it is. The omission. Top 5.


1. The Birds Whoooo.

[megladon8]

The Haunting ('63)
Halloween
Night of the Living Dead
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht
The Exorcist
The Evil Dead
Pulse
Dawn of the Dead ('78)
The Phantom of the Opera ('25)
Black Sunday


I'm not going to order them because that would take me hours and hours. It would be painful. I feel I've left off a hundred worthy contenders as it is.

[MacGuffin]

8. The Legend of Hell House


I need to see this. It came up a lot while I was searching for Hell House and it looks like a delightful haunted house flick.

[Boner M]

1. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Hooper, 1974)
2. Rosemary's Baby (Polanski, 1968)
3. Carnival of Souls (Harvey, 1962)
4. The Thing (Carpenter, 1982)
5. Eyes Without a Face (Franju, 1959)
6. Reflections of Evil (Packard, 2002)
7. Let the Right One In (Alfredson, 2008)
8. Martin (Romero, 1977)
9. Freaks (Browning, 1932)
10. Deep Red (Argento, 1975)

Edited for EWaF... sorry God Told Me To.

[Boner M]

The Legend of Hell House would be in my top 20-30, maybe higher if I saw it again since I don't remember it too well... but holy moley, what a stylish movie.

[MacGuffin]

6. Reflections of Evil (Packard, 2002)

A bit of a stretch, don't you think? I mean, sure there are surreal portions and it's pretty apocalyptic as a whole, but I think it's no more horror than something by Luis Buñuel. It's an absurdist's film through and through. That said, I won't complain if your listing it means more people will check it out. I kind of want to see it again sometime myself... it's quite a journey.

[Bosco B Thug]

3. Carnival of Souls (Harvey, 1962) Auuuugh. Forgot Carnival of Souls.

[Boner M]

A bit of a stretch, don't you think? I mean, sure there are surreal portions and it's pretty apocalyptic as a whole, but I think it's no more horror than something by Luis Buñuel. It's an absurdist's film through and through. That said, I won't complain if your listing it means more people will check it out. I kind of want to see it again sometime myself... it's quite a journey.
The occult vibe, OTT gore and overall dementedness makes it a horror film in my eyes. Plus, Packard's main source of inspiration seems to be bargain basement horror flicks (esp. the Kuchar bros). And it's really fucking scary at times to boot.

[MacGuffin]

The occult vibe, OTT gore and overall dementedness makes it a horror film in my eyes. Plus, Packard's main source of inspiration seems to be bargain basement horror flicks (esp. the Kuchar bros). And it's really fucking scary at times to boot.

Fair enough. I was just considering the similarities between it and Inland Empire, which I've put on my own list. It's almost as if they're related—with Reflections of Evil about the travelling watch salesman making his way around downtown LA, criticism of consumerism and corporations abound and Laura Dern doing the same in Inland Empire, both characters being on their own hypothetical "road to Hell". I guess the major difference that has me questioning whether Reflections of Evil could be considered horror is that a lot of the gags in the movie seem played off as bizarre humor, like the old guy in the house getting angry at the dude outside vomiting all over the place or the PCP addict. Still, I see where you are coming from.

[Boner M]

Fair enough. I was just considering the similarities between it and Inland Empire, which I've put on my own list. It's almost as if they're related—with Reflections of Evil about the travelling watch salesman making his way around downtown LA, criticism of consumerism and corporations abound and Laura Dern doing the same in Inland Empire, both characters being on their own hypothetical "road to Hell". I guess the major difference that has me questioning whether Reflections of Evil could be considered horror is that a lot of the gags in the movie seem played off as bizarre humor, like the old guy in the house getting angry at the dude outside vomiting all over the place or the PCP addict. Still, I see where you are coming from.
Hey, I was about to add in my previous post that I consider [b]IE[b] a horror film too, but didn't wanna open a semantics debate.

[MacGuffin]

Hey, I was about to add in my previous post that I consider [b]IE[b] a horror film too, but didn't wanna open a semantics debate.

Well how about that. :lol:

[Ivan Drago]

1. Jaws
2. The Thing (1982)
3. The Shining
4. Scream
5. A Nightmare on Elm Street
6. Psycho (1960)
7. Alien
8. Halloween
9. May
10. Frankenstein (1931)

[Ezee E]

1. The Shining
2. The Exorcist
3. Alien
4. Texas Chain Saw Massacre
5. Scream
6. Suspiria
7. The Descent
8. The Thing
9. Jacob's Ladder
10. Misery

[Mysterious Dude]

1. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
2. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
3. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
4. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
5. Alien (1979)
6. The Cell (2000)
7. The Birds (1963)
8. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
9. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
10. Freaks (1932)

Semi-related: Why does IMDB consider Ugetsu and Onibaba to be horror films, but not The Sixth Sense or Let the Right One In? I considered including Ugetsu (it has ghosts and stuff) but decided against it.

[MacGuffin]

I considered including Ugetsu (it has ghosts and stuff) but decided against it.

Definitely the best ghost outside of a horror movie. Best ghost(s) in a horror movie goes to the ghosts in The Innocents.

[Ezee E]

I almost thought about putting [REC] in there as its one of the more terrifying horror movies around.

[MadMan]

You'll find out when I post my current Top 20 horror list this October. Needless to say though it needs more work-there's a good deal of "Classics" that I have yet to see.

[Dukefrukem]

Theses lists are awesome... and it's hard jamming them all into 10 spots.

[dmk]

Instead of 'top', here are some generally-ignored horror films I dig a lot for whatever reason:

1 . Long Weekend (1978)
2 . The Leopard Man (1943)
3 . Sombre (1998)
4 . The Shout (1978)
5 . Messiah of Evil (1973)
6 . Next of Kin (1982)
7 . Images (1972)
8 . I, Madman (1989)
9 . The Sadist (1963)
10 . Docteur Jekyll et les femmes (1981)
11 . Silent Night, Deadly Night III: Better Watch Out! (1989)
12 . Tentacles (1977)
13 . The Tingler (1959)

Order inconsequential.

[Dukefrukem]

11 . Silent Night, Deadly Night III: Better Watch Out! (1989)

I want to see this... like... now.

[dmk]

I want to see this... like... now.
It works better as a pastiche, a comedy, and that’s what Hellman intended, but I was just going through whatever's classified as ‘horror’ on imdb for ease.

At the least, it's fascinating for the casting of future-Twin Peaks actors (and Everett McGill starred in his previous film).

[Boner M]

1 . Long Weekend (1978)
4 . The Shout (1978)
Yes plz!

All these lists make me realise I need to check out The Leopard Man, stat.

[Raiders]

All these lists make me realise I need to check out The Leopard Man, stat.

Yeah, I'm glad I'm apparently not the only one who considers it Tourneur's finest hour. Really though, all three of his Lewton films are choice.

[B-side]

Off the top of my head, and in no order:

Dead Ringers (Cronenberg, 1988)
Eraserhead (Lynch, 1977)
The Birds (Hitchcock, 1963)
Images (Altman, 1972)
Opera (Argento, 1987)
Outer Space (Tscherkassky, 1999)
Kwaidan (Kobayashi, 1964)
Inland Empire (Lynch, 2006)
Santa Sangre (Jodorowsky, 1989)
The Driller Killer (Ferrara, 1979)

[Dukefrukem]

Still haven't seen 8's

[Bosco B Thug]

I was gonna be bitchy about the Inland Empire inclusions, buuut I realized there is ghost sightings and a cursed screenplay. So, oookaaay. ;)

[Raiders]

I was gonna be bitchy about the Inland Empire inclusions, buuut I realized there is ghost sightings and a cursed screenplay. ;)

... And the fact that a lot of it is freaky and terrifying. Possibly the best example of horror cinema as pure form over content? (not slighting the content as much as saying how the form almost single-handedly makes the "horror" experience)

[megladon8]

There are several films I left off of my list because I don't qualify them as true horror films.

Alien, American Psycho, Videodrome and Jaws are a few examples of films I do not consider horror, but are as good as (if not better than) most of the stuff on my list.

[Dukefrukem]

You don't qualify Alien as a true horror film????

[megladon8]

You don't qualify Alien as a true horror film????


Nah it's sci-fi. As is Videodrome.

Jaws is a drama/thriller.

American Psycho is comedy.

[Dukefrukem]

Well of course it's sci-fi, but it's prime objective is to scare you. Therefor it is horror. As is Jaws.

[Bosco B Thug]

... And the fact that a lot of it is freaky and terrifying. Possibly the best example of horror cinema as pure form over content? (not slighting the content as much as saying how the form almost single-handedly makes the "horror" experience) I didn't mean, by my off-handed comment, to diminish anyone's citing of the film and the strong reasons (due to their surely vivid experience watching it) they had to including it. So I didn't mean to create any ire, in any way, nor to make myself off as a small-minded fool (goes without saying).

But I just don't see the point (to put it undesirably harshly) in adding it in a "favorite horror films?" list that suggests "horror" and "genre" in the most banal way possible. To pontificate, the only reason "genre" has any importance in cinema scholarship is to study the audience and genre fandom, which is often limiting, so the criteria I made for my list was that the average Fangoria-reading horror schmoe would easily accept a film as horror canon.

But power to everyone, really. :)

[megladon8]

Well of course it's sci-fi, but it's prime objective is to scare you. Therefor it is horror. As is Jaws.


Disagree.

[EyesWideOpen]

I'm not gonna worry about what is or isn't considered horror and just pick the ten movies I would want on this list:

1. Hausu
2. The Exorcist
3. Audition
4. The Shining
5. Rosemary's Baby
6. Let the Right One In
7. Psycho
8. Jaws
9. The Sixth Sense
10. The Omen

[MadMan]

My review of Jaws that I posted on the old Axis website explains why its a horror movie. I'm not so sure that Silence of the Lambs is a horror film, though-it really rests on the fine line between "Horror movie" and "Thriller." But its a great movie regardless, and if I decide that its a horror movie then it would probably crack my list.

[Dukefrukem]

My review of Jaws that I posted on the old Axis website explains why its a horror movie. I'm not so sure that Silence of the Lambs is a horror film, though-it really rests on the fine line between "Horror movie" and "Thriller." But its a great movie regardless, and if I decide that its a horror movie then it would probably crack my list.

That site had such good content.... did anyone archive any of it?

[MadMan]

That site had such good content.... did anyone archive any of it?Well I saved my reviews, of course. The previous site is still standing and exists, for now.

[Dukefrukem]

Well I saved my reviews, of course. The previous site is still standing and exists, for now.

link plz?

[MadMan]

link plz?http://www.sheercheek.net/axis/index.phpThere yah go.

[Dukefrukem]

http://www.sheercheek.net/axis/index.phpThere yah go.

Where's GhostintheDarkness been?

[MadMan]

Where's GhostintheDarkness been?No idea, really. Good question, though.

[jenniferofthejungle]

Where's GhostintheDarkness been?

Making music.


I have to update my list since I only chose one damned film.

[Dukefrukem]

Making music.


I have to update my list since I only chose one damned film.

Yes you do.

[jenniferofthejungle]

Yes you do.

It's done.

I guess some people could say it's a pretty standard list, but each one is fucking awesome and has earned its rightful place in my Top Ten.

I honestly love hundreds of other horror movies, but this is my set ten right now. The only one that never changes is the first one. It's my first love. ;)

[Dukefrukem]

This will need some serious thinking.

Still waiting...

[balmakboor]

No particular order:

Casualties of War
Dazed and Confused
Day of the Dead
Paranormal Activity
Rosemary's Baby
Duel
Night of the Hunter
The Descent
A History of Violence
Lolita (Kubrick)

[megladon8]

Dazed and Confused?

[balmakboor]

Dazed and Confused?

I know. I was having some fun toying with odd, borderline, and questionable choices. But Robin Wood once wrote Linklater a fan letter telling him he thought it was a fantastic horror film. Linklater wrote back telling him he was the only critic who truly understood his intentions. I've had a lot of fun ever since pondering ways in which it could be considered a horror film.

I do think that all of my choices relate in interesting ways to Wood's theory of the horror film as being about "normality vs. the monster."

[StanleyK]

I know. I was having some fun toying with odd, borderline, and questionable choices. But Robin Wood once wrote Linklater a fan letter telling him he thought it was a fantastic horror film. Linklater wrote back telling him he was the only critic who truly understood his intentions. I've had a lot of fun ever since pondering ways in which it could be considered a horror film.

I do think that all of my choices relate in interesting ways to Wood's theory of the horror film as being about "normality vs. the monster."

Nice choice! I think Dazed and Confused is pretty scary as well, although I'd still consider it more of a comedy that uses horrifying actions as backdrop for its sociopathic comedy rather than outright horror.

[StanleyK]

1. The Shining
2. Hour of the Wolf
3. Elephant
4. Jaws
5. Eraserhead
6/7. Alien/Aliens
8. Woman in the Dunes
9. The Descent
10. Night of the Living Dead

Something like that, not sure about the order. Plenty I need to rewatch as well.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Dazed and Confused is horror now? wtf.

You guys had weird adolescent years.

[Scar]

So is Jason X a sci-fi movie since it takes place in space?

[Irish]

I dunno. No insult but half those picks aren't horror. Duel is a thriller, Casualties of War has, well yeah horrific moments but c'mon it's a goddamn *war* film. History of Violence is a crime with a dash of mystery/thriller.

And mentioning Lolita in this thread has Nabakov's corpse trying to punch its way out of the grave.

[ciaoelor]

(in alphabetical order)

CUJO - I was on the edge of my bed, crying.

CURE - This is the Kiyoshi Kurosawa movie. The first time I saw it it had a strange effect on me. I think I watched it on Sundance at midnight. When the film ended, I sat on the couch, quiet, for several minutes. When I finally got up, I felt tired. Not sleepy, but tired. I think I was hypnotized or something.

THE DESCENT - Beautiful! Now this is a Horror movie for the movie theater. Whenever I watch it I darken the picture and turn every light in the house off. I even have something covering the lights on the DVD player. I like to feel the room darken.

FINAL DESTINATION 3 - My rainy day movie. It's so fun. I don't know how I watched it with my mom without cursing out-loud during certain scenes.

INSIDIOUS - I saw this at the movie theater I worked at (for free, of course) and bought a ticket after it was over. My hands were trembling.

IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS - There's a scene in the middle of this that made me stop the tape, turn the light on, and take a breather. Eventually I restarted the movie, but I didn't turn the light off. I watched a VHS copy of it. I had no idea what the movie was about before I saw it.

JU-ON: THE GRUDGE - This is the scariest movie I have ever seen.

SAFE - Mostly I just marvel at the way this was shot.

SCREAM (tie) I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (tie) SCREAM 2 - "Scream" turned me into a fan of horror movies. It gave me the courage to enjoy watching these movies alone, in the dark, and often. I was in 7th grade when I saw it and I had never seen a Horror movie that was so fun and funny. Every other movie was so serious. The irony is that I grew to appreciate serious Horror movies and kind of avoid comical ones. "I Know What You Did Last Summer" I first saw in a theater. My parents were movie-hopping, but I only watched this movie. I think I watched it three times in a theater in one day. "Scream 2" I watched in a theater, once, but I enjoyed it as much as the other two. Kevin Williamson, for two years, you were my movie-god.

TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (orig.) - The scene where Leatherface lifts the woman onto the hooks is classic to me. The realism of the actress' performance makes this the saddest death scene in a Horror movie I've ever seen.

[Dukefrukem]

So is Jason X a sci-fi movie since it takes place in space?

It's clearly neither.

[Irish]

Some good picks on your list, ciaoelor. Have you seen Black Christmas?

[Fezzik]

I'm sooo not a horror movie fan. I never seek them out and in fact consciously avoid them. It's not that I think they're pointless, but its sadly very easy to scare me and when I get scared, its hard for me to come back down from it because my imagination kicks into 5th gear. And I hate how it feels.

So yes, I can say with complete honesty to the horror film genre: It's not you, its me.

That said, lets see what I can do with this:


Alien
The Shining
Psycho
Jaws
The Blair Witch Project
The Exorcist
Carrie
The Birds
Poltergeist
A Nightmare on Elm Street

[Russ]

Definitely a tough genre to pin down (ie, I wouldn't really consider Lynch or Jodorowsky films as horror, although both contain elements and I can see why others would classify them as such).

Some hm's:

Psycho
Audition
Possession (this one doesn't let you know it's a horror movie until about halfway through)
Dawn of the Dead
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Suspiria
The Shining
Alien (always considered this more SF w/horror elements)
Videodrome
Night of the Living Dead

More or less my top ten, in no specific order:

Halloween
American Werewolf in London
Freaks
The Thing
Trilogy of Terror
The Haunting
Carnival of Souls
The Evil Dead
The Wicker Man
The Exorcist


http://a.imageshack.us/img26/3584/trilogyofterrorzunibath.jpg

[Spaceman Spiff]

With maybe 2 or 3 exceptions, I think your HM list is far, far better than your top 10.

:confused:

[Raiders]

SAFE - Mostly I just marvel at the way this was shot, to be honest.

Such an awesome choice that I completely whiffed on. It is almost certainly a subtle horror film and as anyone who knows me knows, one of my very favorite films ever.

[Bosco B Thug]

CUJO - I was on the edge of my bed, crying. I really do love Cujo. It's a fine, fine film.


SAFE - Mostly I just marvel at the way this was shot, to be honest. You know what, even I'll go for this. The human mind and the outer environment are left terrifyingly unexplained. Great and unsettling film.

[ciaoelor]

Some good picks on your list, ciaoelor. Have you seen Black Christmas?

Not at all. Tell me why I should.

[ciaoelor]

updated list to include "Final Destination 3"

[Dead & Messed Up]

Also, this list reminded me that 1960 had to be the best year for the horror genre, ever. I mean, you got Black Sunday, Eyes Without a Face, Corman's House of Usher, Peeping Tom, Psycho, and Village of the Damned. That's a damned amazing lineup.

[Raiders]

Yeah, you're probably right. '74 was also pretty choice (best year for movies in general too) with Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Phantom of the Paradise, Bob Clark's double-whammy of Black Christmas and Deathdream and the peculiar Blood for Dracula.

[Irish]

Not at all. Tell me why I should.

Simply put: I can't imagine someone liking Halloween, Texas Chainsaw and the Descent and not being blown away by Black Christmas (the original version).

They've all got that tense, chase, heart-in-the-throat-anything-could-happen kind of feel to them.

In my mind they're all pure horror, what the genre is when its at its very best, meant to disarm your senses, evoke dread and make you, as an adult, afraid of the dark in the way you were when you were little.

[megladon8]

I'm 23 and I'm still afraid of the dark.

[ciaoelor]

Simply put: I can't imagine someone liking Halloween, Texas Chainsaw and the Descent and not being blown away by Black Christmas (the original version).

They've all got that tense, chase, heart-in-the-throat-anything-could-happen kind of feel to them.

In my mind they're all pure horror, what the genre is when its at its very best, meant to disarm your senses, evoke dread and make you, as an adult, afraid of the dark in the way you were when you were little.

Well alright then! :)

[Grouchy]

This will need some serious thinking.
Yes. I thought the same so I never posted. Here is a list without so much thinking:

Rosemary's Baby
The Shining
The Thing
Suspiria
Halloween
Let the Right One In
Night of the Living Dead
Videodrome
May
Psycho

[MacGuffin]

Do you like Rob Zombie, Grouchy?

[Grouchy]

Do you like Rob Zombie, Grouchy?
Yeah, big fan of The Devil's Rejects.

[Dukefrukem]

8 year bump. Happy Friday everyone. I'm preparing another one of my list/contests for this coming Halloween focused around horror movies.... So I've just been poking around old threads and this gem popped up.

Man times have changed (except for my number 1):

OLD LIST




1. John Carpenter's The Thing
2. Alien
3. Aliens
4. The Descent
5. Drag Me to Hell
6. Night of the Living Dead (Romero)
7. Evil Dead
8. Jaws
9. Let The Right One In
10. Dawn of the Dead (Synder)

2018 LIST


The Thing
1. The Thing 1982
2. The Devil’s Backbone 2001
3. Alien 1979
4. The Cabin in the Woods 2012
5. Night of the Living Dead 1968
6. Scream 1996
7. The Evil Dead 1981
8. The Birds 1963
9. I Saw the Devil 2010
10. A Tale of Two Sisters 2003

*Removing Aliens and Jaws on a technicality that it's not listed as a horror movie on IMDB

[Spinal]

2010:



1. The Vanishing
2. Poltergeist
3. Hour of the Wolf
4. Santa sangre
5. Shaun of the Dead
6. May
7. Let the Right One In
8. Diabolique
9. Evil Dead II
10. Peeping Tom


2018:

1. The Vanishing
2. Eraserhead
3. Onibaba
4. The Lure
5. Let the Right One In
6. Poltergeist
7. Carrie
8. Diabolique
9. Evil Dead 2
10. Antichrist

[Dukefrukem]

Eraserhead; Completely forgot about that one. May need to readjust my rankings.

[Spinal]

Eraserhead; Completely forgot about that one. May need to readjust my rankings.

I'm always on the fence about whether or not it's a horror movie. But then, I think, what else would it be?

[Dukefrukem]

IMDB says it is. So it is.

[Dukefrukem]

Also wanted to give a heads up to https://www.shudder.com/ - $4.99/month (or $3.99 if you sign up for 1 year) to stream horror movies. There's a lot of shit on here that I couldn't find anywhere else. Examples: The Howling, The Stuff, CHUD, Basket Case - Seems like the perfect September/October sub service. Cancel anytime if you opt for the $4.99 model.

[Dead & Messed Up]

01. Dawn of the Dead (George Romero, 1978)
02. The Haunting (Robert Wise, 1963)
03. Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)
04. Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)
05. Nosferatu (F. W. Murnau, 1978)
06. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Don Siegel, 1956)
07. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
08. Evil Dead II (Sam Raimi, 1987)
09. Frankenstein (James Whale, 1931)
10. Pulse (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2001)
11. The Leopard Man (Jacques Tourneur, 1943)

I'm a little surprised by how little mine would change, but I've sorta chilled on the genre in the past five years or so, so maybe that's why.

Anyway:

Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)
Dawn of the Dead (George Romero, 1978)
Evil Dead II (Sam Raimi, 1987)
The Fly (David Cronenberg, 1986)
Frankenstein / Bride (James Whale, 1931/35)
The Haunting (Robert Wise, 1963)
Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)
The Leopard Man (Jacques Tourneur, 1943)
Night of the Living Dead (George Romero, 1968)
Nosferatu (F. W. Murnau, 1922)
Pulse (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2001)

[megladon8]

A rewatch of Pulse last year was not kind. I was super let down.

[Skitch]

I adore Pulse.

[Irish]

I've sorta chilled on the genre in the past five years or so

I'd love it if you elaborated on this a little bit.

I still dig the genre but find it impossible to dig into obscure / DTV stuff like I used to, and my interest waned even as mainstream horror had a noticeable resurgence.

(OTOH "Cold Hell" on Shudder was probably the most fun I've had at the movies this year.)

[Skitch]

Since I started doing an October horrorthon, I generally avoid the genre and let it stock up to binge. Then I'm burned out and need a break.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I'd love it if you elaborated on this a little bit.

It's more to do with personal stuff than any sort of opinion on the genre. Horror's probably as good as ever.

[Dukefrukem]

I still dig the genre but find it impossible to dig into obscure / DTV stuff like I used to, and my interest waned even as mainstream horror had a noticeable resurgence.


Funny you should mention this- I just watched Children of the Corn tonight. Not a good experience.

[Skitch]

Funny you should mention this- I just watched Children of the Corn tonight. Not a good experience.

Terrible movie.

[Peng]

1. Alien (1979)
2. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
3. A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
4. Eyes Without a Face (1960)
5. Jacob's Ladder (1990)
6. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
7. Halloween (1978)
8. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
9. The Descent (2005)
10. The Blaire Witch Project (1999)

[megladon8]

Horror is about 95% of what I watch.

[MadMan]

My list has maybe changed a little bit. I will have to make one again.