I
like movie lists. They can offer a window into a person’s cinematic
personality. They may seem definitive but they really aren’t. Lists are meant
to be changed. You can change your opinion of anything really. A movie you liked a few years ago, maybe
isn’t quite as good today. I also like horror movies. So why not make a list of
my favorite horror movies? I like them so much I couldn’t just make a list of
my top 10 or 25 or even 50. I present for your approval, my top 101 favorite
horror movies. Now this isn’t quite a list of what is really the BEST horror
movies or even the SCARIEST; as you’ll quickly gather I’ve got some rather
questionable crap on here (Howling V: The Rebirth, for example) but this is
really what I find the most enjoyable horror films to watch. Some are movies
I’ve watched since I was young (Halloween), some are little seen gems I’ve seen
within the past couple years (The House of the Devil), some are fairly new and
have achieved instant classic status (The Conjuring), lots of sequels and
remakes I’m not ashamed to love (Poltergeist III and Dawn of the Dead) and some
are ones you probably never even knew existed (The Burning). Now with so many
types of horror films, I had to actually leave some out that I felt didn’t
quite fit the genre. A great definition comes from FilmSite.org: “Horror films
are unsettling films designed to frighten and panic, cause dread and alarm, and
to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while
captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience.” While
there are some very funny films on here (such as Scream) I’ve decided to include
only true horror films. Movies like “Shaun of the Dead” and “Tucker and Dale vs.
Evil” are just as much comedies (and they’re both great, so go see them if you
haven’t). With Halloween right around the corner, what better time to reveal my
all-time favorite scary movies? Update:
2013 was a pretty darn good year for the horror genre. I published this list
last year and I have already had to add a bunch of horror films to it. I’ve
also severely reworked the order and removed certain films. I took off some of
my guilty pleasures like Troll 2 and Jaws the Revenge. They’re horrible,
horrible movies and even though I enjoy them, they just didn’t belong. Don’t
worry; there are plenty of other questionable films on here.
101)
THE BURNING
(1981) This one gets points for its sheer (see what I did there?) inventive use
of wonderful makeup effects by the great Tom Savini. An early 80s slasher flick
from the Weinsteins, back when they were actually creative forces behind their films, tales the story of Cropsy a
summer came caretaker who gets his revenge on some campers years after a prank
goes horribly wrong. And yes that’s a young Jason Alexander if you were
wondering.
100)
CUJO
(1983) Ah the good ol’ killer dog movie; it’s always a nice horror staple. This
is the best of the breed so to speak. Starring the same lady from “that
werewolf movie with E.T.’s mom in it” (Dee Wallace) and that kid from “Who’s
the Boss,” it revolves around a rabid St. Bernard who traps a mother and son in
their car. And it gets really hot. One of several Stephen King adaptations
revolving around killer pets (another one which almost made this list being
“Pet Semetary”), this one includes some pretty inventive camerawork from
cinematographer Jan “Twister” de Bont.
99) THE
LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972) – No one really ENJOYS watching
Wes Craven’s first foray into horror filmmaking because it’s so disturbingly
violent and shocking. But it’s still miles ahead of other similar exploitation
films like “I Spit on Your Grave.” A very, very early example of the type of
horror genre dubbed “torture porn” this low budget shocker concerns a group of
disturbed individuals who rape, torture, and murder a pair of young teen girls,
only to be tortured and murdered themselves by one of the girls’ parents. This
is sick stuff, but oh so appropriate for a list like this. The remake loses the grittiness but it's still worth checking out.
98)
SAW
(2004) Yes the movie that started it all. “Torture porn” wasn’t even part of
the cinematic vernacular back then, but this gross out slasher flick about a
guy (dubbed ‘Jigsaw’) who tortures his victims by forcing them to make
questionable moral choices actually feels rather tame by today’s standards. It
works because of its originality but falls apart once you begin having seizures
from the quick editing and the horrible performances, but a nice twist
definitely saves this one. Can you believe there were six sequels?
97)
RE-ANIMATOR
(1985) This is a fun and gory flick. There isn’t much to be said about it that
hasn’t already been said about this horror movie. Based on H.P. Lovecraft’s
short story “Herbert West – Reanimator” the film adaption is an 80s horror cult
classic. It features some truly great makeup effects and a lot of intentional
comedy. A must for gore hounds.
96)
THE RUINS
(2008) Killer plants. Yes it’s about killer plants. And they don’t sing this
time- for the most part. A bunch of American tourists come across some old
Mayan ruins and it ruins their vacation indeed. It’s pretty silly yeah, but
there are some truly disgusting moments and there’s a real sense of dread to
the proceedings. This is an overlooked little gem in my opinion. Definitely
worth checking out if you feel like you’ve seen everything else.
95) MANIAC (2013) Elijah Wood has never been creepier in this stylish
remake of the 1980s cult horror flick about a serial killer who scalps women.
Shot completely – save for a shot here and there – from the point of view of
the main character, this strange film (from the guys who made High Tension) is
definitely not for all tastes. It’s meditative yet disturbing – and pretty
graphic – and has some deliriously fascinating cinematography. More daring
horror fans will want to check out this unrated indie flick if they’re sick and
tired of the same old stuff. But with such a banner year for horror you don’t
have to look very far for something truly great.
94)
BLACK CHRISTMAS
(2006) I’m not too familiar with the original 70s version of “Black Christmas”
which many say actually started the genre while Halloween gets most of the
credit – but it was Canadian so it didn’t count. This bizarre remake, from the
team who made the equally strange remake “Willard,” tell the Christmas Eve set
tale of a psychotic mental patient who escapes from a mental hospital and goes
on a murderous rampage at a sorority house. It’s almost too weird to actually
be scary and features a somewhat confusing narrative structure (for a slasher
flick) but it features enough clever kills to keep horror fans satiated.
93)
1408
(2007) This is a great old fashioned ghost story. John Cusack plays a writer
(this is based on a Stephen King short story of course) who visits haunted
places and writes books about them. He doesn’t actually believe in any of this
stuff, until he checks into room #1408 in an infamous haunted hotel. Some
pretty decent scares, even for a PG-13 haunted house thriller.
92)
LET ME IN
(2010) This is the rare horror remake that is almost better than the original.
A lot of people unjustly cried foul when it was announced that an American
version of the popular Swedish vampire film was being made for US audiences.
But if those detractors actually watched the film – about a lonely boy who
befriends a young female vampire – they’d realize just how awesome it is. It’s
just different enough to set itself apart and has some truly jaw dropping
sequences and fine performances all around. I’d watch this over the Swedish
version any day of the week.
91)
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2003) This is the remake that started it all. Classic
horror remakes were relegated to things like The Fly and Bram Stoker’s Dracula
before this guy came around in 2003 and made oodles of money. And who can blame
it? It had one of the most well-edited, invoking, and outright scary trailers
ever put together. As a horror fan it’s extremely watchable as long as you
don’t compare it too much to the original. R. Lee Ermy is fantastic; I actually
prefer the even more graphic prequel.
90)
CANDYMAN
(1992) The general state of horror in the early 90s was pretty pathetic. Until
“Scream” came along in 1996, there was no real shot at creating a memorable
horror movie icon. “Candyman” was a decent shot – it made a decent amount of
money – but the genre was in serious need of repair. This flick, based on a
Clive Barker story, revolves around a grad student investigating a local urban
legend about a murderous Black guy with a hook for a hand. It’s creepy and
stylish and gory. Not too particularly memorable, but decent fun to be had here
considering when the film was made.
89) HOWLING V: THE REBIRTH (1989) I’m not quite
sure this movie should be on this list because it was never released
theatrically in the US, but it’s one of those horror movies I watched on TV all
the time when I was younger. This bizarre horror take on Agatha Cristie’s “Ten
Little Indians” revolves around a group of people who are unknowingly purposely
selected to tour a Hungarian castle, where they begin being picked off one by
one by an unseen hairy assailant – aka a werewolf. This movie stars no one you
or I have ever heard of and it has nothing to do with parts 1-4, none of which
you have to have seen to enjoy this. It’s actually pretty stupid and probably
the most embarrassing entry on this list.
88)
BAIT 3D
(2012) The first of many killer shark movies on this list. This silly little
number from Australia is the best “shark in a grocery store” movie ever made.
If you can get over some rather fishy special effects, you can actually settle
in for a rather entertaining horror flick. A freak tsunami traps a bunch of
people in a grocery store, in the middle of an attempted armed robbery no less,
but they’re not alone. A hungry Great White Shark is trapped in there with
them. Yes, it’s “Jaws” meets “The Mist” and it’s freaking awesome.
87)
CARRIE (1976) I never found
Brian De Palma’s movie adaptation of Stephen King’s first novel “Carrie” to be
all that frightening. It is however a supremely well-made horror-drama that is
no doubt a product of its time and a staple of 1970s American cinema. De Palma
has never denied the influence Alfred Hitchcock had on him and that is in full
force here. Sissy Spacek gives an outstanding performance as an outcast teenage
girl with telekinetic powers who seeks revenge from her truly despicable
classmates. The prom sequence, isn’t remotely the goriest horror movie sequence
you’ll see, but it’s certainly one of the most iconic.
86) V/H/S/2 (2013) A rare
example of a sequel that’s not only better than the original, it’s leaps and
bound a better-made, scarier, tighter effort. Each of the film’s segments are
good in their own way. The highlights are definitely the clever zombie flick
shot from the zombie’s point-of-view from one of the guys who gave us “The
Blair Witch Project” and a the scary tale of a film crew who sets out to
uncover a creepy Asian cult with some rather bloody results. I urge anyone who
hasn’t seen either “V/H/S” film to skip the first one. This is everything the
first one should have been.
85)
POLTERGEIGST III
(1988) Poor little Heather O’Rourke died before the filming of this movie even
finished. It’s probably for the best because how embarrassing is this piece of
crap? I just loved this when I was little and it’s place on this is strictly
for nostalgia purposes. Little Carol Anne from the previous films is now a
pre-teen sent to live with her aunt and uncle in their ritzy high rise
building. The ghosts follow her and appear in the mirrors that line the
building’s hallways. There are some interesting effects involving the mirrors
and a pretty gross scene in which Lara Flynn Boyle emerges from the dead body
of the tiny Tangina character. This is silly stuff, but good for a nice trip
back to the world of silly 80s effects.
84)
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (2010) I still believe that the remake of “A Nightmare on
Elm Street” is the best of all the recent slasher remakes. I don’t even have the
remakes of Friday the 13th or Halloween on this list, so that’s
really saying something. The biggest mistake these films have done is try to
give a backstory to a character who we already know so well from its countless
sequels – but here I think it works the best. The film’s dream sequences are
very well done – this is the type of polished modern production that always
seems just wrong when compared to the low budgeted original, but if you try to
separate the two, horror fans will find something to like. Particularly Jackie
Earle Haley’s enjoyable, albeit completely different, take on the truly iconic
Freddy Krueger.
83)
WHAT LIES BENEATH
(2000) This is the film that Robert Zemeckis made during the time it took Tom
Hanks to lose all that weight for “Cast Away.” More of a thrilling ghost movie
than an outright horror movie, the film nonetheless has a few decent scares.
It’s also a knowing tribute to the Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock – with a
supernatural twist. It concerns a woman who believes a dead woman is haunting
her house and a mystery begins to unravel. Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford
are great.
82)
SHOCKER
(1989) I have to admire Wes Craven’s attempt to create another original slasher
villain (Let’s just forget that he attempted that again in the truly
forgettable “My Soul to Take”). Here he presents us with Horace Pinker, who
murders families at night while they sleep. After being convicted and sentenced
to death by the electric chair, he somehow survives his capital punishment, and
begins infecting various electrical outlets and jumping from various bodies.
It’s up to psychic high school jock Peter Berg to save the day. The film’s TV
adventure finale is totally bizarre, hilarious, and fun. A lesser known, but
truly inventive Wes Craven effort.
81) THE PURGE (2013) One of the
most inventive horror film premises in quite some time. This surprise hit is a
clever take on the home invasion thriller. Taking place in the not too distant
future, The Purge takes place in an “America reborn” in which violence doesn’t
really exist – except for one night a year in which all crimes –including the
likes of murder, rape, and theft – are all legal. A rich white family headed by
Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey from TV’s Game of Thrones lock their family in
tight ready to await the night of violence when they become the unsuspecting
targets of a group of scary masked young people ready to “purge” the night
away. It’s unsettling and fun though not too many people who saw it loved it.
80)
INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (1994) I don’t think anyone is actually frightened of
opulent horror films like this (unless the sight of a long haired, blonde Tom
Cruise scares you), but there is something strangely fascinating about them.
Based on Anne Rice’s novel, this atmospheric film is about a man who is no
longer living: he was turned into a vampire in the olden days. It’s sort of an
“Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Vampires, But Were Afraid to Ask”
for the gothic horror set. Great costumes, set design, acting (especially
little Kirsten Dunst), and gore effects are the highlight here.
79)
SLITHER (2006) “Slither” is a supremely entertaining B-movie. It’s horrific and
comedic and does a wonderful job balancing these two extreme tones. A meteoroid
falls near a small southern town unleashing a disgusting alien creature upon
the unsuspecting citizens. It’s essentially to squishy monster movies and it
features fine work from Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rooker, and Nathan Fillion.
The gory effects are extremely well done. This movie has everything: zombies,
slugs, and squid creatures. It’s hilarious squishy fun. Only strong stomachs
need apply.
78)
CHILD’S PLAY 3
(1991) – I’m sort of a sucker for the original three Child’s Play movies. Even
if they’re about a killer doll, they have such an inventive quality to them
that it’s hard to ignore. The third film is arguably pretty week – after all it
did get released in the horror drought of the early 90s, but it works well
enough. This time Chucky – mysteriously reincarnated for no real reason – sets
off to military school where he meets up with a now teenaged Andy whose soul he
still wants to take possession of. Except this time his has his sights on a
little Black boy; because he’s an equal opportunity type of killer doll. The
last standard Chucky movie before things went a little too campy with Bride of
Chucky…
77)
FINAL DESTINATION 3
(2006) A little bit of trivia for you, this remains the only Final Destination
movie that I never saw in the theater. It just escaped me for some reason, but
I righted that wrong by outright purchasing the DVD without even seeing it. And
as a fan of the first two films, my purchase was completely justified. The
makers of the original film returned one more time to present us with another
tale of “death” claiming the lives of teenagers who survived a gruesome
accident (this time a roller coaster crash). On her way to becoming a Scream
Queen, Mary Elizabeth Winstead makes a great ‘final girl’ with enough wit to
outsmart death this time. That tanning bed/casket graphic match is a hug from
the horror film school god.
76)
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY
(2009) I was 26 years old when this film was released and for the first time in
decades I actually had trouble sleeping after watching a scary movie. This
movie was extremely frightening, and remains decently tense even on repeat
viewings. The sequels (the third one being a standout) are pretty intense too
(part 3 remains the stand out sequel thus far), but this found footage
thriller, is a type of film that you either find terrifying or extremely
monotonous. I fall into the former category. To think that such frights could
be had with hardly any blood or onscreen violence is pretty impressive.
75)
THE OTHERS
(2001) Another truly fun, old fashioned ghost story with a great twist that
came off the success of another twisty ghost story, “The Sixth Sense.” Nicole
Kidman gives a great performance as a woman living with her two
“photosensitive” children in post-World War II Britain. She hires new
housekeepers and soon things begin to go bump in the night. A truly fun haunted
house thriller that hopefully hasn’t been forgotten about since its release.
74)
THE OMEN
(1976) – Here we have the original “Final Destination” movie. The devil’s child
is born and given to a mother after she unknowingly miscarries. And this woman
is the wife of the American Ambassador to England. As the child grows up
strange things begin to happen, like his nanny committing suicide at his fifth
birthday party. The film features some rather startling death scenes for its
time, including one of the best decapitations in horror history. It’s a movie
that holds up today, even if it’s not the scariest film ever made, it’s not
only a great piece of horror filmmaking, but of 1970s American cinema in
general.
73)
WRONG TURN
(2003) Ahh, inbred mutant cannibalistic mountain men always make the best
horror movie villains. Effects and make-up genius Stan Winston created these
guys who live out in the woods of West Virginia waiting to murder unsuspecting
tourists who wander down the wrong road. The movie owes a lot to another horror
films like “The Hills Have Eyes” but the make-up effects are truly something.
So what if the characters are so annoying you can’t wait to see them die?
72)
JEEPERS CREEPERS
(2001) A strange hybrid of Steven Spielberg’s Duel and an old fashioned monster
movie, Jeepers Creepers involves a mutant creature who appears every few years
to feed on humans. A brother and sister (a refreshing change of pace) team up
to fight the “Creeper.” The film’s first act is pretty thrilling, but things
soon become slightly routine but it’s still a well done modern monster movie.
71)
SORORITY ROW
(2009) I’m not trying to advocate for Rumer Willis to continue to act in movies
because she most definitely sucks a lot, but Sorority Row is a wonderful
inclusion in the “revenge slasher movie.” It’s sort of “I Know What You Did Last
Summer” meets “Black Christmas.” This campy ode to 80s slasher flicks involves
a sorority prank gone horribly wrong and the fun is had at watching the coeds
being knocked off one by one in gloriously gruesome fashion. This one has a
truly wonderfully tongue in cheek vibe that’s not too over the top and it
features a superbly game Carrie Fisher in an extended cameo.
70)
THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE: FIRST SEQUENCE (2009) This truly bizarre piece of
horror cinema is truly a sight to behold. It’s a prime example of a film’s
grotesque reputation far out doing the actual film itself (the original Texas
Chain Saw Massacre also comes to mind). The movie isn’t nearly as gross as one
would expect (you have to stay for the utterly disgusting and almost
unwatchable sequel for that) but it’s a truly strange exercise in modern horror
and the epitome of what has been coined “torture porn.” A mad German scientist
wants to make a “human centipede” by sewing three humans together mouth to
anus. Those horror fans brave enough to give “First Sequence” a shot around
Halloween will be pleasantly surprised, all others should probably skip it and
watch Hocus Pocus instead.
69)
THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS (1991) Fans of the genre, know that
horror was in a strange place in the early 90s. There wasn’t much great stuff
and the stuff that did existed was truly odd. Case in point this little seen
gem from Wes Craven about a pair of rich loons who own a maze centric, booby
trapped house with hordes of teenage boys locked in the basement. The film’s
hero is a young black boy and the film is actually a decent social commentary
about the current state of socioeconomic race relations. I’m not sure it’s
really all that scary, but it’s certainly an obvious example of something truly
different in the genre and true product of its time.
68)
DAWN OF THE DEAD
(2004) – I must say that I actually prefer this remake to George A. Romero’s
original. The 70s version had plenty of great gore scenes and appropriate
social commentary, but the whole thing, like a zombie itself is just slow. This
faster paced remake offers some great performances, gore, and a swift pace that
works well for today’s audience – and what a great opening sequence. It’s as
fun as it is scary.
67)
PSYCHO II
(1983) How does one follow up Alfred Hitchcock’s cinematic masterpiece
“Psycho?” By waiting until he’s dead of course! This long awaited (or hardly
wanted?) sequel was released three years after Hitch’s death and it actually
remains a decent follow up (and another great Anthony Perkins performance).
Released at the height of the slasher craze, the film never dumbs things down
and actually takes a rather tasteful (or as tasteful as a knife down the throat
or a shovel to the head could be) approach by following Norman Bates after he’s
been declared sane by the state. He’s released back to his home and motel, but
it seems that someone is trying to drive him mad again. It obviously doesn’t
match the cinematic quality of the original, but it’s probably the best sequel
that could have been produced considering the original’s classic status.
66)
THE HILLS HAVE EYES (2006)
The original Wes Craven film is obviously considered a 70s cult classic, but I
preferred the gritty remake over the crudity of the original. It’s a truly
disturbing and horrifying movie that certainly was birthed from the “torture
porn” subgenre of the mid-2000s. There are way more overt political undertones
(the father-in-law is conservative and the son-in-law is liberal) which were
handled way more subtly in the original, but director Alexandre Aja, who made
the disturbing and scary French thriller High Tension works his gory magic here
in his American horror debut.
65)
HOUSE OF WAX
(2005) I remember seeing this at the drive-in as a double feature with “Crash.”
Yes, “Crash” the Oscar-winning movie about tense race relations in Los Angeles.
They showed that movie with the movie that features Paris Hilton getting a
metal pole through her head. An in-name only remake of the old 3D Vincent Price
chiller, it features a small town wax museum with figures made from real
people! It’s not particularly scary but I like it because it takes the basic
idea from the original film and basically turns it into a CW worthy slasher flick.
Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra gives the whole thing a weird 70s European
feel. And any film that uses the tagline “On May 6th…See Paris Die!”
is worth the price of admission.
64)
HOSTEL PART II
(2007) I prefer Eli Roth’s sequel in every shape and form. The first film was
an obnoxious torture porn flick that played like Frat Boy’s European Vacation.
I couldn’t wait for the main characters to die, and they certainly took way too
long to do so. Here with females in the lead, I found them much more
sympathetic and actually feared for them. There are some truly disturbingly
graphic sequences here and is certainly not for everyone. But getting an inside
look at the infamous company that lets rich guys pay money to torture and
slaughter young American tourists was as fascinating as it was disturbing.
While I do enjoy this film, I remain of the opinion that Eli Roth has yet to
make a horror film that is truly good, save for his Grindhouse short “Thanksgiving.”
63)
DEEP BLUE SEA
(1999) This is more of a sci-fi action version of Jaws, but since it features
so many gory deaths it counts as horror to me. It works basically as a monster
movie version of “The Poseidon Adventure” where scientists must survive the
flooding of their underwater research facility after the genetically altered
sharks they’re studying begin picking them off one by one. The computer effects
are a little shoddy and there aren’t many characters to root for, but this is
basically a B-horror monster movie with the mad scientist whose creations turn
on him (in this case it’s the sexy Saffron Burrows who doesn’t look like any
brilliant scientist that seems to exist in real life).
62)
THE THING (1980)
John Carpenter’s sci-fi horror remake classic The Thing features some of the
most grotesque effects I’ve ever seen in a horror film. He took a way more
subtle approach with Halloween: it was what we didn’t see that was scary. Here
he takes the complete opposite road showing us countless disgusting things as
some kind of shape-shifting alien parasite begins infecting an Antarctic
science crew. Invoking themes of paranoia and fear of the unknown, The Thing
remains a classic in the genre in which sometimes it’s what we DO see that
scares us. The 2011 prequel isn't half bad either.
61)
TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING (2006) This by all accounts is a
pretty bad movie. But as it was influenced by the other torture porn films of
the day it’s pretty decent and I actually like it more than the Jessica Biel
remake. This prequel takes a look at Leatherface’s early days… he was born in the
slaughterhouse! This is gruesome and disgusting and it features R. Lee Ermey
yet again as the sadist “Sheriff Hoyt” who we learn is most definitely not a
real sheriff. And look! Is that White Collar’s Matt Bomer?
60)
28 DAYS LATER…
(2002) Future Oscar winner Danny Boyle directed this intense British horror
flick that single-handedly revived the zombie movie. Cillian Murphy wakes up
from a coma in the hospital (ala Rick in The Walking Dead) to find that a “rage
virus” has turned people into mindless raging killing monsters. He meets up
with a few survivors while avoiding the “zombies.” It’s a truly great genre
film that changed the game and was rather influential. Its low budget, shot on
video quality adds to the terror factor.
59)
TREMORS
(1990) Oh man, this is a great cult classic. In the style of a great monster
movie fashion, Tremors takes the Jaws approach by not showing much and using
great point-of-view shots instead. Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward are working guys
in small town Texas with plans on living the place behind when strange
murderers begin happening. But it turns out the culprit is actually under the
ground. It’s not quite as silly as it sounds; there are some truly great
moments here and some wonderful humorous character bits. Even Reba McEntire is
pretty good, scary indeed.
58)
SLEEPY HOLLOW
(1999) I had reservations about calling this horror film, but by definition it
fits the bill. With so many onscreen decapitations, it’s really just a gothic
horror creation from the master of the bizarre Tim Burton. It’s not all that
particularly scary, but this stylish thriller features Johnny Depp as Ichabod
Crane who instead of a timid schoolteacher like in the original story is now a
timid forensic scientist who believes that a killer of flesh and blood is
behind a rash of recent gory beheadings in a small Northeast hamlet. The
townsfolk believe it to be a ghostly spirit known as the Headless Horseman.
This is a great flick, perfect for Halloween viewing with outstanding
Oscar-winning production design.
57)
SINISTER
(2012) The most recent film on this list is an instant horror classic. This
truly frightening flick stars Ethan Hawke as a true crime novelist who is
investigating the mysterious death of a family. He finds disturbing home movie
footage in the attic of his new home and soon uncovers a rather disturbing
mystery all while realizing his house just may be haunted. A wonderful mix of
“found footage” thriller and haunted house flick, this is a great entry in the
genre and it features one of Ethan Hawke’s best performances. It reminds me
most of “Insidious” which will appear on this list as well.
56)
IDENTITY
(2003) This is the second horror movie on this list inspired by “Ten Little
Indians.” This time it’s about a bunch of people stranded at a secluded motel
on a dark rainy night. Someone is killing these people off one by one. This one
is rather taut and it features a pretty interesting twist and was a surprise
sleeper hit in the summer of 2003. John Cusack is a limo driver who gets caught
up in the mystery after he accidentally hits a pedestrian with his limo. This
is a good one.
55)
OPEN WATER
(2004) This disturbing thriller, shot in a Blair Witch style, (though it’s not
technically a “found footage” movie) is actually based on a real story about a
couple who was left behind in shark infested waters while scuba diving in the
Caribbean, where they most likely succumbed to the harsh elements they were
left in. Real sharks were used and the two actors did all their own stunt work.
This is a tense and frightening film that is a strange hybrid of Blair Witch
and Jaws, two types of films that I never thought could ever be brought
together. This is truly fascinating, visceral filmmaking.
54)
FRAILTY
(2001) A lot of times in horror films, religion plays a very positive role.
Most notably in The Omen and The Exorcist. However, in Frailty, the story
focuses on a man who gets a message from God that he must rid the world of
demons. And these demons are just people who he ends up brutally murdering with
an axe. This man is played by Bill Paxton (who also directed the film) and this
leads his two young sons to question what is really going on. His elder son
refuses to believe such nonsense, but his younger brother is taken in by his
father’s new found religious mission. This is a great little seen psychological
horror film that has some pretty tense scenes and a pretty interesting message.
53)
GRINDHOUSE
(2007) A grand opus ode to cheesy exploitation cinema by Robert Rodriguez and
Quentin Tarantino this double feature includes a zombie flick called “Planet
Terror” and a car chase thriller called “Death Proof” and don’t forget about
the worth the price of admission horror trailers that appear in-between the two
main features. This three hours plus flick was unfortunately split up when
released on DVD but the blu-ray thankfully corrected that, as each film
complements each other greatly. None of this is particularly scary, but is a
great homage to not only the genre but of the grindhouse experience as well. A
must-see for fans of this genre.
52)
THE LOST BOYS
(1987) This campy 80s romp, yes I said romp, is a fun vampire flick in which a
boy and his family come across a teenage gang of vampires in their new West
Coast California town. I think vampire movies in general aren’t that
frightening but this one, like Fright Night offers some pretty cool vampire
effects and some cool gory sequences. Director Joel Schumacher adds to the
campy proceedings, but it’s mostly because this thing was made in the height of
the overly cheesy 80s. And of course you can’t get more 80s than two Coreys in
the same flick.
51)
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (1981) One of the very few horror
films to win an Academy Award (for Rick Baker’s Make-up which was a brand new
category at the time) this tales of two American backpackers who get attacked
by a werewolf on the English Moors. One of them dies and other is “cursed” and
transforms during the full moon. Director John Landis (who also later directed
Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video) keeps things equally funny and
horrific. This sort of feels like the “Hostel” of its day going from raunchy
Animal House type humor with graphic, gory death scenes. Arguably the best
werewolf movie ever made.
50)
THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974) Speaking of visceral, the
original “meat movie” The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a classic cult horror
film about a group of young people who accidentally meet up with a family of
cannibalistic rednecks. One of which is a chainsaw wielding maniac called
“Leatherface” although I never quite remember him being referred to as such in
the actual movie. Tobe Hooper directed the film in a gritty vérité style that makes the film feel
more like a documentary. And it was even inspired by the real life
cannibalistic crimes of Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein. This is a strange
hybrid of slasher film and torture porn that actually shows very little onscreen
gore – shot that way in hopes of actually getting a PG rating, which obviously
didn’t happen.
49)
FRIDAY THE 13th (1980) This is the film that not only started it all, but
it copied them all. Taking a cue from John Carpenter’s Halloween, “Friday the
13th” helped usher in a new generation of graphic horror films. But
unlike Halloween, there’s little artistic merit here, only truly gross death
scenes featuring the work of the great Tom Savini. This was one of Kevin
Bacon’s earliest films which follows him and a few other teenage camp
counselors getting ready to open Camp Crystal Lake but a killer lurks in the
woods seeking murderous revenge. The shocking revelation of the killer is
notorious.
48) JASON LIVES:
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI (1986) By the time the sixth entry in the Friday
the 13th franchise things had begun to got slightly monotonous. But
director Tom McLoughlin, who also wrote the screenplay, sort of had free reign
to inject the perfect dose of self-aware humor into the film. In a way it’s the
most meta of the entire series. It’s essentially the “Scream” of the “Friday”
films. So Jason comes back to life yet again after being revived by a bolt of
lightning (ala Frankenstein) and wreaks havoc on unsuspecting victims. The film
also returns the action back to the campground setting, which actually has
children campers. This is sort of a love it or hate it entry in this series,
but I find it to be one of the best – even better than the first one.
47)
SCREAM 3
(2000) The Scream series is probably one of my all time favorite series of
horror films. I love all four of the films and they all appear on this list,
which is something that can’t be said about every other horror series with the
exception of the Jaws series. While part 3 is the weakest of the three, it
ended the series (until the fourth one of course) in probably the best way
possible and features the great addition of the hilarious Parker Posey. Here
the setting is now Hollywood where life imitates art while imitating art.
Though it remains the least frightening of the series, there is enough here to
satisfy fans of this immensely popular series.
46)
FRIDAY THE 13TH THE FINAL CHAPTER (1984) Gore master Tom Savini returned
to the Jason franchise with his wonderful bloody effects so that he could kill
Jason off for good (cue about six more sequels). This fourth entry features
everything one wants in a Friday the 13th movie: lots of horny
teenagers getting killed off in increasingly gruesome ways. It’s really just a
standard 80s slasher sequel in every shape or form, but the Friday the 13th
films quickly became monotonous and dull, even if they were rather bloody.
They’re really just unmemorable to be honest. This is one of the sequels
actually worth watching. Yes that’s a pre-Back to the Future Crispin Glover
getting cork-screwed and macheted to the face.
45)
CHILD’S PLAY
(1988) Chucky is a truly great slasher movie icon. And he’s a doll. One has to
realize just how silly the idea of “Child’s Play” is but a horror fan can’t
help but enjoy the crap out of these movies. A serial killer transfers his soul
to a doll before dying after a police shootout, and it unknowingly ends up as a
gift to a young boy from his single working mother. The doll begins talking and
walking around on its own, which the boy completely thinks is because his doll
his the epitome of awesome technology, but that isn’t the case. Soon ‘Chucky’
wants to transfer his soul to the boy before he gets trapped in that rubber
body. It’s not as silly as it sounds but as the series went on it became
ridiculously so, Seed of Chucky anyone?
44)
PIRANHA 3D
(2010) Oh Alexandre Aja what have thou wrought? This extremely silly yet
magnificent remake of the 1970s cult flick “Piranha” (which was itself a
horror-comedy parody of “Jaws”) is extremely gory and extremely tongue in
cheek. No one in their right mind would actually be scared, but it such a campy
and fun gorefest that one can’t help but appreciate those involved in its
creation. I mean this thing has Elizabeth Shue, Christopher Lloyd, and Richard
Dreyfuss all in glorious 3D. Whatever you do, however, please avoid the
terrible sequel “Piranha 3DD.”
43)
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: THE DREAM MASTER (1988) If you’re not really a fan of
Freddy movies there’s no need to watch any of the sequels, but number four is
pretty good and the one where Freddy Krueger truly becomes the jokester he
became infamous for. Freddy is resurrected yet again, by dog urine no less,
where he meets a new teenage threat named Alice who intends on getting revenge
after Freddy murders her friends and brother. Renny Harlin, who’d go on to
direct Die Hard 2 and Deep Blue Sea, adds some colorful production value but
many would be turned off by some goofy proceedings. However, the girl who gets
turned into a cockroach remains a highpoint in the entire series for me.
42)
JAWS III
(1983) I refuse to call this movie “Jaws 3D” since I’ve yet to actually seen it
in that form. This pretty atrocious second sequel to Steven Spielberg’s classic
is set at Sea World in Florida where a grown up Michael Brady works with his
girlfriend. Yet another great white shark begins to stalk him where it begins
munching on the guests and employees. There’s nothing really good that can be
said about this flick, but it’s cheesy 80s vibe and bad acting from the entire
cast and crew including Lea Thompson, Dennis Quaid, and Louis Gossett Jr. is
only redeemable for it’s purely nostalgic feeling of silliness.
41)
THE FLY (1986)
Another 80s remake of a 50s sci-fi film with an extreme horror bent. Canadian
director David Cronenberg directs this truly sickening horror movie about a
scientist who accidentally begins to transform into a fly when his DNA gets
mixed with that of a housefly in his transportation invention. At first he
gains superhuman powers but then his body begins to break down and his
transformation is truly gross. Many have made comparisons of Cronenberg’s (who
is known for his “body horror” films) film with the fear caused by the AIDS
virus. Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis give terrific performances in this
Oscar-winning (best make-up) horror classic.
40)
JAWS 2
(1978) This sequel to Jaws works mostly because it’s essentially a teen slasher
movie (and to think this actually was released before “Halloween”). A new
great white shark appears off the coast of Amity Island and no one believes
Chief Brody. But then his teenage son and a bunch of his friends go out sailing
and the shark begins to pick them off one by one. Spielberg had nothing to do
with this entry, or any of the others, which is obvious, but I feel this
probably the best this film could have been. They did something quite different
and it works. They even attempt to blow up the shark before the halfway mark
giving him turning him into scarface shark!
39)
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY’S REVENGE (1985) This sequel was rushed into
production as soon as the first film became a hit. Set five years later, the
film concerns Freddy trying to possess a teenage boy whose family has just
moved into Nancy’s old house on Elm Street. This film is the odd man out in the
series for several reasons. The rules established in the first film were
basically thrown out the window as
Freddy is able to come out into the real world and kill teenagers while
everyone’s awake. Also, the idea of Freddy possessing a teenage boy has led
many to refer to the film as the “Gay Freddy Movie.” The protagonist, Jesse, is
a rather effeminate young man and years later it’s finally be reveled by the
original screenwriter that the references to homosexuality were done on
purpose. The film features some creepy effects (Freddy claws through Jesse’s
chest) and some truly lame effects (exploding parakeet anyone?) It’s definitely
one of the least liked Nightmare films, but I find it enjoyable for some
strange, campy value.
38)
THE RING
(2002) This is a wonderful horror-mystery, based on a Japanese film, starring
Naomi Watts that helped boost her career here in the United States. She’s
British! She plays a journalist who is trying to solve the murder of her niece
somehow involving a mysterious videotape that supposedly kills anyone who views
it. Audiences ate this movie up a decade ago where the image of a creepy
black-haired girl emerging from a TV set became an allegory for the fear of
television controlling our lives. While not quite as scary as its reputation
might suggest, it’s still a rather entertaining horror flick that helped usher
in the Japanese horror remake craze.
37)
THE BLOB
(1988) Although horror remakes are extremely popular today, they certainly
existed back in the day. And here we have a truly disgusting horror/sci-fi take
on the creepy crawly monster movie The Blob. The 50s version (which is actually
pretty entertaining for an oldie) starred Steve McQueen and Kevin Dillon takes
over as a rebellious teenage biker dude who unwittingly becomes involved in
this gross mass of jelly that begins growing and killing the townsfolk in a
small town. The film was co-written by Frank Darabont, who’d later go on to
make The Shawshank Redemption and The Mist, and it features some outrageously
gross effects. You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen a man being sucked
down a sink drain.
36)
DRAG ME TO HELL
(2009) Sam Raimi returned to horror triumphantly with this little effort about
a young female banker who gets cursed by an old gypsy woman. There are lots of
wacky and strange effects and some rather gross things for a PG-13 rated film.
Many fans have said this is Raimi back in his Evil Dead form. It’s a strange
mix of looney toon comedic violence that I find way more entertaining than any
of the Evil Dead films. This is a great movie that is highly recommended. It's a fun prelude to the Raimi-produced Evil Dead remake.
35)
HIGH TENSION
(2005) French horror director Alexandre Aja brought this French import Haute
Tension to the US two years after its debut in France. The film involves two
college girls who get attacked by a crazed killer in one of the girl’s family’s
vacation home. The family is brutally murdered and one of the girls is
kidnapped and other must save her. This thing is extremely gory and was
actually influenced by the American exploitation films of the 1970s. Aja would
later remake one of his influences, The Hills Have Eyes. This thing is fill
with gobs of gore, but it also has some rather intense suspense as well.
Definitely a must see for any fan of horror.
34)
THE FACULTY (1998)
A product of the post-Scream era, The Faculty, also written by Kevin
Williamson, is a great B-movie with a strong sci-fi element. Every teenager has
had teacher who they thought could be an
alien. Well this movie explores that idea, in which an alien invasion begins at
a rundown high school. Tradition teenager stock characters fill the bill here
as a small group of kids must band together to figure out how to stop the
aliens from taking over the town and eventually the world. Director Robert
Rodriguez offers some creepy effects but it’s mostly the witty teen banter that
keeps this thing afloat and some appealing performances from the likes of
Elijah Wood, Josh Hartnett, and Clea DuVall. A rather eclectic cast also
features Jon Stewart, Robert Patrick, Piper Laurie, Famke Janssen, Salma Hayek,
and Bebe Neuwirth as faculty members.
33)
CHILD’S PLAY 2
(1990) Definitely my favorite Chucky movie features some better effects than
the first film and some nice gory murders. The film is also notable as it features
some truly bright and colorful camerawork which is definitely a product of its
day. There’s no way a horror film would ever be shot like this today. Little
Andy from the first film gets put in a foster home after his mother is
committed. Chucky somehow is rejuvenated and begins to stalk him again trying
to steal his body yet again. The film’s toy factory finale is great. A
definitely highpoint for the series.
32)
ARACHNOPHOBIA
(1990) This is a truly terrifying film. Why? Because I’m freaking scared of
spiders. This is a fun little movie that is actually pretty hard for me to
watch, but I like it so much that do it anyway. The story of a small town
doctor dealing with an infestation of poisonous spiders bred from a Venezuelan
tarantula is simply chilling at times because those pesky spiders are
everywhere! The shower, the basement, hiding underneath the lampshade, in a
bowl of popcorn, and even in an old guy’s slipper. But the film is humorous as well as John Goodman
plays a cocky exterminator who isn’t afraid of anything. I’m sure if spiders
are no big deal to you this thing probably plays like a more intense episode of
Growing Pains but still it scares the crap out of me.
31)
HALLOWEEN H20: 20 YEARS LATER (1998) This is probably one of the
most oddly titled horror sequels in the history of the genre. It also was
inspired by the success of Scream and was actually an idea suggested by none
other than Jamie Lee Curtis herself. The film follows Laurie Strode, 20 years after
the events of the first two films, where we learn she’s living life in hiding
as the headmistress of a private school in California as Keri Tate. But she’s
still haunted from her traumatic bout with her Uncle Mike (a plot point they
could have ignored, but chose not to, since they ignored films 3-6) and she’s a
hopeless alcoholic. Her son John also attends the school, but Michael, who
apparently has been “missing” since being blown up is after her and his nephew
after these years. The film overall feels more like a Scream film than a
Halloween film, but it remains one of the series’ best and offers lots of in
jokes (like the wonderful casting of Jamie’s real life mother Janet Leigh as a
secretary). This is also the very first R rated movie I saw in the theater.
30)
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS (1987) Part 3 of the
"Nightmare" series remains one of the most popular fan favorites.
This is was a transition point in the series, where Freddy started becoming
somewhat of a jokester. Case in point: “Welcome to primetime, bitch!” A young
Patricia Arquette leads a young cast of teenagers who are committed to a mental
hospital because of suicide attempts that are actually the work of one Freddy
Krueger. Original "Nightmare" heroine Nancy (Heather Langenkamp)
returns as an intern who helps the teens fight off Freddy for good. There are
some inventive effects and dream sequences here, most notably the puppet dream
in which a teenage boy’s veins are ripped out and Freddy uses him as a
marionette.
29) YOU’RE NEXT (2013) This
gruesomely awesome slasher flick about a group of masked strangers who
terrorize a family during an anniversary celebration is similar in a lot of
ways to “The Strangers.” They’re both
excellent, though “You’re Next” features a strong sense of dark humor
throughout. You’re never quite sure who’s going to bite it next or where
exactly it’s going and it features a delicious little twist which adds to the
fun. It’s not the most outright scary film on this list but it was one of many outstanding
horror films to be released in 2013,though this one couldn’t quite find a large
audience. Horror freaks will definitely want to seek this one out.
28)
FINAL DESTINATION 5
(2011) What a surprise the fifth Final Destination movie turned out to be!
There’s no way in hell that the fifth entry of any series, let alone a horror
series should be this good. The film brings the series full circle in such a
clever and exciting way and truly has one of the best endings to a horror film
in quite some time. This entry involves several employees of a paper company
(not Dunder Mifflin) who escape a large bridge collapse and how death comes
after them as they die in increasingly gruesome ways. The film is essentially
like all the others but there’s a freshness involve here as the third act
introduces the idea of possibly avoiding death’s design by causing someone
else’s death instead. The climax is simply divine and everything a fan of this
series could ask for. And some wonderful eye-popping 3D photography added to
the absolutely fun proceedings.
27)
URBAN LEGEND (1998)
Another product of the post-Scream world, this slasher involves a serial killer
who murders people based on popular urban legends. This movie is memorable for
several reasons. First of all, it unfortunately introduced the word to Tara
Reid, although she technically was introduced earlier in The Big Lebowski a few
months earlier. But at least she gets axed to death. And secondly, it marked
the welcomed return of two horror icons to the genre: Robert England (Freddy)
plays a college professor and Brad Dourif (Chucky) plays a creepy gas station
attendant in the opening sequence. There’s nothing really all that special
here, but the film is witty and enjoyable enough to recommend it to fans of the
post-modern slasher flick.
26)
I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (1997) The film that gained the most
success after Scream was released, was this fun little slasher flick about a
group of teens who begin to be picked off one by one by an unknown assailant a
year after covering up after a hit and run accident. Many joked about the
film’s villain baring a resemblance to the Gordon Fisherman, because the film
takes place in a North Carolina seaside town. The film was written by Scream’s
Kevin Williamson and while it features a decent script for the genre, it
features none of the real wit or spark that made Scream such a success.
Nonetheless, I was a huge fan of the film during its release (and even read the
book that it was very loosely based on) and still enjoy it today for nostalgic
reasons.
25)
THE DESCENT
(2006) This wonderful little British import was a mild success in the summer of
2006, but fans of the horror genre who didn’t see it are definitely urged to
check it out. It’s certainly a must see. A group of women go spelunking in the
caves of the Appalachian Mountains and they come across a bunch of cave
dwelling humanoid monsters who want to kill them. This gory and extremely
claustrophobic film from director Neil Marshall is truly a frightening
experience.
24)
FINAL DESTINATION
(2000) The slasher film without the slasher. This film series introduced
“death” as the killer who begins picking off people one by one after they exit
an airplane before it gets a chance to explode after takeoff. Devon Sawa has a
vision that his Paris bound plane is going to explode, causes a panic and
several students and teachers exit the plane, but death doesn’t like it when
people have visions of the future and they begin to die in horrible
“accidents.” A truly inventive post-Scream horror flick that began an entire
franchise of its own features some of the most creative death sequences in
horror history. This first film remains the most intense and disturbing and
will certainly make you question whether you need to take that trip abroad.
23)
THE CONJURING (2013) The real life
story of Connecticut paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren made an
instant horror classic when released in the summer of 2013. It was a surprise
hit and deservedly so. This chilling thriller from Insidious director James Wan
tells the story of a Rhode Island family plagued with spooky beings in their
creepy new house. Things go from bad to worse and seek the help of the
country’s top ghost hunters. This is a delightfully old-fashioned haunted house
scare show with plenty of good scares and wonderfully 70s cinema aesthetic. It
also features two terrific female performances from Vera Farmiga and Lili
Taylor. Proof that the old adage “they don’t make ‘em like they used to” is
dead wrong.
22)
THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL (2009) This is certainly a hidden gem (similar to and on
par with “Rosemary’s Baby”) that is really fun for horror fans. I saw it based
on a recommendation and fell instantly in love. Director Ti West’s deliberately
slow, but with a great payoff, thriller is made in the style of an 80s flick
complete with zooms and shot on 16mm film stock. It concerns a young college
woman, strapped for cash, who hesitantly takes a babysitting job in a strange
house in the middle of nowhere. To say anything else would spoil the fun, but
it’s a suspenseful film and you never quite know where exactly it’s going. As
part of the film’s promotion it was actually released on VHS as a nod to the
era the film depicts. It’s truly rewarding experience for patient horror fans
wanting to discover something new and fun.
21)
THE SIXTH SENSE
(1999) The last horror film to be nominated for Best Picture (unless you count
Black Swan, which is debatable) The Sixth Sense still remains M. Night
Shyamalan’s best work. I remember the days when the name Shyamalan was a
promise of quality, twisty thrills and now it’s just become a joke,
unfortunately. But this film about a boy
who sees ghosts and the psychologist who attempts to help him remains not only
a tense thriller but a powerful human drama as well. There are some good
frights here and it features some truly wonderful performances from Oscar
nominees Haley Joel Osment and Toni Collette. This really a beautifully crafted
film.
20)
THE MIST (2007)
Oh that ending! And this was a studio film? Based on a Stephen King novella,
this is one of my favorite King film adaptations. A strange mist overtakes a
small town the morning after a strong storm trapping a lot of the townsfolk in
a small supermarket. At first no one really knows what’s in this mist, but soon
they find strange otherworldly creatures are in there and they’re not friendly.
Quickly a local religious nutjob begins rallying people saying the end of days
is upon them. This is a truly frightening film from Frank Darabont with some
truly grotesque effects. I’ve yet to watch the pharmacy sequence all the way
through without looking away. A definite horror must see.
19)
SCREAM 2
(1998) This fast tracked sequel is the follow up to the surprise hit “Scream.”
This sequel, while not as good or scary as the first film, takes a rather
original look at horror sequels and continues to skewer the conventions found
in them. Heroine Sidney Prescott is now in college, with a new boyfriend, and
guy friend Randy in tow, where a series of copycat murders spring up. Who could
possibly be after Sidney this time? The film features another witty script from
Kevin Williamson with a wonderful art imitating life plot detail about the
events of the first film being turned into a successful horror film called
‘Stab.’ Definitely one of the best slasher sequels out there, but they
absolutely shouldn’t have killed Randy.
18)
HALLOWEEN II
(1981) This remains the best Halloween sequel because it most closely resembles
the original film. A rarity in the horror genre, this film picks up exactly
where the previous film left off and follows poor Laurie Strode as she’s taken
to the hospital. Unfortunately Michael Myers survives being shot multiple times
by Dr. Loomis and begins to stalk her again. He follows her to the hospital
where he begins picking off the staff. This is seriously the most pathetically
understaffed hospital in cinematic history. And where the heck are the other
patients? This time around things are much more gory, but when compared to the
disappointing many sequels that would follow one realizes that Halloween II
certainly isn’t all that bad.
17)
SCREAM 4
(2011) Fifteen years after the original film rejuvenated the horror genre came
this sequel that was set to relaunch the popular slasher franchise that
restarted it all. Unfortunately, the film’s box office performance was rather
disappointing as it seems as though audiences seem to be weary of movies with a
number like 4 in the title. Fortunately, this remains the best Scream sequel as
it is everything a Scream film should be: wonderful death scenes and solid dark
humor. Ghostface returns after a decade to finish the job on Sidney Prescott
where she returns to her hometown and a new generation of witty teenagers meet
their maker. The meta factor is dialed up to an eleven here and all your
favorite [living] Scream characters return. Who will survive and what will be
left of them?
16)
THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999) Another horror film that changed the genre. This
super hyped film about a three person college documentary crew who get lost in
the woods, many of whom believed was actually real, is told in a “found
footage” style in which the audience is watching the footage of the three
characters. No one had really seen anything like it at the time and many
wondered, myself included how multiplexes could basically be showing a snuff
film in their theaters. Alas it was an elaborate hoax by the filmmakers to
scare audiences into believing it was all a true story. But regardless “The
Blair Witch Project” remains one of the more intense, creepy, and disturbing
modern horror films. There’s very little on screen violence (actually none in
fact, this thing got an R rating just for profanity) and it’s a perfect example
of what we don’t see that scares the hell out of us.
15)
INSIDIOUS (2010)
Another modern instant horror classic, this ghost story is truly frightening.
It really gets under your skin. A young boy falls into a deep coma with no real
medical explanation and his mother begins noticing strange things around the
house. This low budget film, which you’d never even know, is extremely intense
and introduced audiences to the “lipstick-face demon” as he’s known in the
film’s end credits. It sort of works as a modern version of “Poltergeist” from
the guys who brought us the original “Saw” film and it’s truly their
masterpiece.
14)
ROSEMARY’S BABY
(1968) This early chiller from Roman Polanski is a great product of the
American New Wave. A newlywed couple moves into a fancy New York City apartment
and meet the strange new neighbors next door (one of whom is Oscar-winner Ruth
Gordon) who take a liking to the attractive couple. Soon Rosemary (Mia Farrow)
becomes pregnant but she slowly begins to think that her baby may be the son of
the devil! This slow burning horror film is truly a product of its time and
features some terrific performances. Gordon is certainly a hoot and it features
such a great ending, it’s crazy to think this movie was release in the swinging
60s. Definitely a horror classic that needs to be seen.
13)
POLTERGEIST (1982)
Now here’s a movie that shows a lot and it still scares you. Well not as much
anymore, but this early 80s chiller from producer Steven Spielberg and director
Tobe Hooper was sort of the evil cousin to E.T. This is the story of a suburban
family’s plight with a haunting that goes awry when their youngest daughter,
Carol Ann get taken into another dimension. Cue rotund psychic Tangina who can
talk to Carol Ann on “the other side.” There are some fun spooky effects, but
the frights here are mostly of the type that would scare small children…
although that clown doll is scary enough to give anyone the willies.
12)
ALIEN
(1979) In space no one can hear you scream, indeed. Unless of course your on
the same ship as a constantly changing form alien. There’s lots of screaming in
this movie, and I’m pretty sure the other characters can hear it, but I
digress. This early sci-fi fright flick from Ridley Scott is a wonderful take
on the haunted house horror movie. A space mining crew is awakened from hyper
sleep from a mysterious planet. They touchdown on it and discover lots of eggs.
And something jumps out, attaches itself to one of the crew members and it’s
all downhill from there. The “facehugger” as it became known as, is one of the
creepiest creations in all of cinema. Swedish artist H.R. Giger is responsible
for creating the many forms of the alien and it’s certainly something out of a
nightmare. Amazingly all of the sequels in this successful franchise has sort
of taking a different route in terms of story and genre. The original remains
the best however, because of its simplicity and its power to scare.
11)
MISERY
(1990) You’d have to be a dirty birdie to not get a kick out of this tense comedic
shocker from Rob Reiner based on Stephen King’s novel. James Caan plays a
novelist who gets into a car accident during a snowstorm. He’s rescued by a
nurse named Annie (Kathy Bates in an Oscar-winning performance) who says she’s
his number one fan. Soon this guy realizes that Annie is a manic-depressive
crazy person who’s actually obsessed with him and refuses to let him go. The
“hobbling” scene is worth the price of admission alone and it has a lot to say
about the relationship between artists and their fans. A truly great scare
flick.
10)
THE BIRDS
(1963) Alfred Hitchcock’s second best movie, in my opinion, revolves around a
small seaside town getting mysteriously attacked by birds. Now, birds are
pretty much some of the least scary animals on the planet, but the scenes Hitch
has crafted are pretty chilling for the time. Seeing that guy’s gouged out eyes
was enough to give me the spooks when I was younger. Tippi Hedren, at her ditzy
best, as Melanie Daniels is largely thought responsible for bringing the birds
down upon poor Bodega Bay but the film wisely chooses not to reveal why the
birds have decided to launch a mass attack, which gives the entire proceeding a
sense of overwhelming dread.
9)
THE STRANGERS (2008)
Oh dear, how scary is this movie. I saw it twice in the same weekend and I was
petrified both times. One of my biggest fears (besides spiders) is home
invasion. This creepy movie about a couple who get a visit from three masked
strangers, who begin to torment them in increasingly disturbing ways, is a
suspenseful terror-filled ride for its entire runtime. There are some quite
disturbing scenes here and yet it’s such a simple premise and story. Director
Bryan Bertino is very aware of his frame and uses the widescreen to his full
advantage. A scene in which Liv Tyler stands alone, already spooked, while a
masked figure enters the frame in the background is enough to run a tingle up
your spine. Those who like this film and foreign films should also check out
Ils (“Them”) with a similar story from France.
8) THE SILENCE OF
THE LAMBS (1991) What can be said about The Silence of the Lambs that
hasn’t already been said a million times? First off, it’s the only horror movie
to win Best Picture (and a total of five Oscars) although many refer to it as a
crime thriller. But this is a story about one maniac who kills and eats people
and another character show kills and skins people. If that isn’t horror I don’t
know what is. Anthony Hopkins is chilling as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Jodie Foster
gives a brilliant performance of a woman struggling to find herself in a man’s
world, and Ted Levine is simply creepy as an Ed Gein-influenced serial killer
who kills woman so he can wear their skin. One of the most well-directed and
acted thrillers ever made.
7) WES CRAVEN’S NEW
NIGHTMARE (1994) Taking place ten years after the release of “A Nightmare
on Elm Street” this seventh entry in the Nightmare series was conceived by its
original creator Wes Craven as a thriller that takes place in the “real world”
in which actors and crew members from this horror series actually play
themselves and are tormented by a darker version of Freddy Krueger. It was a
wild idea that didn’t quite please fans of the series as they were probably
expecting something more traditional. But this wildly imaginative and original
take on this series is a fascinating drama about how horror films can affect
children – Heather Langenkamp plays herself and her young son Dylan begins
having psychotic episodes. Is she crazy or is Freddy trying to get her and her
son? This was a great prelude to the themes Wes Craven would later explore in
the Scream series with greater financial success.
6) SCREAM (1996)
Speaking of which, here is the grandson of the slasher flick. Psycho is the
grandfather, Halloween is the father, and here is the third generation thriller
Scream, a wonderful ode to the horror genre that every fan should love and
appreciate. Its witty script from Kevin Williamson is about teenagers who are
stalked by a masked killer who torments his victims by asking them movie
trivia. It’s wildly bizarre but amazingly creepy. The opening sequence starring
a frightened Drew Barrymore is one of the best openings to not only a horror
film but to any type of film ever. It sort of works as a short film and then
the film opens up and explores an interesting story about a girl named Sidney
who the killer may just have a personal vendetta against. This was a surprise
hit and deservedly so.
5) A NIGHTMARE ONELM STREET (1984) Wes Craven is simply dominating my top ten and for good
reason: he has made some truly excellent films in the horror genre. This little
hit not only spawned an entire franchise but helped build New Line Cinema into
a full-fledged Oscar-winning movie studio. A bunch of suburban teenagers keep
having similar dreams about a dirty burned man with a razor clawed glove. It
seems he wants to kill them and when the teens start dying off one by one, it’s
soon revealed that the teens’ parents just might be responsible somehow. This film introduced the world to Freddy
Krueger who quickly became one of the most beloved horror icons ever created.
And he was a child molester and murderer. It’s funny that this film was
actually released as the slasher craze was just sort of hitting a rut and it
became a phenomenon. Sometimes it’s all about timing. Tina getting dragged
across the ceiling is one of the entire series’ most disturbing and frightening
images.
4) THE EXORCIST (1973) Seeing a young
girl stick a bloody crucifix in her crotch is not something most people would
classify as fun entertainment, but somehow this creepy supernatural thriller
became a wild success. Based on William Peter Blatty’s novel, director William
Friedkin tells a disturbing story about a young girl who becomes possessed by
the devil. A young priest who has begun to question his faith and an elder
priest join forces to drive the demon from the girl. The film is shot in a very
realistic documentary-like style which is why the captured images feel very
shocking. All the effects used to convince us that this little girl has been possessed
are brilliantly conceived and it remains one of the most disturbing yet
entertaining films ever made. It’s not only a much-watch horror film, but it’s
a must watch-film in general and a prime example of the brilliant filmmaking
that came out of its time period.
3) JAWS (1975)
Steven Spielberg made a name for himself with this megahit about a small New
England town being terrorized by a Great White Shark. Part monster movie, part
human drama, this thrilling film features brilliant directing and acting and the
most recognizable movie score ever. Spielberg ever the young talent decided to
not show the shark for more than half the film because the mechanical beast
refused to work the way he wanted. It worked to his advantage and he ended up
crafting a superbly frightening tale of man vs. animal. He also created the
summer blockbuster and nearly changed the way people go to the movies. The fact
that the film remains scary to this day is a testament to the power of this
film and the talent of everyone involved. The opening sequence still scares
people and the entire film makes people scared of the water decades and decades
after its release.
2) PSYCHO (1960)
The oldest film on this list (let’s be honest what old movies are even still
scary anymore?) this Alfred Hitchcock thriller is a brilliant exercise in
horror. Hitch singlehandedly invented the slasher will this surprisingly
violent (for its time) story about a boy next door who runs a motel… and kills
women in the shower. Screenwriter Joseph Stefano brilliant adapted Robert
Bloch’s novel by making Marion Crane (a minor character in the book) into a
main character and killing her off halfway through the movie. It was a sly trick
that shocked audiences and therefore Hitch refused to have theaters let patrons
in after the film had started. Hitchcock wasn’t just a filmmaker, he was an
entertainer and he delighted in scaring the pants off his audience. The shower
scene remains one of the most well-known and scary sequences in film history. I
was obsessed with this film at such a young age it remains one of my favorite
movies of all time.
1)
HALLOWEEN
(1978) This early slasher movie from director John Carpenter remains my
all-time favorite horror movie. I watched this when I was younger and it scared
me to death and yet I was strangely fascinated by it. The image of the white
masked Michael Myers was something so frightening I never to this day could get
it out of my head. That simple music score was terrifying. It’s such a simple
story too. A young boy brutally murders his older sister (in the film’s
brilliant tracking shot opening sequence) and then escapes from his mental
hospital years later and begins stalking other teenage girls on Halloween
night. This was Jamie Lee Curtis’ first film role and she quickly became a
Scream Queen after staring in several back to back horror flicks. This low
budget shocker is brilliantly conceived and features some truly wonderful
cinematography by Dean Cundey. His tracking camera - the steadicam was
something very new to the medium - glides from here to there and takes the
place of the killer’s point of view. There are some truly frightening things
here and the accent is on suspense and atmosphere not bloody gore. This is a
truly scary and brilliant film that certainly holds up today. It’s a must-see
for any movie fan and remains the alpha and omega of slasher films.
