Yes, that time of year. My obvious list of favorites (and one that can be debated as to whether you can even call some of these true horror movies): 1. The Exorcist 2. Rosemary's Baby 3. Psycho 4. Silence of the Lambs 5. Carrie 6. Blair Witch Project 7. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 8. The Shining 9. The Birds 10. The Omen 11. Night of the Living Dead 12. Halloween (the first) 13. The Hills Have Eyes 14. The Last House on the Left 15. Evildead 16. The Thing 17. Alien 18. The Haunting 19. Dracula And a personal scary favorite: 20. Young Frankenstein "He vas my BOYFRIEND!!!"
Adding to your list, I always found Dario Argento's Suspiria to be exceptionally creepy: witches + ballerinas + concertina wire. The dubbing only helped. The cinematography in that movie is great, and I think the sound design on that horror film beats all other horror films. A representative YouTube sample clip (NSFW: horror movie, gory). The original Nosferatu and The Shining were on television last night. It was a good night to stay in. Also, allow me to be the first among many to internet berate you for choosing Silence of the Lambs, when clearly, clearly, Manhunter is ten times the better thriller/horror film.
Never seen Manhunter. Also, I would like to add: Fatal Attraction As Tom Hanks said in Sleepless in Seattle, "Have you seen Fatal Attraction? Well, it scared the s**t out of me- it scared the s**t out of every man in America!!"
Original Halloween and Texas Chainsaw Massacre scared the junk out of me when I was kid and still gets to me today.
Holy crap, that scene from Suspiria was nasty! Great, f**kin nightmares. Silence of the Lambs is an excellent film- I just don't think you can put it in the "horror" category- well, maybe- more like Suspense.
Usually whenever someone brings up Silence of the Lambs, some movie snob will pipe in immediately with some variation of: "But Manhunter is eighty times better..." (Of course, the movie snobs are unfortunately correct. Silence of the Lambs has Jodie Foster whining about dead lambs. Manhunter has a young, blind Joan Allen petting an anesthetized tiger's teeth. No contest.) Manhunter is Michael Mann's film; they remade it twenty years + later, shoddily, as Red Dragon. Forget Hopkins; Brian Cox IS Hannibal Lecter, MD. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/l3zlGqxgO0o&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/l3zlGqxgO0o&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> Speaking of sound design, it also ends with the greatest Iron Butterfly-synced payoff the film world has ever seen (NSFW, gunshots; also, end of movie = spoiler): Spoiler <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/r6cVuJiREPE&hl=en&fs=1&start=204"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/r6cVuJiREPE&hl=en&fs=1&start=204" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> That's only the beginning. The whole movie is like that; in terms of sheer horror, it's right up there. An American girl goes to the Black Forest to study ballet at an elite, out-of-the-way academy which may or may not be run by a coven of witches. It's a trip.
Dawn of the Dead is simply amazing. One of the best films I have ever seen. The Tenant... Spoiler <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZmhIMbdecEU&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZmhIMbdecEU&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> Deep Red Spoiler <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/62YqwaSMN4E&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/62YqwaSMN4E&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> Dead Alive <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tOUwnNVlgWk&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tOUwnNVlgWk&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
The new dawn of the dead and the ring. When the ring came out it was def. the most disturbing movie I've ever seen. Also white noise had a insanely scary preview but the movie was horrible.
If you can believe it, I've never seen a horror movie before. And I see alot of movies. Or I used to at least. I don't know if "The Others" (Nicole Kidman) counts as a drama or horror. That was a pretty good movie though.
That's a good list. I'd ad The Mist to it and all of the Romero movies. Side list: Movies that scared the crap out of me when I was a kid (I laugh at them now): -CHUD -Trilogy of Terror -Cat's Eye -Piranha 1 & 2
Okay, I know I’m going to get anally violated for this, but….. Psycho….man, I just don’t get it. I’ve watched this movie several times and I can’t believe anyone thinks it’s scary. I’ve tried watching it several times and just ended up falling asleep due to extreme boredom. I know it was ahead of it’s time, I know it’s Alfred Hitchcock and he was a genius, I know when it was released no one had ever seen anything like it….but it put me to sleep. I don’t even think it’s Hitchcock’s best film. Extremely overrated IMO. Okay, I’m sufficiently lubed up and ready for the backlash!
I agree with you. Hitchcock's movies were pre-modern...over-dramatic acting, monologue, etc. Not movies that relate to people these days.
Think part of the problem is that the original shock factor is missing because it's been copied so many times since.
Over-dramatic acting? Which movie? You tell me, because IMHO, that's pure crap, unless you're referring to James Stewart in Vertigo, in which case you don't know the story and the reason why he freaks out in the end. Hitchcock's movies are COMPLETELY relevant to people these days- his movies weren't about things happening just in that day and time, they deal with universal truths and fears. Do I need to start listing these? OK, here's a brief one: 1. The Rear Window- voyeurism, knowing something bad is happening but being physically unable to do anything about it, the conflict between a couple who can't reconcile their different lifestyles. 2. Psycho- the fear of being caught for doing something illegal, paranoia about being followed by the police, covering up a crime, having to deal with a domineering mother/father. 3. North by Northwest- the "wrong place at the wrong time" syndrome; a multi-state chase; being manipulated by someone for information. I could go on and on with examples from over 35 of his movies, but you get the point. And just so you know, the only Hitchcock movie released in my lifetime was Family Plot. I had to go back and discover those movies on my own. And they're a terrific set of movies from one of the best directors ever. The previous poster's reaction to Psycho is simple- he or she is jaded from the way horror movies are now made. It's all about how much blood and guts one can splatter on a screen, and the building-up of tension (as well as having a good storyline) is virtually non-existent. Back in the day (1960), this was the scariest thing people had ever seen- mainly for the 3 scenes, but they were enough. Hitchcock says that he didn't create this as a horror movie per se, but more of a suspense with a few horror elements added. To me, Psycho is not the scariest movie of all time, but it's certainly one of the most well-made movies for numerous reasons. And none of them have to do with over-acting or situations that don't relate to people nowadays.
Yes, I would consider "The Others" to be a horror film as it more, or less, a psychological thriller. Here is my top 16: 1. The Shining 2. The Ring 3. Psycho 4. Alien 5. Halloween (the first) 6. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 7. The Exorcist 8. The Mist 9. The Birds 10. The Changeling 11. The Exorcist III 12. Pet Sematery 13. Carrie 14. The Others 15. The Omen 16. Rosemary's Baby EDIT - Forgot about The Mist, great movie.
