Unlike the last two genres, this is not at all one of my favorites, and I am more expecting good lists/commentaries from others than advocating my selections. 1. Jaws: The movie that changed Hollywood's priorities, and probably did more to end the auteur era than any other, it also happens to be, IMO, the best 'horror' movie ever made. Ironically techincal problems with the mechanical shark forced Spielberg to adapt, and use the 'idea' of the shark more than the actual sight of it, which is probably the scariest element in the film. 2. Psycho. What Jaws did for sea-side swimming, Psycho did for showering, as the nation witnessed almost 1/4 ess water consumption in the months Psycho was reigning at the box offices. Scary, sexy ( Janet Leigh!), and intelligent, and Perkins delivers probably the quintessential horror bad guy performance. 3. The Shining. Kubrick brought King's novel to life with his usual cold brilliance, and Nicholson was perfectly cast in the lead. Frightening, weird, and challenging, with some of the more memorable images from movie history. 4. Invasion of the Body Snatchers Either of the '56 or '78 versions apply, although I personally like Sutherland's version...probably the best xenophobic adaptation which mirrored the Cold War mentality of the age of the original, and a classic horror story premise played perfectly. 5. Rosemary's Baby. Creepy as hell, and the old neighbours rival Perkins as the good guy/bad guy all in one figures of horror history. Just plain scarey as hell...heh heh... 6. (tie) Dracula, Nosferatu, Frankenstein, the Bride of Frankenstein, and the Phantom of The Opera...All were classics from the from the silent/just post silent era, and all three are still scary to this day, but I would be hard pressed to pick one over the others. .7. The Exorcist. Many consider this to be the movie which best represented the Golden Age of horror films, and rivals Rosemary's Baby among the Good vs. Evil, biblical stlye horror films. 8. Halloween. Probably the best of the psycho let loose among a pack of horny teens style horror movies, and the one that made John Carpenter's name in Hollywood. 9. Night of The Living Dead. Groundbreaking and classic, and done on a shoe string budget, it set the tone for many " the enemy is among us." style horror flicks which have been cranked out ever since. 10 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Another low budget creep-fest, this time about your typican Texan cannibal family, has become the definition of a cult classic. As I said, not among my favorite movie types, but some great films in here either way...I am more interesting in hearing about ones I don't know/have forgotten...
I guess people were more easily scared back in the 70's, because I saw The Exorcist for the first time when it was re-released in theaters, and it was more funny than scary...
"The Wicker Man" "Alien" "Near Dark" "The Thing" ('80's) "Les Diabolique" Thought that "The Serpent and the Rainbow" was really cool when I was a kid, haven't seen it in years though, so I may be wrong. Can't really argue any on your list.
I like this genre but I am partial to Kubrick and Hitchcock, so my top 2 would be "The Shining" and "Psycho".
Ditto. Despite their bad special effects, I actually find the concepts presented in Cold War era science fiction to be more terrifying than any of the more respected horror films. My top ten consists of stuff that will just get bashed by resident film snobs, so I will refrain from posting it.
Oh, come on! Post Away! Are we talking The Blob! Several Things Which Ate New York, etc. kind of bad here, or what?
In no particular order: Alien The original entries in the Jaws, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Friday the 13th series. The Blair Witch Project. The first half of Jeepers Creepers. The first quarter of Darkness Falls. The hot tub scene in About Schmidt - one of the scariest scenes in movie history. Jurassic Park - as much as it deviated from the far superior novel, it was still a great movie, and could probably be considered horror. The Andromeda Strain
The Shining is my favorite horror movie. Well cast and well acted. The scenary and musical score was awesome. Music in horror movies is very important and they really did a great job here. Kubrick was the right man to direct this movie. Don't tell me that the vision of the kid on the big wheel riding through all of those halls and then finally seeing those twin girls did not scare the crap out of you!
I would also put The Omen on that list. Something about that little b*stard Damien that gave me the willies.
I would say: -Invasion of the Body Snatchers -The Thing (1982) Fine ensemble cast, one of John Carpenter's best. -The Exorcist -Silence of the Lambs: the part with Buffalo Bill and his "mangina" so horrified me that I hurled when I saw it for the first time! Ugggh!!! Yeeeech!!!!!!!! -Nosferatu, that was the creepiest vampire in any horror flick -Alien, geez, that movie gave me the willies! -Jaws, my Uncle quit surfing after seeing that flick. -The Omen (original) Damien was one evil, evil little kid.
The Blob was pretty scary, like when the blob came out of the sewer and engulfed the dude in the space suit. My Brother watched all kinds of horror movies and he said the only time he was truly scared was when he watched Jaws and when he read The Omen.
the greatest east asian horror movie is "Ringu" before it was butchered by Hollywood remakers. that movie kept a whole generation of asian kids from keeping a tv in their room. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/Ringu-1112868/
In no particular order, my top 5 Jaws The Omen {the first one, not the crap that followed} The Exorcist The Shining {My personal all-time favorite} Alien
