I will admit that I'm not a huge horror movie fanatic. I don't particularly enjoy the prospect of being scared shitless and so I usually give them a miss. However in this list I have compiled a few films that over the years I have enjoyed watching and would consider them good films in their own right. Here are some that didn't quite make the list:
Rosemary's Baby: One of the better examples of how to work the horror genre. Wouldn't say it has aged well but it's still pretty disturbing.
Nosferatu: I don't think you can include any horror movie list without the inclusion of this film. Without this there simply wouldn't be a horror genre.
Dracula: Bela Lugosi is just absolutely amazing as the infamous gothic villain. It was said that audience members would scream as soon as they saw him for the first time. Of course times have changed, and this flick now looks rather tame.
The Omen: Another unpleasant experience, although it's horror so what do you expect? This is the less famous demonic child film, although it's still pretty damn good.
#10 Poltergeist (1982) (8/10)
'Poltergeist' is the story of a child who is kidnapped by evil spirits through the use of a television. It kicks off this list due to dealing with such a poignant subject in a way that will send shivers down your spine. This film will take you on a heart pounding trip through what is essentially a very simple plot. That simple plot becomes one of the big advantages, and it carries the film into some big, big scares. It's certainly not a film I would watch without the lights on, especially considering the immense tension that comes with every scene. I can't actually think of a film that builds tension any better, and with that comes some huge climaxes.
The beauty of this film is that it took the horror genre from its roots in the wilderness and placed it right in the home where you feel most secure. There are other films on this list that also do that, but not in the same way as this. Aside from the sacres you have a very polished film, crammed with some respectable performances from the cast and some brilliant script writing. I like how it doesn't tend to present the characters as screaming wrecks who lumber around the set in a way that would never be realistic. In this film we get a seemingly real situation being developed by a very realistic cast. You may choose to beleive that the stellar cast were cursed during production, and admittedly there is a suspiciously high death rate in the making of this film, but my money would be on them not wanting to be around for the sequels. And I don't blame them, the rest of this series is horrendous.
#9 Cannibal Holocaust (1980) (8/10)
If you ever feel the need to throw up don't stick two fingers down your throat, just watch this instead. I've had the pleasure of viewing some disturbing and downright disgusting films in my time, but none make me squirm like this one. In actual fact the film was so gory that the director was taken on trial under the impression that he murders his own cast. Just by looking at the image above you can see that the special effects used are quite graphic, and that's nowhere near the worst this film has to offer. Surprisingly there is actually a story attached to this, and rather a good one at that. It revolves around a group of filmmakers who go missing in the Amazon Rainforest, and the found footage is shown to the viewer in chronological order, coining a genre that would dominate horror in the next few decades. The found footage sub-genre would never retain that shock value of this movie, making 'Cannibal Holocaust' both disgusting and innovative.
I personally admire this film; I think the gore is justified by the rather striking plot, and there are serious issues and tropes addressed throughout the run time. It's so much more than a simple snuff film, and their really are some great social commentaries nestled throughout all the stomach churning violence. At various points it does feel like a genuine documentary, which is all a film such as this needs to do in order to please me. It would already be a good horror film thanks to its sheer repulsiveness, and I still wouldn't recommend watching it for those that are squeamish or value animal rights. But if you're a sadistic bastard like myself then you're in for an absolute treat.
#8 Dark Water (2002) (8/10)
No this isn't the crappy American remake, and under no circumstances should you ever watch that pile of shit. As this version is typically Japanese it becomes about five thousand times more fucked up than it needs to be. I'm not saying it's the scariest film of all time, but the intensity of the whole thing is just unbearable at some points. But then what do you expect from the man behind 'The Ring', which I'm sure many people will tell you is pretty fucking scary; and they haven't even seen the Japanese version. This film ramps up traditional horror to a new level, and creates a truly terrifying experience in the process.
As the title suggest this film is centered around dark water, and although that doesn't sound too scary, it is when you add in ghosts and dilapidated apartments. It's an original story that has the quality to carry a film of this proportion, and does so at an almost perfect pace. It never tries to do anything too weird, and anything that it does try and convey it does so with a lot of dramatic effect that just keeps ramping up that tension to the next level. Unlike the American version it will not treat you like an idiot, and it does have cinematic quality, unlike the crappy American remake. I like that the plot requires a little bit of thinking to make sense, and it is proof that when the Japanese aren't trying to be as strange as possible they can produce some seriously good films, especially in the horror genre.
#7 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) (8/10)
How could I not include the original slasher movie on this list? It may have got a crappy lick of paint in recent years, but the original will always be a genre classic. The story is based on the life and atrocities of notorious serial killer Ed Gein, and that caused this low budget slasher flick to revolutionise a whole genre. The film is set on a group of young adults who accidentally find themselves being terrorized by a family of cannibals. What follows is maybe not as gruesome as you would expect, but big scares are abundant thanks to the no name cast actually performing well above their expectations. Although we all know that most of the atmosphere is created by legendary villian Leatherface, who fills this entire film with his unique persona.
What I love most is that it's actually quite an intelligent film. Director Tobe Hooper knows that he's creating a low budget horror production and so concentrates on essential building blocks rather than anything fancy, creating an intelligent plot that sticks well clear of a cliche ridden mess. It helps that there are some truly horrifying scenes littered throughout its runtime, and this is only amplified with the realistic detail that becomes a core focus of the film. Probably the best move Hooper made was to claim that this was a true story. In reality that's a massive lie; but it was a strategy that ended up making this film what it is today. It's living proof that a film can still be successful even if you don't have a lot of money. All you need is a fresh and original idea for your film to go places.
#6 Psycho (1960) (9/10)
Probably the most famous film on here. Is there any movie fanatic who hasn't seen this one? That shower scene alone has probably become the most iconic scene in the history of Hollywood. It's true that this film might be more of a thriller than a horror, but I decided to include the film on this list anyway as it shows early conventions of what would later become the horror genre; all that separates them is Hitchcock's signature style. You have to bear in mind that this was released in 1960, a time when the most shocking thing in this film was seeing the contents of a toilet being flushed. For its time this was truly barbaric, and although that must seem absurd when compared with films of today you can't deny that it's still crammed full of some very tense scenes. Those tense scenes are aided by a slow paced plot that allows an intricate and intelligent story to be created in a way that only Hitchcock could. He even decides to kill off the main character halfway through, and yet still manages to retain a thoroughly engaging narrative.
As for content, well it's a bit fucked up. It's not particularly scary at any point, but its realistic premise and solid production mean it's nothing you can't imagine happening in real life. It still has enough credentials to put a chill down your spine, and that is helped in no small part by iconic villain Norman Bates, who becomes something completely disturbing thanks to the charisma and talent of actor Anthony Perkins. That brilliant performance helps to elevate the immense levels of suspense throughout the film, and it's only through this that iconic scenes such as the one pictured above can be created. There's no denying that Hitchcock is the integral part of this complex mechanism; in fact he even managed to produce this on a shoestring budget when he was refused backing due to the films mature content. I'm eternally grateful to him for going his own way, as without his determination we wouldn't have this classic.
#5 A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) (8/10)
Admittedly this did get to number five for one reason alone, and that was because it includes Freddy Krueger. If it wasn't for him then this would just be a standard horror flick. His awesome personality and wisecracking lines set the new bar for horror villains, but none can compare to the eery persona of Krueger. This was another film that was put together with a very limited budget, and although the plot is solid, the iconic villain is what propelled this film to legendary status. It's about as brutal as they get, and there's something incredibly disturbing about a serial killer who murders people in their sleep. The result is a chilling film that will give you nightmares for the rest of your life. A perfectly concocted plot is put to good use and revived what was a very fatigued genre. It's impossible not to love. Just an awesome film from start to finish.
#4 The Exorcist (1973) (8/10)
The story of a mother trying to save her possessed daughter is now such a legendary tale in the world of cinema that it's become synonymous with horror. So disgusting was this film that at the time of release cinemas would offer sick bags to the audience, and there are even reports of people fainting from the shock. It seems amazing that this was allowed to be produced considering ten years prior it was forbidden for bare flesh to be shown in a Hollywood film. With this you get a teenage girl screaming profanities whilst turning her head 360 degrees, haunting the minds of moviegoers for decades to come. It might not seem so unbelievable now thanks to stuff like torture porn, but it's still a great watch. Even if you are disappointment by the horror aspects you can still appreciate what is a feel good story. In fact this is a much more uplifting story than any of that 'Pursuit of Happyness' bullshit that everyone seems to brown nose, that's even despite the fact that happiness is spelt wrong.
Maybe the word 'enjoy' is a term that shouldn't be used with this film. It's one hell of a film, but I would be lying if I said that it was an enjoyable experience. The impeccable special effects and excellent storytelling come together to produce some pretty uncomfortable scenes at various points. This is of course a deliberate technique used by director William Friedkin, who took some real care to produce a well constructed film. It was said that he deliberately refrigerated the set and fired loaded guns without warning to make sure his actors were always uncomfortable on the set. An extreme solution, but one that produced some amazing results, even if the desensitization of the public has lead to that becoming all but obsolete. But screw those people who can't enjoy something because it's old; they don't appreciate great cinema classics such as this one.
#3 Silence of the Lambs (1991) (9/10)
You may have heard this from me before, but there is nobody who can match up to the insane screen presence that Hannibal Lecter manages here. I just find it incredible that actor Anthony Hopkins can completely own a film despite only being in half of it. There is no doubt in my mind that it's one of the all time great performances in cinema, and has made this film such a classic. They say you are what you eat, and Hannibal Lecter is head and shoulders over his competitors. I'm sorry, I have to apologies for that offensively bad joke. But putting puns aside there really is something mesmerizing about the evil doctor, so much so that I would say he becomes the very embodiment of evil itself. He carries not just himself but the film as a whole. Poor Jodie Foster, who puts in a respectable performance, is left looking out of place when compared to Lecter, and she's supposed to be the lead role.
It's a horror film of a higher class, and so will probably alienate the simple minded fans of films like 'Saw'. But movies like that don't have anywhere near the amount of character development and dialogue that this does. Watching this is actually a pleasant, if chilling experience, and doesn't rely on simple shock tactics to get a response. Sure it might be more of a psychological thriller than a true horror film, but I can't think of a better film to sit down too whilst enjoying some fava beans and a nice Chianti. Or go the extra mile; you could really get into the spirit by eating out your own liver.
#2 Alien (1979) (9/10)
The tagline just sums up this film perfectly; 'In space no one can hear you scream'. That alone is enough reason for it to be on this list; it sets the tone for a beautiful fusion of the sci-fi and horror genres that's just so brilliant to watch. Overall I do prefer the sequel 'Aliens', but that takes the form of an action film and so cannot be included here. 'Alien' however is horror to the core, as the malicious xenomorph hunts down the human crew in such a malicious way that it makes this film such an enthralling experience. Famous scenes such as the chest-bursting alien is proof that this is a film designed to scare you, and at points it does get pretty gory.
Star of the show is definitely the xenomorph, which it manages by being in the film for a combined time of around four minutes. An impressive achievement, but then it's much more than a simple villain, more a work of art only possible through the ideas of science fiction. It rightfully deserves to be the only film on this list with a non human villain as its presence gives the film both its suspense and claustrophobic feel. It also has a second mouth, so that's pretty fucking awesome. With this film it became clear that so many ideas could be produced from the realms of science, and I personally thank it for revolutinising one of my favorite genres.
#1 The Shining (1980) (10/10)
There's just something about haunted hotels run by homicidal maniacs that make such good plot devices for horror films. This is the second of such on this list, and it's the only entry that I would ever consider giving a perfect score. I know I have the tendency to go a bit overboard with Stanley Kubrick films, but trust me, this is one epic film. For starters it runs at such a brilliant pace. It's a slow one, but that reflects the style of the film, sacrificing cheap thrills for a more intelligent plot and a ton of character development. It also does help that both Kubrick and Jack Nicholson are appearing together, which is a pretty epic power couple, and is solely responsible for some pretty epic scenes. I'm pretty sure everyone knows the scene above, or at least one Jack Torrance quote.
Classic Kubrick is how I would sum it all up. He does things his way, and even kills off characters that survived in the book. Some scenes allegedly took hundreds of takes to perfect, and members of the cast were physically bullied to get the best performance out of them. Kubrick wanted to get perfection, and that's how it looks to me. I just love the intense psychological ride that the viewer gets sent on; sometimes it takes more than one sitting to truly comprehend what a masterpiece this really is. Just by looking on the internet you can see some of the crazy theories that surround the making of this film, and you can choose to follow them, but only if you enjoy this piece of art for what it is. And that's one of the greatest films of all time.
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