Tim’s Top 20 Horror Films

Posted by andPOP Staff on March 30th, 2005

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I will begin by starting this list in the hopes that it will spark a discussion as to who you all think the best films are per genre. Remember?Horror not Thriller (i.e. cannot count ?Seven? or ?Silence of the Lambs?). Here we go:

1. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Original)
Gritty, imaginative filmmaking made Tobe Hooper?s original TCM a masterpiece of horror in the early 70?s cinema. Inspired by the brutal and bizarre behavior of Ed Gein, TCM?s plot has a terrifying sense of realism. The final scene in which Leatherface has a lone eerie majestic dance with a chainsaw is one that stays with you forever.

2. The Shining
Stanley Kubrick created without a doubt one of the best (if not the best) cinematic techniques of strictly using a no boundaries tactic regarding the camera in this frightening classic. The formatting of this film and the careful simplicity of the camera movement allowed viewers to fear what was around the corner in the inside of the Overlook Hotel. Jack Nicholson?s ?Heeere?s Johnny? line is forever embraced by Hollywood and the movie-going public. More importantly, ?The Shining?, based on the Stephen King novel, is not only intelligent but Nicholson?s performance is astounding.

3. The Exorcist
People fled from theaters in fear. Some threw up while watching, others fainted, and some even had to be taken to the hospital from heart attacks. Truly the nation was not ready for ?The Exorcist?, but it did not stop its box office gross from soaring in the 70?s. The image of a young Linda Blair as possessed by Satan stunned audiences across the country, but it was not just a film. The messages and dialogue sparked religious controversy and marked a moment in which fear and religion were one in the same. The image of Father Merrin standing outside the Georgetown Apt. complex in the fog is breathtaking art. And who could ever forget the green vomit and headspin!

4. Halloween
The introduction to this film is definitely the most memorable scene (notwithstanding the end of course) that made ?Halloween? a creative tour de force. Looking through the eyes of a child the audiences watched in horror as they witnessed a young boy brutally kill his sister on Halloween night. Many films have followed the ?slasher? format based on this movie as ?Halloween? represents the small majority of very few films that are as suspenseful 20 years ago as they are today.

5. The Ring
Finally, after years of bad horror films comes something new to be afraid of, a videotape. Sounds kind of ridiculous but as we all know it wasn?t. ?The Ring? was definitely a breath of fresh air in a genre that had been lacking in scares for quite some time. The spine-chilling image Samara Morgan crept its way into our minds when we left the theater in a cold sweat. The intense scenes and mystery of the meaning of the tape that kills you in 7 days was intriguing as much as it was horrifying.

6. A Nightmare on Elm St.
Freddy Krueger is a name that is a cultural icon in cinema. Wes Craven knew what he was doing when he wrote and directed this tale of a child murderer who kills neighborhood children in their dreams. Like Tobe Hooper and John Carpenter dominance in the 70?s before him, Craven owned the 80?s. The 80?s were partly defined by this teenage slasher film as it emulated much of high school culture during that time. Sex, drugs, and alcohol only lead to violence that soon became a criterion of horror films to follow. It also marked the introduction of Johnny Depp and made Robert Englund a star.

7. Pet Sematary
Stephen King?s novel lead to a disturbingly scary movie that engrossed audiences with its shocking and imaginative plot. What would you do if you could bring your loved ones back to life? This question made us all question our beliefs on the subject as the storyline had the ability to really hit home. It was that personable link between the film and the mindset of the view that made the characters so absorbing. Fred Gwynne?s performance as Judd Crandall made the film a memorable success along with a grossly twisted ending and a young Gage Creed?s line in, ?I want to play with youuuuuuu.?

8. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
The 1968 version of this film exemplified classic horror, and with limited filmmaking technology, it still manages to scare audiences today. Zombies are always an interesting bunch, and those that are the living victims in the film attract audiences in a cat and mouse game that?s engaging. Although some might find the original more humorous now, it served as a means of terror in a Hitchcockian era where horror films were just beginning to push the boundaries.

9. Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock?s ?Psycho? is a cinematic masterpiece. Done and done. Not just in classic horror but in overall filmmaking does this movie find its place in cultural history. Janet Leigh was made into a star and Anthony Perkins portrayal of Norman Bates is unmatchable. ?Psycho? was more than a film; it was the basis of what make many successful horror films today. Craven, Hooper, Spielberg, Carpenter can all thank this film for its ingenuity and groundbreaking visual effects. The shower scene made everyone fear a daily routine ritual for decades. This film truly changed the way movies were made and how people viewed them.

10. Dawn of the Dead (original & remake)
What made this film unique was its taking zombies and placing them in a more realistic setting. The duality of the film is how humans act as zombies when shopping at the mall and now that is the only sanctuary from the actual undead who are trying to kill them. What was so significant was the film being a pioneer in introducing a level of graphic violence that audiences had never seen before. With a plot so effectively simple, and an extremely low-budget, George A. Romero developed blockbuster hit. With its exploding heads and flesh-eating monsters (all created by special effects wizard Tom Savini) the film was released NR for fear that it would be brandished with an X rating. It quickly became recognized as a brilliant portrayal of social satire and consumerism and was just as big (if not bigger) overseas than it was in the states.

11. Friday the 13th
Jason Voorhees, a misunderstood and disfigured child at summer Camp Crystal Lake drowned in the lake while the counselors were not paying attention. Now 11 years later new counselors at the camp are systematically getting slaughtered by a possible resurrected Jason. This film was a culmination of every campfire and sleepover horror story that was ever told. Innocent kids being attacked by a killer in the woods of unspeakable evil, what could be more entertaining in the 80?s? ?Friday the 13th? sparked a franchise and an iconic character paralleling Freddy Krueger throughout the decade. No one brutally killed camp teens like Jason, and his hockey mask is forever engraved in horror history.

12. Candyman
Shocking and gory are two words to describe this early 90?s film about a legendary hook-for-hand killer who appears to split you in half if you say his name 5 times while looking in a mirror. Clive Barker?s film brought scares into the urban world proving that maniacal killers aren?t just in quiet suburbia. Tony Todd?s raspy voice and chilling performance serve as a means of a delightfully wicked plot in which a student while writing her thesis on Candyman encounters him through a series of murders. You cannot say after seeing the film you didn?t look in the mirror and say his name 5 times.

13. Stephen King?s IT
Ok, I am a huge Stephen King fan, but how could you not be when half the films that frighten us so well are adapted from his novels? ?IT? is no exception, although made for TV it still makes my list as one of the most terrifying films of all time. Part 1 was better than Part 2 in my opinion but if you were ever afraid of clowns than this film will have you shutting your eyes at every opportunity. Tim Curry?s performance as Pennywise terrorized my nightmares for days after I saw it when I was 9, so much so I had to buy the DVD recently because I loved it so much. The film scares you without and gore and although it?s about a child killer, it never shows the act taking place, thus leaving it up to the viewer?s imagination which was gruesome.

14. The Blair Witch Project
Filmed on 16mm on a budget lower than a monthly paycheck, ?The Blair Witch Project? swept through the Independent film circuit paralyzing its victims who watched it in fear. The guerilla filmmaking was reminiscent of the classic horror films of the 80?s in which suspense was the ultimate driving force of the picture. Here we follow 3 filmmakers lost in the woods that are apparently haunted by an evil witch. What made this film unique was its simplicity, bottom line. We never see the witch, we never see blood, and we never see death. All the viewer can do is imagine what lurks behind every corner, what that ?sound or noise? was, and hope for the best. Although many thought the ending was bad, I felt that it was more than effective, it was bone-chilling. Now I?m not basing this film?s success or entry onto this list on just solely box office gross, but it?s pretty amazing that a 35,000 budget film made over 140 million nationwide.

15. Hellraiser
Clive Barker developed a film that is not only based on the supernatural, but incorporates bizarre demon characters that were grotesque in appearance while the lead ?Pinhead? became a virtual famous horror figure. When slasher films were at their peak in Hollywood, Barker broke free from the typical storyline with unpredictability. His characters killed without reason and the overall look of the film was undeniably disturbing as it was gory and violent. The special effects were particularly impressive and memorable.

16. House of a 1000 Corpses
Rob Zombie might be the biggest horror movie fan of all-time (if you saw his episode of MTV?s Cribs you know what I?m talking about), and one of his favorite if not THE favorite filmmaker is Tobe Hooper. One cannot help but notice that this film is a complete homage to director?s classic ?Texas Chainsaw Massacre?. ?House?? follows the exact same format with a modernized twist and new frightening characters. Zombie, a musician known for his heavy music and just as equally heavy music videos, creates an unsettling atmosphere thus emulating his predecessors while incorporating a level of insanity that painfully at times runs rampant. Right from the beginning we are drawn into the horrific plot and are taken for a ride we won?t soon forget. I found this film so intriguing I wrote a piece on it immediately after I saw it in order to come to grips with its disturbing images.

17. Poltergeist
?They?re heeerreee!? A famous quote that any active movie-goer is familiar with and can pinpoint the exact part of the film in which it occurs. Steven Spielberg?s ?Poltergeist? directed by Tobe Hooper made us all fear the white snow of our television sets. The image of young Carole-Ann seated in front of the scrambled TV with her hand on the edges is undoubtedly memorable. This film allowed the viewer to witness what the family was going through instead of overwhelming us with special effects wizardry. It was effective in developing a comfortable suburban atmosphere and quickly turning it into a house of doom. In an era where special effects out-duel actors? performances, ?Poltergeist? relied on a group of unknown actors and the results were undeniably exceptional.

18. The Omen
When you have the ability to cast legendary actor Gregory Peck in your film you are bound to have a certain level of success. ?The Omen? tells the story of an American Ambassador who comes to learn that his son is in fact the Antichrist. Now if that is not a great pitch to a studio than I don?t know what is. (sure beats Kazaam) Young Harvey Stevens shines in this film as the dark and deceitful character Damien. I believe this quote summarizes the film well: It is the greatest mystery of all because no human being will ever solve it. It is the highest suspense because no man can bear it. It is the greatest fear because it is the ancient fear of the unknown. It is a warning foretold for thousands of years. It is our final warning. It is The Omen.

19. Evil Dead
Sam Raimi developed a classic cult film that many have loved for ages and has inspired a new generation of fans with recent newly formatted DVD releases. The remarkably tasteless scenes make this film delightfully wicked and at times fun to watch. The cinematography was brilliant as the camera techniques help drive the storyline through careful framing and structure. Raimi?s subtlety in certain scenes helped create a shivering environment that was both powerful and suspenseful. It also spawned the fame of the immortal character Ash, played forever by Bruce Campbell.

You get to pick # 20! Let me know your thoughts! (Respond by using the comments feature found below)

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