Evil Dead, The skeleton Key, The Ring
#1 - Grindhouse
#2 - The Mist
#3 - Dead Silence
#4 - Behind the Mask: The Rise and Fall of Leslie Vernon
#5 - Halloween 2007
#6 - Flight of the Living Dead
#7 - I Am Legend
#8 - Saw IV
#9 - The Cellar Door
#10 - 28 Weeks Later
#1 - Unholy
#2 - The Gravedancers
#3 - Skinwalkers
#4 - The Number 23
#5 - Captivity
1. "Psycho," 1960. Alfred Hitchcock's shocking masterpiece, starring Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh, was revolutionary because it switched the emphasis of horror films from the supernatural to the psychological. Bernard Herrmann's moody score greatly enhances the terror. Perkins reprised his Norman Bates role in three sequels. They were interesting failures.
2. "The Bride of Frankenstein," 1935. Boris Karloff's Frankenstein monster is the most tragic figure in horror history. In this film, he tries to threaten his maker into creating a mate for him. In some ways, the effeminate Dr. Pretorious functions as a mate for the doctor, and gives the film a clever gay subtext. Better than the 1931 "Frankenstein" in every way. "Gods and Monsters," the biopic about the film's director, sheds some light on the making of the film. This film was brilliantly parodied in "Young Frankenstein."
3. "The Night of the Living Dead," 1968. George Romero's terrifying zombie film captures the authentic feel of a documentary and it inspired countless inferior imitations, including a terrible 1990 remake. The scene involving a zombie girl dispatching her dad is one of the most horrifying sequences in film history. Followed by the worthwhile "Dawn of the Dead" and disappointing "Day of the Dead." The anniversary edition adds newly shot footage, which dilutes and diminishes the film.
4-5. "Nosferatu the Vampyre," 1979 and "Nosferatu," 1922. F. W. Murnau's silent original makes great use of expressionistic lighting. Max Schreck is the repulsive and most pathetic vamp in film history. Werner Herzog's eerie remake leaves every other modern vampire film in the dust
6. "Rosemary's Baby," 1968. Roman Polanski's dark, funny. tale of
the birth of a demon child has a clear, pro-feminist message. Stars
Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes.
7. "The Innocents," 1961. Classy, psychologically complex adaptation of Henry James's "The Turn of the Screw," stars Deborah Kerr and Michael Redgrave.
8. "The Exorcist," 1973. William Friedkin's horrifying tale of demonic possession of the little girl (Linda Blair) has convincing makeup and terrific special effects. The restored version, released in 2000, adds some terrific scenes but they don't work in the context of the film.
9. "Freaks," 1932. Early horror-film master Tod Browning gathered a cast of real-life sideshow performers for this creepy film about a group of "freaks" who get revenge on the evil, attractive characters. Original version was severely cut in the U.S. and banned in Britain.
10. "Jaws," 1975. I had to cover my eyes the first time I saw this well-acted, suspenseful thriller as a kid. Steven Spielberg directed Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss. It won three Oscars, but I liked it anyway
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11. "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," 1932. Frederic March's performance as a brilliant doctor and his monstrous alter ego deservedly won an Oscar. The silent John Barrymore version is also worth checking out.
12. "Peeping Tom," 1960. This disturbing and arty horror film
caused such a scandal that it almost ended the career of its brilliant
director, Michael Powell.
13. "Frankenstein" 1931.James Whale's classic about a man-made monster is certainly less frightening than when it was first released, but it still works as a superb tragedy. Boris Karloff makes an expressive monster, and the under appreciated Colin Clive is outstanding as the maniacal mad doctor (Who could forget his "It's alive!!" rant?) Still it pales in comparison to its sequel "Bride of Frankenstein." One of the most horrifying scenes (involving the drowning of a blind girl) was initially cut then restored in 1987.
14. "The Blair Witch Project," 1999. This heavily improvised pseudo-documentary was the most realistic and memorable horror flick of the '90s. It features a great use of hand held camera and other cinema verite techniques.
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15. "Carrie," 1976. Brian De Palma's stylish Stephen King adaptation includes a classic prom scene, which has been endlessly imitated. It has an early John Travolta appearance, from back when he was still cool. The sequel has some good moments too.
16. "Curse of the Demon," 1958. Jacques Tourneur created this
riveting, masterfully orchestrated tale of supernatural suspense.
17. "The Bad Seed," 1956. Mom believes that her mom's murderous tendencies were passed on to her seemingly innocent nine-year-old daughter. Patty McCormick gives one of the most sinister performances in horror history. An important precursor to "Psycho."
18. "The Mummy," 1932. Karl Freund's expressionistic lighting and Boris Karloff's performance make this the only must-see mummy film. The more adventure oriented 1999 film with the same name seems juvenile and artless in comparison.
19. "Spirits of the Dead," 1969. Three excellent short adaptations of Poe stories by three respected European directors. Federico Fellini's episode, "Toby Dammit" is a surreal masterpiece.
20. "The Wolfman," 1941. Lon Chaney Jr. gained immortality with his role as the hapless werewolf, Larry Talbot, but Claude Rains and Evelyn Ankers also excel in supporting roles. As always, Jack Pierce's makeup is magnificent.
21. "Mr. Vampire," 1986. Chinese monk uses martial arts to battle hopping vampires in this inventive horror comedy, which spawned four sequels.
22. "Dawn of the Dead," 1979. Romero's eerie sequel to "Night of the Living Dead" adds shrewd social commentary to the mix. Since the zombies occupy a shopping mall, the film can be seen as a clever satire of consumerism. Changes in the MPAA code allowed Romero to make this much gorier than the original.
23. "The Last House on the Left," 1972. Wes Craven's most disturbing feature is a devastating revenge story about a couple that gets grisly vengeance on the villains that murdered their children. Based loosely on Igmar Bergman's "The Virgin Spring."
24. "The Wicker Man," 1973. Christopher Lee gives his best performance as the mysterious head of a pagan sect in this English cult classic. A remake is coming.
25. "Texas Chain Saw Massacre," 1974. Tobe Hooper creates a chilling nightmarish atmosphere without wallowing in excess gore. Avoid the recently released remake.
26. "Se7en 1995."-David Fincher's twisted thriller is scarier than most because it leaves so much to the imagination. Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt are excellent as two detectives that are tracking a moralistic serial killer. Spacey's performance is one of his best.
27. "Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn," 1987. This ingenuous splatter comedy is the only horror film that's equally influenced by George Romero's zombie films and the Three Stooges shorts. Followed by the worthwhile sequel, "Army of Darkness," which was more of a heroic fantasy film than a horror film.
28. "Repulsion," 1965. Roman Polanski's thriller about a sexually repressed young woman who knocks off all her perspective boyfriends. It is heavily influenced by "Psycho," and in some ways it almost matches the original. As always, Catherine Deneuve is exquisite and unforgettable in the lead.
29. "The Night Stalker," 1972. Darren McGavin is terrific as Karl Kolchak, a cynical newsman who stumbles upon a vampire in a modern day Las Vegas. Film creates a marvelous sense of urban paranoia and expertly combines elements of the horror genre with film noir. The literate script was based on a story by Richard Matheson, a frequent contributor to "The Twilight Zone" series. At one point, this was the most watched made for TV film ever. Robert Aldrich fans take note: this film features an appearance by "Kiss Me Deadly" star, Ralph Meeker.
30. "A Nightmare on Elm Street," 1984. Robert Englund stars as a murdered killer who attacks his killer's children in their dreams. Works well until the cop-out ending. Surprisingly effective low budget thriller led to eight unnecessary sequels and a TV series. Features an early appearance by Johnny Depp. Heather Langencamp makes a gutsy adversary for Freddie
31. "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" 1962. This wonderful Gothic thriller benefits from terrifically hammy performances by Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.
32. "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer," 1990. Morally ambivalent portrayal of a killer is much more terrifying than the more acclaimed, "The Silence of the Lambs."
33. "Vampyr," 1932. Carl Dreyer's classic adaptation of the ultimate lesbian vampire text, "Carmilla," is as much of an art film as it is a horror flick. Creative camera work and lighting contribute immeasurably to the ambience of terror.
34-35. "Dracula," 1931 and "Dracula-Spanish version," 1931. Bela Lugosi played the role of his lifetime in this adaptation of the popular Dracula play. This somewhat dated classic has some haunting images and seems almost like a silent film. George Melford's Mexican version was shot on t