Top 20 Horror Movies

[Silence]

So, as an avid watcher/freak/critiquer of horror movies I have decided to create a thread and have everybody list the top 20 horror movies ever made and why.

20. Silence of the Lambs-This movie is utterly amazing in every sense of the word, and is one of the best movies in cinema history. Now a lot of people wonder why i include this on a list about horror, but there are many subtle indications of a horror movie: Killer, Murders, Eerie atmosphere. I recommend this movie to anyone who is a fan of movies and it makes my list for the sheer brilliance.

19. The Omen-This is about the original version. The movie is so eerie, and to me is the second best movie about possession. The child was a brilliant actor.This movie is very hair-raising and messes with the mind and the psychological elements are very scary. The cting and score are spot on, but what makes the movie great is the fact that is is very real for many.

18. Friday the 13th-Now do not let the terrible sequels write you off of the series. The original is great. Carbon copy of Halloween?-Maybe. But the movie still has a great storyline, great acting, and took horror to a new level and spawned one of the greatest killing machines in horror-Jason Vorhees. Too bad many don't realize the true mastermind was Mrs.Vorhees.

17. Scream-The franchise that rebooted horror in the 90's. The right amount of horror, blood, and comedy. The movie is a parody of horror movies, but still seems to scare more people, attract bigger audiences, etc. The movie is original in every sense of the word. Plus, Neve Campbell is amazing.

16. Audition-Japanese horror films are great, but none compare to the mind wrenchind, mind disturbing film called Audition. The absolute realism and emotion put into the movie is what makes this movie immensely scary. The acting is almost perfect and the whole movie just works.

15. High Tension-The immense gore, the intense ending, and intense story make this one of the best horror movies ever. It is so different and original. The movie will keep you on the edge of your seat until you can no longer bare it anymore. The smart ending makes you think about why there are so many movies without this kind of intelligence.

14. Frailty-The movie is deep on so many levels. The acting is great, but the realism of the story makes you believe that it is an actual possibility. What really wins me over with this movie is just the emotions brought about.

13. The Thing-Now John Carpenter solidified his genius with this movie. This movie was revolutionary in its use of gore and the acting, setting, atmosphere, originality, etc. was perfect. What makes this movie even better is that they had taken an already used idea, but made it their own.

12. Carrie-Classic tale of revenge and karma. The movie is incredibly astounding at brining emotions out of the viewer and you can't help but to get sucked in an wonder about what will happen. Not to mention the pig's blood scene which is a Hollywood classic.

11. The Descent- Personally I feel this is the best horror movie in 20 years. The movie is astounding. Everything a horror movie needs is in this movie, but greatened. The stand out factor about this movie is the fact that it clearly shows a downward spiral in mankind, in the fact that, humans are selfish and downright nasty. The use of claustorphobia only intensifies the eeriest atmosphere since The Shining.

10. Alien-A lot will say this movie is science fiction, but I will say its both. This movie is revolutionary. Space, alien, gore, action, suspense, nail-biting, are just a few words to describe the first half. The second half just gets even better. Not to mention the fact that they pulled this movie off with 1 alien.

9. Black Christmas-This as well refers to the pioneering original. Before Halloween, JAson, Freddy, there was Black Christmas. This was the first movie to really provide all of the horror cliches: Virgin lives, do not party, never stray alone, etc. This was the first movie to do it. Not to mention it is bloody and scary as hell.

8. A Nightmare on Elm Street-Now there have only been 2 horror movies to ever scare. This being one of them. This movie just haunts everybody. The use of an everyday neccesity like sleep, and transforming it into a weapon of death is intelligent. Not to mentioon Freddy might as well be one of the creepeiest killers ever, and Robert Englund is amazing in this role.

7. The Shining-The movie is a classic. Stanley Kubrick is an insanely talented man and he truly shines in this one. Shelley Duvall and Jack Nicholson give amazing performance; Jack Nicholson in one of the best roles in cinema history arguably. The movie clearly shows the detiorioration of the mind and this movie is a classic.

6. Jaws-Now this is a Hollywood classic. The movie is just plain fun, but at the same time revolutionary. At this time nothing had made people really believe in it so much, but shark attacks are entirely possible. The movie made people stay away from the beach for Christs sake!

5. Dawn of the Dead-A classic in every sense of the word, with great gore and fun. The best zombie movie ever, no doubt. The movie is just so great to watch, but many don't see the meanings that lie within the film:Americans are so consumed in material things and the first place they run, the mall.

4. Texas Chainsaw Massacre-Probably the most shocking and insane horror movie ever. There was nothing like this at that time. Teenagers just getting massacred, but the intense scares and death scenes just make this a horror gem. Plus, the scenes with the whole family have to be some of the best in horror history.

3. The Exorcist-If there is any movie as controversial as The Exorcist, they have accomplished quite a feat. This movie is just groundbreaking. It was downright frightening, crazy, insane, nasty. It had people in the theatre throwing up, fainting, and even required medical emergency at every theatre. No other horror movie can lay claim to that.

2. Psycho-If there is any movie that will be remembered forever as a Hollywood horror classic it is Psycho. Alfred Hitchcock was a genius, but truly showed it in this horrifying tell of Mama and Norman Bates. This movie is just a classic, and the shower scene will go down forever as a defining moment in cinema.

1. Halloween-This is the only other movie that has scared me before and for good reason. This movie is just a classic. One of the best movies ever made, not to mention the best horror movie without a doubt, no arguments. The characterization, the score, the music, the atmosphere, the acting, the realisim, the horror, but most importantly Michael Meyers make this movie the best horror movie. Nothing comes close. The characters were all meaningful and fully developed. The music is what really makes this movie so eerie. Never has a score been so terrifying. The slow, but creepy atmosphere just prepare you for what is in store. The acting is perfect. Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasance are flawless as Laurie Strode and Dr. Loomis. The realism as well. Halloween of all nights, no one would know, just makes you want to check your doors and windows. The horror is grade A. What makes this so great is the fact that the movie doesn't need a lot of blood to be scary. Michael Meyers is just a machine and is relentless. His ability to be there one second and gone the next, his evil eyes, etc. make him terrifying.


Honorable Mentions:

Night of the Living Dead
The Ring(remake)
28 Days Later
Misery
Rosemary's Baby
Hellraiser
Suspiria

 

[Khalifa]

UM well how can you say friday the 13th is scary? anyways i don't like horrors because all i think is it's not real so whats the point of being scared?

anyways from what i have heard around the WWW is that wolf creek is some where in the top 10. i guess that is sort of scary but still.

UM what is that Movie apparently based on a true story? well if it is i guess you can put that as numebr one but i am going to do my top 3.

3)13 ghosts. i was eight ok so don't blame me . this really scared me because this actually got me thinking about it. it got inside my head i suppose you could say. the basement was a great place to have all the scaary thigns happening and the look of some of those ghosts just freaked me out. wasn't a ogood movie over all but i believed it was scary.

2) wolf creek. this was scary because it relied on the role of the syco path actor ( forgot his naem ) and he delievered really well i believe. One man made this move so scary. instead of having like alot of people or creatures there was one syco path and it jsut freaked you out.

1) jaws. OMG this was so scary when i saw it i was like so scared again because i was young . but thats not the point the reality of this could just happen ( except of all the boats it was crushing etc etc) this was also one of the first really scary movies. plus i am scared of sharks so yeah.

 

[Silence]

UM well how can you say friday the 13th is scary? anyways i don't like horrors because all i think is it's not real so whats the point of being scared?

Easily. Friday the 13th is scary. The movie is fun, started a prosperous franchise, and had scary moments.

anyways from what i have heard around the WWW is that wolf creek is some where in the top 10. i guess that is sort of scary but still.

So since it is the "word" it is true? Hmmmm, I beg to differ. While it is a good movie, it just takes the same idea from almost every horror movie and puts it into one. Sure the acting was good and it was kinda scary, but nowhere near a top 20.

UM what is that Movie apparently based on a true story? well if it is i guess you can put that as numebr one but i am going to do my top 3.

Okay, when most movies say that it is based on a true story, it is a lie. Even if it is a true story, why does it deserve to be number one?

3)13 ghosts. i was eight ok so don't blame me . this really scared me because this actually got me thinking about it. it got inside my head i suppose you could say. the basement was a great place to have all the scaary thigns happening and the look of some of those ghosts just freaked me out. wasn't a ogood movie over all but i believed it was scary.

While I enjoy the movie, it wasn't particularly great, and by the end had lost the steam it had in the beginning. This movie doesn't belong in a top 100 to me.

1) jaws. OMG this was so scary when i saw it i was like so scared again because i was young . but thats not the point the reality of this could just happen ( except of all the boats it was crushing etc etc) this was also one of the first really scary movies. plus i am scared of sharks so yeah.

I could totally understand why someone could place Jaws as number 1, but for me it just isn't.

 

[Mr. TM]

well 20 would take a lot of time, so I am going to list my top 5 instead.

5.) Dawn of the Dead. I am a sucker for Zombie movies, and it is actually how I met my partner. She actually used to think I thought Zombies were real, when I only kind of think so. Anyways, it is a great movie that puts forth a great thought. Where will you go when Zombies take over the world. The mall atmosphere is incredible.

4.) I will always remember the time my parents rented the Jaws movies for Halloween. They were so scary when I was a kid, I hid under my little red and blue blanket. Now that I am older, I view Jaws as one of the foremost in scary movies. It has a great antagonist, a man killing shark, that will kill whoever enters his domain. It has a great cast, who in a way add up the hype of the monster. An all round great horror movie.

3.) Halloween. Michael Myers is the scariest and the greatest Slasher (Though the WrestleZone users chose differently). This movie was so great, because it gave you a man who was unstoppable it seemed, as he went around with the passion to kill you. His mask was especially scary, and I am sure it has haunted many.

2.) Alien- WrestleZone's movie of all time. It is the ultimate in suspense horror, and the relatively weak humans are forced to battle an acid blooded killing machine. The Alien present a foe that is almost unstoppable, from the moment of its appearance to its demise. There is never a point after it shows up that you ever feel the cast is safe.

1.) Psycho- Silence, you did a great selection, I couldn't think of another movie that you did not pick to be in my top 5. The last movie, my favorite is Psycho. It is such a great horror movie, one of Alfred Hitchcock's masterpieces, that has held up the best out of his films, that scares you psychologically. I watched it with some friends for halloween before, and it was an excellent pick, because few had ever watched it. It gave them all a reason to watch it, and no one complained.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

I'll give you my top ten and list everything else as an honorable mention.

10) Street Trash (1987 / d. J. Michael Muro) - Movie about New York winos/hobos living in a junkyard that die in gruesome and sloppy ways once they drink a discount liquor called Tenafly Viper. While this film is quite comical (and offensive in every way imaginable), it is nonetheless horrific in the way it depicts both the Tenafly Viper-induced deaths of said winos/hobos and the way these winos/hobos live their lives.

9) Gutterballs (2008 / d. Ryan Nicholson) - Nasty flick about about a killer offing twenty-somethings whilst they indulge in a little late night bowling competition. What I like most about this film is how it takes its inspiration from low-budget slasher films of the 80s while still managing to outdo their gore and raunch content.

8) Sheitan (2006 / d. Kim Chapiron) - French film about twenty-somethings being terrorized in the French boonies by the incomparable Vince Cassel. If you thought American rednecks made good horror villains, just see this film and find out what French provincials can do.

7) Opera (1987 / d. Dario Argento) - I couldn't decide which film to put in here from the most renowned European horror director of the past 30 years. I chose this film, which is simply nothing more than a gory thriller about a masked killer chasing and slashing people involved in the production of an opera. However, as any Argento fan should now, his films are not about the plot; they are, instead, about his singular style.

6) Dawn of the Dead (1978 / George Romero) - I really don't need to elaborate on this one, the granddaddy of all modern zombie films, because it would just be redundant.

5) Demons (1985 / Lamberto Bava) - Awesome film about an Italian theater showing a film about demons whose props (which are on display in the lobby) transform a too-curious audience member into a demon similar to the ones on screen. Subsequently, this demon runs rampant and spreads her infection exponentially through the rest of the audience, which has been locked into the theater. Although quite contrived plot-wise, this film hits the ground running and never lets up until the end (with respect to gore and suspense). Furthermore, its score and soundtrack kick serious ass.

4) Phantasm (1979 / Don Coscarelli) - While not as well known among casual horror fans as Dawn of the Dead, Phantasm is nonetheless comparable to Dawn of the Dead in terms of its impact on later horror films. Without spoiling the plot, I can only say that this is a film about a trio of buddies investigating the death and subsequent interment of their friend at an eerie mortuary/cemetery. Although dated, this film still proves extremely suspenseful and awe-inspiring.

3) Return of the Living Dead (1985 / Dan O'Bannon) - Sweet-ass movie about teenage punksters in Louisville, Kentucky, and a barrel with a zombie in it whose gas "zombifies" one of the punksters and his co-worker at a medical supply firm. What ensues is both hilarious and terrifying, as the zombies in this film, unlike those in almost every other, don't die. While undoubtedly inspired by Romero's films, this film took a different approach to characterizing zombies that, unfortunately, didn't catch on (Romero's characterization still remains supreme in the majority of zombie films made today), more than likely because no one was adroit enough to make it successful (save for O'Bannon).

2) À l'intérieur (2007 / Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury) - The film that made me realize that France is now the new epicenter of European horror. Although very short (under 80 minutes), this film, about a pregnant woman being stalked by a lady dressed in black, is clever in how it realizes its aims and gets to them quickly and efficiently. For gore fanatics jaded by what is currently being offered in America, turn to this film and get your fix ten times over.

1) Zombie (1979 / Lucio Fulci) - Though considered a poor man's version of Dawn of the Dead, this film is my favorite for the simple fact that it was my first foray into the world of ultra-violent horror. However, this film still stands on its own merit, and, as horror fans should know, nothing can be said about it that hasn't already been said.

Honorable Mention (In no particular order)

Suspiria
Fright Night
Tenebrae
Cannibal Ferox (A.K.A. Make Them Die Slowly)
August Underground Trilogy (August Underground/Mordum/Penance)
Night of the Creeps
The Lost Boys
Night of the Living Dead (George Romero original)
Silver Bullet
Gates of Hell (A.K.A. City of the Living Dead)
The Ring (Gore Verbinski remake)
The Untold Story
Diary of the Dead
The Hills Have Eyes (Alexandre Aja remake)
Dead Alive (A.K.A. Braindead)
Beyond the Darkness
Blood Diner
Brain Damage
Nightmare Concert (A.K.A. Cat in the Brain)
Children of the Corn
Redneck Zombies
Dellamorte Dellamore (A.K.A. Cemetery Man)
The Evil Dead
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Marcus Nispel remake)
[Rec]
The House by the Cemetery
Intruder
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie
May
Cannibal Holocaust
Pieces
Prince of Darkness
Murder-Set Pieces
The Beyond
The Wicker Man (Robin Hardy original)
Society
Slaughterhouse Rock
Night of the Demons
Creepshow 2

 

[Trance Metaphor]

I don't have a top 20, but I have four movies that have desensitized me from all Hollywood horror flicks.

1. Hellbound: Hellraiser II - Gore and visceral mayhem. It continues where the first one left off and has some disturbing moments. It also gets major points for revealing the subtle origin behind Pinhead, although that might be a negative thing for anyone who preferred the enigma of Pinhead.

2. Halloween - A classic with more suspense than any other slasher. Michael Myers' iconic mask still gives me terrible imagery. The music complements the disturbance.

3. Evil Dead - Five friends. A spooky old cabin in the woods filled with mystery. A creepy presence that cannot be seen. The horror of all of this? Inescapable fate.

4. Day of the Dead - This is probably the least favourite among the series, but I for one thought of it to be rather realistic and in that way, very unsettling. The entire world is overrun by zombies. 'Nuff said.

 

[Gutter Phenomenon]

20. The Mist
The Mist, IMO, is one of Stephen Kings better movies. It does quite a good job of using psychology to scare over using gore.

19. Se7en
This, is by far, Brad Pitts best performance. The hunt for the killer is scarier than the actual crime scenes themselves. Also, this movie has one of the best twist endings, ever.

18. 28 Days Later
The thing that sets this movie apart is, that the survivors are never safe, under any circumstances. It does a good job of misleading viewers into a false sense of security before bringing the scares.

17. 30 Days Of Night
I think vampire films are probably the hardest to make unique, but this definitely brings uniqueness to the genre. The patience that the zombies show definitely gives them a more evil aura than normal.

16. Silence Of The Lambs
Silence is the best pychological thrillers of it's time. Today's horror writers could learn a lot from what this movie does to scare.

15. Rear Window
It inspired Disturbia, but this Hitchcock thriller is in a new league. It's keep you guessing writing, keeps people wondering all the way to the last minute. Just don't watch it in technicolor; the black and white is better.

14. Hostel
Did a great job of taking something thought to be safe, and then throwing the idea out the window. This movie uses just enough gore to scare without going overboard.

13. The Omen (Original)
How do you kill your son? Gregory Peck has no idea, and does a grea job of showing it in this. I would also put this ending in the top 10 for horror endings.

12. Misery
The thing that sets this movie apart is that the protoganist is helpless. You just have no idea what he will do to get out of the situation.

11. The Blair Witch Project
If this was a big budget movie, it would be horrible. It's camcorder quality helps the pychology used actually get scares.

10. Frailty
Matthew McConaughey learned how to act in this film. His story in this is one of the best in the genre. The final twist comes early enough to see the final scare coming, in a good way.

9. Psycho (Original)
Norman Bates has to be considered one of the best characters in film history. His "twistedness" had to have been pretty terrifying when Psycho first came out. Even Vince Vaughn played the character well in the remake.

8. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Original)
Not as gory as people think it is, but that's a good thing. It does a fantastic job of using other senses, such as sound, to get it's scares.

7. A Nightmare On Elm Street
The concept on how Freddy Krueger gets his victims is what makes this scary, IMO. Living on Elm Street as a kid also helped this movie scare the hell out of me.

6. Nosferatu
This movie introduced vamires to film, and Nosferatu is still the best. Anyone that believes the book is always better, has never seen this.

5. Jaws
Of any movie that took the safe out of something, this is the best. I still hear that music when I go to the beach.

4. The Shining (Original)
Jack Nicholson is a legit psycho in this. You know his family can't fully get away, and that's the scary thing.

3. The Exorcist
I'll admit, I think this movie drags, a lot. But, I think the climax of the exorcism is one of the scariest scenes in horror.

2. Halloween
Michael Myers is the definitely the scariest killer of all time. The fact that he walks after is victims just makes him even more terrifying than anyone.

1. Night Of The Living Dead
I LOVE zombie movies, and I think the genre owes it's life to this. It started the franchise that is the benchmark for zombie films. George Romero is a living legend.

 

[PalaceOfWisdomKnight]

I have no top 20 but i have about a top 3

i started watchin horror movies when i was YOUNG, so some of these movies arent scary, but some of them are pretty decent.

1 (scariest) The excorcist (original) i dont know if you call it horror or not, but remember i was young. and seeing the girls head spinning around, turning green and sticking the cross uup her cunt scared me to death. i dont know what it was, but it scared poor little me.

2 Nightmare on elm street- This was great, just the thought of turning something everybody does like sleeping into a weapon of murder. it really made an impact on me. and Robet Englund was perfect for that role.

3 Carrie- i dont know what it was, i dont remember bieng scared of this movie, but mildly freaked out by it. and the pigs blood scene..... made it a trademark i believe..