Favorite Top 5 Classic Horror Films

[Cei-U!]

I totally get the Oz thing: the first few times I saw it (ages 3-6 or thereabouts), I watched all Margaret Hamilton's scenes while hiding under the couch!

Cei-U!
I summon my pals, the dust bunnies!

[MDG]

You know, I'm very surprised to see Seventh Victim on people's list. It's not often I come across a group of people who's into Val Lewton film, or more or less knows his films.

Even moreso in that it's barely a horror movie. And it's a pretty unique and downbeat story for the era, especially considering that it was made at the height of WWII. After the war, it might've been categorized as a noir, but Lewton made "horror movies." And I know it stayed for me a couple days after I finally saw it.

[thwhtGuardian]

Yes, it's Herzog. And, believe it or not, Herzog's Phantom Der Nacht is not the same as his Phantom of the Night. Two very different cuts, and Der Nacht is the superior one.




I like it, but I still find the American version superior. Lugosi is a far more formidable presence.




I'm not judging it, but I would love to hear your explanation on this one...




I'm completely unaware of this version. I will definitely have to seek it out!

That sounds pretty interesting, I think I'll have to track down both versions as I love making comparisons like that.

The 1979 Dracula is a pretty good rendition, I would say it's no closer to the novel than the original Universal take but it includes some interesting scenes from the novel that were not shown in the original so it's interesting in that regard. And I love Langella, he's a fantastic actor.

You know, I'm very surprised to see Seventh Victim on people's list. It's not often I come across a group of people who's into Val Lewton film, or more or less knows his films.

Since you introduced me to him I've enjoyed a great number of his films, I really enjoyed The Cat People, The Leopard Man, and without even knowing it I was already familiar with Bedlam and the Body Snatcher only I wasn't aware of his name when I originally saw them. He really is a fantastic writer and director.

Even moreso in that it's barely a horror movie. And it's a pretty unique and downbeat story for the era, especially considering that it was made at the height of WWII. After the war, it might've been categorized as a noir, but Lewton made "horror movies." And I know it stayed for me a couple days after I finally saw it.

I tend to think of it as a horror movie in the same way that I think the original Psycho was a horror flick. There's no real monster, and nothing jumps out at you but there is an overwhelming sense of dread in the atmosphere none the less and I've always found that to be more terrifying than any beast no matter how good the creature effects may be.

[Polar Bear]

Just about all of my movies come from my teenage years. Sorry. The list is VERY similar to CromagnonMan's list, but I'd written it down before reading his post.

Hellraiser 2 (A superbly imagined parallel dimension, so well defined that I could add my own details and fill out the corners)
John Carpenter's The Thing (The blood test scene was the very definition of suspense)
Angel Heart (The first "twist ending" movie I ever saw)
Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (This movie played a major role in my imagination for almost a decade)
When a Stranger Calls (So many classic lines, especially: "We've traced the call! It's coming from inside the house! ... Get out of that house!" Really, they should have stopped the movie after the first 20-25 minutes, though. Say "The End" and be done with it.)

Runners-up: Aliens; some made-for-TV movie I can't remember that I saw at ... well, too young an age; and the 2005 black-and-white, silent The Call of Cthulhu.

Only movies that ever gave me nightmares: Alien and The Wizard of Oz (though for me, the scary part was those darned flying monkeys). The sleestax from the 1970s The Land of the Lost TV show were also frequent nighttime guests, but that's a bit off-topic.

(Speaking of off-topic ... Heh. I once prepared a proposal for a comic book revival of the original Land of the Lost. I actually scored a phone call from Fabian Nicieza at then-Acclaim, and I got a strong maybe out of it. Then, he lost his job as editor-in-chief there. That's as far as that project went. The ones that got away, you know?)

I haven't watched a horror movie for, what, 20 years?, but I keep up with the genre with the help of my friend Wikipedia.

[CromagnonMan]

ha, 3 out of 5 aint bad at all PB! I also kind of like Carpenter's The Fog, although it wouldnt make my top 5.

[dan bailey]

Hellraiser 2 (A superbly imagined parallel dimension, so well defined that I could add my own details and fill out the corners)

Finally got around to watching this maybe a year & a half ago & was very pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. (Had a similar response, at roughly the same time, to Halloween III: Season of the Witch -- that is, heard almost nothing but bad things about it for a couple of decades, but found it to be pretty darned good.)

[CSPDX]

Keep in mind this is favorite, not necessarily best. Not trying to impress with my obscure or highbrow picks.

Top 5, in no particular order...

In the Mouth of Madness
Brain Dead (aka Dead Alive)
Friday the 13th (Part 1)
Halloween
Creepshow

honorable mention...

Dawn of the Dead
Reanimator
Fulci's Zombie
Suspiria
Evil Dead 2
Nightmare on Elm Street (Part 1)
Blair Witch Project
The Thing (John Carpenter)

[shaxper]

Friday the 13th (Part 1)

Interesting. I used to like Part 1 a whole lot more until I realized that the audience is given absolutely no clues to guess the twist ending ahead of time. As a result, it now feels like a cheap shot to me rather than a clever surprise.

All in all, I've always felt Part II was a stronger film, especially since the protagonist is more clever and the scenes between her and Jason are so much more intense and drawn out. I'd go so far as to say that it and the original Halloween are probably my favorite franchise slasher films of all time.

Hey, maybe we need to make that thread next...

[CSPDX]

Interesting. I used to like Part 1 a whole lot more until I realized that the audience is given absolutely no clues to guess the twist ending ahead of time. As a result, it now feels like a cheap shot to me rather than a clever surprise.

All in all, I've always felt Part II was a stronger film, especially since the protagonist is more clever and the scenes between her and Jason are so much more intense and drawn out. I'd go so far as to say that it and the original Halloween are probably my favorite franchise slasher films of all time.

Hey, maybe we need to make that thread next...

I like the fact that the social idea of what a 'Friday' film is makes the first part subversive after the fact. Everyone expects Friday to be a Jason movie, and there's a decided lack of Jason as a 'character' or physical presence. Even the fact that, as you mention, there's really no context or clues to Mrs. Vorhees being the killer makes it better than intended, as the spector of Jason's future apearance leads to assumptions that are eventually proven wrong.

The second film has a better beginning and ending, largely due to the fact that we have a familiar character to play the part of the first victim and the shadow of the first film to give the climax heft, but the tone of the first film, the rawness of the actors playing the bait, and the rustic nature of the setting make the middle of the first film more real, imo. It feels like summer camp in a way that none of the following films did, and the actors make believable councelors.

Plus, no matter how many times I put the movie on in front of a crowd, there's always one newb who hasn't seen the final scare before and nearly pees themselves. The setup for that shot is perfect.

I do agree, on the whole, the second film is a better production. I think the first has it's charms, though, and just sticks with me more than any of the sequels, although a number of those are pretty decent as well. Just IMO.

And Halloween is one of the greatest movies ever made. Tightly paced, tauntly directed with haunting use of both music and silence and impeccably acted by vets and newcomers alike, it's as close to a perfect horror movie as you can get. John Carpenter is a genius, and probably my all-time favorite director ever. An amazing body of work, and Halloween is the crown jewel.

[shaxper]

I like the fact that the social idea of what a 'Friday' film is makes the first part subversive after the fact. Everyone expects Friday to be a Jason movie, and there's a decided lack of Jason as a 'character' or physical presence. Even the fact that, as you mention, there's really no context or clues to Mrs. Vorhees being the killer makes it better than intended, as the spector of Jason's future apearance leads to assumptions that are eventually proven wrong.

The second film has a better beginning and ending, largely due to the fact that we have a familiar character to play the part of the first victim and the shadow of the first film to give the climax heft, but the tone of the first film, the rawness of the actors playing the bait, and the rustic nature of the setting make the middle of the first film more real, imo. It feels like summer camp in a way that none of the following films did, and the actors make believable councelors.

Plus, no matter how many times I put the movie on in front of a crowd, there's always one newb who hasn't seen the final scare before and nearly pees themselves. The setup for that shot is perfect.

I do agree, on the whole, the second film is a better production. I think the first has it's charms, though, and just sticks with me more than any of the sequels, although a number of those are pretty decent as well. Just IMO.

Well said, all around. I definitely agree that the first film has an authentic summer camp feel to it that probably stems from the rawness of the production, the actors, and the awkward timing of the film. Whether intended or otherwise, it certainly works.

I think you've just given me a new appreciation for this film.

[CromagnonMan]

Im surprised noone has mentioned Texas Chainsaw Massacre yet. i hear it was kind of influential. Although for me i cant enjoy it, too visceral, i think is the term.

[CSPDX]

Im surprised noone has mentioned Texas Chainsaw Massacre yet. i hear it was kind of influential. Although for me i cant enjoy it, too visceral, i think is the term.

Great movie. A lot less gory than you think you remember after having have watched it, which is an amazing accomplishment. Despite acknowledging that it is well made and a very good movie, not one of my absolute favorites.

[needler420]

1. Night of the lving dead
2. The Exorcist
3.Poltergeist
4.Nosferatu
5.Halloween

[Greg Anderson]

Im surprised noone has mentioned Texas Chainsaw Massacre yet. i hear it was kind of influential. Although for me i cant enjoy it, too visceral, i think is the term.

It actually took me 2-3 watches to appreciate it. The first time or so I found it incredibly boring or dozed off. But the last time or two I watched it, I found it to be very gripping and I was pulled in. Very well done film indeed. Not my favorite type in a horror genre, but it did a good job in entertaining me.

[Greg Anderson]

The Haunting (the original) would have made my list in the past, but I watched it again recently and it just didn't hold up. I finally saw Carnival of Souls this year, and I was underwhelmed. I even dozed off at one point.

SHOCKED! While I'm IN LOVE with Carnival of Souls, I can understand someone not being too into it. But The Haunting not holding up?!