Favorite Horror Films

[east side story]

Posted: 10/16/13 at 5:45pm

I am certain there have been threads such as this one, but I searched and came up with nothing. But I thought: "Ah, what the hell. 'Tis the season!"

So, what is your favorite scary movie?

Black Christmas (1974)
Twice as unsettling as the film it is often likened to, and predates by four years, "Halloween." I love an ambiguous ending, and Olivia Hussey is fantastic.

[romantico]

Posted: 10/16/13 at 5:59pm

I love the old Universal monster films of the 30's 40's and 50's. Not really scary but fun.

Not too many films scare me. However, there is one film I saw as a kid that terrified me. I recently saw this film for the first time in years and it still kind of scares me. It's called "The Legend of Bogey Creek". 1970's film about Bigfoot done in a documentary style,which as a kid made it even more real.

I think I might have to add the original Amityville Horror and the Omen to that list.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/16/13 at 6:00pm

I'm old-school, for the most part, and proud of it! Even hokey horror films work for me. And spoofs. Can't deal with most of the modern "torture porn" crap.

In no particular order:

The Exorcist
The Omen
Bram Stoker's Dracula (Coppola)
The Sentinel
Halloween
Carnival of Souls
Night of the Living Dead (original)
Dracula (Lugosi)
Frankenstein (Karloff)
Bride of Frankenstein
The Wolf Man (Chaney Jr.)
The Mummy
Nosferatu
Phantom of the Opera (Chaney)
The Christopher Lee Dracula movies
House of Dark Shadows
Night of Dark Shadows
Mad Monster Party
Munster, Go Home
The Exorcist III
Okay, Exorcist II: The Heretic
The Haunting
The Innocents
The Woman In Black
The Lady In White
Trilogy of Terror (TV)
Gargoyles (TV)
Frankenstein: The True Story (TV)
The Others
The Other
Friday the 13th
Damien: Omen II
Rosemary's Baby
Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein
Alien (I & II)
The Bad Seed
Blacula
Carrie
Magic
Phantasm
The Shining
Sleepy Hollow
Young Frankenstein

Updated On: 10/16/13 at 06:00 PM

[AC126748]

Posted: 10/16/13 at 6:04pm

Argento's Suspiria.

Posted: 10/16/13 at 6:41pm

No one said showgirls yet?

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/16/13 at 7:21pm

<< Der..."The Exorcist"!

Love b12b's list too, and will add "Return of the Living Dead" for its great plot, humor and the best zombie scene "why zombies eat brains".

I'd also add "Sleepaway Camp" for the creepiest ending ever.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 10/16/13 at 7:39pm

Rosemary's Baby
The Sentinel (cheesy, but oh that cast!)
The Devils
Suspiria
Carrie
The Haunting
The Hunger
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Let's Scare Jessica To Death
The Innocents

...just a few

Updated On: 10/16/13 at 07:39 PM

[east side story]

Posted: 10/16/13 at 8:21pm

Honorable Mentions:

Rosemary's Baby
Scream
The Exorcist
The Shining
Friday the 13th (entire series though Part 7.)

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/16/13 at 9:25pm

Every year when this thread is made I say the same thing, that I think HALLOWEEN is the greatest horror film ever made. And if you haven't gotten the newly remastered blu-ray, GET IT.

I will always be a Freddy fan over Jason and the NIGHTMARE series is a staple for me and usually plays 1-8 at least once every couple of months.

As for recent horror films (and I've said this before, as well), I think THE STRANGERS is the best horror film in the past decade, with DRAG ME TO HELL being a close second. Of course most of the others listed already go on my list of the best, as well.

Oh, and just the thought of watching SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES or THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS again terrifies me. Haven't seen them since I was maybe 12 and can't imagine ever watching them again.

[CJ N2N]

Posted: 10/16/13 at 10:03pm

Every October I say I'm going to read Something Wicked This Way Comes but I never get around to it...

I definitely second Jordan's vote of Halloween.

I too am more of a fan of the older horror movies. One of my absolute favorites is NOSFERATU. I still think it manages to be extremely disturbing and unsettling even 91 years later. Has anyone seen the remake from the 70s? Is that worth checking out?

My favorite recent horror movie (I haven't seen many, to be totally honest) is definitely Scream. There's something about it that I love so much, and I must've seen it a million times. I recently showed it to a bunch of my friends who had never seen it before. It was hilarious to see them all screaming at the top of their lungs every time Ghost Face appeared. They threw accusations around about who was the killer until the very last scenes.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 10/16/13 at 10:05pm

Friday the 13th (Original)
Carrie


Has anyone seen the more recent one called Orphan? I watched that once when it was on tv and just found it really disturbing. Was wondering what others thought about it.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/16/13 at 10:11pm

re: ORPHAN, I actually really hated it and found the "twist" absolutely laughable. But I know the film has got a huge fan base so I guess I'm in the minority on that one.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/16/13 at 10:17pm

"Nightmare on Elm Street" the original and part 3 are both faves as well.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/16/13 at 10:18pm

What are your thoughts on "New Nightmare"? I think it's the best after the original.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/16/13 at 11:16pm

I actually think part 3 is the best of the films because it makes the most sense. The original had holes in the story, especially the final scene. It was also sad to see Ronee Blakely in such a bad performance. I didn't think the new nightmare added anything.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/16/13 at 11:18pm

Part 3 is definitely one of the best of the series.

And while not a movie, the "Hush" episode of BUFFY still scares the **** out of me.

[Wynbish]

Posted: 10/16/13 at 11:32pm

I need to see The Innocents soon!

Modern horror-wise, I love Insidious, Session 9, The Orphanage, most of Darkness

Classic horror-wise, I love Carnival of Souls and The Uninvited

I love Evil Dead 2, Cabin in the Woods, and Shaun of the Dead, but can't decide if they classify as actual horror films or just really well done homages. Or both.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/17/13 at 12:04am

I don't know how in the world I could have forgotten about SESSION 9. That little movie that seems like it should have been a direct to video crap fest is one of the most terrifying movies EVER.

[VeraCharles3]

Posted: 10/17/13 at 4:18am

east side story - thanks for starting this thread.

I am very old fashioned when it comes to horror films, I second romantico, I love the old Universal horror films too.

I also love the Hammer Horror films. Anything gothic, with some fog and a horse and cart and I am happy (or should that be scared?)

Like Jordan and many others I do love Halloween - it is very well shot and more about atmosphere than gore.

In alphabetical order:

Blood of the Vampire
The Brides of Dracula
The Devil Rides Out
Dracula's Daughter
Halloween
The Mask of the Red Death
Night of the Eagle
The Pit and the Pendulum
Satan's School for Girls - don't judge me!!
Shadow of the Cat

Apologies to all horror buffs for ignoring all films post 1980, lol

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/17/13 at 6:40am

Another oldie from the 1930s that doesn't pack the scares of today's horror films, but will genuinely creep you out, is "Mark of the Vampire." It's from MGM (oddly, since they didn't usually make horror movies) and stars Lionel Barrymore. Great Halloween fare!

I also liked that movie about the making of Nosferatu called "Shadow of the Vampire" with Willem Dafoe (Oscar-nominated) as the real-life actor Max Shreck---who turns out is a vampire! Great spin on the story. Of course, it stars John Malcovich (whom I can't stand), so there's that. But the film is worth seeing for Dafoe's creepy performance.

[tazber]

Posted: 10/17/13 at 6:41am

Most of the classics have been mentioned or are at least familiar to horror buffs so I'm going to list some off the beaten track titles.

For those of you who like Nosferatu, check out The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. It pre-dates Nosferatu by a couple of years and was one of the first German Expressionist films to make a real impact. Shadowy, creepy, and hallucinatory.

For those of you like Vera Charles who enjoy old school horror check out any of the American International/Roger Corman films. especially the Edgar Allen Poe adaptations.
I particularly enjoy The Masque of Red Death and The Fall of the House of Usher.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Don't Look Now. This is the very definition of a cult classic. Ignored upon release it has become a respected and beloved title. All dread and bizarre twists. Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland, and a midget in a red cloak.

For those who love Hammer style horror, the quintessential choice is Dracula: Prince of Darkness.


For those into Giallo:
Baron Blood (Mario Bava)
Black Sabbath (Mario Bava)
Suspiria/Inferno (Argento)

For those into 80s slashers:
Motel Hell
Hell Night
Happy Birthday to Me
April Fool's Day

And lastly here are some recent titles that I recommend:

Yellow Brick Road - it falls apart in the last 5 minutes, but up until then this is an unnerving rollercoaster ride.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTvlV93_bMM


Rabies - completely unpredictable. It subverts your expectations at every turn and ends up being an absolute blast. It's the only horror movie I've ever seen that attempted to be farcical. The trailer misrepresents the movie, but here it is anyway:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQdPq1d-KRg


Antiviral - Brandon Cronenberg is his father's son. He proves it with his debut feature, an icky and surprisingly provocative cautionary tale about obsession. Caleb Landry Jones is ace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcJTd69dMyQ

Updated On: 10/17/13 at 06:41 AM

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/17/13 at 6:47am

I can't believe I forgot Don't Look Now!

It's one of my favorites, absolutely.

Also two more oldies worth mentioning because they're a lot better than you think they're going to be:

Cat People
Curse of the Cat People

EDIT: These are the ones from the 1940s, starring Simone Simon.

Updated On: 10/17/13 at 06:47 AM

[tazber]

Posted: 10/17/13 at 7:57am

Cat People is a pretty respected piece of cinema. Val Lewton was ultimately very influential in that he wasn't concerned about being subtle.

His movies are generally low key and atmospheric, and all the better for it.

There are a couple of affordable sets that collect his entire output (I think he directed 9 films) which are worth checking out.

My favorites are Cat People (that scene under the train tracks - awesome) and I Walked with a Zombie (pre-Romero zombies, these are the original voodoo zombies).

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/17/13 at 8:19am

Taz, I can't remember which one of the Cat People movies it's in, but the scene with the pretty girl alone in the indoor swimming pool at night freaks me out every time. It's just way creepy ... and okay, kinda scary, too.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 10/17/13 at 8:27am

Love me some FRIGHT NIGHT...the original