Best Horror Movies

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Dracula (1931)
"There are far worse things awaiting man than death."

WHATS IT ABOUT? The first of the classic Universal horror films, Dracula by Tod Browning remains one of the best.  

IS IT SCARY? No.  While it's hard to remain as scary as it must've been 75 years ago it does contain one of the creepiest moments I've ever seen.



WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT IT? The lighting, the sets, Lugosi's iconic performance as Dracula and the movies influence on countless films since.        

SCARIEST MOMENT: While some of Lugosi's performance may seem a little stiff for today's audiences, Renfield's deranged laugh coming from the bowels of the boat is guaranteed to send a chill up your spine.



WHY SHOULD I WATCH IT? Because this film is responsible for Universal horror which has spawned almost every Halloween icon we know today.  Dracula, Frankenstein, Mummy, Wolfman all owe their iconic status to this film coming first and being great.

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Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn (1987)
"I'll swallow your soul!"

WHATS IT ABOUT? Part remake part sequel all good.  Though I always flip back and forth between this and the original as far as which one is my favorite this is easily as good as the first film replacing some of the horror with laughs.  Godard said all he needed to make a movie was a girl and a gun, but all Sam Raimi needed was Bruce Campbell and a thousand gallons of blood.    

IS IT SCARY? Yes, though considerably less than the first film due to a bigger focus on comedy.  And when you've seen it over 20 times you'll likely just be laughing through it.  Though I can only imagine how great it must've been to see this in the theatre when it came out.  



WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT IT? It's a completely original and relentless film that's part splatter horror and part Three Stooges and energetic as hell.  It features a tour-de-force performance from Bruce Campbell, who spends about half the film by himself, making Ash one of the best characters EVER.  And with the first Evil Dead film, they're really unlike any movie that had come before them and (though several have tried) unlike any movie since.          

SCARIEST MOMENT: Henrietta in the cellar.



WHY SHOULD I WATCH IT? Because you haven't lived until you've seen a man cut off his own hand with a chainsaw.  And because it's the best horror comedy of all-time.  

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Dawn Of The Dead (1978)
"When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth."

WHATS IT ABOUT? It's essentially a social commentary on issues like consumerism, complacency and Vietnam masquerading as a top notch exploitation film.    

IS IT SCARY? No, and by the time a pie fight erupts towards the end of the film its fairly evident Romero had other intentions.  



WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT IT? While it may not be scary, it is gory. To avoid an X rating the film was released unrated thanks to some fantastic makeup effects by Tom Savini who also cameos as a biker.            

SCARIEST MOMENT: n/a



WHY SHOULD I WATCH IT? Because though my favorite will always be Night of the Living Dead, many consider George Romero's 2nd film in his zombie quadrilogy to be his masterpiece.    

[I Don't Believe in Beatles]

Why only four skulls?  Just because it isn't scary?

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Why only four skulls?  Just because it isn't scary?

while Night would easily rank a 9 or 10 for me, i've never been a huge fan of Dawn (though i know many people are).  its too long and the social commentary gets laid on a little thick for my liking to the sacrifice of any horror.  on the other hand the remake forgoes commentary entirely to make the film only scary.  somewhere there is a masterpiece that strikes the right balance in between these two ends of the spectrum but for me, neither are it.

[RegularKarate]

and Mod and I have once again hit a point of entire disagreeance.

Dawn is at least an eight, if not a nine.

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Dawn is at least an eight, if not a nine.

i knew i would get jumped on for this but please explain.

[mogwai]

i think that dawn of the dead could've been more consistent (edit: this is probably the wrong word. or?). i mean, if only romero had more shooting time per day at the mall where they shot the movie. they had about six to seven hours to shoot per day (i think). and they halted the production over the xmas holidays. that would've been frustrating for a filmmaker. this is why i prefer day of the dead over the ones (i haven't seen land of the dead). this doesn't mean that i dislike dawn, i love the gore and the apparent humor. and this isn't relevant but the remake is also good.

[RegularKarate]

please explain.

It's simple, really.  It's fun as all shit.  It's gory, it's funny, it's adventurous, and the social commentary thing is just a bonus.  The more I watch it, the more I get a feel for the characters and who/what they are.  

Also, it's what almost all things fan-boyish are based on.  We wouldn't have half the great horror films today without it.

[Reinhold]

as much as i'd like to say that i am joking, i'm not. this is some scary shit.

[Gamblour.]

Hahaha holy shit man. I loved that movie. I remember liking the lamp and feeling sorry for the security blanket. I remember them getting caught in a tar pit or something?? And don't they end up in a college dorm? Shit man, good memories.

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The Exorcist (1973)
"The power of Christ compells you."

WHATS IT ABOUT? A classic film, nominated for 10 Oscars, that is pretty widely agreed upon as the scariest movie ever made.  

IS IT SCARY? Yes.  Though today everyone's first viewing is filled with a little disappointment (after a lifetime of hearing about the film), it remains one of the best horror films ever made.  



WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT IT? The cast, the score, and the way Friedkin treats the subject so realistically, he makes you believe.

SCARIEST MOMENT: The final minutes.



WHY SHOULD I WATCH IT? Because it's a film that helped define the 1970's film movement. And because if you haven't seen it since you started watching movies with a more critical eye, taking another look only proves how well it holds up.

[RegularKarate]

I mean... if Shining only gets 9, what gets 10?  If you say anything other than the exorcist, I'll be surprised.

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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
"For them an idyllic summer afternoon drive became a nightmare. The events of that day were to lead to the discovery of one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre."

WHATS IT ABOUT? Tobe Hooper's low-budget masterpiece of horror is an unrelenting nightmare of a film loosely based on serial killer Ed Gein.  Despite the title, it features surprisingly little gore, most of it implied, because Hooper had originally wanted the film to be rated PG!  

IS IT SCARY? Yes.  Pretty much anytime Leatherface is onscreen I want to run screaming out of the room.



WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT IT? Shot like a home movie, surprisingly low on gore, and using some of the creepiest sound effects I've ever heard the film achieves an authenticity you can't buy.  I also particularly love Marilyn Burns performance as Sally because she is just so out of her mind as she does anything she can to stay alive.  There are no cops, no getting even, no outsmarting the killers, no bullshit going back for the baby, this movie is the real deal.  

SCARIEST MOMENT: Leatherface's first appearance.



WHY SHOULD I WATCH IT? Because it's so relentless, by the end of the film you feel like you've been through the events with them.  And because with some of the best films you feel like you're in the hands of a good filmmaker, but in this you feel like you're in the hands of a madman.

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The Monster Squad (1987)
"Wolfman's got nards!"

WHATS IT ABOUT? In this forgotten 80's gem (think The Goonies meets The Lost Boys), a group of monster-obsessed kids come face to face with the big 5 Universal Monsters in the best monster team up ever.

IS IT SCARY? Not so much anymore, but despite being a 'kids movie' (though it is PG-13), it does take the horror seriously.  There were a few moments that scared the SHIT out of me when my dad took me to see this when I was about 6 years old.



WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT IT? The dialogue is great, the kids act like real kids, it's scary, and as absurd as the concept may seem it takes the time for little moments that help make it real thanks to a great script by Shane Black and director Fred Dekker.  But the thing that really seals the deal is the fantastic monster designs by Oscar winner Stan Winston that help to update them just enough to make them modern without drastically altering their classic design.  

SCARIEST MOMENT: Dracula shows his teeth.



WHY SHOULD I WATCH IT? Because if you can find a copy (it's STILL not available on DVD) it is the most perfect Halloween night movie I can think of.  I love this film, and not in a purely nostalgic "it used to be good" kinda way.  I watch it every year and it holds up better than my worn out VHS.