The Best Horror Films

[FracturedMirror]

The Haunting (1963)
Session 9
The Exorcist
Exorcist III
Evil Dead
Evil Dead 2
28 Days Later
Cockneys Vs. Zombies (comedy/horror)
The Orphanage

The Conjuring is one of the best among more recent horror movies, imo. 

[FracturedMirror]

I suppose more modern horror (to me anyway) misses the point.   I hate "gore porn" that passes for horror these days.   The scariest parts of some of my favorite "horror" movies (Halloween in particular) are when absolutely nothing is happening.   A shape standing in the backyard...but then he's gone...was he really there?   Someone watching you without your knowledge.   You see a shape across the street carrying a body.  Those types of things are infinitely more scary to me than throwing blood around.

I agree.  I just can't get into most of the Hostel-series type movies. 

[TempusVox]

I agree with jammindude 100% on Halloween. That movie scared the hell out of me and still does, and I write dark shit for a living.

Another recent film that also terrified me was The Conjuring. I'll tell you the greatest reason why. Years ago, I was sick and stayed home from school. I will never forget that day, I watched the Phil Donahue show. As a guest that day he had on none other than Ed Warren. Mr. Warren spent the next hour relating his experiences in fighting demons and evil. He tried to convince the audience that evil is real. It didn't take much convincing for me. That hour scared me nearly to death. So...when I saw that this film was based on an experience of he and his wifes, I was convinced it was more fact than fiction. Simply terrifying.

[MetalJunkie]

Ernest Scared Stupid

[hefdaddy42]

I had heard that Joss Whedon's Cabin in the Woods was a new twist on the horror genre, but I have yet to take the plunge.  Was it really as "original" as I've heard?   Or was it just gore porn with a twist?

It's not gore porn, but I don't want to tell you what it is because I can't without ruining it for you.

If you have ever liked horror films of any kind, you should watch it.

[King Postwhore]

This is a genre I just don't watch anymore.  Doesn't appeal to me.

[RodrigoAltaf]

 Have you guys ever heard of the "French Extremity" movement? They have some quite disturbing movies, like Martyrs and Inside.

Someone mentioned the Phantasm series, and I´m slowly going through all the firt four movies while waiting for the fifth one, even though the older ones are incredibly dated. And recently I watched Sinister, which was very good.

[hefdaddy42]

This is a genre I just don't watch anymore.  Doesn't appeal to me.

It's been years for me as well.  There was a time when I was REALLY into it, but then the genre seemed to lose its appeal for the most part.

[Kotowboy]

Oh, also, the Japanese horror industry has made some startlingly great movies. Ringu, the movie that inspired The Ring, is even better than the Hollywood version but you have to read subtitles. The original Dark Water is head and shoulders above the U.S. version too.

I saw Ringu first and it made The Ring seem like a TV movie by comparison.

[lonestar]

One not listed that was one of my favorites is Candyman. His voice was just so perfect... "Heleeeeeennnnnn....."... shivers man, shivers..

[BlobVanDam]

One not listed that was one of my favorites is Candyman. His voice was just so perfect... "Heleeeeeennnnnn....."... shivers man, shivers..

I've been wanting to rewatch that movie in forever. Haven't seen it since I was a kid.

[Virtualman64]

Rob Zombie's Halloween(Better than the original)
The Ring
Sinister
That's three that come to mind at the moment.I no longer care for chessy B grade movies of which there were plenty in the 70;s.

[Tick]

Friday the 13th's 1,2,4,6

No love for Part VII? Regardless of the story, Jason looks his absolute best. Such a bad ass character design.

Can't watch these movies. They bore the shit out of me.

[Zantera]

My favorite franchise out of the big ones is easily Nightmare on Elm Street. It has such a great idea and concept, that I enjoy even the worst sequels it spawned. I like Dream Warriors, New Nightmare and the original the most, but there's some great stuff in the others too. 

[Zook]

My favorite franchise out of the big ones is easily Nightmare on Elm Street. It has such a great idea and concept, that I enjoy even the worst sequels it spawned. I like Dream Warriors, New Nightmare and the original the most, but there's some great stuff in the others too. 

Freddy's Dead is one of my all time favorite comedies.

[Fluffy Lothario]

I had heard that Joss Whedon's Cabin in the Woods was a new twist on the horror genre, but I have yet to take the plunge.  Was it really as "original" as I've heard?   Or was it just gore porn with a twist?

Like Hef, I never want to give it away, so I enjoy describing it like this: it's a bit like Scream, only absolutely nothing like Scream.

I found it an interesting watch, but kind of... soulless?

[lucky7]

I grew up watching horror films and I love most I have seen of the genre.
Evil Dead, Nightmare on Elm Street,

The ones I rate the highest are...

Halloween   ...   not so much the remakes but the originals are still great.
The Conjuring  ...  I had a few scares and thought all the performances were great ....
The Grudge  ... Again a few scares...that shower scene I think of it often when washing my hair.
The Ring  ..  coming out of the tv  .. I remember seeing this for the first time
1408 ..  I love John Cusack   
The Shining  Considering hold old it is great.....(I don't buy into the conspiracy theories that fly around)
Saw  ...  I love the thought it could happen to anyone so these are great.
Wolf Creek ... Aussie movie set in the middle of nowhere which makes it realistic, again it could happen to anyone.
Hostel  .. The first turned me off going to Russia ever! Second movie not as good as the first .. Third why did they bother....
The Sixth Sense  Probably falls under suspense or thriller but I loved the scares I got from this movie
That is all I can think of off the top of my head.......

[MetalJunkie]

Does Monster Squad count? I remember loving that movie as a kid.

[Zook]

Creature stole my twinkie.

[hefdaddy42]

My favorite franchise out of the big ones is easily Nightmare on Elm Street. It has such a great idea and concept, that I enjoy even the worst sequels it spawned. I like Dream Warriors, New Nightmare and the original the most, but there's some great stuff in the others too. 

Of these, my favorite is easily Wes Craven's New Nightmare.

[T-ski]

Does Monster Squad count? I remember loving that movie as a kid.

Wolfman has nards.

[jammindude]

My favorite franchise out of the big ones is easily Nightmare on Elm Street. It has such a great idea and concept, that I enjoy even the worst sequels it spawned. I like Dream Warriors, New Nightmare and the original the most, but there's some great stuff in the others too. 

The original is one of the best horror films ever made.   Two was good, but not as good as the original.   The first half of Dream Warriors was good...but then it just fell off the table.  The second half of Dream Warriors is where the entire franchise derailed completely.  I will put that alongside Jason Takes Manhattan as some of the dumbest excuse for "horror" I've ever seen.   

"In my dreams I'm beautiful........and BAD!!"   

[Mister Gold]

My favorite franchise out of the big ones is easily Nightmare on Elm Street. It has such a great idea and concept, that I enjoy even the worst sequels it spawned. I like Dream Warriors, New Nightmare and the original the most, but there's some great stuff in the others too. 

The original is one of the best horror films ever made.   Two was good, but not as good as the original.   The first half of Dream Warriors was good...but then it just fell off the table.  The second half of Dream Warriors is where the entire franchise derailed completely.  I will put that alongside Jason Takes Manhattan as some of the dumbest excuse for "horror" I've ever seen.   

"In my dreams I'm beautiful........and BAD!!"   

I've never seen Dream Warriors myself, so I only associate it with the kickass Dokken song.

[Zook]

My favorite franchise out of the big ones is easily Nightmare on Elm Street. It has such a great idea and concept, that I enjoy even the worst sequels it spawned. I like Dream Warriors, New Nightmare and the original the most, but there's some great stuff in the others too. 

The original is one of the best horror films ever made.   Two was good, but not as good as the original.   The first half of Dream Warriors was good...but then it just fell off the table.  The second half of Dream Warriors is where the entire franchise derailed completely.  I will put that alongside Jason Takes Manhattan as some of the dumbest excuse for "horror" I've ever seen.   

"In my dreams I'm beautiful........and BAD!!"   

I've never seen Dream Warriors myself, so I only associate it with the kickass Dokken song.

What is wrong with you?! Go watch it NOW!

And putting Dream Warrriors in the same category as Jason Takes Manhattan is insulting. Does DW get cheesy? Sure, but it's not down right awful like JTM.

[ozzy554]

The only Nightmare movie I don't like is freddy's dead the final nightmare.

[jammindude]

Oh trust me...the insult was intended.   (not towards you...just the movie.  )   

I don't know who that script got re-worked by, but the film takes a very noticeable left turn at the halfway point...and the second half is just pure camp, and not in a good way.    I just hate that Freddy turned into a cartoon.   

[dreamtheaters#1fan]

A few that haven't been mentioned:

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Freaks
I Walked With a Zombie
Eyes Without a Face
The Innocents
Black Sabbath
Onibaba
Kwaidan
Repulsion

[Zook]

Oh trust me...the insult was intended.   (not towards you...just the movie.  )   

I don't know who that script got re-worked by, but the film takes a very noticeable left turn at the halfway point...and the second half is just pure camp, and not in a good way.    I just hate that Freddy turned into a cartoon.   

Wes Craven co-wrote the movie. And really, besides 1984, New Nightmare, DW is the least offensive when it comes to campiness. Freddy didn't officially become a cartoon until Dream Child, which is worse than both Part 2 and Freddy's Dead. Dream Master was pretty stupid, but it's the last time Freddy was in anyway scary* before the demon that takes his form in New Nightmare.


*besides the one liner, being dragged under your water bed is pretty damn scary.

[Outcrier]

A few that haven't been mentioned:

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Freaks
I Walked With a Zombie
Eyes Without a Face
The Innocents
Black Sabbath
Onibaba
Kwaidan
Repulsion

I mentioned Repulsion in my first post but never watched it myself.

Surprised to see Onibaba and Kwaidan in your list. Pretty rare to see foreign classics mentioned.

[Mister Gold]

A few that haven't been mentioned:

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Freaks
I Walked With a Zombie
Eyes Without a Face
The Innocents
Black Sabbath
Onibaba
Kwaidan
Repulsion

The Cabinet of Caligari is a classic! I have yet to see Black Sabbath, though I hope to change that in the near future.

[lucky7]

Did anyone ever see The Trilogy of Terror?...It was released in the 70's .... I don't remember all the stories but one was a little tribal doll that comes to life ... I have older brothers so I saw this as a kid so it stayed with me, I assume it would seem pretty tame now.

There was another movie that I can't remember the title maybe Puppetmaster .. anyone there were at least two movies and it was an old guy who carried around this huge trunk which was filled with puppets who come to life .. made maybe in the mid 80's .. I remember a few of the dolls were creepy.

[TheSilentHam]

My fav's have already been listed:
The Exorcist
Alien
The Shining
Ringu
And the B&W classics

Also,
The Howling

Technically not a film, but the 1979 "Salem's Lot" mini-series scared the holy water outa' me.  Slept with the covers around my neck for at least a year.

[hefdaddy42]

Just curious.  Was I the only guy growing up in the 80s who saw the Faces of Death films?

[RodrigoAltaf]

Just curious.  Was I the only guy growing up in the 80s who saw the Faces of Death films?

 I saw them.

[vtgrad]

Very cool thread idea!

I'll echo the original Halloween, The Shining, and Salem's Lot (70's version).  With regard to Halloween, it's amazing that a film made on a shoe-string budget that features no blood at all is still regarded so highly in our time.

I will say that the original Hellraiser is almost unwatchable for me at this point... not because it's not good, but because I almost cannot sleep afterwards.  Clive's early works are mastery.  I think that film easily would still turn heads.

Zombie's first Halloween was very good I thought; the back-story he painted for Myers was heart-breaking and truly as horrible as any killing sequence in the film.  I honestly felt sorry for Myers.

I'm a Romero nut as well; so I have all of his films (and the remakes).  And I'll say that the 2004 remake of Day is better than the original in my opinion (runs hard for the door).