General Discussion : Favourite Horror Films

[HorrorMaster]

40. "Shallow Ground" (Sheldon Wilson, 2004)
39. "À l'intérieur" (Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury, 2007)
38. "Dolls" (Stuart Gordon, 1987)
37. "The Amityville Horror" (Andrew Douglas, 2005)
36. "Demons" (Lamberto Bava, 1985)
35. "Lair of the White Worm" (Ken Russell, 1988)
34. "City of the Dead" (John Llewellyn Moxey, 1959)
33. "Braindead" (Peter Jackson, 1992)
32. "Basket Case" (Frank Henenlotter, 1983)
31. "The Eye" (Oxide Pang Chun & Danny Pang, 2002)
30. "House on Haunted Hill" (William Castle, 1959)
29. "Horror of Dracula" (Terrence Fisher, 1958)
28. "Misery" (Rob Reiner, 1990)
27. "The Shining" (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
26. "Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn" (Sam Raimi, 1987)
25. "Dawn of the Dead" (George Romero, 1978)
24. "Friday the 13th" (Sean S. Cunningham, 1980)
23. "The House on the Edge of the Park" (Ruggero Deodato, 1980)
21. "Scream" (Wes Craven, 1996)
20. "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (Wes Craven, 1984)
19. "The Bird With the Crystal Plumage" (Dario Argento, 1970)
18. "Black Sabbath" (Mario Bava, 1963)
17. "The Hills Have Eyes" (Wes Craven, 1977)
16. "Carrie" (Brian De Palma, 1976)
15. "Deep Red" (Dario Argento, 1975)
14. "Cannibal Holocaust" (Ruggero Deodato, 1980)
13. "The Descent" (Neil Marshall, 2005)
12. "Welcome to the Jungle" (Jonathan Hensleigh, 2007)
11. "[rec]" (Jaume Balagueró & Paco Plaza, 2007)
10. "Cube" (Vincenzo Natali, 1997)
9. "Grimm Love" (Martin Weisz, 2006)
8. "The Last House on the Left" (Wes Craven, 1972)
7. "The Evil Dead" (Sam Raimi, 1981)
6. "Session 9" (Brad Anderson, 2001)
5. "Psycho" (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
4. "Suspiria" (Dario Argento, 1977)
3. "The Exorcist" (William Friedkin, 1973)
2. "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
1. "The Blair Witch Project" (Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sanchez, 1999)

[djross]

Here are my top 21 horror movies (scores indicated):

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (94)
Even Dwarfs Started Small (93)
Lost Highway (93)
Epidemic (92)
Psycho (1960) (91)
Kingdom (1994) (90)
Bride of Frankenstein (85)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (85)
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979) (85)
Vampire’s Kiss (85)
Dead of Night (80)
Eraserhead (80)
The Fly (1986) (80)
Halloween (1978) (80)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) (80)
King Kong (1933) (80)
Nosferatu (1922) (80)
Santa Sangre (80)
The Shining (1980) (80)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) (80)
The Thing (1982) (80)

[Rufflesack]

I love to watch horror films but usually can't really respect them as films unless they actually scare me, which is rare. Usuaully I watch them to laugh at how silly they are, and subsequently I've not yet seen a lot of probably very good obscure horror but rather a lot of mainstream Hollywood crap. Anyway, these are the films I love because they're creepy as hell (in no real order):

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
Inland Empire
Mulholland Drive
Eraserhead
Lost Highway
Alien
Aliens
The Orphanage
Jacob's Ladder

Looking at my ranked horror films these are the only ones I recall being frightened while watching.

[LordofDance]

According to my ratings:

Suspiria - This isn't just a horror movie in my mind, but a phantasmagoria of pure cinematic wonder. There are only four movies that I've given a 100 rating, and this is one of them.

Vampyres - Silly and nonsensical at times, but I like the atmosphere and attractive lead actresses (one of which was in Playboy). The best lesbian vampire movie I've seen thus far.

The Exorcist - I've watched this more times than I can count and it still delivers the raw shocks. I'm still amazed that the crucifix scene made it onto the screen.

Evil Dead & Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn - Though I'm not as impressed by these movies today as I was during my teen years, I have to give them credit for creating the spark that got me interested in other horror movies. Evil Dead 2 actually helped inspire my interest in movies in general because it was one of the first movies that got me excited about the magic the medium had to offer.

Haxan - Filled with crazy images. The 60s version with William Burroughs is my favorite, particularly due to the jazz score.

I Spit On Your Grave - Not really a horror movie, in my opinion, but a really nasty rape/revenge drama that is so graphic that it got stuffed into the horror category anyway. I fully admit that the movie has its flaws (the Matthew character in particular), but this is a visceral experience. Certainly no one can claim that anemic Hollywood fare like The Brave One can even hold a candle. This is High Art.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) - A relentless barrage of screaming and chainsaw revving. I've always thought like I could feel the wind from the chainsaw blades on my neck during the final chase scene. The true genius behind this movie is that I feel like I witnessed a bloodbath, but barely a drop is ever seen on screen. One of the greatest exercises in psychological brutality I've ever seen.

Blood Freak - A movie that is so ridiculuos and incompetent that it transcends any rational evaluation. Sometimes awfulness comes together so perfectly that it creates a beauty that no amount of technical genius could come up with on purpose.

Mystics in Bali - Totally nuts. If you want to sustain the bizarre euphoria achieved during Blood Freak, put this movie in immediately afterward. Once the floating head attacks the pregnant woman, your mind will never be the same.

Jigoku - Visually impressive throughout, but the ending is a literal journey through Hell that should appeal to marijuana afficionados and gore historians (since the blood and violence in Jigoku predates even Bloodfeast). A sustained nightmare.

Event Horizon - This movie scared me witless (and the other thing, too) for years. I've never thought of it as a very good movie by most standards, but it creates an impressive feeling of doom.

Zombie 2 - Not at all scary, but most certainly funny.

Les Raisins de la mort - I've seen a couple of other movies by director Jean Rollin, which are an acquired taste to say the least, but this one is actually pretty good. The decapitation scene is one of my favorites.

Return of the Living Dead - A staple of my adolescent years. It's fun, it's gory and I never get tired of it.

SOME HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Cannibal Holocaust
God Told Me To
The Gore Gore Girls
Crypt of Dark Secrets
Dawn of the Dead
Black Magic
The Boxer's Omen
Rabid
Witchfinder General
Equinox
Dawn of the Dead
Daughters of Darkness
An American Werewolf in London
Two Thousand Maniacs
A Bay of Blood
Leopard Man

[theficionado]

Tier 10:
The Fly
Pan's Labyrinth
The Thing

Tier 9:
An American Werewolf in London
Cure
The Descent
Evil Dead 2
Grindhouse
The Host
Let the Right One In
Perfect Blue
Psycho
Shaun of the Dead
The Wicker Man

Tier 8:
Dead Alive
The Evil Dead
Gremlins
The Ring
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

[KGB]

Tier 7
10. Gremlins (Joe Dante, 1984)
Tier 8
9. King Kong (Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, 1933)
Tier 9
8. Aliens (Ridley Scott, 1986)
7. [Rec] (Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, 2007)
6. The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973)
5. Pan's Labyrinth (Guillermo del Toro, 2006)
Tier 10
4. Rosermary's Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968)
3. Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)
2. Funny Games (Michael Haneke, 1997) [I'm not sure if this can be considered an horror film though]
1. The Wicker Man (Robin Hardy, 1973)

Talking about Funny Games, I've always wanted to hear the opinion about the film from an horror films fan. HorrorMaster, have you seen it? Also, if I might say, I'm surprised that as an horror fan, 'The Wicker Man' didn't make it into your list.
'Young Frakenstein' and 'Doom House' (lol xD) got into the list, but I simply can't count them as horror films.

[HorrorMaster]

Talking about Funny Games, I've always wanted to hear the opinion about the film from an horror films fan. HorrorMaster, have you seen it? Also, if I might say, I'm surprised that as an horror fan, 'The Wicker Man' didn't make it into your list.

Nope, haven't seen either of them. From the looks of things though they're probably next on my download list.

[KGB]

I was saying because it sends an obvious messege about the dangers of violence as entertainment. That's why I don't know if it's horror: if you're downloading it looking for an horror film, you'll be terribly dissapointed as you will get exactly the opposite.
And that's why I wanted to have an horror fan's opinion about it. When you do see it, though, be sure to check the thread about it somewhere in the forums; but don't read it before watching the film, though, as you will probably miss the point when you see it.
And do watch 'The Wicker Man', original version. If you really like stylish films so much I can assure you that you will be satisfied; in fact, when I think about it, 'The Wicker Man' succeeds in everything I believe 'Suspiria' failed, for a comparison: a plot that however ridiculous is made plausible through solid plot development, convincing acting, a chilling soundtrack (well, 'Suspiria' had that too I guess) and a creepy environment.

Be sure to watch 'Doom House' on Youtube as well. I assure you... It will blow your mind.

[HorrorMaster]

I was saying because it sends an obvious messege about the dangers of violence as entertainment. That's why I don't know if it's horror: if you're downloading it looking for an horror film, you'll be terribly dissapointed as you will get exactly the opposite. And that's why I wanted to have an horror fan's opinion about it. When you do see it, though, be sure to check the thread about it somewhere in the forums; but don't read it before watching the film, though, as you will probably miss the point when you see it. And do watch 'The Wicker Man', original version. If you really like stylish films so much I can assure you that you will be satisfied; in fact, when I think about it, 'The Wicker Man' succeeds in everything I believe 'Suspiria' failed, for a comparison: a plot that however ridiculous is made plausible through solid plot development, convincing acting, a chilling soundtrack (well, 'Suspiria' had that too I guess) and a creepy environment.

These two movies both sound very interesting and I think they'll be right up my alley, especially this "Wicker Man" you speak of which I think I'll download right away.

Be sure to watch 'Doom House' on Youtube as well. I assure you... It will blow your mind.

I'll check it out. I love short horror films.

[Pickpocket]

Doom House is the greatest thing ever. Fragmaster > you