My 100 favorite horror movies

"you're going to camp blood ain't ya? You'll never come back again! It's got a death curse!"

Friday the 13th might not be my favorite singular slasher film, but it's definitely my favorite of the long running slasher franchises that dominated much of horror cinema throughout the 1980's. The film series also introduces the much beloved figure of Jason Voorhees, who is my favorite of all of the slasher icons. This original film is actually very well crafted, despite the cheat climax that always left me a tad bit disappointed. There is absolutely no mystery to be solved because Mrs. Voorhees isn't introduced until the last 20 minutes of the movie.

Friday the 13th has been dismissed as a rip off of John Carpenter's Halloween and while it was inspired by that film's success, it actually owes more to Italian Giallo films like Mario Bava's 1971 Bay of blood. With its summer camp setting and rules of sex and drugs equaling death, Friday the 13th is the film that really started the Slasher sub genre.

The Final Chapter (Part four) is actually my favorite of the series, but I didn't really want to fill this list with sequels. Let's just say that this spot represents the series as a whole. When I was a kid, every video store had all of them and initially, being a devout fan of classic horror, I had no interest in ever watching them. Besides, gory modern horror movies were banned in my house. However, those old Paramount VHS tapes were proudly displayed in a line on the shelf and burned into my young brain like a shining beacon of terror, sex, violence, and all of the other things that kids were not supposed to see. When my dad did finally show me my first Friday film, which was Jason Lives (part 6), I couldn't understand what the hype was about. I thought the movie was a riot. My mom was angry that I was shown the movie and strictly prohibited more from ever entering the house. I began to sneak over to friend's houses to catch the other parts in the series. To me, there's nothing scarier than the forest at night and Jason, with his frightening and soulless Hockey mask, was legitimately cool, especially when he became a supernatural zombie-type character in the later films. While they are kind of cheesy and definitely a product of their time, there is no denying their fun factor. The difference between the 80's slashers and the torture porn of today is that the old slashers were just a good time, a safe little scare.

"The Ultimate in adult and unadulterated horror"

While it's not the best adaptation of Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's novella, Carmilla, I find this movie to be very stylish and beautiful to look at it. A very atmospheric and underrated effort from Roger Vadim. Here's hoping that Criterion eventually releases an uncut version so that it can finally be seen in the states in all of its glory.

"Do you see this writing...? Do you know what it means...? Hospitality. And you can't piss on hospitality! I WON'T ALLOW IT!"


Troll 2 is without a doubt one of the most inept movies that I have ever seen. As a horror film...hell, as a film, it fails on almost every level in terms of competence. Director Claudio Fragasso, who had a hand in many unintentionally hilarious Italian horror films, attempted to tell a serious horror story that poked fun at the vegetarian community and accidentally made one of the funniest movies that I have ever seen in my life. Don't tell him that though. To this day, he seriously believes that he made a great film. The films has received a large cult following over the years and even a wonderful documentary, Best Worst Movie. It's a trend in the Italian horror genre for filmmakers to make unofficial sequels and cash-ins to American films, but why they chose to make one for Troll is anyone's guess. Also, there are no trolls in the movie...they're goblins. What makes this movie so endearing is that the Cast actually gives this movie this weird warm charm; the movie gives off this almost beautiful, putrid glow.

"They never found his body, but they say his spirit lives in the forest. This forest. A maniac, a thing no longer human. They say he lives on whatever he can catch. Eats them raw, alive maybe. And every year he picks on a summer camp and seeks his revenge for the terrible things those kids did to him. Every year he kills. Right now he's out there. Watching. Waiting. So don't look; he'll see you. Don't breathe; he'll hear you. Don't move; you're dead!"

Now this is my favorite of the 1980's Slasher films. When I was younger, this one was fairly notorious for being on the video nasties list and being hard to get ahold of. I had always heard a lot about it and when I did finally see it uncut on DVD, I wasn't disappointed. I love that it's based on an old campfire legend, It really perfectly embodies those old modern American folktales that have been created by the campfire for decades now and became part of the great American lore. I also appreciate that it's one of the few slasher films where camp is actually in session. It also has some of the best stock Slasher movie characters.

"If a vampire should bestrode / Close to the grave of a dead toad / Then the vampire life shall give / And suddenly, the toad shall live."


Hammer's magnificent blending of the horror and swashbuckling adventure genres is criminally under-looked. It's far different than any of Hammer's other Vampire films and really reinvents a lot of the rules and legends, creating it's own really interesting lore. It was originally planned to have Kronos star in a series of sequels but sadly that never came to fruition. It's a shame because the movie perfectly sets up a series of Adventures for the character as he rides from town to town righting wrongs and killing monsters. German actor Horst Janson is really charismatic and awesome as the titular lead, giving off kind of a Bond-esque level of mystique. With his Hunchback friend and assistant, you find yourself constantly wanting to know more about the character and his adventures. This film is also special to me because it introduced me to the extraordinary beauty of future Bond girl, Caroline Munro, who, with her dark eyes and hair gives off an exotic quality while also portraying a level of innocence and sweetness that isn't expected. Unfortunately, this was one of the final gasps of air for Hammer Studios, one last bit of originality in an era where they were really trying to remain relevant and keep up with the modern horrors that came in the wake of films like The Exorcist.

"A true Story"


Here it is, folks- The greatest bigfoot movie ever made. Of course, in a subgenre filled with mostly schlock, that's not saying much. Charles Pierce's story of the legendary Fouke monster is not a great movie by any means, possibly not even really a good one, but it holds a special place in the hearts of many monster kids and cryptid enthusiasts. The film is based on the accounts of a bigfoot type creature that haunted the town of Fouke Arkansas in the 60's and 70's. What makes this film interesting is that it's filmed like a documentary. There is a narrator who presents the accounts as they are reenacted onscreen, often by the real eyewitnesses themselves. There are a lot of truly beautiful shots of the Texarkana bottom lands which are very spooky. With a bit of suspension of disbelief, one could believe that a big hairy monster would live in a place like that. The bigfoot himself is just a guy in a bad gorilla costume but fortunately, he is kept hidden for much of the film. Also of note are some really wonderful folk songs written by the director himself, which add a level of authenticity to the films southern offerings. At the end of the day, this is a wonderful example of 1970's drive in trash.

"I have seen the dark shadows moving in the woods and I have no doubt that whatever I have resurrected through this book is sure to come calling for me."



I'm probably going to get a lot of flack for saying this, but I don't love The Evil Dead movies as much as the rest of the horror community seems to. I like them just fine but I don't place them on this high pedestal that everyone else does. They just don't have enough subtext to really hold me the way that some of my favorites do.

That said, I like the first movie quite a bit. Many people enjoy the slapstick sequel much more and with good reason- it is a lot of fun. However, it doesn't work as a grueling and horrific experience the way that the original does. I very much enjoy the almost Lovecraftian influence that is only really evident in that first film. The Evil Dead is definitely flawed, but Raimi injects it with a very unique style that has been mimicked, for better or worse, countless times over the last few decades. Despite a very evident low budget, It manages to create some truly gut-wrenching scenes and an incredibly unsettling level of tension. The film is a true testament to power of creativity and inventiveness as Raimi was able to conquer many of the film's budgetary hurdles through sheer ingenuity. I've always found it to be very inspirational in that regard. It's kind of a lesson on making effective horror films on the cheap and many books written on it have served as something of a film school for me. For that reason, the first movie holds a special place in my heart.

"Nasty Nanny is no good! Chop her up for fire wood! When she's dead, boil her head, make it into gingerbread!"



Coming off of a series of Hammer horror films, Director and cinematographer, Freddie Francis directs this unnerving, dark British horror Comedy with style and an expert pacing. This is one of those movies that I almost don't want to talk too much about because it would ruin the impact of it. The film is darkly humorous and delightfully morbid. I found myself on the edge of my seat and in total shock and awe, wondering where the zany plot could possibly go. The basic premise is that Girly, along with her brother Sonny, belong to a family ran by the matriarch, Mumsy and their Nanny. They play like children despite being well into their teens and lure in homeless people as playthings who must abide by a certain set of rules or they are killed off. It's a humorous and suspenseful tale that is also a tad bit disturbing and unnerving in a lot of ways.

"I'm a Monster again"


Admittedly, I didn't know what to make of Jaromil Jireš' Czech surrealistic fairy tale upon first or even second viewing. It's one of the most unique and completely strange viewing experiences of my life and if you don't know what to expect, it can be very frustrating in a lot of ways. However, upon repeat viewings I've found a really great appreciation for it. Visually it's stunning and while it's short on narrative, so much of it is has to be read between the lines. At its heart, this is a coming of age film about a girl on the cusp of becoming a young woman and it's told in a very dreamlike manner which really captures that Alice in Wonderland quality that inspired it. Jaroslava Schallerová is completely enigmatic and compelling as Valerie and really embodies the vulnerability and innocence of a classic fairy tale character. This is a truly bizarre but beautiful film and it's best to view it with a very open mind and to really appreciate it as more of a surrealistic art piece than to ponder too much over its narrative. This a wonderful horror/fairy tale movie that is so deliberately shot and the gorgeous score by Lubos Fiser is delightfully decedent, complimenting it completely.

"From the Ocean Depths They Strike ... To Terrorize ... To Mate ... And To Kill!"


For those who know me, It's evident that I'm a big fan of aquatic monsters like Godzilla, Nessie, the giant leeches, the crab monsters, the Kraken and especially human-fish hybrids like The creature from the black lagoon and the pantheon of Lovecraftian gods and deep ones. The water really is another world; Dark and mysterious, I have no trouble believing that any number of horrible and fabulous creatures could exist there.

So in turn, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I love Roger Corman's highly exploitative creature feature, Humanoids from the deep. I'm a big fan of Corman in general, Loving everything from his goofy monster movies and gorgeous Poe adaptations that he directed in the 50's and 60's to his prolific role as producer of exploitation, women in prison, and monster films in the 70's and 80's. Director Barbara Peters meant for the film to be a more serious, subtle creature film but under Corman's supervision many additions were added, including scenes depicting sex and graphic violence. Quite a bit of carnage ensues and the monster suits by Rob Bottin, while a bit goofy with their big brains and long arms, are also really cool. They remind me of 1950's monsters if they were given a slick 80's revision.

On top of all of the gore and violence, there is a certain degree of wonderful atmosphere. James Horner's score is very moody and much of the film is shot under a heavy overcast, complete with a gentle layer of fog.

This is a really cool monster on the loose film with a central theme that's obviously inspired by H.P Lovecraft's Shadow over Innsmouth, A tale of humanoid fish creatures who mate with the human populace of a New England town. While it might not be the best horror movie ever made, It's really one of those quintessential 80's B-monster movies that is really worth checking out.

"Bless me"? Do you know what God did for me? He threw an 18-wheeled truck at me and bounced me into nowhere for five years! When I woke up, my girl was gone, my job was gone, my legs are just about useless... Blessed me? God's been a real sport to me!"



I've always felt that The Dead Zone was one of the best Stephen King adaptations and one that kind of gets overlooked. Christopher Walken is incredibly good in the lead role as Johnny Smith, a man who has been given the gift of foresight after a horrible accident, at the cost of losing five years of his life in a coma. It's a completely soul crushing and sad situation, finding out that those years passed him by and the rest of the world went on without him, including his girlfriend, who married someone else. Walken delivers one of the best performances of his career and he's absolutely heartbreaking.

One of the other interesting things about the movie is that it features a series of what seem like vignettes, where Johnny uses his powers for different means, starting with the search for a notorious serial killer. David Cronenberg fills the film with cold colors and constant overcast, a state of melancholy that permeates the entire film. For fans of Cronenberg's work, you'll find little of his usual flair for visceral body horror, but I think that it shows his restraint and versatility. Also worth noting is the poignant score by Michael Kamen, which never ceases to bring a tear to my eye.

This is a film about fate and how making just one decision can change absolutely everything. The saddest moment for me in rewatching it is always at the beginning when his girlfriend asks him to come inside and he decides to go home instead, leading to the accident that gave him his gifts. Even with these powers that he's given, and all of the good that he can give back, a recurrent theme that crops up is- Was it meant to be?

"You where cruel and mean right from the start now you can truly say you have no heart"



In the 70's, Amicus productions produced a series of fantastic anthology horror films in Great Britain. They had the feeling of Hammer horror but were more often set in modern times. Among them were adaptations of two of the notorious EC horror comics from the 1950's, Tales from the Crypt and the Vault of horror.

This is an anthology of five short stories, the most famous one being "And All through the house", a tale about a killer Santa Claus that was also adapted into an episode of the television series in the 90's. This one is a lot of fun and I prefer this over the TV show version because the Santa isn't as outwardly scary looking, which actually works in making him more threatening and creepy. The best of the stories, however is "Poetic Justice", starring Peter Cushing. Cushing gives a sad and lonely performance as Arthur Grimsdyke, a local garbage man who is ostracized from his community, hated and misunderstood for no apparent reason. Cushing's performance is filled with much pain and sorrow and one gets the feeling that he brought his feelings over the recent death of his wife into the role. It's a very powerful and tragic performance.

In the tradition of the great comics that inspired it, everyone gets their comeuppance in the worst ways imaginable, that sense of poetic justice that was so recurrent in the EC books. It's those endings that make each tale so satisfying. We all love to see bad people get what's coming to them.

"How do you get people to protect themselves from something they don't believe in?"



I absolutely adore The Blob. Today it might appear to be just another 1950's B-movie but it's actually remarkably different in a lot of ways. It took two exploitation genres that were so popular during the era, the juvenile delinquent film and the monster of the loose film, and blended them together. This had been done a few times before and since, but it is refreshing that the Teenagers are actually depicted as heroic and misunderstood characters.

This movie is special to me because I saw it when I was really young. I used to be obsessed with old monster movies and always checked out books about them at the library. They were very hard to come by but fortunately, they had The Blob. From the moment I heard the catchy saxophone tune by Burt Bacharach and the five Blobs, I was sucked in. I used to run around the house singing "Beware of The Blob, it creeps/And leaps and glides/and slides/ Across the floor/ Right through the door/ And all around the wall/ A splotch, a blotch/ Be careful of The Blob" much to my mother's annoyance.

So what's so cool about the blob, you say? Well, it's quiet and once it gets ahold of you, there's absolutely nothing that you can do. It has a corrosive acid that digests you and once it becomes bigger, all it has to do is roll over you and you're finished. It might be slow but you have to sleep sometime. The blob doesn't sleep or stop moving and it can ooze into any crevice. That was a terrifying notion for me when I was a child; that you could be eaten alive by the blob in your sleep. Nothing scarier than being completely helpless while you're devoured.

Another reason that this movie is badass is Steve McQueen, who is always awesome. In short, the blob is one of the best and most fun monster movies of the 1950's Monster movies. It holds up surprisingly well and has an irresistible charm to it. In closing, there is an Annual Blobfest in the town in Pensylvania where the film was shot and they show off the original blob, which still exists in a bucket. I hope to attend one day and get to stir "The blob".

"Things happen that have never been seen by human beings. The blood flows like vintage wine."


Actor Paul Naschy was born Jacinto Molina Álvarez in Madrid, Spain on September 6th, 1934. He used the Universal Classic monster films from his childhood, particularly Lon Chaney Jr. in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf man, as inspiration and began to write and star in a series of Spanish gothic horror films. The character who he is most associated with is El Hombre Lobo, a polish werewolf by the name of Waldemar Daninsky, who Naschy portrayed a dozen times. He became the Spanish equivalent of Lon Chaney, portraying not only El Hombre Lobo but also Count Dracula, the hunchback, and several other classic gothic horror characters. I fell in love with the films of Paul Naschy at such a young age. Really loving werewolf movies, I picked up the Craving, The American version of his Night of the Werewolf (El Retorno Del Hombre Lobo) and I was pleased with what I saw. Cinematically, these films bear a strong resemblance to the Hammer horror films that I love so much, along with elements of the television show Dark Shadows. However, these are much more sleazy and exploitative than those and filled with lots of gore, nudity, and very beautiful Spanish women. Naschy himself is fantastic as the Wolf man, very energetic and completely engaging every time he is on screen. No offense to the great Lon Chaney Jr., but Naschy may be my favorite Wolf man of all time.

This movie is my favorite of the series. Frequent series director León Klimovsky really pulls out all of the stops. The makeup on Naschy is some of the best in the series and it would be the first to introduce Countess Wandessa, a Elizabeth Bathory type character who would become an archtype in the series. At the end of the day, this is a fun, old fashioned monster romp with lots of sleaze, a cool werewolf, and naked vampire ladies. You can't go wrong with any of them but this really is the quintessential Naschy film in my opinion.

"I have just been fired because nobody wants to see vampire killers anymore, or vampires either. Apparently all they want to see are demented madmen running around in ski-masks, hacking up young virgins."



Fright Night is another horror movie that I watched at a young age. Great horror movies were really hard to find at the local video stores, especially the classics that I loved so much, but my parents decided to let me watch this one because it is a bit more tame and fun than a lot of the other horror movies coming out at the time. Of course, I loved it. The remake missed the point entirely. Fright Night is not a dark and gritty horror film, but a masterfully told horror comedy. Everyone involved created such a loving and wonderful send-up to the classic Hammer Vampire films, with great and memorable characters and a definite 80's flavor. One of the biggest highlights is Roddy McDowall as the horror host, Peter Vincent. It's his character that gives the movie much of it's heart. He represents a breed of horror that was dying off by the mid 80's, when class, subtlety, and lavish cinematography were giving way to over the top gore and cheap scares. There is a sadness and sweetness that McDowell gives the character and while everyone else is certainly enjoyable, I would say that without him, there is no Fright Night.

I'd also like to point out that while I generally hate the cool, handsome vampire archetype in movies, Chris Sarandon is so charming and hilarious that I can't help but love him as Jerry Dandridge. Sarandon is able to be threatening and funny with perfect balance.

"There is something wrong on this island and you're trying to keep it from me. If there is something wrong, then whatever it is, I think we should leave."


This is one of those films that's a bit hard to talk about without spoiling it. It's easily the most disturbing movie I have ever seen in my life. Think of Stephen King's Children of the corn only far more harrowing, completely dismal, and without the supernatural "he who walks behind the rows" aspect and you have this far superior Spanish film from 1976. Director, Narciso Ibáñez Serrador had previously helmed the equally unsettling, The House that screamed, and between the two, gave a frightening alternative to the more schlocky horrors that regularly came from Spain in the years prior. This is a really shocking and distressing film that filled me with a genuine sense of dread and stuck with me for a very long time.

"Where's my cake?"



This is another film that I saw very early in my life. I used to love to pore over reprints and books on the old EC horror comics from the 50's. The gory and creepy artwork gave me nightmares but I was completely mesmerized by them. I had seen pictures from Creepshow and know that I had to see it. I finally saw it back to back with another 1982 classic, John Carpenter's The Thing. I'd have say that it was one of the best horror double features that I ever had.

On a technical level, this might be George Romero's most accomplished film. It so completely captures the look of those old comics. Most anthology horror films have a weak link, that one story that isn't as good as the others, but this one doesn't. Each story is amazing thanks to Stephen King's humorous and witty script and love of the source material. If I had to pick a favorite of the bunch, it would be "The Crate", the tale of a large, disgusting, ape-like beast who lives in a forgotten crate under a stairwell in a local college. Tom Savini is mostly known for his ultra gory special effects but I think that the effects he did for this, especially this monster, were a nice change of pace and really showed off his range. I'm also a fan of Adrian Barbeau as Hal Holbrook's horrible and abusive wife.

Stephen King himself makes an appearance as the mentally incompetent titular character in "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill . A lot of complaints have been made over King's over the top performance, but I think those people were missing the point. The entire movie is stylized and over the top. In any case, Creepshow really is a lot of fun to watch.

"I am a night bird. I am not much good in the daytime."


In the 60's and 70's, there was a rash of really poor and mostly unfunny vampire comedies, including the likes of such films as The Vampire Happening and Dracula the dirty old man. However, the fearless Vampire killers is one of the good ones. Made as a parody of the vampire genre during the height of Hammer's Dracula series in the mid-60's, Roman Polanski crafts a film that is dripping with style. The sets and costumes are incredible and every shot is completely stunning. Even this early in his career, Polanski was surely a master of his craft. This is without a doubt, the most stylish horror comedy ever made and while I hate to admit it, It visually outshines the very films that it is is parodying by leaps and miles. You won't find this amount of decadence in even the finest Hammer horrors.

Polanski himself, along with veteran British actor, Jack MacGowran, portray the two vampire killing leads and play off of one another extremely well. There are plenty of wonderful slapstick gags and bits of witty dialogue through out the film but it also manages to create a moderately decent level of tension and creepiness at times as well.

Another Highlight is Sharon Tate, who is so extraordinarily beautiful and charming that she steals every scene that she's in. Tate is completely captivating, enigmatic, and lovable. I can't help but become overwhelmingly sad when I watch this movie because in the back of my mind, I'm reminded of her death at the hands of very real life monsters a few years later.

"My name is Francesco Dellamorte. Weird name, isn't it? Francis Of Death. Saint Francis Of Death. I often thought of having it changed. André Dellamorte would be nicer, for example."


I fell in love with this movie when I was in high school and in a very angst filled, teenage, emo state of mind. While my ranking of it has gone down considerably over the years, I still think it's fascinating. At the same time, it was the movie that got my into Italian horror cinema, starting a lifelong obsession with the likes of Mario Bava, Dario Argento, and Lucio Fulci.

It's a dark comedy about a Cemetery caretaker who believes that it's part of his job to kill the dead who rise nightly from the graves in the Cemetery. There is a lot of interesting subtext in the film though that I won't spoil should you ever watch it, but I will say that it alternates from being laugh out loud funny to very romanticized and stylistic.

It's certainly pretty to look at and makes full use of its old cemetery locations and sets. The Dialogue is quirky and fun and Rupert Everett brings a lot of wit to the role of Francesco Dellamorte. Only the first half of the movie is a zombie movie and a lot of complaints are made concerned the shift of the movie. I quite enjoy it because it adds to the episodic, comic book nature of the rest of the movie. Also, some of the more surreal moments happen later in the film. This is Michael Soavi's (Stage fright, The Church) highest achievement as a director and it's a shame that his career kind of ended here. Definitely see it! It's very different than a lot of things you'll see, especially in the tired and played out zombie genre.

"You haven't changed, I see. You've always loved violence."



I've always felt that out of all of Mario Bava's films, this is the most overlooked. For years, this was my favorite Bava film (that changed after I saw Black Sabbath and especially, Lisa and the devil). While the film is fairly limited on plot, it's dripping with mood and style. It's an offbeat romance film, filled with sexuality and sadomasochism. Under Bava's hand, it's a profound and colorful experience. Ubaldo Terzano is very grand and along with Composer, Carlo Rustichelli's gorgeous "Windsor Concerto", it becomes a film that is absolutely sublime and a feast for the senses. Like many of Bava's films, it surpasses simple storytelling and touches you right in your soul. For film connoisseurs and those who appreciate the medium as an art film, This is an alluring and must see film. Bava had proven time and time again that expressionism isn't just limited to black and white.