In honor of the recent releases of remade horror classics such as Friday the 13th and The Last House on the Left, I have complied a top ten list of my favorite scary movies of all time.
10) Nosferatu (1922, directed by F. W. Murnau) is an early horror film during the silent film era. The film is adapted from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The film showcases one of the first on screen vampires, Max Schreck. The music and gestures of Schreck’s character, Count Orlok, make for a haunting experience.
9) Psycho (1960, directed by Alfred Hitchcock) is a classic horror movie. The shower scene with Janet Leigh is probably one of the most carefully crafted editing scenes in a horror film. Psycho started the slasher genre that we all know today with films such as Halloween and Scream.
8) Dawn of the Dead (2004, directed by Zack Snyder) is a remake of George Romero’s 1978 film. The thought of being in a shopping mall with zombies trying to get inside makes me nervous. It is scary because the thought of disease and predators haunts us everyday.
7) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974, directed by Tobe Hooper) is based on a true story, which is explained more in the 2003 remake. Also part of the slasher genre, this film delivers horror on every level. There is plenty of blood, screaming and a nutcase, Leatherface, running around with a chainsaw. Sounds like my kind of movie.
6) Halloween (1978, directed by John Carpenter) features Janet Leigh’s daughter, Jamie Leigh Curtis, as the “scream queen” trying to escape from Michael Myers. A knife yielding “crazy” chasing babysitting teens equals slasher flick.
5) The Shining (1980, directed by Stanley Kubrick) is an example of an insane psychological film. Jack Nicholson scares me already, so having him chasing his family around an empty hotel during a snowstorm is not a comfortable situation.
4) The Exorcist (1980, directed by William Friedkin) brings us special effects such as spinning heads and nasty vomit scenes. The devil being able to possess someone is not a happy picture. Try seeing The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) because you may not be able to sleep at 3am.
3) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984, directed by Wes Craven) has horror icon Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund). This film is particularly scary because you can’t go to sleep at night. The song, “One, two, Freddy’s coming for you. Three, four, you better lock your doors. Five, six, grab a crucifix. Seven, eight, better stay up late. Nine, ten, never sleep again,” is nerve racking.
2) The Grudge (2004, directed by Takashi Shimizu) gave me nightmares. The horror is not as direct as in slasher films. The scare tactics are spiritual and the characters are spooky. I don’t like the idea of a crazy looking woman walking limp around me. Some might think The Ring was scarier because it was the first of the Japanese horror movies crossing into America with a really creepy video. But I believe The Grudge holds as the most insane, chilling and bloodcurdling movie of all time.
10) Nosferatu (1922, directed by F. W. Murnau) is an early horror film during the silent film era. The film is adapted from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The film showcases one of the first on screen vampires, Max Schreck. The music and gestures of Schreck’s character, Count Orlok, make for a haunting experience.
9) Psycho (1960, directed by Alfred Hitchcock) is a classic horror movie. The shower scene with Janet Leigh is probably one of the most carefully crafted editing scenes in a horror film. Psycho started the slasher genre that we all know today with films such as Halloween and Scream.
8) Dawn of the Dead (2004, directed by Zack Snyder) is a remake of George Romero’s 1978 film. The thought of being in a shopping mall with zombies trying to get inside makes me nervous. It is scary because the thought of disease and predators haunts us everyday.
7) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974, directed by Tobe Hooper) is based on a true story, which is explained more in the 2003 remake. Also part of the slasher genre, this film delivers horror on every level. There is plenty of blood, screaming and a nutcase, Leatherface, running around with a chainsaw. Sounds like my kind of movie.
6) Halloween (1978, directed by John Carpenter) features Janet Leigh’s daughter, Jamie Leigh Curtis, as the “scream queen” trying to escape from Michael Myers. A knife yielding “crazy” chasing babysitting teens equals slasher flick.
5) The Shining (1980, directed by Stanley Kubrick) is an example of an insane psychological film. Jack Nicholson scares me already, so having him chasing his family around an empty hotel during a snowstorm is not a comfortable situation.
4) The Exorcist (1980, directed by William Friedkin) brings us special effects such as spinning heads and nasty vomit scenes. The devil being able to possess someone is not a happy picture. Try seeing The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) because you may not be able to sleep at 3am.
3) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984, directed by Wes Craven) has horror icon Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund). This film is particularly scary because you can’t go to sleep at night. The song, “One, two, Freddy’s coming for you. Three, four, you better lock your doors. Five, six, grab a crucifix. Seven, eight, better stay up late. Nine, ten, never sleep again,” is nerve racking.
2) The Grudge (2004, directed by Takashi Shimizu) gave me nightmares. The horror is not as direct as in slasher films. The scare tactics are spiritual and the characters are spooky. I don’t like the idea of a crazy looking woman walking limp around me. Some might think The Ring was scarier because it was the first of the Japanese horror movies crossing into America with a really creepy video. But I believe The Grudge holds as the most insane, chilling and bloodcurdling movie of all time.
1) Saw (2004, directed by James Wan) is definitely my top pick because it does not have a man with a knife, it is not the walking dead or the devil and it is not a ghost. I think a lot of people are scared of this film because of the torture. It is the worst feeling in the world to think about how much time you have left until your jaw is broken or your head is completely cut off. What a great film to dig into our most primal fears and make us appreciate life.
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