So, the question was put to me: What horror movies would I recommend?
Hoo boy!
I could start with trying to narrow it down by asking what types a person likes or what they've already seen. Instead I tried to start thinking of my top 10 or maybe 20...or maybe 100. Most of these are favorites, but I've thrown in a few that ought to be viewed even though they aren't at the top of my list. I've also included some that aren't strictly horror: a few sci fi, a few with comedic elements, etc.
Let's start with some classic black & whites from bygone decades:
* The Universal Monsters: Any of the movies from any of the different 'series' are worth watching. But of them all, my favorites are:
--Son of Frankenstein (1939): An adorably precocious child, German Expressionist visuals, Bela Lugosi doing a superb job as Ygor, and the source of most of the references in Young Frankenstein.
--Son of Dracula (1943): The first time I heard the use of Alucard. First on-screen bat metamorphosis, I believe. Set in the swamps of Louisiana. This one has been a favorite since childhood.
-- Most of the Mummy movies.
* The Old Dark House (1932): Boris Karloff as a crazy, violent, mute servant. A bunch of people trapped during an unbelievably bad rain storm in...AN OLD, DARK HOUSE. Truly classic.
* I Walked With a Zombie (1943): Val Lewton movies tend to have an ironically lovely atmosphere. And this is one zombie movie that has "genuine" ethnic zombies.
* Them!: Probably the best of the giant bug movies, this time with ants!
* The Thing From Another World: One of my absolute favorites. I never, ever get tired of watching this one.
* Night of the Demon: This is in my top 5 and is the reason I discovered my favorite author. (It's based on a short story by M.R. James, who I had never heard of until I saw this movie.) This is the name of the British version. Make sure you watch this one, and not "Curse of the Demon" which is the inferior American version.
Now we jump ahead to Los 80s! A personal favorite period for horror movies, these aren't technically the best movies ever made, but I don't care. I have a special love for cheesy 80s horror movies:
* Ghoulies: "They call me Dick, but you can call me...Dick." Demons and magic. Nuff said.
* Critters: The monsters are really aliens, but it still has the feel of a horror movie rather than a sci fi flick. And these are pretty monstrous little visitors. I really enjoy this one.
* Killer Klowns From Outer Space: Odd even for its genre. Silly and perhaps even stupid. I love it. Give it a viewing if you like these kinds of movies.
* Return to Horror High: Okay, this is one I've always remembered from childhood. This fits into the hacker/slasher domain, but I've always liked this particular take on the genre.
* The Friday the 13th franchise: I've seen almost all of these, and I enjoy every single one of them. More of a guilty pleasure than a recommendation for good cinema, obviously. But I get some of them out and watch as many as I can every real Friday the 13th.
* Amityville 3-D (& the Amityville Horror): Another guilty pleasure. This one goes well beyond the "true" story of the first one, which I also like and recommend. But the extra demonic elements in the third of the franchise appeal to me. Definitely watch the original, but if you've never seen the third one, give it a peek.
* April Fool's Day: Hacker/slasher with a twist.
Some people consider serial killers and evil people doing terrible things to be great horror. I prefer supernatural plot elements. I've broken them down by either type of supernatural entity or some other unifying factor:
GHOSTS:
* The Uninvited (1944): Probably my favorite ghost story movie of them all, and one of my favorite movies of all time, horror or not.
* The Haunting (1963): This may be THE BEST "ghost" movie ever made. Another all time favorite regardless of genre.
* The Changeling (1980): George C. Scott as a bereaved composer renting a huge haunted house. Atmospheric, interesting, and a little bit creepy.
* Poltergeist: This one still gets to me no matter how many times I watch it.
* Stir of Echoes: I can't compare it with the book, but there's something about the realness of the characters and the relationships that makes this one more than just some ghost story for me.
* What Lies Beneath: I love both Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer and they are excellent in this movie. Keep an eye on mirrors throughout. This is one to pay complete attention to--no Facebooking during the movie!!
WOLVES:
* The Howling: Genuinely scary, I think, because it still makes me feel creeped out no matter how many times I watch it.
* An American Werewolf in London: I've only watched this a few times, but certain parts really stick with me and have since I first saw it as a child. Kind of funny and kind of serious. A must see, at least once.
* Wolfen: I really like this one even though the creatures aren't werewolves or wolf men, but "just" wolves. It's sort of an urban crime mystery with an added layer.
* Dog Soldiers: Elite British military unit trapped in the woods. Sean Pertwee. Must be seen at least once if you like werewolf movies.
DEMONS:
* The Exorcist: Make sure to watch the complete version.
* Pumpkinhead: Maybe this should have gone into the 80s category, because it definitely has that feel. But he really is a conjured demonic spirit, so I'm putting it here. I consider this the best "backwoods" horror movie. I know that may not sound like much of an accomplishment, but I really do think it has merit.
WITCHES:
* Horror Hotel (aka City of the Dead) (1960): This movie is the source of Christopher Lee's quote "Superstition, fear, and jealousy" which is used in Rob Zombie's Dragula. Thankfully, the movie has nothing at all in common with anything Rob Zombie has done, though. Nice little atmospheric piece about a murderous coven. This movie deserves more fans.
* Suspiria: The violent deaths are a just a little on the disturbing side, but the visuals are fantastic and the music is...Argento.
* Warlock: Yummy Julian Sands, yummy Richard E. Grant, delicious 80s atmosphere, and evil magic. I don't watch this one enough, really.
VAMPIRES:
* Lost Boys: How many times did I watch this while I was growing up?? I will always love this movie.
* Subspecies series: These are not great movies, but they are among my favorites. They are some of the few, if not the only, vampire movies actually filmed in Romania. Superior atmosphere, great 80s/90s feel, and a soundtrack I enjoyed so much I bought the cd. Watch the original Subspecies if you are interested. The sequels are only for the die hards.
ANTHOLOGIES:
* Dead of Night (1945): Black & white, British, hard to find on dvd. But if there is any way you can see this, you must. The framing story is excellent and the individual tales are wonderfully atmospheric and interesting.
* Black Sabbath (1963): Italian director Mario Bava is a legend, and this is my favorite of the ones I've seen. Make sure you get the Italian version, which is longer. "The Telephone" should be the first story, followed by "The Wurdulak" and then "The Drop of Water."
* Dr. Terror's House of Horrors: Peter Cushing reads tarot cards for his fellow train passengers, and we see how each of them may die. One of the most memorable of the many anthology horror movies I've seen.
JOHN CARPENTER: There are actually a lot of movies of his I've never seen. And not all of the ones I've seen are my faves. But the ones which are count among my favorite horror movies of all.
* Halloween: The original. I actually own most of the series, but most of them are rather silly compared to the first. I'm pretty sure I've watched the original more than any other movie ever, and I never get tired of it. Quite possibly the tippy top of my list.
* The Fog: Another all-time favorite. Genuinely creepy.
* Prince of Darkness: I can't say this is a favorite, but there's something about it that haunts me. I think it may be the creepiest movie I've ever watched. I'm putting it on as an "ought to give it a look" recommendation.
STEPHEN KING: I happen to think Stephen King has written some absolutely excellent novels. The best of the books have not necessarily been given the best treatment when adapted for viewing. But some of the books based on his ideas are must-sees.
* The Shining: The Kubrick movie, not the stupid mini series. Definitely a classic. I don't care how different it is from the book.
* Silver Bullet: An excellent werewolf movie. One of the few that acknowledges there isn't a full moon every month, and I like the fact that it is really about sibling relationships at the heart of the story.
* Graveyard Shift: How many other horror movies are set in a textile mill? C'mon! With a giant, man-eating creature living underground? It may be a guilty pleasure, but I love this one.
* Christine: Okay, I've only seen this once. But I really love the theme music, and I was surprised that I really liked a movie about a possessed car. It works. I can't honestly say at this point that this is one of my favorite movies, but if you're looking for a should-see-once suggestion, this ought to be on the list.
HAMMER STUDIOS!!!!!: What can I say: it's love. I'll try to pick a few of the best.
* Dracula: Prince of Darkness: This is not the first of the Hammer Draculas, but I think it's probably the best. Great atmosphere, interesting characters, and Christoper Lee as the Count himself.
* Plague of the Zombies: Another "traditional" take on zombies, as in "dead people turned by voodoo to serve an evil master" rather than a "for some reason all the dead want our brains" type of movie.
* most of their Mummy movies: I think I just love mummy movies. Some of the sequels probably aren't all that great. But at least give the first one a try. It has Christopher Lee --nudge, nudge.
THE REST: I couldn't decide where to put these or didn't have enough left to put them in some sort of category:
Quatermass & the Pit (aka Five Million Years to Earth) (1967): I've never seen the tv serial version, but I really like this movie version. Technically sci fi, I guess, it ends up being quite poignant for me. Does not exactly have a happy ending.
Something Wicked This Way Comes: An evil traveling carnival. Based on a Ray Bradbury book, which I don't think I've actually read.
Lair of the White Worm: Part vampire movie, part giant animal movie. The first movie in which I ever saw Hugh Grant. Take note: this is a Ken Russell movie.
Sleepy Hollow: I like Tim Burton, generally, and I think this is the best use of his signature style. I have watched this repeatedly, and will continue to do so. One of my faves of the faves.
Carnival of Souls (1962): What to say? A strange film which definitely deserves recognition as a cult classic.
Python: A guilty pleasure. Giant snake movie! With Wil Wheaton!!
Burnt Offerings: I'm throwing this in as a "should see once" suggestion. It's a rather atmospheric contribution which I think qualifies as a "demonic house" movie, for lack of a better term.
Cat People (1942): Another Val Lewton which can survive on atmosphere alone. I don't know that I'd consider it one of my all-time favorites, which is why I didn't list it with the classics above. But if you haven't seen it and you like the old black and whites, you really, really should watch this one.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956): Pretty much "ditto" what I just said about "Cat People," only with a different atmosphere. This fits with the 50s sci fi genre's atmosphere, but is one of the best of that period. Still, not quite a favorite of mine, but a definite must see.
Dead Alive (aka Braindead according to one source): Peter Jackson's early work was VERY different. One of the grossest movies I've ever seen. Not for those who don't have a twisted side. Actually, this is probably more of a comedy. But I'm throwing it in anyway.
Session 9: I think this is the best use of an insane asylum I've ever seen in a movie. I've seen it twice and it creeped me the hell out both times.
Tremors: I have all of them, and I enjoy all the sequels. But the first should be considered a classic among Big Monster movies.
The Birds: I have the Melanie Daniels/The Birds Barbie. It's the only collector Barbie I still have as a display piece. I would still love this movie as much without the Barbie. If you've never seen it, you need to fix that asap.
So, there you go. Over 50 suggestions for your viewing pleasure. This makes me want to go watch them all...
