Apparently I have an affection for the seventies, but I think they got it right in the fear department. The ability to overuse special effects wasn’t an issue, and good solid psychologically disturbing stories were the way they had to go. And it’s because of these horrific stories, these films have stood the test of time and abuse of technology. The reliance on it is evident in the recent years lacking on this list, with of course, exception to 28 Days Later. Enjoy the continuation of this spooky themed month and please and your input as well.
10. Alien (1979)
I feel like Alien was the first horror film to crossover into the science fiction genre and tackle it head on, but at the end of the day it’s a monster movie……….in space, which only adds creepy to the already frightening. The isolation from the rest of the world and bleakness of space is a huge part of what makes this movie so terrifying, but the performances of the actors, the brilliant direction of Ridley Scott, and something truly original makes Alien a classic in the terror department.
9. The Shining (1990)
If Jack Torrance is the result of uber boredom we are in for a generation of crazy people. Stephen Kings novel “The Shining” could not have been more aptly realized with anyone other than Jack Nicholson playing Jack Torrance. His slow trangression from caring family man into destructive violent killer is without question the worst case of cabin fever with a haunting ever displayed in film. Together Nicholsons performance and Kings creation make this a terrifying character and “The Shining” one of most bone chilling movies ever made. Redrum.
8. The Omen (1976)
What’s more terrifying than giving birth to a child that happens to be the son of the devil? Not much I would say, and as the infamous name Damien is spoken and as the child grows, the horror of the film does as well. With death scenes that stand up to todays special effects such as the death that the cursed photographer David Warner (Keith Jennings) suffered. The moment when a sheet of plate glass flew off the back of a braking truck and sliced cleanly through his neck decapitating him and sending his spinning head flying through the air is unforgettable and just a stepping stone in the moments of utter nightmare.
7. Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)
If death by alien possession were to happen, the pod people is my nightmare of how I would go out. I’ve always envisioned the invasion of an alien species and the takeover to be something completely out of mans ability to see or comprehend. I didn’t always think Independence Day would happen (though it’s not impossible) but something more subtle and intelligent to disrupt our existence. Invasion Of The Body Snatchers unveils itself methodically to the very last scene which is probably one of the greatest moments in cinema. This film is unnerving in a very psychological way. GO POD PEOPLE, it’s your birthday!
6. Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
Nightmare On Elm Street is so terrifying because of it’s villain: Freddy Krueger. With the perfect casting of Robert Englund as Frederick Charles Krueger this film is one that makes everyone afraid to go to sleep. The deep and twisted history and who he was and what he became makes him all the more fearsome, but also tangible. His twisted and masochistic back round coupled with his choice of victims and the way he haunts them, makes him top of the list of scary and definitely the best of the horror film bad guys and Nightmare On Elm Street Horrorific.
5. 28 Days Later (2002)
The concept of waking up to an empty hospital and a world gone is still one of the most daunting concepts ever made for a movie. There is an element of realism added into 28 Days Later, that makes the setting even more palpable. The eerie aspect of an incurable, highly contagious disease taking over London and literally making it hell on Earth is absurdly creepy, but taking the element of first person, and Cillian Murphy’s character, Jim, awaking to a world he doesn’t understand is the perfect creation for a sense of solitude and fear. Danny Boyle acknowledges the fact that in our busy bee world, silence can be the most terrifying sound of all. When the second half of the story does take place, we get a From Dusk Till Dawn feel, where suddenly our main character’s are thrown into a situation where the nature of man is reflected on and the infected aren’t the only thing to fear. At this point the character’s are important to us and their survival is what we desire most.
4. Jaws (1975)
Jaws was one of the first movies to ever really thrive on suspense and the imaginative curiosity of the human mind. Small, seemingly unrelated events all building up until it’s clear that a murderous shark is on the loose and it’s found a liking to the taste of man. The time the movie takes to actually build to the climatic scenes is necessary to drive in the mystery and suspense. The film is solely structured around ominous line droppings and events that allude to something dangerous, but seldom comes right out and says so. When people talk about movies not being made like they used to, Jaws is one of the movies they are talking about.
3. Poltergeist (1982)
For me this still is the most terrifying movies of all time. The special effects never go too far, yet there is an epic feel to it, still balanced by realism. The characters are full on tangible, and never do you feel like yelling at them telling them how stupid they are. It feels like a real situation, where human curiosity becomes the catalyst for the impossible, a nightmare that no one can wake up from. The creativity of Poltergeist, and it’s terrific writing and direction put it on this list without question for me.
2. Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
New York postal worker Jacob Singer is trying to keep his frayed life from unraveling. His days are increasingly being invaded by flashbacks to his first marriage, his now-dead son, and his tour of duty in Vietnam. Although his new wife tries to help Jacob keep his grip on sanity, the line between reality and delusion is steadily growing more and more uncertain.
1. The Exorcist (1973)
The Exorcist may make you jump (though it might a lot), but the possession of an innocent little girls body is enough to continually disturb me each time I watch it. I’m not sure why a remake was ever necessary when the original is clearly perfect as is. The long story is perversely terrifying, and maybe it’s not “Boo” scary, but the mood and the depth of the story will affect you indefinitely. The Exorcist is a movie nobody forgets. It is widely recognized as the scariest film of all time and with good reason.
Readers Choices
Carrie
The People Under The Stairs
Gremlins
Fire In The Sky
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
From Hell It Came
Flowers In The Attic
Watcher In The Woods
Honorable Mentions
Rosemary’s Baby, The Shining, Arachnophobia, The Blair Witch Project, The Blob, Dawn Of The Dead (2004), The Amityville Horror (1978), Salems Lot, The Mist, Saw, Silence Of The Lambs, The Changeling, Cloverfield, Halloween, Seven, Day Of The Dead, May, Identity, The Thing (1982), Final Destination, The Ring, Childs Play, House Of 1000 Corpses, Kiss The Girls, Psycho, and White Noise
Great list!!! I SO want to watch a spooky movie now!
Hands-down, this is one of your best lists. I can’t find a darn thing wrong with it! Love that you included a few non-traditional scary movies, like “Jacob’s Ladder” and “Alien.” Some of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen don’t count as “horror films.”
It makes a me a little sad, though, not to see the original “Halloween” on here — I’ve watched it every Halloween for the past 10 years, and it gives me nightmares every time. Sometimes I have to watch it on mute ‘cuz my ears can’t stand the music! Also, I might add “It” to the list purely because there’s nothing freakier than a psychotic, unkillable clown.
I agree with M. Carter: where is Halloween? Easily one of the scariest movies ever made! I guess you threw it in the honorable mention, so I’ll let it slide this time.
(And glad to see Blair Witch in the honorables, too. One of my favorite scary movies.)
Two great lists but Jim gets the kudos for including High Tension. Growing up in the 80’s I was exposed to a lot of horror movies. I think that and an over analytical approach to movies has desensitised me to scary movies. Therefore the way I see it good horror has to make you jump by simple shock tactics: [● Rec], Be repulsive through high levels or gore: Texas Chainsaw Massacre, be psychologically disturbing so you can’t get it out of your mind for hours, even days after seeing it: Don’t Look Now or alternatively the film maker relies on putting his characters in jeopardy, for this to work we have to engage with the characters: Alien.
Jacob’s Ladder as a scary movie? It’s more like a twisted mind fuck to me.
Great insight on 28 Days Later – I totally love that film (and I can’t stand zombie flicks). I’m also excited to see Jacob’s Ladder in there – it might be the best movie that Macauly Culkin was ever involved in, definitely the best movie Jason Alexander ever took part in. Jacob’s Ladder makes me wanna learn all the words to Sonny Boy… if I ever have a son, that is. I think you might have overlooked Stanley Kubrick’s contribution to making The Shining great. Not to diminish any of the other participant’s role in its success, but that film is classic Kubrick!
Yeah, for the most part, I agree with your list. I like the fact that you put the Changeling and White Noise in there cause they’re chillers to the bones and underrated, but just curious, where the fuck is An American Werewolf In London? That Transformation scene is still so sick even by today’s standards, and it puts the CGI crap nowdays to shame.
great list!!!
I watch everybody is busy penning their list of best scary movies. So, somebody has to list the worst ones. So, here is my list.
1. The Exorcist: Yes, of course, this excruciatingly nauseating & painful-to-watch movie undeniably bags the credit of being the stupidest stuff of all time with it’s all vulgar on screen portrayal & funny graphics, let alone the funniest sound effects & morbid rank bad acting. What that puking lollipop girl smeared with some blood stain was doing all the time. Actually the scariest thing about this sh**ingly funny movie is that a whole generation bragged it to be one of the scariest movies of all time, let alone that comment in many other blogs by many spin-head gore-champs that it has clearly stood the taste of time as the scariest one. Yes, of course it has… but as the dumbest, funniest & most nauseating movie of all time.Any doubt? Just slough off from the world of bigotry & ask the rest of the world who made films like Suspiria, Ringu, Ju-on, Monihara & so many else.I think this people, themselves need to be exorcised first and feel the scariest movie ever made for them should have been Casper…lol. Anyway, will anybody please come up and rename The Exorcist as Baby’s Shit Out.
2. Halloween: What that funny guy, Mr. Myers, was doing all the time masquerading & busy in meaningless weird activities that led to a stashed slasher for the dunderhead gore champs. An all time stuff of third class fun. Definitely, it needs a great polishing work by some another Carpenter.
3. Storm of the Century: Brainstorming of the century that why some people consider this never ending painful & pointless movie as the scariest. Better f**k up & see The Perfect Storm -a much better & much much more serious stuff. Anyway, sacrificing a child… see Sophie’s Choice & go, get what real life horror is.
4. House of 1000 Corpses: The name must have hinted to the fleapit that had arranged the premier show and some thousand spin-head gore champs who had devoured that shit in that show. Anyway, the name could easily have been ‘1000 corpses & one Zombie’. Give me back my money & time. Anyway, the idea is not also an original, clearly stolen from Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
5. The Evil Dead: The director dead, the actors dead, the spot boys dead, the cameraman dead, the light man dead and finally we, the ill fated audience dead. Dead & dead drunk with this soporific, pornographic monstrous movie. Omg, omg! It should have been a Rob Moron movie.
6. Night of the Living Dead: Another all dead and all cock-a-hoop nonsense…a meaningless death orgy. Gosh! Is there nobody worth his salt, who can perish these movies for ever from the history of films & get my crush on him?
7. Carrie: Sissy, even Jim Carrey is scarier than that lunatic, outrageous, socially outcast poor girl. I feel pity for her. This is a mournful movie at its best, depicting how insane the society is to an individual with slightest weirdness that bars the social order. This is a good mediocre film, but describing it as a horror movie is by itself a horror story.
8. Poltergeist: It’s hard to believe that the same man, who gave us the gloom portrayal of Nazi Zeitgeist in Schindler’s List, also gave us this freak, even though as a co-author. This is absolutely a crow film…a crow film…and a crow film. The least u say the better.
9. The Thing: I Just saw this thing wondering why this thing, The Thing, should not be renamed as ‘A Huge Mound of Shit’. When that guy retires and rids us from his carpentry work. This freaky stuff can only attract E.T.s with nuts. Here I go better and read Who Goes There?
10. Candyman: A good Rosy stuff for the porcelain boys & candy perfume girls. Anyway, the idea behind the purported legend of chanting his name is totally copied from the Persian legend Aladdin. Being a film of zero originality, it shud be perished for one single reason…tampering with a beautiful story The Forbidden by Clive Barker.
11.Village of the Damned: A Blog shud be tagged as Blog of the Damned if such a silly stuff finds its place there. Dudes, make one point clear to me. Did all those little human looking creatures brush their eyes with toothpaste by mistake…otherwise how their eyeballs were shining so brightly…really a point to ponder? This might be wrong. Then certainly did they have lights fitted in those cavities…lol. At least they don’t need to use torch lights during load shedding. Can I have one of them & save some money?
12. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Massacre of history of film making, reel after reel relentlessly with its sub-standard bizarre graphic violence & meaningless carnage. If it’s truly based on the notorious Ed Gein, then I’d definitely see either Psycho or Silence of the Lambs… far more superior in all respects.
13. Friday the13th. It may rank the thirteenth, the fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth…anywhere but shud never be missed out in any list of twenty worst scary movies of all time, a cliché of sex equaling carnage.
14. A Nightmare on Elm Street: Shit, A Nightmare on Elm…Shit! Being a shitting prototype of the worse Halloween, it seriously puts a question mark on the reputation of Michael Myers being the funniest character of all time… until the emergence of Fred Krueger. It’s a classic example of how a mediocre film maker can transform a superb social subtext for the adolescents into a nonsensical typo of slasher sub genre.
15.The Descent: Again stuff for the gore champs, with portrayal of grotesque humanoids in funny make-up, even make-up of Mountain of Cannibal God was far more superior. The only good thing about the film is that it proves that not only the Americans, but the British may also fall in the same manner, though fewer times.
BTW: I really wonder how on earth these aforesaid movies can sit in the same league with The Shining, Salem’s Lot, Silence of Lambs, Ringu etc…gosh! Anyway, friends how about ranking Cast Away as the sixth best scariest one that really cast a spell on us, a psychological fear of loosing the beloved ones, a fear of getting doomed all of a sudden…a superlative treatment definitely.
Holy crap…. that should be the post and the post should be a response!
Kaiderman recently posted..MILFcast aka: the Man I Love Films podcast Episode9
Last evening I was standing for a while in the darkest corner of my balcony -dumbstruck with my eyes completely gouged out in fear. Just few minutes before, Se7en had ended on my personal 21″ big screen. I was almost to give this superbly twisted creepy psychological slasher stuff the No. 1 spot, if there was not one The Ring.Few months back, I was almost on the verge of destroying the same TV set after that bizarre demon from the hell had been cast with all its Stygian gloom looming large on my blue screen. It was something more than scary. It was eerie to watch that demonic girl Samara Morgan popping out of the well…then coming towards the screen tiptoeing weirdly with that bizarre never-heard-before humming, that too on a TV screen, that means she was coming towards you actually…then crawled out of your set leering through her long black tresses…also that disturbing video tape careening ominously on the screen…down with Hideo Nakata for importing this completely outlandish alien idea of blurring the boundary between real life & reel life -life reeling after death in this new bizarre version of horror movie sub genre.Kubrick’s Shining also comes very close to these two with its famous hallway scene and the twin sisters…ohh, all hell was let loose with that. Never see these movies and let The Tingler go down the spine…never Wait Until Dark. So, you get my list of five. Your text goes here
everything good except jaws come on number 4 least scary ever.
I don’t find the Shining scary… am I alone on that?
No Paranormal??? WTFrack???
And how could you not shimmy in a MILFcast plug in after Body Snatchers.
I’m dying to see it even more now!
Kaiderman recently posted..MILFcast aka: the Man I Love Films podcast Episode9
The ’70s — ah, back when horror had NOTHING TO DO with torture porn! My top two choices, “Halloween” and “Black Christmas,” come from the ’70s. So does “The Brood,” an early David Cronenberg.
M. Carter @ the Movies recently posted..My thought on today
I am so glad 28 Days Later is in this list, otherwise I might have yawned. Perhaps a list of the top ten scariest films made AFTER 2000…. perhaps?
Rodney recently posted..Rabbit Hole Trailer here
I honeslty didnt find the Excorsist that scary O_O I bet im probably alone on that. I just didnt find anything scary about it. But of course the spider walk scene was pretty freaky O_O it will haunt me forever. lol but all in all though this is a pretty good list. Freddy Kruegar is my idol by the way! haha
You got the date of the Shining wrong by ten years
How is the ring not in here??? Or The unborn??
because The Ring sucked if you’re talking about the American version. The Jap on wasn’t much better.
eh…wheres pet sematary
eh…wheres pet sematary?