It’s Halloween, and since they won’t let me go trick or treating any more, the kid in me can’t resist tossing out a Top 10 Horror Films list for you to accept, reject and add to! Remember, horror films are like clothes - everybody’s tastes are different. I tend toward older films and must confess I have not seen a lot of the new movies because I consider them, generally, to be gorefests unworthy of my time (yes, I know there are exceptions and I’m sure you will point them out).
It’s hard to rate one good horror film over another, so these rankings are very loose (i.e., 1 through 4 might as well be pulled out of a hat), and I could be argued out of a change in position very easily. That said, here are RickG’s Top 10 Horror Movies Ever:
1. Halloween (1978) - John Carpenter’s tribute to Hitchcock, it started the “modern” wave of horror films (most of them substandard, such as “Friday the 13th”). Lots of shadows, not too gory, but with plenty of nervous-giggly bumps in the night. (Besides, why did it take until 1976 for someone to use this title?)
2. Psycho (1960) - What can I say (besides “Hitchcock!”)? Obviously, a coin toss away from No. 1 on this list.
3. The Omen (1976) - Is there anything scarier than the anti-Christ?
4. The Exorcist (1973) - Is there anything scarier than demon possession (except the anti-Christ)?
5. Alien (1979) - I don’t know about in space, but in theaters they sure can hear you scream.
6. Night of the Living Dead (1968) - Low budget classic that kept me afraid of dead people for years.
7. The Thing (from Another World) (1951) - The aliens really are out to get us - and James Arness is the head carrot! (Carpenter’s 1982 remake with Kurt Russell is not bad either.)
8. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - One of only two post-70s flicks in my top ten, it has a really creepy premise. Wes Craven should have stopped at one, though.
9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) - Is there anything scarier than your Mom not being your Mom (except, well, you know. . .)? The 1978 Donald Sutherland/Jeff Goldblum remake was mediocre (though with a clever cameo appearance by Kevin McCarthy, star of the original), and I haven’t yet seen Nicole Kidman’s 2007 version, “The Invasion”.
10. The Shining (1980) - Insanity is very scary (see “Psycho”). And who plays crazy better than Jack Nicholson?
Honorable Mention (in reverse chronological order): Gothika (2003); The Others (2001); Phantasm (1979); When a Stranger Calls (1979); Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954); Dracula (1931); Nosferatu (1922).
You can find the rundown any of these movies (or their stars) by simply typing in the name at IMDB.
Okay, it’s your turn. What top films did I omit from my list, and which ones don’t belong there? And which are ranked too low or high?
And remember, there’s no such thing as the Boogeyman.