1 - The Exorcist - Only a movie this scary, this disturbing, this powerful could top The Shining for the number one spot on the list of the best horror movies of all time. As I mentioned earlier movies with a religious theme seem to evoke more powerful responses from people and that is certainly the case in this highly disturbing film about demonic possession. Though I am not old enough to have seen this 1973 film when it came out in theaters, my parents did, and they told me that people walked out of the theaters in droves during the movie, physically or spiritually sickened by what they were seeing. I can think of no higher praise for the power of a horror film.
2 - The Shining - Stephen King winds up as a runner-up on this list of the scariest movies ever made, and it was by only the narrowest of margins that his horror masterpiece was edged out. Jack Nicholson is absolutely perfectly cast as father, novelist and hotel caretaker Jack Torrance who loses his grip on sanity due to a combination of cabin fever and a haunting presence in the hotel. A spine-shivering downward spiral of psychopathic violent behavior ensues. This collaboration of the disturbed minds of novelist Stephen King, director Stanley Kubrick and actor Jack Nicholson make The Shining indescribably creepy. No matter how many times you've seen it, watch it again. It will never fail to spook you.
3 - Halloween - As I mentioned above, music can really set the mood of a scary movie and John Carpenter's Halloween is one of only two movies that features a scarier soundtrack than The Omen. Whenever that music starts playing you'll find yourself holding your breath as you wait to see what horrors homicidal maniac Michael Myers will visit on his victims. Like most popular horror franchises this one spawned plenty of bloody sequels, including the dreadful Halloween H20, but none could come close to the high standard set by the original.
4 - Rosemary's Baby - If someone asked me to pick a movie I would define as "spooky" Rosemary's Baby would be the film I would choose. This movie is one of those rare films that can really alter your mood, and leave you feeling out of sorts and disturbed for days after the final credits roll, and the film gave American audiences a good look at just how great a talent director Roman Polanski would become.
5- The Sixth Sense - One of the best twists in movie history earns M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense a deserving spot in the top 10 horror movies of all time. Veteran action star Bruce Willis and talented newcomer Haley Joel Osment team up in this clever ghost story. I won't say more in case you haven't seen it yet. If not, what are you still reading this for? Go out and rent it!
6- An American Werewolf in London - Arguably the best werewolf movie ever made, An American Werewolf in London will leave you afraid to go out in the mist. This was another film that I saw as a kid and had nightmares about it for a long time after.
7 - Dawn of the Dead - George A. Romero makes another appearance on the list of the scariest horror movies of all time. This time he's got a budget, and he makes good use of it. The action picks up where Night of the Living Dead leaves off, and a group of survivors must battle through hordes of flesh eating zombies to try and preserve civilization as they know it.
8 - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The title absolutely screams classic horror gore fest, and that is exactly what this 1974 cult classic horror film is. Leatherface, one of a whole family of cannibalistic psychopaths, is one of the genre's biggest icons, and this movie is one of those that is not only scary, but deeply disturbing as well. Don't bother with the various sequels or remakes, but make sure you have the original in your DVD collection to terrorize your significant other from time to time.
9 - The Thing - A remake of 1951's The Thing from Another World director John Carpenter's 1982 version, shortened to just The Thing was the first real gruesome horror film I had ever seen and one I remember to this day. Dogs ripping open and turning inside out, severed heads sprouting legs. This one gave me nightmares for a long time. Despite being more than 25 years old now it still delivers the shivers. If you haven't seen it lately, or at all definitely give this DVD a rental.
10- The Omen - Often the scariest films are those with religious overtones, and this movie about a young child named Damien who is the Antichrist in the flesh was one of the darkest, most disturbing movies of the 70s. Gregory Peck stars as the father, who is horrified to learn what his son actually is. However, as great as the performances are the haunting music is just as responsible for the creepiness of this film. The Academy apparently agreed as they awarded The Omen an Oscar that year for Best Music, Original Score.
2 - The Shining - Stephen King winds up as a runner-up on this list of the scariest movies ever made, and it was by only the narrowest of margins that his horror masterpiece was edged out. Jack Nicholson is absolutely perfectly cast as father, novelist and hotel caretaker Jack Torrance who loses his grip on sanity due to a combination of cabin fever and a haunting presence in the hotel. A spine-shivering downward spiral of psychopathic violent behavior ensues. This collaboration of the disturbed minds of novelist Stephen King, director Stanley Kubrick and actor Jack Nicholson make The Shining indescribably creepy. No matter how many times you've seen it, watch it again. It will never fail to spook you.
3 - Halloween - As I mentioned above, music can really set the mood of a scary movie and John Carpenter's Halloween is one of only two movies that features a scarier soundtrack than The Omen. Whenever that music starts playing you'll find yourself holding your breath as you wait to see what horrors homicidal maniac Michael Myers will visit on his victims. Like most popular horror franchises this one spawned plenty of bloody sequels, including the dreadful Halloween H20, but none could come close to the high standard set by the original.
4 - Rosemary's Baby - If someone asked me to pick a movie I would define as "spooky" Rosemary's Baby would be the film I would choose. This movie is one of those rare films that can really alter your mood, and leave you feeling out of sorts and disturbed for days after the final credits roll, and the film gave American audiences a good look at just how great a talent director Roman Polanski would become.
5- The Sixth Sense - One of the best twists in movie history earns M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense a deserving spot in the top 10 horror movies of all time. Veteran action star Bruce Willis and talented newcomer Haley Joel Osment team up in this clever ghost story. I won't say more in case you haven't seen it yet. If not, what are you still reading this for? Go out and rent it!
6- An American Werewolf in London - Arguably the best werewolf movie ever made, An American Werewolf in London will leave you afraid to go out in the mist. This was another film that I saw as a kid and had nightmares about it for a long time after.
7 - Dawn of the Dead - George A. Romero makes another appearance on the list of the scariest horror movies of all time. This time he's got a budget, and he makes good use of it. The action picks up where Night of the Living Dead leaves off, and a group of survivors must battle through hordes of flesh eating zombies to try and preserve civilization as they know it.
8 - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The title absolutely screams classic horror gore fest, and that is exactly what this 1974 cult classic horror film is. Leatherface, one of a whole family of cannibalistic psychopaths, is one of the genre's biggest icons, and this movie is one of those that is not only scary, but deeply disturbing as well. Don't bother with the various sequels or remakes, but make sure you have the original in your DVD collection to terrorize your significant other from time to time.
9 - The Thing - A remake of 1951's The Thing from Another World director John Carpenter's 1982 version, shortened to just The Thing was the first real gruesome horror film I had ever seen and one I remember to this day. Dogs ripping open and turning inside out, severed heads sprouting legs. This one gave me nightmares for a long time. Despite being more than 25 years old now it still delivers the shivers. If you haven't seen it lately, or at all definitely give this DVD a rental.
10- The Omen - Often the scariest films are those with religious overtones, and this movie about a young child named Damien who is the Antichrist in the flesh was one of the darkest, most disturbing movies of the 70s. Gregory Peck stars as the father, who is horrified to learn what his son actually is. However, as great as the performances are the haunting music is just as responsible for the creepiness of this film. The Academy apparently agreed as they awarded The Omen an Oscar that year for Best Music, Original Score.
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