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“Night brings terror. Strange, alien forms move restlessly across the face of the earth. Fear, horror and death follow in their wake. The sky is dark; the moon has not yet risen; the stars seem too frightened to shine ..." --- Drake Douglas (introduction to Horrors)

Horrorphile - October 2006

50 horror movies you should see before you DIE!

October 12th 2006 07:06
… otherwise I’m gonna have to kill ya!

But seriously, these are in my opinion fifty of the most powerful, creepy, and gut-churning horror films ever made, and if you consider yourself a fan of horror then you should have seen at least half of these. If you’ve seen 45 or more then you’re a die-hard, gore-houndin’, terror-freakin’, True Believin’ horrorphile, and I salute you.
My criteria were movies that still hold potency in today’s viewing realm of overt cynicism and jaded sensibilities. But I had to be ruthless in my selection, as there were plenty more I could recommend.

All of these movies are available on DVD from legitimate international websites, however a few you may have to do some (grave) digging for.
Now let’s start tearing flesh!

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Germany, 1919) Directed by Robert Weine.
Nosferatu – A Symphony of Horror (Germany, 1922) Directed by F.W. Murnau
The Phantom of the Opera (US, 1925) Directed by Rupert Julian
Freaks (US, 1932) Directed by Tod Browning
Cat People (US, 1942) Directed by Jacques Tournier
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (US, 1956) Directed Don Seigel
Dracula (aka Horror of Dracula) (UK, 1958) Directed by Terence Fisher
Psycho (US, 1960) Directed Alfred Hitchcock
Night of the Living Dead (US, 1968) Directed by George Romero
Daughters of Darkness (Belgium/Italy/France/Germany, 1971) Directed by Harry Kumel
Twitch of the Death Nerve (Italy, 1971) Directed by Mario Bava
The Exorcist (US, 1973) Directed by William Friedkin
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (US, 1974) Directed by Tobe Hooper
Deep Red (Italy, 1975) Directed by Dario Argento
Shivers (Canada, 1975) Directed by David Cronenberg
Eraserhead (US, 1976) Directed by David Lynch
The Omen (US, 1976) Directed by Richard Donner
Suspiria (Italy, 1977) Directed by Dario Argento
Dawn of the Dead (US, 1978) Directed by George Romero
Phantasm (US, 1978) Directed by Don Coscarelli
Halloween (US, 1978) Directed by John Carpenter
Damien: Omen II (US, 1978) Directed by Don Taylor
Alien (US, 1979) Directed by Ridley Scott
Cannibal Holocaust (Italy/Colombia, 1980) Directed by Ruggero Deodato
The Shining (1980) Directed by Stanley Kubrick
The Howling (US, 1980) Directed by Joe Dante
An American Werewolf in London (US/UK, 1981) Directed by John Landis
Possession (Poland/Germany, 1981) Directed Andrzej Zulawski
The Thing (US, 1982) Directed by John Carpenter
Poltergeist (US, 1982) Directed by Tobe Hooper
The Evil Dead (US, 1982) Directed by Sam Raimi
Videodrome (Canada, 1983) Directed by David Cronenberg
A Nightmare on Elm Street (US, 1984) Directed by Wes Craven
Day of the Dead (US, 1985) Directed by George Romero
Demons (Italy, 1985) Directed by Lamberto Bava
Re-Animator (US, 1985) Directed by Stuart Gordon
The Fly (Canada, 1986) Directed by David Cronenberg
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 (US, 1986) Directed by Tobe Hooper
Opera (Italy, 1987) Directed by Dario Argento
Hellbound: Hellraiser II (UK, 1988) Directed by Tony Randel
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (US, 1990) Directed by John McNaughton
The Silence of the Lambs (US, 1991) Directed by Jonathon Demme
Braindead (NZ, 1991) Directed by Peter Jackson
Innocent Blood (aka A French Vampire in America) (US, 1992) Directed by John Landis
Dellamorte Dellamore (Italy, 1994) Directed by Michele Soavi
Ringu (Japan, 1998) Directed by Hideo Nakata
The Blair Witch Project (US, 1999) Directed by Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sanchez
Ju-on: The Grudge (Japan, 2003) Directed by Takashi Shimizu
Dawn of the Dead (US, 2004) Directed by Zack Snyder
The Hills Have Eyes (US, 2006) Directed by Alexandre Aja



* the images on this page were taken from the following wikipedia pages:
Dellamorte Dellamore (screen shot), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (screen shot) and Horror of Dracula (movie poster)
They are licensed from the GNU Free Document License

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: lists
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21 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Bryn

October 12th 2006 23:10


Horrorphile
Damn! I forgot to add The Descent (US, 2005) Directed by Neil Marshall.
No doubt a couple more will be mentioned that I will agree should have been included in the top 50. Dems da broken bones ... You get that on the big jobs.

Comment by Bryn

October 12th 2006 23:11


Horrorphile
... What's more, it's from the UK, not the US! Wake up and smell the coffee Bryn!

Comment by JohnDoe

October 13th 2006 00:04


Film & TV on DVD
Your text goes hereGood list my friend, not many I disagree with.

Im a huge Landis fan, but didn't think French Vampire lived up to expectations.

I dont rank Silence Of The Lambs. I like that it went for the doco feel and low key atmosphere, Friedkin style.
Shame Anthony Hopkins hams it up like a cartoon character and pulls you out of the fim everytime he is onscreen.
Michael Mann's ManHunter is the one I rank the highest of the Lecter films. I did enjoy the comedy and grand visuals of Hannibal which Hopkins style suited perfectly.


A few I would have liked to have seen on the list.

Nic Roeg's Don't Look Now
Peter Weir's Picnic at Hanging Rock
Peter Jacksons BrainDead
Takeshi Miike's Audition
Bill Paxton's Frailty
Lucky McKee's May
Stuart Gordon's Willard.

Comment by Hellvis

October 13th 2006 07:10


Earache Hotel
Great list. I've seen over half, but not over 45. I guess that makes me a fan, but not a die-hard fan. Will be rectifying that situation come holiday time (with some help from your list: thanks)

I would add Braindead, but I can understand why you wouldn't want to. I'd probably also add Shaun of the Dead, for being a spoof that payed repectful homage to its source material and was just a great movie.

Glad to see some older classic there too: like Caligari, Nosferatu, and Freaks (now that was some seriously fucked up shit).

Comment by Sisi

October 13th 2006 09:47
I haven't seen a single one - does that mean you're gonna kill me before I die? Oh the horror!

Comment by Always Eighteen

October 13th 2006 14:26


Always Eighteen
Have you ever seen Eraserhead by David Flynch?



That's one of my one time scariest flicks. The baby in the bandages with the alien head, and the moving chicken, and the pencils!


I remember watching "The Fly" as a kid.. that was one good movie!

Comment by Always Eighteen

October 13th 2006 14:27


Always Eighteen
Oops Eraserhead is already in your list. Good stuff!

Comment by Bryn

October 15th 2006 01:22


Horrorphile
Sisi ... I know where you live ... Your days and nights are numbered ... (twilight zone music)

Comment by Bryn

October 15th 2006 01:32


Horrorphile
Hellvis and JohnDoe,
What was I thinking?! I forgot Braindead! DOH! I worked on that bloody flick! Ha! And Yes, Shaun of the Dead was probaby the best horror comedy in years. I'm not a big fan of horror comedy actaully. Never have been. Call me old fashioned, but generally I prefer my horror dark and bitter.
Don't Look Now and Picnic at Hanging Rock are more psychological thrillers with supernatural tones. Less out and out horrors, whereas Silence, although it can be termed a thriller, has genuinely horrific sequences. It's overalll tone is more akin to horror, whereas the other two use atmospheric elements of "romance" ... (although you could argue Silence is a twisted romance!)
Hannibal was another that slipped through the net. I had Audition on the list, but then left it off when I was trying to keep the numbers down to fifty. I haven't seen Willard or May, and I didn't like Frailty. I think.
I may have to re-visit the list in a couple of months, after I've done more viewing ...

Comment by Sisi

October 15th 2006 04:30
Ohhh bring it on biatch! My best mate knows sword fighting...and my other best friend will kill you with her red shoe we're a triad to be reckoned with!

Comment by Bryn

October 15th 2006 08:23


Horrorphile
I am the army of the night.
I will use extreme prejudice.
Be afraid.
Be very afraid.

Comment by Hellvis

October 15th 2006 09:30


Earache Hotel
Yeah, horror comedy can be pretty crap (Scary Movie anyone?)

I think American Werewolf in London was a good horror movie with comedic elements, and both the original and the remake of Dawn of the Dead had some pretty funny moments.

If the focus is on the movie as a horror movie and not as a comedy, wth some laughs taking a backseat to the scary stuff, I think it can work really well.

Comment by Bryn

October 16th 2006 05:56


Horrorphile
Yeah, roger that Hellvis ...
Have you ever seen Parents ...? The 50s cannibal black comedy.

Comment by Hellvis

October 16th 2006 08:13


Earache Hotel
No I haven't seen Parents, but 50s, cannibal, and black comedy are four of my favourite words in the English language.

What's the lowdown?

Comment by Bryn

October 17th 2006 01:12


Horrorphile
Set in the 1950s a young boy starts to suspect his parents are not quite the normal suburban folk he first thought ... nightmares follow, along with gruesome discoveries with the household ...
Actually I haven't seen this flick in years ... Not sure if its available on DVD ... Do you live in Sydney, cos Dr What video will prbably have it ...

Comment by Hellvis

October 17th 2006 07:06


Earache Hotel
Nah, I come from Brisneyland, but Trash Video will probably have it.

I'm itchin' to have a movie marathon when the uni holidays begin.

Comment by Bryn

October 18th 2006 00:42


Horrorphile
Ahh, yes movie marathons!!
I've been working on my own horror festival to be screened "grindhouse" style (ie hardcore double-features with loads of popcorn, beer, maryjane, and interjections!) called A Taste for Blood

Comment by Eva W.

March 12th 2008 13:39


Life in Germany
Hello Bryn!

I've been an Orble member for a few months, but it wasn't until today that I discovered your excellent blog. I have to say that I've never seen anyone write so intelligently and articulately about horror films before. Great stuff!

I'm quite a fan of horror films myself (and I think that more girls should get into them! )

Keep up the good work.

Comment by Bryn

April 9th 2008 03:47


Horrorphile
Hi Eva,
sorry for the late reply, I've been on a five week honeymoon!
Thanks for the props, yes horror is a passion of mine, and it's a treat to be able to write about them with such freedom! Yay for Orble!! No doube I'll see you here more often!
Welcome to the Pleasure of Nightmares!

Comment by Highly Amused1

June 3rd 2008 02:28
Your text goes hereYour text goes hereCan anybody tell me the title of a horror movie from about 20 years ago, it was set in a cemetary and the 8 foot tall keeper used to take the remains of dead people and send them to another realm. When some kids broke into the cemetary, one was killed by a silver ball that chased them (it was suspended in the air) and once it found someone, it attached itself to their forehead and proceeded to drill into their brains.

Comment by Bryn

June 3rd 2008 04:47


Horrorphile
Highly Amused, you are talking baout one of my favourite horror movies, Phantasm, known in England and Australasia as The Never Dead. Superb sf-weirdass-horror crossover, made in 1978 on a low-budget, but ingeniously done. You can read my review here. Thanks for visiting the Darkness!

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