Favorite horror movies/recommendations

Started by seamus, Oct 24, 2010, 07:42 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Hawkeye

Hey,
It's that time of year.  What are your favorite horror movies?  With the time to Halloween winding down, what 5 movies do I NEED to watch to get me in that gut-wrenching, just-wet-myself, scared-stiff mood that we all love?

I just ordered some GWAR DVD's to fulfill some of the bloodlust:
Skullhead Face
Phallus in Wonderland
It's Sleazy
Tour de Scum

This list looks decent:
http://www.best-horror-movies.com/100-best-horror-films.html
We could.

TheBigChicken

I LOVE The Howling and An American Werewolf In London......love me some werewolves....
the fruit bats love makin' made all the kids cry

Sticky Icky Green Stuff

event horizon scared the shit out of me when I was younger.

Jaimoe

That's a good list, but I'm no fan of some of the order. The old classics should be higher given their influence and timeless cinematic mastery.

Here's 5:

You can't go wrong with the Frankenstein trilogy (Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein), Dracula and the original Mummy. In fact, I think Frankenstein is the greatest horror movie of all time and one of Hollywood's best movies ever.

Speaking of classics, everyone should do themselves a favour and watch/rent/buy the horror/comedy classic that started it all: Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein: http://www.allmovie.com/work/abbott-and-costello-meet-frankenstein-574

Outside of my Top 5 is my favourite series of all time: The Evil Dead Trilogy (Evil Dead II is a horror/comedy masterpiece and the first film is more horror low-budget).

I also tend to love cult over bigger budget:

The Re-Animator (HP Lovecraft story directed by the great Stuart Gordon and starring the equally great Jeffry Combs)
Bubba Ho-Tep is fantastic and funny too (Bruce Campbell as an aged Elvis fighting a mummy must be seen)
Ringu
Blair Witch
The Shining (no cult, but pretty darn perfect)
Alien
Dog Soldiers (werewolf film, by the same director of The Descent)
The Descent
The Devil's Rejects
Near Dark
The Wicker Man (original, not Cage's unintentional howler)
Burnt Offerings
The Changeling (not the impossibly dramatic Angelina Jolie flick)
Shaun of the Dead

Also, most of the Hammer films from the '50s and '60s are creepy and generally great; most star Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.

And David Cronenberg is a horror master for a reason. Check out his influential low to larger budgeters: Shivers, Rabid, Scanners, Videodrome, Dead Ringers, The Fly.

In truth, there's one TV show that has better horror concepts and plot ideas than most feature films do nowadays: Supernatural.

I love horror, almost as much as westerns.



Hawkeye

Thanks Jaimoe!  Your love of horror oozes out of you  ;)  I've got Bubba Ho-Tep on the DVR...might have to watch that one tonight.  Need to get me some Netflix soon!
We could.

Jaimoe

QuoteThanks Jaimoe!  Your love of horror oozes out of you  ;)  I've got Bubba Ho-Tep on the DVR...might have to watch that one tonight.  Need to get me some Netflix soon!

I saw Bubba Ho-Tep's second screening of the Toronto International Film Festival in 2002. Director Don Coscarelli (director/creator of the Phantasm franchise) did a Q&A after the screening. Two nights before was the film's international premiere (at the TIFF) where both Coscarelli and Bruce Campbell did the Q&A. I couldn't make that screening, but I've met Bruce three times so it doesn't matter so much. I love this flick. Without revealing too much, it's a wonderful but inconventional homage to Elvis and John F Kennedy. It's laugh out funny too.

On an aside, it's impossible to come up with just 5 favourite horror movies since I believe categories should always be included: classics, cult, big-budget, foreign, horror/comedy etc...

And monster movies such as King Kong and Godzilla need their own category. And I love monster movies too, so the recent Korean blockbuster, The Host, would fall into my best monster movie list. Some of the actors from Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance are in the film (the awesome revenge trilogy is a must-see: Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance). The star of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and The Host (Song Kang-ho) also recently starred in the fantastic new Korean vampire movie, Thirst, directed by the great Chan-wook Park, of Vengeance trilogy fame.

Sticky Icky Green Stuff

which freddie movie is the one where he kills the wizard wheelchair kid?  and pumps that one bitch with weird hair with heroin?  I think it's the 3rd one.  that shit gave me the sweats when I was a young one.  Fire in the Sky was scary fuck.  Alien is one of the best movies ever so I feel weird calling it a horror movie.

Jaimoe

Quote Alien is one of the best movies ever so I feel weird calling it a horror movie.

But it is though, although you could just as easily refer to it as a sci-fi/horror hybrid. Horror is no different than westerns, drama or war movies. Quality is quality no matter the genre. I remember how groundbreaking Alien was when it was released. Nothing was quite like it at the time. And the John Hurt dinner scene is still just as shocking today.

Sticky Icky Green Stuff

Quote
Quote Alien is one of the best movies ever so I feel weird calling it a horror movie.

But it is though, although you could just as easily refer to it as a sci-fi/horror hybrid. Horror is no different than westerns, drama or war movies. Quality is quality no matter the genre. I remember how groundbreaking Alien was when it was released. Nothing was quite like it at the time. And the John Hurt dinner scene is still just as shocking today.

I know but it's in another realm even if it is a "horror" movie.  it's like you're a saying a hybrid, action/science fiction/horror.  Alien feels realistic even tho it's bullshit.

Jaimoe

Quote
Quote
Quote Alien is one of the best movies ever so I feel weird calling it a horror movie.

But it is though, although you could just as easily refer to it as a sci-fi/horror hybrid. Horror is no different than westerns, drama or war movies. Quality is quality no matter the genre. I remember how groundbreaking Alien was when it was released. Nothing was quite like it at the time. And the John Hurt dinner scene is still just as shocking today.

I know but it's in another realm even if it is a "horror" movie.  it's like you're a saying a hybrid, action/science fiction/horror.  Alien feels realistic even tho it's bullshit.

And it's that realism that makes it fucking terrifying. Also, Scott did an incredible job of keeping the "alien" veiled for most of the film, which only adds to the claustrophobia and unseen doom.

Some movies cross over into other genres, and Alien is a perfect example of this.

Oh, am I the only one that finds elements of 2001 scary as hell? I also find the first half of the original Planet of the Apes spooky (when they crash and start exploring the desert).

hacksaw

OMG FUN THREAD 4 SURE YALL!

K...

Scream 3...cuz I got my first ever BJ in the movie theater during it.

the Halloween franchise...def my favorite slasher flicks.

omg Paranormal Activity gave me nightmares for a few days...

The Changeling is soo spooky. Def the best haunted house flick ever. Will give ya the heebie jeebies if you have any imagination at all.


Sticky Icky Green Stuff

Quote
Quote
Quote
Quote Alien is one of the best movies ever so I feel weird calling it a horror movie.

But it is though, although you could just as easily refer to it as a sci-fi/horror hybrid. Horror is no different than westerns, drama or war movies. Quality is quality no matter the genre. I remember how groundbreaking Alien was when it was released. Nothing was quite like it at the time. And the John Hurt dinner scene is still just as shocking today.

I know but it's in another realm even if it is a "horror" movie.  it's like you're a saying a hybrid, action/science fiction/horror.  Alien feels realistic even tho it's bullshit.

And it's that realism that makes it fucking terrifying. Also, Scott did an incredible job of keeping the "alien" veiled for most of the film, which only adds to the claustrophobia and unseen doom.

Some movies cross over into other genres, and Alien is a perfect example of this.

Oh, am I the only one that finds elements of 2001 scary as hell? I also find the first half of the original Planet of the Apes spooky (when they crash and start exploring the desert).

yeah for sure, wasn't it hitchcock that made that famous or whatever? "it's scarier when you don't see the monster.." or whatever mentality.

haha planet of the apes isn't scary wtf dude?  

Jaimoe

Quote
Quote
Quote
Quote
Quote Alien is one of the best movies ever so I feel weird calling it a horror movie.

But it is though, although you could just as easily refer to it as a sci-fi/horror hybrid. Horror is no different than westerns, drama or war movies. Quality is quality no matter the genre. I remember how groundbreaking Alien was when it was released. Nothing was quite like it at the time. And the John Hurt dinner scene is still just as shocking today.

I know but it's in another realm even if it is a "horror" movie.  it's like you're a saying a hybrid, action/science fiction/horror.  Alien feels realistic even tho it's bullshit.

And it's that realism that makes it fucking terrifying. Also, Scott did an incredible job of keeping the "alien" veiled for most of the film, which only adds to the claustrophobia and unseen doom.

Some movies cross over into other genres, and Alien is a perfect example of this.

Oh, am I the only one that finds elements of 2001 scary as hell? I also find the first half of the original Planet of the Apes spooky (when they crash and start exploring the desert).

yeah for sure, wasn't it hitchcock that made that famous or whatever? "it's scarier when you don't see the monster.." or whatever mentality.

haha planet of the apes isn't scary wtf dude?  

I said "spooky", referring to the scenes when they crash and travel down the river in the raft. Anyway, I love the original Apes film.

peafunk31

I'm only going to mention 1....

Audition - it will scare the crap out of you & you'll probably never date a timid girl again!
Homer no function beer well without.

Sticky Icky Green Stuff

"god damn you dirty apes" is classic.  Do you think the movie was about hippies?

Jaimoe

Quote"god damn you dirty apes" is classic.  Do you think the movie was about hippies?

No, but some of the themes reflected the Cold War and Peace and Love ideals.  

ManNamedTruth

That's a pretty good list, agree with Jaimoe that some classics should be higher - like Rosemary's Baby. I'm not really into gore, I prefer thrillers, classic and foreign horrors. That list covers a lot of what I like - The Shining, Tale Of Two Sisters, Psycho, Let The Right One In, The Orphanage, Jacob's Ladder, etc.... I'll add The Devil's Backbone, Repulsion, and Angel Heart (film noir crossed with supernatural thriller) as my recommendations since I didn't see them on that list. Jaimoe also mentioned Thirst witch is great too.
That's motherfuckin' John Oates!

Sticky Icky Green Stuff

Quote
Quote"god damn you dirty apes" is classic.  Do you think the movie was about hippies?

No, but some of the themes reflected the Cold War and Peace and Love ideals.  

so close.

capt. scotty

Quoteevent horizon scared the shit out of me when I was younger.

thats the scariest/creepiest/nightmare-enducing movie Ive ever seen. First saw it when I was probably 13-14 and had to watch sportscenter for an hour afterwards because I couldnt/didnt want to sleep after watching that movie. Never had to do that with any other movie. There's literally a handful of scenes that stay in your head for a few weeks afterwards
The thing is, Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care. - Peter Gibbons

capt. scotty

QuoteThat's a pretty good list, agree with Jaimoe that some classics should be higher - like Rosemary's Baby. I'm not really into gore, I prefer thrillers, classic and foreign horrors. That list covers a lot of what I like - The Shining, Tale Of Two Sisters, Psycho, Let The Right One In, The Orphanage, Jacob's Ladder, etc.... I'll add The Devil's Backbone, Repulsion, and Angel Heart (film noir crossed with supernatural thriller) as my recommendations since I didn't see them on that list. Jaimoe also mentioned Thirst witch is great too.

big fan of both Jacob's Ladder and Angel Heart. Sticky, I think you'd love Jacob's Ladder if youve never seen it.
The thing is, Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care. - Peter Gibbons