When it comes to genre, I try to have a broad definition specifically to avoid boring coversations about whether or not a particular work belongs there. Does it have the trappings we expect in a horror story? Then it's horror. I'm not going to complain that Ghostbusters is on the list. And, really, after seeing a few scenes again for the first time in decades, I don't mind it being on the list. That cab driver was a little intense.
My choice is presented in no particular order and I am not claiming they are the ten
best. I simply cannot list the ten best, so I'm just listing movies which I think are notable and should be watched.
- Night of the Living Dead (1968): This one seems rather tame by today's standards, though there are some intense scenes depicting ghouls eating human flesh, but it created the modern zombie monster we all know and love. After a somewhat slow beginning, director George Romero hits the pedal to the metal and non-stop go, go, go until the end. This movie terrified kids at matinees when it was released.
- The Changeling (1980): If you haven't seen The Changeling starring George C. Scott, do yourself a favor and rent it. After the death of his wife and daughter, composer John Russell moves into a haunted mansion in Seattle, WA and uncovers the mystery behind the restless spirit. There is a scene that gave me chills when I first saw this when I was a child that gave me chills once again as an adult. Be warned, this movie is very slow paced compared to what we're used to today.
- The Thing (1982): It's shocking to me how John Carpenter's movie was a box office disappointment and panned by critics when it's so damned good. The cast is great, the writing tight, and the special effects are horrifying. I cannot recommend this movie enough.
- Alien (1979): I think we all know about this one. Another movie where the cast was great, the writing tight, and the special effects were fantastic.
- The Devil's Backbone (2001): Set in Spain during the Spanish Civil War, this movie is about a boy left at an orphanage who is haunted by a dead child. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, it's a great movie in a setting and era most of us aren't familiar with. It's in Spanish, so either learn the language or use subtitles.
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984): We all know who Freddy is. This is the movie that kicked off a franchise with diminishing returns. So successful, people used to call New Line Cinema "The house that Freddy built." Robert Englund plays Freddy Krueger, a dead dude who has returned to take vengeance on the children of the townsfolk who lynched him. This was a somewhat low budget movie that was unexpectedly successful. Wes Craven did a great job here.
- Near Dark (1987): is one of the few vampire movie I can think of that never uses the word vampire. Lance Henriksen leads a hillbilly family of blood suckers feeding across American when his daughter adds a new member. Jeanette Goldstein and Bill Paxton are also members of this little family.
- Dracula (1931): The Bela Lugosi classic is almost a century old. It might seem quaint by today's standards, but it's a good movie and Lugosi set the gold standard for cinema vampires. If you've never seen it, I encourage you to give it a chance.
- An American Werewolf in London (1981): I saw this movie when I was six or seven because my parents didn't love me. This movie is about a tourist in England who is attacked by a werewolf and starts howling and killing people at night. It's actually a horror/comedy and Jenny Agutter has a shower scene that isn't scary but it did make me feel funny.
- Frankenstein (1931): Another classic that's nearly it's 100th anniversary. It's a good movie with some iconic scenes and Boris Karloff defined the look of Frankenstein for the last 90 years. Quaint by our standards, but a nice movie.
