Top 11 Favourite Horror Movies of all Time

[Darth Knox]

I'm just about to go to bed, but as I'm hoping for bad dreams, I thought why not post something more gruesome. Horror movies (can be) great, either because of the adrenaline rush they produce or because you can vicariously experience complex and extreme emotions and emotional content. So, in the immortal words of Scream: "What's your favourite scary movie? Please make sure to read all the rules before posting

Rules of the game:
- You are only allowed to pick 11 horror movies (that's 10 with a bonus pick)
- Only THREE Honourable mentions are allowed
- Your choices DO NOT have to be in order of favourites
- Your picks can be THEATRICALLY released movies
- You can only choose individual movies, NOT an entire franchise (For example, you cannot choose the entire Nightmare on Elm Street franchise)

Wikipedia definition of a horror movie - A Horror movie is a movie genre that seeks to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on their fears.

By that definition, movies like Ghostbusters, Shaun of the Dead or Zombieland are NOT eligible (as they have too much of a comedy element).

Please remember - That all opinions on horror movies are subjective. There are no wrong or right answers for the horror movies you love, so no putting down other peoples picks if they choose someone you disagree with.

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[Darth Knox]

I love horror movies. Some of the earliest books I remember really loving (when I wasn't reading comics) were by HG Wells, Stephen King, James Herbert and Edgar Allen Poe. In my youth I always used to love programming the vcr to record late night showings of old Universal monster movies or Hammer Horror films. The genre has had lots of ups and downs of the decades and as a lifelong fan of the genre this was probably the hardest list for me (personally speaking).
My picks:

  1- Alien - A horror movie set in space, where the acting, story and effects hold up even to this day.

  2- Poltergeist - Reinforced a fear of clowns in many a child as well as spawned many ancient burial ground parodies/spoofs. And th
       effects and scares are still great

  3- An American Werewolf in London - Still to this day the best transformation from man to werewolf in cinematic history. Plus, Jenny
       Agutter.

  4- Scream - Reinvigorated both the horror genre and the slasher movie.

  5- Cabin in the Woods - A modern classic that reinvigorated the "good looking teens in a remote location" genre.

  6- The Fly ( 1986) - One of David Cronenborg's finest body horror movies that gave us "Brundlefly"

  7- The Lost Boys - "Sleep all day. Party all night Never Grow old. Never die. It's fun to be a vampire." In my opinion, the greatest
       vampire ever made

  8- Interview with the Vampire - Gothic, erotic, terrifying, with great performances from Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Antonis Banderas and a
       child Kirsten Dunst

  9- Let The Right One In (2008 Swedish original) - A modern vampire movie that is simply brilliant

10- Hostel - Not the first horror movie to ever do torture porn, but one of my favourites

11- Saw - Before it became a franchise and lost the uniqueness that made the premise so chilling, the first film was a great example of low budget atmospheric storytelling in a movie.

Honourable mentions:
Candyman, Fright Night, The Thing (1982)

[scifidude79]

Not my favorite genre, but I have enough that I like to put up a list.

1. Alien
2. Vampires (1998 John Carpenter film)
3. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992, Gary Oldman as the Count)
4. Dracula (1931, Bela LUgosi as the Count)
5. Frankenstein (1931, Boris Karloff)
6. The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
7. The Mummy (1932, Karloff again)
8. The Wolf Man (1941, Lon Chaney Jr.)
9. Gojira (1954, the original Godzilla movie that launched the franchise)
10. King Kong (1933)
11. The Return of Godzilla (1984)

Note: Both Godzialla films are the Japanese originals, not the American versions where they changed things and added scenes with Raymond Burr.

Honorable mentions: Pitch Black, The Thing from Another World (1951) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Anywho, that's my list.  Like I said, not my best genre, but enough there that I like.  I generally prefer horror films with creatures or monsters, and vampire films.

[Majobu5]

Interview with a Vampire? A horror?? Not in my opinion. I enjoy it, but don't view it as a horror. I'm surprised it's classified as horror, from wiki and inaccuratemdb

[scifidude79]

Vampires are almost immediately classified as horror.  The subject matter itself is horrifying.  There are, of course, exceptions.  Underworld showed us vampires more as immortal beings fighting to keep a powerful enemy at bay, as more action heroes than anything else.  And, of course, Twilight was.... different.  However, most vampire films are considered horror.

[LivingBrain]

Important question: Does EVIL DEAD II count?

Also, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS?

[Majobu5]

Vampires are almost immediately classified as horror.  The subject matter itself is horrifying.  There are, of course, exceptions.  Underworld showed us vampires more as immortal beings fighting to keep a powerful enemy at bay, as more action heroes than anything else.  And, of course, Twilight was.... different.  However, most vampire films are considered horror.

I find it more a Drama than Horror. Has horror elements

Important question: Does EVIL DEAD II count?

Also, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS?

Silence of the Lambs is more of a Thriller and Crime Drama, I'd think. Haven't seen Evil Dead 2, although I know it's a Comedy/Horror. Leave that up to the proprietor

[LivingBrain]

Silence of the Lambs is more of a Thriller and Crime Drama, I'd think. Haven't seen Evil Dead 2, although I know it's a Comedy/Horror. Leave that up to the proprietor

(I'm hoping to get a pass on both because my list won't be complete without 'em)

(Also you should see EVIL DEAD II)

[Majobu5]

(I'm hoping to get a pass on both because my list won't be complete without 'em)

(Also you should see EVIL DEAD II)

I've just missed it. Seen Evil Dead, seen army of Darkness.. just eluded me

[LivingBrain]

I've just missed it. Seen Evil Dead, seen army of Darkness.. just eluded me

It low-key might be the best one. At the very least, it's the most revolutionary. Edgar Wright (dunno if you know him) got much of his editing style from it.

[Hansrad]

Evil Dead II is great. It's hilarious and creepy at the same time.

[LivingBrain]

Evil Dead II is great. It's hilarious and creepy at the same time.

I think this clip best sums the movie up.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOpcdJ_V5_M" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOpcdJ_V5_M</a>

[Hansrad]

1. The Thing (1982)
2. Christine (1983)
3. Event Horizon (1997)
4. The Haunting (1999)
5. Thir13en Ghosts (2001)
6. The Relic (1997)
7. The Mist (2007)
8. Hellraiser (1987)
9. In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
10. Evil Dead II (1987)
11. Alien (1979)

Honorable mentions: Army of Darkness (1992), The Dead Zone (1983), The Prophecy (1995)

[Darth Knox]

Interview with a Vampire? A horror?? Not in my opinion. I enjoy it, but don't view it as a horror. I'm surprised it's classified as horror, from wiki and inaccuratemdb

Obviously you are entitled to your opinion. However, it is officially classified as a horror movie. So 

Important question: Does EVIL DEAD II count?

Also, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS?

Evil Dead 2 is considered a Comedy-Horror, so (like the movies mentioned in the rules) it would not be eligible.

Silence of the Lambs is considered a Horror-Thriller, so is fine for you list.

[LivingBrain]

Evil Dead 2 is considered a Comedy-Horror, so (like the movies mentioned in the rules) it would not be eligible.

Silence of the Lambs is considered a Horror-Thriller, so is fine for you list.

  Your put-down of EVIL DEAD II is a mark on your film fan record.

Also,

 5- Cabin in the Woods - A modern classic that reinvigorated the "good looking teens in a remote location" genre.

I refer you to this article:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cabin_in_the_Woods

1. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
2. THE EVIL DEAD (1981)
3. THE THING (1982)
4. HALLOWEEN (1978)
5. A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)
6. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2
7. THE EXORCIST (1973)
8. THE SHINING (1980)
9. ALIEN
10. ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968)
11. PSYCHO (1960)

Honorable Mentions: THE EXORCIST III, RE-ANIMATOR, THE OMEN (1976)

The most fun part of this was compiling the years for all of the films that were remade.