Elite Horror - Only The Best Of The Best
I've seen all sorts of best horror lists all over the place, and they all sucked. This is the truly great list. Mine...
Seriously tough, these are my select few elite horror favorites. One may ask why didn't I include other films that are sometimes classified as horror films; Ones that I have rated higher than other films on this list elsewhere on IMDb, such as The Fearless Vampire Killers for instance. That's because I don't really consider those films to truly be horror films. The Fearless Vampire Killers to me is a comedy if I had to classify it in a genre, as it is certainly much more so a comedy, than a horror. Does that mean I do consider Eraserhead to be a horror film? Definitely! And in fact the 2nd greatest of all time. This list is basically in my general order of preference. I feel pretty comfortable about the first 6 anyway, but other than those, it gets hard to separate one film from another in terms of how much I respect, appreciate and enjoy them.
I made myself limit the list to only 13, as that just seemed to make the most sense.
Seriously tough, these are my select few elite horror favorites. One may ask why didn't I include other films that are sometimes classified as horror films; Ones that I have rated higher than other films on this list elsewhere on IMDb, such as The Fearless Vampire Killers for instance. That's because I don't really consider those films to truly be horror films. The Fearless Vampire Killers to me is a comedy if I had to classify it in a genre, as it is certainly much more so a comedy, than a horror. Does that mean I do consider Eraserhead to be a horror film? Definitely! And in fact the 2nd greatest of all time. This list is basically in my general order of preference. I feel pretty comfortable about the first 6 anyway, but other than those, it gets hard to separate one film from another in terms of how much I respect, appreciate and enjoy them.
I made myself limit the list to only 13, as that just seemed to make the most sense.
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- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsJack NicholsonShelley DuvallDanny LloydA family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.As far as I'm concerned, this is by a good margin the best horror film ever made. The acting and the dialogue are as good as or better than any other horror film out there; And the look and feel of the film is simply mesmerizing. This is truly a masterful piece of storytelling that basically questions everything. Long before films like Dark City and The Matrix questioned reality, Stanley had done it with a much more subtle brilliance for yet the third time in his career, (Also see 2001 and Lolita). Who cares what Mr.King thought of this film. With all due respect, he's never created anything this good.
Another amazing thing about this work. After a few watches, the film starts to fade from being a creepy scary horror, and seems to reemerge into a truly hilarious and extremely artistic comedy. It never gets old. Just like... - DirectorDavid LynchStarsJack NanceCharlotte StewartAllen JosephHenry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child.Probably one of the hardest films in existence to watch, however that doesn't mean it isn't brilliant and also one of the best films of all time. How can one even put David Lynch into words? This film is without question a unique masterpiece in my view. Though if Eraserhead is somewhat reminiscent of anything in film history, it is without a doubt Godard's 2 ou 3 choses que je sais d'elle (Two or Three Things I Know About Her.). Which in my estimation is among his best work, but to me it's certainly not as great as Eraserhead. I consider this to be quite clearly in my mind, the second greatest horror film ever made. This film is also to me, the best American feature film debut of all.
- DirectorLuis BuñuelStarsPierre BatcheffSimone MareuilLuis BuñuelLuis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí present 16 minutes of bizarre, surreal imagery.The beginning and perhaps even the pinnacle of truly against the grain filmmaking. An absolute landmark in film history. It is the Mother of all exploitation films, but yet it is far, far more than that. The film is completely revolutionary in multiple ways. Defying all convention, defying human conscious thought itself. In a sense, this film is probably even more truly Zen than any actual Buddhist film is. At the same time, the film is essentially nothing but the inner subconscious screams of two extremely pioneering, fierce, young and daring artists of the late 1920's. The look of the film alone is quite mindblowing for the time. Nothing in existence could really compare to Buñuel's film in this way. It was with little doubt at all, the most exceptional looking film in all of the world upon its release. Buñuel's debut and 2nd effort as well, are definitely the most dramatic and brave entrances into the film world in all of history.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsMia FarrowJohn CassavetesRuth GordonA young couple trying for a baby moves into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park West, where they find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbors.Despite what anyone may say about Polanski. No one who truly watches his work without prejudice can deny that the guy is a great filmmaker. Easily one of the greatest ever as far as I'm concerned. If I listed my top directors, I'm not sure where he'd be exactly, but in the top 10 or so for sure. Check out the near flawless execution, the constantly building tension, and the overall great storytelling in this film.
- DirectorKen RussellStarsVanessa RedgraveOliver ReedDudley SuttonIn 17th-century France, Father Urbain Grandier's protection of the city of Loudun from the corrupt Cardinal Richelieu is undermined by a sexually repressed nun's accusation of witchcraft.While Buñuel's debut short and 1st feature are the film world's most controversial and daring entrances; Ken Russell's historical horror film adaptation of Aldous Huxley's 'The Devil's of Loudun' remains a film that is still being censored to this day by Warner Bros. That's how daring this film is, and also how much it scares many of the powers that be. Criterion has been trying to buy the full length directors cut for years from Warner, and they won't sell it, nor will they release the full version. If you do watch this film, be sure you've found a cut that is actually worth watching, since so many of the versions out there are basically just ruined versions of this film, because they are so heavily cut.
This film likely should be the most talked about horror film of the 1970's. Though for me personally, I still prefer Eraserhead overall as a film. In terms of importance however, The Devil's may truly be Eraserhead's equal in that regard.
For whatever reason, IMDb seems to be the only major film reference site on this earth that still doesn't even list this film as a horror. Maybe they'll wake up here one day. - DirectorMichael PowellStarsKarlheinz BöhmAnna MasseyMoira ShearerA young man murders women, using a movie camera to film their dying expressions of terror.If any film on this list feels to me most like it sort of doesn't belong here, it is this one. Only because to me it isn't so much a horror film. Nonetheless I'm including it here because of it's importance in the history of art. It certainly can be seen as a psychological horror film, as well as the basic plot of a serial killer with an early slasher type story to it. It is to me however the deep personal introspection of this film that makes it extraordinary. To some that can be liberating, to others, horrific. Hence, on the list. The math says it stays.
- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsKurt RussellWilford BrimleyKeith DavidA research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.A Carpenter film obviously has to make any top horror list. To me this is his greatest classic, though he has a number of somewhat close contenders.
- DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsJeremy IronsGeneviève BujoldHeidi von PalleskeTwin gynecologists take full advantage of the fact that nobody can tell them apart, until their relationship begins to deteriorate over a woman.Personally I feel a top horror list could never quite be called complete without a Cronenberg film on it. I enjoy a lot of his films. There are a number of top contenders for his best horror, but I think I have to go with this one. It's likely overall the most impressive from start to finish.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsCatherine DeneuveIan HendryJohn FraserA sex-repulsed woman who disapproves of her sister's boyfriend sinks into depression and has horrific visions of rape and violence.I wouldn't consider this straight horror, but it definitely does fit the psychological horror genre. A dark drama also sounds fitting. A film that gets into your skin. It packs a punch still to this day any way you see it.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsRod TaylorTippi HedrenJessica TandyA wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people.To me, this is the best Hitchcock horror for sure.
- DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsEllen BurstynMax von SydowLinda BlairWhen a young girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.Original cut only, not this ridiculous newer cut. It's also best to watch this on an older TV, rather than in HD or even on Digital at all, since the effects were originally made to be seen on Analog. If seen in it's original form and format, this is still one of the greatest horror films ever, without doubt.
- DirectorJohn LandisStarsDavid NaughtonJenny AgutterJoe BelcherTwo American college students on a walking tour of Britain are attacked by a werewolf that none of the locals will admit exists.For comedy horror, I actually prefer Polanski's Fearless Vampire Killers over any other film of the type. However that really is a film that is much more a comedy than it is a horror film. American Werewolf on the other hand is more horror than comedy, so in my view it just fits a lot more on this type of list. This is in my view the best Werewolf film of all time, and perhaps only The Wolf Man from 1941 even comes close to this one. Not everyone likes horror comedies, but this one certainly works very well for me.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsDavid EmgeKen ForeeScott H. ReinigerDuring an escalating zombie epidemic, two Philadelphia SWAT team members, a traffic reporter and his TV executive girlfriend seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall.Many rave of Night of the Living Dead as Romero's greatest, but many also claim Dawn to be his best. For me I definitely prefer this film overall and feel this is Romero's real zombie masterpiece. In all truth I've seen a ridiculous amount of zombie films, from the modern era all the way back to the classic B&W films, but in my view none can quite stand beside this one and call themselves equals.