Topic: Top 10 Horror movies of all time

[metaldams]

It's October, and I'll come up with a list.  I want to see some of yours lists first.  Warning, I'm old school horror.

[Shemp_Diesel]

I need some time to think over this one--I know my top 2 would be The Wolf Man and Bride of Frankenstein, and An American Werewolf In London would be on there too.

My list might be a bit boring since most of it would be the Universal classics.

[metaldams]

I need some time to think over this one--I know my top 2 would be The Wolf Man and Bride of Frankenstein, and An American Werewolf In London would be on there too.

My list might be a bit boring since most of it would be the Universal classics.

Nothing wrong with Universal Horror.  I'm watching Secret of the Blue Room as I type this.  Wasn't expecting much since it's considered a borderline horror, but I'm quite enjoying it.  It's from 1933 and no doubt has the look and feel of a Universal Horror.

[metaldams]

OK, I'll give mine a go, at least want to see a Shemp Diesel list.

In release order

Dracula (1931)
Island of Lost Souls (1933)
The Black Cat (1934)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Mad Love (1935)
Son of Frankenstein (1939)
The Lodger (1944)
The Body Snatcher (1945)
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1967)
Witchfinder General (1968)

[Shemp_Diesel]

The Wolf Man
Bride of Frankenstein
House of Frankenstein
An American Werewolf in London
The Boogie Man Will Get You (Not really a horror, but I enjoyed it so much I thought it needed a mention)...
Dracula
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
Dracula's Daughter
The Invisible Man
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man

[QuinceHead]

The Haunting (1963) is definitely on my list!

For duty and humanity,
JohnH aka QuinceHead

[Paul Pain]

No chick flicks?  C'mon, guys!  You've never had a girl try to get you to watch real horror?!

[metaldams]

The Haunting (1963) is definitely on my list!

For duty and humanity,
JohnH aka QuinceHead

Haven't seen it years, but I remember enjoying it.

[metaldams]

No chick flicks?  C'mon, guys!  You've never had a girl try to get you to watch real horror?!

I actually watched FREAKS with a girl recently.  She wanted to.  Seriously!

[Seamus]

I'm an old school horror nut too.  It's hard to pick favorites when you're talking about movies that span from the '20s to the '70s (my very large sweet spot), and that cover so many styles.  I get as much enjoyment out of a bizarre piece of '70s cheese like SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN (which I finally watched for the first time last night) as I do a classy Val Lewton mood movie. 

Some Hammer favorites - HORROR OF DRACULA, BRIDES OF DRACULA, REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN, FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED, TWINS OF EVIL

Some Universal favorites - BLACK CAT, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE WOLFMAN

I've never seen an Amicus horror anthology I didn't love. 

Some honorable mentions that maybe don't get talked about as much:

DOCTOR X - Love the weird atmosphere of this one, made more strange by the early two-strip color.  "Synthetic flessshhhhhh!"  I'm usually not crazy about wise-cracking comic relief in these kinds of movies, but Lee Tracy's fast-talking slapstick reporter adds a nice lightness that actually compliments the darkness really well, rather than undermines it.

THEATRE OF BLOOD - There's never been a more perfect pairing of movie and lead actor.

DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1932 Frederic March version) - Saw a screening of this a couple years ago at a downtown theater as part of a horror double-feature.  March's performance as the debauched Hyde was so effective that it still had the power to make the audience uncomfortable.

RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE - I like this one mostly for superficial reasons.  It goes all-in on the cliche Halloween look, with all those fog-laden cemetery sets, Bela Lugosi as a Dracula-like vampire, and a werewolf thrown in just because. 

THE RAVEN (AIP version) - When I saw this the first time I could not get enough of Peter Lorre getting enraged and yelling at Jack Nicholson.

BLACULA - Finally saw this last year, was surprised how good it was.  I was expecting a tongue-in-cheek blaxploitation horror spoof, but it actually worked really well as a horror movie in its own right.  William Marshal takes his role as the tragic vampire seriously, and gives a great dignified performance that evokes the audience's sympathy one minute, and horrifies them with his savagery the next.

I could go on like this all day.

[metaldams]

I'm an old school horror nut too.  It's hard to pick favorites when you're talking about movies that span from the '20s to the '70s (my very large sweet spot), and that cover so many styles.  I get as much enjoyment out of a bizarre piece of '70s cheese like SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN (which I finally watched for the first time last night) as I do a classy Val Lewton mood movie. 

Some Hammer favorites - HORROR OF DRACULA, BRIDES OF DRACULA, REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN, FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED, TWINS OF EVIL

Some Universal favorites - BLACK CAT, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE WOLFMAN

I've never seen an Amicus horror anthology I didn't love. 

Some honorable mentions that maybe don't get talked about as much:

DOCTOR X - Love the weird atmosphere of this one, made more strange by the early two-strip color.  "Synthetic flessshhhhhh!"  I'm usually not crazy about wise-cracking comic relief in these kinds of movies, but Lee Tracy's fast-talking slapstick reporter adds a nice lightness that actually compliments the darkness really well, rather than undermines it.

THEATRE OF BLOOD - There's never been a more perfect pairing of movie and lead actor.

DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1932 Frederic March version) - Saw a screening of this a couple years ago at a downtown theater as part of a horror double-feature.  March's performance as the debauched Hyde was so effective that it still had the power to make the audience uncomfortable.

RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE - I like this one mostly for superficial reasons.  It goes all-in on the cliche Halloween look, with all those fog-laden cemetery sets, Bela Lugosi as a Dracula-like vampire, and a werewolf thrown in just because. 

THE RAVEN (AIP version) - When I saw this the first time I could not get enough of Peter Lorre getting enraged and yelling at Jack Nicholson.

BLACULA - Finally saw this last year, was surprised how good it was.  I was expecting a tongue-in-cheek blaxploitation horror spoof, but it actually worked really well as a horror movie in its own right.  William Marshal takes his role as the tragic vampire seriously, and gives a great dignified performance that evokes the audience's sympathy one minute, and horrifies them with his savagery the next.

I could go on like this all day.

I just watched DOCTOR X yesterday and yes, I actually like Lee Tracy as well.  Warner Brothers tried to play down the horror angle in advertising for some reason, but this is a rare case where there's comedy, horror, romance, and mystery, and EVERY angle works.  Great movie, and Fay Wray was stunning in this one.  Wow.

Agree 100% about your THEATER OF BLOOD comment, tied with John Barrymore in TWENTIETH CENTURY, another case of an actor sending up his hamminess.

Good list overall.

[Seamus]

I just watched DOCTOR X yesterday and yes, I actually like Lee Tracy as well.  Warner Brothers tried to play down the horror angle in advertising for some reason, but this is a rare case where there's comedy, horror, romance, and mystery, and EVERY angle works.  Great movie, and Fay Wray was stunning in this one.  Wow.

Yeah, even the romance angle worked really well, because Fay Wray is so likeable and Lee Tracy's comedic characterization makes their blossoming romance fun to watch, rather than gag-inducing (for examples of the latter, see any given horror movie with David Manners as the romantic lead).

Don't know how I've never heard of TWENTIETH CENTURY, but I'm adding it to the list.  I'm a fan of screwball comedies in general, and I've enjoyed pretty much every Howard Hawks movie I've seen.

[metaldams]

Yeah, even the romance angle worked really well, because Fay Wray is so likeable and Lee Tracy's comedic characterization makes their blossoming romance fun to watch, rather than gag-inducing (for examples of the latter, see any given horror movie with David Manners as the romantic lead).

Don't know how I've never heard of TWENTIETH CENTURY, but I'm adding it to the list.  I'm a fan of screwball comedies in general, and I've enjoyed pretty much every Howard Hawks movie I've seen.

TWENTIETH CENTURY is a must see, and made at Columbia in 1934.  Uses the same train set as WOMAN HATERS.

You hit the David Manners syndrome on the head.  Lee Tracy is opposite, and even Fay Wray opposite the typical heroine, she even packs a gun!  Actual interesting straight characters in addition to good horror, what a concept.

[Seamus]

No chick flicks?  C'mon, guys!  You've never had a girl try to get you to watch real horror?!

I'm not very fair-minded in this regard.  Mrs. Seamus will happily watch cheesy horror movies with me, but she knows that if she wants to watch a rom com she's on her own.  I justify this by reminding myself that rom coms are objectively more unwatchable than anything Ed Wood ever put to screen, so she can't really blame me.

[Paul Pain]

I actually watched FREAKS with a girl recently.  She wanted to.  Seriously!

I'm not very fair-minded in this regard.  Mrs. Seamus will happily watch cheesy horror movies with me, but she knows that if she wants to watch a rom com she's on her own.  I justify this by reminding myself that rom coms are objectively more unwatchable than anything Ed Wood ever put to screen, so she can't really blame me.

I meant more like... LEGALLY BLONDE!

[hiramhorwitz]

I actually watched FREAKS with a girl recently.  She wanted to.  Seriously!

I can believe that.  In 1986, when I mentioned to my wife that Johnny Eck, the half man from Freaks, was still alive and residing in the Baltimore row house where he was born, she said we needed to hit the road and visit him.  And so we did.  The picture below captures us with Johnny from that visit.

[metaldams]

I can believe that.  In 1986, when I mentioned to my wife that Johnny Eck, the half man from Freaks, was still alive and residing in the Baltimore row house where he was born, she said we needed to hit the road and visit him.  And so we did.  The picture below captures us with Johnny from that visit.

Oh wow, that's fantastic!  From my understanding, a perfectly normal man, just nothing below the torso.  What a cool experience that must have been.

Yeah, my female friend likes horror movies, and this series called American Horror Story has pinheads in it, hence her interest in seeing Freaks.

[hiramhorwitz]

Oh wow, that's fantastic!  From my understanding, a perfectly normal man, just nothing below the torso.  What a cool experience that must have been.

Yeah, my female friend likes horror movies, and this series called American Horror Story has pinheads in it, hence her interest in seeing Freaks.

It was a great experience, and we repeated it multiple times over the next few years.  But then Johnny became a recluse during the last few years of his life, after a neighbor beat him up and killed one of his dogs.  From that point on, Johnny closed his doors to the outside world.

Have you heard about Johnny's role in the magic act known as the Miracles of '37?  If not, I think you'll most certainly enjoy reading about it at the website linked below.

http://www.johnnyeckmuseum.com/magic/rajahraboid.html

[dom dip]

top 5-
Creep show 1
Creep show 2
Basket case 2
Basket case 3
Jeepers creepers

[dom dip]

OK, I'll give mine a go, at least want to see a Shemp Diesel list.

In release order

Dracula (1931)
Island of Lost Souls (1933)
The Black Cat (1934)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Mad Love (1935)
Son of Frankenstein (1939)
The Lodger (1944)
The Body Snatcher (1945)
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1967)
Witchfinder General (1968)

i just got my 2 complete legacy collection dvd sets in mail, Frankenstein 4 dvd set 8 movies plus extras and The Wolfman 4 dvd set 7 movies plus extras. GREAT but sadly the Wolfman set includes the same 4 movies from the Frankenstein set. AND i would of loved color versions for all the movies as well as the black and whites, but still great.

[Shemp_Diesel]

The Wolf Man
Bride of Frankenstein
House of Frankenstein
An American Werewolf in London
The Boogie Man Will Get You (Not really a horror, but I enjoyed it so much I thought it needed a mention)...
Dracula
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
Dracula's Daughter
The Invisible Man
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man

The only thing I see wrong with my original list, is that I totally forgot about The Raven (1935). I would probably squeeze that one in ahead of A & C Meet Frankenstein...

[Shemp_Diesel]

Forgot to add--I'm not as well versed in "Hammer Horror," as I am in Universal. All that said, I thoroughly enjoyed Dracula Has Risen From the Grave...   

[metaldams]

The only thing I see wrong with my original list, is that I totally forgot about The Raven (1935). I would probably squeeze that one in ahead of A & C Meet Frankenstein...

Poooooe, you are....AVENGED!  Bwa ha ha ha haaaaa!!!

Love it.

[Seamus]

Poooooe, you are....AVENGED!  Bwa ha ha ha haaaaa!!!

Love it.

Speaking of Lugosi, I just discovered THE APE a couple days ago.  Dear god.

I don't know what it is about these Poverty Row Lugosi movies.  They are so, so bad, and yet watching them is like slipping into a nice warm bath at the end of a long day.

[Shemp_Diesel]

Just bumping this old thread, because the last few months I've been getting into the "Hammer Horror Cycle" and rather than revise my old list, I thought I would do a Hammer list. Still got a few from Hammer that I have not seen, but so far, my list would be...

The Evil of Frankenstein
Dracula Has Risen From the Grave
Horror of Dracula
The Curse of Frankenstein
Brides of Dracula
Dracula A.D. 1972
Phantom of the Opera
The Curse of the Werewolf