It is November 1st and sadly Horror month has ended but I have one final Horror top 10 to share with you all. Horror is the most unique genre in film as the genre consists of creativity, amazing effects and most of all terror. Horror is not Hollywood’s biggest draw like repetitive action flicks, Disney remakes or anything Leonardo DiCaprio is in. Horror stands out from the bunch and brings in a different style of film genre that makes it more enjoyable. A great horror movie has interesting characters, amazing make up and effects, phenomenal suspense, perfect use of lighting and shadows, a musical score that will give you nightmares and most of all fear from the viewers. Some great horror films will leave you with surprises, others will use jump scares and blood and gore. There is no perfect way to make a horror film as they have been evolving and changing over time. Horror movies have evolved as well in the pop culture as recently horror films have been given a chance to be nominated in some big awards including Best Picture in the Academy Awards. Today I will be talking about 10 Horror movies that I enjoy every October or all year round. Now obviously ground rules apply. First of all this pains me but one horror film per franchise unless there is a crossover between two franchises. Also in the sense of one or two films on this list Halloween/kid friendly films will be allowed but only if they are mostly horror. Finally all sub genres are allowed like horror comedies, thrillers, action horrors, etc. Comment below what your favorite scary movie of all time and without further ado I think it’s time we snack on some brains, come out of the dark and countdown my Top 10 Favorite Horror Movies of All Time.
*Spoiler Alert*
Top 10 Favorite Horror Movies of All Time
10. Freddy vs. Jason (2003) – Of all the horror icons to have a crossover movie this one seem like it was needed as the debate on who ruled the horror world in the 1980’s finally came true as in 2003 Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees battled it out in their crossover film, Freddy vs. Jason. Now I could have picked multiple Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th films, but I enjoy the hell out of this movie more. We know their back stories, we know that they slice and dice people with their weapons and we know that they are both badass horror icons, but having them in a movie together is a badass moment for horror fans. With this movie it kind of tells us that they share the same universe with each other and they are a part of each other’s franchises as this film is the highest grossing film for both of the franchises with the film grossing $116 million in the box office. To say the least that this film is something many people wanted is an understatement and for me to have seen this film just when I was getting into horror movies makes me very happy because I knew about these two icons and what they were about and plus I watched both of their films prior to seeing this one film so I knew going in this was going to be a battle between two of the most infamous slashers of horror. Now the film isn’t perfect and it has it‘s flaws. I mean it has only a 41% on Rotten Tomatoes but I understand why it has a low rating but at the same time I don’t care. There are many classics and better films I could have put on this list at this spot and many of you will be possibly triggered to see what I put behind Freddy vs. Jason, but this is my list and I enjoy watching this movie every year around October and I enjoy watching Freddy and Jason killing not only each other but the people in the film. I don’t care what people think, this film is awesome in many ways. Now this was also the final time Robert Englund performed as Freddy Krueger in a feature film and if you ask me I wouldn’t have picked a better movie to have your send off with the character than to face Camp Crystal Lake’s most popular resident. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRF2fIzwT6k&t=10s
9. The Devil’s Rejects (2005) – I had this movie on my top 10 underrated horror movies list and while it wasn’t number one on the list it was my favorite of the 10 films I put on that list. The Devil’s Rejects is the sequel to Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses and while it isn’t as graphic as House of 1000 Corpses, it is a very fucked up film about some fucked up people doing some fucked up things. The horror film is about the Firefly family on the run from the police as they are wanted criminals and during their run they continue to murder and cause some issues in their path to freedom. The film centers on Otis Driftwood, Baby Firefly and Captain Spaulding aka Cutter as they are the main antagonists in the film that we are rooting for. Now it might seem weird to root for people that not only killed many innocent people but did some very fucked up things, but in this moment there aren’t any protagonists that we can root for as this is a film where we watch wanted criminals fight for their lives and try to survive. Now I witnessed this movie in my young teenage years while I was in my grandparent’s house and from there I was probably an 11 – 13 year old boy confused as fuck but didn’t care because I was enjoying myself and enjoying what I was watching. I sound like a psychopath for saying that but I mean I already know I am a bit mad and crazy because I love this movie very much. This film made me into Rob Zombie’s type of horror films as they aren’t all great but they can be very enjoyable. This film however is more than just enjoyable as it is freaking awesome. I think this is his best work of cinema in his directing and writing career and that’s saying a lot considering he isn’t the best writer when it comes to filmmaking but regardless this film is a huge hit for the rock star. Most off all last year I got to experience the 3rd film, 3 From Hell, in theaters but as an added bonus is was a double feature so I got to experience The Devil’s Rejects in theaters as well before 3 From Hell. I don’t think The Devil’s Rejects is a horror film for everyone but I highly recommend it to anyone who is willing to see some fucked up shit. Now it isn’t as scary as most of these films on the list but it uses horror in a very fucked up shit way. I have said that about multiple times but that is the best way to describe the film, fucked up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbooMZvH-Qg&t=15s
8. An American Werewolf in London (1981) – John Landis is known for directing comedy films including Three Amigos, The Blues Brothers, Animal House and Coming to America, but he has dipped his toes in horror. Many know him for directing Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video but he also directed a classic 1980’s horror film, An American Werewolf in London. The film is a horror comedy that follows two Americans, David and Jack, who are visiting England as both men are attacked by a werewolf. David then questions if he is going to become a werewolf or not as he begins to have nightmares, see Jack as a zombie and begins to have some changes. Fun fact Landis wrote the script for this film in 1969 and it took almost a decade for him to finally get the film to become a reality. This film had many questions before it was done being filmed as many questioned if it was going to be too funny for a horror or too scary for a comedy and Landis was able to make it a perfect horror comedy film that had the best of both. When it came out into theaters it was gained with many positive reviews and was a box office success. The film also gained special affects/make up artist Rick Baker an Academy award for Best Make Up. There is something about this film that brings my attention in each time. The film has great practical effects, make up and amazing scenes that can go from comedy to horror in a snap. Landis did a very good job in creating a horror comedy, to the point where it became the first mainstream horror comedy film that changed the game for the genre. Soon after films like Evil Dead, Beetlejuice, Gremlins, Shaun of the Dead and many more films would be able to find success in bringing comedy and horror together in a successful way. I love that this film is a cult classic film but it still to this day is highly praised for its amazing effects/make up and it’s left a huge legacy for not only future horror comedy films but for directors who never really work in this certain area of film genre to bring in their creativity into the genre and make gold out of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjlGsCIqFH4
7. Psycho (1960) – We all go a little mad sometimes and in 1960 Alfred Hitchcock brought to us his most well known psychological horror thriller, Psycho. As a film, Psycho did two amazing things in one movie. The film has many amazing reasons why it is amazing but these two plot points play a big role in what makes this film one of the best horror films of all time. Spoiler alert ahead if you haven’t seen this film yet. The first thing Psycho did was kill off its main actress early on in the film. Many people viewing the film assumed that actress Janet Leigh (Marion Crane) would be a big part of the film after being on the poster of the film but Hitchcock killed off her character early in the film during the shower scene. Many people were shocked from this decision, but the biggest shock was yet to come. Horror films are known for their big shocking moments and twists and Hitchcock had one of the biggest twists that left a moment of shock to many people. Throughout the film it is questioned on who murdered Marion and Mrs. Bates was the key suspect. Right around the end of the film we then learn that Mrs. Bates is dead and her mummified corpse lives in the cellar and the real killer is Norman dressed up as his mother. By far it was one of the most shocking moments in all of cinema history and both moments in general became huge moments that make the film not only memorable but these most talked about moments of the film brought the film its success. The film has been called a major work of cinematic art as the film’s great performance, memorable score, great camerawork, and phenomenal direction has brought this film its legacy that has been growing and growing for decades. Psycho is also praised to be an early example of a slasher film. Plus it was a big influence of my character BabyFace. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWHYmNrAFlI
6. Child’s Play 2 (1990) – Child’s Play is by far one of the best slasher films of all time and while it is a very great horror film, Child’s Play 2 is my favorite film of the franchise. Child’s Play 2 continues the story of Charles Lee Ray possessing the Good Guy Doll and making Andy Barclay’s life a miserable hell as he tries to put his soul into Andy’s body. I have brought this up multiple times in these horror top 10’s but as a child I was afraid of Chucky. I witnessed him for the 1st time on a movie poster at a movie theater and he just shook me in some way and I just became afraid of him, thinking he was going to kill me. I was 8 years old and had a weird imagination so don’t judge me. Years later I finally decided to watch a Chucky film, Seed of Chucky, and soon after my fear became my favorite horror character of all time. When I first watched Child’s Play 2 though I felt entertained and I enjoyed watching Chucky killing people in different/unique ways but I also loved seeing the effects used to bring Chucky to life. While the film gained mixed reviews from the critics, many people praise the film for the puppetry effects used in the film to bring Chucky to life and praise the film’s story and of course Brad Douriff’s voice performance as Chucky. I love that even though we know the mystery of Chucky coming to life but while that secret might be gone now but the continuation of the story of Charles Lee Ray going after Andy Barclay works for this film and add in a innocent family that were also being tortured through Andy’s pain and struggle of dealing with Chucky and at the same time stressing that the family doesn’t believe him. It might not be the best Child’s Play film or the best horror film, but I love this film so much. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7CLE6C-04k
5. Beetlejuice (1988) – As a kid I never really watched horror films unless they were Halloween films on Disney Channel. However there was only one exception to that as Beetlejuice became my first time ever watching a horror movie. So Beetlejuice is not fully a horror movie as it is also a comedy but when you are three years old watching ghosts haunt a house they used to live in and seeing a dead corpse become a snake like creature, again at three years old, that is scary and is horror. Beetlejuice is a horror comedy film created by Tim Burton. This film became my childhood favorite horror movie and for 20 plus years the film has become a favorite of mine to watch all year round, but mostly in October and respectfully on Halloween. For years it has been a tradition to watch Beetlejuice on Halloween because I feel like it is a better kid friendly Horror film than anything on Disney Channel and of course Hocus Pocus. I will debate this till I have a heart attack, Beetlejuice is better than Hocus Pocus. Come at me Hocus Pocus marks I’m ready to put a spell on you and then you will die. Okay enough of that overrated film, let’s talk about Beetlejuice. The film has an all-star cast that includes Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffery Jones, Wionna Ryder and Michael Keaton. It also has some of the best musical scores in horror movie history thanks to the legendary Danny Elfman. And of course before Tim Burton was known for making creepy children films with Johnny Depp and Helen Botham Carter, he created and directed this film that brought him into stardom. After the success of Beetlejuice, Tim Burton was on fire with hit after hit including Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Mars Attacks, etc. Beetlejuice did something amazing as it had comedic and horror elements in the film, something that wouldn’t be possible and work without the success of An American Werewolf in London. Now it isn’t hard to put both genres together but done right you can have a masterpiece out of it. Now as a kid I couldn’t look away from what I was watching as I was afraid of everything when I was three I mean I couldn’t watch Michael Jackson’s Thriller for a while because it scared me, but Beetlejuice I couldn’t look away and it’s a horror movie, something that I would never watch or enjoy until I was in 4th or 5th grade. Many people love this film because it is so iconic and it holds a huge legacy for not only Tim Burton’s career but the film as a whole spawned an animated television show because of its success and it is now one of the most popular Broadway musicals today. Plus the outfits in the film, including Beetlejuice’s white and black stripped dress clothes are legendary. Without Beetlejuice I think my introduction to horror movies would be completely different and my childhood would have been very different. Also I don’t know how many times I said Beetlejuice but its 2020 this world can use more chaos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei-2xTsyL8w
4. Halloween (1978) – Slasher films became popularized in the 1970’s and the Godfather of slasher films Halloween helped lit the fire for slasher flicks. The film not only gave us slasher flicks but it gave us the King of Horror characters, Michael Myers. And for over 40 years the film has left a legacy that no other horror film has been able to reach. Halloween had a budget of $300,000 as the film was an independent film. The film was able to make the money back, about 233.333333 times amount of money as the film grossed 70 million dollars. I literally had to do the math for that, but in general it became one of the most profitable independent films of all time. John Carpenter was able to make a name for himself after he created such a masterpiece as he has become one of the most well known directors of horror. This film also introduced us to the Queen of Scream Queens Laurie Strode played by Jamie Lee Curtis. I guess she learned a thing or two from her mother who is known for the iconic Shower scene from Psycho. Halloween is an iconic horror film that really needs no introduction or explanation on why it is such an amazing horror film but I’m going to do it anyway. The suspense that the scenes bring each time Michael is near is haunting and each time you see Michael you know something bad is yet to come. Now it has come to my attention that I never called him The Shape. As you may not know The Shape is really name of the character in the credits but we have called him Michael Myers for all these years for reasons I don’t understand. It’s actually funny but the reason why he is called The Shape is because of the mask he wears and how he moves around in the dark. I actually like that Michael is known as The Shape as he is a mysterious character who lurks in the darkness and shadows to follow his prey before he kills them, it’s pretty poetic if you think about it. Halloween has amazing cinematography and an iconic musical score that has haunted us for many years. It’s crazy to believe that Michael continues to haunt us today as he returned in 2018’s Halloween and in 2021 and 2023 there will be two more Halloween films. So I hope you are ready to take on The Shape as he will be haunting us for a long time soon after they are released. The legacy Halloween left to the world is outstanding and it is by far the most well known horror movie of all time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIM-iZ4PNe8
3. IT (2017) – The idea of a creature feeding on our fear is probably one of the craziest things to see on film but 2017’s IT brought that to life on the big screen. Stephen King’s novel of the same name created fear for young and older readers in the 1980’s and soon after a TV miniseries showed us fear with /Tim Curry’s performance as Pennywise. However 27 years later we were given an iconic film that will scare the crap out of everyone for many years to come. I saw this movie on opening weekend back in 2017 and let me tell you the reactions from the crowd in that theater I was in was priceless. There were moments when it was very peaceful and quiet because the film had you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what was coming next and I was one of those people. I remember watching the scene when Pennywise came out of the fridge and went after Eddie and I just remember gripping my sour patch kid’s bag hard and I began to show fear for the film. Or the projector scene when Pennywise appeared out of the projector and everyone screamed, including myself, as we saw a huge Pennywise chasing the Losers Club. The film was able to bring scares and fear to the viewers and even though some of these scares were jump scares I think it did it perfectly by utilizing them in perfect ways. The film as a whole can be mostly judge by the performances of the actors as these kid actors really blew it away as each one did an amazing job in bringing the stories narrative to life. But then we have Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise and oh my god I can’t ever talk about this film without talking about his performance. Bill was able to raise the bar with performing this character, so much so that many people say that his version of the character is better than Tim Curry’s. Also the film was able to reach new heights in bringing the actual story of the novel to life as it was given the freedom to get dark and tell the true story of the novel. Although it didn’t use everything I believe it did really great in execution. Plus you can’t forget this was just part one of the novel as It Chapter 2 covered the kids as adults dealing with the dancing clown. But I never expected myself to love a film so quickly like I did with IT. The horror in this film still freaks me out to this day and I still can’t forget the reception and reactions from that theater, it wasn’t like the reaction from the ending of Avengers Infinity War but it sure was a great reaction. IT was a film that you knew was going to be a big success just from the trailer because it was being treated perfectly when it was being filmed and when it was getting close to its release date. I had to buy the actual novel because I fell in love with the movie so that’s how much I love this film. This film in my opinion is one of the greatest horror films of all time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdOixoEB3VE
2. Shaun of the Dead (2004) – George A. Romero created something big when it comes to zombie films as without Night of the Living Dead many zombie films and television shows we come to love might not had been a huge success. But then again after the 1980’s coming into the 1990’s Zombie films were beginning to decline in popularity and success. Coming into the 2000’s a film called 28 Days Later changed the way we look at zombie films a bit but it wasn’t until 2004 when a film from the UK became popular in the states. Not only was this film popular and successful but with the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead it helped bring back Zombies into a high success rate. Shaun of the Dead is by far one of the most beloved and successful zombie films of all time as it has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and it is considered in film studies as a product of post 9/11 anxiety. Shaun of the Dead is about a zombie apocalypse in London as two slackers try and survive in a pub. The film stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost and is directed by Edgar Wright. Together they created the Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End) and this film is considered the best film the three made together. Now this film is more than just a horror comedy, it’s an unbelievable smart horror comedy that if you blink and miss it for a second you might miss something important. The film has callbacks, foreshadows while also using background music and background characters as a way to tell a story. The jokes in the film aren’t laugh out loud moments to the point where milk comes out of your nose but jokes that you will leave you with a chuckle as the horror comedy focuses more on the story of our main character and his journey into this zombie apocalypse. Edgar Wright’s directing and writing plus the great chemistry from the cast makes the film enjoyable and satisfying. And most of all the film is literally a love story to zombie films while at the same time it is a parody that isn’t making fun of zombie films but showing that it has the heart of a zombie film. How’s that for a slice of fried gold? Shaun of the Dead masterfully won me over after my first viewing at the age of 10. It was my first time watching a zombie film and it is also my first horror film that I watched without being scared. I say how Beettlejuice is my first ever horror movie but just like Shaun of the Dead it is a horror comedy. Horror comedies show up on this list three times as An American Werewolf in London is a horror comedy and all three of these films have a great use of both horror and comedy in their films respectively but for Shaun of the Dead it wins my heart more out of the three because I can watch this film everyday and never get bored. I can do the same with Beetlejuice but I like to watch that film more now respectfully on Halloween. For Shaun of the Dead I love to enjoy this film year round and watch it once or twice maybe a few times a year because I love the film so much because it really changed the way I watched horror films and it got me to love zombie flicks. I can literally review this film if I wanted to (probably will so get ready for one in the future) because I love it so much and I want to be fully honest and talk more about it because it is so fucking amazing. I have shown this film to many people and after one viewing they agree that it is a great film, just like how I was for my first viewing of the film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqQ8Y9Sjp7o
1. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) – When I think of the first slasher horror film that popularized the genre of horror I don’t think of Halloween or Black Christmas, I think of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The film influenced many horror films and even though the film is fictional, the film was based on true events. The Events that it was based on happened to be about a man named Ed Gein who would use bones and corpses as fashioned trophies and keepsakes from corpse’s bones and skins. So as you can see without even talking about the film you can tell it’s a fucked up film and it was most definitely a fucked up film. The film is not like most horror films you watch where you know everything is fake and not real. Instead the film feels real and it is something that can really happen and that’s what makes the movie more awesome, not that the events in the film could happen in real life, but the fact that Tobe Hooper and the cast made you feel how intense the scenes were and made you feel like you were watching something real actually happening in front of your eyes even though it is a motion picture. I remember first watching this movie and being horrified by the imagery of the scenes to seeing Leatherface and all I could think is what the actual fuck as I was watching with my hands on my eyes. But even though I was scared and horrified, I for some reason fell in love with the film. I became obsessed with the film and the main villain to be honest as I know Halloween is the main horror film everyone loves but I truly love this film more than Halloween, more than any horror movie. I think when it comes to horror films this is one of the most violent horror films and probably one of the most gruesome horror films and that’s a big reason why I enjoy it so much. I love watching Leatherface wield his chainsaw around and chase the young adults and I love knowing that the lead up to the true horror builds up more and more each minute and once we are introduced to Leatherface we then finally see the horror that is….The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. This movie got mix reviews from critics but it still did very well in the box office and ever since its release it has gained a huge fan base and spawned multiple sequels, a remake, comic books and the character Leatherface has found himself in multiple video games as a DLC including Mortal Kombat X, Dead by Daylight and Call of Duty Modern Warfare (2019). In a way the film was the founding father of slasher films and without this film Halloween wouldn’t have been as successful as it was and become the godfather of slashers and future slasher films like Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Child’s Play and much more wouldn’t have found its popularity and success. It all started with a chainsaw and in Texas and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre continues to haunt us with its extraordinary story, intense scenes and gruesome horror. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKn9QIaMgtQ
Honorable Mentions:
Train to Busan
Scream
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Trick R’ Treat
Get Out
Saw II
Purge Anarchy
American Psycho
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