Discovering Horror - Sky Arts

[M. Robert Gibson]

There was a programme on recently with several talking heads who came up with their top 20 horror films.

I know how much we all like lists, so in true countdown fashion, here are the results in reverse order...

20 The Mummy 1932
19 The Pit and the Pendulum 1961
18 The Haunting 1963
17 The Ring 1998
16 The Wicker Man 1973
15 Scream 1996
14 From Dusk Till Dawn 1996
13 Repulsion 1965
12 Freaks 1932
11 Invasion of the Bodysnatchers 1956
10 Halloween 1978
09 Carrie 1976
08 Night of the Living Dead 1968
07 Rosemary's Baby 1968
06 Nosferatu 1922
05 The Omen 1976
04 The Exorcist 1973
03 The Shining 1980
02 Psycho 1960
01 Frankenstein 1931

I've seen all except The Haunting and Repulsion (of which I'd not heard)

Someone has made a list on imdb.com should you wish to explore further

Discovering Film: Horror - IMDb

Discovering Film: Horror

www.imdb.com

 

[paranoid marvin]

Thanks for posting this, I'll have to watch the programme. The problem sometimes with personal lists is that people name films that they feel they 'ought' to include, like Citizen Kane as the greatest movie of all time. Undoubtedly they were groundbreaking in their day, but to say that 'From Dusk Til Dawn' is a better horror movie than 'The Wicker Man' is just plain silly.

And is 'Frankenstein' really the best horror movie of all time? Just the same as Citizen Kane seems to be in the top 1 or 2 movies of all time? Where are 'Night of the Demon' and the MR James 'Ghost story for Christmas' films? And I'd definitely have included Alien and Jaws on that list, but I suppose it depends on what rules were set as to what is allowable.

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

There is a bit of discussion on each film, explaining how it was groundbreaking, or sub-genre creating, so each film is sort of justified being in the list.

I was just surprised not see to see Dracula (1931) in there, but I suppose they had it covered with the German Expressionist (their words) film Nosferatu

 

[paranoid marvin]

There is a bit of discussion on each film, explaining how it was groundbreaking, or sub-genre creating, so each film is sort of justified being in the list.

I was just surprised not see to see Dracula (1931) in there, but I suppose they had it covered with the German Expressionist (their words) film Nosferatu

Sounds like a programme worth watching. Think I've seen something similar with sci-fi and Western genres. Just surprises me that 'From Dusk Til Dawn' is so high up the list. It's an ok horror/comedy movie, but there are so many done better such as the original 'Fright Night' and 'Return of the Living Dead'. Yeah, judging by that list the 1931 Dracula should have made the list, but perhaps they ruled out similar-themed movies.

 

[Dan Jones]

Wonder what @Phyrebrat thinks of that list?

Also, @paranoid marvin, it's funny you mention the ghost story for Christmas, that's part of what we'll be talking about in next month's episode of Chronscast.