Re93animator's Top 100 Horror Films

[re93animator]

I've been working on this bit by bit for quite a long time, and finally feel like sharing it. This isn’t really a list of my favorite horror films (since I didn’t want to have anyone questioning the validity of ‘Hardware’ being in the top ten) or best (since, even while trying my hardest to be objective, I find it impossible to let go of all subjectivity.). It is a representation of variety in the genre, as well as a list of what I think everyone who hasn’t explored much of the genre should see, and something that, hopefully, inspires horror fans to see some films that may have fallen under the radar. This is pretty much my ‘essentials’ list.

Here's the first group:

100. The Spiral Staircase (1945)


99. Eraserhead (1977)

I'm sure most people on a film forum know the reputation of Eraserhead, even without having seen it. I can't say much that already hasn't been said, but it's a necessity for those into 'strange' cinema, and isn't really for the ones just looking for a 'scare' on Halloween.

98. Who Can Kill a Child/Island of the Damned (1976)

Quite an under-acknowledged film that may be a little difficult to obtain, but very worthy of a watch.

97. Shaun of the Dead (2004)


96. Cemetery Man (1994)

Very entertaining black comedy that switches gears about midway and delves into surrealism.

95. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)


94. The Unknown (1927)


93. Beetlejuice (1988)

In my opinion, a perfect flick to watch on Halloween. Tim Burton's visual homage to gothic horror and expressionism seems both reminiscent and very original.

92. Freaks (1932)


91. Braindead/Dead Alive (1992)


You'll have to forgive the lack of description/review on most. I just don't have time to go through every one at the moment.

[Pelicula]

Great to see Eraserhead, and Freaks in that list so far. Two brilliant films that would be on my list too. Cemetary Man/Dellamorte Dellamore is one I've wanted to see for ages, never got round to it but heard so much about the film. Just spotted a German release dvd of it that I might look into getting.

[Claireofthemoon]

Great list Re93animator.

[re93animator]

Originally Posted by Pelicula

Cemetary Man/Dellamorte Dellamore is one I've wanted to see for ages, never got round to it but heard so much about the film. Just spotted a German release dvd of it that I might look into getting.

It's a worthy purchase.

#'s 90-81:

90. The Birds (1963)


89. The Man Who Laughs (1928)

I was on the fence about including this one. The reason it's often classified as a horror film is the 'smiling' face of its protagonist and a stellar expressionistic atmosphere, but it is a great example of silent film atmosphere.

88. I Saw the Devil (2010)


87. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)


86. Horror of Dracula (1958)

Arguably the best film that Hammer studios produced, and (though the sequels had more of a hand in reinforcing it's status) Christopher Lee's portrayal of Dracula is often cited as the best.

85. The Cremator (1969)

An obscure Czechoslovak dark comedy with an aura that radiates surrealism. A possible influence on David Lynch, and another recommendation for anyone into strange cinema.

84. Dracula (1992)

I may get some flak for putting this ahead of the Hammer version, but I do prefer it by a hair. It's foremost concern is style, but its style is what makes a fan out of me (well... that and Tom Waits).

83. Night of the Demon (1957)

One minor gripe I have with this is hindering its own ambiguity by showing the monster in the opening scene. Though, on the optimistic side, it does a great job of bringing you into the main character's realm of skeptical thinking, even after you've seen the creature.

82. The Kingdom (1994)

I'm cheating a little here. Lars Von Trier's Kingdom is a mini-series, but it's easily worthy of the list, and its addicting quality makes me rather think of it as an incredibly long feature film.

81. Black Sunday (1960)

One of my personal favorite Italian horror films. After watching this, it's easy to see why Bava was so revered for his gloomy aesthetics.

[re93animator]

#80-71:

80. Mad Love (1935)

One of the better films on this list to watch on Halloween, most likely because Karl Freund, the film's director, specialized in dismal cinematography (though he didn't do the cinematography on this film, his presence is still felt in the visual department) and was a big inspiration for early Gothic horror cinema.

79. Scream (1996)


78. The Sixth Sense (1999)


77. Hour of the Wolf (1968)

This is one of Bergman's more experimental and less accessible films, but it should be great for fans of his.

76. Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Tim Burton's signature visuals are on full display and are cited as a homage to Hammer horror films, though they also seem reminiscent of Mario Bava's work (especially Black Sabbath). This is perhaps Burton's magnum opus in regards to the horror genre.

75. The Mist (2007)


74. The Phantom Carriage (1921)

A somewhat obscure film that's just getting its first proper DVD release from Criterion next week. This was also acknowledged by Ingmar Bergman as a huge influence on his work.

73. The Woman in Black (1989)

Hopefully, with the new version coming out soon, this will get a little more recognition and (a long overdue) DVD release. This is one of the handful of films that have truly frightened me.

72. Re-Animator (1985)


71. The Fly (1986)

[PigsnieLite]

Whuts THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE about? Great poster!

[re93animator]

Originally Posted by PigsnieLite

Whuts THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE about? Great poster!

Excerpt from Wikipedia, without giving too much away:

On New Year's Eve, the dying Salvation Army girl Edith has one last wish: to speak with David Holm. David, an alcoholic, is sitting in a graveyard with two drinking buddies, talking about his old friend Georges who told him about Death's carriage—the legend that the last person to die each year has to work under the "strict master" Death and collect the souls of everybody who dies the following year. Georges himself died on New Year's Eve last year.

Gustafsson, a friend of Edit who is looking for David, finds him and tries to convince him to go and see her, but David refuses. When his friends too try to convince him, a fight breaks out where David is accidentally killed just before the clock strikes twelve. The carriage appears, and the driver is revealed as Georges.

It plays out as a morality tale later on, when the main character looks back on the negative things he's done in the past. It's bleak, but very emotional.

[PigsnieLite]

Very intriguing. I'll ask Pigsnit to get it for me for Christmus. I wish someone would remake it for today.

[re93animator]

#70-61:

70. In the Mouth of Madness (1994)


69. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)


68. Onibaba (1964)


67. Cat People (1942)


66. The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)

My personal favorite Lang film behind M. Much like M, it takes its cue partially from expressionist films and creates a unique spin on the crime genre, while providing early influence for what would eventually become film-noir. This, along with 'Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler,' seem very ahead of their time.

65. Kuroneko (1968)

Another severely overlooked classic that's due for a criterion release in the coming days.

64. Army of Darkness (1992)


63. Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000)

The best animated horror film I've seen, and one of the better sequels the genre has had (that easily surpasses its predecessor). It's greatness may come primarily from its ability to combine and balance so many different genres successfully.

62. Island of Lost Souls (1932)

Yet another rarity getting a release from Criterion this week. It includes one of Charles Laughton's first semi-leading roles, and a memorably great cameo-ish role from Bela Lugosi.

61. The Day of the Beast (1995)

Simply put: one of the most entertaining films on the list. Another one that comes highly recommended from me for Halloween.

[Claireofthemoon]

I love In The Mouth of Madness. Nice to see it on your list.