10. Poltergeist-Perhaps the greatest haunted house movie eve
r made, Poltergeist raised the bar for what ghost movies can be. Granted, this one is pretty hum-drum compared to more recent ghost stories due to its unusually slow pace, but I think that just makes it all the more effective. It gives you time to get to know the characters, so when the hauntings begin to reach their full effect, you are genuinely frightened for the family's safety. Putting a child in peril is probably the easiest way for any audience to sympathize and it's admittedly a pretty cheap tactic, but it worked here better than you could ever hope. Heather O'Rourke, whose life was tragically cut short in 1988, plays Carol Anne with a touch of sweetness that practically forces you to fall in love with her. There's a sense of desperation in the film that grabs you by the throat and makes you pray everything turns out okay. Poltergeist is about as good as haunted house stories get.9. The Nightmare Before Christmas-The best part about
this animated classic is that it isn't only a terrific movie to watch on Halloween, it works just as well around Christmas. Today, we're so bogged down by that fancy pants CGI animation that we forget about how beautiful other forms of animation are. A film like Beauty and the Beast shows how excellent hand drawn animation can be, but The Nightmare Before Christmas is more of a template for how all stop motion animation (or in laymen terms, claymation) should be. This is a movie that can be enjoyed just by looking at it. You could easily watch it on mute and simply gaze in awe at the gorgeous visuals. The film fills every corner of the screen with terrific images that cannot all be seen in one viewing. It's a movie that begs to be watched again and again and again, and rightfully so. If you don't want to take your child or younger sibling out trick or treating, The Nightmare Before Christmas will serve as a great way to keep the younger audiences entertained while dazzling the more mature folks as well.8. Dead series-Ok, I'm cheating a little bit here. Any Hallowee
n movie list needs a good zombie flick, but I couldn't pick just one. Although George Romero has more or less tarnished his reputation as zombie king with the mediocre Land of the Dead and lackluster Diary of the Dead, he will always be remembered for practically inventing the zombie genre with Night of the Living Dead and then perfecting it with Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead. By mixing terrifying bloodletting at the hands of these vicious creatures with a smart social commentary, Romero has created masterpieces that are unrivaled in the genre. Although Night, Dawn, and Day are all worthy of your time (hence being jumbled together on this list), Dawn of the Dead is arguably the best. Underneath the pack of flesh eaters lays an intelligent, thought provoking commentary about bourgeois culture and consumerism that is just as relevant today as it was back in 1978.7. Killer Klowns From Outer Space-This may very well be th
e greatest B-movie to ever grace the screen. Having never heard of it before I saw it in a bargain bin at a local video store, I snatched it up based solely on the title alone. Killer Klowns From Outer Space? How could that not be a winner? Luckily, my instincts were right. I laughed through the whole film. This is a B-movie that knows it is a B-movie. It never takes itself too seriously and is content to fill the screen with terrible dialogue, laughable "scares," and awesome clowns. I fear that there is really nothing I can say that will convince you to watch this movie, so let me just say this. You haven't seen terror until you see a freaky looking space clown suck the blood out of their cotton-candy-encased victim. If you're the type of person who would rather laugh themselves silly then scare themselves stupid, this is the movie for you.6. The Shining-One of the most frightening films ever made, The Shining isn't yo
ur typical horror film that attempts to scare you with jump scenes or gross out moments. No, this film is so scary because it shows the slow descent into madness that the protagonist Jack, brilliantly played by Jack Nicholson, suffers from being isolated in Overlook Hotel. Directed by Stanley Kubrick of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Full Metal Jacket fame, The Shining gives us some of the most iconic moments in all of film, "redrum" (murder backwards) and Nicholson's famous ad-libbed "Here's Johnny!" being the most recognizable. Although there have been quite a few terrific Stephen King adaptations, The Shining is still the most eerie and easily the best.5. Alien-As far as science fiction movies go, none have matched the t
error that director Ridley Scott created with Alien. Forget the sequels and the embarrassingly terrible Alien vs. Predator films. No amount of sequels can tarnish this tasty descent into Hell. Alien is a two hour movie built on atmosphere and the unexpected. Just as you start to relax and think that everything is going to be okay, something shocks and disturbs you. It lures you into that false sense of security only to show you the horror that has been waiting. Perhaps the greatest sci-fi moment in film history is after the horror has died down and the crew is simply having dinner together. Everything seems fine, that is until a monster bursts out of the stomach of one of the crewmates. It was moments like these that told the viewer that they could never, ever relax. There was always something lurking around the corner. Couple this with a surprising sense of claustrophobia (big ship, but nowhere to run) and you have a scare-fest for the ages.4. Hatchet-There's no denying that classic horror movies tend to b
e the best. Most horror nowadays doesn't so much scare you as it does gross you out. That is why a movie like Hostel will never be good. But in the right context, graphic violence can be fun. That is where Hatchet comes in. Released only a year ago, Hatchet is an excellent example of how to make a modern day horror movie. It doesn't attempt to reinvent the wheel and instead relies on the tried and true slasher formula. Hatchet bills itself as "Old School American Horror" and I think you'd be hard pressed to find somebody who would argue otherwise. All it does is deliver ample amounts of nudity and violence, much like slashers from the 80's. I can't defend slasher movies for being the cream of the crop when it comes to genre fare, but I won't deny my affection for them. In these kid friendly days of watered down, PG-13 slasher films, it was a breath of fresh air to see Hatchet. It's insanely bloody, but never takes itself to seriously. In fact, it's quite often hilarious. If you're not laughing at the over-the-top bloodletting, you'll be cracking up at the cleverly written and delivered jokes. Hatchet may not have any class, but it's got plenty of awesome. What more can you ask for?3. The Exorcist-What can I say about The Exorcist that hasn't already
been said? It's unflinchingly terrifying and brutally realistic, considering it's over 30 years old. This is one of the only movies I can remember giving me a nightmare, and I didn't even see it until I was about 18! If somebody tells you that they didn't find this film disturbing, then they're lying. Who wouldn't be shocked by a young girl masturbating with the crucifix and yelling obscenities that even a sailor would shy away from? Linda Blair gives what is one of the greatest performances in horror history as Regan, the young child who is possessed by the devil and she is what makes this film. Her childhood innocence makes you fear for her, but be fearful of her as well. The Exorcist truly is one of the most horrific films ever made. If you want an even scarier experience, check out the director's cut of the film, which features extra scenes and subliminal images that will make you question your own sanity.2. Dead Alive-Known in other parts of the world as Braindead, Dead Alive is wi
thout a doubt, the goriest film ever made. I haven't seen the R rated version, but the unrated film packs an insane amount of over the top violence into an hour and a half. Have you ever wanted to see two zombies have sex and have a baby? Check this one out. Have you ever wanted to see that baby crawl inside a woman's body, punch out the sides of her head, and pull her face open? You will here. What about a climax where the protagonist takes a lawnmower and hacks a room full of zombies into little bits? Watch Dead Alive. And the wonderful thing is that these are only a few of the outrageously awesome moments of gore that the film offers. Be warned though. It starts out a bit slow, but once it erupts, it erupts big. The film was directed by Peter Jackson who went on to direct such major motion pictures as King Kong and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, so you can expect a lot of style to accompany the insanity. The film isn't for the squeamish, but if you don't mind an overabundance of gore, you won't find a more fun movie on this list than Dead Alive.1. Halloween-Honestly, did you expect a different number one? Hallow
een is and forever will be the scariest horror film ever made. I've seen the movie countless times and it still gives me the creeps after all these years. Not to be confused with Rob Zombie's awful "reimagining," John Carpenter's 1978 masterpiece stands the test of time. It set the bar for all slasher movies to come and was the reason the 80's had a slasher movie boom. Everybody wanted to capitalize on the overwhelming success of Halloween, which is still one of the most profitable independent films ever made. Jamie Lee Curtis made a name for herself as Laurie Strode, the young high school student who is stalked by Michael Myers, giving her the title of "Scream Queen" due to her roles in many horror films throughout the 80's. Although the movie never explains why Michael is doing this (their sibling connection wasn't established until the next film), it never matters. The film is perfect just the way it is. Forget the lackluster sequels and the countless imitators that came after. Halloween is absolutely terrifying and a true masterpiece.
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