Halloween is so close you can smell the dead and taste the candy corn. But as you can see from your cable stations, quality horror on the small screen is few and far between. However, if you’re in the mood, I’ve watched nearly 1,400 horrors and have compiled a short list of the best. Granted, some are better than others, but cutting this list down to ten or some other ludicrous number would make my brain explode. Regardless, all have earned 4 to 5 stars, which should make them worthy for your television, computer or whatever screen you love to escape to…
Best Horror Films
Them! (1953)
The War of the Worlds (1953)
Peeping Tom (UK, 1960)
Psycho (1960)
The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
The Haunting (UK/USA, 1963)
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
The Legend of Hell House (UK, 1973)
Picnic at Hanging Rock (Australia, 1975)
Eraserhead (1977)
The Last Wave (Australia, 1977)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956/1978)
Alien (1979 – my all-time favorite)
The Changeling (Canada, 1980 – best ghost story)
The Shining (UK/USA, 1980)
Possession (UK, 1981)
The Thing (1982)
Videodrome (Canada, 1983)
Lifeforce (1985)
Hellraiser (1987)
Lair of the White Worm (UK, 1988)
Vampire’s Kiss (1988)
Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
Dust Devil (UK, 1992)
Dracula (1992)
Cemetery Man (Italy, 1994)
Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Habit (1996)
Scream (1996)
Cube (Canada, 1997)
The Devil’s Advocate (USA/Germany, 1997)
Office Killer (1997)
Wishmaster (1997)
eXistenZ (Canada/UK, 1999)
The Ninth Gate (France/Spain, 1999)
Audition (Japan, 1999)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Blood: The Last Vampire (Japan, 2000)
Ginger Snaps (Canada, 2000)
Visitor Q (Japan, 2001)
Earth vs The Spider (2001 – cable movie)
Frailty (2001)
She Creature (2001 – cable movie)
Dog Soldiers (UK, 2002)
May (2002)
The Mothman Prophecies (2002)
The Ring (Japan/USA, 2002)
A Tale of Two Sisters (Korea, 2003)
Gozu (Japan, 2003)
Identity (2003)
Dawn of the Dead (2004 – favorite remake)
Love Object (2004)
Shutter (Thailand, 2004)
The Uninvited Guest (Spain, 2004
Premonition (Japan, 2004)
Constantine (2005)
Isolation (Ireland, 2005)
The Skeleton Key (2005)
Grimm Love (Germany, 2006)
Head Trauma (2006)
30 Days of Night (2007)
Blood Car (2007)
The Orphanage (Spain, 2007)
Red Victoria (2007)
Paranormal Activity (2007)
Sublime (2007)
Deadgirl (2008)
Let the Right One In (Sweden, 2008)
Martyrs (France/Canada, 2008)
Pontypool (Canada, 2008)
Grace (2009)
The Skeptic (2009)
Suck (Canada, 2009)
Triangle (UK, 2009)
Tucker and Dale vs Evil (USA/Canada, 2010)
Now, if you’d share your list of favorites, that would be most welcome since great horrors seem to be in short supply – and I’m getting desperate.