Go-to Horror: The Why Behind the Rewatch
Oftentimes, I’ll sit for up to 40 minutes rummaging through a search of horror movies on Amazon Prime and Netflix. This usually leaves to utter disappointment.
Granted, I may succumb and check out a newly added horror on either venue, even though I know it will fall flat. But on most days, I give up early and decide to watch old favorites I never tire from viewing.
What the List Entails
Below, I’ve listed some films that are definitely go-to horror for me. These are movies I never tire from viewing due to story and character – the mainstays of any film.
I’m sharing my list and I hope you share yours as well. After all, such a go-to horror list is a very personal venture. Yours can certainly differ and we may despise each other’s film choices. But that’s irrelevant.
What is relevant is that you love what you love…
Go-to Horror Top 10
10. The Devil’s Advocate (1997, USA/Germany)
This film launched Charlize Theron’s career, and features Al Pacino’s as one of the genres greatest turns as the Devil. There’s a rich tapestry of suspense that’s hard to beat.
9. Alien (1979, USA/UK)
Isolation, atmosphere, a sweeping score, and interesting characters drive the story forward. The realistic interchange between characters is phenomenal as the Nostromo crew battles a xenomorph.
8. Triangle (2009, UK/Australia)
This mindbender is a wild Sisyphus-like ride that keeps the audience on its toes. Melissa George turns in a solid performance of a single mother trying to right her off-kilter world.
7. Prince of Darkness (1987)
John Carpenter brought both science and religion together in an intriguing storyline with outstanding music. And this features one of horror cinema’s greatest endings.
6. Red Victoria (2007)
Anthony’s Brownrigg’s low budget horror/comedy is a quirky ride as a scribe who must write a horror screenplay – with a sexy, smart ass demon as his muse.
5. The Shining (1980, UK/USA)
Beyond the story, it’s great to pay attention to the ever shifting set. The Overlook encompasses a compelling atmosphere enhanced by a phenomenal musical score.
4. The Ring (2002, Japan/USA)
Naomi Watts must navigate her coming demise by uncovering the mystery behind a cursed videotape. The special makeup effects are gasp-worthy and the atmosphere’s heavy.
3. The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016, UK/USA)
Small cast, a riveting mystery, and a score that matches each scene, makes for one helluva story. Better still, the suspense rises with each clue the morticians uncover.
2. The Ninth Gate (1999, France/Spain)
The film takes an awful novel and makes it a thousand times better. Johnny Depp plays a questionable rare book “detective” as he searches for three tomes that may have been co-authored by Satan.
1. The Thing (1982)
The music of Ennio Morricone, Dean Cundey’s score, Rob Bottin’s practical effects, and John Carpenter’s vision coalesce into a perfect score of sci-fi/horror escalation.
Other Horror Frequently Spinning in My Blu-ray Player
The Haunting (1963,UK/USA)
Rosemary’s Baby (1969)
The Changeling (1980, Canada)
Lifeforce (1985, UK/USA)
Hellraiser (1987, UK)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Wishmaster (1997)
Blood: The Last Vampire (2000, Japan)
Identity (2003)
Paranormal Activity (2007)
Pontypool (2008, Canada)
Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
The Lords of Salem (2012, USA/UK/Canada)
Most Viewed Non-Horror Go-to Films
Big Trouble In Little China (1986)
The Usual Suspects (1995, USA/Germany)
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
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Billy Crash 
Also known as William D. Prystauk, he loves great, in-depth characters and storytelling in horror, and likes to see heads roll. However, if you kill a dog on screen he’ll cry like a baby. Crash, an award-winning screenwriter and novelist, co-hosts THE LAST KNOCK horror podcast on iTunes and Spotify (among other venues), and can also be found on Twitter, LinkedIn, IMDb, Amazon, Behance, YouTube, and Instagram. He’s currently in pre-production on a dramatic thriller feature while working on the fourth novel in his award-winning Kink Noir crime thriller series.
THE LAST KNOCK horror podcast is a Crash Palace Productions’ featured show. Besides this site, you can find THE LAST KNOCK on iTunes and Spotify (and more) with new shows posted every other Sunday at 9 PM ET.
Crash Palace Productions website design and creation from Brian Yount Digital Enterprises with banner, gif, and all THE LAST KNOCK art from Palko Designs. The Last Knock always supports independent cinema!
Note: What’s up with the one-man shows as of late? Never fear, Jonny Numb and Billy Crash are still The Last Knock duo! But due to work demands, COVID-19 vaccine recovery, and individual writing projects, time has been demanding. The pair will get on the same wavelength soon enough!
(The Thing movie still from Universal Pictures.)