Jhoram Hyde
Sep 15th, 2003, 04:42:42 PM
Here are my painstakingly chosen top twenty favorite Horror films of all, distinguished by order of personal favorite.
1.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (http://www.angelfire.com/mn/mastercartman/images/drjekyl3.jpg) ~ 1932 ~ Director Rouben Mamoulian
(The Quintessential movie adaptation of Stevenson's literary classic. Fredric March playing the dual lead role won an Oscar for best actor '32 amidst a very strong supporting cast. This Paramount masterpiece should never dwell under the shadow of any of the popular Universal contemporaries. This is one of my personal favorite horror films of alltime. Victorian freudian horror. I also highly recommend viewing both the silent '20 Barrymore/Robertson Paramount production and the MGM '41 Tracy/Fleming melodrama for more additional introspection as both are excellent in their own right.
2.
The Cat People ~ 1942 ~ Director Jacques Tournier
(Val Lewton's cult classic. I would liked to have posted more of his films but these other flicks more than hold their own. Simone Simon is fabulous. These should not be missed: I Walked with a Zombie; The Leopard Man; The Body Snatcher; Curse of the Cat People; and Isle of the Dead.)
3.
Island of Lost Souls ~ 1932 ~ Director Erle C. Kenton
(Greatest film and most infamous adaptation of Welle's 'The Island of Dr. Moreau'. Racy sexual undertones and controversial material. Not uncommon during this period of cinematic history much like the two previous films above. But the Hayes Code censorships would be introduced just two years later. The film was actually banned in some parts of the US for it's disturbing contents at the time. Charles Laughton displays one of horror's top performances. Kathleen Burke is the vivacious Lota the panther woman. Dr. Moreau's diabolical experiments come to frightening conclusions when he decides to couple Lota with the misfortunate Edward Parker (Richard Arlen), stranded by shipwreck. Don't miss the key scene by the pool of water between Edward and Lota. Burke beat out more than 60,000 young woman in a nationwide search to play Lota, winning the role because of her "feline" look. Lugosi appears as Sayer of the Law.)
4.
Nosferatu ~ 1922 ~ Director F.W. Murnau
(One of my alltime favorite silent horror classics, Max Schreck is the creepiest onscreen Dracula persona ever. The most complete and faithful rendering of Stoker's Dracula.)
5.
Phantom of the Opera ~ 1924 ~ Director Rupert Julian
(Another favorite silent horror classic. Lon Chaney Sr. is absolutely phenomenal. The "Bal Masque" and theatre rooftop sequences need to be seen to be believed. The quintessential movie adaptation of Gaston Leroux's literary classic.)
6.
The Invisible Man ~ 1933 ~ Director James Whale
(Great characterizations especially Claude Rains' acting debut in the title role. And quite humorous, one of the greatest madman movies ever made. SFX were innovative and splendid. Fun, fun, fun movie.)
7.
Frankenstein ~ 1931 ~ Director James Whale
(The definitive expressionistic Gothic horror, Karloff delivers the Monster's pathos with such profound intimacy.)
8.
Bride of Frankenstein ~ 1935 ~ Director James Whale
(Another superb Karloff portrayal, a classic sequel to a classic original.)
9.
Repulsion ~ 1965 ~ Director Roman Polanski
(Psychological character study, disturbing portrayal of a young woman attracted to- and more so- repulsed by sex. Left alone by her vacationing sibling, a troubled virgin's mind unfolds. The second half of the film is unforgettable. Complete, Repulsion like a canvas never ceases building under Polanski's careful and masterful brushstrokes. Far more suspenseful and twisted than Hitchcock's Psycho. What is real and what is not?)
10.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre ~ 1974 ~ Director Tobe Hooper
(An original visceral and ghastly american gothic masterpiece, not suitable to easily squeamish viewers. Some may find it an endurance challenge but I see genius. Redefined the horror genre and inspired numerous hackneyed wannabees. Great cinematography and direction, and yes, great acting too. Nothing overly stagey or theatrical, the cast is very convincing and represent realistically drawn characters. The subtleties and details in the film under director Hooper and photographer Daniel Pearl are very rich.)
11.
The Devil's Backbone ~ 2002 ~ Director Guillermo del Toro
(del Toro's allegorical horror masterpiece. A ghost story set during the spanish civil war.)
12.
Eyes without a Face ~ 1959 ~ Georges Franju
(et al. Les Yeux sans Visage. Intelligent and poetic Grand Guignoi despite a campy premise.)
13.
Night of the Living Dead ~ 1968 ~ Director George Romero
(Classic zombie movie with some dubious social commentary attached to it. Intentional? Romero claims no.)
14.
The Other ~ 1972 ~ Director Robert Mulligan
(Creepout story set in 1930's circa Connecticut. Strong performances by the young Udvarnoky brothers and actress Hagen.)
15.
An American Werewolf in London ~ 1981 ~ Director John Landis
(Personal werewolf fav and IMO, the greatest to represent this subgenre.)
16.
Jaws ~ 1975 ~ Director Steven Spielberg
(Remarkable performances by Dreyfuss, Schnieder, and Shaw. Didn't even need the shark but then we wouldn't have a horror movie. Jaws was to deep water what Psycho was to showers, no horror movie affected the public like this one since Hitchcock's Psycho. )
17.
The Haunting ~ 1963 ~ Director Robert Wise
(Personal haunted house fav, relies heavily upon psychological terror and one's imagination.)
18.
Halloween ~ 1978 ~ Director John Carpenter
(The independent frightfest that started it all.)
19.
Dracula ~ 1931 ~ Director Tod Browning
(IMO, second greatest Dracula movie ever made, Bela Lugosi's stellar role.)
20.
Onibaba ~ 1964 ~ Director Kaneto Kindo
(During feudal Japan, two women both widows make a ghastly living among the bullrushes, until one finds love. Director Kaneto utilizes location and natural surrouding superbly, to enhance the film's atmospheric dread. Underrated movie despite certain inconsistancies in the plot development. Strong characterizations something it shares with the other movies listed here. The fourth and final foreign film entrant.)
Choices that many would dispute that are absent from the list are The Birds; Psycho; Carrie; The Exorcist; and many others. Though I feel I have included in my list, the Casablancas, Lawrence of Arabias; and Citizen Kanes of Horror. Yet, fortunately Horror is one genre that does not need to fulfill such high criterias though many of the listed movies here can stand amongst the best of any chosen genre. Another deciding factor on my choices, a sham one at that, was the movie's personal re-viewable value.
1.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (http://www.angelfire.com/mn/mastercartman/images/drjekyl3.jpg) ~ 1932 ~ Director Rouben Mamoulian
(The Quintessential movie adaptation of Stevenson's literary classic. Fredric March playing the dual lead role won an Oscar for best actor '32 amidst a very strong supporting cast. This Paramount masterpiece should never dwell under the shadow of any of the popular Universal contemporaries. This is one of my personal favorite horror films of alltime. Victorian freudian horror. I also highly recommend viewing both the silent '20 Barrymore/Robertson Paramount production and the MGM '41 Tracy/Fleming melodrama for more additional introspection as both are excellent in their own right.
2.
The Cat People ~ 1942 ~ Director Jacques Tournier
(Val Lewton's cult classic. I would liked to have posted more of his films but these other flicks more than hold their own. Simone Simon is fabulous. These should not be missed: I Walked with a Zombie; The Leopard Man; The Body Snatcher; Curse of the Cat People; and Isle of the Dead.)
3.
Island of Lost Souls ~ 1932 ~ Director Erle C. Kenton
(Greatest film and most infamous adaptation of Welle's 'The Island of Dr. Moreau'. Racy sexual undertones and controversial material. Not uncommon during this period of cinematic history much like the two previous films above. But the Hayes Code censorships would be introduced just two years later. The film was actually banned in some parts of the US for it's disturbing contents at the time. Charles Laughton displays one of horror's top performances. Kathleen Burke is the vivacious Lota the panther woman. Dr. Moreau's diabolical experiments come to frightening conclusions when he decides to couple Lota with the misfortunate Edward Parker (Richard Arlen), stranded by shipwreck. Don't miss the key scene by the pool of water between Edward and Lota. Burke beat out more than 60,000 young woman in a nationwide search to play Lota, winning the role because of her "feline" look. Lugosi appears as Sayer of the Law.)
4.
Nosferatu ~ 1922 ~ Director F.W. Murnau
(One of my alltime favorite silent horror classics, Max Schreck is the creepiest onscreen Dracula persona ever. The most complete and faithful rendering of Stoker's Dracula.)
5.
Phantom of the Opera ~ 1924 ~ Director Rupert Julian
(Another favorite silent horror classic. Lon Chaney Sr. is absolutely phenomenal. The "Bal Masque" and theatre rooftop sequences need to be seen to be believed. The quintessential movie adaptation of Gaston Leroux's literary classic.)
6.
The Invisible Man ~ 1933 ~ Director James Whale
(Great characterizations especially Claude Rains' acting debut in the title role. And quite humorous, one of the greatest madman movies ever made. SFX were innovative and splendid. Fun, fun, fun movie.)
7.
Frankenstein ~ 1931 ~ Director James Whale
(The definitive expressionistic Gothic horror, Karloff delivers the Monster's pathos with such profound intimacy.)
8.
Bride of Frankenstein ~ 1935 ~ Director James Whale
(Another superb Karloff portrayal, a classic sequel to a classic original.)
9.
Repulsion ~ 1965 ~ Director Roman Polanski
(Psychological character study, disturbing portrayal of a young woman attracted to- and more so- repulsed by sex. Left alone by her vacationing sibling, a troubled virgin's mind unfolds. The second half of the film is unforgettable. Complete, Repulsion like a canvas never ceases building under Polanski's careful and masterful brushstrokes. Far more suspenseful and twisted than Hitchcock's Psycho. What is real and what is not?)
10.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre ~ 1974 ~ Director Tobe Hooper
(An original visceral and ghastly american gothic masterpiece, not suitable to easily squeamish viewers. Some may find it an endurance challenge but I see genius. Redefined the horror genre and inspired numerous hackneyed wannabees. Great cinematography and direction, and yes, great acting too. Nothing overly stagey or theatrical, the cast is very convincing and represent realistically drawn characters. The subtleties and details in the film under director Hooper and photographer Daniel Pearl are very rich.)
11.
The Devil's Backbone ~ 2002 ~ Director Guillermo del Toro
(del Toro's allegorical horror masterpiece. A ghost story set during the spanish civil war.)
12.
Eyes without a Face ~ 1959 ~ Georges Franju
(et al. Les Yeux sans Visage. Intelligent and poetic Grand Guignoi despite a campy premise.)
13.
Night of the Living Dead ~ 1968 ~ Director George Romero
(Classic zombie movie with some dubious social commentary attached to it. Intentional? Romero claims no.)
14.
The Other ~ 1972 ~ Director Robert Mulligan
(Creepout story set in 1930's circa Connecticut. Strong performances by the young Udvarnoky brothers and actress Hagen.)
15.
An American Werewolf in London ~ 1981 ~ Director John Landis
(Personal werewolf fav and IMO, the greatest to represent this subgenre.)
16.
Jaws ~ 1975 ~ Director Steven Spielberg
(Remarkable performances by Dreyfuss, Schnieder, and Shaw. Didn't even need the shark but then we wouldn't have a horror movie. Jaws was to deep water what Psycho was to showers, no horror movie affected the public like this one since Hitchcock's Psycho. )
17.
The Haunting ~ 1963 ~ Director Robert Wise
(Personal haunted house fav, relies heavily upon psychological terror and one's imagination.)
18.
Halloween ~ 1978 ~ Director John Carpenter
(The independent frightfest that started it all.)
19.
Dracula ~ 1931 ~ Director Tod Browning
(IMO, second greatest Dracula movie ever made, Bela Lugosi's stellar role.)
20.
Onibaba ~ 1964 ~ Director Kaneto Kindo
(During feudal Japan, two women both widows make a ghastly living among the bullrushes, until one finds love. Director Kaneto utilizes location and natural surrouding superbly, to enhance the film's atmospheric dread. Underrated movie despite certain inconsistancies in the plot development. Strong characterizations something it shares with the other movies listed here. The fourth and final foreign film entrant.)
Choices that many would dispute that are absent from the list are The Birds; Psycho; Carrie; The Exorcist; and many others. Though I feel I have included in my list, the Casablancas, Lawrence of Arabias; and Citizen Kanes of Horror. Yet, fortunately Horror is one genre that does not need to fulfill such high criterias though many of the listed movies here can stand amongst the best of any chosen genre. Another deciding factor on my choices, a sham one at that, was the movie's personal re-viewable value.