Horror movies have always been a fascination of mine, ever since I was a kid. I would watch horror movies then have nightmares, but I always came back for more. My obsession began with watching Child’s Play at a very young age (thanks dad) then I had nightmares that Chucky would kill me, probably for about two years. I remember dreaming of the scene where Andy crawls down the hallway with Chucky grabbing his ankle. From there I moved on to different movies such as the Nightmare on Elm Street series, Friday the 13th, and various old Universal Monster Movies. I had an unquenchable thirst for the genre and all the subgenres within. So compiling a top list was rather difficult, here is my attempt, again notice this is my opinion and does not reflect the quality of such movies.
10. Zombi 2 (1979). An Italian horror masterpiece. An unofficial sequel to Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, Zombi 2 is intense and gruesome. The special effects are awesome and the gore is hardcore. The eye gouge scene is by far one of the most effective scenes in a zombie movie.
9. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981). Very seldom does a sequel surpass the original movie, but Part 2 accomplishes this. Amy Steel is great at portraying the final girl and Jason makes his full time debut, but without the famous hockey mask. Jason’s face is covered by a burlap sack, which I find more terrifying than the hockey mask. The jump scare at the end has got me countless times.
8. Black Christmas (1974). One of the grandfathers for the slasher genre. The original Black Christmas is a very unsettling movie due to the bizarrely creepy phone calls by the insane killer from inside the house. Very chilling and a relatively slow burn of a movie, so make sure you’re in the right mind to watch something that builds slowly.
7. The Descent (2005). A fast paced, action packed movie about women spelunking in cave containing humanoid creatures. This is one of those movies where you are constantly holding your breath because you never know what is around the next corner or when the monsters will jump out. It deserves more mention because it is almost a perfect horror movie.
6. Friday the 13th The Final Chapter (1984). Probably the best all around Friday movie. Jason is menacing, the characters are likeable, and the gore is incredible. This was meant to be the last of the series, but the overwhelming success of it sprouted 6 more sequels. If you watch any of these movies, stick to the first four.
5. Halloween III Season of the Witch (1982). Yep, the third one. The one that doesn’t have Michael Myers, but hey, its awesome in it’s own way. I applaud the writers for creating a new concept that is genuinely creepy. Evil toy maker creates masks with medallions on them that react to a tv broadcast and cause children’s heads to rot. Amazing! So corny that its truly great.
4. Child’s Play (1988). The movie that started my fascination. Child’s Play is an great idea, a toy containing the soul of a serial killer terrorizing a single mother and her young son. Yes the general premise is impossible but you can’t argue that the movie has its chilling moments. The scene where the mother notices Chucky doesn’t have batteries, is amazing. I had my wife watch it for the first time last year and that scene got her.
3. Night of the Creeps (1986). Probably my favorite horror/comedy, this movie is just plain fun and the acting is solid. Space slugs that feed on the human brain through the mouth turn college students into zombies. That’s really all you need to know! Check this movie out!
2. Halloween (1978). It really should be on everyone’s list, it is that good. John Carpenter changed the horror landscape forever with this movie. It is one of the few slasher movies that has little to no blood. The movie relies heavily on atmosphere and tension. The soundtrack is awesome, the acting is competent and the pacing is just right.
1. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). The original classic, as a kid it scared me, as an adult its just plan entertainment. The acting is solid the special effects are good for the period and the backstory is awesome. If you haven’t seen it, move from the rock you are living under and watch it now.
