i'm glad i waited for the hype to die out for this one. i ended up watching the first 3 PAs in a row at my home/studio, the Log Cabin, a house made of, you guessed it- logs, built in the 50s and a very creepy vibe at night to begin with in this place. i can't imagine these films would be quite as effective on the big screen. i thought the 4th installment, which i just recently watched, sucked, however.
29. Let the Right One
In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008)
i love the atmosphere of this film. it is a beautiful, dark, ambient film with a great twist on the vampire legacy.
28. Deathproof (Quentin Tarantino, 2007)
this is definitely Quentin Tarantino's oddest film. i love this one to death. it's creepy, twisted, violent, sexy as hell, and fun.
27. The Ring
(Gore Verbinski, 2002)
Naomi Watts blew me away in Mullholland Drive the year before the Ring was released. she is what makes this film the creepfest it is.
26. Mullholland Drive
(David Lynch, 2001)
i saw this on the big screen in a London theater. another sexy, twisted, creepy-ass abstract film from Mr. Lynch.
25. Session 9
(Brian Anderson, 2001)
i saw this while living in my parent's basement. i thought it was gonna suck when i realized that David Caruso was in the film, but it is a very atmospheric thriller and i love the slurred tape effects of the "sessions' along with the setting of the Danvers State Mental Hospital.
24. Twin Peaks: Fire
Walk with Me (David Lynch, 1992)
this is my favorite of David Lynch's exercises in creepy abstract madness. everything about the film moves me and this was released during a very important turning point in my life. i owe much of my music style to the vibe Mr. Lynch created in this film.
23. Henry: Portrait
of a Serial Killer (John McNaughton, 1986)
this is a very disturbing film, especially knowing that it's based on a real life character. leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth and that's a big compliment coming from me!
22. River’s Edge
(Tim Hunter, 1986)
my sister and I were both obsessed with this film back when I was a senior in high school. i love Crispin Glover's bizarre performance in this film. it's also one of the only films in which i can stomach Keanu Reeves.
21. Happy Birthday to
Me (J. Lee Thompson, 1981)
this one is a bit cheesy, but i love it. it brings me right back to 8th grade, hanging out with a bunch of girls and watching horror films on VCR after school. plus Mary Ingalls never looked so hot!
20. The Evil Dead
(Sam Raimi, 1981)
i don't think i have to say much about this one most of you don't already know, but i remember my dad came home from seeing this with my mom, who thought it was "stupid." he, however, was blown away by the film and couldn't wait to take my 13 year old ass to see it. still one of my favorites to this day.
19. The Shining
(Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
my dad and i went to see this one together and i will always cherish those days. it was awesome to grow up with parents that love horror as much as i do. my entire family recently went out for our first movie night together in years and saw the new Evil Dead. nothing like a nice, wholesome family outing.
18. Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)
this is another one my sister and i have always loved. it came out when i was an impressionable young horror fanatic and it's always on my tv each Hallow's Eve. i will always remember hearing the radio ad for this one back in 78'.
17. Burnt Offerings
(Dan Curtis, 1976)
this was one of my dad's discoveries way back in the day. i was really young when i first saw this on television and it scared the piss out of me, especially the limo driver with the Chicklet teeth.
16. Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (Pier Paulo
Pasolini, 1975)
this movie is probably the most disturbing piece of cinema i have ever witnessed. i think what makes it so disturbing is not only the subject matter, but the beautiful cinematography and brilliant acting. it's too fucking real.
15. Trilogy of Terror
(Dan Curtis, 1975)
what can i say about this one? i wasn't allowed to see this when it first aired on tv because i kept my parents up for weeks after they let me see the Other (#10 in this installment). i love all 3 stories, but Amelia, written by Richard Matheson, is just plain creepy. i think this film may have started my obsession with voodoo.
14. The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
i don't know why it took me forever to finally see this classic, but i finally saw it around 1992 and it certainly lived up to all the hype! this is a unique, twisted, brutal film for its time and it still resonates with me today.
13. Black Christmas
(Bob Clark, 1974)
this one is all about the atmosphere. i love Bob Clark's early films all the way up to A Christmas Story. this one is no exception.
12. Don’t Be Afraid of
the Dark (John Newland, 1973)
this is another one that scared the piss out of me as a kid and it's the only film to this day that i try desperately not to think about when i have to get up in the middle of the night to pee.
11. The Exorcist
(William Friedkin, 1973)
my parents took my sister and me to see this in a double bill with Rosemary's Baby at the Amboy's Drive In theater in NJ (which no longer exists) back in the day. i was too young to remember it and probably fell asleep before Rosemary's Baby even ended. my parents still tell the story of later that night: neither of them wanted to get up to check on my baby sister who was crying across the hall and flipped a coin or some shit to decide who would be the sucker to do so. Anyway, it still is the scariest film ever made in my opinion. i especially love "the version you've never seen."
10. The Other (Robert Mulligan, 1972)
i haven't seen this one since i was a kid (i saw it around 1975 on tv), but i know it scared me enough to not be allowed to see Trilogy of Terror, Jaws, or the Omen. Damn!
9. Deathdream or Dead of Night (Bob Clark, 1972)
this is a real obscure film about a soldier who returns from Viet Nam after everyone was led to believe he was killed in the war. it's loosely based on the creepy tale, the Monkey's Paw, written by W.W. Jacobs and published in 1902. it's really f'n creepy. who would have guessed that the same director would go on to make one of the most beloved Christmas films of all time?
8. Night of the
Living Dead (George Romero, 1968)
scared me for months! simply brilliant in every way!
7. Rosemary’s Baby
(Roman Polanski, 1968)
i didn't really appreciate this film until i was an adult. what makes this film so brilliantly creepy is that it's all based on the acting and what you don't see rather than flashy effects and gore. plus, i always love a good scary film that revolves around devil shit.
6. The Haunting (Robert
Wise, 1963)
this is an amazing ghost story and one of my favorite films of any genre. i watch it at least once a year, whether i need to or not.
5. Carnival of Souls
(Herk Harvey, 1962)
love the vibe, love the organ music, love the settings, love the low-budget brilliance of this one. a definite cult classic.
4. What Ever Happened
to Baby Jane? (Robert Aldrich, 1962)
this film left me feeling ugly and more than just a little disturbed. these two genius actresses can do no wrong together. if you haven't seen this, it's not really a horror film, but it is far creepier than most of the genre.
3. Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
classic Hitchcock. my dad took my mom to see this before i was born, and yup, he pulled the shower trick on her adorned with a stocking over his head and wielding a butcher knife, and nearly gave her a heart attack. his landlord at the time, a loveable little old Italian guy from Staten Island, N.Y., nearly kicked his ass for doing it.
2. the Bad Seed (Marvin LeRoy, 1956)
this one brings me back to being a young kid at my grandmother's house in Staten Island, N.Y. my sister and I used to watch it over and over since it was one of the only scary films my grandma had on VHS. it's an awesome little film with great performances and a disturbing plot and it sure beat Lawrence Welk Show reruns!
1. Night of the
Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955)
it doesn't get more wonderful than this. i love love love this film and it made me want to watch anything starring Robert Mitchum or Shelley Winters, both of whom are genius thespians. it also has some very atmospheric music and cinematography. in a word, unique!
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