The 25 Greatest Horror Movies Ever, Part 3

Since it is Monster Fest here on YDKS Movies, I figured it was the perfect time of year to work on a countdown of what I consider the 25 greatest horror movies of all-time. Although you may not agree with my list, it is my opinion based on the large amount of horror films that I have consumed over the years. Unfortunately, there still are some "classics" I have yet to see such as Rosemary's Baby and Jacob's Ladder. Because of that, these titles will not appear on the list. However, all of the horror films on this list are nothing but solid films and, if you haven't seen them already, you should check them all out.

Check out Part 1 of this List Here.

Check out Part 2 of this List Here.

Part 3 of 5.

15. The Exorcist

Okay, I know I’m going to get some crap for this. Why is The Exorcist not in the top ten? Well, growing up, The Exorcist was the only movie that my mother banned me from seeing. Apparently, it had traumatized her as a young teen and, because of this, it was the only movie that I was absolutely barred from seeing. Because of this, I did not see The Exorcist until pretty late in my life. When I finally saw it, I could see why it bothered her so much. The Exorcist is a really expertly made horror film that manages to get under your skin. It really is genuinely scary and feels real. However, I would be betraying myself if I put it any higher on this list. Because I did not really grow up with the film like the others on this list, it is just not as close to my heart. It’s a great film and it definitely is one of the scariest things I’ve ever seen but, because of my history with it, I just cannot put it in front of some of my other favorites.

Still, if you have not seen this movie, you definitely should. The horror is subtle, artistic and incredibly well done. It contains some great performances from everyone around, a tight and well-crafted story and some really freaky scenes. Plus, it’s got a girl spewing pea soup all over some priests. What’s better than that?

14. Monster Squad

For Jason and I, Monster Squad is an incredibly special film. This is my favorite film from my childhood. While it could be argued that it is technically not a horror film, it takes everything I ever loved about horror cinema and puts it all into one movie. It has Dracula, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Wolfman, The Mummy and Frankenstein’s monster all coming back to modern time in order to obtain an amulet that will fill the world with evil. The only thing that stands in their way is a group of kids obsessed with horror and monster movies. Also, there’s a bad a named Rudy who smokes and spies on girls undressing and a fat kid named Fat Kid. Um, how could I not love this movie? This movie has a huge cult following and there’s a reason why- this movie is incredibly fun and entertaining to watch. In fact, I cannot think of a more pleasurable film to watch. It basically manages to take all the love I have for horror and put it all up on the screen. That’s really what I see this film as- a giant love letter to horror.

Plus, if you didn’t know, the Wolfman's got nards (please watch the video below).

13. Fright Night

Speaking of cult horror films, they don’t get much better than this. Much like Monster Squad, Fright Night is one of those movies that basically takes everything that I love about horror films and puts it on the screen. Director Tom Holland has claimed that this film is basically a love letter to the gothic horror films and the Hammer vampire films that he grew up on. And it is just that. It manages to work as a great throw back to the classic gothic horror film as well as working as a contemporary 1980’s horror film. Chris Sarandon is a complete bad a as the head vampire. He manages to make the role very tragic, scary and funny at the same time. The scene where Charlie discovers he is a vampire from across the street is one of my favorite scenes in horror history. There is some great direction, acting and editing in that scene. Roddy McDowell is also really awesome as Peter Vincent, the washed up Vincent Price / Peter Cushing type of actor that gets stuck in the middle of a real vampire situation. He really has some wonderful moments in the film. Overall, the whole film is just a lot of fun to watch. It’s got some solid direction, acting, gore effects, a love letter feel and lots of energy. I wish more people knew this one. Check it out if you’ve never seen it.

12. Suspiria

Suspiria is one those horror films that basically transcends the genre. At times, it feels like an elaborate art film. Other times, it almost feels like a torture film. Plus, there’s a great sense of gothic horror thrown in there. One thing is for sure- after seeing this movie, I was convinced that director Dario Argento was a genius. His use of lighting, sound and color in this movie is amazing. Despite it being insanely graphic, this is one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen. Argento treats his scenes of violence and horror as a form of art, slashing bright, red blood around as if it were paint. There's a lot of surrealism employed. The score that Italian rock band Goblin does for this movie is absolutely amazing. The main theme is so hypnotic and really manages to get under your skin. I felt that this movie also succeeded in making witches scary again. The portrayal of witches in this movie feels very real. That scene were you see the shadows of them moving through the night on those Roman buildings is in grained in my mind. Suspiria is really one of a kind. If you haven’t seen it, you are definitely missing out on something very unique and special.

Below, I’ve embedded the first murder from the film. It is pretty graphic so be warned. However, it is one of the most insane things I have ever seen put to film so, if you are into crazy stuff, check it out.

11. Scream

Over the years, there has been a lot of backlash against Scream and, I for one, believe it is very unjustified. Sure, the sequels weren’t that great but the first film really was a landmark in the horror genre. It started off a whole new slate of slasher films in the 1990’s (a trend that I enjoyed a lot more than the recent J-horror ghost movie remake trend and the torture horror trend). It managed to be quite scary, funny and clever. The screenplay by Kevin Williamson (the guy who created Dawson’s Creek of all things…) was really standout. The direction from Wes Craven only made things better. This really is a great horror film. The opening scene with the killing of Drew Barrymore is one of the most intense openings from any horror film I’ve ever seen. The use of the killer calling the victims on the phone, the constant awareness of other horror films, and the mystery of the killer’s identity all make Scream an incredibly entertaining and engaging film. But the best part for me is the lack of motive by the killer(s). That was a pretty ballsy way to go.

I know some people aren’t into this one (or at least they say they aren’t) but, as far as I’m concerned, this is a horror classic.

Stay Tuned Next Week for Parts 4 and 5.