Honestly, why not? However, I'm not going to even attempt to put these in any sort of order. Choosing ten is difficult enough, as it is. So, without further ado, here we go:
- The Exorcist (1973) William Friedkin's classic adaptation of William Peter Blatty's seriously creepy novel still really scares me, even after all these years. Interestingly, as an atheist, I wouldn't think that it would have that sort of effect. But it does. Oh! It does.
- Suspiria (1977) It's interesting to contemplate whether or not this film would have the same overall effect without the epic Goblin soundtrack. But either way, it's one of the most disturbing and one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen. While not shot in Technicolor, it was printed using the Technicolor process, which lends this Dario Argento masterpiece an amazingly rich look.
- Se7en (1995) Some might question whether this is more of a thriller than a horror film, but I think anyone who's really seen, and been affected, by David Fincher's 90's crime creepshow will agree it's pretty damned horrific. A great cast (Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow) lifts this film, and the mostly unsettlingly low-key direction makes it all the more frightening.
- The Ring (2002) I don't know if it's what I found to be a very moody directorial style, whether it's because it honestly got under my skin the first time I saw it, or simply because I'm a total Naomi Watts super-fan (probably the last, to be honest), but I loved this film when I first saw it, and I still do. It's one of the few films where I believe the re-make surpassed the original.
- Friday the 13th (1980) One of the films that help form my relatively young brain. That's probably not good, frankly. Stealing cable in the early days, when they had about a total of 5 movies to show, I watched this and Excalibur pretty much every day. But really, if it weren't such a classic it wouldn't be referenced so often.
- Scream (1996) Talk about range! The same guy who made The Last House on the Left (the original, that is) made this. It probably pisses off a lot of hardcore horror fans, with its humor and partial parody orientation. But I think the opening sequence alone forces this film onto this list. I loved the performances, the direction, and the meta-textual aspect of the film.
- Halloween (1978) Like Friday the 13th above, this also made a very early impression on me. And, seriously: a young Jamie Lee Curtis. As I was hitting puberty, she alone was enough to brand this film onto my mind forever. And John Carpenter absolutely made this sizzle.
- The Shining (1980) This was probably the first honest-to-goodness horror film I saw in the theatre, when I was 11 I think. My friends and I thought it would be "cool." I still remember those twin girls -- and they were not "cool." They scared the hell out of me. Stanley Kubrick constructed a brilliant, terrifying, fantastical-yet-grounded film. And the performances were excellent.
- Psycho (1960) Yes, to some, this Hitchcock classic might seem a bit "dated" these days. But I believe the construction he used, totally surprising the audience of the time, and altering the way people go to the theatre forevermore, makes it worth the listing here. Also, there are people who went all the decades of the rest of their lives without taking a shower. That's cinematic power!
- The Birds (1963) OK, so I'm a Hitchcock fan. Sue me. And yeah, a lot of people probably think this film is just silly. But for me, once you see it, and see it again, then spend some time thinking about it, it becomes a terror on the soul. Are we really that terrifyingly weak in the face of nature? Can the world turn on us that quickly? I believe that this is one of the ultimate under-your-skin films ever made. And, hey: Tippi Hedren was freakin' HOT!
Alright. I get it. I'm sure lots of people have a problem with this list. Heck. I have a problem with this list. But as I start my blog, and I sit here ready to watch a truly (supposedly) trashy film, these are the ten that come to mind.
If you want to tell me your Top Ten, please leave a comment.
Thanks.