Best Horror films

(Part of this was originally published in The Star newspapers)

By Vittorio Carli

Great horror films are profoundly unsettling. They linger in the
subconscious like a nightmare or bad childhood memory.

They chill you to the bone and make you look over your the shoulder on the way home from the theater.

For the most part, the films I have chosen for my list have passed the test of time. They have improved with age like fine wine.

For this reason I have included few 1990s films only "the Blair Witch Project" and "Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer" because it is too early to determine their historical significance.

I have ranked these 20 horror films in order of preference. They
were judged in terms of direction, acting, and originality. Of course, I also considered how scary they are.

In order to be comprehensive I have every horror series (such as the Evil Dead trilogy) and each director represented by only one film in the top 20.

For Halloween, turn out the lights and put in one of these videos. It's the fright time of the year.

1. "Psycho," 1960. Alfred Hitchcock's shocking masterpiece starring Tony Perkins and Janet Leigh was revolutionary because it switched the emphasis of horror films from the supernatural to the psychological. Bernard Herrmann's moody score greatly enhances the terror.

2. "The Bride of Frankenstein," 1935. Boris Karloff's Frankenstein monster is the most tragic figure in horror history. Better than the 1931 "Frankenstein" in every way.

3. "The Night of the Living Dead," 1968. George Romero's terrifying zombie film captures the authentic feel of a documentary
and it inspired countless inferior imitations, including a terrible 1990 remake.

4. "Nosferatu the Vampyre," 1979. Werner Herzog's eerie "Dracula" adaptation leaves every other vampire film in the dust. An
English language version is available of this German film.

5. "Rosemary's Baby," 1968. Roman Polanski's dark, funny. tale of the birth of a demon child has a clear, pro-feminist message. Stars
Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes.

6. "The Innocents," 1961. Classy, psychologically complex adaptation of Henry James's "The Turn of the Screw," stars Deborah
Kerr and Michael Redgrave.

7. "The Exorcist," 1973. William Friedkin's horrifying tale of demonic possession of the little girl (Linda Blair) has convincing
makeup and terrific special effects.

8. "Freaks," 1932. Early horror-film master Tod Browning gathered a cast of real-life freaks for this creepy film about a group of
deformed carnival sideshow performers and their revenge on the evil, beautiful characters. Original version was severely cut in the U.S. and banned in Britain.

9. "Jaws," 1975. I had to cover my eyes the first time I saw this well-acted, suspenseful thriller as a kid. Steven Spielberg directed
Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss. It won three Oscars.

10. "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," 1932. Frederic March's performance as a brilliant doctor and his monstrous alter ego
deservedly won an Oscar.

11. "Peeping Tom," 1960. This disturbing and arty horror film caused such a scandal that it almost ended the career of its brilliant
director, Michael Powell.

12. "The Blair Witch Project," 1999. This heavily improvised pseudo-documentary was the most realistic and memorable horror flick of the '90s. It was just released to video this week. 13. "Carrie," 1976. Brian De Palma's stylish Stephen King adaptation includes a classic prom scene, which has been endlessly imitated.

14. "Curse of the Demon," 1958. Jacques Tourneur created this riveting, masterfully orchestrated tale of supernatural suspense.

15. "The Mummy," 1932. Karl Freund's expressionistic lighting and Boris Karloff's performance make this the only must-see mummy
film.

16. "Spirits of the Dead," 1969. Three excellent short adaptations of Poe stories by three respected European directors. Federico
Fellini's episode, "Toby Dammit" is a surreal masterpiece.

17. "The Wolfman," 1941. Lon Chaney Jr. gained immortality with his role as the hapless werewolf, Larry Talbot, but Claude Rains and Evelyn Ankers also excel in supporting roles. As always, Jack
Pierce's makeup is magnificent.

18. "Mr. Vampire," 1986. Chinese monk uses martial arts to battle hopping vampires in this inventive horror comedy which spawned four
sequels.

19. "The Wicker Man," 1973. Christopher Lee gives his best performance as the mysterious head of a pagan sect in this English
cult classic.

20. "Texas Chain Saw Massacre," 1974. Tobe Hooper creates a chilling nightmarish atmosphere without wallowing in excess gore.

21. "Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn," 1987. This ingenuous splatter comedy is the only horror film that's equally influenced by George Romero's zombie films and the Three Stooges shorts.

22. "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" 1962. This wonderful Gothic thriller benefits from terrifically hammy performances by Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.

23. "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer," 1990. Morally ambivalent portrayal of a killer is much more terrifying than the more acclaimed, "The Silence of the Lambs."

24. "Suspiria", 1977. Dario Argento's violent thriller is shot like an opera complete with over-the-top music and exaggerated acting.

25. "Halloween," 1978. Well- made teen slasher film helped launch the careers of horror director, John Carpenter and former scream queen, Jamie Lee Curtis.

Other good horror films/honorable mentions:

American Psycho (2000), An American Werewolf in London (1982), Audition (1999), The Bad Seed (1956), The Birds (1963), The Black Cat (1934), Black Sabbath (1963), Black Sunday (1961), Blade II (2000), Burn Witch Burn (1962), Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter (1974), Carnival of Souls (1962), Candyman (1992), Cat People (1942), Cemetary Man/Dellamorte Dellamore (1996), The Conqueror Worm (1968), Creepshow (1982), Cronos (1994), Dawn of the Dead (1979), Dead-Alive (1992), Dead of Night (1946), The Dead Zone (1983), The Devil's Nightmare, Devil Doll (1936), Dracula (1931),Dracula's Daughter (1936) Eyes Without a Face/Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus (1959), Frankenstien (1931), Fright Night (1985), From Dusk till Dawn (1996), From Hell (2001), The Gift (2000), God Told Me To/Demon (1976), The Habit (1997) The Honeymoon Killers (1970), Horror of Dracula (1958), House of Usher (1962), The Howling (1981), Interview With A Vampire (1994), Island of Lost Souls (1932), Kill Baby Kill (1966), The Kingdom (1994), Kwaidan (1964), Last House on the Left (1972), The Last Wave (1977), Legend of Hell House (1973), Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971), Little Shop of Horrors (1960), Martin (1977) Murders in the Zoo (1933), The Old Dark House (1932), Onibababa (1965), Near Dark (1986), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), The Night Stalker (1972), The Omen (1976), Nosferatu (1922), The Others (2001), Paperhouse (1988), Phenomena/Creepers (1985), Poltergeist (1982), The Plumber (1978), Razor Blade Smile (1998), Re-Animator (1985), The Reflecting Skin (1991), Repulsion (1965), Return of the Living Dead (1985), The Ring (2002), Salem's Lot (1979), Scream (1996), Seven (1995), The Seventh Victim (1943), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Sisters (1973), The Sixth Sense (1999), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Son of Frankenstein (1939), Targets (1968), The Tenderness of Wolves (1973), The Vampire Lovers (1970), Vampyr (1932), Wolf (1994)

WORST HORROR FILMS: "Andy Warhol's Frankenstein;" "The Beyond;" "Curse of the Swamp Creature;" "Dracula vs. Frankenstein;" "Friday the 13th 3-D;" "I Spit on Your Grave;" "Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Next Generation;" "Pigs."

Vittorio Carli is a contributor to Reelmoviecritic.com and The Star's movie pages. If you wish to comment on his list, feel free to e-mail him at
vcarli12763@hotmail.com

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Photography by Richard Wilson