Number one through ten are Richard Simmons workout videos. Seriously watch them and you won't be able to sleep for weeks.

Good list, DFT. My top 10 would probably be similar to yours. Let me try.

1 - The Shining
2- The Ring
3 - Misery
4- Alien
5 - The Thing
6 - Poltergeist
7 - Dawn of the Dead (2004 version - Sorry hardcore Romero fans)
8 - Cujo
9 - Friday the 13th
10 - Children of the Corn

Honorable Mention: The Others, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street

I love Jacob's Ladder and Shaun of the Dead, but I just think of them in a different genre than horror. Because creating a list of worst horror films would be too painful, here are a few horrorish guilty pleasures instead:

1 - Killer Klowns from Outter Space
2 - The Lost Boys
3 - Army of Darkness

not sure if what I like can be classified as "horror" because I don't really like films like "Halloween" and "Friday the 13th" - but I consider those to be slasher flicks.

But here's my top ten in what I consider horror:

The Others
Jacob's Ladder
The Eye (original, not upcoming remake)
Aliens
Alien
Dark Water (Original, not US remake)
Ju-On (Original, not US remake, although the remake wasn't bad)
Onibaba

obviously i have a preference for J-horror

Rosemary's Baby
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari
Silence of the Lambs
The Haunting
Village of the Damned
Hellraiser II
Scream

I wasn't a big fan of Ju-On, to be honest. I feel as though J-Horror opts for the shock instead of the story a lot of times. Their stories feel lazy even if the concept is attention grabbing, such as in Ringu where the concept is a VHS tape that can kill you.

Ringu wasn't nearly as good as The Ring. I've analyzed the US version forwards and backwards, and it is about as damn perfect as a horror story can be. I can write my dissertation on it, but I'll save everyone from sheer boredom. Let me say this, however. In the US version, The Director, Gore Verbinski, did a great job of crafting a great pace and tone for the story, and the screenwriter(s) did an excellent job of taking the lazier and unpolished Japanese version of the story and creating something a touch more in-depth. For instance, in Ringu it is suggested that the mother of Sadako might have had sex with a sea monster or something like that, but in the US version the father of Samara was a horse breeder, and because Samara's mother was incapable of giving birth, well, you can probably see where it went from there. They imply that Samara was birthed in a horse. What makes this significant over the Japanese version, in my opinion, is that the the US theme can easily be summed up as demonstrating the price of "crimes against nature" and we recognize it as something cautionary which is where the great horror mythologies begin.

The Japanese version isn't insinuating a cautionary tale, but rather just displaying a series of supernatural or metaphysical evils, because if the mother of Sadako was to have sex with a sea monster or the sea itself (or whatever is being implied there), then it's not grounded within our reality and therefore it's impossible for us to glean a cautionary tale from their story. It becomes fantasy horror at that point, and without a solid theme for us to relate with on a subconscious Joseph Campbell sort of way, then (for me) the story doesn't succeed as well. I've kind of glossed over the differences in the interest of not writing a diatribe. These are broad strokes here, but I think I did a decent job illustrating my point.

Well to be honest, I wasn't a big fan of Ring or Ringu. The Ju-On I actually liked was number 3 simply because it pulled the story together. Whereas Ju-On 1 was the beginning. Actually I wasn't a fan of it at first until I really contemplated the difference in "horror" within our two cultures. For The Japanese, ghosts don't need a "motivation" anymore than the devil does for us in our culture. Why does Lucifer's son want to hurt people in "The Omen"? BEcause he's the devil's child so there doesn't need to be a reason. Until I grasped that Japanese feel similarly about ghosts I couldn't really enjoy J-horror. ONce I accepted that, I could really appreciate the differences in portrayal, and other subtleties in J-horror vs American horror. Plenty of crappy J-horror just as plenty of crappy US horror but I tend to like the Asian stuff better.

>> ^smibbo:
not sure if what I like can be classified as "horror" because I don't really like films like "Halloween" and "Friday the 13th" - but I consider those to be slasher flicks.


Friday the 13th and Halloween are more part of the horror genre than Aliens and Silence of the Lambs, I think. To me, Aliens was an action film whereas its predecessor Alien was a haunted house story told on a space ship (therefore it certainly was a horror film, if not sci-fi-horror.). Silence of the Lambs was a thriller more than a horror. Jacobs Ladder, in my opinion, is debatable whether or not it can be considered horror - I, too, think that one is a thriller.

Can I throw Sleepy Hollow, Edward Scissorhands, and Donnie Darko on the pile, even though none of them are really 'horror'?

The Shining, The Exorcist, Alien, Jaws, The Fly, Psycho, Nosferatu, Misery, Cujo...

I liked Pan's Labyrinth.

true, BLankfist, but Silence of the Lambs and ALiens both scared the crap outta me.

Ah, The Thing is a good one, with a brilliant Ennio score. As if to challenge John Williams' two note, half-step apart Jaws theme, Ennio uses a two of the same note theme for The Thing. He is a very playful composer.

I've never actually seen Killer Klowns. I guess I have to rent it now.

I liked the US version of 'The Ring' better too. I'm going to have to watch that again now after reading your interesting analysis. I'm interested in reading more about it if you want to post it.

I almost forgot about the Hellraiser movies. I remember being severely traumatized by Hellraizer II when I was a kid.

I haven't seen very many J-Horror flick. I'll have to check some of the ones you've listed out.

Smib and bf, have you two seen Battle Royale? It is amazing and easily my favorite Japanese flick. Here is a clip from it. ---> http://www.videosift.com/video/How-To-Fight-a-Battle-Royale (my first sift incidentally)

Berticus, throw in whatever you want. As blankfist pointed out, 2 of my films are comedies and 2 are thrillers, so anything goes.

Nosferatu is another gaping hole in my horror knowledge and it's actually on my computer as we speak. I'm going to make a point to watch it soon.

I guess there aren't many horror fans on the sift, or at least few who read blog posts.

Toss: Blair Witch... blow your nose, PLEASE.

Add: Halloween... no blood, all angles and sound

Agree that the 2004 remake of "Dawn Of The Dead" was a better film over the original, Dark dark and dark once again, LOVED the end.

OH! Late addition: Eraserhead. I can't believe I left that out. (Issy would kill me!)

I know many hated Blair Witch, but it scared the bejebus out of me. Agreed that Halloween is a quality flick.

Yes, I did like Battle Royale. Here again, I think the concept was fantastic, but where the movie ended was pretty blasé, to me. I don't remember much of how it ended, but I remember it being a let down. I think it had something to do with some grown man falling in love with a student and waxing poetic about it for what felt like forty-five minutes. Still, amazing concept. The opening was a lot of fun!

Hey, DFT, if you turn out to despise Killer Klowns, don't take it out on me. It's a b-movie cult classic from the 80s. I own it on DVD, but I cannot get my girlfriend to watch it with me.

1. The Thing
2. Shaun Of The Dead
3. Army Of Darkness
4. Dawn Of The Dead (2004) - Running zombies scare the piss out of me
5. Silence Of The Lambs
6. Nosferatu The Vampyre (1979)
7. Salem's Lot
8. Christine
9. Poltergeist
10. Evil Dead II
11. C.H.U.D.

"The Thing" is my favorite, the rest are in no particular order. And one of those is a joke. Guess which.

A few films that scared me when I was a kid but now make me laugh:

1. The Blob (1958)
2. The Wasp Woman (1959)
3. King Kong vs. Godzilla (Hey, I was a little kid when I first saw it.)

holy cow i forgot the movie i saw at midnight showing every time it came around... the first movie I ever bought shwag for (T-shirt and poster) the first movie I owned the sundtrack to...

Eraserhead

holy smokes I loved that movie...

I've seen far fewer horror films than I'd like, but here's my list, such as it is:

1. The Shining
2. Psycho
3. The Descent
4. Shaun of the Dead
5. Alien
6. The Thing
7. Audition
8. Halloween (NOT the Rob Zombie version)
9. The Ring
10. The Hills Have Eyes (the remake)

The worst:

1. A tie between both of the recent Texas Chainsaw Massacre remakes... ugh. If there's anything worse than Michael Bay the director, it's Michael Bay the producer.
2. House of Wax (the remake)
3. Silent Hill

And I have to say, I'm a bit puzzled to see the remake of Dawn of the Dead on so many lists. That's a classic example of style over substance (and not particularly good style, either). There wasn't a single decent, three-dimensional character in the film, which was puzzling considering that the movie spends a ridiculous amount of time with the characters sitting around talking. I hate Zack Snyder, and I'm getting ready to really despise him once he inevitably ruins Watchmen.

The opening scene of "When a Stranger Calls" really fucked me up as I saw it on late night tv when I was younger.

http://www.videosift.com/video/When-a-Stranger-Calls-Chilling-Opening

01. The Exorcist
02. Invasion of the body snatchers
03. Friday the 13th (original)
04. The Shining
05. Halloween
06. Aliens
07. Amityville horror
08. The Ring
09. When a stranger calls (opening sequence)
10. Dawn of the Dead (2004) - the opening & end sequence

Honorable Mention
Scream
mothman prophecies
seven
war of the worlds

STINKERS
Cursed
Song Of The Dead
Last Breath

Amityville Horror? for real?

ugh, I really thought that was in the "so bad its nearly a joke" category.

And "Audition" just made me want to puke repeatedly, it didn't scare me at all.

Disappointment - Marebito

The thing I liked so much about Audition was how it really takes its time getting to the scary stuff, starting out almost like a romantic drama. And the torture scene is pretty damn intense. I think Miike is generally a bit too bizarre for his own good, but Audition really worked.

Audition is an awesome horror flick. It's gross and disturbing. Not worthy of a top ten for me, but a good one nonetheless.

you think Audition gross and disturbing? then it's best you never ever see Visitor Q

well, you know Jacob's Ladder is a top fave of mine. and SotL.
but, not so much horror, to me.

so, after careful deliberation, and in
no particular order, as that would be unnecessary, and impossible for me:

The Omen -+- Jaws -+- Creepshow

The Ring -+- The Thing -+- The Shining (The... Sting? )

American Werewolf in London

The Fly (Cronenberg) -+- Alien -+- Psycho

next 5: Salem's Lot, Exorcist, Halloween, Nosferatu, Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
and Fright Night was a surprisingly good B flick.
i'll sift the trailer if i can find it tonight.

the surprise? i'm the only one to mention 4 of my Top 10!

>> ^youdiejoe:
> Toss: Blair Witch... blow your nose, PLEASE.

ha! only thing worth the ticket, for me, was the last minute.

oh, and found the trailer, for Fright Night.

a very worthy rental, if anyone hasn't seen it:

http://www.videosift.com/video/Fright-Night-trailer

1. Aliens/Alien (slight preference to the sequel)
2. The Thing
3. Dawn of the Dead (original)
4. The Shining
5. Jaws
6. Day of the Dead
7. 28 Days Later
8. Night Watch
9. Evil Dead II
10. The Birds

Bottom 3:

3. Saw
2. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 remake)
1. The Grudge

Honorable Mention:

1. Jacob's Ladder
2. Army of Darkness (which I consider more comedy than horror, thus not being top 10)
3. Return of the Living Dead

1. IT
2. The Shining
3. Lost Highway
4. Jacob's Ladder
5. Open Water
6. Halloween
7. Dead Calm
8. Misery

I know "It" was a TV movie and yes the ending sequence sucked but that movie gave me so many nightmares as a kid. I used to worry that a giant clown would come out of my shower drain and attack me or that those fluffy clown puff things would suddenly materialize. Usually "supernatural" horror movies don't scare me. I guess it was supernatural only on the surface but it still gets #1 in my book.

As for the others, the parts of a plot that could actually happen scare me the most:

-Isolation
-Confinement
-Being Stranded
-Loss of Control
-Insanity
-Mental Illness
-Mass Murderers
-Fanatics

Horror is my least favorite genre.

I wouldn't count Alien II or Jacob's Ladder; that was kind of sci-fi to me.

I'm one of those people with a turbo-charged imagination and I literally get wigged out for a few days after seeing a really scary flick.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre did a real number on me, in part because I was living out in the boonies at the time and there were actually dead bodies popping up hither and yon in the fields where I used to live.

One day, when I missed the bus, they found the naked body of a dead woman lying in a ditch maybe three miles from where I lived. Another time, a buddy and I were hunting rabbits, and we smelled this sickly sweet smell by the railroad tracks, and it turned out to be some chick buried there a few weeks before.

Can't do it. No horror.

(Four Flies on Gray Velvet)