35. Session 9
Brad Anderson, 2001
Location, location, location. It’s less of a concern for filmmakers than for real estate, but if you can find something special, it can elevate even the weakest project to something watchable. Session 9 has, perhaps, the greatest location ever – an actual abandoned mental asylum. Any movie shot there would, by default, be creepy as hell, even (or perhaps especially) if shot on video, like Session 9 was. Add to that the strong script and solid cast, and you’ve got something a lot more than watchable.
34. A Nightmare on Elm Street
Wes Craven, 1984
What can be said about Freddy Krueger that hasn’t already been said? He’s the greatest of all the modern horror icons, with an unforgettable visual profile and possibly the most frightening idea of all at his core: a monster who can kill you in your dreams. It’s a concept that makes him incredibly versatile, as the Nightmare series has moved from horror to comedy to fantasy to action and back again, with only two real failures in my eyes (numbers 2 and 6). It all started here, though, and Freddy is at his most stripped-down: he’s lean, mean, and often off-screen, but still has a glint in his eye and touch of theatrical flair. Any flaws arising from the ridiculously tiny budget are easily overlooked in light of the legend being created here.
33. City of the Living Dead
Lucio Fulci, 1980
This is the only movie I’ve seen in my adult life that made me sleep with the lights on. I can’t really explain this reaction other than to say there’s just something off about the way it feels. It will probably not have the same effect on you, but fortunately it also features a record number of incredible setpieces (The puking! The maggots! The drill! The pickaxe!) to enjoy, even if you’re not actually scared.
32. Creepshow
George A. Romero, 1982
Creepshow is a loving tribute to EC comics, brought to us by two men at the top of the game in their respective fields – George Romero and Stephen King. It’s funny, but not in a comedy sort of way. It’s scary, but not in an overwhelming way. Each of the five segments functions essentially as a sort of morality tale, in which people do bad things and are punished for it (just as in HBO’s Tales from the Crypt, which was literally adapted from the comics that inspired this film).
This is one of the very first horror movies I ever saw, and it traumatized my young mind. Showers became a prelude to a zombie attack (see “Something to Tide You Over”), and as a result, the smell of a particular brand of soap still puts me on edge. It took me two years before I could eat cereal again (see “They’re Creeping Up on You”). That’s what I call an effective horror movie.
31. Inferno
Dario Argento, 1980
A sequel (roughly) to Suspiria, Inferno is not nearly as iconic as the earlier film, but more than compensates by considerably upping the surrealism quotient and focusing on what could best be described as “architectural horror,” in which the danger comes from within the (man-made) environment itself. A great example of both strengths is the lengthy underwater room sequence that occurs early on, and may be one of the most perfect passages in any horror film.
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