1. Max von Sydow Let’s start this list off with someone who seems like a no-brainer: Max von Sydow, also known as Father Merrin in The Exorcist. However, I include him because he is the only actor who has ever played both God and Satan. He was Jesus in The Greatest Story Ever Told and Satan in the adaptation of …

1. Underworld (2003) Kate Beckinsale kicks major boo-tay in this one. In the film, Selene is something of an exalted vigilante, killing the Lycans (read: fancy word for werewolves; where is the fancy word for vampires?) for the atrocities they’ve committed against her family. So often when we think of vampires we think Dracula and his many incarnations, but here, …

1. The Masque of the Red Death (1964) Vincent Price, Tarot, Satan, and the Plague. Yes, yes, yes—and yes, this movie is awesome. If there was any color to represent the genre, red would be it; black, maybe, but I think we can agree blood is the cornerstone of our appeal. Red is also my favorite color, so there you …

One of the great powers of horror movies is atmosphere; setting the right mood can be a crucial part of selling the scare. Because of that, much of these movies take place at night or in darkness. I am a firm believer that something is one million times scarier if you can see it in full, hard light. So: the …

1- Carrie (1976) King’s first novel and first film adaptation: this is the one that started it all. And what a start it was; this movie gave us all a taste of what would become the staples of Stephen King movies. It features a regular girl with supernatural powers, a crazy, creepy mother, and lots of gore and mayhem. It …

13. Dr. Giggles (Dr. Giggles, 1992) When the kids of the neighborhood sing: “This town has a doctor and his name is Rendell / Stay away from his house cause he’s the doctor from Hell / He killed all his patients, every last one, / And cut out their hearts…purely for fun. / So if you’re from Moorehigh and you …

1. Dread (2009) This movie came and went under the radar with little fanfare notice save a few features in Fangoria. Although it’s no surprise no one’s seen this, because it was one of After Dark Horrorfest’s movies this past year. However, this movie is one that cannot be missed. It is the best Clive Barker adaptation ever. I will …

We’ve covered alot of subjects here at HNN in regards to the horror genre. I was asked awhile ago if we’d do a lil’ research on musical productions focusing on a horror themes. So as to not disappoint, we came up with a number of musicals being produced over the years to popular crowds that base their foundation on well …

One of the great things about horror films is that they can explore themes that other genre films simply can’t. One of hallmarks of horror is that it confronts us with horrible things. That said, this list isn’t necessarily made up of the horrible things horror films have shown us, but also scenes that were so disturbing that they crossed into …

13. Time After Time (1979) This movie makes the list even though it isn’t really a horror movie. It isn’t scary at all, actually, but the plot, while a bit cheesy at times, also contains a bit of genius, including its star Malcolm McDowell. Here’s the deal: the notion of a serial killer is not a modern one. Jack the …

Joey Danikan: you are amazing. Thank you for this idea. I owe you one. 1. Pogo stick—Leprechaun (1993) “Try as they will, and try as they might, who steals me gold won’t live through the night.” So says the leprechaun at the heart of this franchise. Let’s just forget about the sequels, which turned to drivel by the time Back …

It would be useless to try and rank Bruce Campbell’s films for two reasons: 1) There’d be whiners commenting about the merits of each of the Evil Dead films and why they should each be number one, and 2) You can’t quantify that much greatness. As such, even though I numbered them, this list is really in no particular order. …

I’ve been thinking lately about in-references within horror movies (you know, like how in Evil Dead there’s a ripped poster for The Hills Have Eyes in the cellar and in A Nightmare on Elm St. Nancy watches Evil Dead to try and stay awake). One of the people whose referential talents cannot be matched is Edgar Wright, co-writer/director of Shaun …

13. I Walked with a Zombie (1943) This movie is basically Jane Eyre in the West Indies with a touch of voodoo thrown in and it relies mostly on merging the dichotomies it spent so long building up: voodoo/Christian, black/white, dead/alive, magic/science. This sense of ambiguity is the only unsettling force in a too-literal plot and otherwise tame film. 12. …

13. It (1990) It is a scary movie, but only because of Tim Curry. Plus, clowns are scary. Other things that are scary: blood coming up from your drain, phantom balloons that pop and spray blood everywhere, pictures that come alive, and people who live in sewers. This miniseries has all of these. The least scary part? The ending. Talk …