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 …