What is it about the human race that makes us love a good scare?  Whatever it is, since the beginning of time people have been fascinated with tales of spirits, creatures and ghouls that go bump in the night.  From creepy tales from around a campfire to the minds of Mary Shelly, Edgar Allen Poe and H.P Lovecraft, there has always been a demand for tales of terror and the macabre.  It’s no wonder that in 1910, under the watchful eye of inventor Thomas Edison, that the very first horror film, a sixteen minute adaptation of the classic story of Frankenstein, was filmed.  In the decades since then the horror film industry has never grown out of style, and never fails to thrill millions of film buffs world wide, being possibly the world’s most popular film genre.

However, while all film genres has it’s winners and losers, sometimes shifting through the horror genre is a bit more tedious.  That is why in 2005 I opened the PCA's House of Horror Movie Reviews.  Originally I started with reviews of 35 of my all time favorite creepy films.  However, the problem with movies is that we don't have time to watch them all.  That is why I revisit this house every year and add additional films; taking into account great horror films that I have either seen for the first time, or rediscovered, that made an impact on me and that I deem worthy to be put into the House of Horror Movie Reviews.   As a result, I have tried to assemble the best, most interesting, and most endearing list of horror films from around the world, taking in account the classic studios, directors, writers, trends, sub-genres and stars from the entire history of the genre .  So grip your crucifixes a bit closer to your breast, and load your guns full of silver bullets as you enter:

CONFESSIONS OF A POP CULTURE ADDICT'S

HOUSE OF 100 HORROR MOVIE REVIEWS

So why did this project begin?  Well, every Halloween, as I go DVD shopping, I notice a number of displays featuring what is considered to be recommended Halloween viewing by local DVD vendors. I love a good horror film and I'm always out to buy DVDs but throughout the years  I have always been disgusted by the lack of quality and imagination displayed through the selection of movies featured on these stands. Rarely do I come across a film I'd even watch, let alone buy. Now, to be fair, I am not a fan of 80's slasher films (I'm sorry, but an episode of The Teletubbies has more plot development than Friday the 13th) and I want something entertaining with a good plot, some characters, great acting, and some artistic merit  or otherwise I want a campy low quality B film with tons of imagination and odd ball appeal. I do not want to watch Scary Movie or The Mummy with Brendan Fraser. Anyhow, my disappointment inspired me to write these reviews to present to you my, much better,  picks for great horror viewing!  However, it takes a lot of people to build a house, and I sought outside influence so that this list was not just from my own personal favorites, but also from the suggestions from other film buffs whose opinions I respect.  Helping with this project is PCA collaborator and resident horror expert Verne Pickford, whose knowledge of the horror industry rivals anybody I’ve ever met; comic artist Ronn Sutton who drew the Elvira: Mistress of the Dark comic book for nearly a decade; Joe Caruana from CultCollectableDVDs, whose always bringing rare cult films to my attention; and our senior member of the team Ralph Townsley, who has been a horror film fan since he saw Universal’s House of Dracula in theatres as a kid.  I hope you enjoy these reviews, and find them useful in making wise DVD rental choices.  Most of all I hope there will be something here that you've never heard of before that will strike your interest enough to view it.  Just be warned, this is not a list of the best horror films of all time.  Some of the films on this list are the best that the horror industry have to offer.  Other are some of the worst.  This list is just some of our favorites, and hopefully will be some of yours.

1. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) One of the earliest horror films ever made, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is one of the finest of the silent era. When the mysterious Dr. Caligari comes to town, two friends, Francis and Alan, go to his performance where Caligari raises a sonuablist from the dead (played by a very young Conrad Viedt) who is able to predict the future….and death.  Yet, when the predictions of death comes true, is it natural or is something more sinister going on in Dr. Caligari’s Cabinet?   The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari features complex painted sets that have gone down in film history as an example of German expressionalisim, and have been copied and made tribute to in films ever since.  Finally, the ending of the film is truly unexpected, and possibly one of the first good twist endings in movie history.

2.  Häxan (1922)  Probably the most shocking horror film of the silent era, Danish director Benjamin Christensen’s Häxan often goes ignored and overlooked.  However, Häxan is easily one of the most daring and unique horror films made during the early part of the century, and while it is unconventional in the way it is presented, it is a must see for horror buffs and film scholars.  Part documentary, part historical melodrama and part shock theatre, Christensen takes a look at the history of witchcraft through a series of vignettes, with focus going on the witch trials of the middle ages.  Focusing on a number of different connected stories, Christensen looks at a chamber maid trying to seduce a friar, an old witch’s description of a satanic orgy, clergy witch hunters manipulating an innocnet maiden into confessing she is a witch and Satan’s penetration of a convent.  Shocking imagery including bondage, torture, nudity, boiling babies, demons seducing women, demonstrations of medieval torture devices and a scene where women literally kiss Satan’s ass are still as shocking today as they were in 1922.  However, Häxan is more then just early shock cinema.  Christensen’s research is very well done, and he gives an interesting lesson on the history of European witchcraft, with much of his story based firmly in reality.  In fact, during Häxan’s premier, Christensen provided a bibliography for the audience of the sources for his facts.  Furthermore, the film was a special effect triumphant at the time it came out for it’s early use of superimposing to film a sea of witches flying over rooftops on broomsticks and demons and ghostly apparitions fading in and out of scenes, Häxan also has amazing costumes and make up, with convincing and scary demons, and a wonderful four legged skeletal creature that is seen walking through the Satanic orgy.  Christensen himself plays the role of Satan, and in one scene is even seen in the role of Jesus Christ!  Oddly enough, Häxan was reedited in 1967 from 108 minutes to 76 minutes by Anthony Balch and distributed with the title Witchcraft Through the Ages, and added a film score by jazz drummer Daniel Humar and narration by William S Burroughs.  While Witchcraft Through the Ages is watchable, and fairly interesting itself, it is a pale substitution to Christensen’s original vision to this strange and dark landmark in horror.

3.Nosferatu (1922) The world's first film version of Dracula is still arguably the best vampire movie ever made.  As a result of a copyright lawsuit filed by Bram Stoker's widow, director F. W. Murnau couldn't use the actual name "Dracula". However, all the characters are here:  Mina and Jonathan Harker, Dr. Van Helsing, Lucy, Reinfield, and the mysterious Count Orlock the vampire (in replacement of Dracula). Possibly one of the creepiest silent films ever made, Nosferatu is a silent masterpiece.  Furthermore, Max Schreck is more hypnotic than Bela Lugosi and scarier than Christopher Lee, making him the scariest Dracula to ever grace the screen. If anyone is looking to do a double feature film night, pair this film up with 2002's Shadow of the Vampire, a fictional account of the filming of Nosferatu starring John Malkovich as F. W. Murnau and William DaFoe, who was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Max Schreck.

4. Phantom of the Opera (1925) Lon Chaney Sr., the man of 1000 faces, stars as Erik the Phantom in this excellent telling of Gaston Leroux's novel, which became not only the first major American horror film, but the first horror hit for Universal Studios which would be famous for their horror line in the decades that followed. Far closer to the original text than any other film based on this novel and worlds better than the Broadway musical, Phantom shows Erik as the monster he is not as a romantic hero.   Elaborate sets and fantastic makeup and costumes give the audience plenty of eye candy in this gigantic, spectacular film with the highlight is the Phantom's entrance on the opera house steps dressed as Death. Of course, the real star of the film of the make-up job devised by star Lon Chaney Sr. himself, transforming his face into a skull like appearance. More brutal and less romantic then the story has been portrayed in recent decades, fans of the Andrew Lloyd Webber production may not like this one, but fans of silent films should not miss it.

5. Dracula (Spanish version) (1931) In 1931 Todd Browning filmed Bela Lugosi in the Universal production of Dracula and horror movie magic was born. However, when Browning wrapped up shooting for the day, and Bela Lugosi went home, director George Melford crawled onto the set and Spanish actor Carlos Villar put on the vampire cape to film a Spanish version of the exact same film which, while often overlooked, is in many ways a far stronger film. Instead of just dubbing the Dracula film being made, Universal studios used the same sets, same props and many of the same costumes with a full Spanish cast and shot what was, more or less, the same film. However some dynamic differences make the Spanish version of Dracula, which somehow manages to run a half an hour longer then the Browning version, a different and more unearthly looking picture. Perhaps it was the late night shooting schedule but the film seems far darker and sinister then the Lugosi version. The women, with lower cut dresses, seem more exotic and sexual. With this said, Villar is no Bela Lugosi, and often comes off being slightly cartoonist in the role. However, after a while you get used to him and he really is a fine actor. However the real scene stealer in this film is Pablo Rubio in the role of Reinfield, who could possibly one of the best portrayals of the character the screen has ever seen. His maniacal laughter itself is possibly the scariest part of this film. The newly restored and completed Spanish version of Dracula can be found as part of Universal's Dracula Legacy Collection along with the Browning/Lugosi version and shouldn't be overlooked anymore.

6.  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) Although MGM wasn't known for doing horror films, Robert Lewis Stevenson's classic tale of schizophrenia and battle between the good and evil in the mind of man was nominated for three Academy Awards, and won the best actor Oscar for Fredric March in his dual role of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which, seventy five years later, is the only time a horror film has won an Oscar in a major category!  When sexually frustrated humanitarian Dr. Henry Jekyll creates an elixir that separates his conscious from his inner habitations, he foolishly uses himself as a guinea pig in order to test his theory.  As a result, a villainous alter ego appears in Jekyll's place, who terrorizes the residents of the London South End, primarily a prostitute Ivy Pearson.  Now Dr. Jekyll must forge an inner battle with Mr. Hyde over his own sanity and his soul.  When it was a cinematic miracle when it was brought to life in 1932 as audiences thrilled as Frederic Mark changed from handsome humanitarian Dr. Jekyll into the bestial brute Mr. Hyde!  Fredric March not only relies on make up, but changes his body language, movements and voice in order to transform into the beast, and the transformation is so convincing you swear that another actor was brought in for Mr. Hyde!  However, the real horror is not in the transformation, but in the story of domestic violence and emotional terror that is suffered Ivy is where the real horror lays.  Miriam Hopkins, in the role of Ivy, tugs on the sympathies of the viewer as they watch her abuse at the hands of Mr. Hyde.    Shocking at the time of its release for its brutality and sexual context, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde still hits home today.

7. Freaks (1932)  I'm not really sure if it's fair to call this film a horror movie or not; although it generally is considered part of the genre. Director Todd Browning assembled the largest collection of sideshow acts including Siamese twins, human skeletons, a bearded woman, dwarfs, a human torso, pin heads and other oddities, and showcased them in an attempt to lovingly portray these "freaks" as humans with loves and hates like the rest of society. It doesn't, however, always work. What is achieved more is both a curiosity piece and an exploitation film. A circus midget falls in love with a heartless trapeze artist who schemes to trick him out of his fortune. Compelling and well written, this film is sure to create tons of discussion on the morality and intent of Browning. Make sure to watch the brilliant documentary on the film available on its DVD. The history of "Freaks" is just as interesting as the film itself. "WE ACCEPT HER! WE ACCEPT HER! GOGGLE GOBBLE! GOOGLE GOBBLE! ONE OF US! ONE OF US!"

8.  White Zombie (1932) Bela Lugosi stars in the roll of Legendre in one of his finest starring roles this side of Dracula.   Although you won’t see any zombies feasting on brains in this early independent horror film, White Zombie was the first time in motion pictures that zombies were used as a subject matter. When Neil Parker and his fiancée Madeline accept the invitation of playboy Charles Beaumont to be married at his plantation in Haiti, Beaumont has sinister plans of his own.  Wanting Madeline for his own, Beaumont turns to island witch doctor Legendre who uses zombie workers to operate his mill.  However, when Legendre turns Marion into a zombie, her haunting and emotionless form isn’t what Beaumont thought he’d want.  The melodrama runs high in this strange and eerie film which is often hindered by dramatically over the top performances.  However, the performances add to the surrealism of the film and the film is  full of surreal sets and creepy atmosphere which redeems it.  Adding to the fantastic performance of Bela Lugosi is the creepy and sexy silence of Madge Ballamy who is magnetic as the zombiefied Madeline.  White Zombie is also full of subtle eroticism which adds to the appeal of the film.  Yet what is difficult to redeem is the fact that White Zombie suffers the worst final line in any horror film I've ever seen.  Although it's the type of line that was common in 1930s films, it is totally out of place and inappropriate in this film, and you can almost see actor Joseph Cawthorn wince as he says it.  Oh well.  Unfortunate scripting does often happen.  Of course, Rob Zombie would go on to name his band after this film, immortalizing the title in the world of pop culture.  Make sure to check out the original film that inspired it.

9. King Kong (1933) Over seventy years later, King Kong is still one of Hollywood's greatest films. A film crew goes to a mysterious island where prehistoric animals still wander around to capture a giant monstrous gorilla which the natives worship. They lose their leading lady, played by Fay Wray, when Kong falls in love with her and carries her into the mysterious jungle. Now, fighting for survival against dinosaurs and other giant beasts, heroic sailor Jack Driscoll leads a team to save her.  Of course, by films end, King Kong arrives in New York City and reaps havoc.  Although the stop action animation is dated by our standards, for 1933 the scenes of Kong battling dinosaurs, escaping the natives wall, molesting Fay Wray, and crushing New York City was a miracle in film making and the climax at the top of the Empire State Building has gone down as one of the greatest images in film history. Bypass the Peter Jackson remake and rediscover this masterpiece instead.

10.The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) Although it's the second installment of Universal's Frankenstein series Bride of Frankenstein is one of those rare occasions where a sequel is better than the first. Based heavily on the original Mary Shelly text, Bride of Frankenstein tells the story of Frankenstein's monster's time with the old blind man in the woods as well as his request to Frankenstein to create him a bride. Easily Boris Karloff’s best performance as his most classic role he does the impossible by giving a compelling performance by grunting broken dialogue such as "Drink Good" and "Fire Bad" (this is the only film where the monster speaks) and bringing a sense of pathos and compassion towards him instead of fear, sealing the Frankenstein monster as one of the most endearing movie monsters in movie history.  Finally, the climax where the monster and its bride finally meet is fantastic, and Elsa Lanchester is oddly sexy as the monster's mate, and their first meeting is unexpected and dynamic.  The Bride of Frankenstein is one of the best entries in Universal’s horror line.

11. The Wolf Man (1941) Lon Chaney Jr. follows in his fathers footsteps in his debut as a horror actor. This is something that would desperately hurt his career, forcing him to be typecast in horror films for the rest of his life, but the character of the Wolf Man would seal his place in movie history. The Wolf Man is the story of Lyle Talbot who gets bitten by a werewolf and is now faced with the terror of changing to a wolf on the full moon and feasting on the villagers of a small European town. Chaney pulls all the emotional stops as a good man who is tortured by the curse that has fallen upon him and plays the part with frantic anguish and heaps of emotion. Chaney is also joined by a fantastic cast of co-stars including Claude Raines as his father Sir John Talbot,  early scream queen Evelyn Ankers as Talbot’s romantic interest Gwen Conliffe, Maria Ouspenskaya as the mysterious gypsy Malvera and Bela Lugosi as the werewolf who attacks Chaney and turns transfers the curse onto him. The Wolf Man is, by far, the greatest of all the Universal horror films and the scariest of all of the Universal monsters.

12.  The Lodger (1944)  Laird Cregar plays Mr. Slade, aka Jack the Ripper, in this historically inaccurate, although highly entertaining, interpretation of history’s most famous unsolved mystery.  A series of murders in Whitechapel has taken London by storm, and is on the minds and tongues of the citizens of London, including the home of Robert and Ellen Bonting who have just rented out a room to the mysterious Doctor Slade.  However, unbeknownst to the Bonting’s, Slade is a misogynist with a twisted hatred for actresses, and has been taking his rage out by slaying washed up dance hall girls under the moniker Jack the Ripper.  However, as fate would have it (they always do in the movies, now don’t they) the Bonting’s niece Kitty Langely, played by the ravishing Merle Oberon, is London’s newest stage sensation, and also lives in the house!  Meanwhile, in another twist of fate, the police inspector that is investigating the Ripper murders, played by George Saunders, just happens to be courting Kitty Langely!  Now, as Slade fights off his fascination with Langely, avoids the police and keeps slaying  dance hall girls, the Bonting’s begin to suspect the true identity of their mysterious lodger.  Dark and moody, The Lodger is full of incredible performances by all the leads, especially Laird Cregar who is fantastic as the disturbed Doctor Slade.  Merle Oberon is also charming and spunky as Kitty Langely, and although not much of a dancer as her character is supposed to be, manages to give two surprisingly appropriate musical numbers in the film.  The Lodger was not the first time the story of Jack the Ripper was ever filmed, and definatly not the last, and the film at no point attempts to follow the historical events of the crime at all, most notably changing his victims from prostitutes to dance hall girls, and by changing the names of ahis victims.  However, The Lodger remains to be one of the best filmed and best acted versions of the story, and Cregar is possibly the best Jack the Ripper ever to make it to the silver screen.

13. The Uninvited (1944) One part supernatural thriller, one part romantic comedy. The Uninvited is a delightful and odd, often overlooked supernatural thriller.  Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey star as siblings who buy an old haunted house. But when Milland meets and falls in love with a village girl named Stella (played by Gail Russell in her screen debut), the hauntings somehow have a weird connection to her.  Now Milland and Hussey, along with a local doctor (played by Alan Napier best known for playing Alfred the butler on the Batman TV series) must unravel the mystery of the old house in order to free Stella from the ghosts that haunt her before they destroy her. Compelling and often scary, this film actually manages to be very lighthearted as well, and has a happy ending, being perfect for someone who doesn't like horror movies.

14. The Body Snatcher (1945) Based on a story by author Robert Lewis Stevenson, producer Val Lewton's The Body Snatcher awarded Boris Karloff with not only possibly the best film of his career, but arguably his best role rivaled only by the Frankenstein monster. Set in Edinburgh in the late 1800's, Karloff plays clever and witty coach man John Gray who moonlights as a grave robber, supplying fresh cadavers for classroom medical examination to esteemed Dr. MacFarlane. However, as cemeteries become more guarded and retrieving bodies become more difficult Gray turns to murder to get the bodies needed, and mind games and blackmail to keep the doctor's mouth shut. An appealing sub-plot featuring a little crippled girl helps the film until its eerie final featuring a runaway coach, a rainstorm and a corpse that creeps out even the most hardened viewer. "The Body Snatcher" also features Bela Lugosi as the doctor's servant Joseph in the very final pairing of Karloff and Lugosi, and one of Lugosi's final truly good roles. An intelligent plot, strong script and possibly the greatest performance ever out of Boris Karloff makes The Body Snatcher one of Hollywood's earliest "thinking man" horror films.

15.  The Spiral Staircase (1945)  Despite the fact that this gothic whodunit isn’t technically a horror film, it’s influence on the genre is immense, with elements of countless of future horror films, such as Psycho, Black Christmas and Halloween, being influenced by it.  When a serial killer begins to murder women with imperfections and defects, including a crippled and a blind victim, the local constable and the kind Doctor Perry begin to worry about the safety of Helen Capel, a beautiful mute servant for the Warren household, made up of feuding stepbrothers Steven and Albert and the ailing and eccentric Mrs. Warren.  When Mrs. Warren talks Doctor Perry into taking Helen out of the house and in his protection on a dark and stormy night, Helen and Dr. Parry agree.  However, time is at an essence because strange things are happening at the Warren estate, and the killer is already in the house!  Although predictable at times, this great gothic chiller is highlighted by lavish sets, moody lighting and fantastic performances, especially by Dorothy McGuire who does the entire film without uttering hardly a sound.  Although mute, McGuire gives the most compelling performance of the film.  Fantastic cinematography would be studied and copied by directors for decades to come, and the idea of a mysterious serial killer who is closer then you think would be copied time and time again.  More of a thriller or a film noir then a true horror film, The Spiral Staircase is a creepy watch, but belongs in the history of horror for it’s trendsetting plot devices that would be used in horror films to this day.

16.  Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) Classic comedy team Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are teamed up with Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr. and Glenn Strange  in what is not only a spoof of their famous horror films, but also a loving tribute.  When the beautiful Dr. Sandra Mornay, played by Lenore Aubert, teams up with Count Dracula to revive the Frankenstein Monster, they decide that they must replace his brain with someone far more stupid and controllable so that the monster will do their bidding.  Well Dr. Mornay finds the perfect brain to create a docile monster – Lou Costello’s.  However only one man knows the truth and wants to save Costello from his grizzly fate, the strange and paranoid Larry Talbot.  But Talbot isn’t much help when the moon turns full and he turns into the Wolf Man!  Now Abbot and Costello find themselves lurking around misty swamps and dark castles full of secret passages and the silver screens most famous monsters.  Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is truly a remarkable comedy. despite the fact that comedy has changed so much through the decades, after sixty years the film holds up due to the fact that the comedy is based on a truly universal concept – being scared.  Most of the comedy revolves around buffoon Costello seeing the monsters and freaking out, and straight man Abbott not seeing them and chastising Costello for being a fool.  Despite this simple and repetitive concept, Abbott and Costello manage to keep it fresh and funny from scene to scene.  Furthermore, with such iconic characters at their disposal, every generation since it’s film release need little to no introduction on the characters or films that they are spoofing making the film timeless.  Horror spoofs like Scary Movie will not have this sort of success.  Abbott and Costello are dead on with their word play, throw away lines and aggressive behavior towards each other.  Furthermore, it is a real treat to see Bela Lugosi once again in the role of Dracula.  This film marks the second and final time that he would put on the cape as the famous Count, and it is a return to big budget greatness after a number of years in being reduced to low budget cheapies.  Lugosi shines in this film, and plays along masterfully with the stars and is both charming and funny.  However not everybody works well with this picture.  Lon Chaney Jr. seems uncomfortable in his role, and often looks like a fish out of water.  In reality, he was very unhappy with the project and made an unsuccessful suicide attempt the night of its premier!  Also, Glenn Strange is underused through the majority of the film, but his fantastic rampage at the finale makes up for it.  Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein also features a surprise cameo by another classic Universal monster, being played by a fourth horror icon.  I wont give away the surprise, but I’ll give you a hint.  It’s not Karloff.  He would appear in the follow up feature Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff.  Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is a fun film, and a great way to for Universal say goodbye to the Wolf Man, Dracula and the Frankenstein Monster.  Horror fans are given a real gift for the final chance to see these classic monsters being played by men who made the famous.

17.  The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)  The last of the great Universal movie monsters makes his debut in this big budget B film!  Simple bare bones plot follows an expedition of scientists who go searching for evidence of a primitive human/fish hybrid from prehistoric days after a fossil of a webbed hand is discovered in the Amazon.  Ending up in a remote lagoon where it has been said nobody has ever returned from, the team discovers that they are not alone in the jungle and the legendary Gill Man still swims the waters of the Black Lagoon!  Soon an inner battle erupts amongst the group, as two scientists in love with the same woman takes their frustrations out on each other over what to do with the Gill Man.  Marine biologist David Reed, played by hunky Richard Carlson, wants to study it, but leader Mark Williams, played by Richard Denning, wants to bring it back for fame and fortune.  But before they can do either, they'll have to capture the Gill Man first, and the two feuding associates aren't the only ones with their sights set on sexy Kay Lawrence, played by Julie Adams.  Seems that the Gill Man has his own agenda for her that involves making sure none of the explorers get out of the Black Lagoon alive!  Although this film is low on plot, it makes up for it with high production values.  The Creature From the Black Lagoon is really nothing more then a B film, but Universal put a decent budget and the right amount of time into the film to make sure that it looked great!  The underwater photography of the men battling the Gill Man, and the Gill Man stalking Julie from underneath during a swim in the lagoon is fantastic.  Also, the Gill Man himself is easily one of the coolest looking monsters of the 1950s, securing his entry into the horror hall of fame.  Decent performances by the cast, especially gritty captain Lucas, played by Nestor Paiva who gets most of the films best lines, are highlighted by leggy Julie Adams in her white one piece bathing suit.  The image of her in that swim suit has been the fantasy of many monster movie fans for decades.  Followed by a series of sequels, including an uncredited screen debut for Clint Eastwood in the follow up Revenge of the Creature, The Creature From the Black Lagoon is the last of the great Universal Horror films, and the most legendary of all the 1950s era B films.

18. Gojira (1954)  Best known throughout the world as Godzilla, Gojira was the original title of the film that started the Godzilla saga, which would become not only one of the cornerstones of the Japanese film industry, but spawn the most direct sequels then any other monster film in horror history and introduce the world to one of the most beloved, and imitated, movie monsters.  However, the Gojira has hardly been shown in North America, which instead had to watch the highly edited Godzilla, with additional scenes featuring Raymond Burr, but which cut out most of the films best sequences featuring the analogy of the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, thus dismantling the entire point of the film.  When nuclear testing near the coast of Japan awakens a prehistoric beast, the unstoppable Godzilla goes on a rampage of terror and nothing the army can do can stop Godzilla, as its trek of death and horror reaches Tokyo.  A compelling sub-plot involving a navy frogman, the daughter of the paleontologist who first discovers Godzilla and the reluctant scientist that is the only man on earth with the power to stop the monster adds to the drama of the film.  However, the real star of Gojira is, of course, the monster himself.  Being filmed with limited light, and in black and white and with a decent budget, the monster in Gojira actually looks quite convincing and does not look like a guy in a rubber suite as it would in cheaper colored sequel presented later on.  The Japanese really didn’t need CGI for this one and it’s really the most convincing dinosaur effects until Jurassic Park decades later.  However, Gojira is more then just a monster movie and doubles as a political curiosity piece.  The fresh memories of the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ten years earlier are still felt in this film, and both the destruction of Tokyo and suffering of the Japanese people after Godzilla’s rampage hark back to that dark time in Japanese history.  Japan’s struggle against Godzilla is a straight forward and painful analogy to the nuclear holocaust faced by Japan.  Naturally, this analogy was cut out for the American audience, which hinders the film enormously.  Gojira is one of the great monster movies in the history of cinema, and one of the best films from Japan, and should be seen.  Forget the campy Godzilla films that you watched during Saturday matinees of your youth and watch the original Japanese version of Gojira instead.  You’ll be surprised just how much of a masterpiece it is.  It will challenge your expectations.

19. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) Forget Aliens because Invasion of the Body Snatchers is far more chilling, making it the scariest sci-fi/horror thrillers of all time.  A metaphor for America’s cold war paranoia of the 1960’s, Invasions of the Body Snatchers takes place in a small American California city where Dr. Miles Bennell begins to get reports from his patients that their loved ones are not in fact their loved ones. Further investigation finds that aliens are replacing the townspeople with look-alikes that form out of pods in a nearly invisible alien invasion. The climax has the doctor and his girlfriend as the only two people left that have not been replaced fleeing from the alien aggressors.  Invasion of the Body Snatchers has been remade a number of times, however the setting of 1950’s America, and the blatant analogy of communist paranoia, has prevented any remakes from being nearly as effective as the original.  Skip all imitations and stick to the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

20.  Curse of Frankenstein (1957)  Hammer Studios first began its legacy of creating some of the horror industries best films with their version of the Frankenstein story in this great Peter Cushing vehicle!  Making a deal with Universal Studios that they wouldn’t copy the classic Boris Karloff version of the film, Hammer sought out to make their own, unique tale.  As a result, instead of focusing the story on the monster, Hammer chose to make a film about Doctor Victor Frankenstein, and as a result creates a fantastic character study of one of literatures greatest characters.  When Baron Frankenstein (played by Cushing) and his partner and former tutor Paul Krempe stumble upon the secret of life, instead of using their discovery for medical advancement as originally planned, Frankenstein becomes obsessed with creating a man.  As Frankenstein’s ethics become more and more questionable, Krempe disapproval of his experiments sear their relationship, and soon Frankenstein gives up all contact to the people who care about him in order to see his creation born.  Christopher Lee also appears as the Frankenstein monster, but his performance is both short and less endearing then that of Karloff’s monster.  However it works for this film because this movie is not about the monster but about the creator.  A more dynamic performance by Lee would have stolen this picture from Cushing, and Lee would have his own chance to be dynamic later on.  A different kind of Frankenstein film, Curse of Frankenstein sealed Hammer’s success, and is a fantastic first entry in the studios legacy.

21. Curse of the Demon (1957) Long before the skeptical Gillian Anderson tried to disprove supernatural phenomena, Dana Andrews played skeptical Dr. John Holden, a physiologist who makes a career out of trying to prove that paranormal activity does not exist. Andrews travels to London to try to expose satanic cult leader Jullian Karswell, played by Niall McGinnish, as a phony.  However, when he is passed a mysterious parchment, Holden realizes that the next supernatural death will be his own!  Now Holden must embrace all that he does not believe in so that he doesn’t become the next victim of the demon!   Full of subtle and fantastic performances, Curse of the Demon has one of the best monsters of the 1950’s and the final train yard scene is one of the very best of the decade.  However, make sure to watch the British cut of the film.  The American version, titled Night of the Demon, runs fifteen minutes shorter and cuts out some important scenes.  I swear, I have no idea who makes the decisions to cut scenes out.  Luckily, both version of the film are available on the same DVD. 

22.  Horror of Dracula (1958) Although this retelling of Dracula is incredibly weak on plot and story, Hammer's Horror version of Bram Stoker's famous tale remains to be one of the landmark Dracula films and should not be neglected by fans of the character. Marking the very firs...(read more)t appearance of Christopher Lee as the famed vampire, Lee would go on to play Dracula more then any other actor (another nine features), and become, arguably, the greatest screen Dracula of all time! Making the same agreement with Universal Studios that they did for Curse of Frankenstein, Hammer agreed not to copy the Universal take on the Dracula tale, thus Hammer was forced to create a bear bones story that deviated completely from the original book, but was close enough that you could still recognize it. Still, Hammer studios managed to work well with what they had. When Jonathan Harker kills Dracula's vampire concubine, Dracula seeks revenge by attempting to replace her, creating a domino effect of terror for the Homewood family. Now it is up to Michael Gough and Peter Cushing, in his famous portrayal of Dracula's arch nemesis Dr. Van Helsing, to save the Homewood women and stop Dracula! Christopher Lee's Dracula was the first time that the character was brought to the screen as a handsome sexual predator, who can be eloquent and graceful in one instant, but turn into a savage creature with glaring eyes and a bloody teethy sneer who violently rips the throats of his victims at the drop of a crucifix. Meanwhile, Cushing plays the role of Van Helsing like an action hero, resembling James Bond more then the aged old doctor in previous versions of the story. Finally, The Horror of Dracula is rich in both style and class. Sure, the whole thing drips of sex and death, but the film still remains to have a lot of dignity which I think many modern horror films could learn from. The Horror of Dracula proves that you don't need naked girls to make a good vampire film. All you need is excellent performances, the air of erotic mystery and a few buckets of fake blood.

23.  A Bucket of Blood (1959) Despite a very misleading and unfortunate title (there is no Bucket of Blood actually in this film), Roger Corman dishes out one of the funniest serial killer movies ever made in this hilarious black comedy which lampoons both the beatnik movement and modern art.  Corman regular Dick Miller plays socially retarded simpleton Walter Paisley, a simple young man who clears tables at The Yellow Door coffee house and who idolizes the beatniks, poets, artists and phonies that make up the cliental despite their jeers and rejection of the meek young man.  In an attempt to impress these phonies, including cafe owner Leonard de Santis, pompous poet Maxwell H. Brock, and kind hearted artist, and the apple of Walter's eye, Carla, Walter buys himself a block of clay and brings it home in attempts to begin a career as an artist, only to find out that sculpture is far more difficult then it looks.  However, when Walter accidentally kills his landlady's cat, he encases the cat's corpse in clay, complete with the knife, and brings it to the Yellow Ear claiming it to be his first sculpture titled Dead Cat.  Now, quicker then Maxwell can say "Walter Paisley Is Born," the beats that rejected him take him in as his own, making Walter the newest art sensation since Willem de Kooning!  Now in order to keep his status amongst the beatniks, Walter must keep killing in order to keep making more masterpieces, such as Murdered Man, Strangled Nude and Decapitated Head.  Full of colorful characters, hilarious moments and throw away lines, A Bucket of Blood is easily one of Corman's greatest achievements.  Made on a budget of a mere $50000 and shot in only five days, Corman proves that you can do a lot with very little.  Dick Miller gives a heart felt performance as the timid loser Walter Paisley, making the viewer sympathetic towards him despite the fact that he is a serial killer.  However, the real highlight is the clever and very funny script which pokes fun at the beat generation.  For instance, Maxwell H. Brock's poetry is both pretentious and hilarious all at the same time.  A real crowd pleaser, A Bucket of Blood has proved to be popular with everybody I have ever shown it to.  Easily one of the best black comedies ever filmed, and my personal favorite of all of Corman's brilliant cheapies..

24. The Giant Gila Monster (1959) One of my favorite drive-in films. Chase Winston is the ultimate 1950s every boy hero. He drives hot rods, works at a garage to support his widowed mother and crippled sister, has a beautiful French girlfriend, is leader of the gang, works with the police, and sings rock and roll on the ukulele (which is scarier then the actual monster). However, what will Chase do when a giant lizard crawls out of the swamp and starts feasting on the locals? Hot Rods and nitroglycerin are the only answer. The Giant Gila Monster is campy 50's drive-in fun with a pet lizard stomping toy houses and Hot Wheels cars. Godzilla this film is not, but the pure hilarity of the terrible acting, plot, script, editing, filming, lack of direction and, of course, the god awful original songs performed by the film's star Don Sullivan makes this one of the classic drive-in cheapies of all time!  Not much plot, but then you didn't want much of a plot if you were bringing a girl to a drive-in anyways.  I mean, who REALLY watched the movie?  Anyhow, if you do watch the movie you'll still have a lot to enjoy.  Not brilliant in any way, but a fun group movie for a Halloween party.

25.  House on Haunted Hill (1959)  Although low on both chills and thrills, this fun little horror cheapie is motivated by a likeable cast, a great plot and fantastic over the top performances by the films stars, Vincent Price and Elisha Cook Jr.  Vincent Price plays Frederick Loren, an eccentric millionaire who rents an old house on a hill in which a series of murders were committed in order to throw a strange party at the request of his conniving gold digging wife .  Assembling a group of five strangers to the house, Loren tempts them with an offer they can't refuse.  If the five guests can spend the entire night in the house on Haunted Hill, and leave the next morning alive, Frederick Loren will reward them with $10,000 each.  Now, with the doors locked, the guests are subjected to a series of mysterious happenings as they wait for morning.  However, are all the hauntings what they seem, and what kind of ulterior motive do the Loren's have for this party?  A few good twists and turns make this film a memorable and fun watch, and a classic entry in the haunted house genre.  Vincent Price camps it up just the way we love watching him do it.  This is really Vincent Price at his very best.  One of the great "gimmick" films by B movie king William Castle, House on Haunted Hill originally featured a skeleton that would rise out of a box during the climax of the film and fly over the theatre audience during its original release via a gimmick Castle called "Emergo."  However, the skeleton prop was quickly dropped when audience members would bring objects to throw at it, causing damage to the contraption.  Unfortunately, the skeleton doesn't come with the DVD release, but you can buy cheap rubber skeletons at most dollar stores and toy shops, and you can dangle it over the TV yourself or something.

26. Plan 9 From Outer Space(1959) Affectionately known as the worst film of all time, Plan 9 From Outer Space is infamous director Edward D Wood's masterpiece.  Despite the fact that the film is best known for its terrible production values, even worse acting, and strange script that doesn’t often make sense, the movie does actually have a plot.  In what is supposed to be a prediction of the future by famed psychic and Hollywood weirdo the Amazing Criswell, aliens attempt to take over the planet Earth before Earth accidentally discovers the technology to destroy the universe.  However, when plans one through eight doesn’t work, mysterious aliens put plan nine into effect, which is to destroy the human race by raising the dead. Silly and nonsensical, Plan 9 lives up to it’s reputation by featuring some of the worst sets, acting, and editing in film history but keeps a certain amount of charm to maintain the viewers interested. Furthermore, it has a fun cast of Hollywood odd balls such as wrestler Tor Johnston, sexy horror television host Vampira, psychic Criswell and the final screen appearance of horror legend Bela Lugosi who died before the film was even written! However is it the worst film ever made?  I say no.  There are far worse.  However, it might be the most endearing worse movie ever made, and is a genuine kitsch classic which viewing is a passage of right for all film buffs.

27. The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)  Despite the fact that it was shot in only two days and on a budget of $30000, as well as being nothing but a partial rewrite of A Bucket of Blood, The Little Shop of Horrors is, without a doubt, Roger Corman’s greatest achievement.  Corman rounded up his favorite character actors from past films, and stirred them all together in this hilarious and dark black comedy about an awkward little man named Seymour Kelboin and his man eating plant Audrey Jr.  When Seymour, played by Jonathan Haze, is fired (again) by his poor skid row flower shop employer Gravis Mushnik, played by Mel Welles, Seymour announces that he has an odd plant that will change Mushnik’s life, and make millions for the shop.  Convinced by his customers and his beautiful shop girl Audrey, played by Jackie Joseph, Mushnik gives Seymour twenty-four hours to produce this amazing plant.  Thing is the plant has a special kind of plant food – human blood!  Unveiling the plant, named Audrey Jr., to the public, Mushniks soon becomes a local sensation, making life exciting at the little shop.  However, in order to make sure that the money keeps flowing, Audrey Jr. must keep growing meaning Seymour must keep killing to provide the food that satisfies Audrey’s taste buds.  The clever script, written by Charles B. Griffith (author, naturally, of A Bucket of Blood) is full of colorful characters and tons of funny throw away lines.  Jonathan Haze is loveable as the bumbling and naive Seymour, whose romance with co-worker Audrey is absolutely charming.  Mel Welles is also hilarious as the overbearing and temperamental Mushnik.  The Little Shop of Horrors is also filled with a number of interesting co-stars in memorable small parts, such as Corman regulars Dick Miller as a carnation eating customer, John Shaner as a sadistic dentist and future Hollywood leading man and Academy Award winner Jack Nicholson, in his film debut, as an eccentric dental patient who gets off on pain, as well as a token appearance by real life murder victim and JFK conspiracy girl Karen Kupicent as a teenage girl looking for flowers for a rose parade float.  Of course, The Little Shop of Horrors would go on to be turned into a successfully Broadway musical, which would go on to be filmed in 1986 with Rick Moranis and Steve Martin.  However, despite the fact that the musical is a really fun film as well, don’t pass over the original.  Possibly one of the funniest black comedies of the 1960s.

 28. Psycho (1960) Skip the imitations because Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller is still the best. Janet Leigh plays Marion Crane, a woman on the run with a bundle of money in her suitcase stolen from her employer who stops at the deserted Bates Motel for the night. This hotel is run by the kooky and disturbed Norman Bates, played by the marvelous Anthony Perkins, and his mysterious sadistic mother. After an evening of sandwiches and coffee talk, Marion retires to her room, and what follows is the now legendary shower scene. Co-starring Vira Mills as Marion’s sister and Martin Balsam as the detective hired to find the missing woman, Psycho is more of a psychological thriller or a crime drama then a horror film, but it’s element of the unknown, as well as it’s early influence on the slasher genre makes it a staple of the horror genre.  Psycho, unfortunately, would be spun off into a number of dreadful sequels and even, foolishly, remade without the masterful vision of Hitchcock, which cheapened the film greatly.  Yet, don’t let these remakes and sequels fool you.  Psycho is a classic study in terror, and a disturbing look into the mind of a strange and lonely young man.  It can also be argued that Psycho could be the only slasher film worth watching.   However, it will shock you, not only of the story and the slaughters, but because of the beauty of the cinematography.  Psycho is a beautifully, yet brutally, executed film that must be seen.

29.  Village of the Damned (1960) Great British entry in the sci-fi horror genre, Village of the Damned showcases the creepiest group of kids ever to grace the screen.  When the small village of Midwitch, England falls victim to a phenomenon where everything in the village falls asleep, ten women awake to find themselves mysteriously pregnant. Even more odd is that they all give birth on the same day to ten emotionless blonde haired children with glowing eyes and who with powers to will people to do whatever they want. Now Midwitch lives in fear of the children that make them do what they don’t want to do.  George Saunders stars as the man who stands up to the children, although his own son David is one of them.  Children this evil and scary weren’t seen again until Linda Blair in the 1970’s.  Unfortunately, Village of the Damned was the victim of a lackluster sequel and a terribly executed remake in the 1990’s.  Skip over these entries and stick to the original.   BTW, if you’re ever trying to pick up an albino girl in a bar, making a reference to this film is not a good idea.  Trust me.  I know this for a fact.

30. Carnival of Souls (1962) Carnival of Souls is not the greatest story ever told, and can often be incredibly confusing. However, the true value of this film lies not within the story or the acting but with the cinematography. This could be one of the most surreal and eeriest films ever made in the history of horror. Mary Henry, a strange yet beautiful church organist, was supposed to have died in a fatal car accident that took the lives of her friends, but finds herself haunted by the ghosts that want to take her to the beyond.  Compelled to go to an abandoned carnival outside of town.  After a series of mysterious hauntings and strange dreams, she finally gives into her urges and once she arrives at the carnival the real horror beings.  The performances are below average, the script is muddy and confusing and the plot is hard to decipher at times, but the style and eeriness of this film makes up for its downfalls.  The carnival scenes and Mary’s run down the beach from her ghostly pursuers is one of the creepiest endings to any horror film, making this great 60’s B thriller. a must have in any horror buffs collection.

31. Night Creatures (1962)  Also known as Captain Clegg, this Peter Cushing vehicle is one of the finest original screenplays that was put out by Hammer Films. Peter Cushing plays the priest and leader of a town of smugglers in 18th Century England. In the village church yard lays the grave of the legendary pirate Captain Clegg whose men are said to still roam the marshes at night as skeletal riders on horseback. When the Royal Crown begins to suspect smuggling is present in the village, the village is visited by Captain Collier (Patrick Allen) and his men to put and end to the criminal activity. What ensues is a battle of the wits between Cushing and Allen as Allen puts together the secrets of the village and its ghostly riders as well as the connection between the sadistic Captain Clegg and the kindly village vicar. Although the horror aspect doesn't run deep in this film, Night Creatures has everything that one desires in a Hammer production - lavish sets and costumes, eerie atmosphere and, in the case of local bar wench Yvonne Romaine, gorgeous and buxom women. Furthermore, while some of the pieces of the mystery fall far too easily in place, there is still enough secrets right up to the film's conclusion making it an engaging thriller. This film also features Oliver Reed playing the sort of nasty role that made him famous. Night Creatures is a perfect film to show a youngster who is just cutting his or her teeth on horror films.

32. The Birds (1963) The Birds is Alfred Hitchcock's only true horror film. Focusing on Tippi Hedren, who plays rich and spoiled socialite Melanie Daniels, and Rod Taylor as lawyer Mitch Brenner, and the apple of Melanie’s eye, The Birds is about the California harbor town of Botch Boy’s fight to survive a serious of mysterious and unknown attacks by swarms of non predatory birds on the unsuspecting public. Bloody and violent, The Birds contains some of the greatest examples of subtle horror and shock with possibly the most suspenseful moment in the history being the gathering of birds on a set of monkey bars behind Tippi Hedren at the local school.  Great co-stars include Jessica Tandy as Taylor’s mother and Suzanne Pleshette as local school teacher and Taylor’s ex-lover.   Also featured are child actress Veronica Cartwright as Taylor’s sister and a walk on by character actor Robert Deacon as Taylor’s neighbor.  Oddly enough, at the time The Birds was being made, Deacon played Fred Rutherford on the classic family sit-com Leave it to Beaver, and his daughter Violet Rutherford was played by Veronica Cartwright!  Think Hitch watched the Beav?  Obviously his casting directors did.  Anyhow,  although it’s a simple film, The Birds proves to be a garish movie experience as it explores the outcome of when horror and violence explodes within the simplest things we don't consider to be a threat.

33. Blood Feast (1963) Hershel Gordon Lewis, the Godfather of Gore, serves up this classic gore fest of both intentional and unintentional laughs which has gone down as being called the first spatter film in the history of film!  Mal Arnold plays Faud Ramses, an Egyptian caterer who tricks a rich socialite in allowing him to prepare an ancient Egyptian feast that has not been prepared for centuries for her debutante daughter’s party.  However, unknown to the socialite, the menu consists of human flesh provided by body parts from nubile young female victims in order to bring an ancient goddess named Ishtar back to life!  Now, armed with a machete, Faud goes grocery shopping, which leads to a series of murders that the police, lead by Detective Pete Thorton, who is romanticizing the debutante whose party Faud is committing the murders for (don’t you just love how this film comes full circle) is unable to stop…despite the fact that they actually have all the clues in front of them!  I mean a retarded ten year old could figure this mystery out!  Despite the fact that this film is played out as a sick and twisted black comedy, the film actually has a ton of unintentional laughs as well, with some terrible dialogue, laughable performances (my favorite goes to the sobbing boy on the beach whose hysterical wheezes of emotion over the murder of his girlfriend is more funny then tragic) and some of the dumbest police inspectors ever in a film.  Mal Arnold also plays Ramses in a totally over the top performance, which adds to the delight of this film.  Yet, the real spectacle is the gore and slaughter that had never been seen on the screen like this before, which, as a result, had Blood Feast banished to porn houses upon its original release.  The most iconic scene is definatly where Arnold rips a woman’s tongue out of her mouth with his bare hands.  Yuck!  However, this film is a guaranteed crowd pleaser, as long as you have a strong stomach, and is a perfect film for your next dinner party!

34.  The Haunting (1963) From the people who brought you West Side Story comes one of the most stylish and beautifully filmed ghost stories that has ever hit the screen. Style, imaginative camera work and great performances create a sense of tension and atmosphere so effici...(read more)ently that you hardly notice that there really isn't much of a story. Doesn't matter anyways because you don't want to turn away in case you miss something. Ghost hunter Dr. John Markway (Richard Johnson) assembles a group of three strangers: Theo, a lesbian psychic (Clair Bloom); Luke, a skeptical frat boy (Russ Tamblyn) and Nell; a troubled and socially inept woman who attracts spirits (Julie Harris) to the evil Hill House; a large gothic mansion with a history of death and insanity, to prove the existence of the supernatural. Naturally, haunting and happenings occur, mainly directed towards Harris' character, driving her insane as her cohorts helplessly try to save her, but can only stand back in vain to watch. Director Robert Wise pull out all the stops in creating a moody and creepy film, especially through the simple use of an incredible set design, and the use of marble statues randomly placed in every scene. Furthermore, all four of the characters are brilliant performed, and become strong characters within their own, often displaying a sense of fun towards each other with genuine laughter and witty dialogue, but most importantly, you genuinely like the characters, and the curiosity of their final fate motivates you far more then discovering the secrets of Hell House. Unfortunately, this masterpiece in suspense was badly remade in 1999, so don't accidentally rent that version or it might be you trying to hang yourself in the library.
 
35. Pyro (1964) Although this Spanish film was a vehicle for Barry Sullivan and Martha Hyer, my personal interest in this eerie film of fatal attraction and revenge exists because it was the only film that one of my personal obsessions, Spanish actress Soledad Miranda, ever made that got any attention in the North American film market. Sullivan plays an architect who has an affair on his wife with Hyer, a deranged pyromaniac. When Sullivan breaks off the love affair to devote himself once again to his wife and daughter, Hyer sets his family home on fire. This results in the killing of Sullivan's family and the horrible burning of Sullivan beyond recognition. With nearly 100% of his body scarred, Sullivan mysteriously disappears after threatening Hyer that he will seek his revenge upon her by killing off her family and seek out and murder her own child Soledad Miranda plays the daughter of a traveling carnival owner who falls in love with a mysterious man that knows more about Sullivan's whereabouts than he is letting on. Playing out like a cross between Fatal Attraction and Darkman, Pyro proves itself to be a shocking and intelligent early entry in the revenge film genre.

36. Sound of Horror (1964) Soledad Miranda made two fantastic horror films in 1964. The first was Pyro; the other was the often overlooked Sound of Horror. Sound of Horror follows the Val Lewton method of horror, proving that you don't need a large budget and tons of special effects to create fear and tension in the audience. In fact, you don't need to show anything at all. A band of treasure hunters find themselves hunted when an invisible, prehistoric creature escapes as the result of a dynamite explosion from its long dormant rest. In most cases a cheaply made film that doesn't even afford a visible monster can only mean disaster. However, Sound of Horror achieves the impossible. Relying only on sounds, footprints, the creatures screams, and the violent and brutally slashed remains of it's victims, Sound of Horror is a tense and heart pounding thriller. The treasure hunters give up on finding the treasure in an attempt to flee for their lives, only to slowly have their numbers decrease throughout the film. This film also introduces future horror vixen and Hammer star Ingrid Pitt in her first feature film. Sound of Horror is available in many cheap DVD bins on various horror compilations and is easily overlooked. If you come across it, don't pass this gem by.

37. Spider Baby (1964) Writer/director Jack Hill presents Lon Chaney Jr., in probably his last good role, as a loving chauffer who takes care of the three inbred cannibal children of his former employer in this strange and endearing black comedy. Life is fine for the odd little family, if not slightly strange, until relatives of the children come to adopt them, proving that when something isn’t broken then don’t try to fix it.  The three children are marvelous, especially the insane and murderous Virginia, played by the late Jill Banner, whose seemingly innocent game of "spider" brings death to those who partake. Also featured is an early performance by cult movie favorite Sid Haig as the mentally handicapped brother Ralph. Although bloated, sickly and an alcoholic, Chaney, who was reportedly off of the bottle for this film in fear that he’d lose the part, gives one of the greatest performances of his career as a man who both loves and fears the children he takes care of, and also manages to “sing” the opening theme to the film.. Dark and funny, Spider Baby went virtually unknown and forgotten for decades, but has recently had a revival upon it’s release on DVD, and is only now gaining the cult status that it deserves.

38. Orgy of the Dead (1965) Orgy of the Dead could be one of the worst movies ever made - if you can even call it a movie at all. However, it seems to keep a fair amount of charm which maintains its cult status to the most hardcore of B movie fans. Written by Ed Wood and directed by AC Stevens, Orgy of the Dead is supposed to be an erotic horror movie, but doesn't even manage to achieve that. Basically, Bob, a horror novelist, and his girlfriend Shirley find themselves in an old cemetery where naked ghouls dance for the pleasure of the Lord of the Dead and the Black Queen. This movie features some of the worst acting I've  ever seen in a movie, and even worse script and editing. The naked girls are also unattractive and the dancing is dreadful (I once had a nightmare about one of the dancing girls). However the film is not without its charms, with highlights being an inept Werewolf and Mummy wearing K-Mart costumes and the final dance by actress Fawn Silver, the Black Queen. There is something about Fawn Silver I can't get enough of and the fact that she is such a mystery in real life makes me love her more. This film also marks the return of Criswell in his final film appearance who is a scream to watch as he utters ridiculous lines as “more gold!  More gold!  It pleasures me.”  What is he talking about?  You’ll have to sit through this stinker and see.  If you decide to watch this stinker alone, be warned.  It’s pretty brutal and often rather repetitive and dull.  Keep your finger on the fast forward button to get through the dances and watch the stuff in between. The in between stuff is worth every minute.   However, Orgy of the Dead is great background eye candy at a party.  Your guests WILL love it!  Trust me.  I’ve done it and it works, and your guests will never forget Orgy of the Dead.  

39. The Diabolical Dr. Z (1966) Man oh man I can't get enough of Jess Franco films. However, while Franco has gone into film history as the masters of European erotic horror, not to mention flat our sleaze and exploitation, The Diabolical Dr. Z is an example of just how great Franco could be as a film maker. Opting for style instead of sleaze, Franco makes this film without any nudity or sex, although themes of eroticism and domination run throughout this masterpiece. When the diabolical Dr. Zimmer has a fatal heart attack after a scientific council deems the mind control machine that he developed to rehabilitate (or more accurately labotomotize, as the case may be) dangerous criminals, his daughter Irma Zimmer plots to kill the doctors that shamed him. Kidnapping a beautiful erotic dancer named Miss Death from the local nightclub, Irma turns her into her slave and arms her with poisonous fingernails and sends her to unwillingly commit the murders that will avenge Dr. Z's death. Jess Franco pulls out all the stops when filming this picture, putting together some of the most surrealist angles and shots seen in European horror films since The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. However the highlight of the film is easily Miss Death's, played by the beautiful Estella Bain, incredible night club dance which sees her crawling amongst a spider web and ensnaring her victim. Less then a decade later Franco partially remade this film with more violence, nudity and sex with Soledad Miranda in She Killed in Ecstasy and while it can be debated who is more alluring - Miranda or Bain (I, obviously, prefer Soledad Miranda) - The Diabolical Dr. Z is easily the better of the two films proving that you don't need tons of sex and nudity to create a masterpiece of erotic horror.

40. This Night I Will Possess Your Corpse (1967) The second offering by Brazilian horror director Jose Mojica Marins, better known as Coffin Joe, features the villainous Zi do Caixco and is far better than the first film, At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul. Zi do Caixco is an evil and powerful undertaker that rules a small Brazilian community through fear. However, there is only one thing he wants - a son. Kidnapping five women from the village, Zi do Caixco puts them through malicious and murderous trials to pick the one mate that will be a suitable concubine for his evil spawn. Often disturbing and misogynistic, this film is also strangely erotic and appeals on a fetish like level; especially to the lovers of the strange and deviant.   Scenes involving tarantulas crawling over sleeping women, a torturous journey through a cotton candy colored version of hell and a haunting and memorable snake pit scene will chill your blood.  Tonight I Will Possess Your Corpse isn't probably for everyone but lovers of Eric Stanton or the Marquis de Sade might truly appreciate this strange and eerie film.

41. Night of the Living Dead (1968) Classic zombie film director George A. Romero's original Night of the Living Dead is still the best zombie movie ever made. What seems to be a simple plot about seven people trapped in a farmhouse surrounded by flesh eating zombies with a hunger for brains becomes a chilling psychological study.  By throwing together a diverse cast of characters from different races, ages and economical backgrounds, Night of the Living Dead becomes an interesting look at how different people deal with mind numbing horrific life or death pressure, which in this case is a zombie attack.  Great performances by Duane Jones as the heroic Ben, who takes charge of the situation, although his first concern is his own survival; Judith O’Dea as Barbara, the middle class girl who has a total mental breakdown; Karl Harman as Mr. Cooper, an unreasonable blue collar ass who is Ben’s protagonist; and Russell Streiner as Barbara’s brother Johnny whose line “Their coming to get you Barbara” gave the film it’s most famous catchphrase.  Although deemed gory at the time of its release it is fairly tame by today's standards. Despite this though, it still proves to be a tense and suspenseful film today.  Night of the Living Dead would go on to be remade, spun off and victim of hundreds of imitations, but the original is still the smartest and the best.

42. Rosemary's Baby (1968) Roman Polanski spins a tense and claustrophobic yarn  in his first American film.  When newlyweds Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse, played by Mia Farrow and John Cassevettes, move into a strange building, Rosemary begins to have terrible nightmares,  leading her to believe that she is being used by a satanic cult to give birth to the spawn of Satan. Mia Farrow is excellent as a paranoid woman who must question even the simplest and most mundane things in her life, and who is unable to trust anybody This film has more twists and turns than even the best thrillers and nothing is ever what it seems as it keeps you guessing up to the shocking final scene. Followed by a dreadful made for TV movie sequel, but is a great back to back feature with The Omen which acts as a sequel of sorts itself.

43.  The Witchfinder General (1968)  Despite being titled The Conquer Worm for American release in an attempt to try to cash in on Roger Corman's popular Edgar Allen Poe films staring Vincent Price, The Witchfinder General was not a Corman film nor was it based on an Edgar Allen Poe story or poem.  In actuality, The Witchfinder General was based on a novel by Ronald Bassett and was the final film of young filmmaker Michael Reeves, who would die of a drug overdose shortly after the films release.  Taking place during England's civil war, The Witchfinder General tells a fictional account of the real life 17th Century witch hunter Matthew Hopkins, played by Vincent Price, who, with the aid of his trusty companion John Stearne, used England's social and political unrest for his own financial and sexual gains by torturing and executing accused witches, who were more often then not innocent,  and then charging town officials for his services.  When Hopkins comes to the town of Brandeston he tortures and executes the local priest and sexually exploits his niece Sara.  However, when Sara's fiancé Richard Marshall, a general in Oliver Cromwell's army, returns to find out what happened, he vows to seek revenge on Hopkins and to end his reign of terror.  Deemed shocking for it's violent content when it was released, and heavily edited in it's native country of England, The Witch Finder General seems mild by today's standards.  However, the witch burning near the ending of the film still remains to be a powerful by staging it in a way never seen on film before, and by featuring close ups of the blank faces of the crowd that are have come to partake the morbid proceedings throughout the scene.  Furthermore, Vincent Price gives the greatest performance of his career as Matthew Hopkins, despite a nasty ongoing feud between himself and director Reeves.  While we love Vincent Price for his over the top characters and larger then life acting, Reeves wanted Price to give a subtle and evil performance.  Yet, despite fighting Reeves every step of the way, after the completion of the film Price stated that while The Witch Finder General was the film he hated working on the most, he believed it was the best film that he ever made, and the best performance he ever gave thanks to Reeves vision.  The Witch Finder General remains to be a powerful watch, and reminds us that not all the monsters on the screen are vampires or werewolves, but stem from the greed and ignorance in the hearts and minds of man, and shows that superstition and fanaticism can be as evil and destructive as the most wicked beast.

44. Count Dracula (1970) I know...I know. This is the third version of Dracula that you've seen on this list, and it isn't probably going to be the last. How many versions of Dracula do we need to see on the silver screen? Well this one is different. Very different. First, it stars Christopher Lee in his most famous role...but for the first and only time not playing Dracula for the Hammer studios. No. This time Lee is playing Dracula for cult movie director Jess Franco and, for the only time in his career, actually comes close to playing the role as Bram Stoker had actually wrote it! However Lee is only the tip of the ice burg when it came to the cast that Franco pulled together for possibly one of his best films. How about adding Herbert Lom as Dr. Van Helsing and the incredible and strange European horror legend Klaus Kinski as the quietest, and possibly eeriest, Reinfield ever? Count Dracula is also notable for being the first time Franco worked with tragic and beautiful Soledad Miranda who plays Dracula's most famous victim, Lucy. All the other usual Franco players are here as well - Fred Williams, in possibly the best acting job of his career, plays Jonathan Harker; Paul Muller is Dr. Seward; Maria Rohm is Mina and Franco himself appears as Van Helsing's man servant. Sure, you've seen Dracula before and this version doesn't really offer you anything new, but this outstanding cast, plus incredible on-location filming makes Jess Franco's Count Dracula one of my all time favorite versions of this classic tale.

45. House of Dark Shadows (1970)  Already a cult favorite when it appeared on the big screen, House of Dark Shadows brought the cast and characters of the gothic daytime soap opera to a wider audience, and sealed the show's most popular character, Barnabus Collins played by thespian Jonathan Frid, into the vampire hall of fame.    When Barnabus Collins is awoken from his slumber by the drunken caretaker Willie Loomis, he introduces himself to the Collins family as a long lost cousin from England.  Well, long lost perhaps, but little do they know that he's been long dead too.  However, when Dr. Julia Hoffman falls in love with Barnabus, and then finds out his secret, she devises a popular cure for vampirism.  But, when she is scorned by Barbabus when he falls in love with the Collins nanny Maggie Evans, she betrays him and unleashes a fury that threatens to doom the entire Collins family.  As a result of a larger budget and location shooting the producers of House of Dark Shadows were able to create a larger and lusher world for the Dark Shadows cast to work with.  Also, because of lack of censor interference, the film is bloodier and more violent then the television show, making it a true horror experience.  However, as a result of attempting squeeze nearly three years worth of story into a 97 minute film some interesting plot developments which would have lasted months on the daily drama, such as the vampirism of Carolyn Stoddard, are played out to fast leaving viewers unsatisfied.  Also, in an attempt to squeeze appearances in for the entire cast, you don't get to really know many of the characters unless you watch the TV show.  Regardless, if you have never seen Dark Shadows this film will turn you into a fan of the series.  You really need no fundamental knowledge of the show, and you are left wanting more by the end.  Although they set Barnabus up for a sequel (make sure to watch the credits until the very end), becoming bored with his vampire character, Jonathan Frid refused to appear in the 1971 sequel Night of Dark Shadows, which would substitute later stars David Selby as werewolf Quinton Collins and Laura Parker as sorceress Angelique as the focus.  Although it to is an enjoyable film, it suffers from not having Jonathan Frid in it.  House of Dark Shadows is probably still the best film based on a television series that has been made.

46. Satanis (1970)  Anton LaVey, the founder of the Church of Satan and the author of the Satanic Bible, welcomes you into his black house to partake in Satanic rituals, orgies and other perversions in this well made and informative documentary by Ray Laurent.  Satanis is entirely compiled from interviews with the entire LaVey family, including patriarch Anton, wife Diane Haggarty and teenage daughter Karla (the current high priestess of the Church of Satan today) as well as a wide range of insights by Anton’s followers, friends, neighbors and foes explaining their personal points of views about Anton and his cult.  Anton LaVey comes off as being a charming, witty and charismatic individual who in the simplest and broadest terms possible explains his theology and why he has chosen to dedicate his life to worshiping dark forces.  However, although diabolical, Anton LaVey does not come off as being heartless or evil.  In fact, he almost comes off as being sort of friendly as he debunks many of the myths surrounding Satanism, such as human and animal sacrifice.  Oddly enough, many times Anton LaVey’s ideas make a lot of sense, and his sincerity makes Satanism seem very attractive and appealing.  But Satanis is not a tool used to promote Satanism or make the viewer fear it.  Laurent gives all sides of the theology debate to speak, including local catholic priests and Mormon missionaries, who, despite coming off as being bland, are taken seriously.  It is the views expressed by LaVey’s neighbors which are the real treat, which range from fascination to disgust.  My personal favorite is LaVey’s next door neighbor whose biggest concern seems to be that Anton LaVey doesn’t keep up his yard.  Yeah.  Right.  I can just imagine Anton now on a hot summer day cutting the lawn and sipping on lemonade brought to him by little Zeena.  Another highlight includes a grouping of LaVey’s church members sitting around having a group discussion about their beliefs and rituals, full of inside jokes and laughter.  This is not the grim group of people that you’d expect in a Satanic cult, or the typical goth kids that would partake in such rituals today.  These people aren’t scary, for perhaps the exception of the ugly hillbilly woman who does her interview naked.  She’s a bit scary.  However, for the exception of maybe her the Satanists interviewed are, for the most part, middle class thrill seekers and weirdos, but look to be as normal as any of your typical white bread Americans.  They are intelligent, well spoken and could be your average postal worker, police officer or pharmacist.  Sure, the rituals seem a bit cartoony and put on, full of nudity and perhaps a bit of laid on shock value, which leads me to believe that LaVey and his followers were holding back for the sake of the cameras, but what Satanis provides you with is the real deal.  These are real Satanists explaining Satanism in the clearest way possible. 
 
47. Brotherhood of Satan (1971) Brotherhood of Satan is one of the great overlooked horror films of the 1970's. When a widowed father, his adorable little daughter and sexy bombshell girlfriend with false eyelashes as big as her chest, stumble upon a small desert town to report a car crash, they find the town is gripped in hysteria as the children of the town have been disappearing and their parent's have been murdered. When little KT (played by Geri "Fake Jan" Reischl) goes missing, the search leads to a cult of elderly Satanists who are using the children to ensure their own immortality. While it's easy to pass this film off in the junk pile of bad films, Brotherhood of Satan has some truly scary moments. More importantly though, "Brotherhood of Satan" offers an almost desperate and claustrophobic ending to this overlooked thriller.

48. Don't Deliver Us From Evil (1971)  Now I don't know if it's really proper and appropriate to put this film in a list of horror films because I don't really feel that Don't Deliver Us From Evil is really a horror film, although it is classified as such and is found in the horror section of rental shops and DVD retailers. So, in order that this brilliant and obscure French film is not overlooked I'm going to include it anyhow. Banned in most of Europe during its release, and never getting distributed in North America, due to its anti-Catholicism, Don't Deliver Us from Evil has been released on DVD from Mondo Macabre for a world of film lovers to discover for the first time. Anne and Lore, two bored and often ignored fifteen year old catholic boarding school students, find themselves at the stage of their life where they are discovering their own sexuality, erotic literature and the differences between good and evil...with evil being the more attractive to the pair. Mucking around France's countryside during summer break the two renounce God and give themselves to Satan in what is no more then just a child's game. However, when the two girls put themselves in a situation they shouldn't have, and a desperate act of self defense goes wrong, Lore and Anne find themselves in a spinning whirlpool of trouble which leads them to the most desperate act of escape, and one of the most bizarre and horrifying endings I've ever seen in a film to date. Although there are undertones of sex, lesbianism and Satanism, don't be fooled. You're not going to find any of these in this film. However, what you will find instead is beautiful photography, endearing characters, a strong script and the two cutest little Satanists you ever did meet. This film is truly a phenomenal masterpiece of European cinema.

49. The Omega Man (1971) - Based on Richard Masterson's novel "I Am Legend", The Omega Man is one of the few remakes that is far better than the original. Biological warfare wipes out the entire population of the planet, except for one man who was able to develop and take an antidote, but was too late to administer it to the rest of the world. Now Charlton Heston is the last man on Earth and all alone in Los Angeles, for the exception of a band of mutant vampire like creatures created by the virus. The fundamentalist leader of the vampires wants to destroy the last man so Heston must hunt the vampires during the day before they come out and hunt him at night. A subplot involving a band of kids that have not yet mutated sees Heston trying to remake his serum, but the best part is watching Heston drive a cool car around New York City and gunning down vampires NRA style. Heston gives a great, over the top tough guy performance, and the albino vampire make up is interesting.  The Omega Man also has a great ending.  Although this story has been filmed three times, first as The Last Man On Earth with Vincent Price, and most recently as I Am Legend with Will Smith, The Omega Man is the best take on this classic story of horror.

50. Vampyros Lesbos (1971)  Jess Franco dishes out one of the sexiest and most erotic vampire films of all time and sealed Soledad Miranda's role as a scream queen legend in this fantastic erotic thriller. Beautiful women, a fantastic soundtrack (supplied by the Vampire Sound Incorporation), imaginative camerawork, and symbolism make you ignore the lack of plot to this sexploitation film. Linda (played by Ewa Stomberg) is haunted by erotic dreams of dark haired women who she saw perform at a night club. On a business trip she meets Countess Nadine (Miranda, under the moniker Susanna Korda) who, coincidently, is that woman in her dreams. However, the countess is also a former mistress of Count Dracula and seeks to make Linda one of the undead. All of this, and some pretty nifty lesbian vampire action.   I mean, who doesn’t love lesbian vampires?  God knows I do!  Vampyros Lesbos also features Franco regular Paul Muller as the doctor who Linda turns to who is investigating vampires, but has an agenda for Countess Nadine all his own.  Yet the true star is Soledad Miranda in both her most iconic role, and at her sexiest.  Sadly, she would be killed the same year that this film was made.  Very stylish and very mod, this has become one of my favorite foreign films of all time.

51. Blacula(1972) The much celebrated blaxploitation horror film has a lot going for it, but is flawed in nearly as many places as it is great. When African Prince Manuwalde and his beautiful wife visit Count Dracula in the 16th century in attempt to stop Africa’s slave trade. Nuda finds herself sealed up in a wall to die while Manuwalde is made into a vampire and sealed in a coffin seemingly forever. I mean, this is the kind of stuff that happens when you try to make deals with Dracula.  Three hundred years later Manuwalde surfaces in modern day Los Angeles striking terror as Blacula. To make things more interesting, Blacula encounters a woman named Tina who is the reincarnated Nuda and he sets out to make her his undead bride. Shakespearian actor William Marshall is hypnotic and charming as Blacula, and does his best to give an air of depth to a movie that doesn't have much depth.  Yet, despite the flaws the story is quite good with an unusual conclusion and a few turns you would not expect. However, the people that put together this film really had no idea how to make a horror movie so it often looks like a black adventure film a la Shaft or Superfly. The sequel, Scream Blacula Scream looked far better (it resembles a Hammer Horror Picture) but suffers from a bad script. Still, despite its faults, Blacula is a kitsch classic with a great story and is a fun entry into 1970’s horror.

52.  Blood Freak (1972) Two things boggle my mind about Blood Freak. First, who actually allowed this film to be released upon the public and, second, how is this film NOT a spoof or a comedy? Everything is wrong with this film: plot, costumes, acting, direction, sets, so...(read more)und, screams, motive, message. Everything. However, the fact that it is played totally straight with no tongues firmly placed in any cheeks makes it one of the most interesting films I've seen in a long time. Steve Hawkes plays a biker named Herschell. Yes. His name is Herschel. A grease ball hunk of a man who get caught up with a wrong crowd when he follows a hot born again Christian home after fixing her flat tire, but falls in love with her drugged out little sister. Getting a job at a turkey factory (yes...a turkey factory), Herschell eats an experimental turkey, while on drugs, and has a reaction turning him into half man/half turkey. Yes. Half turkey. Now, lugging around the country side with the battle cry of "gobble gobble gobble", Hershel goes on a terror spree, kidnapping young girls, hanging them upside down and slicing their throats open so that he can quench his thirst for blood. Yes. This is not a comedy. This is not a spoof. This is the real deal. The moral of the story? Don't do drugs kids, as explained by a series of strange cut ins by director Brad F. Ginter who narrates the story while taking dramatic pauses, which are actually made to read the next line on the script sitting n the table in front of him. More strange is the fact that Ginter discusses substance abuse while chain smoking! Furthermore, the acting in this film brings new meaning to the word terrible. It makes the Ed Wood Players look like the Mercury Theatre. Even more strange, nobody in the film does their own screaming, which is replaced by a single unconvincing scream that is used over and over again on a loop. Finally, the turkey head that Steve Hawkes wears is so bad that you can't even recognize what it's supposed to be. If somebody didn't say "hey...look at that guy with the turkey head" I may have not known what he was. It looks like it was made as an art project by a special ed class. Yet, despite all the problems with this film, its strangeness makes it worthwhile to see. You really have to see it for yourself. Perfect viewing for a Halloween party or get together. The fact that it is one of the worst movies I ever have seen in my life makes this film positively endearing

53. Dracula AD 1972 (1972) Not exactly one of the classic Hammer Horror Films, Dracula AD 1972 is my personal favorite from the Hammer studio mainly for its pure silliness yet the film still manages to be very chilling. After putting Christopher Lee through six films as the fabled vampire, Hammer was running out of ideas and the franchise was getting pretty stale.  That’s when the geniuses at Hammer studios came up with the great idea to bring Dracula out of the 19^th Century, and into the present.  Devising a clever plot about group of London mods who manage to resurrect Dracula, Dracula feasts on gorgeous girls and wreaks havoc throughout modern day London in the attempts to destroy the ancestors of his arch rival Van Helsing. Peter Cushing even returns as the descendent of Van Helsing to, once again, battle Christopher Lee. However, due to his dissatisfaction of the script, Christopher Lee refused to say any lines in this film. They make do and Lee is still effective and threatening in his silence. Furthermore, all the elements that make Hammer Horror films great are still intact: the sets are colorful, the costumes are elaborate, the gore runs red, and the girls are as sexy as ever.  Dracula AS 1972 is a campy, yet enjoyable, entry into Hammer’s Dracula series.

54. The Night Stalker (1972) Decades before Buffy Summers appeared on TV screens defending the world of vampires and demons, it was up to Darren McGavin in the role of antagonistic reporter Carl Kolchak to reveal the truth about the supernatural to a world that didn’t want to listen.  Created by Richard Masterson, Gavin first created the role of Kolchak in the excellent TV movie The Night Stalker.  When a serial killer strikes the streets of Las Vegas, draining the blood of cocktail waitresses, Carl Kolchak is on the story.  However, when he manages to make the link between the murders and a series of robberies from local blood banks, Kolchak is lead to believe that the killer is actually a vampire!  Making enemies with local politicians and law enforcement, as well as being a constant pain in his new paper editor’s neck, Kolchak must push through every obstacle thrust in his way to end the terror on Las Vegas’ streets, despite what that might mean to his reputation, his freedom and his happiness.  Darren McGavin is fantastic as the long suffering reporter Carl Kolchak, who is aggressive, argumentative but honorable, although with a little hint of underlining seediness.  Great performances are also made by Claude Aitkens as Kolchak’s rival Sheriff Butcher, and Simon Oakland as his editor Tony whose battles with Kolchak over the legitimacy of his fantastic stories of the supernatural are classic.  McGavin, Oakland and Matheson would team up again for The Night Stalker’s excellent sequel The Night Strangler in 1973 which sees Kolchak in Seattle defending belly dancers against a hundred year old scientist who has discovered the secret of immortality through the blood of female victims.  Of course, the success of these two films would lead to the short lived, but critically acclaimed Kolchak: The Night Stalker television series that brought horror back to 1970’s prime time television schedule.  These two excellent films are now available on one DVD, and is a sure fire hit for fans of 70’s action/dramas and supernatural television in general.  If you loved Buffy, and haven't experienced Carl Kolchak, make sure to pick up this one.

55. The Exorcist (1973) Deemed by many to be the scariest movie of all time, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist is still a great movie but it is questionable if it lives up to its reputation. However, it is probably the best known horror film of the 1970’s.  Revolving around two stories, that of Father Karras, a priest who is losing his faith, and the demon possession of actress Chris MacNeil’s daughter Reagan, the two plots come together when Karras is called to perform an exorcism on the child with demon expert Father Merrin.  Fantastic performances by the entire cast, most notably Jason Miller as Karras who gives a subtle and emotional performance throughout the film as his faith gets tested again and again.  Yet, of course, the real star of the film is Linda Blair as the little girl who vomits pea soup, screams blasphemies, makes her head spin around and does things that no child actor had ever done before, or has done since. But for a real treat, make sure to rent the new restored version of The Exorcist on DVD.  Titled The Exorcist:  The Version You Haven’t Seen Yet, some of the films scariest scenes, which were cut out of the original for some stupid reason, are readded, including Linda Blair's freakish crab walk!  That scene will blow your mind!  It's one of the scariest scenes in horror movie history, and it's shocking that it was cut out when it was released originally.  Possibly not the scariest movie ever made now, The Exorcist is still one of the best shock films ever made.

56. The Legend of Hell House  (1973) Sci-fi/horror writer Richard Matherson adapts his novel for the screen in this excellent, often overlooked film.  Four strangers, all renowned in their various fields, are hired to investigate the hauntings of the fabled Hell House, an old gothic mansion once owned by eccentric millionaire Emeric Balasco, which walls saw a series of foul and perverse acts which ended when twenty nine of Balasco's guests turned up dead in a mass slaughter.  Other investigations have been made, but ended with murder and madness.  Can physicist Lionel Barret, his  loyal wife Anne, beautiful and fiery psychic Florence Tanner and physical medium Ben Fisher, who is the only surviving member of the last group to investigate Hell House, unlock the secrets and end the hauntings?  And if so, will they survive to tell  of their experiences?  The Legend of Hell House is a smart haunted house tale that plays on the strengths of the different characters personas, which leads to rivalries and camaraderie’s between characters.  Also, interesting debates over spiritualism vs. science occurs between Barret, played by Clive Revell and Tanner, played by Pamela Franklin.  However, the real scene stealer is Roddy McDowell as the emotionally damaged and tortured medium Fisher who’s slightly over the top performance keeps the film together.  The Legend of Hell House also featured British character actor Michael Gough in the uncredited role as Emeric Balasco.  Nearly forgotten by many horror fans, and often passed over for the more popular entries in the haunted house genre such as The Haunting, The Legend of Hell House remains to be smart and well paced and shouldn't be left behind.

57.  Sssssss (1973)  Strother Martin and Dirk Benedict star in this strange throwback to films such as Island of Lost Souls and I Was a Teenage Werewolf, and is possibly one of the last of the classic mad scientist films made.  When college student David Blake, played by Benedict, comes to work for snake researcher Dr. Carl Stoner, played by Martin, after his assistant suddenly leaves, he couldn't be happier!  Fascinating work with all types of poisonous snakes, including black mambas and king cobras, Martin looks up to his new mentor, and falls in love for Stoner's brainy daughter Kristina, played by former Van Trapp child and Playboy model Heather Menzies.  However, while Benedict is trying to put the squeeze on Stoner's daughter, the seemingly friendly doctor has his own sinister plans for David.  What is the immunization formula that Stoner keeps giving his assistant really doing to David, why do people trying to get in the way of Stoner's research keep either dying or disappearing, and what does the mysterious Snake Boy at a traveling circus side show have to do with Stoner's plans?  Although the film is predictable and leaves little in the sake of surprises, and despite terrible performances by the supporting cast, the film succeeds by the decent performances by the three leads.  This could also could have easily been a spoof, but as a result of the leads taking the film seriously you care about the characters, and care about their fate.  However the real thrills occur when Martin shows real life nerves of steel by not only handling poisonous snakes, but sparing with a real life King Cobra who, according to the disclaimer at the beginning of the film, was not depoisoned.  Apparently Martin was actually bit in one scene, but as a result of medical staff and snake handlers on the set was treated for his bite immediately.  Sssssss is often campy, but often clever, and is an often overlooked gem thats an excellent entry in the mad scientist genre.

58. Theatre of Blood (1973) Vincent Price triumphs as psychotic Shakespearian actor Edward Lionheart, a part that was obviously tailor made for him, in this dark British thriller.  When Lionheart is passed over for a major theatre critics award that he felt that he deserved he commits suicide as the pompous critics who shunned and mocked him watch in horror.  However Lionheart survived his fall, and three years later he is back for revenge, killing the critics off one by one through deaths inspired by the Shakespearean plays from his rejected series.  Vincent Price often called Theater of Blood his favorite film to do because he not only was able to do Shakespeare while hamming it up in his unforgettable style, but he was able to play a number of different roles in different guises (my personal favorite is Vinnie as a gay hairdresser with a giant black afro).  The murders are imaginative, gruesome and often funny in a sick and twisted way (I'm partial to the critic who is chocked to death on potatoes).  Theatre of Blood also features Diana Rigg in an impressive role as Lionhearts' daughter Edwina, who shows her own diversity as she harnesses the spirit of Lon Chaney himself and gives the surprise performance of her life!  Other notable performers include Milo O'Shea as Inspector Boot, and Ian Hendry as Peregrine Devlin, the critic working most closely with the police.  Theatre of Blood is also not without some interesting trivia of it's own.  Diana Rigg and Ian Hendry, who had never been on screen before together, had their own special connection in pop culture.  Ian Hendry's most memorable contribution to pop culture was playing Dr. David Keel, John Steed's original partner in the first twenty five episodes of The Avengers.  Of course, Diana Rigg would go on to play Steed's most famous partner Emma Peel a number of years after Hendry was let go from the program. This is the chance for Avengers fans to see these two Avengers legends together at last.   As well, Vincent Price met his third and final wife Coral Browne when making Theatre of Blood.  Browne plays critic Chloe Moon who Price fries to death in a hair saloon.  Leave it to Vinnie.  Nothing says romance more then an on screen murder!  Anyhow, great performances by a large cast, combined with a fantastic over the top performance by Vincent Price makes Theatre of Blood a film that even the Bard himself would have enjoyed. 

59. The Wicker Man (1973) Great British mystery/thriller finds Edward Woodward as self righteous religious police officer who finds himself on a remote English island in search of a missing girl. During his investigation, he discovers that the residences of the island long ago turned their back on Christianity and have adopted pagan rituals and beliefs to insure that their crops will grow. Also, they all seem to know more about the disappearance of Rowan Morrison than they are willing to let on. Christopher Lee stars as their enigmatic leader and Britt Eckland is charming as the innkeeper's seductive daughter. Ingrid Pitt is also featured as the village school teacher and Lee's companion. This film is full of wonderful scenery, shot completely on location and using genuine locals as extras.  The Wicker Man also features some great musical numbers, with the real show stopper being Britt Eckland’s erotic “Willow’s Song” which she performs naked. The Wicker Man has a great mystery that unfolds bit by bit to the shocking finale, which leaves you with a hollow feeling in the pit of your stomach. Also, don't settle for imitations. If you decide to skip the original and see the Nicholas Cage remake then you might as well set yourself on fire upon a sacrificial pyre. If you accidentally saw that tragic remake, don’t let it prevent you from watching the original film.  Some movie just can’t be remade.  Nothing can replace the majesty, mystery and horror of the original Wicker Man.

60. Black Christmas (1974) If there is one thing that should be learnt from Black Christmas it's that if you live at a sorority house, for the love of god, go home for Christmas break! Although it seems to be very formula driven, Black Christmas is one of the more disturbing films of the genre. A group of sorority sisters are harassed, hunted down and then one by one murdered by a mysterious killer who contacts them through a series of obscene phone calls over the Christmas break. However, unknown to the girls, the killer isn't calling from the outside. He's in their house! Black Christmas is a tense film full of grizzly, yet subtle, murders and decent acting performances by a strange collection of mismatched actors that aren't known for appearing in horror films, including Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder, Andrea Martin, John Saxon and Keir Dullea. Furthermore, the use of Christmas music and decorations, as well as the bleak snowy cityscapes add an eerie juxtaposition to the horror presented to the audience. However be warned. Make sure you don't accidentally pick up the 2007 remake by mistake which totally substitutes subtle horror with shock gore and misses the point that the true fear that the viewer gets from the original is not knowing who is killing the girls, instead of knowing too much. Next Christmas pass over It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story and pour some egg nog and turn off all the lights and get ready to scare the yuletide joy right out of yourself with this freakishly delightful holiday fare.

61. Phantom of the Paradise (1974) Brian De Palma takes The Phantom of the Opera, Dr. Faustus, and The Portrait of Dorian Grey. packs them together in a little ball and turns it into a glam rock musical. Believe me or not, the result is far better than it may sound. Composer Edward Leech will forever regret the day that the powerful record producer Swan (played surprisingly sinisterly well by 70's songwriter Paul Williams) saw him perform his beloved music. Swan steals Leech's music and destroys his life in the process. Deformed in a freak accident, Leech dons a leather suit and a metal mask and terrorizes Swan's rock palace "The Paradise" until he falls in love with a young singer named Phoenix and makes a deadly pact with Swan to make her a star. Compelling and well paced, Phantom of the Paradise suffers as it doesn't know if it wants to be a straight horror film or a comedic spoof (it would have made a better straight horror film in my opinion). However, it contains fun characters, including gay metal singer Beef and Swan’s head thug Philbin; great costumes and sets (which were designed by Sissy Spacek), and perhaps some of the best original musical numbers in any film like it. Paul Williams music was even nominated for an Academy Award, but lost to Nelson Riddle’s score for The Great Gatsby.  Fun, bright and full of energy, Phantom of the Paradise is an overlooked gem which cult status seems to be growing each year.

62. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) Although the film would be imitated, remade and made into a series of lackluster sequels, the terror and shock of Tobe Hooper's Texas Chain Saw Massacre can never be reproduced. A real product of it's time, this classic horror film is unlike anything that was ever, or ever will be, made as effectively again. Cardboard cutout story of five college students who take a Sunday drive to the country to check on an old abandoned family homestead and find themselves tortured and killed one by one by a chainsaw welding madman known as Leatherface is accompanied by fast shocks and heart pounding thrills. The strangest experience of watching this film is that, despite it's reputation, there is barely any gore and the killings are short and fast instead of drawn out and gory. In fact, the fact that Leatherface doesn't fuck around is far more frightening then if he tortured his victims in long and gory sequences. Rob Zombie could learn a lot from this movie. Adding to the effectiveness is the grainy cheap film used for this 1970's cheapy, proving, once again, that an effective horror film doesn't need to be slick and contain numerous special effects to create a true sense of horror. From the encounter with Leatherface's cannibal family, the bizarre decor of his home and his bezerker dance at the end, it's no wonder the film has become the legendary cult hit that it has become. Too bad the sequels were made, which has done nothing but tarnish the name of this masterpiece in terror.

63.  The Devils Rain (1975)  Ernest Borgnine leads an eclectic and unlikely cast, including William Shatner, Ida Lapino, Eddie Albert, Tom Skerritt and Keenan Wynn, in this “so bad it’s almost good” Satanic thriller!  Ernest Borgnine plays satanic high priest Jonathan Corbis who, for centuries, has been searching for a book stolen by a follower that betrayed him.  Now, Corbis has tracked down the Preston family to the plains of the American frontier and setting himself up in an old ghost town, is out to find the book and destroy the ancestors of his enemies.  When Mark Preston (played by Shatner) fails at saving his mother (played by Lapino) from Corbis, it’s up to younger brother Tom (played by Skerritt) and his psychic wife Julie to save the souls of his family and piece together the dark secrets of his family’s past, and the reasons for Corbis’ attack.  Despite being known as one of the real stinkers of the 1970’s, The Devils Rain is far more enjoyable then its reputation would have you believe.  It is truly one of those films that is so bad that it’s great!  Over the top performances by Shatner, who does his role in his own unique Shatner style that we all love him for, and Borgnine, who looks ridiculous in his spandex costume and goat make up, actually adds to the surrealistic nature of this film, and makes this turkey more memorable instead of hindering it.  Yet the film isn’t without its good moments.  Tom Skerritt is excellent in the role of Tom Preston and adds some credibility to the film when he steps to center stage as the film's leadi