Adam's Hamburger Helper - Horror Top 20

A LIST OF PERFECT HORROR FILMS! By Adam Mast

What makes the perfect horror film? It could be a number of things; Grand scares, an eerie tone, buckets of blood, etc.. As someone whose spent the last several years writing about film in general, I've developed quite the fondness for the horror genre, and given that Halloween is upon us, I thought I'd throw down a list of my personal favorites. Now is often the case with lists of this nature, I'll be opening myself up to a world of scrutiny. Not only in terms of films that I might have left off the list, but in some cases, titles that I dared to put on the list. In the end, I feel like this is a well rounded collection of titles. These films are all available on DVD for your viewing pleasure this Halloween, and a few of them might even make an appearance at our 10th Anniversary of Horror-Fest spooktacular on Oct. 28th (in St. George, UT).

1. THE THING (1982)
Halloween is often considered John Carpenter's masterpiece, but for my money, The Thing is where it's at. Not only is this one of the best remakes I've ever seen (and I love Howard Hawks' original), but it is quite simply my favorite horror picture of all time. Claustrophobic terror at its finest and extra props to the effects department for creating otherworldly horror that is even more disturbing than anything I could have conjured up in my own mind. I love every inch of this paranoia thriller right down to the effective, open book ending.

2. THE EXORCIST
William Friedkin's classic tale of good vs. evil has one of the most shocking moments in film history (I won't go into detail but I will say it involves a cross), but what makes it stand out is it's scope and Friedkin's meticulous eye for detail. The cast, most notably Max Von Sydow as an aging priest, is positively stellar. The Exorcist is truly horrifying and sort of plays like High Noon goes to hell.

3. PSYCHO
Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece has far too many memorable moments to make mention of in a mere blurb, so I wont even try. I will say, it is one of the best thrillers of all time and features stellar cinematography, perfect direction, and a truly mesmerizing turn by Anthony Perkins.

4. THE SHINING
While it is true that Stanley Kubrick took Stephen King's best selling novel and made it his own, he bettered it in many ways. Jack Nicholson is at his manic best as an author who descends into complete madness. The real star of the show, however, is the massive hotel in which the film takes place. Kubrick is a master of tone, and nearly every frame of this picture drips with an ominous sense of dread.

5. DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978)
George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead was the starting block for the zombie genre, but Dawn of the Dead took it to a whole new level with it's shrewd satire on consumerism. When the zombies begin feasting on a pack of bikers in the final act of this movie, it's enough to make you lose your lunch. But perhaps the most memorable moment in the picture happens early on as a zombified apartment tenant takes a bite out of his wife's shoulder. I still gasp when I see it. Genius!

6. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974)
In 1974, Tobe Hooper set out to make this horror masterpiece on a shoestring budget, and the end result is a nauseating descent into terror. The film features a chainsaw wielding maniac who dons other folks' skin over his face. The final moments of this picture are truly terrifying and while one gal makes it out alive, you just know she'll never sleep again without seeing Leatherface in her nightmares.

7. HALLOWEEN (1978)
John Carpenter's slasher flick lit up the box-office and made a scream queen out of Jamie Lee Curtis. It also set the standard for the genre. Perhaps the strongest element of the picture is Carpenter's unforgettable score. One critic was even quoted as saying the music saved the movie. As good as the score is, there is plenty to admire about this picture perfect thriller. An amazing film featuring one of cinema's most iconic killers.

8. JAWS
I suppose Jaws is more of an adventure story than an all out horror picture, but it delivers some of the great scares of all time and that's why I included it on this list. This tale of a Great White terrorizing the peaceful, sleepy town of Amityville provides the goods both in terms of terror inducing thrills and character.

9. ROSEMARY'S BABY
Roman Polanski's classic features Mia Farrow as a pregnant woman who discovers that Satan may be the father of her child. The genius of this flick is how it meshes pure, unbridled horror with shrewd black comedy. The "He has his father's eyes" bit is unforgettable.

10. POLTERGEIST
Steven Spielberg and Texas Chainsaw Massacre helmer Tobe Hooper collaborated on this fantastical ghost story featuring JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson as a married couple who desperately try to retrieve their daughter (played by the cute Heaher O' Rourke) from the clutches of a nasty Poltergeist. Great scares and great special effects. I'm still shocked that it got away with the PG rating.

11. FRANKENSTEIN (1931)
You just can't beat a Universal monster movie and Frankenstein represents the strongest of the lot. Featuring an iconic performance by Boris Karloff as a man brought back from the dead, this picture is horrific, but it also has moments of poetic beauty (the scene between the monster and the little girl is simply heartbreaking). A stunning, timeless achievement.

12. EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN
Sam Raimi's masterpiece is certainly more slapstick than horror, but that doesn't stop the film maker from getting a few grand shocks in. While Raimi has gone on to helm the Spider-Man franchise, Dead by Dawn remains his strongest work to date.

13. FREAKS
Tod Browning's controversial 1932 film features a close-knit group of circus freaks taking their revenge on evil common folk. The kicker is that the film stars individuals with actual deformities. This movie gives me the creeps, particularly the shocking ending in which the phrase "One of us" takes on a whole new meaning.

14. THE DESCENT
Neil Marshall fashioned the best horror film of the last fifteen years with The Descent. In this nail biting thriller, a team of female spelunkers battle mother nature and take on a strange race of carnivorous creatures in an underground cavern. Fierce and genuinely scary.

15. CARRIE
When Brian DePalma messes up, he messes up bad (see Black Dahlia) but when he brings his A-game, look out! This collaboration between DePalma and Stephen King is classic horror. Sissy Spacek is compelling as the title character, a picked on teen who--through telekinetic powers--fights back. It features the prom scene to end all prom scenes, as well as a sudden shock ending that scares the hell out of me just thinking about it.

16. DRACULA (1931)
Like Frankenstein, Dracula is pure, classic horror. Released by Universal, this tale of the infamous blood sucker (brought to life by a spellbinding Bela Lugosi) is both creepy and strangely sensual. A classic in ever sense of the word.

17. THE OMEN (1976)
Richard Donner's The Omen is a classy exercise in apocalyptic terror. When I use the term apocalyptic, I don't mean in a Terminator sense. This flick, about the birth of the Anti Christ, has an eerie, unsettling tone from start to finish, and when it was over, I could feel the hair on my neck standing on end.

18. ALIEN (and ALIENS)
Personally, I think both films are equal in terms of overall effectiveness. Alien is a top notch suspense thriller while its follow up is a tense, action adventure. Ridley Scott and James Cameron are masters of the technical game, and both bring their own striking sensibility to the franchise. Sigourney Weaver was terrific in the entire series (even the insipid Alien Resurrection), but her arc in the first two movies is particularly memorable.

19. SHAUN OF THE DEAD
Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg's love letter to the zombie genre works both as a hilarious comedy and a sweet homage to everything Romero. What's more this glorious romp has real bite. One of the best fan films you're ever likely to see. And really funny to boot.

20. HELLRAISER
Based on the book by Clive Barker, this dark, horrific glimpse into pleasure and pain features a race of demonic beings--lead by the legendary Pinhead--who take captive anyone who awakens them from their puzzle box of solitude. A gothic masterpiece.

Honorable mention; Nightmare on Elm Street, An American Werewolf in London, Fright Night (1985), Creature From the Black Lagoon, The Howling, Blair Witch Project, The Ring, Drag Me to Hell, Creepshow, In the Mouth of Madness, Child's Play, Prince of Darkness, The Fly (both versions), Paranormal Activity (1 & 2), Pet Sematary, Hostel, Scanners, Re-Animator, The Changeling, The Fog, The Birds, Suspiria, Black Christmas (1974), Don't Look Now, Frailty, Killer Klowns From Outer Space, Phantasm, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, The Blob (1958 & 1988), The Wolfman, Friday the 13th (Part III, and The Final Chapter), The Mist, Return of the Living Dead, When A Stranger Calls (1979), Silence of the Lambs, Seven, Trick or Treat, Dead Alive, Night of the Living Dead, Jacob's Ladder, The Host, The Frighteners, Haute Tension, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, 28 Days Later, Let the Right One In (and Let Me In), Grace, Slither, and Open Water.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!