There has always been something about a scary story that has excited its audience, no matter the medium. No matter if its horror movies, ghost stories, or chilling novels by the likes of Stephen King or Dean Koontz, or the Grimm brothers for that matter, there is something about being scared that people really seem to enjoy a lot.
When it comes to horrors, there are so many types of stories to scare you. Monster stories, gory films, the silly and wacky horrors, psychological thrillers and ghost stories have kept audiences on the edge of their seats.
Comparing horror movies is always going to be tough. Alfred Hitchcock for example made some of the great classics, films like Psycho and The Birds, but they are very difficult to compare to a movie like A Nightmare on Elm Street for example. But these five films perhaps best define the genre in a whole, the films that inspired thousands more just like them.
The first I have just mentioned, Psycho, perhaps the most eerie of all Alfred Hitchcock's masterpieces. Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates is absolutely brilliant, and to this day, this classic piece of cinema will scare almost everyone. It is nerve-wracking and the tension is unbearable throughout, and while it may not be as scandalous as it was in 1960, it remains one the iconic horror movies of all time. Who will ever forget that shower scene.
In 1973 The Exorcist, directed by William Friedkin and starring Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow and Linda Blair, hit the screens and scared the world like never before. This was the movie that caused many sleepless nights for its audience, as the scary story of a young girl, played by Blair, is possessed by a demon, and we follow the story of the priests who try to exorcise the demon out of her. It is still as disturbing today, and should not be watched alone, unless you are very brave.
Steven Spielberg made his mark on cinema with the unforgettable horror about a Shark terrorizing a small town beach town in Jaws. This sparked a different kind of fear, and many people claim to be scared of the sea, and sharks, based strictly on having seen this film. The John Williams composed theme remains as haunting today, and with a great cast like Roy Schneider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss, one can forgive how fake the shark looks these days.
When it comes to slasher horror movies, there are many to consider for the top spot, with Friday theThirteenth's Jason and Elm Street's Freddie Kruger close contenders. But it is Michael Myers in the 1978 original Halloween that tops the list. Perhaps it was Jamie Lee Curtis' scream, or Donald Pleasance's creepy psychiatrist, or the fact that it was directed by a true master of suspense, the one and only John Carpenter. Carpenter's The Thing and The Fog are two other great scary choices.
Another Steven Spielberg film finishes the list, though this time he was only credited as the producer, though he did cast the movie, direct the actors and do all the storyboards. Toby Hooper was the director though of the classic ghost story, Poltergeist. Starring Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams, this 1982 classic story of a family home haunting remains one of the best ghost horror movies ever made.
When it comes to horrors, there are so many types of stories to scare you. Monster stories, gory films, the silly and wacky horrors, psychological thrillers and ghost stories have kept audiences on the edge of their seats.
Comparing horror movies is always going to be tough. Alfred Hitchcock for example made some of the great classics, films like Psycho and The Birds, but they are very difficult to compare to a movie like A Nightmare on Elm Street for example. But these five films perhaps best define the genre in a whole, the films that inspired thousands more just like them.
The first I have just mentioned, Psycho, perhaps the most eerie of all Alfred Hitchcock's masterpieces. Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates is absolutely brilliant, and to this day, this classic piece of cinema will scare almost everyone. It is nerve-wracking and the tension is unbearable throughout, and while it may not be as scandalous as it was in 1960, it remains one the iconic horror movies of all time. Who will ever forget that shower scene.
In 1973 The Exorcist, directed by William Friedkin and starring Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow and Linda Blair, hit the screens and scared the world like never before. This was the movie that caused many sleepless nights for its audience, as the scary story of a young girl, played by Blair, is possessed by a demon, and we follow the story of the priests who try to exorcise the demon out of her. It is still as disturbing today, and should not be watched alone, unless you are very brave.
Steven Spielberg made his mark on cinema with the unforgettable horror about a Shark terrorizing a small town beach town in Jaws. This sparked a different kind of fear, and many people claim to be scared of the sea, and sharks, based strictly on having seen this film. The John Williams composed theme remains as haunting today, and with a great cast like Roy Schneider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss, one can forgive how fake the shark looks these days.
When it comes to slasher horror movies, there are many to consider for the top spot, with Friday theThirteenth's Jason and Elm Street's Freddie Kruger close contenders. But it is Michael Myers in the 1978 original Halloween that tops the list. Perhaps it was Jamie Lee Curtis' scream, or Donald Pleasance's creepy psychiatrist, or the fact that it was directed by a true master of suspense, the one and only John Carpenter. Carpenter's The Thing and The Fog are two other great scary choices.
Another Steven Spielberg film finishes the list, though this time he was only credited as the producer, though he did cast the movie, direct the actors and do all the storyboards. Toby Hooper was the director though of the classic ghost story, Poltergeist. Starring Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams, this 1982 classic story of a family home haunting remains one of the best ghost horror movies ever made.
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