5 Phenomenal Horror Movies

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THE PHENOMENAL 5

What better way to start my ’10 Days of Horror’ than doing a Phenomenal 5 on the greatest movies of the genre (according to me of course). This is certainly a wide open list and everyone has their opinions. But this is the one genre where I can list my top 5 without hesitation. The horror genre goes way back to the silent movie era and it has kept audiences fascinated ever since. These 5 frightening films are the ones that I can’t get enough of. For me, they are the best of the genre and I truly love each. So here we go. Now considering how broad a subject this is I wouldn’t call this the definitive list. But you can’t deny that these 5 horror movie classics are absolutely phenomenal.

#5 – “PSYCHO”

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 masterpiece “Psycho” has arguably the most well-known scene in horror movie history. But there’s also so much greatness wrapped around Janet Leigh’s memorable murder in the shower at the hands…err, knife of Norman Bates. Anthony Perkins is as creepy as they come and you know there’s something not quite right about the guy from the first moment you see him until that final unnerving grin. And of course there is his macabre relationship with his dear, dear mother. For my money “Psycho” is brilliant and it’s the perfect mix of mystery and horror presented with the sharp style of a master filmmaker. It has its share of detractors but I will always love it.

#4 – “HALLOWEEN”

Oh there are so many things I love about “Halloween”. The great John Carpenter gives us a host of special ingredients that makes this film unforgettable. “Halloween” gives us the quintessential scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis. It gives us the frightening Michael Myers. It gives us Donald Pleasence’s wonderfully goofy prophecies of doom. And how can you forget the simple yet to haunting piano score by Carpenter himself. Working with an incredibly small budget, the movie still broke new ground and invented the great horror movie cliches that are still imitated today. It’s a horror movie classic and the king of the slasher sub genre. It also still entertains me just as much as when I first watched it.

#3 – THE EVIL DEAD

In 1981 two young new filmmakers, Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, made what would become one of the scariest horror movies of all time. “The Evil Dead” is another example of creating a great horror film with a tiny budget. It’s a highly influential picture that spawned two great sequels. It’s the story of five college kids who spend spring break in an isolated cabin in the woods. They accidentally release demons who begin killing them one by one. “The Evil Dead” is one of the few movies that I would call genuinely scary. The creepy concept and disturbing makeup effects still stick with me to this day. And of course it introduced us to the wonderful character Ash. This is a horror treasure that beats anything that comes out these days.

#2 – “THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE”

For years I thought “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” was based on a true story. It was one of the most frightening movies I had ever seen. It’s been years since I found out that the story is purely fictional yet the movie still has the same effect on me today. Tobe Hooper directed, produced, and co-wrote the film that was made for under $300,000 and featured a cast of unknowns. The story of five friends who encounter a cannibalistic family in rural Texas didn’t rely on a buckets of blood and gore for its frights. Instead Hooper creates a disturbing sense of uneasiness with this material alone. Throw in Leatherface and pinches of dark comedy and you have one of the greatest horror movies of all-time.

#1 – “NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD”

I never have a hard time telling people what my favorite horror movie of all time is. George Romero’s classic “Night of the Living Dead” was the first horror movie that really effected me. This is the film that put zombies on the map and there have been countless imitators since. As with the others on this list, Romero uses a small budget and no-name actors yet develops a horror picture that is unlike any other. Expertly crafted and wonderfully unsettling, “Night of the Living Dead” sets its creepy tone early and keeps it through so many clever techniques. I love everything about this true classic. It’s not just my favorite horror movie, it’s one of my favorite movies of all-time.

There they are – 5 Phenomenal Horror Movies. As I mentioned, this is a broad list and everyone has their favorites. But I’ll put my five up up against anyone’s. These five films showed that if you’re creative and skilled you don’t need loads of money and big backing to make a great horror picture. So what did I miss? What would you have included on the list? Which of my choices do you disagree with? Please take time to comment below.

25 thoughts on “5 Phenomenal Horror Movies”

    • Jaina!?!? Oh yes, you have your horror movie assignments! LOL! You really need to see these others, especially “Night of the Living Dead”. It’s a true classic.

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  4. We’re pretty far off. I’ve loved the old Universal Horror films since childhood. I know they are dated now, but still a lot of fun to watch. There wouldn’t be a Twilight series without Dracula! I love the Paranormal Activity series. Number four is in theatres now and I’d like to see it before Halloween. I like the Sixth Sense and the Others. These are great psychological suspense/horror movies. In sci-fy I like the original Thing. It is great to watch as a late night scary movie. I’m getting away from the blood and guts stuff. The first Halloween movie was fun. Nothing like watching teenagers being mutilated. After a while Michael could only come back so many times. I was never a fan of Freddie Krueger and truthfully never understood how he came to be. The Ring is a movie I like a lot too. I am all over the place in horror films!

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    • I knew you had a wide variety of horror favorites. I do appreciate the old Universal monster movies and what they contributed. As you said, they are dayed but fun. As for Paranormal Activity, I liked the first movie but grew tired of the second. I haven’t seen part three but I’m willing to give it a watch. Oh and no argument on The Thing. I LOVE that flick. I also agree with Michael Myers. After Halloween 2 I was done. Never got into Freddy past the first Nightmare. But I still can’t put anything ahead of “Night of the Living Dead”. Not sure if you know but you are the one who first introduced me to it!

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    • There’s no denying what my #1 would be there. But lets just say that there is another Phenomenal 5 in this little horror thing I’m doing and that movie has a prominent spot on that list!

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    • Oh I meant to tell you that I watched “Prince of Darkness” due of your recent review. I was a little iffy at first but it really won me over in the second half. Good, good horror picture!

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  8. Excellent Bro. Glad to hear it. I tried to warn people a bit in my review. It does have flaws and the budget is a slight problem but it’s the premise that’s horror gold. Thanks for checking it out man.

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  9. Terrific list! All of those are really scary but the second to last shot in Psycho is something so frightening I can hardly think about it without getting scared and looking over my shoulder.

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  12. I came across your blog while looking for Halloween movie ideas, and you have some good suggestions in here. Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho are on a lot of the lists I’ve found, so I think I’ll check them out. I can watch them with my DISH coworkers during our Halloween movie marathon. They’re available from Blockbuster @Home, which ships quickly enough that I should have them in time for Halloween, too, and if they’re as good as you say I’m sure we’ll enjoy them.

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    • Thanks Pete! The Exorcist is one I can appreciate but just not a favorite of mine. Of all of these, Psycho is the one that could be more of a thriller than full- blown horror picture but I think it fits here.

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