This is a list of my top 10 horror movies. So far I’ve got:
1. Scream http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117571/—This redefined the horror genre. It was the first time anybody pointed out how cliche everything is in slasher films. And then it went ahead and used those cliches anyway!
2. It http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099864/ —This one holds a special place in my heart because it was the first horror movie I ever saw. Anything that can make a 3rd grader afraid to use the bathroom for a month is okay by me!
3. Cabin Fever http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303816/ —Okay, I know this one is actually kind of terrible, but I think that is where the fun lies! Plus, I am a big fan of gore and gore makeup, so this movie was a dream come true! It also started my fascination with Eli Roth.
4. Freaks http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022913/ —I think the scariest part of this movie is not the fact that they used actual circus performers, but that it shows how easily people can turn on you. All-around creepy—especially the dinner scene.
5. The Shining http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081505/ —This is another one that is scary because it could be real. Not that I’ve ever seen an elevator of blood—but I have heard of people just losing it.
6. Saw I-III http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387564/ —I realize that these are 3 different movies, but this is my list, so I don’t care. This is another one that redefined the horror genre. It became okay to be beyond gory. The really scary part, I think, is that a large majority of the traps are based on real torture devices.
7. The Haunting (1963) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057129/ —This movie doesn’t show anything. No monsters, no ghosts. And that’s what makes it so fucking scary. Your imagination is worse than anything a makeup artist or puppeteer could ever design. Just watch the scene with the knocking and you’ll know what I mean. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6kDCX2Diyg (Skip to about the middle.)
8. Black Swan http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0947798/ —As a performer, I know how easy it is to get sucked into a role. How easy it is to lose yourself. It’s scary letting something take over you, letting it make you act differently. How do you know that after the performance you’ll come back to yourself?
9. Jaws http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073195/ —I never thought I would classify this as a horror movie until I spent the entire summer watching it over and over and over. It didn’t matter how many times I’d seen it, I would still jump out of my seat. This is another classic example of how showing less can be more.
10. A Nightmare on Elm Street http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087800/ —What’s better than a monster that can kill you in your dreams? One that will tell you a joke while he’s doing it! I don’t even know—just everything about this movie makes me love it. Another gem from Wes Craven.
You might have noticed that the majority of the movies on this list have more to do with humans and the mind than with monsters. I think that’s because, to me, the scariest thing on Earth is other people. You never know what the human race is capable of…
