[sparkylab]

Have a lot of respect for Carpenter (the thing is a fine fine movie - also served as a primary inspiration for Reservior Dogs as far as I understand).

But, hands down the best Vampire flick I have ever seen is “Near Dark” – Kathryn Bigelow directed – script by the guy who wrote the Hitcher. Essentially a very cool road movie that just happens to be centered on vampires (the word vampire is not mentioned in the script).

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', '
')I have to agree, and I loved the entire series. Weaver's role was groundbreaking in cinema: first absolute kick-butt women in the movies. Plus she is a topnotch actress.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', 'I')'ll be renting this one.

[Jogger]

Noboby mentioned George Romero's Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, or Land of the Dead. In these films, the dead came back to life to eat the flesh of the living. They are classics, although Land of the Dead was my least favorite.

[WildRose]

For those who like a good vampire flick, have you seen the 1979 version of Salem's Lot (with James Mason and David Soul)? It isn't as big and glitzy as, say, Bram Stoker's Dracula, but the makeup was very good and the film quite scary.

[seahorse2]

Just a few worth watching -

"Dog Soldiers"

"The Shining"

"Blair Witch" bc of its originality (supposedly watching the video tape found a year later), bc of its low budget (less than $50k), and bc it captures the essence of a scary movie as stated by Hitchcock, that what scares people is one's natural fear of the dark, the unknown, a director should never "turn the light on" for the viewer, don't let them see the evil, let them imagine it, keep it in the dark, let their imagination scare them.

[sparkylab]

Blair witch scared the crap out of me. Just the primal fear of being lost in the woods with some unimaginable terror going on outside the tent........now THAT'S a horror movie. Plus the flimmakers turned all of their weaknesses into strengths. No budget for effects - you just hear things and see the creepy aftermath (much scarier). No budget for music even - you share that claustrophobia of being trapped in a tent with them (the music would probably remove you slightly from the film)
No budget for advertising - do it on that thing called the internet.

Just goes to show you can still scare the crap out of people for not a whole lot of money.......now, Blair Witch 2 - pile of crap.

[AWPrime]

Those are Classics?

Now my classics are still in black and white, such as the Cat People (1942) or Dracula (1931).

[blukatzen]

I would say that "The Haunting" (the 1963 version) was the first and truly only time I have been petrified. It was more of a psychological thriller, and in black and white, which is ALWAYS more effective with that kind of genre.
Here's a link for it.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057129/

I saw it on TV, and I think most of my then-grade school classmates had seen it, we were all bleary-eyed the next morning, because none of us could get to sleep.

That movie STILL has an effect on me. I would also say..somewhat, but not quite, the "Legend of Hell House" as mentioned, was creepy too.

I was always more impressed with psychological thrillers of the "unknown" like ghosts, etc. rather than slasher films or monster/alien flicks, as they always seemed like "yeah ,yeah, we know someone is going to get whacked by the creepoid."

[AWPrime]

Well I can take a lot, but somehow hell clowns and dolls in horror movies have a good chance of creeping me out.

[katkinkate]

"Birds" Alfred Hitchcock (or is it "The Birds"?)
And almost everything with Vincent Price in it.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('katkinkate', '"')Birds" Alfred Hitchcock (or is it "The Birds"?)
And almost everything with Vincent Price in it.

[lateralus]

The Thing was a great movie. The Shining is another kick ass old flick.

[jboogy]

"The exorcist ", scariest ever/ also check out "the sentinal ", honorable mention , "the omen"and I think "children of the corn" #3 or#4 , I forget which , also the first "halloween" and the first "nightmare on elm street"

[PenultimateManStanding]

Here's another one, Roger Corman's The Crazies The first film I know of to present the Steven King scenario of The Stand, which was published in 1978. Corman's film was released in 1973. An army biological warfare agent gets released via plane crash over a small town. The agent causes either death or insanity. These memes have a history. Anybody know of such a meme prior to 1973?

[Aimrehtopyh]

dinopello mentioned Jacobs Ladder. It made a big impression on me too. I haven't seen it since probably 1994 and I still remember the scene with Jacobs son. I have children now, so I'm not in a big hurry to see it again.

I recently learned that John Carpenter directed They Live. It's not horror but its themes of paranoia/conspiracy/subversion would be very enjoyable for most of the people I know around here.

...to chew bubblegum and kick ass... Video clip.

[lateralus]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Aimrehtopyh', 'd')inopello mentioned Jacobs Ladder. It made a big impression on me too. I haven't seen it since probably 1994 and I still remember the scene with Jacobs son. I have children now, so I'm not in a big hurry to see it again.