Sinister Cinema: The 00's

This was the decade of my teen years, which means it's definitely one that has a warm place in my horror heart. I spent a lot of weekends renting scary movies from Blockbuster or sneaking into R-rated slasher flicks with my friends. For the most part, the sinister cinema of this decade was pretty good. The 00's were a huge improvement from the hit-or-miss 90's, and while they're not as frightening as the 70's or memorable as the 80's, the first 10 years of the new millennium offers plenty of great flicks to sink your teeth into.

2000's 

15.) The Others (2001): Directed to eerie perfection by Alejandro Amenabar and bolstered by a perfectly cast Nicole Kidman, The Others is a throwback to simpler times, when haunted house movies like The Haunting or The Legend of Hell House were enough to keep audiences engaged. It's a great film, and if you like a good twist ending, it's not one to miss.

14.) The Grudge (2004): Part of the early 00's obsession with remaking Asian horror movies, The Grudge stands out for two reasons. One? The original film's director is at the helm (Takashi Shimizu) and it was produced by Sam Raimi. Two? For only being a PG-13 film, it has some of the creepiest screen moments of the decade.

13.) Drag Me to Hell (2009): Speaking of Sam Raimi, with Drag Me to Hell he shrugs off the big budget constraints of the Spider-Man trilogy and dives headfirst back into the genre that made him famous. This thing is bananas, with gypsy curses and demonic goats and, yes, plenty of hell-dragging. It is as silly as it is sensational.

12.) Joyride (2001): What is essentially a combo/remake of both Duel and The Hitcher, Joyride manages to conjure tension out of nowhere and build steadily to a relentless finale. I won't say it's perfect (there are moments where it feels hopelessly dated), but overall, it is an efficient and energetic movie.

11.) Saw (2004): Yeah, I know - many of you probably have strong feelings about this one, ranging from disgusted to indifferent. But ignoring the many (so many!) sequels, 2004's Saw is pretty great. Some of the performances are lacking (Cary Elwes and Danny Glover clearly don't want to be there), but the script is twisty and the overall concept is awesome. Bonus points are awarded for the creation of Jigsaw, who became the decade's only true horror icon.

10.) Slither (2006): With Slither, writer/director James Gunn (of Guardians of the Galaxy fame) gives us a movie that is gross, glib, and glorious. As usual, Nathan Fillion's performance as the hero is wonderful, balancing wit and heroism perfectly. But the real star here is the throwback vibe - it feels like a hokey B-movie from the 50's was struck by lightning and reanimated for modern audiences.

9.) Antichrist (2009): This is a terrific film, but it's also a grueling one. Much like Audition or Carpenter's The Thing, it's a movie that separates casual fans from the fully-initiated horror hounds. I'm not going to say much about it; just know that it is unquestionably the gnarliest movie of the decade. It is bleak and brutal.

8.) The Host (2006): South Korean director Bong Joon-ho is one of the most talented directors working today, and my love affair for his style started here with The Host. It's a monster movie, yes, but it's also one of the quirkiest big budget productions I've ever seen. The tension is real, the scares are effective, and the whole thing is just plain fun.

7.) The Descent (2005): To anyone claustrophobic or afraid of the dark, this movie will feel like a plummet straight to hell. Because most of the action takes place in an unexplored cave system, shot with tight angles and close-ups, you'll be uncomfortable at best and suffocated at worst. And watch out for that ending. It's a real corker.

6.) Trick 'r Treat (2007): In the pantheon of Halloween themed horror films, there are really only two options: 1978's Halloween and 2007's Trick 'r Treat. It's an anthology movie (I love those), and each story touches on a different horror archetype. They link together in intriguing, unexpected ways, but the best part of the movie is Sam - an impish child (?) with a burlap sack over his head and macabre mischief in his heart.

5.) 1408 (2007): And again we have a movie based on a Stephen King property - this time it's a short story that first appeared in the collection Everything's Eventual. Starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, 1408 is a lean, uncomplicated thriller. In a decade dominated by the grisly gore of the Saw and Hostel franchises, 1408 takes a simple concept with humble scares and manages to outshine most of its peers. It easily could've been made thirty years earlier, which is great. The plot adheres to genre conventions, which results in a timeless aura, free from zeitgeist or pop trappings. Cusack absolutely carries the movie; it's a testament to his screen presence that viewers buy into the cliched premise with such ease.

4.) Signs (2002): Lots of people hate this movie and I honestly don't know why. Aside from a pretty dull "twist" ending, everything else is great. Signs is a tremendously satisfying chiller, with standout performances, music, and cinematography. It's not just an alien (demon?) invasion story; it's also a story about lost faith, lost love, and destined redemption. Lots of this is communicated through the score, which is superb - an eerie three-note motif dominates the composition, evolving along with the tone of the script. But, like I mentioned before, the film's most rousing success is the acting. Abigail Breslin and Joaquin Phoenix are both great, but this movie belongs to Mel Gibson. His character is Graham Hess, an embittered former minister trying to protect his family. Every choice Gibson makes speaks volumes about life and loss. So I guess what I'm saying is - don't let the haters fool you. Signs is spectacular.

3.) [REC] (2007): I've always been a fan of found footage movies, but I recognize that most of them suck. They have to absolutely nail it in the realism department, and this usually comes down to the acting and script. Movies like The Blair Witch Project and Willow Creek work because they come across as convincingly human. This is where [REC] succeeds brilliantly. It's the story of a TV journalist who unwittingly becomes trapped in an apartment building full of zombies. It sounds cliche, but the razor sharp writing and three-dimensional performances make it...well, real. The scrambling, frantic tone makes it all the more frightening. (You should check out the sequel, too. It's just about as exciting and maybe twice as scary. But skip the so-so American remake, Quarantine.)

2.) The House of the Devil (2009): If you're a horror fan and have never heard of writer/director Ti West, then consider this a formal admonition. He's too gifted to be unknown. His biggest strength? Squeezing every drop of tension from worn-out genre tropes. Movies like The Sacrament and The Innkeepers take old ideas and make them new, but his hands-down best film has to be 2009's The House of the Devil. It's a classic scenario: a young babysitter, a strange old house, the things that go bump in the night. Even the execution is classic. West takes a distinctly Tarantinoan approach, defining the movie's style as if it were the late 1970's. This direction gives it a campy grindhouse appeal, but I promise - the horrors that lie in wait are unshakable.

1.) The Mist (2007): Overlooked upon release and widely ignored by general audiences, The Mist has since garnered retrospective praise and an impressive cult following. Why? Well, there are a lot of reasons for this. Unfortunately, the movie had ineffective marketing and lacked star power, rendering it pretty invisible next to other flicks at the time (Disney juggernaut Enchanted and indie darling I'm Not There were released on the same day to much more success). It's also easy to view The Mist as "just another Stephen King movie," and yeah, I get that. But put all that aside. With fresh eyes it's easy to see how truly horrific this film is. The basic premise alone is haunting, but the individual moments solidify the entire production as fearless and peerless. The acting is top-notch, the pace is propulsive, the direction by Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) is artsy yet effective, and the scares are formidable. But it's hard to talk about this movie without touching on the gut-punch finale. It's...wow - up there with Rosemary's Baby as one of the most shocking conclusions in cinema history. My advice? Watch the whole thing in black and white. I'm not sure why, but it somehow makes this fantastic movie even better.

Sinister Cinema: The 90's

I'll be totally honest with you - after the chilling 60's, the sinister 70's, and the outrageous 80's, the 90's are a bit...underwhelming. Sure there are standout classics (I think the top 5 of my list is pretty nifty). But overall, this was a decade that dabbled too much in style and lacked substance. You'll notice my list is shy a few blockbusters (Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, the ubiquitous Child's Play franchise). I'm also omitting plenty of obscure movies that I simply don't care to see (Ravenous, Thesis). Although the decade wasn't a total wash, the postmodern, iconoclastic obsession shared by many filmmakers makes it a messy, inconsistent era in horror.

1990's

15.) Tremors (1990): By golly, I don't care a lick what anybody says - this is a fun, fabulous movie. At a time when horror flicks were getting a little too artsy for their own good, Tremors came along and reminded us of the silly, unpretentious B-movies that are too easily ignored.

14.) Sleepy Hollow (1999): I'm probably alone in this, but I think Tim Burton's retelling of Sleepy Hollow is one of his best films - a great horror-adventure yarn. It's a zippy little thing, distinctive from much of Hollywood horror cinema. You'll giggle at Johnny Depp's goofy squeamishness, everything will be hunky-dory, and then bam! the ending comes with a gruesome gothic gravitas. This is what fun horror feels like. Give it a shot.

13.) Ginger Snaps (1998): Not since Carrie has puberty been so imaginatively and frighteningly interpreted. This is, probably, the best werewolf movie in recent memory. Let that sink in for a minute. We're 20 years on and nothing else has come close to being this smart, slick, and scary.

12.) The Last Broadcast (1998): Here's another one of those less-I-say-the-better movies, but trust me when I tell you - this is a found footage flick executed with near perfection. The ending is lacking, but everything else is bold, paving the way for a slew of other movies in this subgenre.

11.) Night of the Living Dead (1990): Directed by the Gretzky of gore Tom Savini, this remake of Romero's 1968 classic is astonishingly fresh. It's more than just an update - it's a remodeling from the ground up, with characters fleshed out and the pacing aligned with contemporary standards. It's like a great new cast breathing life into a Broadway mainstay. While it's not as groundbreaking or contemplative as Romero's films, Savini transforms the dead into popcorn fun, yet still retains their otherworldly horror. It's a delicate but satisfying balance.

10.) Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994): After what felt like hundreds of sequels and knock-offs, Wes Craven came back to give audiences one more great ride. This was arguably the first meta-movie in the genre, and though Craven himself would continue this trend with the ever-popular Scream a few years later, New Nightmare got there first. And you know what? It gets bonus points for rescuing Freddy and making him scary again.

9.) Candyman (1992): It took me a long time to finally see this one, and now that I have, I understand why so many people herald it as a masterpiece. Touching on primal fears and centered on a ghastly urban legend (one that I'd heard myself as a kid), it's a surreal and seductive experience.

8.) Misery (1990): Thanks again to Stephen King for providing so much monstrous material for filmmakers to use. This time around it's a familiar tale - a fan's obsession with an artist. James Caan gives one of the best performances of his career, but we all know Kathy Bates steals the show. Behind the camera is a surprisingly adept Rob Reiner, who navigates the rocky terrain with old school finesse.

7.) Se7en (1995): While this certainly leans toward the thriller genre more than I'd prefer, David Fincher's uncompromising Se7en is brutal, shocking, and is everything a good horror movie should be. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman are incredible, but the real star is the plot, which twists and turns like every classic murder mystery. Yes, we all know the ending. But everything leading up to it is just as deliciously dreadful.

6.) From Dusk Till Dawn (1996): We open on a pair of bank robbers kidnapping a polite family. And from there on out...? Well, I won't spoil it. But this is one of the craziest horror flicks ever made. There's a seismic shift somewhere in the middle that you either love or hate. Me? I love it. The whole thing is a grimy grindhouse throwback, written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Robert Rodriguez. Is it a little silly? Sure. But it's also a true original.

5.) Cape Fear (1991): Leave it to Martin Scorsese to make one of the most dastardly thrilling films of the 90's. Populated by an incomparable cast and shot with enthusiastic cinematography, Cape Fear is classic in every sense of the word. I often insist that our best horror movies tiptoe dangerously close to comedy, flirting with a macabre or morose humor. Thankfully, De Niro's vicious performance does just this, and sets the tone for much of the movie. Overall, I think this is Scorsese's most underrated project.

4.) The Sixth Sense (1999): Yes, it was a surprise blockbuster. Yes, audiences adored and overhyped it. Yes, it left a legacy of hokey twist endings and paltry imitations in its wake. But if you allow the smoke to clear, it's easy to see how brilliant The Sixth Sense actually is. In the wrong hands, it could've been a fairly conventional ghost story with a gimmicky finale. But thanks to M. Night Shyamalan's keen eye and meditative tone, the film becomes so much more. It's an examination of human frailty, one that uses the innocence of youth to expose the atrocities of adulthood. The scares are pretty tame by today's standards, but they manage to get under your skin and linger for days. Plenty of great horror films were released at the decade's end (just look at the next two entries on this list), and this one stands just as tall as its peers. Twist ending aside, it is tragic and terrifying.

3.) Audition (1999): Woof. This is an intense one. It's not for the faint of heart. Even as a person who actively seeks out this stuff, I gotta say - proceed with caution. This is one of the most jarring, overwhelming, nauseating experiences I've ever had with a horror movie. It's a bit of a long con, suckering you in with a weepy opening followed by a somewhat playful first act. But when the hammer drops, it is swift and merciless. This is a Japanese movie made by the eccentric Takashi Miike, and his unique style inhabits every frame. He does a phenomenal job smoothing out the tonal transitions, and keeps the pace on an ever forward trajectory. But like I said before, this is a grueling watch. I can't think of this movie without imagining needles, black rubber gloves, and bowls of vomit. Yeah. It's a bit in the vain of early 00's "torture porn," but it's bolstered by an incredible plot, imaginative cinematography, and multilayered performances. Audition will leave you absolutely breathless. If you're brave enough to put it on in the first place.

2.) The Blair Witch Project (1999): My family went on a camping trip when I was 9, and I remember bundling up in a sleeping bag, the commercials for Blair Witch running an endless loop in my brain, plaguing my dreams. That's right - just the commercials freaked me out. For a kid like me, suckered into the inventive viral marketing, I was convinced a witch was going to attack our camp and haul me off to a dilapidated stone cabin to eat me. But childhood fears aside, this is a horrifying film. Following in the footsteps of The Last Broadcast, The Blair Witch Project takes the humble found footage format and cemented it to the horror landscape. And while this movie is stylistically innovative, particularly in its revival of Lewtonesque minimalism, its biggest accomplishment is its raw emotion. This is a project of pathos, with a heavy emphasis on each protagonist's fear and regret. It's a painful experience, made even more so by the unnervingly natural performances on display. I'd say this is one of my top 10 all-time favorite horror films. If you've forgotten how great it is, put it on and experience the tearful terror all over again.

1.) The Silence of the Lambs (1991): For the first time so far in Sinister Cinema, I'm actually giving the top slot to the critical darling. And you know why? Because, for the first time, it really deserves it. In my opinion, The Silence of the Lambs is up there with The Godfather, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Citizen Kane as one of the best movies ever made. It's a powerhouse horror film, and the checklist of cinematic perfection can easily be checked off: Artful direction? Check. Dynamic performances? Check. Riveting script? Check. Masterful cinematography? Check. A memorable soundtrack, purposeful pacing, and effective editing? Checks to all of the above. I could go into detail describing how awesome it is (shall I compare thee to a summer's day?), but you've all seen it, so my recap would be redundant. Instead, I'll just tell you about my first viewing. I was 13, and rented it from Blockbuster on a Friday night. My parents didn't know I picked it, and would've killed me if they'd found out. So I waited until everyone had gone to bed and fallen asleep. Then I crept downstairs around 1am, and popped in the tape. I kept the volume low (I didn't want to risk waking anyone up), so I had to sit real close to the TV in order to hear. The room was pitch black, illuminated only by the ghastly flickers of the screen. The sound of my own labored breathing was the loudest thing in the house. Among other things, The Silence of the Lambs is notable for its intense facial close-ups; every time Hannibal Lecter's face appeared, it felt like he was staring right into me. It was...nightmarish. Yet also amazing. Which, to me, sounds like one of the best horror films ever made. For once, the academy got it right - winning the "big 5" Oscars was the adulation this film deserved. Gosh, it's great whenever horror gets a win like that.

Sinister Cinema: The 80's

If the 60's were characterized by atmospheric chillers, and the 70's by disturbing thrillers, then the 80's were primarily over-the-top spectacles. An upsetting amount of gore drowns many of these movies. Innovative special effects are equally important here, as crowds were hungry for new, often absurd visuals. Another rare 80's treat? The beloved horror movie villain, who for the first time became the audience's favorite character. Freddy? Jason? Michael Myers? Chucky? Pinhead? Heck, even Leprechaun? Thanks to this delirious decade, we have all of them and more.

1980's 

15.) Creepshow (1982): Is there a more fitting way to kick off this list than with Creepshow? It's an anthology horror film, consisting of 5 short stories. They're all pretty great, but my personal favorite is "The Crate" which is pure nightmare fuel. But why wouldn't it be? This movie was directed by genre king George Romero and written by the one and only Stephen King.

14.) Re-Animator (1985): Imagine zombie movies as one big, bloodstained family. If this were the case, then Re-Animator is probably the wacky uncle who everyone else tries to avoid. It's a zany flick, with the gross-out gags amplified to 11 and ridiculously black humor to boot.

13.) Friday the 13th (1980): I'm not overly fond of the Friday the 13th franchise. To me, it always seemed like a hokey imitation of John Carpenter's Halloween. And yet, this first entry in the series has a lot going for it: a fun setting, sensational gore (crafted by genius Tom Savini), a fabulous twist-ending villain, and a final sequence that is truly haunting.

12.) Hellraiser (1987): As a kid, I remember wandering through the video store every Friday night, and whenever I found my way to the horror section, I'd cover my eyes and hurry past Hellraiser. The VHS cover alone, featuring the infamous Pinhead holding a bloody box and gnashing his teeth, was alarming in ways I didn't understand. Ultimately, that's what this movie is - scary, but mysterious. It really gets under your skin, and will stay there like a parasite for days.

11.) The Blob (1988): Remakes usually suck, but this one is an underrated 80's classic. Moving beyond the cheesy B-movie trappings of the original, this one manages to be legitimately terrifying. The Blob is more than a shiny glob of purple snot - it's an unholy abomination, one that devours and dissolves the innocent. It's awesome.

10.) The Monster Squad (1987): In all honesty, this might be my all-time favorite horror movie. It is The Goonies for horror - boatloads of nostalgic fun, with great special effects and endlessly quotable dialogue. My wife and I pop it in almost every year, often on Halloween. So if you're in the mood to watch a gang of monster-obsessed children keep their suburban streets safe from Dracula, the Wolf-Man, the Mummy, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon, then check this one out.

9.) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984): I feel like there isn't much I can say about A Nightmare on Elm Street that hasn't already been said. Just remember that Freddy Krueger wasn't always a goofy slasher comedian. In this first outing, he is undeniably menacing. Of all the many sequels spat out in subsequent years, which ranged in quality from pretty good to awful, this first entry will always be the best. The 80's was full of horror mascots, and Freddy is probably the emperor of them all.

8.) The Fog (1980): Here's another entry from the master, John Carpenter. He once described The Fog as "a minor horror classic," and I think he's right on the money here. This is a slasher flick, a campfire ghost story, and an urban legend all rolled into one. It's not nearly as groundbreaking as Halloween, nor is it as memorable as The Thing (which you'll see a little further up the list), but it's nonetheless a well-crafted, lovingly-made chiller.

7.) An American Werewolf in London (1981): This was one of the first horror movies I ever saw, and man is it a doozy. The scares are intense, and the gore is out of this world. And yet, this movie is most notable for 2 things: its enchanting special effects and its uproarious sense of humor. Really - this thing won an Academy Award for best make-up (courtesy of wizard Rick Baker), and is also one of the funniest movies of the decade. I love it.

6.) Day of the Dead (1985): Alright, alright - this is going to be controversial, but here goes: I think Day of the Dead is the best zombie movie George Romero ever made. That's right. It's better than both Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead. Deal with it. The characters are, *gasp*, actually interesting. The claustrophobic underground setting is deeply unsettling. The special effects are some of the best ever. And overall, this is the most engaging, most entertaining, and most unsettling entry in the series.

5.) Poltergeist (1982): Tobe Hooper, famous for directing The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, teamed up with producer Steven Spielberg to deliver this pitch-perfect haunted house movie. Poltergeist manages to do what many horror films can't - it balances fun, family-style frights with unapologetic balls-to-the-wall horror. It's the perfect melding of Spielberg and Hooper, with each style bolstering the other. Yet thanks to a handful of sub-par sequels and neutered replays on basic cable, it's easy to forget how downright freaky this movie actually is. But give it another watch, preferably the original cut, and tell me it doesn't give you the willies. This is a glossy Hollywood film with a mean streak cut down the middle. Watch at your own peril.

4.) The Fly (1986): Call it a remake, call it body horror, call it an allegory for the AIDS crisis, call it a disgusting mess - call it whatever you want, so long as you also call it brilliant. The Fly is probably director David Cronenberg's magnum opus. It's the timely, tragic tale of science gone wrong, with some nauseating special effects that really exemplify the zeitgeist. At the center of it all are two phenomenal performances, a grounded one by Geena Davis and a warped one by Jeff Goldblum. This is a hard movie to watch, but if you can stomach the nastiness, the rewards are without peer.

3.) Evil Dead II (1987): Let's go back to my "zombie family" analogy from earlier. Assuming Re-Animator is the weird uncle you avoid, and the Romero films are Mom and Dad (and even grandma and granddad), then the Evil Dead trilogy is the cool older cousin you always wanted to hang out with. He's hip, sardonic, and a little too edgy for the rest of the family. And that's what we've got here - a funny, fresh, frenetic take on the traditional zombie flick. Sam Raimi is a madman behind the camera, and in this movie his trippy innovations make for a wild, unforgettable ride. The protagonist, Ash Williams, is one of the genre's best heroes, embodying everything awesome about 80's pop culture. With a wink and a nod (and a chainsaw for a hand), he hacks and slashes his way to your heart. Awwwwww.

2.) The Shining (1980): If you haven't read Stephen King's brilliant novel, do that. Just understand that it's dramatically different from this uncompromising "adaptation" by Stanley Kubrick. With Jack Nicholson chewing as much scenery as he can sink his ax into, this is, at times, a very fun movie to watch. Some of its imagery has been branded into the fleshy folds of our cultural subconscious: REDRUM, the ghost twins, the elevator of blood, Jack Nicholson's face framed in a splintered doorway ("Here's Johnny!"), and my personal favorite, the pages and pages of Jack's novel in progress (All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy...). But this is a film that transcends its pop culture resonance. It is truly disturbing, with some of the best chills ever put to film. It's a slow burn, similar to Rosemary's Baby or Don't Look Now, but it's well worth the leisurely run time. This is another top-ten favorite for me. Now's the time to watch.

1.) The Thing (1982): For the second time in a row, writer/director John Carpenter tops the list. From Halloween to The Fog and now with The Thing, he permanently cemented his status as one of the genre's best and bloodiest. This is another remake, but not at all in the ways you expect. A bit like The Blob, the idea was to take a campy 50's monster flick and tell it seriously, using groundbreaking visual effects and a bold style to bring the vision to life. But with Carpenter at the helm, this is unquestionably one of the best horror/sci-fi movies ever made. Period. I won't go into too much detail here (the twists and turns are many, and I'm committed to not spoiling the fun) - just know that you're in for a real treat. This is a litmus test for many: if you can get through it, and enjoy it, then you're a bona fide, dyed-in-the-wool horror hound. I saw this movie for the first time as a high school freshman. I was crashing in my best friend's basement, and everyone else had fallen asleep during the film's first act. I didn't know where the remote control was, and didn't want to wake everyone else looking for it. So I watched the whole thing, essentially alone. I was scared silly, maybe more so than I'd ever been before. It's one of my favorite movie experiences, and I try to spread the gospel whenever I'm able. Rent it, buy it, borrow it - just watch The Thing. Now. Any way you can.

Sinister Cinema: The 70's

Welcome back to Sinister Cinema. For this week's list, we find ourselves in the 1970's - a glorious, gory decade for horror movies. Presented below are what I believe to be the 15 best the genre has to offer, ranked by: how much I like them, how objectively good they are, and how scary they are. Please read and enjoy (at your own peril, of course).

1970's 

15.) Black Christmas (1974): Arguably the very first slasher flick ever made, Black Christmas is vicious, depraved, and incredibly innovative. Bonus points are awarded to lead actresses Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder, whose genuine performances really elevate this thing beyond its silly, trashy aspirations.

14.) The Omen (1976): While at a glance this devil-child blockbuster seems to share a few too many similarities with The Exorcist (which, one can assume, will appear farther up this list), The Omen is nonetheless impressive. The plot plays out like a film noir mystery, the score is absolutely spine-tingling, and it's all polished over with a glossy Hollywood spit-shine.

13.) Carrie (1976): Based on Stephen King's debut novel, this film adaptation might be even more iconic than its source material. Director Brian De Palma, along with a perfectly cast Sissy Spacek, do an incredible job expressing our protagonist's humility, humiliation, and subsequent retribution.

12.) The Brood (1979): Man oh man, is this a weird movie. Directed by eccentric genius David Cronenberg, it covers a lot of wacky ground, from mutant children to psychoplasmic pregnancy to murder by mallet to, yes, even afterbirth consumption. Wowzers.

11.) The Legend of Hell House (1973): Few haunted house movies have the teeth, the balls, and the heart necessary to truly be considered classic. Thankfully, The Legend of Hell House has it all and then some, living up to its namesake and delivering some of the most unsettling scares of the 70's.

10.) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978): While the original film from 1956 is frightening in its own right, this remake has a distinct personality, one that is subversive and seductively scary. It takes its time, but the second half drops like the blade of a guillotine.

9.) Dawn of the Dead (1978): This sequel to 1968's Night of the Living Dead is zombie master George Romero once again delivering a smart, cynical horror statement. Taking aim at American consumerism, our heroes find themselves trapped in a mall infested with the undead, who wander from store to store reliving their favorite pastime - shopping.

8.) Duel (1971): How strange to include this made-for-TV thriller alongside blockbusters and Oscar winners, but with a wet-behind-the-ears Steven Spielberg at the helm for his first full-length directorial effort, how could you go wrong? With a minimalist script and a breakneck pace, this movie is frantic, freaky fun.

7.) Deliverance (1972): Rarely do movies tap into fears so primal, so buried in our subconscious, then have the courage to display them so prominently and with such finesse. With Deliverance, we watch as four friends suffer a gauntlet of atrocity that is practically unfathomable. A note to the uninitiated: prepare to be rocked to your core.

6.) Alien (1979): Of course this classic science-fiction stunner ranks so highly on my list. Here we have director Ridley Scott's magnum opus, a harrowing survival story that unfolds like a space-age slasher flick. The production design, from the ramshackle ship to the bloodthirsty beastie, are disturbingly beautiful. But best of all? The tension and the kills that follow are some of the best ever committed to celluloid.

5.) Don't Look Now (1973): For a movie I'd never even heard of until my early 20's, this often overlooked horror gem is simply fantastic. As beautiful as it is brutal, as cinematic as it is sinister, Don't Look Now is one of the decade's best. The scares roll at you in waves, drowning you beneath unexpected chills and thrills. And the ending? Wow. Worth a second or even a third watch.

4.) Jaws (1975): What else is there to be said about Spielberg's masterpiece of suspense? The plot is lean and mean, the performances from our three lead actors are phenomenal, the tension is thicker than blood, John Williams' score is melodically macabre, and it's all punctuated with scares so intense it'll make you fear open water for, I don't know, the rest of your life? This movie was the first ever summer blockbuster, and did a lot to mainstream B-movie horror tropes. If you're the only person left alive who hasn't seen it, do yourself a favor and rectify this error as soon as you can.

3.) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974): Before seeing this movie, I'd snobbishly dismissed it as hokey, schlocky trash. Surely it was only worthy of drive-ins and midnight screenings, populated by grindhouse enthusiasts with campy sensibilities. God, how completely wrong I was. This deliciously dreadful flick is practically without peer, notable for pitch-perfect work behind the camera (directed by the always-awesome Tobe Hooper) and a keen attention to detail. Cinemassacre's James Rolfe often characterizes the low-budget glory of it all as feeling like a documentary you'd watch in science class. He's absolutely right. There's a palpable reality that's unnerving to even the most hardcore horror hounds. It's awesome.

2.) The Exorcist (1973): My mom likes to tell a story about the time her and her sister went to go see The Exorcist is theaters. They were on a double date, and all my mom can remember is throwing a jacket over her face, covering her ears, and waiting for the whole thing to be over. My wife's experience, though it happened over three decades later, was similar: a basement full of kids watching it on a Friday night, and one of them spent the film's duration rocking back and forth whispering The Lord's Prayer urgently into a pillow. I remember my first viewing was in a well-lit living room at a buddy's house, and while I slogged through it alright at the time (at 14, I had already declared myself a horror aficionado, so my reputation was on the line), I nonetheless had nightmares for months after. Bad nightmares. The kind I still remember to this day. So, yeah...it's pretty incredible.

1.) Halloween (1978): But it all comes down to this, doesn't it? At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how big a movie's budget is, or how enthusiastic the reception from Hollywood elites - all that matters is horror. And with John Carpenter's classic, the horror is black as midnight, tinged with the flickering orange of a jack-o-lantern's candle. This is the ultimate scary movie, one that defined the genre for decades and inspired filmmakers for generations. The premise is iconic. The villain is iconic. The music, the protagonist, the foil, the kills...everything is iconic. And that ending? I've never been more frightened by the static shot of an empty yard, bathed in moonglow, the wind rustling through the trees. This isn't just the best horror movie of the 70's - it might be the best horror movie ever. It uses the backdrop of a typical suburban Halloween, with all its mischief and juvenile fun in tact, to unveil the bloody, brutal heart of the holiday. It is a truly disquieting juxtaposition, one that no other movie has managed to replicate. This should be mandatory October viewing, an annual experience to remind you how awesome Halloween can be.