Cult Labs' Favourite Horror Film

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Revised Top 30

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

1-I Walked With a Zombie
2-The Fog
3-The Body Snatcher
4-Jaws
5-Dracula (1957)
6-Taste The Blood of Dracula
7-The Devil Rides Out
8- The Witch
9-The Black Cat
10-The Loreley's Grasp

Seven Deaths in the Cats Eye
Suspiria
Halloween
Prince of Darkness
Satan's Slave
Sleepy Hollow
Interview With The Vampire
Blood on Satan's Claw
Zombie Flesh Eaters
Dracula Prince of Darkness
The Haunting
Carnival of Souls
Inside
Trick r' Treat
Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell
The Abominable Snowman
The Wolfman
The Craft
An American Werewolf in London
Friday the 13th part 6

Both Friday the 13th Part 6 and Zombie Flesh Eaters have taken big hits since i last looked at this list, dropping from 15 to 30 and 10 to 19 respectively.

There is one new entry, and it's into the top ten. I feel The Witch will only scale the heights in years to come.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

Some of the films on them are actually pretty good, it's mainly some of the others that are on there coupled with the ordering/ones that are missing that makes for some quite awful lists. Also some of the list choices just scream '15 year old horror fan who hasn't seen many films'.

Of course you are right in what you say. I was just trying to get some debate going.

I don't think there's anything from the past few years that would make my top 100, The Witch aside.

Perhaps A Field in England, Berberian Sound Studio. Are they horror though?

Bone Tomahawk if that stands up on a second viewing will place quite high i think seeing as it encompasses a western as well. The War Game will also feature top 50.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Of course you are right in what you say. I was just trying to get some debate going.

I don't think there's anything from the past few years that would make my top 100, The Witch aside.

Perhaps A Field in England, Berberian Sound Studio. Are they horror though?

Bone Tomahawk if that stands up on a second viewing will place quite high i think seeing as it encompasses a western as well. The War Game will also feature top 50.

Some of the films on those lists would be the equivalent of ones I would have added 15 (or so) years ago and was relatively new to horror, just aware of the 'classics' and the ones I had seen recently.

Of the ones you have mentioned, they are horror enough in my book, either psychological horrors or due to strong physical horror and cannibalism. I haven't seen The War Game, but it is on my watchlist.

[Demoncrat]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Of course you are right in what you say. I was just trying to get some debate going.

I don't think there's anything from the past few years that would make my top 100, The Witch aside.

Perhaps A Field in England, Berberian Sound Studio. Are they horror though?

Bone Tomahawk if that stands up on a second viewing will place quite high i think seeing as it encompasses a western as well. The War Game will also feature top 50.

It does imho, knowing what is coming ratchets up the tension I've found

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

It does imho, knowing what is coming ratchets up the tension I've found

I second that.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Both Friday the 13th Part 6 and Zombie Flesh Eaters have taken big hits since i last looked at this list, dropping from 15 to 30 and 10 to 19 respectively.

Neither would make my Top 100!

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Of course you are right in what you say. I was just trying to get some debate going.

I don't think there's anything from the past few years that would make my top 100, The Witch aside.

Perhaps A Field in England, Berberian Sound Studio. Are they horror though?

Bone Tomahawk if that stands up on a second viewing will place quite high i think seeing as it encompasses a western as well. The War Game will also feature top 50.

Yeah, it's quite difficult with more modern films... I guess they need to prove that they can stand the test of time. The Witch, as you say, may be an exception as it is so damn effective and seems like a classic from the initial viewing.

I could easily make (and have made) cases for Berberian Sound Studio and A Field in England being horror films. I haven't seen Bone Tomahawk yet but am highly anticipating my first viewing of it.

Also, a great excuse to plug this list!

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

Also, a great excuse to plug this list!

A Bizarre_Eye list? Well i never.

.................................................. ................

Is Hidden really horror? Really? Great film but horror no way. I'm pretty doubtful about Mulholland Drive too.

Only God Forgives? Were you drunk when you compiled the list?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

Neither would make my Top 100!

It worries me that both The Box and Zombieland make your top 100 of this century.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

A Bizarre_Eye list? Well i never.

.................................................. ................

Is Hidden really horror? Really? Great film but horror no way. I'm pretty doubtful about Mulholland Drive too.

Only God Forgives? Were you drunk when you compiled the list?

Hidden is definitely horror. If some mysterious stranger dropped off videotapes some of which depicted recordings of my own front door I think I'd be pretty freaked out. You can almost feel the tension and dread oozing from the screen in this one.

Mulholland Drive is is always going to cause debate in this respect as Lynch himself has alluded that he has never intended to make a horror film. Much of his work contains many elements of psychological horror though I find, and Mulholland Drive is no exception.

Only God Forgives deals with a man who has tried to flee his dirty past and that past is now catching up with him. The film is heavily tilted towards the psychological, something I strongly identify with in terms of the horror genre. The story is basically a loose, modern re-telling of Oedipus - something that people seem to gloss over and instead either brand it is pretentious wank (like that's a bad thing?! ) or a plotless mess which focuses on the visual aspects... somewhat true, as Refn is a highly visual director, but it's far from plotless.

Horror is so subjective though, I could almost make a case for any film being horror if I really had the inclination. However the list I posted above details films that deal with horror themes (whether psychological, physical or implied), and of course by very definition is subjective. Black Swan is another title that comes under fire when it is painted with the 'horror brush' like having been is some kind of insult or takes away from the film, which is utter nonsense. People get a little precious about genre at times, whilst I prefer to employ a much broader and multi-faceted outlook.

Also check my description: I did say horror(ish).