I didn't read the whole list of top originally suggested so might repeat. Anyway here are some of my favs and classics as I love Halloween movie fests. A theatre here is playing a few good retro movies for Halloween so excited about that.
1: Alfred Hitchcock Films; Psycho, Rope, Rear Window, Dial M for Murder, The Birds, Shadow of a Doubt is a fav. But for Halloween Psycho.
2. Touch of Evil- Orson Welles; chilling ending
3. Wes Craven Films:1) Original Nightmare on Elm St, all of his in that line esp first, third, and his New Nightmare circa 93? All but number two are good for the Freddy Krueger mythology. Me and my friends loved these when younger even if a little before our time was a great idea spinning into a crazy popular franchise, remake not recommended. 2) People already mentioned Cravens Scream Films, but will again. 3) His first, the original Last House on the Left, still disturbing.
4: Rosemary's Baby-Roman Polanski; all too real, horrific people not made up monsters.
5: The Shining- Great Jack Nicholson performance, good Steven King novel and great cinematography and directing.
6: Original Cape Fear, remake ok.
7: Carrie-Original, is classic
8: Halloween, only the first
9: Pet Cemetery, yes King again.
10: Gothika
11; Bram Stokers Dracula
12: Urban Legend; Good for 90s era horror, with the humor mixed in and twist ending. More for teens.
12: House on Haunted Hill-Vincent Price version. (Note: Also his disc of short scary stories by Hawthorne and Poe. There are many collections so to be specific it would say "Tales of Terror" (the collection of some Poe shorts) and "Twice Told Tales" the eerier Hawthorne based short films. That combo disc is worth finding. The Poe one mentioned can be found on other discs with more Poe, or in combo with some of his other separates "The Abominable Dr. Phones" and "Madhouse" (also Poe). But to find the one including "Twice told Tales" is a gem for both classic film and short story fans.)
13: Body Snatchers 90s and of course original 70s Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
14: The exorcist-Will make you wish you were watching paranormal activity to calm down.
15: Steven King again: Christine, Cujo, Dead Zone
16: Poltergeist- Even more interesting due to the curse that supposedly plagued the shoot and cast.
17: When a Stranger Calls; The original scary babysitter film, American.
18: Evil Dead
19: Children of the Corn
20: Village of the Damned
21: Original Omen...that kid alone, creepy.
22:The Sixth Sense
23: The Others
24:Night of the Living Dead
25:Salem's Lot...not nice vampires
26: Jaws
27:Creepshow
28: It
29: Twilight Zone:The Movie. Also with an offscreen story.
30: Candyman
Ok, will stop there at even 30, but original Nightmare on Elm St is a must for me, was a totally new idea, same man that brought us Scream when things got stale. Wes Craven is one of our best horror directors in America. Hitchcock films, well enough said.
On a lighter side the animated Disney version of a Sleepy Hollow is a delightful classic for those with young ones.
Yes, a film person, but unlike many who study film, I do appreciate horror as a genre when done well. There is more but if curious ask. Said quite a few many already. I also know some very good comedy horror.
