Top Ten Horror Flicks

Just in time for Halloween, I figured I probably should list my Top Ten List of Horror Movies. This list should not be confused with the scariest movies of all time – these are just my personal favorites (and anyone who knows me well understands that most movies I like are typically frowned upon by the masses). They are somewhat ranked in order of preference, but the list changes all the time, so take it with a grain of salt. Okay, here we go...

10. Plan 9 From Outer Space

I know what you're thinking... Edward D. Wood, jr.? Arguably the worst director of all time? Really? Well, all I have to say to that is: watch it! The campiness, the cheap props, the horrible script, the terrible acting, and... Bela Lugosi! It's pure genius.

9. Army of Darkness

To many this may seem like a comedy, but to those who know, this is 'The Chin' at his finest hour. Bruce Campbell straps on his boomstick and kicks all kinds of Ash. Literally.

8. Young Frankenstein

Okay - so this one is a comedy. But who can deny that it is still one of the funniest movies ever? Hump? What hump?

7. Horror of Dracula

Hammer horror, baby! My main man, Peter Cushing as Van Helsing; Christopher Lee as the lord of the undead, Count Dracula – how can you go wrong? Great direction, great acting, great sets, and all that red, red blood splashing around.

6. Night of the Living Dead

George Romero gives us the first, and arguably the best, zombie movie. A chilling morality tale wrapped up in a gore-fest, Romero shot this thing on the cheap – but you would never know it. "They're coming to get you, Barbara..."

5. Psycho

You knew that I had to have Hitchcock on my list. Picking just one of his movies was quite hard, but Psycho stands out above the rest. Anthony Perkins as the creepy Norman Bates, Janet Leigh as Marion Crane, and don't forget mother...

4. Shaun of the Dead

Again, I know what you're thinking: how can you possibly put Shaun of the Dead ahead of a George Romero zombie opus? I understand the argument, but for my money, Shaun is a near perfect movie. It's hilarious, but it's not a comedy. It's scary, but it's not a horror flick. It's got a dash of emotion, but it's not a drama. Shaun of the Dead, quite frankly, is the best horror movie I've seen in the last decade.

3. Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein

Gasp! Another comedy? Hey... It's my list! The funniest movie of all time if you ask me, plus it stars the Universal Monsters (Bela Lugosi finally reprising his role as Dracula, Lon Chaney, jr. as the Wolf Man, and Glen Strange as Frankenstein's monster)! Watch it yourself and tell me I'm wrong. OH, CHICK!

2. The Evil Dead

This one is just pure nostalgia. The memories I have of first watching The Evil Dead will stay with me forever. As a 13-year-old kid battling puberty, I had no idea what I was in for when I first saw this film. The Necronomicon, the thing in the woods, the cabin, the blood, and, of course, Bruce Campbell doing what he does best. A classic by any definition.

1. Halloween

Was there any doubt? Naturally, I'm talking John Carpenter's 1978 original, and not Rob Zombie's 2007 red-neck gore-fest. Carpenter delivers what is unquestionably the most iconic, chilling horror film of all time, with the creepiest bad guy to ever grace the silver screen: Michael Myers. Jamie Lee Curtis debuting as Laurie Strode, and the superb Donald Pleasance delivering his greatest performance as Dr. Sam Loomis. The memorable musical score (also by Carpenter), the classic tracking shot that opens the film, and the fact that it takes place on Halloween all help to make this my favorite horror movie of all time!