# Can anyone recommend some good Horror movies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 19, 2003, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890 "2003-06-19T09:39:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/21 "2003-06-19T19:00:06Z")
IT- the Stephen King one or IT with Roddy McDowell summoning a golem? Seen both. ---
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/22 "2003-06-19T19:02:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FriarTed \* > \*\*IT- the Stephen King one or IT with Roddy McDowell summoning a golem? Seen both. \*\* Hellfire! I meant to say **It’s Alive**. Deformed baby monster terrifies town. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/23 "2003-06-19T19:07:11Z")
btw- can’t believe I forgot about THEATRE OF BLOOD- so I will see you that & raise you THE ABOMINABLE DOCTOR PHIBES and DOCTOR PHIBES RISES AGAIN also can’t believe I forgot DEAD ALIVE & the EVIL DEAD films I didn’t think FREAKS matched his criteria but it IS a great film WARNING- do NOT waste time with the recent 1990’s CARNIVAL OF SOULS starring (I’m not kidding) the usually great comedian Larry Miller- you will plead for that 90 min of your life back ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/24 "2003-06-19T19:07:27Z")
Try **The Devil’s Backbone** , a nice little ghost story from Spain. Also, **Session 9** , a very creepy movie set in an abandoned asylum. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/25 "2003-06-19T19:12:07Z")
For a good, old-fashioned ghost story done really, really well, I recommend _The Changeling_. Not a gore-fest, but a really scarey story. Or at least, I thought so. ---
**Author:** ![mrunlucky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@mrunlucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrunlucky)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/26 "2003-06-19T19:17:45Z")
Horror movies by their nature are very hit and miss propositions. Because it is more or less one of the least respected genres, it’s more difficult to find stellar acting and high budgets. Many horror movies are hit and miss within the movie itself. No matter how many I watch and how often, I tend to find a ratio of about 4 not-so-good to 1 good. It’s easy to go wrong with sequels. Exploitation is typically the name of the game. I have rarely seen a Hammer studio film I didn’t like and own many. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing usually mean a good movie. Amiscus is a good Hammer knock-off studio, sometimes with Lee and Cushing roles. Old William Castle movies are sometimes cheesy but fun (The Tingler, The Haunting, etc.). It’s hard to go wrong with a movie with Vincent Price. Remakes typically fail to understand what made an original good. Asian horror films in the last 10 or so years have been good, and quite unique. If you like a director or studio, try to stay with those and see what happens (Romero, Carpenter, Miike, etc., though Wes Craven has been losing his touch for quite a while, so I don’t really bother with his work anymore). Italian horror movies are often victim of small budgets, and sometimes horrifying dubing in its own right, though they tend to be an acquired taste (Argento, Fulci, D’Amato, the Bavas, etc.), but sometimes have amazing ideas and visuals unlike any other horror films. I can second most of the movies suggested above, except I thought Hellraiser III was a mess (I’ve heard Hellraiser 5 is supposed to be good but havent’ seen it), Event Horizon clumsy, and Coppolla’s Dracula trite (great sets and costuming though). ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/27 "2003-06-19T19:37:03Z")
**EVENT HORIZON?** Okay people, either I’m the dumbest schmuck around or I must have had a fever when I watched that piece of dreck. It was not especially scary. Gory yes, scary no. It wasted the talents of some fine actors/actresses. It had little substance, it was mostly style. Not what I want in a horror story. Ooooh, scary hellish moments out by Neptune. How about some storyline with explanations and resolutions? Perhaps someone can explain the lure of this movie to me; or even better, explain the “story”. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/28 "2003-06-19T19:48:03Z")
**People Under the Stairs** is a personal favourite. It manages to be both polished and scary and has a nice flow to it, a far cry from the random '80s crap at the movie store with stilted dialogue, horrible camera work, exploited women. ---
**Author:** ![G-Unit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@G-Unit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G-Unit)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/29 "2003-06-19T19:49:22Z")
Friday the 13th 1-9. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/30 "2003-06-19T19:50:29Z")
I forgot to mention that the above is a good pick if you liked the X-Files episode “Home.” ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/31 "2003-06-19T19:51:00Z")
In addition to to the 1956 and 1978 versions, there’s a little-know 1993 remake, directed by Abel Ferrara and called **Body Snatchers** , that is extremely scary. I can also recommend his 1992 b/w vampire film, **The Addiction** , which stars Lili Taylor (Nate’s wife on **Six Feet Under** ) and features a cameo appearance by Christopher Walken. In addition the excellent recommendations of John Carpenter’s **The Thing** and **In the Mouth of Madness** , his 1980 film of ghostly revenge, **The Fog** , is a nailbiter. ---
**Author:** ![witchwendy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@witchwendy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/witchwendy)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/32 "2003-06-19T19:52:57Z")
The Exorcist always scares me. And I’ve always been a big fan of the Evil Dead Trilogy, of course. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/33 "2003-06-19T23:45:19Z")
I second **Phantoms** and **The Devil’s Backbone**. The former is the scariest movie I’ve ever seen (I’m one of those people who don’t find The Ring or Session 9 or Event Horizon scary- In The Mouth Of Madness on the other hand. eek! But Phantoms is even scarier. If you’re me, anyway) I had no idea when I rented The Devil’s Backbone that it would have subtitles, and I’m fairly anti-subtitle since I don’t have the ablity that a lot of people talk about- being able to “forget” you’re reading the dialogue. I usually find it too difficult to read and pay attention to what else is going on. Anyway, I nearly didn’t watch it, but I decided that since it was in a somewhat familiar language, I’d give it a try anyway. It’s an incredible movie. I think anyone who liked The Ring, as a movie scary or not, would probably like it a whole lot. There were parts of it that had to do with little kids that were even more brutal than in The Ring, so be forwarned if that’s really upsetting to you. If you’d like a non-gory horror movie for a change, **I’ve Been Waiting For You** is a pretty decent one. Since I’m one of the few people who apparently have ever heard of it, I was able to get it for a song through the “other-sellers” option on Amazon. That might be the only way you’d get to see it, since I’ve only seen one video store that carries it, unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/34 "2003-06-20T00:04:52Z")
I’ve gotta chime in with my vote for **Evil Dead** and **Evil Dead II**. The first one is your standard slasher flick, but with Sam Raimi’s stylish directing. The second one is actually a little better, and adds some comedy to the mix. You may want to pick up **Army of Darkness** , the last of the Evil Dead Trilogy, but AoD isn’t as horror-based as the other two, has even more comedy but is still a fun watch. The first **Scream** is also very good for the genre and I _love_ the John Carpenter remake of **The Thing**. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/35 "2003-06-20T00:12:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mrunlucky \* > \*\*Old William Castle movies are sometimes cheesy but fun (The Tingler, The Haunting, etc.). \*\* (underlining mine) You must mean \* The House on Haunted Hill\*. The original _The Haunting_ was directed by Robert Wise, probably the best haunted house movie made. Otherwise I agree with the rest of your post ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/36 "2003-06-20T00:22:00Z")
Okay, it’s uneven…But every few Halloween’s I like to bring out \*\* Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors\*\*. (1965) It has Lee and Cushing. And a young Donald Sutherland, too. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/37 "2003-06-20T00:49:01Z")
**Black Sunday** , with Barbara Steele as ancient vampire and her great to the nth granddaughter. Very well made, good performances, atmospheric as hell… ---
**Author:** ![BlueMit11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@BlueMit11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueMit11)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/38 "2003-06-20T02:26:19Z")
More of a thriller than a horror (but those two are close enough), **Identity** is the best of its genre in awhile. ---
**Author:** ![mrunlucky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@mrunlucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrunlucky)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/39 "2003-06-20T02:42:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by detop \* > \*\*(underlining mine) > > You must mean \* The House on Haunted Hill\*. The original _The Haunting_ was directed by Robert Wise, probably the best haunted house movie made. Otherwise I agree with the rest of your post \*\* Yes indeed. I confuse them and switch them around sometimes. Neither of which are to be confused with The Legend of Hell House, with Roddy McDowell, directed by John Hough (who also did Twins of Evil and the Witch Mountain movies). Which is also not to be confused with the recent documentary, Hell House, about Halloween haunted houses created by Baptist churches. ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890/40 "2003-06-20T03:19:28Z")
In addition to some great ones already mentioned: _Rosemary’s Baby Dawn of the Dead Killer Klowns from Outer Space Evil Dead_ series (all of them) Pretty much anything directed by Dario Argento: _Phenomena Opera Demons Demons 2 The Devil’s Daughter (Demons 4)_ For his best, though, start with his masterpieces, _Suspiria_ and _Inferno_. Also from European filmmakers: _Anatomy_ _Funny Games_ _The Vanishing_ (Stick with it to the ending, it’s a humdinger). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-some-good-horror-movies/182890.md?page=3)