A lot of horror fans on these boards dwell on the slasher flicks, for example, Halloween or Friday the 13th, and don't expand there interest to other horror movies. In my opinion, you can't claim to be a horror fan with only having seen the main slashers.
Here are a few movies I think are "must watch" horror classics. Feel free to contribute your own favorites to this list! I could go on for pages, but these are just a few I thought were worth mentioning.
An American Werewolf In London (1981):
This one is actually very popular, and if you haven't seen it, you need to get your hands on it ASAP. This is a true 80's horror film. Comedic, with an awesome story line, innovative FX, and good acting. This film is fun, gruesome, and classic!
Black Christmas (1974):
This film took my by complete surprise. I expected a slow 70's slasher, and what I got was a suspenseful story about a demented stalker/murderer. This one is DEFINITELY worth checking out if you haven't.
The Burning (1981):
An awesome camp story slasher with great FX by Tom Savini.
Creepshow (1982):
This is one of those "ultimate" horror films that I feel can not be missed. Written by Steven King, directed by George Romero, FX work by Tom Savini... can you ask for a better team?!? Definitely one of my favorite films of all time.
The Devil's Rain (1975):
In my opinion, a very underrated film that I really enjoyed. A lot of people seem to hate on this film, but I loved it. Classic demonic cult story with some awesome FX at the end. The last 10 minutes alone are worth watching the film for.
The Evil Dead (1981):
We all know The Evil Dead series, but to me, the original film is far superior to it's sequels. While the sequels are fun flicks, the original has a dark, serious tone that I haven't ever seen in a horror flick. Nothing about this film is cheesy or comedic. It's pure evil. I love gritty, dark horror, and this one takes the cake.
Hellraiser (1987):
Yeah, yeah, we all know Pinhead and the Cenobites, however, they aren't the main focus of the original film. I'd consider this one a drama/horror. If you only know these movies for Pinhead, you seriously need to watch the original. I'm not a fan of the sequels, but the original Clive Barker film is a fantastic; original story line with some crazy FX work.
The Prowler (1981):
Directed by Joseph Zito (Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter). Has some INTENSE kill scenes! If you're a fan of the brutal, dark mood of The Final Chapter, you'll enjoy this one. The kills were VERY dark and gruesome, much like The Final Chapter. I wasn't too crazy for the "twist ending," but worth a watch!
Psycho II (1983):
I'm not sure how others feel about this one, but I thought it was a successful sequel to the timeless Alfred Hitchcock classic. Anthony Perkins stay's very true to the character, and the plot has a classic 60's/Hitchcock horror feel to it. The ending is very disturbing as well.
Terror Train (1980):
Stars Jamie Lee Curtis. This is a creepy tale of a group of college kids getting picked off at a party on a moving train. Awesome kills, and great costumes for the Killer.
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Here are some "classics" I checked out and didn't like too much. Feel free to give your own opinion!
Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981):
You can't expect much from a "made for TV" movie, but I heard this was worth checking out. It was obviously made for TV from the start. I LOVED the look of the killer, but you hardly ever see him. The movie is very slow and dry.
The Funhouse (1981):
While the Funhouse Freak was awesome, I didn't care much for the film. I expected more from Tobe Hooper. The movie wasn't very exciting, and I didn't care for the typical Hooper "family" based group of villains. I felt if it was the Funhouse Freak picking off teens at the carnival in an 80's slasher manner, masked up until the end, I would have loved the film.
Madman (1982):
The killer had an awesome look, and the cinematography was classic and gritty, however, as most films start out slow and then pick up towards the end, this one never picked up. It kept the same pace throughout. Had it picked up towards the end, I would have loved it, but it just never got there. Feel free to have a different opinion, but I found it to be very boring and repetitive.
Motel Hell (1980):
I thought it was rather dry and unappealing. The ending fight scene was fantastic, and the costume was great, but otherwise, I didn't find much I liked about this movie.
Here are a few movies I think are "must watch" horror classics. Feel free to contribute your own favorites to this list! I could go on for pages, but these are just a few I thought were worth mentioning.
An American Werewolf In London (1981):
This one is actually very popular, and if you haven't seen it, you need to get your hands on it ASAP. This is a true 80's horror film. Comedic, with an awesome story line, innovative FX, and good acting. This film is fun, gruesome, and classic!
Black Christmas (1974):
This film took my by complete surprise. I expected a slow 70's slasher, and what I got was a suspenseful story about a demented stalker/murderer. This one is DEFINITELY worth checking out if you haven't.
The Burning (1981):
An awesome camp story slasher with great FX by Tom Savini.
Creepshow (1982):
This is one of those "ultimate" horror films that I feel can not be missed. Written by Steven King, directed by George Romero, FX work by Tom Savini... can you ask for a better team?!? Definitely one of my favorite films of all time.
The Devil's Rain (1975):
In my opinion, a very underrated film that I really enjoyed. A lot of people seem to hate on this film, but I loved it. Classic demonic cult story with some awesome FX at the end. The last 10 minutes alone are worth watching the film for.
The Evil Dead (1981):
We all know The Evil Dead series, but to me, the original film is far superior to it's sequels. While the sequels are fun flicks, the original has a dark, serious tone that I haven't ever seen in a horror flick. Nothing about this film is cheesy or comedic. It's pure evil. I love gritty, dark horror, and this one takes the cake.
Hellraiser (1987):
Yeah, yeah, we all know Pinhead and the Cenobites, however, they aren't the main focus of the original film. I'd consider this one a drama/horror. If you only know these movies for Pinhead, you seriously need to watch the original. I'm not a fan of the sequels, but the original Clive Barker film is a fantastic; original story line with some crazy FX work.
The Prowler (1981):
Directed by Joseph Zito (Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter). Has some INTENSE kill scenes! If you're a fan of the brutal, dark mood of The Final Chapter, you'll enjoy this one. The kills were VERY dark and gruesome, much like The Final Chapter. I wasn't too crazy for the "twist ending," but worth a watch!
Psycho II (1983):
I'm not sure how others feel about this one, but I thought it was a successful sequel to the timeless Alfred Hitchcock classic. Anthony Perkins stay's very true to the character, and the plot has a classic 60's/Hitchcock horror feel to it. The ending is very disturbing as well.
Terror Train (1980):
Stars Jamie Lee Curtis. This is a creepy tale of a group of college kids getting picked off at a party on a moving train. Awesome kills, and great costumes for the Killer.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some "classics" I checked out and didn't like too much. Feel free to give your own opinion!
Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981):
You can't expect much from a "made for TV" movie, but I heard this was worth checking out. It was obviously made for TV from the start. I LOVED the look of the killer, but you hardly ever see him. The movie is very slow and dry.
The Funhouse (1981):
While the Funhouse Freak was awesome, I didn't care much for the film. I expected more from Tobe Hooper. The movie wasn't very exciting, and I didn't care for the typical Hooper "family" based group of villains. I felt if it was the Funhouse Freak picking off teens at the carnival in an 80's slasher manner, masked up until the end, I would have loved the film.
Madman (1982):
The killer had an awesome look, and the cinematography was classic and gritty, however, as most films start out slow and then pick up towards the end, this one never picked up. It kept the same pace throughout. Had it picked up towards the end, I would have loved it, but it just never got there. Feel free to have a different opinion, but I found it to be very boring and repetitive.
Motel Hell (1980):
I thought it was rather dry and unappealing. The ending fight scene was fantastic, and the costume was great, but otherwise, I didn't find much I liked about this movie.
