After six years of running Split Tooth’s October Horror series (see the full archive of titles here), we’ve learned some basic, but important information: People really like scary movies. So for the last two years we have compiled a list of favorite horror films from Split Tooth staff, interviewees, and friends and fellow writers, podcasters, filmmakers, actors, and musicians who also spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about horror. So why stop after two years? This year the list grows even larger, with more titles to seek out, more monsters to meet, and more gore than ever before.
Highlighted titles will take you to Split Tooth essays and podcasts about various films and filmmakers chosen by the contributing listmakers. Links are included in the headers to the various projects and publications that our voters have created or contribute to. We urge you to support their creative endeavors and, of course, have a Happy Halloween!
Aaron Bartuska (Split Tooth contributor, Filmmaker)
The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Black Christmas (Bob Clark, 1974)
The Town That Dreaded Sundown (Charles B. Pierce, 1976)
Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)
The Black Tower (John Smith, 1987)
Halloween Party (David Skowronski, 1989)
The Blair Witch Project (Eduardo Sánchez, Daniel Myrick, 1999)
Signs (M. Night Shyamalan, 2002)
We’re All Going To The World’s Fair (Jane Schoenbrun, 2021)
Honorable Mention: Silver Bullets (Joe Swanberg, 2011)
Adi Jahić (Filmmaker):
Eraserhead (David Lynch, 1977)
The Wailing (Na Hong-jin, 2016)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Cure (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 1997)
Man Bites Dog (Benoît Poelvoorde, Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel, 1992)
Habit (Larry Fessenden, 1995)
Slow Creep (Jim Hickcox, 2015)
The Timekeepers of Eternity (Aristotelis Maragkos, 2021)
Green Room (Jeremy Saulnier, 2015)
Hot Fuzz (Edgar Wright, 2007)
Adrianna Gober (Split Tooth contributor, Film programmer):
Bride of Frankenstein (James Whale, 1935)
The Innocents (Jack Clayton, 1961)
The Hour of the Wolf (Ingmar Bergman, 1968)
Night Tide (Curtis Harrington, 1961)
Fascination (Jean Rollin, 1979)
Tenderness of the Wolves (Ulli Lommel, 1973)
Corruption (Roger Watkins, 1983)
Thundercrack! (Curt McDowell, 1975)
The Mafu Cage (Karen Arthur, 1978)
Carnival of Souls (Herk Harvey, 1962)
Alex Marga (The Belltown Film Society):
Videodrome (David Cronenberg, 1983)
Re-Animator (Stuart Gordon, 1985)
Tetsuo: The Iron Man (Shin’ya Tsukamoto, 1989)
House (Nobuhiko Ôbayashi, 1977)
The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982)
An American Werewolf in London (John Landis, 1981)
The Faculty (Robert Rodriguez, 1998)
Mad Monster Party? (Jules Bass, 1967)
Candyman (Bernard Rose, 1992)
Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)
Bennett Glace (Split Tooth associate film editor):
The Black Cat (Edgar G. Ulmer, 1934)
Blood of the Beasts (Georges Franju, 1949)
Mother Joan of the Angels (Jerzy Kawalerowicz, 1961)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (Tobe Hooper, 1986)
The Addiction (Abel Ferrara, 1995)
Cure (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 1997)
Ghostwatch (Lesley Manning, 1992)
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (David Lynch, 1992)
Scream (Wes Craven, 1996)
Unfriended: Dark Web (Stephen Susco, 2018)
Bob McCully (Split Your Head Podcast)
So I put together a Top 10 of All Time Horror Film list, which is here:
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (Reny Harlin, 1988)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982)
Poltergeist (Tobe Hooper, 1982)
Scream (Wes Craven, 1996)
Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Dawn of the Dead (George A. Romero, 1978)
House (Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1977)
Tetsuo: The Iron Man (Shinya Tsukamoto, 1989)
However, I felt like maybe my selections were a bit too predictable, so I also whipped together this Top 10 Underseen Horror Film list to highlight titles that deserve a lot more love:
The Burning Moon (Olaf Ittenbach, 1992)
Baby Blood (Alain Robak, 1990)
Aenigma (Lucio Fulci, 1987)
Angst (Gerald Kargl, 1983)
Beyond Dream’s Door (Jay Woelfel, 1989)
Evil Dead Trap (Toshiharu Ikeda, 1988)
Demons (Toshio Matsumoto, 1971)
The House with Laughing Windows (Pupi Avati, 1976)
The Queen of Black Magic (Kimo Stamboel, 2019)
The Cremator (Juraj Herz, 1969)
Bradley J. Kornish (Movies from Hell podcast)
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (David Lynch, 1992)
Audition (Takashi Miike, 1999)
Angst (Gerard Kargl, 1983)
In a Glass Cage (Agustí Villaronga, 1986)
Tenderness of the Wolves (Ulli Lommel, 1973)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Cold Light of Day (Fhiona-Louise, 1989)
Der Fan (Eckhart Schmidt, 1982)
Go, Go Second Time Virgin (Kōji Wakamatsu, 1969)
Schramm (Jörg Buttgereit, 1993)
Breanna McCann (Split Tooth contributor):
Blithe Spirit (David Lean, 1945)
The Haunted House (Buster Keaton, Edward F. Cline, 1921)
Haunted Spooks (Hal Roach, Alfred J. Goulding, 1920)
House On Haunted Hill (William Castle, 1959)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Robert Wiene, 1920)
The Most Dangerous Game (Ernest B. Schoedsack, Irving Pichel, 1932)
The Cat and the Canary (Elliott Nugent, 1939)
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (John S. Robertson, 1920)
Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
I Married A Witch (Rene Clair, 1942)
Brett Wright (Split Tooth co-editor):
The Beyond (Lucio Fulci, 1981)
Black Christmas (Bob Clark, 1974)
The City of the Dead (John Llewellyn Moxey, 1960)
Creature from the Black Lagoon (Jack Arnold, 1954)
The Exorcist III (William Peter Blatty, 1990)
Ghostwatch (Lesley Manning, 1992)
Last House on Dead End Street (Roger Watkins, 1977)
Malatesta’s Carnival of Blood (Christopher Speeth, 1973)
Night of the Demon (Jacques Tourneur, 1957)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Brewce Longo (Filmmaker)
Gorotica (Hugh Gallagher, 1993)
Der Todesking (Jörg Buttgereit, 1990)
Fay’s 12 Days of Christmas (William Wegman, 1995)
David “The Rock” Nelson’s Pumpkinman Saga
Silver Bullets (Joe Swanberg, 2011)
Haggard (Bam Margera, 2003)
The Worm Eaters (Herb Robins, 1977)
Blood Sucking Freaks (Joel M. Reed, 1976)
Premutos: The Fallen Angel (Olaf Ittenbach, 1997)
Sex Acid (2013) or anything by Giuseppe Andrews. It’s all like one big giant film.
Brian Ratigan (Filmmaker, Non Films):
Vampyr (Carl Theodor Dryer, 1932)
Rosemary’s Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968)
Begotten (E. Elias Merhige, 1990)
The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982)
Tetsuo: The Iron Man (Shin’ya Tsukamoto, 1989)
The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991)
La Casa Lobo (“The Wolf House”) (Cristóbal León, Joaquin Cociña, 2018)
A Page of Madness (Teinosuke Kinugasa, 1926)
The Devils (Ken Russell, 1971)
Carnival of Souls (Herk Harvey, 1962)
Charles Roxburgh (Filmmaker, Motern Media, Shock Marathons):
Blood Cult (Christopher Lewis, 1985) — Regional filmmaking done right! All these characters delight me.
Creepshow (George A. Romero, 1982) — One of the first horror movies I ever saw, and still one I love to rewatch. The comic book look-and-feel makes this one a total treat.
Fiend (Don Dohler, 1980) — It’s hard to select just one Don Dohler movie, but the hyper focus on the neighborhood, the rather gentle killings, and Don Leifert’s enthusiastic acting are all totally up my alley.
The Fog (John Carpenter, 1980) — My wife, Teresa, and I love putting this movie on for the overall ghosty vibes it brings to our living room. There’s such a distinct feel to this one — the music, the cinematography, the locations — we love it all
The Haunting of Harrington House (Murray Golden, 1981) — This made-for-TV movie has such pleasant, gently scary vibes, and the legendary Roscoe Lee Browne shines.
The Horror of Party Beach (Del Tenney, 1964) — Some elements haven’t aged well, others have aged wonderfully. Bonus points for making a beach party movie in Connecticut.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Bill Melendez, 1966) — A classic for the ages. Credit where credit is due, and much is due.
Ray Bradbury Theater: The Town Where No One Got Off (Don McBrearty, 1986) — Iconic, unsettling, unforgettable. Jeff Goldblum and the rest of the cast are outstanding.
Terrorvision (Ted Nicolaou, 1986) — A rollicking good time!
Woodchipper Massacre (Jon McBride, 1988) — This movie just exudes positivity. One of the ultimate friends- and-family style productions, with wonderful bonhomie.
Chris Slusarenko (Eyelids, Revolutions Per Movie Podcast, Clinton Street Video):
Listen to Revolutions Per Movie’s 2023 Halloween episode here
The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982)
Get Out (Jordan Peele, 2017)
Evil Dead 2 (Sam Raimi, 1987)
Ravenous (Antonia Bird, 1999)
Society (Brian Yuzna, 1989)
Dead & Buried (Gary Sherman, 1981)
The Hidden (Jack Sholder, 1987)
Any Larry Cohen films (The Stuff; Q:The Winged Serpent, God Told Me To)
Poltergeist (Tobe Hooper, 1982)
Phantasm (all of them)
Christopher Jason Bell (Filmmaker):
The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973)
The Exorcist III (William Peter Blatty, 1990)
It Follows (David Robert Mitchell, 2014)
Cure (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 1997)
Ghostwatch (Lesley Manning, 1992)
Deep Red (Dario Argento, 1975)
Anguish (Bigas Luna, 1987)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Ganja and Hess (Bill Gunn, 1973)
Celia (Ann Turner, 1989)
Christopher Brown (DIY Filmmaker)
An American Werewolf in London (John Landis, 1981) — When I was a kid, my family would rent a videodisc player and some videodiscs, maybe once a month. I rented American Werewolf in London every single time. I knew where every skip and every stutter was on that disc. I still don’t think there’s a film out there that has blended comedy and horror so masterfully.
Cemetery Man (Michele Soavi, 1994) — In 1994 there was not the glut of zombie movies that there is now. So when my pals and I rented this we were hoping for a good, gory time. We never expected to watch one of the best films we’ve ever seen. A smorgasbord of ideas, images and emotions. And not some cheap buffet, this one has crab legs and stuff!
Eraserhead (David Lynch, 1977) — I cannot believe the guy who made this is essentially a mainstream filmmaker. And with just a few exceptions, he’s stuck to his vision. I have never gone without an Eraserhead t-shirt in my wardrobe since my mid twenties (I own two now!). A wonderfully personal nightmare from Lynch.
The Evil Dead Trilogy (Sam Raimi) — I’ll tell you a secret. This one is my favorite. And I count it as one film since each sequel starts at the moment where the last film left off (with a little tweaking from Raimi). I know so many film fans (myself included) where this is the film that made them want to get behind the camera. And the original is the last film to truly terrify me.
Frailty (Bill Paxton, 2001) — I made everyone I know see this in the theatre with me. The filmmaking is exceptionally creative, the performances are astounding, especially considering what a balancing act is necessary (and two of the actors are children!), there are images that I will always think of (that angel!) and what a Villain! Even my dad loves this one. I miss Bill Paxton.
Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968) — The first movie I ever owned (along with Monty Python and the Holy Grail). Not only did Romero create what has become a classic movie monster, but his themes and no-nonsense storytelling still remains shocking and original. Heroes turn out to be hypocrites (usually after everyone is dead), villains may have the right ideas but their awful personalities and instincts make us hate them, ideals are discarded as soon as situations change, us characters would rather kill each other than work together, and death — slow moving but inevitable — is always waiting for us. A good ole time!
Senritsu Kaiki File Kowasugi! Series — Koji Shiraishi is the king of found footage horror films. By a mile. This 10-part series (and many a short film) starts out as one would expect. A paranormal team investigates an urban legend. But don’t get too comfortable. This goes waaaay off the beaten path. I could’ve chose Noroi: The Curse from Shiraishi, which is eerier, but I am absolutely blown away with what he has accomplished with this series.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)— This seems just as prescient today as it was in 1974. Who can’t imagine Trump being wheeled down by the American “family” to suck on the blood of some “woke” young person? It’s amazing how smart this film is while still being absolutely horrifying, atmospheric and dangerously close to pure madness.
The Wailing (Na Hong-jin, 2016) — There is so much going on that the viewer winds up getting just as confused as the characters, which can lead to frustration on the first viewing. But watch it again and everything falls into place, creating a one-of-a-kind nightmare, showing us humans as the impulsive, irrational idiots we are. If they were to remake this in America, I’m sure the police officer protagonist would never be portrayed as flawed as he is in this.
Zombie (Lucio Fulci, 1979) — I love Fulci, and I can’t get enough of many of his films, but I think I like Zombie the best. And no lie, Ian McCulloch is one of my favorite actors of all time. That same videodisc store I rented American Werewolf in London from, had a copy of Zombie that I was afraid to rent. But when I finally did, it was nice to have an old fashioned “hero” like McCulloch protect the girl, punch out the bad guy, suspect fishy going ons (I know he says it aloud in Dr. Butcher, but he thinks it in Zombie. I’m sure of it!) and always charge forward no matter what the danger, while I was seeing some of the most stomach-churning gore I ever thought possible. He was a bit of a safety net for my young mind. And that Fabio Frizzi score! Probably my biggest comfort food movie.
Craig Keller (Filmmaker, writer, producer, editor, designer for The Film Desk and Radiance Films, and other stuff unannounced for the time being…):
Dracula (Tod Browning, 1931)
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (Joseph Zito, 1984)
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (Tommy Lee Wallace, 1982)
Histoire(s) du cinéma (Jean-Luc Godard, 1988-1998)
The Last House on the Left (Wes Craven, 1972)
The Mask (3D Version) (Julian Roffmann, 1961)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (Wes Craven, 1984)
A Nightmare on Elm Street: Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge (Jack Sholder, 1985)
La nuit du carrefour (Jean Renoir, 1932)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Craig Wright (Split Tooth founder, co-editor, Split Picks host):
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Black Christmas (Bob Clark, 1974)
Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977)
The Beyond (Lucio Fulci, 1981)
Prince Of Darkness (John Carpenter, 1987)
The Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (Philip Kaufman, 1977)
Let’s Scare Jessica To Death (John D. Hancock, 1971)
Dawn Of The Dead (George A. Romero, 1978)
The Slumber Party Massacre (Amy Holden Jones, 1982)/The Slumber Party Massacre 2 (Deborah Brock, 1987)
Human Lanterns (Chung Sun, 1982)
Dan Pullen (Movies from Hell Podcast)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
Audition (Takashi Miike, 1999)
Der Fan (Eckhart Schmidt, 1982)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Possession (Andrzej Żuławski, 1981)
Martin (George A. Romero, 1977)
Let’s Scare Jessica To Death (John D. Hancock, 1971)
The Thing from Another World (Christian Nyby, 1951)
Gremlins (Joe Dante, 1984)
Eraserhead (David Lynch, 1977)
Daniel Gorman (Film critic)
The Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Cure (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 1997)
Pretty basic, canonical choices, but I can’t imagine life without them. Each a unique masterpiece, refracting their respective zeitgeist through a genre lens and expanding the scope of what horror could be. Essential.
Inland Empire (David Lynch, 2006)
Vampyr (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1932)
Trouble Every Day (Claire Denis, 2001)
Angel Dust (Gakuryū Ishii, 1994)
Outer Space (Peter Tscherkassky, 1999)
Wendigo (Larry Fessenden, 2001)
I Walked with a Zombie (Jacques Tourneur, 1932)
Dennis Cozzalio (Film critic)
These are my favorite horror films, and one of the many reasons they are my favorites is that they are all about much more than the things that happen in them, as most great, or even good horror films are.
I have managed, and not by design, to list at least one movie from each decade since the ‘20s, but those who know me will not be too surprised that the ‘70s dominate this group and that the ‘80s have gone unrepresented here — not because there weren’t great horror films from that decade (sorry, John Carpenter’s The Thing and Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist), but because it’s probably my least favorite movie decade, and also because Brett made me whittle my list down to 13 from an impossible to manage 40-plus titles.
The ones that made the final cut were arrived at not through extensive research but instead from the deepest recesses of my memory via that old favorite spigot at the top of my head. I have started the list off with what is probably my favorite horror movie of all time. The rest are represented alphabetically, because there’s no frickin’ way I could possibly rank them. So here we go. Happy Halloween!
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Audition (Takashi Miike, 1999)
The Black Cat (Edgar G. Ulmer, 1934)
The Bride of Frankenstein (James Whale, 1935)
The Brood (David Cronenberg, 1979)
Carrie (Brian De Palma, 1976)
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (Terence Fisher, 1969)
Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton, 1932)
The Leopard Man (Jacques Tourneur, 1943)
Night of the Demon (Jacques Tourneur, 1958)
Nosferatu (F.W. Murnau, 1922)
Rosemary’s Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968)
The Witch (Robert Eggers, 2015)
Elizabeth Yoo (Artist):
Eyes of Laura Mars (Irvin Kershner, 1978)
Blood For Dracula (Paul Morrissey, 1974)
The Hunger (Tony Scott, 1983)
Messiah of Evil (Gloria Katz, Willard Huyck, 193)
Eyes Without a Face (Georges Franju, 1960)
Diabolique (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1955)
Blood and Black Lace (Mario Bava, 1964)
Fascination (Jean Rollin, 1979)
The Innocents (Jack Clayton, 1961)
The Seventh Victim (Mark Robson, 1943)
Emerson Malone (Split Tooth contributor)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
Evil Dead 2 (Sam Raimi, 1987)
Midsommar (Ari Aster, 2019)
Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004)
Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
10 Cloverfield Lane (Dan Trachtenberg, 2016)
Hausu (Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1977)
Cube (Vincenzo Natali, 1997)
Inland Empire (David Lynch, 2006)
Onibaba (Kaneto Shindo, 1964)
Woman in the Dunes (Hiroshi Teshigahara, 1964)
The Happening (M. Night Shyamalan, 2008)
Resurrection (Andrew Semans, 2022)
A Bucket of Blood (Roger Corman, 1959)
Frank Mosley (Actor, Director):
This list is representative of some of the best scary movies that were huge influences on me, as well as ones that continually hold up for me as “comfort horror movies” that I can pop on almost anytime. But there are plenty of others, and too many to name, quite honestly.
- The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973)
- Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975)
- Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968)
- An American Werewolf in London (John Landis, 1981)
- The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982)
- Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)
- Martin (George A. Romero, 1977)
- Fright Night (Tom Holland, 1985)
- Black Christmas (Bob Clark, 1974)
- Funny Games (Michael Haneke, 2007)
Honorable Mentions: Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960), Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (Wes Craven, 1994), Evil Dead 2 (Sam Raimi, 1987), Pumpkinhead (Stan Winston, 1988), Possession (Andrzej Żuławski, 1981), Trouble Every Day (Claire Denis, 2001), Scream (Wes Craven, 1996), Ganja and Hess (Bill Gunn, 1973), Christine (John Carpenter, 1983), Let The Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008), Candyman (Bernard Rose, 1992), Resurrection (Andrew Semans, 2022), Train to Busan (Yeon Sang-ho, 2016), Barbarian (Zach Cregger, 2022), Creepshow (George A. Romero, 1982)…
Frank V. Ross (Filmmaker):
Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968)
Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004)
Interview with the Vampire (Neil Jordan, 1994)
X (Ti West, 2022)
28 Days Later (Danny Boyle, 2003)
The VVitch (Robert Eggers, 2015)
Hereditary (Ari Aster, 2018)
The Conjuring (James Wan, 2013)
Get Out (Jordan Peele, 2017)
The Strangers (Bryan Bertino, 2008)
Frankie Vanaria (Split Tooth writer):
Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)
Cronos (Guillermo del Toro, 1993)
Frankenstein (James Whale, 1931)
The Love Witch (Anna Biller 2016)
Sleepaway Camp (Robert Hiltzik, 1983)
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (Robert Aldrich, 1962)
The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955)
The Housemaid (Kim Ki-young, 1960)
Crimes of the Future (David Cronenberg, 2022)
Canoa: A Shameful Memory (Felipe Cazals, 1976)
Gary Norris (Archivist, Hannibal’s Chorus Boys, The Empty Set, “Mr. Beatle of Saratoga High School“)
The Wolf Man (George Waggner, 1941)
The Devil’s Backbone (Guilermo del Toro, 2010)
The Lighthouse (Robert Eggers, 2019)
The Man From Planet X (Edgar G. Ulmer, 1951)
Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)
Attack of the Crab Monsters (Roger Corman, 1957)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
The Creature From the Black Lagoon (Jack Arnold, 1954)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Francis Ford Coppola, 1992)
Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968)
Jack Perez (Filmmaker):
Curse of the Demon (Jacques Tourneur, 1957)
The Omen (Richard Donner, 1976)
The Brides of Dracula (Terrence Fisher, 1960)
The Ghost Breakers (George Marshall, 1940)
Dracula (Tod Browning, 1931)
The Invisible Man (James Whale, 1933)
The Changeling (Peter Medak, 1980)
Ed Wood (Tim Burton, 1994)
Beetlejuice (Tim Burton, 1988)
Young Frankenstein (Mel Brooks, 1974)
Jane McDonald (Ghost Tart Stickers)
8 movies and two episodes of TV, organized by trope
Five College Students on a Weekend Trip (plus or minus Bruce Campbell):
- Evil Dead 2 (Sam Raimi, 1987)
- Cabin in the Woods (Drew Goddard, 2011)
- Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (Eli Craig, 2010)
______ of the Dead:
- Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004)
- Juan of the Dead (Alejandro Brugués, 2012)
Vampires that aren’t lame:
- The Lost Boys (Joel Schumacher, 1987)
- Fright Night (Tom Holland, 2011) (Forever cementing Colin Farrell as “Jerry the Vampire”)
Maybe people are the monsters:
- Get Out (Jordan Peele, 2017)
- “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” (The Twilight Zone, season 1 episode 22)
Angel statues will try to kill you: - “Blink” (Doctor Who, Season 3, episode 10)
Jason McDonald (Area correspondent, Fab Sounds Consultant)
Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)
Night Of The Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968)
The Cabin In The Woods (Drew Goddard, 2011)
The Gate (Tibor Takács, 1987)
Evil Dead 2 (Sam Raimi, 1987)
Creep Show (George A. Romero,1982)
Poltergeist (Tobe Hooper, 1982)
Fright Night (Tom Holland, 2011)
Phantasm (Don Coscarelli, 1978)
Dawn Of The Dead (Geroge A. Romero, 1978)
Jason Michelitch (Split Tooth Contributor, host of the Cinesthesia Podcast):
Inferno (Dario Argento, 1980)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
Bride of Frankenstein (James Whale, 1935)
The Wolf Man (George Waggner, 1941)
Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)
Dawn of the Dead (George A. Romero, 1978)
Videodrome (David Cronenberg, 1983)
Soft Matter (Jim Hickcox, 2018)
Dracula (Todd Browning, 1931)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Jetta Weinstein (theironcupcake on Letterboxd)
- From Beyond (Stuart Gordon, 1986)
- Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
- Little Shop of Horrors (Frank Oz, 1986)
- Flesh for Frankenstein (Paul Morrissey, 1973)
- Bride of Frankenstein (James Whale, 1935)
- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Robert Wiene, 1920)
- Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (Werner Herzog, 1979)
- The Lighthouse (Robert Eggers, 2019)
- The Abominable Dr. Phibes (Robert Fuest, 1971)
- Blood Sucking Freaks (Joel M. Reed, 1976)
Jim Hickcox (Filmmaker, host of the Cinesthesia Podcast):
White of the Eye (Donald Cammell, 1987)
Brain Damage (Frank Henenlotter, 1988)
The Devil Times Five (a.k.a Peopletoys) (Sean MacGregor, 1974)
Cemetery Man (Michele Soavi, 1994)
Baskin (Can Evrenol, 2015)
The Witch Who Came from the Sea (Matt Cimber, 1976)
The Wicker Man (Robin Hardy, 1973)
Tumbbad (Rahi Anil Barve, 2018)
Don’t Look Now (Nicolas Roeg, 1973)
Psychomania (a.k.a The Death Wheelers) (Don Sharp, 1973)
Joe Cornelison (Filmmaker)
Legend (Ridley Scott, 1985)
Great Expectations (David Lean, 1946)
Only Lovers Left Alive (Jim Jarmusch, 2013)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Francis Ford Coppola, 1992)
The Old Mill (Wilfred Jackson, 1937)
Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)
Beauty and the Beast (Jean Cocteau, 1946)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (David Hand, Perce Pearce, William Cottrell, Lary Morey, Wilfred Jackson, Ben Sharpsteen, 1937)
Faust (F.W. Murnau, 1926)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (Henry Selick, 1993)
Joel Potrykus (Filmmaker):
An American Werewolf in London (John Landis, 1981)
Return of the Living Dead (Dan O’Bannon, 1985)
Barbarian (Zach Cregger, 2022)
The Evil Dead (Sam Raimi, 1981)
Evil Dead 2 (Sam Raimi, 1987)
Friday the 13th Part 3 (Steve Miner, 1982)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Let The Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008)
House (Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1977)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (Jack Sholder, 1985)
John Merriman (Actor):
An American Werewolf in London (John Landis, 1981)
The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock, 1963)
Don’t Look Now (Nicolas Roeg, 1973)
Don’t Torture a Duckling (Lucio Fulci, 1972)
From Beyond (Stuart Gordon, 1986)
The Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (Philip Kaufman, 1977)
Raw (Julia Ducournau, 2016)
The Return of the Living Dead (Dan O’Bannon, 1985)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
Wake in Fright (Ted Kotcheff, 1971)
Jordan Lisi (Filmmaker):
Corpse Bride (Tim Burton, Mike Johnson, 2005)
Ernest: Scared Stupid (John R. Cherry III, 1991)
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (Nick Park, Steve Box, 2005)
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (Joseph Zito, 1984)
The VVitch (Robert Eggers, 2015)
Frankenstein (James Whale, 1931)
Rabbits (David Lynch, 2002)
Minnie the Moocher (Dave Fleischer, 1932)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (Henry Selick, 1993)
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney, James Algar, 1949)
Joshua Burge (Actor):
Frankenstein (James Whale, 1931)
Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968)
The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (Chuck Russell, 1987)
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (Stephen Chiodo, 1988)
Jacob’s Ladder (Adrian Lyne, 1990)
Barbarian (Zach Cregger, 2022)
Logan Ann Taylor (Split Tooth contributor):
The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991)
Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
Titane (Julia Ducournau, 2021)
The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982)
Jennifer’s Body (Karyn Kusama, 2009)
The Descent (Neil Marshall, 2005)
Scream (Wes Craven, 1996)
We Need to Talk About Kevin (Lynne Ramsay, 2011)
Poltergeist (Tobe Hooper, 1982)
Macon Blair (Filmmaker, Actor):
House of Frankenstein (Erle C. Kenton, 1944)
The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Under The Skin (Jonathan Glazer, 2013)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Francis Ford Coppola, 1992)
Return of the Living Dead (Dan O’Bannon, 1985)
Carnival of Souls (Herk Harvey, 1962)
The Lost Boys (Joel Schumacher, 1987)
Phantasm (Don Coscarelli, 1979)
Black Sunday (Mario Bava, 1960)
Mark Hanson (Split Tooth contributor, Bay Street Video)
The Blair Witch Project (Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, 1999)
Candyman (Bernard Rose, 1992)
Carnival of Souls (Herk Harvey, 1962)
In the Mouth of Madness (John Carpenter, 1994)
Pulse (Kairo) (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2001)
The Ring (Gore Verbinski, 2002)
Scream (Wes Craven, 1996)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Things (Andrew Jordan, 1989)
Videodrome (David Cronenberg, 1983)
Mark Polonia (Filmmaker)
Beast From Haunted Cave (Monte Hellman, 1959)
Horror Express (Eugino Martin, 1968)
Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (Freddie Francis, 1968)
Horror Rises From The Tomb (Leon Klimovsky, 1972)
Madman (Joe Giannone, 1981)
Tombs of the Blind Dead (Amando de Ossorio, 1972)
Matango (Ishirō Honda, 1963)
Dawn of the Dead (George A. Romero, 1978)
The Legend of Boggy Creek (Charles B. Pierce, 1972)
Don’t Look In The Basement (SF Brownrigg, 1973)
Matt Farley (Musician, Filmmaker, Motern Media, Shock Marathons):
Listen to Moes Haven’s (Sh)oc(k)tober (2006)
Friday the 13th Part 2 (Steve Miner, 1981)
My favorite moments in slashers are when the characters are just hanging out with each other. This movie provides so much of that! I absolutely love it. Just a bunch of young people getting to know each other, with a slight hint of horror in the form of shot from the killer’s POV or the killing of a side character that none of the main characters will notice.
The Pit (Lew Lehman, 1981)
This movie just gives and gives and gives and gives. It is relentlessly entertaining from start to finish. The frequent and abrupt changes in tone are hilarious.
Silent Night Deadly, Night Part 2 (Lee Harry, 1987)
The first half of this movie is made of clips from the first one, which is wonderful — you get all the highlights, and none of the boring parts of the first movie! The rest of the movie is even more entertaining. Eric Freeman gives a tour-de-force performance as Ricky. An unsophisticated viewer would consider this movie a disaster. But for those of us with sophisticated taste, this is a brilliant masterpiece. The filmmakers absolutely knew what they were doing, and they did it perfectly.
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
Like all my favorite horror movies, this one is as funny as it is scary. Kubrick does a masterful job of creating moments that are simultaneously funny and scary. Nicholson’s performance is fantastic.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (Dwight H. Little, 1988)
Lately, this one has been my favorite of the series. Many late-80s movies got too glossy-looking. But this one still has a pure, gritty look that I enjoy. The drama between the teens is delightful. Donald Pleasance gives perhaps his best performance of the series.
Creature From Black Lake (Joy N. Houck Jr., 1976)
Everything about this movie is wonderful, down to the title, which stubbornly refuses to use the word “the,” even though it feels like it should. The character of Pahoo is so great. He’s pure, honest, and energetic.
Slumber Party Massacre III (Sally Mattison, 1990)
There are so many memorable, quotable moments in this movie. Just when most movies would start getting boring, this movie gets more entertaining.
Disturbia (D.J. Caruso, 2007)
A teenage version of Rear Window, Disturbia is perfectly entertaining from start to finish. It’s way smarter than it needs to be. Great characters. Great moments of suspense. Oh yeah.
The Hitcher (Dave Meyers, 2007)
I like this version better than the original. It doesn’t try too hard to be anything more than a fun, entertaining thriller, and it succeeds completely!
Psycho II (1983) Meg Tilly is especially great in this movie, which successfully brings the Psycho story into the world of 1980s slashers.
Michael Glover Smith (Filmmaker and critic):
Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
Vampyr (Carl Dreyer, 1932)
The Housemaid (Kim Ki-young, 1960)
The Seventh Victim (Mark Robson, 1943)
Nosferatu (F.W. Murnau, 1922)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977)
The Unknown (Tod Browning, 1927)
Audition (Takashi Miike, 1999)
Night of the Demon (Jacques Tourneur, 1957)
Nathan Schiff (Filmmaker)
The Innocents (Jack Clayton, 1961)
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane (Robert Aldrich, 1962)
The Sadist (James Landis, 1963)
The Black Cat (Harold Hoffman, 1965)
Night of the Living Dead (George Romero, 1968)
Seeds (Andy Milligan, 1968)
The Honeymoon Killers (Leonard Kastle, 1969)
The Last House on the Left (Wes Craven, 1972)
Last House on Dead End Street (Roger Watkins, 1973)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Neal Wynne (Filmmaker)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Penda’s Fen (Alan Clarke, 1974)
It Follows (David Robert Mitchell, 2014)
A Warning to the Curious/ The Ash Tree/ The Signalman (Lawrence Gordon Clark, 1972, 1975, 1976) — Came across these really interesting Made for TV British short horror films recently. Grouped them together because they are all sub-60 minutes and produced for the BBC’s A Ghost Story for Christmas series.
It (Tommy Lee Wallace, 1990)
Child’s Play (Tom Holland 1988) — Never seen it in full but including it because I have strong memory of walking in on my neighbors watching this when I was like 8 and sprinting home in fear.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Bill Melendez, Charles M. Schulz, 1966) — Stunning work of American Art: “Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. He’s gotta pick this one. He’s got to. I don’t see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there’s not a sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see.”
The Blair Witch Project (Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez, 1999)
Cure (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 1997)
Nicholas D’Agostino (Filmmaker)
- Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)
- Videodrome (David Cronenberg, 1983)
- The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982)
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
- Mandy (Panos Cosmatos, 2018)
- Possession (Andrzej Żuławski, 1981)
- Demon (Marcin Wrona, 2015)
- Castle Freak (Stuart Gordon, 1995)
- Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977)
- The Descent (Neil Marshall, 2005)
Nick Miller (Split Tooth contributor):
The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982)
Evil Dead 2 (Sam Raimi, 1987)
There’s Nothing Out There (Rolfe Kanefsky, 1990)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)
Insidious (James Wan, 2010)
I Saw The Devil (Kim Jee-woon, 2010)
Let The Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008)
The Lighthouse (Robert Eggers, 2019)
Godzilla (Ishirō Honda 1954)
Noël (Actor, Composer):
Night Watch (Timur Bekmambetov, 2004)
Day Watch (Timur Bekmambetov, 2006)
Let The Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008)
Ginger Snaps (John Fawcett, 2000)
The Frighteners (Peter Jackson, 1996)
Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
Halloween (Rob Zombie, 2007)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (Henry Selick, 1993)
Army Of Darkness (Sam Raimi, 1992)
Phantasm (Don Coscarelli, 1979)
Oliver O’Sullivan (Split Tooth writer):
The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982)
Angst (Gerard Kargl, 1983)
Dead Ringers (David Cronenberg, 1988)
Begotten (E. Elias Merhige, 1989)
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (David Lynch, 1992)
Wolf Creek (Greg McLean, 2005)
Inside (Julien Maury, Alexandre Bustillo, 2007)
House of the Devil (Ti West, 2009)
The Pink Smoke (Christopher Funderburg and John Cribbs):
Listen to The Pink Smoke Podcast on SoundCloud
1.The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
It is insulting to list any other films along Hooper’s film.
So give it some space first.
Let it sink in.
2. tie: Basket Case 3: The Progeny (Frank Henenlotter, 1991) / From Beyond (Stuart Gordon, 1986)
3. Brain Damage (Frank Henenlotter, 1988)
4. Chow Hound (Chuck Jones, 1951)
5. The Tenant (Roman Polanski, 1976)
6. Final Destination 2 (David R. Ellis, 2003)
7. The Fall of the House of Usher (Jean Epstein, 1928)
8. Pitfall (Hiroshi Teshigahara, 1962)
9. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (Chuck Russell, 1987)
10. See the Sea (François Ozon, 1997)
11. Evil Dead 2 (Sam Raimi, 1987)
Honorable mention: Isle of the Dead (Mark Robson, 1945)
Randy Walker (Filmmaker, Artist):
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
Eraserhead (David Lynch, 1977)
Nosferatu (F.W. Murnau, 1922)
Paranorman (Chris Butler and Sam Fell, 2012)
Young Frankenstein (Mel Brooks, 1974)
The Evil Dead (Sam Raimi, 1981)
Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly, 2001)
There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007)
The VVitch (Robert Eggers, 2015)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (Henry Selick, 1993)
Richard Baylor (Filmmaker)
Freaks (Tod Browning, 1932)
Carnival of Souls (Herk Harvey, 1962)
Repulsion (Roman Polanski, 1965)
Rosemary’s Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968)
Don’t Look Now (Nicolas Roeg, 1973)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
Zedd and Two Noughts (Peter Greenaway, 1985)
Santa Sangre (Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1989)
Der Todesking (Jörg Buttgereit, 1990)
Let the Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008)
Ruairí McCann (Writer and Editor at Ultra Dogme):
I Walked with a Zombie (Jacques Tourneur, 1932)
This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse (José Mojica Marins, 1967)
Don’t Torture a Duckling (Lucio Fulci, 1972)
Martin (George A. Romero, 1977)
The Fog (John Carpenter, 1980)
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Miss Osbourne (Walerian Borowcyzk, 1981)
The Living Dead Girl (Jean Rollin, 1982)
Iguana (Monte Hellman, 1988)
Angel Dust (Ishii Gakuryu, 1994)
Resident Evil: Retribution (Paul W.S. Anderson, 2012)
schnüdlbug
ROACH™ is a “CanCon DIY monster movie” by schnüdlbug who also owns and operates schnoodle VIDEO, “your one-stop media shop :)” You can watch ROACH™ via his Instagram + order the limited edition 3D VHS via Big Cartel.
The Blair Witch Project (Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sanchez, 1999) — schnüdlbug’s Horror 101: The one that started it all. I’m ~9 years old: We’re walking past that poster during a family trip through downtown Vancouver, my mom attempting to temper my excitement over what she understood to be an actual snuff film (thanks to Artisan’s masterful marketing). I eventually caught it on cable a couple of years later in my parents’ bedroom while home alone one night; I’ll never forget the moment I first heard those credits.
In Order Not To Be Here (Deborah Stratman, 2002) — a.k.a. Teenaged schnoodle Trying To Smoke Some Sess In The ‘Burbs. I wish more movies were scored by Kevin Drumm.
Funny Games U.S. (Michael Haneke, 2007) — schnüdlbug’s Horror 201: A personal masterclass in movie violence + manipulation of form. Seeing this at the height of the “torture porn” craze unconsciously caused me to curate my media diet from that moment on. Both versions apply here, although I prefer the U.S. remake for many reasons.
Inland Empire (David Lynch, 2006) — Laura Dern’s distorted face f**ks me up (seconnd only to how close the camera gets to that cup of coffee…)
Trigger Man (Ti West, 2007) — Real “gas station VHS bin” energy; I love this nasty little movie.
Cloverfield (Matt Reeves, 2008) — schnüdlbug’s Horror 301: If The Blair Witch Project introduced me to “found footage” and movie marketing magic, Cloverfield taught me how to take all those ideas to the next level. I don’t remember anything about seeing Transformers in theaters besides that mind-blowing teaser trailer (title withheld) sending me down a spiral of late-night Internet surfing. But despite my constant searching, I could never have expected what I still consider to be not only one of the bleakest blockbusters I’ve ever seen, but one of the most creatively edited: presented as an unedited videotape of a happier day in our protagonists’ lives, accidentally re-recorded over with what ends up being their last horrific, distorted, violent moments on Earth. My favorite monster movie for many reasons.
Beyond The Black Rainbow (Panos Cosmatos, 2010) — I love me some Mandy but I will always enjoy Panos Cosmatos at his most “stoned”; I love that cross-fade after Dr. Nyle takes his pills…
Hinterlands (Scott Barley, 2016)
Baby’s first Barley: a minimalist masterpiece and my introduction to an incredible artist and friend.
Ruins Rider (Pierre-Luc Vaillancourt, 2017) — I recently rewatched this one in VR; highly recommended if you have the ability to do so! Those primal screams in Marc Hurtado’s score truly haunt me…
A Self-Induced Hallucination (Jane Schoenbrun, 2018) — Real life will always scare me more than fiction and while an Adam Curtis documentary may not be the best selection for a list like this, Jane Schoenbrun’s Slenderman movie film works very well here.
Honorable mentions:
They Look Like People (Perry Blackshear, 2015)
Saint Maud (Rose Glass, 2019)
Scott McCaughey (The Minus 5/Young Fresh Fellows/The Baseball Project/The No Ones/Filthy Friends/Scott The Hoople/R.E.M.):
Check out Happy Halloween From The Dungeons Of Horrors on Bandcamp
The Sixth Sense (M. Night Shyamalan, 1999)
Night Of The Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968)
The Haunting (Robert Wise, 1963)
House (Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1977)
Carnival of Souls (Herk Harvey, 1962)
Let The Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008)
Midsommar (Ari Aster, 2019)
Us (Jordan Peele, 2019)
The Ghost And Mr. Chicken (Alan Rafkin, 1966)
The Bride of Frankenstein (James Whale, 1935)
Shaun Seneviratne (Filmmaker)
The Shining Forwards and Backwards (Akiva Saunders & John Fell Ryan, 2011) — Exactly what the title implies. The synchronization of these two visual tracks reveal some uncanny and horrifying parallels.
Don’t Torture a Duckling (Luici Fulci, 1972) — So expertly directed and a genuinely compelling giallo plot that gets the audience speculating one moment and sympathizing the next. Dario Argento’s had his due in the public eye; it’s time for the Luici Fulci renaissance!
In a Violent Nature (Chris Nash, 2024) — What if we experienced a Friday the 13th movie from Jason’s perspective? Really builds empathy towards the killer. Incredible denouement with the final girl, focusing on what happens after they escape.
Friday the 13th Part 2 (Steve Miner, 1981) / Friday the 13th Part 4: The Final Chapter (Joseph Zito, 1984) — Friday the 13th > Halloween franchise any day. These movies are perfect termite art. The kills are brutal. The direction is efficient. The teen actors are good. These two are my favorite of the franchise, with The Final Chapter being one of the best golden age slashers. Also, a reminder that slow motion NOT shot in high frame rate is way scarier.
Evil Dead Trap (Toshiharu Ikeda, 1988) — Inventive shots and edit choices in succession for the duration of its runtime. Wild, stylish stuff.
The Slumber Party Massacre (Amy Holden Jones, 1982) — The OG feminist slasher film.
Angst (Gerald Kargl, 1983) — Portrait of someone completely unhinged. A reminder that manic is way scarier than calm & collected. Insane camera work. The scariest scene isn’t even a murder, but a scene where a guy eats a sausage…
Next of Kin (Tony Williams, 1982) — Attention-grabbing opening with electronic music and slow motion (when they just slowed down 24 fps footage instead of shooting at insanely high frame rates, creating a more stuttery look — another reminder of non-high-frame-rate slowmo!) gives way to an acceptable giallo plot gives way to a scary and wild ending.
Freaks (Tod Browning, 1932) — When we talk about DEI, why don’t we talk about Freaks? With very few exceptions, this was the last time we saw people that were not physically typical on film (and this came out in 1932). Not really a horror movie, but since it generally comes up in those conversations, it goes on the list.
Just Before Dawn (Jeff Lieberman, 1981) — Great indie slasher in a mountain setting. Termite art. There’s a subtlety to the development of the final girl that is really masterful and more writers should take note of how to achieve character development like this without resorting to “trauma backstory.”
Snow Lietta (Split Tooth writer):
Midsommar (Ari Aster, 2019)
The VVitch (Robert Eggers, 2015)
Lemora: A Child’s Tale Of The Supernatural (Richard Blackburn, 1973)
Let The Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008)
A Bay of Blood (Mario Bava, 1971)
The Love Witch (Anna Biller, 2016)
Return to Oz (Walter Murch, 1985)
Candyman (Bernard Rose, 1992)
The Babadook (Jennifer Kent, 2014)
Martin (George A. Romero, 1977)
Spencer Parsons (Filmmaker, teacher, Split Tooth contributor):
Mad Love (Karl Freund, 1935)
The Hitch-Hiker (Ida Lupino, 1953)
Black Christmas (Bob Clark, 1974)
Martin (George A. Romero, 1977)
The Brood (David Cronenberg, 1979)
The People Under the Stairs (Wes Craven, 1991)
Outer Space (Peter Tscherkassky, 1999)
Trouble Every Day (Claire Denis, 2001)
Creepy (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2016)
I Blame Society (Gillian Horvat, 2020)
Stephen Broomer (Black Zero, Art & Trash, Filmmaker, Writer):
- Pieces (Juan Piquer Simón, 1982)
- Hausu (Nobuhiko Ôbayashi, 1977)
- Vampyr (Carl Theodor Dryer, 1932)
- The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living And Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!? (Ray Dennis Steckler, 1963)
- Dementia (John Parker, 1955)
- The Ripper (Christopher Lewis, 1985)
- Night Vision (Michael Krueger, 1987)
- Beyond Dream’s Door (Jay Woelfel, 1989)
- The Demon (Percival Rubens, 1979)
- The Last Broadcast (Stefan Avalos and Lance Weiler, 1998)
Steve Collins (Filmmaker, Split Tooth writer):
Near Dark (Kathryn Bigelow, 1987)
The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982)
Poltergeist (Tobe Hooper, 1982)
Evil Dead 2 (Sam Raimi, 1987)
The Fly (David Cronenberg, 1986)
Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977)
The Beyond (Lucio Fulci, 1981)
Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
Vampyr (Carl Theodor Dryer, 1932)
I Walked with a Zombie (Jacques Tourneur, 1943)
Terry Chiu (Filmmaker)
10. Dark City (Alex Proyas, 1998)
9. Spider-Man (Sam Raimi, 2002)
8 Constantine (Francis Lawrence, 2005)
7. Get the Hell Out (Wang I Fan, 2020)
6. A Chinese Ghost Story II (Tony Ching Siu-Tung, 1990)
5.The Conjuring 2 (James Wan, 2016)
4. The Conjuring (James Wan, 2013)
3.Malignant (James Wan, 2021)
2.Insidious (James Wan, 2010)
1.Insidious: Chapter 2 (James Wan, 2013)
No, I am not being hipster-ironic with Spider-Man. I want people to appreciate how fricking dark and depressing the film actually is, when it’s only overlooked as simply fun and silly — I don’t understand how people whitewash. The jump scares are psychotic. There’s jump scares throughout. It’s endless evil energy from Osborn/Goblin. He cartoon creeps on MJ (Thanksgiving) when not trying to constantly murder her (balcony, bridge, “nice and slow”). He blows up Aunt May and her house. He torture-brutalizes Spider-Man to a graphic pulp in a haunted house then tries to slasher-trident-impale him before getting reverse-horror-monster-mauled by Spider-Man and then slasher-glider-impaling himself in said haunted house. Also, way too obvious how Spider-Man 2 is the only one that gets any horror cred simply for its hospital scene, yet Spider-Man Straight Up Recycles Darkman footage. Part of why Spider-Man‘s the best of its franchise is how holistically horror weaves through its DNA, from the sinister atmosphere to the aesthetic grit on 1.85 celluloid — all adding to how emotionally tragic the film is as a story of everything going horribly for Peter, and yet he chooses the path of the hero. All this before Spider-Man 2 makes the skyscraper jump into brightened gloss and hope on cinematic 2.39 as the redemptive sequel.
Tom Scalzo (Musician, Actor, Motern Media, Shock Marathons):
This was not an easy task! These are not necessarily the films that I would consider “the best” horror films, but they are my top ten favorites: The films I would share with others if they ask to see something that exemplifies my tastes; the films I re-watch when I’m by myself and want to revisit a particular mood or place; the scenes and characters that have resonated over the years. These are in no particular order.
Don’t Panic (Rubén Galindo Jr. 1988)
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (John Newland, 1973)
Pumpkinhead (Stan Winston, 1988)
The Pit (Lew Lehman, 1981)
My Bloody Valentine (George Mihalka, 1981)
The Strangeness (David Michael Hillman, 1985)
Tombs of the Blind Dead (Amando de Ossorio, 1972)
Invasion From Inner Earth (Bill Rebane, 1974)
The Haunting (Robert Wise, 1963)
Creature From Black Lake (Joy N. Houck Jr., 1976)
Tony Baker (Musician, Actor)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
Victor Dos Santos (Filmmaker):
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Rosemary’s Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968)
Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1976)
The Last House on the Left (Wes Craven, 1972)
Basket Case (Frank Henenlotter, 1982)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991)
Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004)
Climax (Gaspar Noé, 2018)
The Passion of the Christ (Mel Gibson, 2004)
Victoria Quamme Rhoden (Split Tooth contributor):
28 Days Later (Danny Boyle, 2003)
Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)
The Cell (Tarsem Singh, 2000)
Dawn of the Dead (George A. Romero, 1978)
Dead Alive (Peter Jackson, 1992)
Event Horizon (Paul W.S. Anderson, 1997)
The Faculty (Robert Rodriguez, 1998)
Freaks (Tod Browning, 1932)
Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)
Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004)
Vincent Albarano (Author of Aesthetic Deviations, Split Tooth writer):
Vermilion Eyes (Nathan Schiff, 1990)
Last House on Dead End Street (Roger Watkins, 1977)
Nekromantik 2 (Jörg Buttgereit, 1991)
Blood Summer (Matthew Samuel Smith, 1993)
Hauntedween (Doug Robertson, 1991)
The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955)
Demon Dolls (Todd Cook, 1993)
Tales from the QuadeaD Zone (Chester N. Turner, 1987)
Habit (Larry Fessenden, 1995)
The Hills Have Eyes (Wes Craven, 1977)
Zach Fleming (Filmmaker, film programmer at Spectacle Theater):
The Innocents (Jack Clayton, 1961)
Rosemary’s Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968)
Messiah of Evil (Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck, 1973)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977)
The House by the Cemetery (Lucio Fulci, 1981)
Prince of Darkness (John Carpenter, 1987)
The Vanishing (George Sluizer, 1988)
Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (Ernest Dickerson, 1995)
Pulse (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2001)
HONORABLE MENTION: During Barty’s Party (Don Taylor, 1976) — Saw this for the first time last week, knocked my socks off — not a movie but one of six unhosted anthology episodes from a series called Beasts, all written by Nigel Kneale (writer of The Quatermass Experiment among other things) — all loosely involving animals or some type of eco-horror. Feels like a play, incredible performances, wildly unnerving, can’t recommend it enough.
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