MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
13 Deliverance
Deliverance, Warner Bros.
At the time, Deliverance was truly groundbreaking, and it’s no surprise that it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant’. Containing all the themes and aesthetics of a gritty grindhouse survival thriller and starring some of Hollywood’s biggest superstars of the time including Burt Reynolds and John Voight, the movie is also notorious for its inclusion of a graphic rape scene now synonymous with the phrase ‘squeal like a pig’ and features the most well-known and iconic banjo scene in Hollywood history. Despite its controversial content, the film was a critical and box office success, earning three Academy Award nominations and five Golden Globe Award nominations.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
12 Suspiria
Produzioni Atlas Consorziate
To be fair, a number of Italian director Dario Argento’s movies could have made this list, but Suspiria, is probably one of the most well known and highly lauded movies in his repertoire. This supernatural horror is about a German ballet academy which turns out to, in fact, be home to a coven of witches. Genuinely unsettling, Suspiria has been recognized as a highly influential movie within the supernatural subgenre and was praised for its visual and stylistic flair. The soundtrack by 70s progressive rock band Goblin is also insane And completely adds to the feeling of unease throughout the movie.
11 I Spit on Your Grave
The Jerry Gross Organization
This is bound to be a divisive entry. Like Deliverance, the movie featured extreme sexual violence and disturbing content, only this time it was turned up to 11. Unlike Deliverance however, the movie lacked any Hollywood sheen whatsoever. It was depraved, nihilistic, and utterly depressing. It succeeded in what it set out to do, though, and was an impactful film to say the least. Despite a poor box office performance, mixed reviews and being banned almost worldwide for a long period of time, I Spit on Your Grave has gone on to amass a massive cult following and became a huge success when it was made available on VHS tape, reportedly outselling the likes of The Godfather Part 2 and Grease.
10 Carrie
United Artists
Adapted from the ‘king of horror’ Stephen King’s epistolary novel of the same name, Carrie is universally praised as one of the finest supernatural horrors of all time. Sissy Spacek, in particular, elevates this movie to greatness with her portrayal of Carrie White (for which she received a Best Actress nod at the 49th Academy Awards) as an introverted teenager who was ruthlessly bullied at school, but then exacts revenge in a most unpleasant and shocking fashion.
9 The Omen
20th Century Fox
The Omen follows young Damien, who was replaced at birth by his father, unbeknownst to his wife, after their biological child dies shortly after birth. As a series of mysterious events and violent deaths occur around the family as Damien enters childhood, they come to learn he is in fact the prophesied Antichrist. Interestingly, at the time of the film’s release, reviews were mixed to poor, but retrospectively the film is widely regarded as an all-time great within the horror genre.
8 Eraserhead
Libra Films
Shot entirely in black and white and an exercise in surrealism, Eraserhead is certainly not the most accessible entry on his list, but a classic nonetheless. Revolving around man’s fear of parenthood, it tells the story of a man who is left to care for his deformed child in a desolate industrial landscape. This David Lynch feature length directorial debut is a cult favorite and is another example of a movie that has been selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant’.
7 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Like a number of other entries, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has been let down by numerous subpar sequels, remakes, and reboots over the years. Looking back to 1974, when the psychotic Leatherface and his deranged family were first unleashed on the public, it was something special. Very loosely based on real-life murderer Ed Gein, the movie can be credited with originating numerous elements now synonymous with the slasher genre, including the use of tools as murder weapons and the characterization of the killer as a large, brawny, faceless figure. It’s also fair to say that it paved the way for these types of movies to also act as a vehicle for social commentary.
6 Dawn of the Dead
United Film Distribution Company (UFDC)
Following the events that played out in George A. Romero’s movie from 1968, the definitive zombie flick Night of the Living Dead, the world has been devastated by the ever-increasing plague of flesh-eating zombies. Society has disintegrated, and the remaining survivors desperately seek refuge. Dawn of the Dead essentially repeats what made Night of the Living Dead a success, but on a larger scale. This time the protagonists are trapped in a shopping mall as opposed to a cabin, and the hordes of zombies have increased exponentially in size. While perhaps not as groundbreaking as the original, there’s still a hell of a lot of fun to be had in Romero’s follow-up. The practical special effects are particularly gruesome and may leave some viewers yearning for a time before everything effects-related was immediately sent to the CGI department. Additionally, and rather ingeniously, alongside the relentless gore and graphic violence, Dawn of the Dead manages to serve as a subtle social commentary on our materialistic society.
5 Alien
Twentieth Century Fox
There has been countless studies into the themes, subtexts and undertones of the 1979 sci-fi horror Alien. The film is deep and engaging on multiple levels and plays out as far more of a slow-burning, suspense filled, atmospheric horror flick compared to its many, more action orientated, sequels. Alien was an undoubted game changer and a masterclass in sci-fi horror. It was ahead of its time and influenced thousands of imitations over the following four decades, released to varying levels of success. Aside from the horrific and iconic alien ‘chest buster’ scene, Alien is probably best known for giving the world one of the most badass female protagonists off all time in Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley.
4 The Wicker Man
British Lion Films
This British movie about mysterious goings-on in a mysterious pagan community based on a deserted isle has been described as the ‘Citizen Kane of horror movies’ and it’s not hard to see why. Starring some of the finest actors to ever grace the big screen including the legendary Edward Woodward and horror icon Christopher Lee, it was one of the finest examples in creating a real palpable sense of dread as the foreboding atmosphere culminates in one of the most memorable and shocking finales committed to film.
3 Jaws
Universal Pictures
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat” is one of the most iconic movie lines in history, taken from one of the most iconic movies in history: Jaws. After watching a relentless great white shark ravage a beach of tourists and engage in a full-on battle with a boat and its crew, it wasn’t really a bigger boat people wanted, though; they wanted to steer well clear of any open water all together. In fact, Jaws and the notion of a vengeful rogue shark spurred a national phobia of the sea, sharks and a genuine drop in beach tourism. Activists have spent many years since making a concerted effort trying to educate people to understand and respect the role sharks play in the oceans and the earth’s ecosystem. Needless to say, the movie itself has gone onto be considered as one of the greatest of all time and pretty much invented the ‘summer blockbuster’. Decades later and it is still just as enjoyable to watch as ever.
2 Halloween
Halloween pretty much wrote the book when it comes to slasher, and Michael Myers is undeniably one of the most revered villains of the entire genre. The movie firmly cemented director John Carpenter as one of the masters of horror. He also composed the iconic theme tune which continues to haunt listeners to this day. Spawning not just multiple sequels, reboots and remakes but also countless slasher movies of the same ilk, Halloween is definitely one of the most influential horror movies of all time.
1 The Exorcist
Warner Bros.
The Exorcist needs no introduction really. As a priest and her mother try to exercise an evil force from out of a young child, the audience is treated to two hours of truly horrific behavior from the young girl. From vomiting, head spinning, swearing to doing unspeakable things with a crucifix, this movie is not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach. In fact, at the time it was reported that people were leaving the cinema en masse in disgust with some even fainting with shock. The film went on, though, to become a huge box office hit and is widely considered one of the greatest horror movies ever made.
