It’s that time of year again! Halloween is here and every ‘Fear Fest’ from here to Timbuktu is in full-swing on TV. It’s a peak time for horror films where we get to see our favorites like Myers, Voorhees and Krueger spray some blood on the screen.
But what’s the best? What’s the top horror film that makes all others look like child’s play (pun intended)? Our staff weighed in…
Andrew Roberts
I’m torn between the original Dawn of The Dead and Halloween 3: Season of the Witch. Both have a sentimental value to me, both are ridiculous, and both are usually must-watch around the holiday. I’d lean closer to Halloween, though, just because it’s so outlandish and down right horrifying at times. The plot is silly enough to lull you into a sense that this is a cheap horror sequel — which it is — but then whips out a man having his face smashed or a kid’s head turning into snakes, spiders, and other bugs. It’s great.
Dan Seitz
The original version of The Haunting, no question. Robert Wise (who directed the freakin’ Sound Of Music) uses great acting, superb atmosphere, and lighting to make a creepy classic.
Dariel Figueroa
Cronos: I’d like to say The Shining, but at the risk of being redundant (I’d be surprised if none of my colleagues picked it), I’ll go with Cronos. Many will point to Pan’s Labyrinth as Guillermo del Toro’s masterpiece, and they’d have a just argument. But Cronos, with its vampiric fairy-tale aesthetic, is not only gorgeous and haunting, it’s damn scary at times. The scene where Jesus licks blood off the bathroom floor is disgusting and fascinating. Furthermore, the stirring body horror elements — when Jesus starts deteriorating — recalls some of Cronenberg’s ghastly imagery. There are few vampire films that come off as truly original, and Cronos is one of them.
Jamie Frevele
Choosing my favorite horror movie is like choosing which child is the best. I have a very deep connection with anything that combines horror and comedy, so Evil Dead 2 is not just one of my favorite horror movies, but one of my favorite movies, hands-down. (Which is why interviewing Sam Raimi was such a big deal.) But as far as straight-up horror goes, Psycho is a beautiful classic that leaves me spooked if the final image is the last one I see before bed. (The final image after the unnecessary buzzkill exposition, of course.) Carnival of Souls is fabulously weird and creepy, too. The original Amityville Horror once rendered me stuck in a papasan chair, not wanting to have to touch the floor. And The Ring also freaks me out late at night, which I love, because nothing really freaks me out anymore. All of this said, Cabin in the Woods and Shaun of the Dead are modern masterpieces. Sorry, but I cannot have one favorite horror movie. It’s impossible.
Matthew Rothstein
Shaun of the Dead is an all-time, hands-down classic of both the horror and comedy genres. It’s too funny for the scary moments to really make you wet your pants, which is fine by me. Simon Pegg gives a master class in both dramatic acting and slapstick comedy, Edgar Wright supercharges the movie with smash cuts and micro-montages, and it all comes out as a slice of fried gold.
Ok all, your favorite horror movie of all time. Go!
