Scary Movie Halloween Series Part 1
30 Best Horror Films of All Time
(Films that inspire Terror)
Continued...Number 21-30
21) JURASSIC PARK
R: 1993. Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum. Director: Steven Spielberg. Genre: Adventure, Family, Horror, Science Fiction. Awards (22) including: Academy Award® for visual effects, sound and sound editing; Saturn Award Best Science Fiction. Running Time: 122 min
DESCRIPTION: You can’t have a scary movie list without a few monsters and the monsters don’t get any bigger than a T-rex or more vicious than a velociraptor.
This film usually doesn’t make it into horror film lists, but it should. We were looking for a representative monster movie and though fun, the Godzilla films of the past and the Japanese monster movies, none stood out. We thought they weren’t good enough or scary enough to make the list and the production quality of the special effects just didn’t lend to credibility with the exception of the 1998 Godzilla release. That may change with the 2014 release of another Godzilla film currently on the docket. King Kong was a possibility, though that’s more of a love story. Even King Kong from 2005 isn’t as good as this one. Jurassic Park is a great story by Michael Crichton and it has several scary and terrifying scenes within the film and the special effects are amazing. Therefore Mr. Spielberg, I hope you don’t mind, but we’re adding this classic to the best horror films that are terrifying of all time.
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22) SLEEPY HOLLOW
R: 1999. Starring: Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Christopher Walken. Director: Tim Burton. Genre: Horror, Mystery. Awards (22) including: Academy Award® for Best Art/Set Direction, Saturn Award Best Actress, Best Music. Running Time: 105 min
DESCRIPTION: If there were an award for the best-looking horror film, Sleepy Hollow would get it hands down. Tim Burton has a specific style to his films. He uses dark colors and lighting to create an unmistakable mood. This is an updated more modern version of the classic tale of Ichabod Crane from the Washington Irving classic. That departure makes it surprising and visually amazing to watch. Of note is villain Christopher Walken’s portrayal of the Hessian soon to be Headless Horseman. This is a great film to watch Halloween night if you’re home tending the door. It will really put you in the mood.
If you’re looking for a more classic take on this story and something you can play with the kids, see the Disney feature length cartoon release from 1949 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow staring Bing Crosby.
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23) THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY
NR: 1945. Starring: George Sanders, Hurd Hatfield, Donna Reed, Angela Lansbury. Director: Albert Lewin. Genre: Drama, Horror, Fantasy. Awards (3) including: Academy Award® for Best Cinematography; Golden Globe® Best Supporting Actress; HUGO Best Dramatic Presentation. Running Time: 110 min
DESCRIPTION: Thank the singer James Blundt for stimulating my curiosity about this classic story by Oscar Wilde, incidentally the only novel the playwright ever wrote. This film has two versions. This, the original is on the terrifying list. The second from 2009 is on the slasher list. Both are good. Which you choose to watch depends on how gory you want the film to be. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a morality based story about a man who trades his soul after seeing a picture painted of him in exchange to stay young and beautiful forever like the picture. He descends into a life of hedonism and cruelty that leads to murder and the destruction of the lives around him. The twist comes as this picture of Dorian Grey changes to reflect the man inside under the veneer. He must hide it. When it is discovered, all hell breaks loose.
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24) THE SERPENT & THE RAINBOW
R: 1988. Starring: Bill Pullman, Cathy Tyson, Zakes Mokae. Director: Wes Craven. Genre: Horror, Thriller. Awards: Nominated for Best Make-up, Saturn Awards. Running Time: 98 min
DESCRIPTION: What makes this film ultra-freaky is that it is based upon a true story. It’s about voo-doo, the occult and mind altering drugs that turn the living into zombies with some fantastic special effects. It is also erotic, with a sizzling sex scene. The film takes place in Haiti and integrates the local customs and rich tapestry of the culture into the film. The music is addictive. This is a film that strikes fear whilst entertaining and drawing you in.
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25) A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
R: 1971. Starring: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Anthony Burgess. Director: Stanley Kubrick. Genre: Drama, Horror, Crime. Awards (6) including: Nominated for the Academy Award® for Best Picture; won Best Director NY Film Critics and HUGO for Best Dramatic Presentation. Running Time: 136 min
DESCRIPTION: What Deliverance is to men, A Clockwork Orange is to women. There is a reason this film almost received an X-rating and is listed in the IMDb database as such. The rape scenes are extremely graphic and violent. Additionally the film includes several instances of brash brutality.
A Clockwork Orange is based upon the Anthony Burgess novel of the same name and stays close to the book’s themes, (close enough in fact you can consider this the visual Cliff Notes for the book if it's assigned) about a group of violent hooligans who terrorize England. When they’re caught, the state inducts the leader into a voluntary aversion therapy program designed to eliminate his desire for violence. It doesn’t go as planned. CAVEAT: This is not a film you want to watch with a woman who has been raped. Kubrick is nearly masochistic in his portrayals and it will terrify her in the wrong way.
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26) THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE
R: 1997. Starring: Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, Charlize Theron. Director: Taylor Hackford. Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller. Awards (1): Saturn Award Best Horror Film.. Running Time: 144 min
DESCRIPTION: Al Pacino is amazing, hilarious and pure evil in this thriller about a young lawyer (Reeves) who never seems to lose a case and comes to work at mega New York Law Firm only to discover his new boss is not only the Devil, but his father as well. The special effects in this are titillating and the film is also quite seductive. It is surprising it didn’t win more awards. The film is excellent and a nice jab at the legal profession for anyone that’s been on the wrong side of a lawsuit.
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27) TALES OF TERROR:
MORELLA, THE BLACK CAT, THE CASE OF M. VALDEMAR
NR: 1962. Starring: Vincent Price, Maggie Pierce, Leona Gage. Director: Roger Corman. Genre: Comedy, Horror, Mystery. Awards: None. Running Time: 89 min
DESCRIPTION: Let’s say you cannot make up your mind what to watch. You want something scary, perhaps with a little humor thrown in, with a touch of who done it—that is also entertaining. Tales of Terror is perfect. This is a vignette covering three of Edgar Allen Poe’s best-loved classics including the cat lover’s favorite tattletale story The Black Cat. Poe mixes morality into his stories, which is part of their appeal. These three films are scary enough for parents and also appropriate for children over the age of eight making them the perfect introduction to Poe’s work and a family night in spooky feature.
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28) THE BAD SEED
NR: 1956. Starring: Nancy Kelly, Patty McCormack, Eileen Heckart, Henry Jones. Director: Mervyn LeRoy. Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller. Awards (4) including: nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress(2), Best Cinematography; Winner Golden Globe Best Supporting Actress. Running Time: 129 min
DESCRIPTION: Patty McCormick (Frost/Nixon, As the World Turns) plays a dastardly evil little girl in this classic horror film about a seemingly sweet pre-teen girl who is actually a budding serial killer driven by narcissistic and grandiose tendencies. This is the original film.
In 1993 it was remade as The Good Son with Macaulay Culkin, Elijah Wood and Wendy Crewson. The 1993 version is good, but the original The Bad Seed is great. This film was quite controversial when it came out. Little girls are supposed to be all sugar and spice. Not this time!
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29) THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES
NR: 1988. Starring: Jeremy Brett, Edward Hardwicke, Raymond Adamson. Director: Brian Mills. Genre: Drama, Horror, Crime. Awards: None. Running Time: 105 min
DESCRIPTION: Multiple versions of this film exist, one from 1939, 1959, 1988, 2003. All are excellent. We’re highlighting the 1988 version. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson find themselves on the wind and quicksand bog plagued moors of southern England, which appears to be haunted by a man-killing dog, wolf or monster. It’s up to Holmes to figure out if the animal is real or if the legend is being used to relieve a local aristocrat of his estate and money. Several tense moments will have you jumping out of your seat in this time-honored classic.
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30) SOYLENT GREEN
PG: 1973. Starring: Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson, Leigh Taylor-Young. Director: Richard Fleisher. Genre: Drama, Mystery, Science Fiction. Awards: None Running Time: 97 min
DESCRIPTION: This is the environmentalist’s horror film. The first time I saw it was in the 8th grade. Our science teacher, a 100% certified tree hugger and earth muffin, played it for us to drive home the need to recycle and pay attention to the environment. It had a profound impact on me and though not technically a ‘horror’ film, the last two minutes are about as horrific as an idea can get and that’s why it makes this list.
Soylent Green is the name of the food crackers that have replaced food on planet earth because greenhouse gases have blocked out the sun and over heated the planet to such an extent, nothing but algae grows. The futuristic film follows a detective (Heston) trying to solve a murder. In the process he uncovers a state secret that puts his own life at risk. This is one of two futuristic films dealing with depleted resources and the unthinkable institution of solutions. The other I recommend is Logan’s Run from 1976 starring Michael York and Jennifer Agutter. It’s about a society with such limited resources, nobody may live beyond the age of 30. Logan’s Run is being remade with Ryan Gosling and Rose Bryne playing the leads and is set for release in 2014.
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Go to Part 2: Suspense Thrillers
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE FILM THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE LIST?
Don't be shy! Let others know about the scary films you love. Leave your comments below.
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About the Author: Laura Dawn Lewis is the Publisher and Founder of Couples Company and the author of 2012 Event, Editorial & Promotional Calendar, The Storybook Advent Calendar: 24 Stories for Christmas and the Laid Off Now What Series. She can also be found on LinkedIn.
HALLOWEEN MOVIES
30 Scariest and Most Terrifying Films
Top 30 Suspense Thrillers
Top 20 Violent Horror Films of All Time
MORE MOVIE RANKINGS
HOMEPAGE
out some of these i haven't seen yet!
When this happens, some of the classics drop off. Thanks for your comments. Couples Company.
You'll find Halloween and the Saw movies (amongst others) on Part III of this Series: Top 20 Violent Horror Films. Thanks for your comments! Couples Company.
Top 20 Violent Horror Films. You'll find several Zombie films there as well as the expected Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream, Final Destination series and others. Thanks for your comments. Couples Company.
lives plus lots of surprises. It's also an action/adventure and Sci-Fi film. You'll notice this list is entitled "Scariest". The classic versions of horror films are ranked under 'The Top 20 Violent Horror Films'. Thank you for your comments.
