Top 10 Horror Flicks

I was asked by the paper I write for to come up with a top ten horror movie list and it was a tough assignment. I have about a top 137 list that I will share one day here.


Horror movies have to have certain criteria: the more wacked-out the characters are, the more far-fetched their surrounding elements are and how they deal-- the better. I like to see people scared out of their wits (better them than me) enduring edge of their seat problems, jolts, shocks, real suspense and blood pouring from every orifice with guts flying everywhere: this is top notch horror .The following are what I consider to be an eclectic and essential selection in the hopes of spurring some newfound viewing action their way.Here's what I came up with...

Morgan P Salvo's weeded out Top Ten Horror Movie List

1) Texas Chainsaw Massacre (dir: Tobe Hooper) 1974
By far the best horror movie EVER is the Tobe Hooper classic, if not one of the best movies of all time. It’s surprisingly not as gory as one believes from the title, but thanks to its twisted saga of Sally and wheelchair bound Franklin travelling with some friends it goes hazardously awry once they pick up the hitchhiker whose brother makes “headcheese real good” We then delve into cannibalistic inbred hillbilly nut-jobs and good ol’ chainsaw wielding Leather Face. This movie is so demented that it keeps you on the edge of your seat not only due to the sheer terror involved but the hilarious dialogue and goofy acting. There are on liners from this movie I still quote today.

2) Evil Dead (dir: Sam Raimi) 1981
Horror at its peak! This is the on of the most hilarious, knuckle-biting and gory creep fest on the planet. Lantern-jaw Bruce Campbell and pals wig out royally in a cabin in the woods possessed by at least 3 Linda Blairs from the Exorcist--blood spews like wretched wine in this one. Spawning 2 sequels (both in the humorous mode) and countless rip-off versions. This is one fast paced inventive gore-fest that can make you laugh as hard as you scream.

3) Audition (dir: Takeshi Miike) 1999
Japan’s hardest working and most prolific film maker Miike has made arguably the creepiest movie ever. It seems to be a tragic almost boring love story until the halfway mark, then there’s this thing that happens causing the movie to take so many jaw-dropping turns bending into unfathomable sadistically evil and surreal images that your guess is as good as the next as to what the hell went wrong.

4) Suspiria (dir: Dario Argento) 1977
From Italian Giallo master of vibrant color and artistic misogyny comes this disturbing witch story about a possessed dancing school/ covenant --gruesome deaths are bloodier than the red curtains in the hallways. Keeping us guessing as to the identity of the killer, the ingenious deaths are horrific and gory and Suspiria builds up all kinds of tricks and cheesy suspense. The absolutely abrasive soundtrack by the Goblins gets right under your skin and stays there.

5) Dawn of the Dead (dir: George A Romero) 1978
The Nightmarish colorful follow up to Night of the Living dead is the classic of all classics helped with a script by Dario Argento, soundtrack by the Goblins and special effects wizard Tom Savini. This has it all: zombies, bikers, cops, good girl/sexpot, helicopter pilot dweeb, and it all takes place in America’s finest establishment—the shopping mall. The gore just doesn’t seem to stop and gets more inventive as it goes.

6) Saw (series)(dir: James Wan ,Darren Lynn Bousman, David Hackl)2003-2008
The sequels keep this sadistic morality tale alive by never succumbing to lesser versions as they are all interconnected and resemble good HBO series, in fact that’s what it should be so we don’t have to wait a whole year for each one. It’s all abut the gizmos, the torture, the blood and guts AND making the right choices in life. True to form Saw V follows suit and doesn’t disappoint.

7) Rabid (dir; David Cronenberg) 1977
Porn star Marylyn Chambers goes legit with this relentless tale of a modern day (well 70’s) predatory lady Frankenstein. Chambers experiences a motorcycle accident .Then after waking up in the hospital inexplicably has a mechanical drill-like syringe that oozes goop out of her armpit. Agitated she attacks people with her new-fangled gizmo turning them rabid. I can’t make this stuff up. It’s a typical Cronenberg testimonial on the wrongs of technology and society but this is so over the top, everyone should see this sleeper

8) Blood Feast (dir: Hershel Gordon Lewis) 1963
The granddaddy of all things gore! Drive-in schlock master Lewis made this super low budget gem to kick off his “blood trilogy” (2000 Maniacs and Color Me Blood Red were to follow). Fuad Ramses (a demented caterer) prepares an Egyptian feast of sorts.( a sacrifice is needed) Thanks to some ingenuous creepy special effects the queasy should stay away although its campy style and hilarious bad acting will have you rolling on the floor, but the gore still stands up to this day.

9) Maniac (dir: William Lustig) 1980
Joe Spinel(Godfather1&2) has never been better in this sick and sadistic murder spree that thinly resembles son of Sam. Some of the best gore-effects ever by Tom Savini (in a cameo showcasing his head exploding) --impressive as hell--but women hated when it came out, making it the first controversial slasher pic to get protested and boycotted. It tells the story of a twisted psychotic mama’s boy who has to go out at night and kill. He talks to and has sex with mannequins in his basement. It RULES!

10) Near Dark (dir: Kathryn Bigelow) 1987
Modern day vampires driving a Winnebago with the sunlight blocked out by duct tape on the windows doing a road trip feeding frenzy. This is a real creeper with gratuitous violence and the obligatory camp factor. It stays in a real evil creepy mood delivering the shocks and the laughs especially when they vampires incite a blood-spewing bar fight with rednecks. Lance Henrikson shines as the vampire leader.