The Haunt Of Fear: ILX Top 100 HORROR Movies Poll Results Thread

Thanks Eric, this was great. It was fun to make the ballot, and it gave me a lot to watch. I have library rentals of Onibaba and Wicker Man sitting by the TV. Totally feel you on The Ring, it felt like the world's longest Korn video.

Man now that I have seen the top 150 man you people really really hate the hostel movies huh?

Any chance of knowing where they placed Eric?

Totally feel you on The Ring, it felt like the world's longest Korn video.

LOL I voted for The Ring and like it a lot, but very LOL

cosign on LOL'ing at tipsy's comparison of the ring to a Korn video.

There are only about 10 or so of all the films mentioned in this entire thread, including ballots, that I've never heard of. I wonder if they are alternate titles?

oh man i just got home and finally got to look at this thread on my computer rather than my phone. THE GIFS! thank you so much, eric and pillbox.

What a great list. The only thing that bums me is all those wonderful & original films after #100 & seeing Cabin in the Woods in their place.

it's a shame that the impact of Salem's Lot (@ least over here in the UK) was badly diminished by a butchered 'theatrical' edit that was all you could get on VHS, was an hour shorter and made no sense, it was terrible. you couldn't get a full length home video version until the mid 1990s. i'm sure that if you could it'd have the same rep as many of the great King adaptations cause it's bloody terrifying even now. very little has dated about the actual horror aspects.

amazing poll though aye; hats off poll-organiser chaps!

I guess I'm not as completely unschooled on horror as I thought...I've seen 35 of the top 100, and ten more from #101-150.

This has been a lot of fun to follow, even as a non-voter. I have some must-sees on my list now. Thx to Eric and Pillbox for running this.

I wasn't around for the final couple unveilings, so in defense/justification of my #1 vote for Alien, I think it is a.) the greatest monster movie ever, and b.) better at being the best-ever in its category than any of the other best-ever category contenders that I've seen (important caveat). Its real leap (beyond its amazing design and conception) was dispatching with the superfluous hero and boiling the story down to monster vs. damsel. IN SPACE!

Seriously, I think it's one of the greatest movies ever made. I don't know how you could improve it.

You did not just call Ripley a 'damsel'. You did not.

List of movies that didn't get a single vote, fwiw (I will upload the .xls file eventually):

1408
13 Ghosts (1960)
Abby
Absentia
Acacia
Addiction, The (1995)
Alien 3 (1992)
Angry Red Planet
Antibodies
Atrocious
Awful Dr. Orloff, The
Basket Case 2 (1990)
Basket Case 3: The Progeny (1991)
Beast with Five Fingers, The
Beast Within, The (1982)
Beloved
Black Belly of the Tarantula, The
Blood Beach (1980)
Bloodsucking Freaks
Blue Sunshine
Body Melt
Boy Meets Girl (1994)
Bride of Chucky (1998)
Bride of Re-Animator
Butcher, The
Call of Cthulhu, The (2005)
Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974)
Castle Freak (1995)
Cat and the Canary, The
Cat's Eye
Church, The [La Chiesa] (1989)
Class of 1984 (1982)
Cold Night's Death, A (1973)
Criminally Insane (1975)
Crowhaven Farm (1970)
Curse of Frankenstein, The
Dark Half, The
Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)
Dark Secret of Harvest Home, The (1978)
Day of the Beast, The [Dia de la Bestia] (1995)
Day of the Triffids, The (1962)
Dead and Buried (1981)
Dead Calm
Dead Kids [Strange Behavior] (1981)
Dead of Night (1977)
Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell (1978)
Devil Inside Her, The (1977)
Devil Rides Out, The (1968)
Disappearance of Alice Creed, The
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)
Don't Deliver Us from Evil
Dorian Gray (1970)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920)
Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)
DUMPLINGS!
Dunwich Horror, The
Dust Devil (1992)
Eaten Alive (1977)
Entrails of a Virgin (1986)
Equus (1977)
Evil Dead Trap
Evil, The
Evilspeak (1981)
Faces of Death
Faculty, The
Feed
Fido
Firestarter
Fly, The (1958)
Forbidden World [Mutant]
Fourth Man, The [The 4th Man] (1983)
Frankenhooker (1990)
Frighteners, The (1996)
From Beyond the Grave
Frontiere(s)
Galaxy of Terror (1981)
Gate, The (1987)
Geek Maggot Bingo (1983)
Genesis
Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (1971)
Grave Encounters
Graveyard Shift
Grudge, The (2004)
Habit (1995)
Halloween II (2009)
Hampshire
Hardware (1990)
Hatchet
Haunted Castle, The [Le Manoir du Diable]
Haunting in Connecticut, The
Hell Night
Hidden, The (1987)
Hills Have Eyes, The (2006)
Hiruko the Goblin
Horde, The
Horseman, The
Hospital Brut
House by the Cemetery (1981)
House of 1000 Corpses
House Of Whipcord (1974)
House on Cuckoo Lane, The
House That Dripped Blood, The
Human Centipede 2: The Full Sequence, The
Idle Hands (1999)
Initiation of Sarah, The (1978)
Interview With The Vampire
Island of Dr. Moreau, The (1996)
Isolation (2005)
It! The Terror from Beyond Space
It's Alive
It's Alive 3: Island of the Alive
Jack Frost (1996)
Jennifer (1978)
Ju-on: The Curse 2 (2000)
Ju-on: The Grudge 2 (2003)
Keep, The
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
Kissed
Last House on the Left, The (2009)
Lawnmower Man, The (1992)
Legend Of Hell House, The
Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)
Leprechaun 2
Lisa And The Devil
Living Dead Girl
Love - Zero = Infinity [Iyarashii hitozuma: ureru] (1994)
Love Letters to a Portuguese Nun (1977)
Machine Girl, The
Man's Best Friend (1993)
Mangler, The
Maniac Cop
Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People
Maximum Overdrive
Meet The Applegates
Mimic (1997)
Mum & Dad
Murder Party
My Little Eye
Mystery of the Wax Museum, The
Nadja (1994)
Needful Things
Nekromantik 2 (1991)
Night of Fear
Night of the Creeps
Nightmares (1983)
Noriko's Dinner Table (2005)
One Missed Call
Other, The (1972)
Parents
Phantasm II (1988)
Picture of Dorian Grey, The
Pit, The (1981)
Planet of the Vampires
Possessed, The (1977)
Prom Night (1980)
Prophecy, The (1995)
Psycho 2
Q: The Winged Serpent (1982)
Quiet Family, The
Quiet Place in the Country, A (1969)
R-Point
Raising Cain
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
Razorback (1984)
RED (2008)
Requiem for a Vampire
Return of the Living Dead III (1993)
Riding The Bullet
Rituals (1977)
Rogue
Rubber
Ruins, The
Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom
Santa's Slay
Satan's School for Girls (1973)
Sauna (2008)
Save the Green Planet!
Schramm: Into the Mind of a Serial Killer (1994)
Secret Window
See No Evil [Blind Terror] (1971)
Sender, The (1982)
Sexykiller (2008)
Shadow
Shallow Ground
Shatter Dead (1994)
Shiver
Shutter (2004)
Shuttle
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
Silver Bullet
Singapore Sling
Slaughter High
Sleepwalkers
Snuff
Species (1995)
Spiral (2000)
Splinter
Squirm (1976)
Stacy [Attack of the Schoolgirl Zombies] (2001)
Stendhal Syndrome, The (1996)
Stepfather, The (1987)
Street Trash (1987)
Student of Prague (1926)
Super 8
Teeth
Tell Me Something
Terror Train (1980)
Thankskilling
They Came Back [Les Revenants]
They Don't Cut the Grass Anymore (1985)
Thinner
Thirst (2009)
Three
Torture Garden
Tourist Trap
Toxic Avenger, The (1984)
Twisted Nerve
Twitch Of The Death Nerve
Ugly, The (1997)
Ungodly, The [The Perfect Witness]
Versus
Village of the Damned (1995)
Violent Kind, The
Wages of Fear, The
Warlock: The Armageddon (1993)
Waxworks (1924)
When a Stranger Calls
Whispering Corridors
Wishmaster (1997)
Wishmaster 2 (1999)
Witch Who Came From the Sea, The (1976)
Wolf (1994)
Woman, The (2011)
Xtro (1983)

Is there a 1 vote, 1 point list? Or did all films end up with more than one point?

You did not just call Ripley a 'damsel'. You did not.

distressed, even

xposts:

Only in genre terms! I mean, she is this fusion of the girl chased by the monster and the dragon-slaying hero all in one.

The five 1 vote, 1 point movies:

My Bloody Valentine (1981)
Nekromantik (1987)
Shiver of the Vampire
Uncle Sam
Wayward Cloud, The [Tian bian yi duo yun] (2005)

i woulda voted for nekromantik had i remembered.

i toyed with just c+p'ing the "video nasties" entry on wiki as my ballot.

Oh, from the no voters:

Black Belly of the Tarantula, The - a friend lent me this, but didn't make it to watching before voting ended, it's supposed to be good.
Blue Sunshine - was tempted to vote for this solely on the basis of the trailer, but didn't.
Body Melt - think I saw this, but only really remember Street Trash well of the melt movies.
Gate, The (1987) - awww, this isn't bad. Poor the Gate.
House by the Cemetery (1981) - really? Nobody? I mean, BOB'S VOICE is worth a point, surely?
House Of Whipcord (1974) - I thought this was supposed to be okay?
Parents - surprised by this. Not amazing, but of the right era for our demographic.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale - I really liked this film. A lot. But not enough for top 50 horrors.
Street Trash (1987) - what the hell? No votes? I knew I should've voted for this.
Student of Prague (1926) - this is pretty good from what I remember, too.
Witch Who Came From the Sea, The (1976) - again, I'm sure I've heard good things about this.

List of movies that didn't get a single vote, fwiw (I will upload the .xls file eventually):

Basket Case 2 (1990)
Blue Sunshine
Body Melt
Bride of Chucky (1998)
Bride of Re-Animator
Call of Cthulhu, The (2005)
Castle Freak (1995)
Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)
Day of the Beast, The [Dia de la Bestia] (1995)
Dead and Buried (1981)
Dead Calm
Dead Kids [Strange Behavior] (1981)
Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)
Dust Devil (1992)
Evilspeak (1981)
Faculty, The
Fly, The (1958) (HOLY CRAP @ THIS!!!)
Forbidden World [Mutant]
Fourth Man, The [The 4th Man] (1983)
Frankenhooker (1990)
Frighteners, The (1996)
Galaxy of Terror (1981)
Hardware (1990)
Hidden, The (1987)
Hiruko the Goblin
House of 1000 Corpses
Isolation (2005)
Keep, The
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
Legend Of Hell House, The
Machine Girl, The
Nadja (1994)
Night of the Creeps
Noriko's Dinner Table (2005)
Parents
Phantasm II (1988)
Q: The Winged Serpent (1982)
Return of the Living Dead III (1993)
Rubber
Save the Green Planet!
Sender, The (1982)
Singapore Sling
Spiral (2000)
Stacy [Attack of the Schoolgirl Zombies] (2001)
Stepfather, The (1987)
Street Trash (1987)
Teeth
Thirst (2009)
Twitch Of The Death Nerve
Ugly, The (1997)
Waxworks (1924)
Wishmaster (1997)
Wishmaster 2 (1999)
Witch Who Came From the Sea, The (1976)
Woman, The (2011)
Xtro (1983)

^ these are all good-to-great! could carve a satisfactory anti-ballot just out of stuff that got no votes.

In 2010, Arrow Video released a 2 DVD set in the UK featuring the documentary Meltdown Memoirs along with a previously unavailable featurette with Jane Arakawa and the booklet 42nd Street Trash: The Making of the Melt written by c-man.[11]

(i know, i know. but it still makes me 0_o.)

Tipsy, you know that Ripley's character was originally written as a man? I mean, I'm not one to say that intent is everything, but I wonder how that affects your reading.

201. Wake in Fright

I was the other voter for this! bless you, #1-er.

bwahaha i forgot it auto-corrected his real name

Yeah I'm pretty sure I could get a happy 50 out of the no vote stuff

Psycho 2 is underrated imo - I didn't vote for it, but still.

was I the person who had the lowest percentage on my ballot place? 14 out of 50.

that WHACK! over the head at the end is an *amazing* special effect even now. real brutal and unexpected and realistic.

Btw I know that I have come across as some kill crazy horehound on this thread but I would hardcore rep for anguish for the arthorror crowd and the reflecting skin for the slow dawning dread peeps

curious to see yr ballot, sarahell

xxp

Action poll winner: 1988
Comedy poll winner: 1980
Horror poll winner: 1980

You guys def loved watching stuff in the parents' basement

Ha gorehound autocorrects to horehound on iPhone thx 19th century. I think I have you beat sarahell, I counted 13 on my ballot earlier today

Haha OK thanks to people stanning in this thread I started watching Paranormal Activity 2 on Netflix and no fucking way am I finishing this before bedtime. I'm 42 and don't need nightmares kthxbye.

Tipsy, you know that Ripley's character was originally written as a man? I mean, I'm not one to say that intent is everything, but I wonder how that affects your reading.

Yep, and that wouldn't have been nearly the same movie. (And not just because the final battle probably wouldn't have had the hero in his underwear.)

Of course Aliens took it the next step by making the monster female, too.

I am wrong! I got 15, so sarahell wins/loses depending on how you look at it

You guys def loved watching stuff in the parents' basement

Many of my fondest memories ...

the reflecting skin for the slow dawning dread peeps

Seriously! There's also some some seriously disturbing stuff in it. Also at least one great quotable line

jjj it is so weird to me that you were up in arms about Lynch and then gave one of your hallowed 20C votes to Reflecting Skin

(though tbh that movie does make a lot more sense in a horror context)

i've seen part of Blue Sunshine (it's on netflix streaming btw) but I haven't seen the whole thing.

Ugh! So bummed I was too busy two days in a row (and these particular days, too) to participate in real time. Thoughts:

• Re: Texas Chainsaw Massacre

I kind of believe that anyone wanting to direct a horror film should have to apply for a license to do so. A simple test, but one of the questions is "What, to you, are the top 10 most effective horror scenes ever?". If that TCM scene isn't in their top 5...NO LICENSE FOR YOU!!!! I agree with you 100%, jjj. I think you could just about hold a weeklong seminar about why that shot is so, so effective. I don't know how many times I've brought it up over the years, but it's a lot.

• People who haven't seen Carpenter's The Thing because of Kael's review: she was a wonderful writer, but she was occasionally wrong enough about a movie that you wonder if she maybe overslept and failed to actually make it to the theater that day. This is one of those occasions.

• Related note: I haven't seen Jacob's Ladder in its entirety, and I remember thinking what I saw was pretty good and all, but damn if most of you that included it high up on your ballots weren't the same people voting for The Ring.

• Man, Day of the Dead didn't even make it into the top 150?! WTF, people!!! At least Return of the Living Dead and God Told Me To made it (might rewatch the latter tonight!).

I missed jjjusten's comment about the slamming door. Definitive--it's that moment in the film where you know you're striking out for uncharted territory.

Blue Sunshine and Body Melt are on the big want-to-see list

So many of those films that didn't get any votes I watched on UHF creature double features. God only knows how many times i saw "Devil Dog: Hound of Hell" (with Richard Crenna!).

Oh oh oh, before I forget: long and hearty peals of real-life lolling over the one-two punch of Ghost/Ghost Dad and Fozzie Bear doing the nasty. I was expecting some sort of #1 trolling, but y'all outdid y'selves.

"Devil Dog: Hound of Hell" (with Richard Crenna!).

pretty sure I have seen this! I think it was kinda disappointing because there wasn't enough dog.

Wow, it just occurred to me that this thread went by with very, very little discussion of the music in these movies. Considering how crucial the scoring is in most horror films, that's kind of amazing, and except for the talk around Howard Shore and his 7e7en/SOTL work there wasn't much. The top few, especially, do some amazing things: One of Goldsmith's top 3 or 4 scores EVAR for "Alien," Wendy Carlos's arrangement of Berlioz's "Dies Irae" in The Shining, Ennio Morricone doing John Carpenter doing Ennio Morricone in "The Thing" . . .

These "no votes received" films would've made it on my ballot if we'd been allotted, say, 75 picks:

13 Ghosts (1960)
Bloodsucking Freaks
Eaten Alive (1977)
Hospital Brut
It's Alive 3: Island of the Alive
Legend Of Hell House, The
Toxic Avenger, The (1984)

I'm actually legitimately shocked that no one voted for Legend Of Hell House. Aside from its kinda goofy ending, it's a really effective little haunted house movie. And what with its old-school British classiness and all, I really thought it'd get at least a little love from this particular voting bloc.

xpost

Well, the earlier discussion in the voting thread introduced to me the idea that I could actually own the Creepshow music as a thing separate from the movie, which I will always always always be thankful to have finally realized.

Thanks to the fun I've had following along in this poll especially the Top 20 I picked up a copy of Carnival Of Souls for $3 today...and I realized with dismay that I don't have a copy of TCM but my horror-fiend coworker is going to give me a loaner

Eric, Pillbox: outstanding job

And thank you ILXORS for putting stupid Jason Voorhees back in that stupid lake where he belongs. Stupid Friday 13th.

i considered voting for the toxic avenger -- partly b/c i went to high school w/ someone who had a (very very small) role in the film and lol NJ pride but also b/c i genuinely liked it -- but then i said, "nah, too cheesy."