Top 50 Scariest Movies of All Time

(Last Week: 20-1)

Oops! I got so busy with Halloween that I forgot I was doing this.

Anyway, here's the rest of the list...

20. Audition

- This movie seemed like a romantic comedy... until it wasn't.

19. Alien

- I love Sigourney Weaver in this movie and the final scene is by far the most tense.

18. Rosemary's Baby

- One of my favorite older films with an unbearable sense of paranoia.

17. High Tension

- A movie from France that lives up to and beyond its name.

16. The Descent

- The claustrophobic atmosphere only adds to the helplessness you will feel.

15. The Thing

- Literally in the middle of nowhere, you're completely on your own.

14. The Mist

- A movie that makes you feel completely helpless even though there are people around.

13. Eraserhead

- Like a terrible nightmare you don't understand and can't escape from.

12. The Fog

- One of the best ghost stories ever put to film.

11. IT

- A made for TV movie that creeps under your skin and stays there for a lifetime.

10. Poltergeist

- THE ghost story. Truly terrifying in a heartwarming sort of way.

09. Carrie

- Over 40 years later this movie still feels like it could be your high school nightmare.

08. Psycho

- This movie wasn't scary until I grew up and realized human vulnerability.

07. Halloween

- The ultimate slasher movie where the killer is around every corner.

06. Rec

- A horror movie from Spain that traps has an extremely unsettling end.

05. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

- One of the most disturbing movies ever made, I tried to block it from memory, but can't.

04. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

-The original is the best with the most unsettling atmosphere.

03. The Shining

- This movie makes you feel alone with the characters... until the ghosts show up.

02. The Exorcist

- The granddaddy of all horror films still lives up to its reputation today!

01. Threads

- The only horror film to leave me shaking and crying like a baby. To this day when I think about this film all of the feelings of uncontrolled helplessness come back to haunt me.

Top 50 Scariest Movies of All Time

(Week 5-ish: 30-21)

30. Hellraiser (1987)

- A violent and disturbing movie originating in the attic of an older home.

29. The Evil Dead (1981)

- A bloody tale with several disturbing and memorable scenes.

28. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

- A creepy story of lies and helplessness.

27. Misery (1990)

- The claustrophobic atmosphere chokes you throughout the film.

26. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

- A movie that makes you feel like you're just as helpless as its characters.

25. Paranormal Activity (2007)

- This movie still bothers me to this day, truly scary.

24. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

- If this movie gets in your dreams you will not be able to sleep.

23. The Haunting (1963)

- A classic eerie ghost story with striking visuals and a chilling atmosphere.

22. Jaws (1975)

- A well-made chiller that has a surprise around every turn.

21. The Omen (1976)

- A truly scary story with music that will haunt you long after the movie's over.

Top 50 Scariest Movies of All Time

(Week 4: 35-31)

35. Saw (2004)

- A really scary movie where you don't know what will happen next.

34. Black Christmas (1974)

- A top notch, low budget slasher movie that actually brings chills.

33. Scream (1996)

- The opening scene alone is enough to make this one of the best.

32. Final Destination (2000)

- A really interesting twist on an unseen killer.

31. The Ring (2002)

- This slow-paced chiller is guaranteed to give you nightmares.

Top 50 Scariest Movies of All Time

Skipped a week of posts, so I'm catching up.

(Week 3: 40-36)

40. Nosferatu (1922)

- The original vampire, and the scariest to this day.

39. The Fly (1986)

- One of the most visually disturbing films of all time.

38. Pet Sematary (1989)

- An innocent family is turned slowing into the living dead.

37. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

- A horror classic that still packs a significant punch.

36. Suspiria (1977)

- A terrifying secret lies with the head of a boarding school for dancers.

Top 50 Scariest Movies of All Time

(Week Two: 45-41)

45: The Innocents (1961)

- A creepy ghost story set in a remote mansion.

44: The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

- A court drama with a chilling demonic twist.

43: Stir of Echoes (1999)

- This movie will get inside your head and won't let go.

42: The Changeling (1980)

- A slow-building supernatural tale set mostly in an old manor.

41: Prince of Darkness (1987)

- A story of the Devil coming to Earth that you won't forget.

2012

I did not get to see 2012 (2009) in theaters, but I feel if I had then I might have been more disappointed. Even sitting at home on a 32" TV, some of the special effects seemed like they may have not been finished. Overall, the movie looked good.

The story follows a limo driver who literally goes to the ends of the Earth to save his family during the 2012 end of the world scenario. But a movie like this really isn't about the story and even the director seems to acknowledge that. If you're going to watch a movie about the end of the world either you want to become intimately close to a character and get involved with how they survive, or you just want to see the end of the world. In this case, the bulk of the money and special effects are used to show you the end of the world as you've never seen it before. And that part is amazing. The rest of it wasn't important to begin with.

For what it set out to do, this was a great movie. As far as it's cinema value is concerned, it won't be well remembered even five years down the road. (6.9/10)

Top 50 Scariest Movies of All Time

Halloween's only about a month away, so I thought I'd make a list of what I think are the scariest movies of all time. I looked through every horror movie on IMDB rated 5.0/10 or higher and ranked the ones I thought were the scariest. Here we go...

(Week One: 50 - 46)

50: The Bad Seed (1956)

- A really disturbing story of what children are capable of doing.

49: Child's Play (1988)

- The classic tale of murder told through the eyes of a child.

48: Dark Water (2002)

- A really creepy Japanese mystery about death in an apartment building.

47: The Birds (1963)

- A very slow building horror film in a quiet seaside town.

46: Dawn of the Dead (2004)

- A remake that was dead on in its comedy and terror.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

I've seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) so many times that I could quote most of it and sing along with about every song. It's not the best musical ever made, but it's so damn quirky and catchy that you can't help but love it.

The story follows newlyweds Brad and Janet as their car gets a flat tire near a creepy old castle. They decide the best thing to do is see who's home and ask for help. Upon entering the castle they find a party going on, but nobody at the party is quite normal and they haven't seen anything yet. They stumble upon a twisted transvestite doctor's diabolical plan to create the perfect man. While distracted by this, others in the group hatch a plan to overthrow the doctor and Brad and Janet become caught in the middle of it all. The movie is paced very well and the music keeps the mood upbeat through most of the movie. Things get a little jumbled toward the end, but by the time it's all done that doesn't really matter. It's really a movie that is experienced rather than just watched.

A personal favorite of mine, even with its obviously low production values. (8.6/10)

The Little Mermaid

I think The Little Mermaid (1989) is one of the monsters of Disney cinema. Before there was Pixar, Disney had a really good run of films from about 1989 to 1994. This was the beginning of that run.

The story follows Ariel who is the mermaid daughter of the king of the sea. She finds her life boring and wishes to experience what it would be like to human and walk on land for a while. To do this she asks for help from the sea witch Ursula who changes her into a human for a short time. The only catch is that if she cannot find true love during that time, she will forever become a twisted slave in Ursula's collection. The story is a simple fairytale that is well executed and brought to life in an extraordinary way on screen. My only real complaint about the movie is that it felt very rushed. Everything happens so fast as though if they made the movie longer than 80 minutes everything would fall apart.

This is a great classic Disney film that will live on even if the company decides to scrap their 2D animation studio again. (8.8/10)

The Hurt Locker

I felt like I had missed something when I watched The Hurt Locker (2008) because everyone was hailing it as one of the best movies ever made. I just didn't get it. The movie never came across to me as anything more than your basic war movie.

The story follows a young soldier in the middle east who is somewhat of a thrill seeker. He's constantly putting those around him at great risk and seems to have no regard whatsoever for his own life. As he goes through different experiences, you think his outlook is going to change, but all that goes out the window in the end where he's still just as reckless as ever. I tried to find something to like about this movie, but I just couldn't. The acting isn't really that great, the story is choppy and struggles to stay together, and the hand-held direction of the movie is absolutely atrocious. When Kathryn Bigelow won Best Director last year, I almost cried. Not only should Sofia Coppola have been the first female winner of that award for Lost in Translation years ago, but it should have gone to James Cameron last year for the amazing movie Avatar.

All around this movie was lost on me and the intense critical praise it received made me like it even less. (5.4/10)