A quick favour for everyone as you think up your lists of iconic horror movies: The Friday installments of the Genre Essentials series, "Other resources", has been coming up close to empty throughout the series--but the Friday post is where suggestions for DVD commentaries go, and as committed writers, I'm sure you all listen avidly to the commentary tracks on your DVD collections. As you go through your shelves picking out your favourite horror films, could you give some thought to which ones have great DVD commentary tracks too--and make a note to recommend them on Friday? It would be great to beef up those Friday lists. Thank you!

Horror not really my thing, but how about Paranormal Activity, Saw (first one only), Halloween, Nightmare On Elm Street, Cabin In The Woods.

THE SHINING FRANKENSTEIN (1931) HALLOWEEN (1978) THE EXORCIST PSYCHO JAWS THE INNOCENTS THE THING (1982) THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1973) ALIEN

Some older, iconic horror films that I want to make sure get on our list: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) The Golem: or How He Came into the World (1920) Nosferatu(1922) Dracula (1931) The Mummy (1932) Freaks (1932) King Kong (1933) The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933) Bride of Frankenstein (1935) Cat People (1942) Godzilla (1954) Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (1956) Eyes Without a Face (1960) The Hands of Orlac (1924 / 1960) Psycho (1960) The Birds (1963) Night of the Living Dead (1967) Rosemary's Baby (1968) The Stepford Wives (1975) The Omen (1976)

Suspiria'76, Argento; Don't Look Now'73, Roeg; Possession'81, Zulawski; Vampyr'32, Dreyer; Kill, Baby, Kill'66, Bava; Evil Dead II'87, Raimi; Videodrome'83, Cronenberg; The Beyond'81, Fulci; Repulsion'54, Polanski; Carrie'81, dePalma; Tried to list some films people might forget along the way but that are major contributions to any study on the horror genre. And Carpenter is the man.

I'm assuming Silence of the Lambs falls under thriller, otherwise add it here. My favoirites have been nominated, so let me add Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. A very low budget film recently recommended by one of the scriptreaders I follow on Twitter (guessing Bitter, don't remember for sure). It's a slasher film that spoofs on slasher films and goes over the genre while doing it.

Jaws Cabin in the Woods Scream The Shining 28 Days Later Silence of the Lambs Halloween The Exorcist Psycho The Thing Shaun of the Dead And really, anything by Carpenter in the 80s.

The Fly (1986) Poltergeist An American Werewolf in London 28 Days Later Let the Right One In A Nightmare on Elm Street Paranormal Activity Scream The Ring The Sixth Sense

Adrian Lyne's Jacob's Ladder (1990)

Rosemary's Baby Saw The Blair Witch Project The Exorcist Paranormal Activity The Sixth Sense The Thing 28 Days Later Carrie The Hills Have Eyes The Ring The Orphanage &, for fun, Shaun of the Dead

It looks like we have some real genre aficionados here. It's great to see such a range of suggestions. Debbie--for someone who doesn't watch horror, you still pulled out some heavy hitters there. Jasper--I've seen Jaws listed on some classic horror lists, too, and I debated including it, too, but I always thought of it as more of a thriller, which is how IMDB lists it. On the other hand, it certainly set the standard for the past 30 years of creature/animal horror movies. I'm curious how it wound up on your list. ShortofStories--wow, you know your way around international horror. Nice list. I was hoping we'd get a good Argento recommendation in particular. Edw1225--I'm with you on Silence of the Lambs. I've seen it on Horror lists, too, but I agree that it's so much more of a Thriller, and has had a stronger influence on Thrillers. And I saw that recommendation, too; I think you're right that it might have been from Bitter. I'm hoping to find and view it. David--another great list. Do you have any specific Carpenters to recommend (towards voting on the list later)? Kevin--I was just talking about Jacob's Ladder the other day. I'm still in awe of the deeply creepy effects in that movie. Screentweets and Judy, two questions for you: 1. The Sixth Sense: do you really see it as a horror? IMDB lists it as a drama / mystery / thriller. I haven't seen it in ages but don't remember it being scary--suspenseful and moving, but not scary. That brings us to the invisible background question: how do you define the horror genre? So I'm asking, out of interest, not as a challenge: how does this one wind up on your horror lists, and what are the hallmarks of the horror genre for you? 2. Shaun of the Dead - I loved this, too, and I have a soft spot for horror comedies, the cheesier the better. In a similar vein, I can recommend: Black Sheep (2006), Undead (2003), Dead Snow (2009). I wonder if horror comedy is a strong enough cross-genre category, especially in spec script sales, to warrant looking at on its own later in the series?

Most of my suggestions have already been name-checked: Freaks, Cat People, Psycho, Night of the Living Dead, The Exorcist, Halloween, Scream, The Blair Witch Project, Saw. But here's a few more: Ringu [i.e. the Japanese original of The Ring, which is probably what everyone's already suggested anyway...] Dead Ringers [Cronenberg's body horror goes uptown] The Haunting [monster-less horror, lesbian subtext, hours of fun] The Legend of Hell House [the missing link between The Haunting and The Shining] Dawn of the Dead [zombies as consumerism metaphor]

David possibly means The Fog, The Thing (da best!), Christine, They Live. Halloween as a bonus. About my input, it is impossible to study horror without a good look at Italy. Argento's trilogy, Deep Red and Opera are other great films to look for, so as Fulci's Zombi films. And Bava is a genius, Planet of the Vampires inspired Alien all the way. Black Sunday and Black Sabbath are another great pieces, still, Kill, Baby, Kill is his best, possibly a reference to any scary child in a movie and something to study for those whom enjoy Tim Burton as Bava is the best at surrealist gothic. I still believe that Rabid Dogs is his best film, but not a horror movie.

I've wanted to put together a crash course in Argento films and Italian horror in general. This is fantastic, ShortofStories. Thank you so much!

Nosferatu Cat People The Night of the Hunter Spiral Staircase Psycho Birds The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Rosemary's Baby Repulsion The The Exorcist Suspiria The Shining Jaws Let the Right One In Buried

The House by the Cemetery, The Changeling Martyrs Dawn of the Dead - original and remake The Thing Halloween, Nightmare on Elm, Hellraiser, Poltergeist, Friday the 13th, The Shining, Jaws, Alien, Exorcist, Suspiria and Rosemary's Baby Nightmare 3 Behind the Mask, House of the Devil, The Orphanage, Devil's Backbone, Cold Sweat, Devil's Rejects Pathology - great concept, bad lead actor New flicks: The Loved Ones, VHS, Detention (genre-mashup), Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, The Crazies

Scary horror movies:- The ring(US version), IT, Paranormal Activity. Kairo(Japenese version). The Thing. Alien. Jaws (not really a horror but I live on a boat, have gone snorkeling on the GBR and still hear the theme music whenever I'm in the water) Funny Horror movie: Tucker and Dale vs evil, Evil Dead 2, Shaun of the Dead Honerable mentions: Event Horizon, in the Mouth of Madness, The Sixth Sense (though it's not really a horror), 28 Days later.

The Shining The Exorcist The Thing The Descent The Fly The Mist The Fog Alien American Werewolf in London Psycho Ringu Martyrs Inside Eden Lake Suspiria Scream Halloween (1 & 2) Friday the 13th (1 & 4) Black Sunday Them Dawn of the Dead Invasion of the Body Snatchers The Blob Saw House of 1000 Corpses Audition Evil Dead (1 & 2) Dead Alive Creepshow Trick R Trick Amityville Horror Poltergeist Slither 28 Days Later Near Dark The Lost Boys Frailty Lake Mungo Rosemary's Baby Hellraiser (1 & 2) Nightmare on Elm Street (1 & 3) Texas Chainsaw Massacre The Grudge Dark Waters Night of the Demons (Original) Return of the Living Dead Shaun of the Dead Carrie Don't Look Now Bride of Frankenstein Monster Squad May Hard Candy Hausu

Whatever genre u need help, just get in contact. unless it is japanese cinema, i suck at those.

There's a funny feeling among the suggestions and through the lists most of us research in order to recall the horror movies we've seen. There are some films listed as "horror" which we don't consider as so. Why is that? What defines "horror"?

Good question. Before we even worry about formal definitions, the shortest answer for me is that a horror film has to be scary, and the horror elements have to dominate. So, for example, I can see making the case that Jaws or Alien are horror movies, or at least that they have influenced the genre, but Shaun of the Dead and The Sixth Sense are not. In other words, for me, a supernatural element alone isn't enough without horror to make a horror movie (otherwise Splash is a horror). What about the rest of you?

<> I guess my basic definition would be any story where characters are faced with a threat that defies reason and how it causes them to behave. I think The Sixth Sense meets that criteria. Some horror fans need jump scares and gore for an entertaining movie, but I'm more of a suspense fan.

How do you distinguish between the horror genre and the thriller genre?

Not sure if "scary" really works as a horror definition. Because everyone is afraid of different things. ie. I don't find human villain horror movies scary, anything with a human villain is just an action movie for me. But ghost stories? The lights stay on for a couple of days. Though it is an interesting point about how to define a horror movie.

Ha! It looks like we have yet again put the cart before the horse by building a list before we defined the genre. Let's back up a little, shall we? How do YOU define the horror genre? How do you distinguish the horror genre from other genres (most particularly thrillers)? And can you point us at any good definitions? Here's a definition from AMC Filmsite to help the conversation: > Horror Films are unsettling films designed to frighten and panic, cause dread and alarm, and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience. Horror films effectively center on the dark side of life, the forbidden, and strange and alarming events. They deal with our most primal nature and its fears: our nightmares, our vulnerability, our alienation, our revulsions, our terror of the unknown, our fear of death and dismemberment, loss of identity, or fear of sexuality. And a definition from TV Tropes: > Horror is a Genre of fiction that exploits the Primal Fears of viewers with things ranging from the Uncanny Valley, Body Horror, and Suspense to cause the viewer anxiety, fear, and ultimately thrills. > Not sure if “scary” really works as a horror definition. Because everyone is afraid of different things. 7LDR, I have to respectfully disagree here. There is a subjective element in how different audience members will respond to any work in any genre, but saying horror movies don't need to (attempt to) instill fear is like saying a comedy doesn't need to (attempt to) be funny. Horror is, by definition, what defines the horror genre. If you don't define the horror genre in terms of horror, how do you (objectively) define it? PS If you're still brainstorming about horror movies to suggest, here is a list from Time Out London of the 100 Best Horror Films, as chosen by those who write in, direct, star in and celebrate the genre.

PPS The TV Tropes page on Horror raises a good point that may be causing some confusion: Horror and Speculative Fiction can overlap. But, that doesn't mean they are the same thing. Just as the presence of speculative fiction elements like ghosts or aliens doesn't mean a film is necessarily a horror film (e.g., Casper or E.T.), a film without speculative fiction elements can still be a horror (e.g., The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Psycho).

Most thrillers are about protagonists searching for something. Horror usually has them being chased by someone (or some thing). The two genres often overlap.

Thrillers are more of a continuing suspense, keeping you guessing throughout. Horror tends to go for those 'GOTCHA!' moments... I much prefer thrillers to horror (not my favorite genre) but I do enjoy the occasional scare.

@shaula Evans. Actually that's a good point and that's how I'd define the horror genre . Not a movie which is scary (as everyone is scare of different things but a movie which attempts to be scary, the only problem with this is horror comedy which doesn't always try to be scary yet it is clearly horror. Though they rely heavily on established horror tropes so may w that's why they are horror. Also for horror comedy I should include brain dead (early Peter Jackson).

Great definition on Horror Comedy. We haven't really gotten into depth on horror comedies in here so far, have we? I hope we may look at it as its own subgenre later in the series (both selfishly because its a genre I love to watch, and because I have a zombie comedy on the backburner). Would anyone else be interested? A film I didn't add to this list that I'll save in hopes of a Horror Comedy week: Lair of the White Worm!

Here are 11. Action-horror is one of my favorite genres but there are so many to choose from (the Underworld series, Resident Evil series, etc) that I just decided to include only Blade II. The 11th one, co-written by Joss Whedon. is really a satire of horror films, but I couldn’t resist it:-). Nosferatu (1922) by F. W. Murnau Frankenstein (1931) by James Whale Night of the Living Dead (1968) by George A. Romero (btw, in the public domain in the US) The Exorcist (1973) by William Friedkin Carrie (1976) by Brian De Palma The Shining (1980) by Stanley Kubrick Hellraiser (1987) by Clive Barker Ringu (1998) by Hideo Nakata Blade II i(2002) by Guillermo del Toro Let the Right One In (2008) by Tomas Alfredson The Cabin in the Woods (2011) by Drew Goddard

I think of JAWS as a horror/adventure movie - I'm not big on imdb's classifications in general, and I think tagging it as a "thriller" is way off. It seems to me it's definitely in the creature/monster subset of horror movies.

This is sort of similar to my definition of a horror movie - if it involves situations and/or characters/beings who are so extreme or grotesque that they're next door to being supernatural, or actually supernatural. It's sometimes a very fine line - I'd classify SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and PSYCHO as horror films, but not something like FATAL ATTRACTION or KLUTE.

[...] Genre Essentials: Horror – 10 Horror Movies You Must See (gointothestory.blcklst.com) [...]

Thank you to everyone who has made suggestions so far. I have compiled the list to date in order to move it to the new Genre Essentials section of the GOYOQ forums, which we'll be unveiling soon. I feel like we've compiled an impressively broad, deep, and comprehensive list for this genre! When I format, compile, alphabetize and de-duplicate the list, sometimes a suggestion can get eaten in the process, so please feel encouraged to double check and make sure all of your suggestions are represented in the list to date. 1. 28 Days Later 2. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3. Alien 4. Amityville Horror 5. An American Werewolf in London 6. Audition 7. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon 8. Birds 9. Black Sabbath 10. Black Sunday 11. Blade II 12. Bride of Frankenstein (1935) 13. Buried 14. Carrie (1976) by Brian De Palma 15. Cat People (1942) 16. Christine 17. Cold Sweat 18. Creepshow 19. Dark Waters 20. Dawn of the Dead - original 21. Dawn of the Dead - remake 22. Dead Alive 23. Dead Ringers 24. Deep Red 25. Detention 26. Devil’s Backbone 27. Devil’s Rejects 28. Don’t Look Now ’73, Roeg 29. Dracula (1931) 30. Eden Lake 31. Evil Dead (1) 32. Evil Dead (2) 33. Exorcist 34. Eyes Without a Face (1960) 35. Frailty 36. Frankenstein (1931) by James Whale 37. Freaks 38. Freaks (1932) 39. Friday the 13th (1) 40. Friday the 13th (4) 41. Godzilla (1954) 42. HALLOWEEN (1978) 43. Halloween (2) 44. Hard Candy 45. Hausu 46. Hellraiser (1987) by Clive Barker 47. Hellraiser (2) 48. House of 1000 Corpses 49. House of the Devil 50. Inside 51. Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (1956) 52. IT 53. Jacob’s Ladder (1990) 54. Jaws 55. Kairo(Japenese version) 56. Kill, Baby, Kill ’66, Bava 57. King Kong (1933) 58. Lake Mungo 59. Let the Right One In (2008) by Tomas Alfredson 60. Martyrs 61. May 62. Monster Squad 63. Near Dark 64. Night of the Demons (Original) 65. Night of the Living Dead (1968) by George A. Romero (btw, in the public domain in the US) 66. Nightmare On Elm Street (1) 67. Nightmare on Elm Street (3) 68. Nosferatu (1922) by F. W. Murnau 69. Opera 70. Paranormal Activity 71. Pathology 72. Planet of the Vampires 73. Poltergeist 74. Possession ’81, Zulawski 75. Psycho (1960) 76. Repulsion ’54, Polanski 77. Return of the Living Dead 78. Ringu (1998) by Hideo Nakata 79. Rosemary’s Baby (1968) 80. Saw (I) 81. Scream 82. Shaun of the Dead 83. Silence of the Lambs 84. Slither 85. Spiral Staircase 86. Suspiria ’76, Argento 87. The Beyond ’81, Fulci 88. The Birds (1963) 89. The Blair Witch Project 90. The Blob 91. The Cabin in the Woods (2011) by Drew Goddard 92. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) 93. The Changeling 94. The Crazies 95. The Descent 96. The Exorcist (1973) by William Friedkin 97. The Fly (1986) 98. The Fog 99. The Golem: or How He Came into the World (1920) 100. The Grudge 101. The Hands of Orlac (1924 / 1960) 102. The Haunting 103. The Hills Have Eyes 104. The House by the Cemetery 105. The Innocents 106. The Legend of Hell House 107. The Lost Boys 108. The Loved Ones 109. The Mist 110. The Mummy (1932) 111. The Night of the Hunter 112. The Omen (1976) 113. The Orphanage 114. The Orphanage 115. The Ring (US version) 116. The Shining (1980) by Stanley Kubrick 117. The Sixth Sense 118. The Stepford Wives (1975) 119. The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933) 120. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1973) 121. The Thing (1982) 122. Them 123. They Live 124. Trick R Trick 125. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil 126. Vampyr ’32, Dreyer 127. VHS 128. Videodrome ’83, Cronenberg 129. Zombi

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