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News / Guides / Best Horror Movies / Comments
Best Horror Movies
October 24, 2008
Discuss Article

Well, would you look at that? It's almost Halloween again. But before you have to fill up the candy bowl and set the plastic cauldron of dry ice out on the porch, your good friends at RT have taken the time to refresh our list of the best horror movies of all time!

What makes a horror movie? The definition is open to interpretation, but if it made a sizeable portion of its audience scream, jump involuntarily, or dive for the covers, then you'll probably find it on this list. (Notable exception: The Hottie and the Nottie.) We've assembled all the usual suspects -- Freddy, Dracula, that cat with the leathery face -- and, as always, have taken care to add a few choices you may not expect.

As you'll know if you've read any of our previous lists, each entry has 20 reviews or more to back up its inclusion here, and the final rankings were devised using a weighted system that takes into account both the movies' Tomatometers and number of reviews.

Now that we've established the parameters and laid out the ground rules, there's nothing left to do but start the scariest countdown of the year!

Back to Guide
Comments (181-199 of 199 posts) | Reply
ArmondWhite
ArmondWhite writes:
on Nov 03 2008 03:14 PM

No Shining?

FAIL!


(Reply to this)
Eric C.
Eric C. writes:
on Nov 03 2008 04:55 PM

No Jack the Ripper movies, no Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde flicks and no scarecrow flicks.

WTF????

BTW - did anyone ever see a made for TV release called dark night of the scarecrow. That scared the crap out of me when I was about 10. I have been looking around for it for a while.


(Reply to this)
Eric C.
Eric C. writes:
on Nov 03 2008 05:05 PM

RT - By the way if your gonna put out your best horror flick of all time around halloween, which BTW is the best time to do it, King Kong, Jaws, and Alien flick's dont belong here.

You should be ashamed of making money off this crap you try to feed us.


(Reply to this)
larry p.
larry p. writes:
on Nov 03 2008 05:39 PM

No Shining? No Exorcist!? No original Haunting- Sorry guys- but there is something terribly random about this list- lose the sci fi and the comedy and- uh I don't know try to include a few horror flicks in the mix... Just saying.

Consider other titles like:
Session 9
May
The Descent
Carnival of Souls (original thanks)
The Thing
The Sixth Sense..

I could do this all day- Weak list from a usually dependable source- ah well- if you were perfect you'd be boring.

LP


(Reply to this)
Wooley
Wooley writes:
on Nov 03 2008 05:39 PM

In reply to this comment (#2113161)
Hell yeah, I saw Dark Night of the Scarecrow!!!
Loved it then, saw it again maybe 5-7 years ago, and was pleasantly surprised that it really wasn't bad at all, IMO.
Cheers!


(Reply to this)
stinkyfish75
stinkyfish75 writes:
on Nov 03 2008 08:30 PM

yah i remember "Dark Night of the Scarecrow" i was prolly 7-8 when i saw it and it scared the crap out of me.

BTW: If you know how to use BitTorrents software, like "Utorrents, "Dark Night of the Scarecrw" is available for download on almost all of the public trackers, its a fairly decent VHSrip.


(Reply to this)
Mallory P.
Mallory P. writes:
on Nov 04 2008 01:25 PM

This list is so idiotic. How can a Top 50 List of the best horror movies not even MENTION The Shining, The Exorcist, The Thing, or The Omen? "How It Works" should have been "How It Fails", as this is clearly evidence of critic and editor failure.

(Reply to this)
frozen01
frozen01 writes:
on Nov 04 2008 02:01 PM

In reply to this comment (#2092963)
"FRAILTY"?!?
My friend and I tried watching it once and spent most of the movie laughing... especially at the part with the ax that had "Otis" carved into the handle, like that was its name or something. It became an inside joke for the longest time... we started naming inanimated objects like our cars and such as "Otis" :)

But anyways, could this site be any slower?


(Reply to this)
frozen01
frozen01 writes:
on Nov 04 2008 02:10 PM

In reply to this comment (#2098315)
Isn't that Ash from Evil Dead/Army of Darkness?

(Reply to this)
sean m.
sean m. writes:
on Nov 05 2008 12:35 PM

this list is f-ing retarded....how is a shyt movie like house of wax better or scarier than halloween....nuf sed

(Reply to this)
Sean H.
Sean H. writes:
on Nov 13 2008 11:09 AM

The fact that Wicker Man is on this list negates it completely.

(Reply to this)
Jordan K.
Jordan K. writes:
on Jan 11 2009 06:51 AM

Freddy Got Fingered should have been in there. That was extremely horrifying!

(Reply to this)
Isidro M.
Isidro M. writes:
on Apr 15 2009 11:35 AM

I just can't believe they left "The Shining" out. Bad...bad...bad

(Reply to this)
Isidro M.
Isidro M. writes:
on Apr 15 2009 11:39 AM

And they left out also the Omen? Can't believe it. I'm very dissapointed.

(Reply to this)
Clayton V.
Clayton V. writes:
on May 26 2009 11:31 AM

Uh....NEWSFLASH!

They would be talking about the ORIGINAL King Kong. The original was a horror film, Kong was a scary rampaging monster who killed thousands of innocent people in the most gruesome and horrific ways.

You peeps are obviously thinking of the Peter Jackson romantic comedy remake. With Kong being a gentle giant watching sunsets and ice skating. YUCK! Pathetic!


(Reply to this)
Clayton V.
Clayton V. writes:
on May 26 2009 11:34 AM

And tidussquall10x back on page 1, it's KING KONG, not DONKEY KONG you twit.

And yes, I am a diehard fan of the original King Kong.

I guess you are all teeny boppers who never read 'Famous Monsters of Filmland' or anything like that, huh?

Creeps.


(Reply to this)
Alfonzo L.
Alfonzo L. writes:
on Jun 25 2009 05:49 PM

Increible que no esté El Exorcista (The Exorcist)!!! Where is The Exorcist!!?????

(Reply to this)
Clayton V.
Clayton V. writes:
on Aug 06 2009 08:39 PM

I don't know. All I know is I am sick of people bashing KONG!

KONG IS KING! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!


(Reply to this)
Tom B.
Tom B. writes:
on Aug 21 2009 06:48 AM

this list really exposes the weaknesses of the RT rating system. Some movies have been obviously under rated, most obviously the Exorcist, others too highly, where do I start? Others included as horror on a marginal basis and others excluded. I've seen most of the films on the list, actually all bar one, and most are good. Just a point for some others that have not been included, Night of the Demon, The Mist, The Haunting, Les Diabolique, I could go on. The inclusion of Shaun of the Dead, the over promotion of Aliens (though a decent film I am always stunned by how highly rated this movie is, I genuinely thought the first movie was significantly better). Please RT rethink this list. I know we all have different opinions and as much as we will always disagree and that is part of the fun, this list is too wide of the mark to take seriously. Simply put a list that does not contain the Exorcist is wrong.

(Reply to this)
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