I am treading new ground with this. I am actually asking for your participation with this new feature of the site, in hopes of sparking some stimulating conversation. So here goes,
What are your top five “horror” films and, optionally, why?
I will post my own answer toward the end of the week.
(Note: this is not a discussion to share why you don’t like horror films… the topic of horror as a legitimate genre will be addressed in an upcoming article.)
Jacob A. Davis 
1. The Phantom of the Opera (Lon Chaney Sr. version) – because Jacob will like me a little more because I put this one in the #1 spot 🙂
2. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon – Because I’m a huge fan of Mockumentaries and when one turns into a horror movie I’m hooked.
3. Twilight – I was horrified that I had to sit through it…
4. Shaun of the Dead – This one could possibly count as a horror movie, there are zombies.
5. Nightmare on Elm Street – Saw it at my grandparent’s house when I was like 6 and it scared the mess out of me
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You do get points for The Phantom of the Opera. It’s not even my #1, but it’s a worthy pick… anything Chaney did could be #1 in my book.
Twilight… horrifying, unfortunately for the fact that it is an insult to this list.
Shaun of the Dead… What isn’t to love? Horror-comedy is a tightrope. It has only worked a handful of times in history. This is one.
Nightmare… It has been so many years that it is hard for me to judge this one, but I remember it had a lasting impact. Of its sub-genre, one of the best.
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In no particular order (because I suck at doing these things in order).
The Shining (Kubrick, not the TV mini-series)
Let the Right One In
…of the Dead series
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Original, remake wasn’t horrible though)
Vampyr (thanks jacob)
Runners Up:
Se7en – not technically horror, but as you realized that John Doe’s plan is being fulfilled, you’re horrified that you are taking part in the last sin, because you want what Brad Pitt’s character wants…
The Birds – Hitchcock.
The Thing
The Stand – Up until a literal Deus Ex Machina. C’mon Stephen King, learn how to end a story!
Saw I – Yeah, everything after that was trite gore-porn, but the first Saw movie built incredible tension and nailed the ending.
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I appreciate The Shining. It would make it into my to 20, at least.
I want to see Let the Right One In. I hear nothing but good things about it. I love foreign films (as my list now shows).
Texas… I actually am a terrible being. I have only seen the remake.
Se7en is a great film. Doesn’t really belong here, but great and significant.
Hitchcock. You can’t go wrong.
Never seen The Thing or The Stand (I hate King’s endings on everything, too). Saw I was good. It was clever. They went downhill after that.
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1. Psycho (original Hitchcock) – terrified me the first time I saw it in 7th grade…I couldn’t shower for a week
2. Night of the Living Dead – filmed in PA, the classic zombie film, Pittsburghese accents at the end…what’s not to love?
3. Nosferatu – Max Shrek is the scariest looking dude EVER!
4. Halloween – because secretly, everyone loves this series with it’s slow moving slasher in a white expressionless mask
5. Shaun of the Dead/The Sixth Sense – its a tie because Shaun of the Dead combined fear with humor while Sixth Sense was so well done and suspenseful (even if a girl I knew in middle school ruined the plot for me before I saw it…still a great film)
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We have some overlaps for sure. I love Hitchcock. Definitely in my top 20, though it didn’t make my list here.
Night of the Living Dead. Creepy as all get-out. I watch it so rarely because it bothers me that much.
Nosferatu. Brilliance.
Halloween. It’s been a long time, but the first one was such a pioneer.
Shaun.. see comment on Brian’s list.
Sixth Sense… you’re right about the suspense. I found it hard to get into after my first two times seeing it, though.
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