Canadian film critic Richard Crouse seems to have his hands full with regular gigs in mainstream television, radio and print journalism, yet still manages to find the time to indulge in his lifelong passion for cult cinema. His most recent tome is The Son of the 100 Best Movies You’ve Never Seen, a follow-up to The 100 Best Movies You’ve Never Seen, both of them containing a heavy amount of the macabre.

Making up a list like this is tough. I’m sure I’ll remember a classic or two that I should have included after I hit the send button, but, off the top of my head, here are my faves…

1. The Exorcist 1973, Directed by William Friedkin. The single scariest night at the movies this ten year old ever experienced.
2. Let the Right One In 2008, Directed by Tomas Alfredson. A vampire film without a castle, a cape or coffin. Loved it.
3. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein 1948, Directed by Charles Barton. Perfect mix of corny laughs and scary stuff.
4. Ginger Snaps 2000, Directed by John Fawcett. Great reinvention of the werewolf myth.
5. Frankenstein 1931, Directed by James Whale. For my money the best of the classic Universal monster movies.
6. Dawn of the Dead 1978, Directed by George A. Romero. Probably the greatest zombie flick ever.
7. Rosemary’s Baby 1968, Directed by Roman Polanski. Evil atmosphere you could cut with a knife.
8. Psycho 1960, Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. I still get creeped out in the shower.
9. May 2002, Directed by Lucky McKee. Really underrated horror film that deserves to be better known than it is.
10. The Host 2006, Directed by Joon-ho Bong. Big bug movies don’t get much better than this.

The Horror Blog Top Ten returns from a short stint in the grave with today’s selection, hand-picked by the Mad Monk of horror blogging, Arbogast. For the month of October Arbogast has cast aside his idiosyncratic musings on weird cinema to concentrate once more on the extraordinary screams of the damned, with a serving of auditory delights on the side. Feast your ears and orbs on that!

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)
CARNIVAL OF SOULS (1962)
CANOA (1976)
THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999)
BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960)
NADJA (1995)
THE WOMAN WHO CAME BACK (1945)
NOSFERATU (1922)
MATANGO (1963)
VIY (1967)

Three years ago, Sam Costello escaped the horror blog ghetto in order to concentrate on something far more rewarding, the creation of his horror webcomic, Split Lip. In concert with the blood-stained hands of a diverse set of like-minded and talented artists, Sam has crafted over 25 short stories of terror, each with their own uniquely macabre feel. The first print volume is available now, though why not try before you buy?

I’ve never made a Top 10 horror movies list. In fact, I usually resist this sort of thing; it’s too hard, too constricting. I’m game, though, so in creating this list, I threw out the things that make these lists tough for me: historic importance and influence, artistic value, and all kinds of other high-minded concerns.

1. Audition
2. The Descent
3. The Ring (US)
4. The Blair Witch Project
5. A Nightmare on Elm Street
6. Martyrs
7. A Tale of Two Sisters
8. Session 9
9. Carnival of Souls
10. Le Sang des Betes

Proprietor of the wonderful Tomb It May Concern, David Z. is one of the world’s foremost authorities on matters concerning Christina Lindberg, Yor, the Pastapocalypse and other equally compelling topics. He’s also the only individual other than Satan to have a Horror Roundtable devoted to him. If you like what you see, please consider purchasing Tough To Kill, the definitive guide to 80’s Italian action movies written by David Z. and Paul Cooke.

House By The Cemetery - THE European horror film of the 80s and, for me, the best entry in the Lucio Fulci filmography. The perfect balance of Gothic Ghoulishness and Psychotic Splatsploitation….every trip through the basement of Freudstein is pure horror bliss.

Day of the Dead - While the first two entries in the Dead series get the love, I find Day to be the most interesting and scariest. Trapped and surrounded by a bunch of hungry monsters, a few survivors dream of creating their own little place in the world. And then there are zombies to contend with as well! Big Bonus…who doesn’t just love BUB?

Texas Chainsaw Massacre - This could be the only dinner I’d dread more than eating creme de foie gras again.

Lips of Blood - I love Jean Rollin films, and this one is his most satisfying horror film. The mixture of the protagonist seeking lost memories from his youth and the bizarre turns his quest takes as he frees a batch of vampires is wonderfully surreal and frightening.

Erotic Rites of Frankenstein - Jess Franco pays tribute to and plays with the conventions of monster rallies in this bizarre film. Sadly the versions presented on DVD are the covered/censored prints, though you can see the sequences in lesser quality in the supplements sections. The silver skin of the Monster-a crazed whipping machine in this film-is great, but Howard Vernon as Cagliostro and Anne Libert as Melisa the Bird Woman will forever remain in my memory. Have a really high fever and want to see something amazing, grab this and enjoy.

Devil’s Nightmare - Erika Blanc stars in her best role in a wacked out tale of nazis, succubi, sinners that sin seven ways and a priest with a mission. The ambiance is sleazy, the horror is trippy and the ending is twisted. Leave it to this one to have a zany confrontation with SATAN no less. Maybe it is just me, but this knocked Black Sunday off the list-it is just that good.

Deadline - This 1981 film directed by Mario Azzopardi seems easy to dismiss when you first start watching it. A horror film screenwriter wants to move away from his genre fame, but keeps getting sucked back in to the business…blah blah. The gore sequences from his films are fantastic, and keeps you watching. Then he gets a little more hypocritical and begins to not only hate his horror work, but becomes haunted by it. When his children are involved in a tragedy that may or may not be inspired by dear old dad-all hell breaks loose. Azzopardi has directed tons of TV shows, I wish he could be involved in looking back at this great film someday.

The Thing - Howard Hawks’ original film scared the crap out of me as a kid because yes… the killer carrot ruled. But John Carpenter slammed my face into the wall the first time I saw this one and it never gets (c)old. A perfect blend of horror, thriller and a little bit of humor to entertain me forever.

Return of the Blind Dead - The second in Amando de Ossorio’s quadrilogy of zombie terror, this one is my favorite Visually Impaired Templar films. What it loses in ambience from the first film, it makes up for with action set pieces of the Templars running amok. I love the Blind Dead…badasses beyond the grave, they come back meaner than when they died!

Vampyres - THE best lesbian vampire film ever shot, it is like a ghost story mixed with a vampire tale and stirred by a stiff but soft porn swizzle stick. Anulka and Marianne Morris look great and director Jose Larraz takes all of his elements and plays each to the hilt. Gory, haunting and one of the headiest horror cocktails you could devour this Halloween season.

The Horror Blog is very proud to present the eclectic top ten horror movie list of a living legend, one of the masters of pulp horror, Guy N. Smith. For nearly four decades the prolific Mr. Smith has been delivering lurid masterpieces to his legion of rabid fans. Like a runaway train full of giant crabs he’s shown no sign of stopping, writing a steady stream of short stories, novels, non-fiction, comics and other wonders. If you’re not familiar with his work, do yourself a favour and visit his website, sample a free e-book, or best of all, take a stroll down to your local used bookstore and pick up one of his classics.

1. The Yellow Balloon (1952)
2. The Devil Rides Out (1968)
3. Frankenstein (1931)
4. The Ghoul (1975)
5. Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1921)
6. The Howling (1980)
7. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
8. Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971)
9. The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
10. Island Claws (1980)

With comics including The Land Of Nod, Jetcat and Atomic City Tales, Jay Stephens has established himself as one of the great contemporary humour cartoonists. However, it’s his creation of two animated series, Tutenstein and The Secret Saturdays, with which Stephens is shaping the next generation of Monster Kids. And as if all that weren’t enough, he also runs Cute Creeps From Pop Culture, one of the finest old school horror blogs. Somehow he found the time to send in the following list.

Really hard to narrow it down to only 10, and my list shifts all the time depending on mood, but here you go. Jay Stephens’ top 10 horror movies…

#10- An American Werewolf In London. The Oscar-Winning John Landis masterpiece is utterly surreal and at turns blackly humorous and genuinely unsettling. Still holds up nicely.

#9- El Orfanato (The Orphanage). Thought I’d throw in a recent-vintage film that I felt succeeded in gorgeously artful horror. Bayona delivers a heart-achingly horrifying story that stays with you for days.

#8- The Abominable Dr. Phibes. Robert Fuest directed this bizarre camp-fest that has become my favorite Vincent Price film after repeated viewings, even though the actor never actually moves his mouth to speak! I enjoy a little humor with my horror…

#7- Kwaidan. This 1964 masterpiece by Masaki Kobayashi is an anthology of four hauntingly wonderful Japanese ghost stories. Fantastic stuff.

#6- Fright Night. Tom Holland’s 1985 self-referential take on the horror genre is still a fave from my youth.

#5- I Tre Volti Della Paura (Black Sabbath). Another anthology, this time by the master Mario Bava. All three stories are superb.

#4- The Thing. John Carpenter scared the crap out of me with this one as a kid. It’s still thoroughly terrifying.

#3- Creepshow. E.C.. comics plus Steven King plus George A. Romero plus the anthology format that I’m so obviously partial to. I love this flick!

#2- Bride Of Frankenstein. James Whale’s 1935 sequel surpasses the original, and remains my favorite of all the early Monster Movies.

#1- The Wicker Man. Robin Hardy’s 1975 thriller is my favorite scary movie. Creepy, unique, and starring the brilliant Christopher Lee.

David Wellington is one of the hardest working authors in horror, crafting unique interpretations of classic creatures for both the internet and print. His latest is the werewolf tale Frostbite, available in bookstores today, though if you’d like to try before you buy you can read the entire novel here, along with some of his previous serials, including Monster Island, Monster Nation, Monster Planet, Plague Zone and 13 Bullets.

1. Bride of Frankenstein
2. Let the Right One In
3. Psycho
4. The Blair Witch Project
5. The Hunger
6. The Shining
7. 28 Days Later
8. The Exorcist
9. Prince of Darkness
10. Hellraiser 2

Canadian provocateur extraordinaire Bruce LaBruce has taken his love for both horror and pornography and combined them to create the melancholy gay zombie movie Otto; or, Up with Dead People, available on DVD through Strand Releasing. Hoping to strengthen his claim to the burgeoning zombie porno industry, LaBruce is hard at work on his follow-up, the alien/zombie epic L.A. Zombie starring Francois Sagat, which is due out next year.

Bruce was by far the most enthusiastic respondent to this poll. While most everyone else was torturing themselves over their choices, Bruce shot back a response within minutes of my initial inquiry. It’s like he had his list sitting in a desk drawer, ready to go just in case someone asked. For that reason alone, I’m letting him slip in an extra selection.

1) The Innocents
2) Rosemary’s Baby
3) Seconds
4) Carrie
5) Halloween
6) Romero’s Dead Trilogy (Night, Dawn, Day)
7) The Exorcist
8) The Shining
9) Repulsion
10) Carnival of Souls

11) Psycho

Renaissance man of the Fantastique, Tim Lucas is an award-winning novelist, screenwriter, critic, and blogger. A select few of his most recent achievements include the completion of the acclaimed biography Mario Bava: All The Colors Of The Dark and shepherding Video Watchdog to its 150th issue. He’s forgotten more about strange cinema than you will ever learn, so sit up straight and pay attention, because you’re about to get schooled.

In past Top Ten horror lists I’ve done, I’ve included certain titles that now strike me as better belonging to other genres, like Schoedsack’s King Kong (1933), Whale’s The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast (1946) or Michael Reeves’ Witchfinder General (1968). I’ve kept my list very focused on horror, which can encompass the allure and the repulsion factor of horror, but everything here frightened me on first viewing and continues to, on some level. I’ve eliminated anything I might have included that seems more closely allied to science fiction, fantasy, psychological drama, or other frontiers of imaginative cinema. I find the older the film, the more secure it is in its standing for me, while the more recent ones are subject to my own day-to-day fickleness. By and large, I find the truly great not as interesting as the offbeat, and would probably find the films on my Top 11-20 more interesting to list and write about. — TL

Nosferatu (F.W. Murnau, 1922)
I Walked with a Zombie (Jacques Tourneur, 1943)
Les Yeux sans visage (Eyes Without a Face/The Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus; Georges Franju, 1959)
Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
I tre volti della paura (Black Sabbath; Mario Bava, 1963)
Operazione paura (Kill, Baby… Kill!; Mario Bava, 1966)
Toby Dammit (from Histoires Extraordinaires/Spirits of the Dead; Federico Fellini, 1968)
Rosemary’s Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968)
The Devils (Ken Russell; 1971)
Marebito (Takashi Shimizu; 2004)

For the month of October The Horror Blog will be showcasing top ten horror movie lists provided by some of my favourite horror pundits and professionals. I was inspired by the poll conducted by Sight & Sound once every decade, where various filmmakers and critics submit their list of top ten films, which is then tabulated into one final list. Though it’s interesting to see how the top ten films shift around from decade to decade, the real action is in sifting through the individual lists and discovering new delights that didn’t make the cut. Not only that, but you can learn a lot about a person by their selections, and if you’re already partial to the majority of films mentioned in someone’s list, you may very well enjoy the remainder as well.