by Andy Bartsch, reporter

In following with our recent podcast and the article editor Mike Lunsford wrote, I crafted my own list of favorite horror movies. Back in the old days when I wrote for GGR, I had a list of my favorite movies of all times. If a horror movie made that list, I didn’t include it on here for the sake of repeating myself. But stay tuned, that article will find the light of day soon enough. But until then, here is my list.

Dawn of the Dead (1978) 

I know director George A. Romero meant it as a metaphor for consumerism, but let’s face it, a zombie movie that takes place in a mall is simply brilliant.  The fan favorite of his Living Dead series, Dawn of the Dead is brilliantly written and directed, with a strong cast and some great special effects by Tom Savini.

Prince of Darkness (1987)

One of John Carpenter’s lesser known films, and that’s a shame.  This movie is downright creepy and unsettling right to it’s core.  The atmosphere is full of dread and can be downright apocalyptic.  The only downside is the stilted and uninteresting characters, but that’s passable, seeing as how the brilliance of Donald Pleasance and Victor Wong make up for it.  Top it all off with that always great John Carpenter style music and you get a great hidden gem.

Joy Ride (2001)

Admittedly, Joy Ride is more of a thriller than a horror film, but this movie is really intense and kept me on the edge of my seat.  One of the things I really like about this film is the side characters, who I almost wish had their own spinoff films.  I wanna see a series of short films about the ice truck driver, or the sheriff and his deputy with the toothpick.  What about the guy who body checks Fuller?  Well… we kinda know what happens to him… Eek!  Ted Levine is great and terribly creepy as the villain only known as “Rusty Nail”, which is impressive seeing as how his entire performance is through his VOICE!

Tales From the Crypt/Vault of Horror (1972)

I know I’m kind of cheating here, but TFTC/VOH is sort of like Queen’s We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions, you can’t have one without the other.  Based on the EC Comics series of the same name, these films actually predate the popular HBO TV show.  If you can ignore the pink blood, and the fact that Vault of Horror has been cut for American audiences, these films are a lot of fun and really creepy.  Features great performances by Peter Cushing and Tom “The Fourth Doctor” Baker.

[REC]2 (2007)

A great found footage movie that turns both found footage and zombie genres on their heads.  Taking place moments after the original [Rec], we see there is more to this zombie infestation that meets the eye.  Thanks to this movie, I have a slight fear of narrow, dark hallways.

So there you have it, my favorite horror movies. Did we miss any? Let us know!

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