What are your favorite 3 horror movies?

Question

abc3643 · Accepted Answer

Oh, that's hard to say because there are different kinds of horror and sometimes a horror movie actually is often listed under a different genre. For instance, "Alien" from 1979 is generally considered a science fiction movie, but it is also considered a thriller and a horror movie. After all, informally, it was called "Jaws in Outer Space". Is "Jaws" a horror movie? Or a thriller or a?

Anyway, I will go with these for now, not particularly in any order...

1. "City of the Dead" aka "Horror Hotel" (*) in the United States. A British film from 1960 about a fictional town named Whitewood, Massachusetts at which, ON THIS DATE (03 MAR) in 1692, Elizabeth Selwyn, a Satan-worshipping witch, was burned at the stake.

However, she and fellow Satan-worshipper Jethro made a pact with "Lucifer" turning this small town into his own... Let's just say she and the rest of the town are undead and, to stay undead, they have to do sacrifices of a young woman twice each year: Once on Candelmas Eve (a real holiday) and another on The Witch's Sabbath. The sacrifices must be performed "on the hour of 13". It's not a very long film, but is creepy as hell and rather good with really good music and a great ending. Of course, Christopher Lee is in it, so you know it's a horror film.

(*) In the United States, two scenes were removed because, for 1960, they were considered very upsetting, but they go a long way into helping the basic premise of the film... It is what Elizabeth pleads aloud to Lucifer while she is on the stake... basically, it's the fundamental bargain between the Satan worshippers there and Satan. The other is a bit more of the crowd and Jethro among them. All of this is at the very beginning of the film.

Here is a description of what was censured:
https://publicdomainmovie.net/movie/horror-hotel
====
Censored lines
In the American version, a few minutes of dialogue were removed, including these lines near the beginning, which fit in with and clarify the plot of the movie:
"I have made my pact with thee O Lucifer! Hear me, hear me! I will do thy bidding for all eternity. For all eternity shall I practice the ritual of Black Mass. For all eternity shall I sacrifice unto thee. I give thee my soul, take me into thy service."
"O Lucifer, listen to thy servant, grant her this pact for all eternity and I with her, and if we fail thee but once, you may do with our souls what you will."
"Make this city an example of thy vengeance. Curse it, curse it for all eternity! Let me be the instrument of thy curse. Hear me O Lucifer, hear me!"
====

In the United States, this film's copyright lapsed so, in the USA, it is "in the public domain" so you can watch it free anywhere including YouTube.

This is the original UK version with the censored material intact although this film was restored via computer to enhance to picture.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/4MozeAso__M

Reverend Russell: Why have you come to Whitewood?

Nan Barlow: Well, because I'm interested in witchcraft.

Reverend Russell: Young woman, leave Whitewood. Leave Whitewood tonight. For 300 years, the devil has hallowed over the city, made it his own, the people in it are his. Evil has triumphed over good here! Look at my church: I have no parish, no one worships here. His is the power.

Nan Barlow: What power?

Reverend Russell: Leave Whitewood! Leave Whitewood tonight, I beg of you! Leave before it is too late!

2. The first anthology film from Amicus Productions: the UK film "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors" from 1965. In short, 5 men board an evening express train from London to Bradley (a fictional town). Then a sixth man joins... Dr. Schreck ("Schreck" is the German word for horror or terror). Dr. Shreck, played by late, great Peter Cushing, has a deck of tarot cards, his "house of horrors" he tells the men. He then goes on to tell the destinies of the 5 men. However, each man also has an alternate destiny... the same as Dr. Shreck's. Christopher Lee is also in this film and his story, the 4th, is particularly haunting. An early Donald Sutherland is the 5th man whose story is told. Wonderful twist ending...

Near the end of the film...
Franklyn Marsh (Christopher Lee) to Dr. Schrek:
"Why have you done this?"
"What do you want?"
"Who are you?"

Dr. Schrek lifts his head from his cards and then turns it to face Marsh coldly looking at him with his icy blue eyes and quietly replies...
"Have you not guessed?"

The truth is then shortly revealed as the train comes to a stop...

It, too, is currently free on YouTube...

https://www.youtube.com/embed/xlBTtecT2H8

3. As for a third horror film, I am not sure. I grew up with these first two and loved to watch them. I guess I will go with another movie I grew up with: "Dracula" from 1931 which enters the public domain in the USA in January 2027. I am definitely looking forward to that being in the public domain.

Now, these are three that I have mentioned, but there are probably quite a few others that I could include...

One is "The Others" starring Nicole Kidman... but is it a horror film? I am not one to define genres...

Lliam · Accepted Answer

I don't really like horror movies. But I do like monster movies. Dracula (1931) Son of Frankenstein (1939) Nosferatu (1922)

Nikki1989 · Accepted Answer

The Exorcist is by far my favourite. I must have bought it over 25 times by now in every format available. I even have it on laser disc.  After that it is too hard to name favourites, as there are just too many to choose from.

XXblack88 · Accepted Answer

child's play it pet cemetery

Kaneki05 · Answer

I can't pick really there is so many, but ya know randomly here's 3 Strange Darling, Pearl, then the trilogy of Hell House LLC I as someone unphased by horror felt these were actually scary films but not only that the story of how it all plays out and they woven with lore to each other is so damn good.
The way it leaves tons of questions and starts to answer them but without ever being too familiar I love, and when you finally get a burning question in the 3rd it's a simple yet makes 100% sense and I love something else but to say would be a spoiler.

AviatorTom · Answer

I was never that fond of horror movies. The only ones I ever liked were movies from the 1950s that they showed on ate night TV in the 1980s and 90s. Films like  The Blob ,  The Mummy , and  The Creature from the Black Lagoon .

OneViewpoint · Answer

I'm not really into horror movies but...

Bone Tomahawk - Strange gross out gore with some interesting thought provoking ideas that remind of Joseph Conrad's novella Heart Of Darkness.

Event Horizon - Thought provoking SciFi about carelessly opening Pandora's box.

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) - Classic big budget Hollywood treatment of classic Gothic / Romantic tragedy.

Bricealan · Answer

@kelly6 Can't think of three? I did watch an old, old  Howard Hawks , film on  Netflix,  called  "The Thing from Another World"  Would scare the hell out of a young person these days.  Also watched several times,  "The War of The Worlds " (another old film) which was 'remade' with Tom Cruise, and it was really a good film,

RandomGirl42 · Answer

Oh! I really like the older cult classics like the original black and white, "Night of the Living Dead". I also really like the way they did "Blair Witch Project" and changed how many films were made.

And last but not least is the most horrific , horror film ever made, "Bambi". When his mother dies is the most horrific thing that had ever happened to me and I will be in therapy for it the rest of my life.

Sunrising · Answer

The current News programs throughout the day are the only horror movies I watch, and I usually only watch them for the headlines because they're too frightening.

NathanDavis · Answer

the ones I watched as a kid... and so they were more interesting because of that, lol... - The Exorcist - Dolly Dearest - Texas Chain Massacre

Cidknee · Answer

A Nightmare on Elm Street.

'A New Nightmare' i think, it's the last one also written and directed by Wes Craven, king of Nightmares.

I Know What You Did Last Summer, 1&2. Or I Still...
That's 4 but you have to have both.

Then I must include the first 'Jeepers Creepers'.

I'll stop there. 🙂

Anonymous · Answer

The Boogeyman (2023) is up there - hmm - Winnie the Pooh Blood and Honey (2023) also especially for the hot tub / jacuzzi and scenery and opening sequences and overall - and I can't think of a third
The Omen classic and 2006 / The Exorcist and all that are cool 😎🆒

LadyBecks · Answer

I've seen so many over the years, I can't remember them all anymore. I'll go with this list 1. Halloween 2. The Conjuring  3. The Ring or Exorcist

ElenaSeluna · Answer

That’s is a very hard one for me but I’ll go with  It Follows 2014 Smile 2022 Talk to Me 2022

Sevenpointfive · Answer

you like ghosts, i like creatures. The Descent 30 Days of Night lot of ties fomr 3rd

exitseven · Answer

House of Frankenstein War of the Worlds The Three Stooges meet Wolfman

Tarifa · Answer

I don't like horror movies. Not paying to get scared LOL

Xawyx-2 · Answer

Halloween, The Craft, and The Thing.  But I like many horror movies, so I have to mention some others like Nightmare On Elm Street, It, Pet Cemetery, Christine, and some others...

electromagnetic · Answer

Saw 3 The Exorcism of Emily Rose Just those two.

888theGreat · Answer

Dr Phibes movies , Zombie movies, and Halloween Movies

AndrewMG · Answer

Forest 2 Yeovil 5 Forest 1 Stoke 4 Nightmare on elm Street 2

Anonymous · Answer

I recently saw Scream 7 and that movie was successful at scaring me.

llorando · Answer

I don't have a favorite horror movie, so I don't have 3 favorites.

OddBeMe · Answer

Sleepaway Camp Sleepaway Camp 2 Sleepaway Camp 3

OlderAndWiser · Answer

I am not a fan of the horror genre.

Daytoday79 · Answer

I Spit On Your Grave Cannibal Holocaust

robocop666 · Answer

Not really into them. Quentin Tarantino wanted to remake Attack of the body snatchers.

BigD210 · Answer

Halloween 1978 Halloween II 1981 Friday the 13th part 2 1981

slatyb · Answer

1, Melania 2. Jesus Camp

DryGermanGuy · Answer

The Evil Dead Alien Blade

Cyfris · Answer

The Matrix, Waterworld and Outbreak.

Static_In_The_Attic · Answer

The Wizard Of Oz, Halloween & Mr. Boogedy.

123459876 · Answer

The shining, christine, and Friday the 13th

WhatIsYourZodiac · Answer

Conjuring

What are your favorite 3 horror movies?

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