Anyone asking me this question, "Can you tell me the greatest horror movie ever made?", my answer will always be Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It's bar none the best I've ever seen. There's no monster, blood, gore, or violence whatsoever. It's just the beautiful use of subtlety to create frightening scenes.

Apart from setting the trend of summer blockbuster film releases, Jaws' greatest legacy is making people think of the shark whenever they go for a swim in the ocean. Hence, Steven Spielberg was genius for not showing it for a long while. When the shark finally comes, watch out!

"What an excellent day for an exorcism." Famous for many reasons, The Exorcist is one of the finest horror films ever made. Linda Blair's transformation is something else to behold. Her character is so scary that she's effective. Who can forget the taxi stop for Father Lankester Merrin in front of the house?

This psycho-sexual thriller went on to become the game changer of the slasher genre. Taking a shower would never be the same again. Poor Marion Crane, she was the principal character for forty-eight minutes into the film and, all of a sudden, got bumped off in one of the greatest and most shocking scenes in cinema history. There's no actor who played a more famous villain than Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates. Alfred Hitchcock was truly the Master of Suspense.

For the first time ever in cinema history, Signourney Weaver becomes an ultimate female hero when she goes against the monster. It's the role that will define her career. Oftentimes, monsters either look corny or ridiculous, but in Alien, the Xenomorph is the most impressive thing ever shown, creating the gold standard that'll have to be matched from there on.

This is the one that started it all. George Romero will forever be remembered for Night of the Living Dead which is an underrated American horror classic picture. Unintentional or not, it's also groundbreaking for casting a black actor as the main protagonist who's intelligent with a lot of common sense. Unique is the use of radio play to narrate what's happening at the moment.

When Arnold Schwarzenegger met James Cameron at a restaurant, he wanted to audition for the role of Kyle Reese. But the director took a look at him and said, "My God! You're the Terminator!" But Arnold replied, "No, no, no...I want to play Kyle." Highly insistent, Cameron went, "Absolutely not! You are it. A machine!" Of course, I'm making up the exchange of dialogue, but you get the idea of the magnitude.

"Yeah. I killed my mama." In response to "How about those Bears?", Henry nonchantly says, "Fuck the Bears." Shot in 28 days under a budget of $110,000, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is bar none the best in the serial killer genre. No other film comes this close. This is Michael Rooker at his chilling best. What a performance for him which is clearly off the charts.

The Citizen Kane of horror films? You got that right. The genius behind a horror film, as evidenced in Don Siegel's Invasion of the Body Snatchers, is to make the world seemingly ordinary that's free of monsters, blood, gore, etc. Yet there's still something fundamentally wrong with the picture. That's why The Wicker Man succeeds, thanks to Anthony Shaffer's screenplay.

In the vein of And Then There Were None, Predator is one of the best sci-fi horror pictures of all time and is a hell of a ride. This is about muscles, guns, and blowing up things. Arnold Schwarzenegger is unforgettable as Major Dutch. So are his lines: "Get to da choppa!!!" and "If it bleeds, we can kill it."

A John Carpenter masterpiece, Halloween is universally regarded as one of the best suspenseful horror movies made. The director's setup of the atmosphere is brilliant. So is his idea of putting on a simple white Shatner mask over Michael Myers' face. He's like a robot with no feelings. Jamie Lee Curtis is the indisputable queen of scream. Her name will live forever in the annals of horror cinema.

Talk about a perfect film because everything came together so well. It's best to view Young Frankenstein as a mildly amusing spoof of the Universal horror classic pictures rather than an uproariously funny comedy. The idea actually originated through Gene Wilder who called the film his all-time favorite. Impeccable cast, brilliant writing, and beautiful cinematography are the hallmarks.

Before Roman Polanski directed Chinatown, he struck gold in Rosemary's Baby, one of the finest horror films made. Although this movie plays out like a soap opera, it's just the beginning of what's to come. Rosemary's transformation is eerie to watch. The ending is a shocker. Ruth Gordon ended up winning the Oscar for her performance.

Among John Carpenter's top three films of all time, The Thing is a bona fide horror classic that improves on the original in every way possible. The plot is terrific which is alike to Alien. But this time, everybody dies because it's for the sake of saving the world from the unstoppable monster. The movie is pure terror all the way to the end.

It's the narrative structure that makes the film absorbing to watch, thanks to Neil Jordan who heavily adapted the screenplay from Anne Rice's novel published in 1976. The unbelievable casting of three superstars (Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Antonio Banderas) is the difference-maker. And the more the merrier is them giving very strong performances. This is the best vampire movie ever made, and I've seen a lot already with almost all of them stinkers.

Beautifully shot but slow in pace, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a true horror picture with a great knack for sheer depravity and terror. What's conceived as a nightmare, it can be reality somewhere in the country. When the action starts, it's effective as Leatherface comes alive. The family of cannibals is certainly crazy.

David Cronenberg delivers a story that's driven by two parallel threads: the things that are happening to the little girl and the role-play therapy sessions between her mother and the psychotherapist. What's not immediately clear from the outset is the connection between the two. When the revelation is made in the last fifteen minutes, it clarifies what the mystery is about.

The Monster Squad is one of the all-time great children's films with a delicious mix of horror and comedy. Fascinating is how well it bridges the gap, giving something for everybody: horror fans, comedy fans, children, and adults. The best part is putting together the five most famous movie monsters from Universal Studios in one film: Count Dracula, Wolf Man, Mummy, Frankenstein's Monster, and Creature from the Black Lagoon.

For the role of his career, Michael Ironside is unforgettable as Darryl Revok. Of course, Scanners has an impossible-to-miss pièce de résistance which occurs almost at the beginning of the film. Yet the viewers should look past it and begin to appreciate the film for its thought-provoking storytelling.

Not as taut or gritty as the original, Aliens is a bit Hollywoodized. However, there's no question as to the suspense level, and it's still a pretty good movie. The biggest difference is the sheer number of aliens. Sigourney Weaver is outstanding once again, and I like the part when she cared about the little girl Newt who's played well by Carrie Henn in her only movie role.

For many years, Faces of Death had an underground reputation for being the mondo picture to see. The experience is similar to Pink Flamingos when you begin to say, "Okay, I am ready," and then cross the threshold. Due to the wonderful narration by Dr. Francis B. Gröss (Michael Carr), it's the perspective that he brings to the table because death is a fascinating topic for many people. It's cool when he alludes to the phrase "the many faces of death."

Candyman is a slick, craftily made horror thriller with some of the most hypnotizing scenes. If there's anything to watch, it's Virginia Madsen's mesmerizing performance that makes the biggest difference in the storytelling. She's strong, assertive, and sensual as Helen Lyle. Reportedly to be the favorite role of his career, Tony Todd is effective as Candyman. Whenever Tony appears in a scene, he's bone-chilling.

Thanks to Benoît Poelvoorde's arresting Oscar-worthy performance, C'est arrivé près de chez vous (Man Bites Dog) is one of the most compelling movies made. A one-man tour de force show, he can't be more charming, likeable, and manipulative. Endlessly talkative, Benoît's character is also knowledgeable, philosophical, and worldly in many areas through situational analysis.

Shot on location in Santa Cruz, California, The Lost Boys is an extremely stylish, sexy vampire picture that ranks one of the best in Joel Schumacher's oeuvre. Everybody is famous for appearing in it: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, Brooke McCarter, Alex Winter, Jamison Newlander, Billy Wirth, and Chance Michael Corbitt.

If I can think of a horror film that's different, unique, and bizarre all at once, Phantasm comes to my mind. What picture will start off with a man and woman having sex at the cemetery? There are other memorable scenes: the steel ball pumping blood out of the gardener's forehead, the Tall Man's BOOOOOOYYYY!!! yell, the awesome-looking 1971 black Plymouth Barracuda, and the dwarves grabbing Michael on the bed with the Tall Man right behind.

A better and campier picture than the original, Evil Dead II oozes a lot of special effects in the absence of CGI which makes it all impressive. Although somewhat of a sequel to The Evil Dead, I consider it a remake. The acting is more improved this time around. Bruce Campbell will always be remembered for playing Ash.

I Spit on Your Grave is a catchy title and sounds even better than Day of the Woman. It's among the most unusual pictures made and is the feminist Death Wish version of Deliverance. Camille Keaton did what no respected female actress would do. She gives a brave, courageous effort to play the role of a woman who's been raped by four men, not all at once but in four separate occasions.

Buoyed by the well-done English cinematography, Peeping Tom is the kind of film Alfred Hitchcock could've directed, but kudos to Michael Powell. The idea of breeding freakish traits for the boy is the most fascinating part of the film. Karlheinz Böhm showcases a good, if unconventional, display of acting.

Before there was Casablanca, there was Mystery of the Wax Museum. Michael Curtiz directs a wonderfully constructed horror picture with great acting, superb script, and a beautiful look. It's famous as the final film to use the two-color Technicolor process. When the spectators visited the just-opened wax museum, most of them had no idea of what they were looking at which are actual corpses. Now, that's what you call horror.

Welcome back, B movies of the sci-fi genre. Tremors is a big treat. Everything is plain awesome, and the movie is thrilling and scary in the vein of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Unlike many others, it lays down the rules and faithfully follows them to the end. The creativity should be praised.

A surprise hit and the biggest success of David Cronenberg's career, The Fly is one of the most disturbing movies made. It's hard to watch the scientist changing into a fly, hence the Oscar win for Best Makeup which took three months to create. Jeff Goldblum gives an unforgettable performance as Seth Brundle.

Before there was Jason Voorhees, there was the Phantom Killer of Texarkana. The Town That Dreaded Sundown is a underrated serial killer picture. The cinematography and the setup of the eerie atmosphere are superb as it's mostly shot on location in Texarkana where the Phantom struck in 1946 and was never caught thereafter.

The Day After presents a scenario of what it's like to deal with a nuclear holocaust. To this day, it remains the highest rated telefilm, registering over 100 million viewers on November 20, 1983. It's because the subject is fascinating and can happen for real, giving them something to think about.

A sensational Hammer Horror picture, The Curse of Frankenstein has beautiful colors and adapts well to the 19th century style. Before it was made, horror films were tame and primitive, but this one went a notch above the usual by showcasing many features that weren't seen before, especially in color.

One of the best from the silent film era, Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, which is translated as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, is the quintessential example of German Expressionism cinema. It's the jagged shapes in the background that gives the picture a distorted, surreal look.

Well, this is the one that started it all: Johnny Depp's acting career after he's sucked into the waterbed before being blown up like a geyser in a bath of blood. Anyway, A Nightmare on Elm Street is a creative horror movie. I'll give Wes Craven that in spite of me calling him a hack and fraud so many times.

The Most Dangerous Game is a unique "Man vs. Man" picture. The best part is when Rainsford climbed up the tree as he's being hunted by the dogs and said, "Those animals I cornered...now, I know how they felt." The acting is excellent with Joel McCrea and Leslie Banks who's a treat as Count Zaroff.

Bram Stoker's Dracula is the most faithful adaptation of the book. There are scenes that capture the pivotal moments very well. It's clear everybody understood the spirit of the penned story. The other is Michael Ballhaus' rich cinematography that's blended with the fantastic-looking visual effects.

Belonging in anybody's list of top horror films to watch in the dark for the jolly fun of it, The Evil Dead is surprisingly good for a low-budget horror picture despite the minimal story and limited dialogue. It doesn't waste a lot of time dwelling on the little details but rather gets to the gore part straightaway.

Forget Bates Motel...this is MOTEL HELL. Twenty years after Psycho, horror is finally back in motels, and this time, it's Motel Hell which features one of the most bizarre stories ever put on celluloid in the annals of horror pictures. It's almost a cross between The Wicker Man and Psycho. Yet there's a human side to it.