Things that go bump in the night
by blue_sock_monkey | created - 12 Dec 2012 | updated - 28 Jun 2015 | PublicWith my ratings & comments.
Dozens of ways to make your pulse race! Turn out the lights, roll the film--and be afraid. Be very afraid.
I've listed these movies (plus a select few tv shows) chronologically, complete with my highly opinionated pocket reviews. Please note that I am stingy with stars, and try to rate based on criteria more objective than simply "I loved it/hated it"--a movie has to be really outstanding to earn an 8 or higher from me. The lower I've rated a film, the later at night you should watch it.
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1. Universal Horror (1998 TV Movie)
95 min | Documentary, Horror
A documentary examining the early days of horror films, particularly those crafted at Universal Studios during the 1930s.
Director: Kevin Brownlow | Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Christopher Adamson, John Augur, Ray Bradbury
Votes: 739
8/10
Just starting your journey through the golden age of horror films? This 95-minute documentary is a great place to learn about must-see movies made circa 1920-1948. Included are clips from many classics, plus a good discussion of how censorship changed the game for filmmakers.
The documentary is included with several Universal horror film DVDs (mine came with the 75th Anniversary edition of Dracula).
2. A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss (2010)
177 min | Documentary
Mark Gatiss examines the history of the horror film, from classic Hollywood monsters to Hammer's glory days and beyond.
Stars: Mark Gatiss, John Carpenter, Michael Roberts, David Warner
Votes: 821
8/10 Excellent overview of horror films focusing on three key eras: between the World Wars, the Hammer Films years, and modern. Many classic clips.
3. Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy (2005 Video)
53 min | Documentary, Biography
Documentary about the great 1940s horror movie producer Val Lewton, featured on the 2005 DVD release "The Val Lewton Horror Collection."
Director: Constantine Nasr | Stars: James Cromwell, William Friedkin, Steve Jones, Steve Haberman
Votes: 296
8/10 Smart, empathetic documentary on producer Val Lewton's career, focusing on his immensely influential work in the 1940s. Essential viewing for fans. (This runs occasionally on TCM, and is included as a bonus feature on the DVD for The Seventh Victim.)
4. Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (2007)
Not Rated | 82 min | Documentary, Biography
Chronicles the last great American showman, filmmaker William Castle, a master of ballyhoo who became a brand name in movie horror with his outrageous audience participation gimmicks.
Director: Jeffrey Schwarz | Stars: Forrest J. Ackerman, John Badham, Diane Baker, Sidney D. Balkin
Votes: 685
7.5/10 A respectful and amusing overview of William Castle, who was better at promoting cheap horror movies than directing them. I learned things I hadn't known--for instance, Castle produced the classic Rosemary's Baby. This documentary, which features plenty of film clips including stars like Vincent Price and Joan Crawford, runs occasionally on TCM.
5. The House of the Devil (1896)
Not Rated | 3 min | Short, Horror
With the help of a magic cauldron, Mephistopheles conjures up a variety of supernatural characters.
Director: Georges Méliès | Stars: Jehanne d'Alcy, Jules-Eugène Legris, Georges Méliès
Votes: 3,987
Spend an enjoyable three minutes watching early special effects! Not intended to be scary, but it is a charming reminder of how closely connected fear and laughter can be. (not rated out of respect for its venerable age)
Here it is on the Internet Archive:
[link]http://archive.org/details/The_Haunted_Castle_1896[/link]
6. A Trip to the Moon (1902)
TV-G | 13 min | Short, Action, Adventure
A group of astronomers go on an expedition to the Moon.
Director: Georges Méliès | Stars: Georges Méliès, Victor André, Bleuette Bernon, Brunnet
Votes: 55,804
9/10
Sci-fi cinema is born! This film is genuinely entertaining, and not to be missed.
There are many versions available--restored, hand-coloured, different music tracks; most, unfortunately, are incomplete. Search one out and enjoy!
[link]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Trip_to_the_Moon[/link]
7. Frankenstein (1910)
Unrated | 16 min | Short, Fantasy, Horror
The first filmed version of Frankenstein. The young doctor discovers the secret of life, which he uses to create a perfect human. Things do not go according to plan.
Director: J. Searle Dawley | Stars: Mary Fuller, Charles Ogle, Augustus Phillips
Votes: 4,740
6/10
Another important piece of horror history, available on the Internet Archive. The director achieves actual suspense during the creation sequence.
[link]http://archive.org/details/FrankensteinfullMovie[/link]
8. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1912)
Not Rated | 12 min | Short, Drama, Horror
Dr. Henry Jekyll experiments with scientific means of revealing the hidden, dark side of man and releases a murderer from within himself.
Director: Lucius Henderson | Stars: James Cruze, Florence La Badie, Marie Eline, Jane Gail
Votes: 770
4/10 Before the 1930s monster craze, Robert Louis Stevenson's tale of the tragic doctor was probably the most popular horror story around--there were at least eight versions made before 1931. An adaptation from 1908 is lost; this 1912 one-reeler is the oldest known to have survived. Technically crude, but it does cram lots of action into its 8 minutes.
9. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (I) (1913)
26 min | Short, Drama, Horror
Dr. Henry Jekyll experiments with scientific means of revealing the hidden, dark side of man and releases a murderer from within himself.
Director: Herbert Brenon | Stars: King Baggot, Jane Gail, Matt Snyder, Howard Crampton
Votes: 403
6/10
Like most adaptations, this one is based on the 1887 play rather than the Stevenson novella. Compared to other circa-1913 films I've seen, this is not especially good technically. But at twice the length of the 1912 version, it puts considerably more effort into developing characters and some mood. I particularly like the intertitle that describes Jekyll as a "martyr to science."
Available on the Internet Archive:
[link]http://archive.org/details/DrJekyllAndMrHyde1913[/link]
10. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
Not Rated | 67 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Hypnotist Dr. Caligari uses a somnambulist, Cesare, to commit murders.
Director: Robert Wiene | Stars: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher, Lil Dagover
Votes: 70,074
8/10 Wild sets, wild plot, wild camera, wild acting! (And you thought Conrad Veidt was just that Nazi in Casablanca who was mean to Bogart & Bergman.) The ultimate example of cinematic German Expressionism. Though not one of my personal favorites, this is essential viewing if you want to call yourself a horror fan.
11. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (I) (1920)
Unrated | 69 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Dr. Henry Jekyll experiments with scientific means of revealing the hidden, dark side of man and releases a murderer from within himself.
Director: John S. Robertson | Stars: John Barrymore, Martha Mansfield, Brandon Hurst, Charles Lane
Votes: 6,047
7/10
Barrymore's first transformation scene is unforgettable. Equally amazing is Nita Naldi's dress, which appears to have been painted onto her rather than sewn.
What I especially like about this version is the attempt to explore the doctor's psychology. And you just have to love a horror flick that quotes Oscar Wilde.
12. Nosferatu (1922)
Not Rated | 94 min | Fantasy, Horror
Vampire Count Orlok expresses interest in a new residence and real estate agent Hutter's wife.
Director: F.W. Murnau | Stars: Max Schreck, Alexander Granach, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schröder
Votes: 105,466
8/10 A wee bit over-worshipped by legions of rabid fans--but its visual phantasmagoria is still engrossing. If all the actors were as good as Schreck, I'd rate it even higher.
13. Häxan (1922)
Not Rated | 91 min | Documentary, Fantasy, Horror
Fictionalized documentary showing the evolution of witchcraft, from its pagan roots to its confusion with hysteria in Eastern Europe.
Director: Benjamin Christensen | Stars: Benjamin Christensen, Elisabeth Christensen, Maren Pedersen, Clara Pontoppidan
Votes: 16,736
7/10
Wi nøt trei a høliday in Sweden this yër?
Awash with bizarre imagery, some of it created with an innovative optical printer, including the majestik møøse. A Møøse once bit my sister...
Sorry. The persons responsible for creating this review have been sacked. This really is a good movie, and distinctly different from anything else you might see in any other Jazz Age film.
Mynd you, møøse bites Kan be pretty nasti.
14. The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
Passed | 93 min | Horror
A mad, disfigured composer seeks love with a lovely young opera singer.
Directors: Rupert Julian, Lon Chaney, Ernst Laemmle, Edward Sedgwick | Stars: Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry, Arthur Edmund Carewe
Votes: 20,113 | Gross: $3.75M
7/10
Chaney at full-throttle amidst splendidly atmospheric sets. This would be vastly better, though, if Philbin & Kerry didn't appear to be animated stick figures; they both must have taken acting lessons from Gustav von Wangenheim.
Incidentally, I'm one of the few people who prefer the finale as it now exists, rather than the soppy romantic version it replaced.
15. Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pryde (1925)
Not Rated | 21 min | Short, Comedy, Horror
In Victorian London the esteemed Dr. Pyckle uses himself as a guinea pig when he experiments with a new drug that changes him into a compulsive prankster.
Directors: Scott Pembroke, Joe Rock | Stars: Stan Laurel, Julie Leonard, The Wonder Dog Pal, Syd Crossley
Votes: 406
6/10 An early parody of Dr Jekyll.
16. The Cat and the Canary (1927)
Passed | 108 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
Relatives of an eccentric millionaire gather in his spooky mansion on the 20th anniversary of his death for the reading of his will.
Director: Paul Leni | Stars: Laura La Plante, Creighton Hale, Forrest Stanley, Tully Marshall
Votes: 3,366 | Gross: $0.33M
8/10
I still get nightmares about that hairy hand. Directed by a master, this film is not only an excellent mix of chills & comedy, it almost single-handedly invented the classic haunted house atmosphere that we look for in movies today.
Leni's films--especially this one and The Last Warning--were strong influences on James Whale.
[link]http://archive.org/details/The_Cat_and_the_Canary[/link]
17. The Unknown (1927)
Unrated | 68 min | Drama, Horror, Romance
A criminal on the run hides in a circus and seeks to possess the daughter of the ringmaster at any cost.
Director: Tod Browning | Stars: Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry, Joan Crawford, Nick De Ruiz
Votes: 9,161 | Gross: $0.41M
7/10 A terrifyingly well-constructed nightmare.
18. Metropolis (1927)
Not Rated | 153 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
In a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working-class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.
Director: Fritz Lang | Stars: Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge
Votes: 185,575 | Gross: $1.24M
7.5/10 Thanks to its immensely stylish cinematography and Art Deco sets, this is a highly influential film. But I confess that, as a movie, it left me cold--the politics are simplistic, and the message heavy-handed. I have nightmares about the present and the future, but they are not the same as Lang's.
19. The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927)
Not Rated | 92 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A landlady suspects that her new lodger is the madman killing women in London.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: June Tripp, Ivor Novello, Marie Ault, Arthur Chesney
Votes: 13,393
7/10
Alfred Hitchcock's first suspense film. He didn't direct many films I would classify as horror, but this one surely qualifies.
[link]http://archive.org/details/TheLodgerAStoryOfTheLondonFog_579[/link]
20. London After Midnight (1927)
Passed | 69 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
The abandoned home of a wealthy man who supposedly committed suicide five years earlier is taken over by ghoulish figures - could they be vampires?
Director: Tod Browning | Stars: Lon Chaney, Marceline Day, Henry B. Walthall, Percy Williams
Votes: 1,464 | Gross: $0.52M
A lost film that can now be experienced only through a TCM-funded reconstruction created from picture stills, the original script, and a new musical score. Chaney's makeup allegedly inspired a terrorized London moviegoer to murder an Irish maid in Hyde Park. Remade as Mark of the Vampire in 1935.
Obviously, I can't rate the film itself--but I did enjoy seeing the reconstruction, which is 7.5/10.
21. The Man Who Laughs (1928)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
When a proud noble refuses to kiss the hand of the despotic King James in 1690, he is cruelly executed and his son surgically disfigured.
Director: Paul Leni | Stars: Mary Philbin, Conrad Veidt, Julius Molnar, Olga Baclanova
Votes: 8,077
8/10 Veidt (and his devoted dog) will touch your heart.
22. The Last Warning (1928)
89 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A producer decides to reopen a theater, that had been closed five years previously when one of the actors was murdered during a performance, by staging a production of the same play with the remaining members of the original cast.
Director: Paul Leni | Stars: Laura La Plante, Montagu Love, Roy D'Arcy, Margaret Livingston
Votes: 807
6/10 Ever been puzzled as to what inspired Una O'Connor's over-the-top shenanigans in James Whales's horror films? Watch this, and wonder no more. This is far from director Paul Leni's best work, but it's well worth a look, if only to see the "Phantom of the Opera" theater set put to good use. And pay attention to that sinister face cleverly created by the outer facade of the theater (about 15 minutes from the start).
23. Outward Bound (1930)
Unrated | 83 min | Drama, Fantasy
Later remade as "Between Two Worlds."
Directors: Robert Milton, Ray Enright | Stars: Leslie Howard, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Beryl Mercer, Dudley Digges
Votes: 621
6/10 This movie (based on a 1923 hit play) is the origin of every single film you've ever seen premised on the "she/he doesn't know she/he's dead" trick. The script is lumpy, but there are many moments of mystical foggy moodiness in this spiritual fantasy. Remade with better acting but less atmosphere in 1944 as Between Two Worlds, and also as a dreadful made-for-TV-movie, Haunts of the Very Rich 1972.
24. M (1931)
Passed | 99 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
When the police in a German city are unable to catch a child-murderer, other criminals join in the manhunt.
Director: Fritz Lang | Stars: Peter Lorre, Ellen Widmann, Inge Landgut, Otto Wernicke
Votes: 168,503 | Gross: $0.03M
9/10 Fine performances and a highly original plot, plus Lang's distinctive direction. Everything works here: the complex use of sound, shadows, silhouettes, angles, focus, flashbacks, framing, and reflections; the script and casting; the insights into individual and mob psychology. Cynical, poignant, and forever memorable. One of the great films.
25. Frankenstein (1931)
Passed | 70 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Dr Henry Frankenstein is obsessed with assembling a living being from parts of several exhumed corpses.
Director: James Whale | Stars: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, Boris Karloff, John Boles
Votes: 79,735
10/10 Wonderful from start to finish. Please stop reading this silly list and go watch this movie right now!
26. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
Passed | 98 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
Dr. Jekyll faces horrible consequences when he lets his dark side run wild with a potion that transforms him into the animalistic Mr. Hyde.
Director: Rouben Mamoulian | Stars: Fredric March, Miriam Hopkins, Rose Hobart, Holmes Herbert
Votes: 15,813 | Gross: $2.79M
8/10 March is over-the-top once or twice, the make-up is weird--and it doesn't matter. Distinguished direction, a literate script, and strong performances establish this one as the definitive film version.
27. Dracula (1931)
Passed | 75 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Transylvanian vampire Count Dracula bends a naive real estate agent to his will, then takes up residence at a London estate where he sleeps in his coffin by day and searches for potential victims by night.
Directors: Tod Browning, Karl Freund | Stars: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David Manners, Dwight Frye
Votes: 58,654
7.5/10
It's not all it should have been, due to a mediocre script and some missed chances in the direction; there are plot holes and more than one forgettable performance (from David Manners especially).
But Lugosi as the Count is indelible: He has been standing on that crumbling staircase waiting for you since time began. If you have time for only one Dracula, this is it.
28. Svengali (1931)
Approved | 81 min | Drama, Horror, Romance
Through hypnotism and telepathic mind control, a sinister music maestro controls the singing voice, but not the heart, of the woman he loves.
Director: Archie Mayo | Stars: John Barrymore, Marian Marsh, Donald Crisp, Bramwell Fletcher
Votes: 2,500
7/10 Barrymore, looking very like the infamous Rasputin, gives his character evocative body language and vocal mannerisms, building to a pathos-inducing finale (though Marsh, as his victim, is not quite up to his standard). The sets by Anton Grot are eye-popping, and the cinematography is also very good, though needing better lighting. I could have done without the comic Scotsmen.
29. Drácula (1931)
Unrated | 104 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Centuries-old vampire Dracula preys upon the innocent Eva and her friends.
Director: George Melford | Stars: Carlos Villarías, Lupita Tovar, Barry Norton, Pablo Álvarez Rubio
Votes: 5,105
6/10 This Spanish-language version, made in parallel with the Lugosi classic, sometimes generates more atmosphere than its better-known companion; its women are also far sexier. The bad news is that most of its actors cannot act, and, in particular, Villarias has all the charisma of a tube of toothpaste.
30. The Mummy (1932)
Approved | 73 min | Fantasy, Horror
A resurrected Egyptian mummy searches Cairo for the girl he believes to be his long-lost princess.
Director: Karl Freund | Stars: Boris Karloff, Zita Johann, David Manners, Arthur Byron
Votes: 30,142
8/10
Elegantly directed by cinematographer Karl Freund. Karloff is surprisingly touching in a relatively complicated role, and the atmosphere is deliciously eerie. Zita Johann is an intriguing heroine, while both Van Sloan and Manners are far more effective here than in Dracula (unfortunately, both also remain notably uncharismatic). Superb make-up by Jack Pierce.
The plot is uncomfortably similar to Dracula; beginning in the 1970s, vampires would return the favour, lifting the reincarnation element from this film for Dracula remakes.
31. Island of Lost Souls (1932)
Passed | 70 min | Film-Noir, Horror, Sci-Fi
A mad doctor conducts ghastly genetic experiments on a remote island in the South Seas, much to the fear and disgust of the shipwrecked sailor who finds himself trapped there.
Director: Erle C. Kenton | Stars: Charles Laughton, Bela Lugosi, Richard Arlen, Leila Hyams
Votes: 10,908
8/10 Don't miss one of Laughton's best performances! And you'll never forget the panther girl.
32. Freaks (1932)
Not Rated | 64 min | Drama, Horror
A circus' beautiful trapeze artist agrees to marry the leader of side-show performers, but his deformed friends discover she is only marrying him for his inheritance.
Director: Tod Browning | Stars: Wallace Ford, Leila Hyams, Olga Baclanova, Roscoe Ates
Votes: 50,623 | Gross: $0.63M
8/10 Emotionally searing, and not for everyone. But the sideshow performers are treated with dignity, and the tale is compelling.
33. The Most Dangerous Game (1932)
PG-13 | 63 min | Action, Adventure, Horror
A psychotic big game hunter deliberately strands a luxury yacht on a remote island, where he begins to hunt its passengers for sport.
Directors: Irving Pichel, Ernest B. Schoedsack | Stars: Joel McCrea, Fay Wray, Leslie Banks, Robert Armstrong
Votes: 14,014 | Gross: $0.97M
8/10 Fast, tense, and fantastically stylish. Highly recommended.
34. White Zombie (1932)
Passed | 69 min | Horror
A young man turns to a witch doctor to lure the woman he loves away from her fiancé, but instead turns her into a zombie slave.
Director: Victor Halperin | Stars: Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Joseph Cawthorn, Robert Frazer
Votes: 11,658
7/10 The plot is a bit weak, the acting often even more so--but the film makes up for a lot by generating an incredibly eerie mood.
35. The Old Dark House (1932)
Passed | 72 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Seeking shelter from a storm, five travelers are in for a bizarre and terrifying night when they stumble upon the Femm family estate.
Director: James Whale | Stars: Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton, Gloria Stuart
Votes: 13,106 | Gross: $0.03M
7/10 "Have a potato." Never mind the weak plot, this is loads of fun: There's a drunken lecherous butler, a crazed pyromaniac, potholes the size of small counties, one religious zealot, an imminent flood, a mysterious dying man, a couple of fornicators, a knock-out white satin evening gown, and plenty of curtains billowing in gale-force winds.
36. Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
Passed | 61 min | Crime, Horror, Mystery
A mad scientist seeks to mingle human blood with that of an ape, and resorts to kidnapping women for his experiments.
Director: Robert Florey | Stars: Bela Lugosi, Sidney Fox, Leon Ames, Bert Roach
Votes: 5,264
5.5/10 Dark, with an exceedingly creepy premise. I found the love story more than usually annoying, though. If I focus on the wonderful cinematography, the sub-par acting (from pretty much the entire cast) doesn't bother me as much.
37. Doctor X (1932)
Unrated | 76 min | Comedy, Crime, Horror
A wisecracking New York reporter intrudes on a research scientist's quest to unmask The Moon Killer.
Director: Michael Curtiz | Stars: Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Lee Tracy, Preston Foster
Votes: 4,266 | Gross: $0.88M
5.5/10 I love Fay Wray & Lionel Atwill, but I honestly found this tedious to sit through.
38. King Kong (1933)
Passed | 100 min | Adventure, Horror
A film crew goes to a tropical island for a location shoot, where they capture a colossal ape who takes a shine to their blonde starlet, and bring him back to New York City.
Directors: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack | Stars: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, Frank Reicher
Votes: 90,989 | Gross: $10.00M
9/10 It could be better only if Joel McCrea had played Cabot's role. Everything else is perfect--and you'll cry at the end.
39. The Invisible Man (1933)
TV-PG | 71 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A scientist finds a way of becoming invisible, but in doing so, he becomes murderously insane.
Director: James Whale | Stars: Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan, Henry Travers
Votes: 39,953
8/10 A delightful Whalesian romp, with terrific special effects.
40. Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933)
Passed | 77 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
The disappearance of people and corpses leads a reporter to a wax museum and a sinister sculptor.
Director: Michael Curtiz | Stars: Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Glenda Farrell, Frank McHugh
Votes: 6,831
7/10 Nobody screams like Fay Wray. Or has more reason to.
41. The Vampire Bat (1933)
Passed | 65 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
When corpses drained of blood begin to show up in a European village, vampirism is suspected to be responsible.
Director: Frank R. Strayer | Stars: Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Melvyn Douglas, Maude Eburne
Votes: 3,051
5/10 Poverty Row studio Majestic assembled a fine cast & shot much of this at Universal. While the movie needed a stronger script & direction, it's always worthwhile spending an hour with Dwight Frye's maniacal laugh.
42. The Black Cat (1934)
Not Rated | 65 min | Crime, Horror, Romance
American honeymooners in Hungary become trapped in the home of a Satan-worshipping priest when the bride is taken there for medical help following a road accident.
Director: Edgar G. Ulmer | Stars: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, David Manners, Julie Bishop
Votes: 13,002 | Gross: $0.51M
7/10 Heavy cuts damaged the plot. But Lugosi and Karloff both shine here in intriguing roles. Plus we get exciting Art Deco sets, a collection of bottled beauties, and a whole crowd of devil worshippers. What more could a horror fan want?
43. Death Takes a Holiday (1934)
Passed | 79 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
The Grim Reaper takes the form of a Prince in an attempt to relate to humans and, along the way, also learns what it is to love.
Director: Mitchell Leisen | Stars: Fredric March, Evelyn Venable, Guy Standing, Katharine Alexander
Votes: 2,413
7/10 Fantasy rather than horror, with a startling conclusion. I found the ethereal heroine to be stunningly annoying, though; without Fredric March, I wouldn't have made it to the end. Strong cast, high production values.
44. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Not Rated | 75 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Mary Shelley reveals the main characters of her novel survived: Baron Henry Frankenstein, goaded by an even madder scientist, builds his monster a mate.
Director: James Whale | Stars: Boris Karloff, Elsa Lanchester, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson
Votes: 53,271 | Gross: $4.36M
10/10
My all-time favorite. More importantly, one of the greatest films ever made.
[link]http://stripgenerator.com/strip/692166/bride-of-frankenbunny/#main[/link]
45. The Raven (1935)
Approved | 61 min | Crime, Horror
A brilliant surgeon with a morbid obsession for instruments of torture grows dangerously obsessed with a young socialite whose life he's saved.
Director: Lew Landers | Stars: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lester Matthews, Irene Ware
Votes: 6,654
7/10 Vivid performances by Karloff & Lugosi are the highlight of this tale about torture (which has little to do with Poe). The supporting cast is merely adequate, yet the direction shows some imaginative touches.
46. Mark of the Vampire (1935)
Passed | 60 min | Horror, Mystery
When a nobleman is murdered, a professor of the occult blames vampires, but not all is what it seems.
Director: Tod Browning | Stars: Lionel Barrymore, Elizabeth Allan, Bela Lugosi, Lionel Atwill
Votes: 5,582
7/10 A talkie remake of the lost London After Midnight from 1927. Achieves a really spooky atmosphere, and boasts an unusually strong cast.
47. Werewolf of London (1935)
Passed | 75 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
After botanist Wilfred Glendon travels to Tibet in search of a rare flower, the Mariphasa, he returns to a London haunted by murders that can only be the work of bloodthirsty werewolves.
Director: Stuart Walker | Stars: Henry Hull, Warner Oland, Valerie Hobson, Lester Matthews
Votes: 6,504
6/10
Starring the Elvis wolf man! Starts out well, has a few good moments plus bits of comedy--yet it never quite gels. And why is there a camel in Tibet?
As you'd expect, the transformations are crude, and Hull's rather unsympathetic werewolf actually stops to put on his coat before dashing out to rampage. My favorite scenes were the interactions with a tabby cat and a wolf at the zoo.
48. The Devil-Doll (1936)
Passed | 78 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
An escaped convict uses miniaturized humans to wreak vengeance on those who framed him.
Director: Tod Browning | Stars: Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O'Sullivan, Frank Lawton, Rafaela Ottiano
Votes: 4,958
7.5/10 Lionel Barrymore in drag! Ingenious revenge plot!! Assassin Barbie doll victorious!!! And it all seems so very very reasonable. A personal favorite of mine.
49. Dracula's Daughter (1936)
Unrated | 71 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
When Countess Marya Zaleska appears in London, mysterious events occur that lead Dr. Von Helsing to believe that the Countess must be a vampire.
Director: Lambert Hillyer | Stars: Otto Kruger, Gloria Holden, Marguerite Churchill, Edward Van Sloan
Votes: 8,014
7/10 Unusual touches of humor, plus strong atmosphere in key scenes--the influence of James Whale is obvious, though this film lacks his panache. Churchill as the heroine is a bit annoying, while Kruger is not quite dashing enough. Nonetheless, this is Holden's film, and she remains one of the most memorable vampires of all time.
50. Revolt of the Zombies (1936)
Approved | 65 min | Adventure, Horror
An international expedition is sent into Cambodia to destroy an ancient formula that turns men into zombies.
Director: Victor Halperin | Stars: Dorothy Stone, Dean Jagger, Roy D'Arcy, Robert Noland
Votes: 1,879
3/10 The actors are so stiff, I thought the zombies had appeared long before they actually did. Weak story, stilted dialogue, and almost no action until the final moments. Skip it.
51. A Night of Terror (1937)
86 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
A lottery winner breaks up with her fiancé and marries a fortune hunter who proves to be dangerous.
Director: Rowland V. Lee | Stars: Ann Harding, Basil Rathbone, Binnie Hale, Bruce Seton
Votes: 640
6/10 Sinister Basil Rathbone, a rich blonde, and a charming cottage isolated in the country--what better ingredients for murder? I confess it's only a so-so film--until the finale, which is both creative and well-done.
52. Son of Frankenstein (1939)
Approved | 99 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Returning to the ancestral castle long after the death of the monster, the son of Dr. Frankenstein meets a mad shepherd who is hiding the comatose creature. To clear the family name, he revives the creature and tries to rehabilitate him.
Director: Rowland V. Lee | Stars: Boris Karloff, Basil Rathbone, Bela Lugosi, Lionel Atwill
Votes: 11,696
7/10 You'll hate the adorable tyke--but everything else works well. Crazy Expressionistic sets provide the perfect backdrop for a mad doctor, a hunchback, and a one-armed police inspector to tussle over the immortal monster.
53. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)
Passed | 80 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson investigate the legend of a supernatural hound, a beast that may be stalking a young heir on the fog-shrouded moorland that makes up his estate.
Director: Sidney Lanfield | Stars: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Richard Greene, Wendy Barrie
Votes: 11,688
7/10 One of several good adaptations of this classic novella. Rathbone is 10/10 as Holmes; the rest of the film--eh, not so much.
54. The Cat and the Canary (1939)
Approved | 72 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
When an eccentric family meets in their uncle's remote, decaying mansion on the tenth anniversary of his death for the reading of his will, murder and madness follow.
Director: Elliott Nugent | Stars: Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, John Beal, Douglass Montgomery
Votes: 3,769
6/10 Good cast in mediocre remake--with not one iota of atmosphere--of Paul Leni's 1927 classic. Hope & Goddard are far more fun in 1940's The Ghost Breakers.
55. Tower of London (1939)
Approved | 92 min | Drama, History
In the 15th century Richard Duke of Gloucester, aided by his club-footed executioner Mord, eliminates those ahead of him in succession to the throne, then occupied by his brother King ... See full summary »
Director: Rowland V. Lee | Stars: Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Barbara O'Neil, Ian Hunter
Votes: 2,231
Elaborate historical farago, with interesting pairing of Rathbone and Karloff. Spoiled a bit by weak plotting and an extremely silly love story. Favorite quote: Ian Hunter calls Barbara O'Neil "my little porcupine."
56. Gaslight (1940)
Not Rated | 84 min | Mystery, Thriller
Twenty years after the murder of Alice Barlow, her house is finally occupied again. However, the husband from the couple who have moved in has a secret which he will do anything to keep hidden.
Director: Thorold Dickinson | Stars: Anton Walbrook, Diana Wynyard, Frank Pettingell, Cathleen Cordell
Votes: 5,278
8/10 Better acting and atmosphere than the 1944 remake (but this one, alas, does not have Angela Lansbury).
57. The Ghost Breakers (1940)
Passed | 85 min | Comedy
A radio broadcaster, his quaking manservant and an heiress investigate the mystery of a haunted castle in Cuba.
Director: George Marshall | Stars: Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, Richard Carlson, Paul Lukas
Votes: 4,161
7.5/10 The plot & pratfalls come at you fast & furious here. Immensely charming, well-produced comedy.
58. The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
Passed | 81 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
The owner of a coal mining operation, falsely imprisoned for fratricide, takes a drug to make him invisible, despite its side effect: gradual madness.
Director: Joe May | Stars: Cedric Hardwicke, Vincent Price, Nan Grey, John Sutton
Votes: 5,295
7/10 The (mostly) unseen menace is back, this time voiced by the inimitable Price. For mysterious reasons, his drug of choice is now "duocane" (rather than the original's monocane). It lacks the comedic flair of the Claude Rains outing, but perhaps has more heart.
59. The Invisible Woman (1940)
Approved | 72 min | Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi
An attractive model with an ulterior motive volunteers as guinea pig for an invisibility machine.
Director: A. Edward Sutherland | Stars: Virginia Bruce, John Barrymore, John Howard, Charles Ruggles
Votes: 3,357
6.5/10 Fast-paced comedy with immense charm, energetic performances. Barrymore is enjoying himself here, and you should, too.
60. Dr. Cyclops (1940)
Passed | 77 min | Adventure, Drama, Horror
A mad scientist working in the South American jungle miniaturizes his colleagues when he feels his megalomania is threatened.
Director: Ernest B. Schoedsack | Stars: Albert Dekker, Thomas Coley, Janice Logan, Charles Halton
Votes: 2,890
6.5/10 Many fun moments through special effects, though the narrative lacks consistent momentum and the dialogue is often lame.
61. The Mummy's Hand (1940)
Approved | 67 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Horror
Archaeologists defile the tomb of mummified Kharis, who was buried alive for falling in love with an Egyptian princess.
Director: Christy Cabanne | Stars: Dick Foran, Peggy Moran, Wallace Ford, Eduardo Ciannelli
Votes: 4,708
5/10 Universal relaunched The Mummy with this clumsy mix of laughs & chills. The Kharis story line doesn't work for me, & neither does this series.
62. The Devil Bat (1940)
Approved | 68 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A mad scientist develops an aftershave lotion that causes his gigantic bats to kill anyone who wears it.
Director: Jean Yarbrough | Stars: Bela Lugosi, Suzanne Kaaren, Dave O'Brien, Guy Usher
Votes: 3,449
4/10 Lugosi is fine here, despite being given little to work with, and a very weak supporting cast.
63. The Wolf Man (1941)
Passed | 70 min | Horror, Mystery, Romance
Larry Talbot returns to his father's castle in Wales and meets a beautiful woman. One fateful night, Talbot escorts her to a local carnival where they meet a mysterious gypsy fortune teller.
Director: George Waggner | Stars: Claude Rains, Warren William, Lon Chaney Jr., Ralph Bellamy
Votes: 30,726
9/10 One of the most poignant of the classic Universal horror films. Ouspenskaya is the standout in a remarkably good cast.
64. Hold That Ghost (1941)
Passed | 86 min | Comedy, Crime, Horror
After inheriting a fortune from a gangster, two dim-witted service station attendants find themselves stranded in a haunted house.
Director: Arthur Lubin | Stars: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Richard Carlson, Joan Davis
Votes: 4,266
7.5/10 Enjoyable parody of the haunted house genre--Joan Davis as the professional radio screamer become an instant favorite of mine with this flick. Keep an eye on that candle!
65. The Tell-Tale Heart (1941)
Approved | 20 min | Crime, Mystery, Short
In this classic Edgar Allan Poe story, a man commits a murder, but afterward the victim's beating heart torments the murderer's mind.
Director: Jules Dassin | Stars: Joseph Schildkraut, Roman Bohnen, Oscar O'Shea, Will Wright
Votes: 987
6/10 A weird little live-action short adapted from Poe's story. For no reason I can imagine, it's included as a special feature on The Shadow of the Thin Man DVD. It's not bad at all--but the 1953 animated version is far superior.
66. Cat People (1942)
Not Rated | 73 min | Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
An American man marries a Serbian immigrant who fears that she will turn into the cat person of her homeland's fables if they are intimate together.
Director: Jacques Tourneur | Stars: Simone Simon, Tom Conway, Kent Smith, Jane Randolph
Votes: 26,000 | Gross: $4.00M
8.5/10 The first of producer Val Lewton's legendary psychological horror movies, and arguably the best. The famous set-pieces (the walk through Central Park, the swimming pool sequence) have never been outdone. And you'll be startled by the scenes in which Simone Simon and Tom Conway square off--both erotic and perverse, with violence simmering just beneath the surface.
67. The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)
Passed | 67 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Dr. Frankenstein's plans to replace the brain of his monster are hijacked by his scheming and malevolent assistant Ygor.
Director: Erle C. Kenton | Stars: Cedric Hardwicke, Lon Chaney Jr., Ralph Bellamy, Lionel Atwill
Votes: 7,097
5/10 Anker's charm and Lugosi's undoubted menace can't overcome a limp, dull story (and a disappointing set). The adorable-child-victim business is played out, too.
68. I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
Passed | 69 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A nurse is hired to care for the wife of a sugar plantation owner, who has been acting strangely, on a Caribbean island.
Director: Jacques Tourneur | Stars: Frances Dee, Tom Conway, James Ellison, Edith Barrett
Votes: 13,666
8.5/10 Or maybe this one is Lewton's best. I can never decide. I've seen it many times, and that walk through the dark jungle still gives me the shivers.
69. The Seventh Victim (1943)
Approved | 71 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A woman in search of her missing sister uncovers a Satanic cult in New York's Greenwich Village and finds that they could have something to do with her sibling's random disappearance.
Director: Mark Robson | Stars: Kim Hunter, Tom Conway, Jean Brooks, Isabel Jewell
Votes: 7,576
7/10 Great noir atmosphere. I find this the saddest of Lewton's films.
70. The Leopard Man (1943)
Approved | 66 min | Film-Noir, Horror, Thriller
A seemingly-tame leopard used for a publicity stunt escapes and kills a young girl, spreading panic throughout a sleepy New Mexico town.
Director: Jacques Tourneur | Stars: Dennis O'Keefe, Margo, Jean Brooks, Isabel Jewell
Votes: 5,962
7/10 The setting is a little drab, with bland leads. But this film contains three astounding murder scenes that frighten me every time I see them.
71. Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)
Passed | 74 min | Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
The resurrected Wolf Man, seeking a cure for his malady, enlists the aid of a mad scientist, who claims he will not only rid the Wolf Man of his nocturnal metamorphosis, but also revive the frozen body of Frankenstein's inhuman creation.
Director: Roy William Neill | Stars: Lon Chaney Jr., Ilona Massey, Patric Knowles, Lionel Atwill
Votes: 9,960
6/10 Lon terrorizes Wales, then joins Bela in Never-Never-Deutschland for more havoc. Has its moments thanks to Chaney's portrayal of anguish, but lacks the irony and oomph of its predecessors. And the musical moments are silly.
72. The Ape Man (1943)
Passed | 64 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
A crazed scientist accidentally turns himself into a half ape, half human creature, and scrambles to find a cure.
Director: William Beaudine | Stars: Bela Lugosi, Louise Currie, Wallace Ford, Henry Hall
Votes: 1,505
3/10 My attention wandered--a lot.
73. The Uninvited (1944)
Passed | 99 min | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
A composer and his sister discover that the reason they are able to purchase a beautiful gothic seacoast mansion very cheaply is the house's unsavory past.
Director: Lewis Allen | Stars: Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, Donald Crisp, Cornelia Otis Skinner
Votes: 12,468
8/10 One of the first films to take ghosts seriously, with convincing atmosphere and an unexpectedly adult story.
74. Gaslight (1944)
Passed | 114 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Ten years after her aunt was murdered in their London home, a woman returns from Italy in the 1880s to resume residence with her new husband. His obsessive interest in the home rises from a secret that may require driving his wife insane.
Director: George Cukor | Stars: Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten, May Whitty
Votes: 33,922
7/10 Bergman was never lovelier, while Boyer is creepy as can be--and, as a bonus, we get Lansbury in a distinctive naughty role. Better plotting than the 1940 original--but it has less atmosphere, and Cotton is hopelessly miscast.
75. Between Two Worlds (1944)
Approved | 112 min | Mystery, Drama, Fantasy
Passengers on an ocean liner can't recall how they got on board or where they are going yet, oddly enough, it soon becomes apparent that they all have something in common.
Director: Edward A. Blatt | Stars: John Garfield, Paul Henreid, Sydney Greenstreet, Eleanor Parker
Votes: 2,348
6/10 Remake of Outward Bound 1930. I prefer the earlier version, which has a more intriguing mood.
76. House of Frankenstein (1944)
Passed | 71 min | Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
A deranged scientist escapes from prison and recruits Dracula, Frankenstein's monster and the Wolf Man to get revenge on his behalf.
Director: Erle C. Kenton | Stars: Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr., J. Carrol Naish, John Carradine
Votes: 7,723
5/10 Deadly slow and dramatically uneven, with weak special effects. Karloff and Chaney make it worth a look, if only-just; Carradine is no substitute for Lugosi.
77. And Then There Were None (1945)
Approved | 97 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Seven guests, a newly hired secretary and two staff are gathered at a manor house on an isolated island by an unknown absentee host and are killed off one-by-one. They work together to determine who the killer is before it's too late.
Director: René Clair | Stars: Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston, Louis Hayward, Roland Young
Votes: 16,647
8/10 Brilliant black comedy, with a splendid cast of fine character actors.
78. The Body Snatcher (1945)
Approved | 78 min | Horror, Thriller
A ruthless doctor and his young prize student find themselves continually harassed by their murderous supplier of illegal cadavers.
Director: Robert Wise | Stars: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Henry Daniell, Edith Atwater
Votes: 10,192
8/10 "They killed his wee doggie too!" A really interesting role for Karloff. Daniells and Atwater are also excellent. If only it didn't include that child with the whiney voice.
79. The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A corrupt young man somehow keeps his youthful beauty, but a special painting gradually reveals his inner ugliness to all.
Director: Albert Lewin | Stars: George Sanders, Hurd Hatfield, Donna Reed, Angela Lansbury
Votes: 14,451
8/10 Lansbury sings a sweet song, Sanders blithely corrupts nice people, and the villain pays for his crimes in a most unusual way. Far more serious in tone than most horror films.
80. Isle of the Dead (1945)
Not Rated | 71 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
On a Greek island during the 1912 war, several people are trapped by quarantine for the plague. If that isn't enough worry, one of the people, a superstitious old peasant woman, suspects ... See full summary »
Director: Mark Robson | Stars: Boris Karloff, Ellen Drew, Marc Cramer, Katherine Emery
Votes: 5,264
6/10 Loads of atmosphere offset a weak plot--and Karloff shines in an unsympathetic role.
81. Dead of Night (1945)
Approved | 77 min | Drama, Horror
Guests invited to a weekend in the country share their supernatural stories, beginning with Walter Craig, who senses impending doom as his half-remembered recurring dream turns into reality.
Directors: Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden, Robert Hamer | Stars: Mervyn Johns, Michael Redgrave, Roland Culver, Mary Merrall
Votes: 14,219
9/10 Several creepy tales (my favorite is the haunted mirror) tied together with a twist that will drive you wild. One of the essentials.
82. My Name Is Julia Ross (1945)
Not Rated | 65 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Julia Ross secures employment through a rather nosy employment agency, with a wealthy widow, Mrs. Hughes, and goes to live at her house. 2 days later, she awakens - in a different house, in... See full summary »
Director: Joseph H. Lewis | Stars: Nina Foch, May Whitty, George Macready, Roland Varno
Votes: 3,762
7/10 Crazy plot but fun, in a low-budget, noirish kind of way.
83. House of Dracula (1945)
Approved | 67 min | Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
The Wolf Man and Count Dracula beg Dr. Edelman to cure them of their killing instincts but Dracula schemes to seduce the doctor's nurse.
Director: Erle C. Kenton | Stars: Onslow Stevens, John Carradine, Lon Chaney Jr., Martha O'Driscoll
Votes: 6,159
6/10 Another ridiculous plot, but this one gives us some sympathetic characters, plus a strong finale.
84. She-Wolf of London (1946)
Passed | 61 min | Crime, Horror, Mystery
A young heiress finds evidence suggesting that at night she acts under the influence of a family curse and has begun committing ghastly murders in a nearby park.
Director: Jean Yarbrough | Stars: Don Porter, June Lockhart, Sara Haden, Jan Wiley
Votes: 3,030
4/10 Bedraggled premise in pseudo-Victorian setting. At least it's short.
85. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
Not Rated | 83 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
The Wolf Man tries to warn a dimwitted porter that Dracula wants his brain for Frankenstein monster's body.
Directors: Charles Barton, Walter Lantz | Stars: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi
Votes: 19,571 | Gross: $4.80M
8/10 Surprising amount of spooky atmosphere for a comedy, with excellent performances all around. Even the opening credits are great. Highly recommended.
86. Portrait of Jennie (1948)
Approved | 86 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
In Depression-era New York, an impoverished painter has a chance encounter with an enigmatic, old-fashioned little girl in Central Park who inspires him and changes his destiny.
Director: William Dieterle | Stars: Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Ethel Barrymore, Lillian Gish
Votes: 7,619
6/10 An oddball sci-fi story (concerning rips in the fabric of time, or something like that), which is more notable for its moody, sometimes poetic cinematography than its plot or performances. Jones couldn't be less convincing, but Ethel Barrymore is around to lend this some class and gravitas.
87. The Queen of Spades (1949)
95 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
An army officer becomes obsessed with learning the secret to a card game for which an elderly countess sold her soul years earlier.
Director: Thorold Dickinson | Stars: Anton Walbrook, Edith Evans, Yvonne Mitchell, Ronald Howard
Votes: 2,398
7.5/10 Atmospheric, although not very Russian, with lovely use of lighting and costumes to create a unique mood for an unusual tale.
88. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)
Passed | 82 min | Comedy, Family, Horror
Two bumbling private eyes help a man, wrongly accused of murder who has become invisible, to clear his name.
Director: Charles Lamont | Stars: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Nancy Guild, Arthur Franz
Votes: 6,098 | Gross: $3.38M
6/10 A boxing yarn not as compulsively watchable as A&C Meet Frankenstein. Good special effects, though.
89. The Tell-Tale Heart (I) (1953)
Passed | 8 min | Animation, Short, Crime
A madman tells his tale of murder, and how a strange beating sound haunted him afterward.
Director: Ted Parmelee | Stars: James Mason, Jack Mather
Votes: 2,213
9/10 Stylish, terrifically atmospheric animated version of the classic tale, chillingly narrated by James Mason. Worth any amount of trouble to seek out.
90. Return to Glennascaul (1952)
23 min | Short, Horror, Mystery
Orson Welles, on break from filming Othello, relates a tale he heard one spooky Irish midnight not so long ago when, driving through the countryside, he picked up a man with car trouble who told of a strange encounter with two hitchhikers.
Director: Hilton Edwards | Stars: Michael Laurence, Shelah Richards, Helena Hughes, John Dunne
Votes: 923
7.5/10 Most enjoyable adaptation of an urban legend that dates back at least as far as the 19th century in the U.S. Despite the Dublin setting, the film unfortunately doesn't have a particularly Irish feel, but the spooky tale is told with a light touch, not too many artsy flourishes, & at just the right (short) length.
91. It Came from Outer Space (1953)
Approved | 81 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A spaceship from another world crashes in the Arizona desert and only an amateur stargazer and a schoolteacher suspect alien influence when the local townsfolk begin to act strangely.
Director: Jack Arnold | Stars: Richard Carlson, Barbara Rush, Charles Drake, Joe Sawyer
Votes: 11,056
6.5/10 Maintains good suspense--and I love the jello aliens.
92. House of Wax (1953)
GP | 88 min | Horror
An associate burns down a wax museum with the owner inside, but he survives only to become vengeful and murderous.
Director: André De Toth | Stars: Vincent Price, Frank Lovejoy, Phyllis Kirk, Carolyn Jones
Votes: 20,262 | Gross: $23.75M
6/10 A fun color-and-3D extravaganza, with Price a gleeful master of ceremonies. The pacing is off, and the heroine didn't much interest me--but I loved the wax museum sets.
93. The Magnetic Monster (1953)
Approved | 76 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
The Office of Scientific Investigation sends A-Men agents to investigate reports of unusual magnetic activity in various communities.
Directors: Curt Siodmak, Herbert L. Strock | Stars: Richard Carlson, King Donovan, Jean Byron, Harry Ellerbe
Votes: 1,921
5/10 Weird concept requires over-much voice-over exposition before reaching undeniably exciting finale.
94. Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953)
Passed | 76 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
Two bumbling American cops hunt for the mysterious Mr. Hyde in London, England.
Director: Charles Lamont | Stars: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Boris Karloff, Craig Stevens
Votes: 5,000 | Gross: $2.62M
4.5/10 Tune in for Karloff, not for the tale. It was distinctly weird seeing A&C in a Victorian setting.
95. Scared Stiff (1953)
Approved | 108 min | Comedy, Horror, Musical
Fleeing a murder charge, a busboy and a nightclub singer wind up on a spooky Caribbean island inherited by a young woman.
Director: George Marshall | Stars: Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Lizabeth Scott, Carmen Miranda
Votes: 2,092
96. Them! (1954)
Not Rated | 94 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
The earliest atomic tests in New Mexico cause common ants to mutate into giant man-eating monsters that threaten civilization.
Director: Gordon Douglas | Stars: James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon, James Arness
Votes: 24,195
7/10 The best of the radioactive mutants films: intelligent script, strong performances (especially Gwenn and Weldon) and direction, excellent pacing. Even the "grey men in grey offices" scenes are good. Don't miss Them!
97. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
G | 79 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A strange prehistoric beast lurks in the depths of the Amazonian jungle. A group of scientists try to capture the animal and bring it back to civilization for study.
Director: Jack Arnold | Stars: Richard Carlson, Julie Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno
Votes: 34,443 | Gross: $1.30M
7/10
Solid script and cast, good cinematography and locations. Very enjoyable, with an interestingly different (if all-too-rubbery) monster.
Incidentally, director Arnold's other credits include The Incredible Shrinking Man, The Mouse that Roared, & The Chicken of Tomorrow.
98. Devil Girl from Mars (1954)
Approved | 77 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
An uptight, leather-clad female alien, armed with a ray gun and accompanied by a menacing robot, comes to Earth to collect Earth's men as breeding stock.
Director: David MacDonald | Stars: Hugh McDermott, Hazel Court, Peter Reynolds, Adrienne Corri
Votes: 2,103
5/10
The plot summary makes it sound funnier than it really is, which is too bad.
[link]http://stripgenerator.com/strip/676295/devil-bunny-from-mars/[/link]
99. Diabolique (1955)
Not Rated | 117 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
The wife and mistress of a loathed school principal plan to murder him with what they believe is the perfect alibi.
Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot | Stars: Simone Signoret, Véra Clouzot, Paul Meurisse, Charles Vanel
Votes: 69,411 | Gross: $1.09M
9/10 Sordid, sinister, and satisfying. A must-see.
100. Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955–1962)
TV-14 | 25 min | Drama, Mystery
Series of unrelated short stories covering elements of crime, horror, drama, and comedy about people of different backgrounds committing murders, suicides, thefts, and other sorts of crime caused by certain motivations, perceived or not.
Stars: Alfred Hitchcock, Harry Tyler, John Williams, Patricia Hitchcock
Votes: 19,334
8/10
Many episodes of this anthology series were of course suspense or thrillers rather than horror--one of the enjoyable aspects of viewing this show is that you can never be quite sure at the outset which way it will go. I prefer the 30-minute vignettes to the later hour-long episodes.
Hulu often has episodes available. Check out The Gentleman From America, Into Thin Air, The Older Sister (based on the Lizzie Borden case), and Lamb To the Slaughter.
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