My Favorite Slasher Movies

Two sub-genres today. Slashers and Serial Killers. Now I know most people will this them as the same thing. Well, I do not and he reason is simple: For me slashers contain some sort of supernatural or unexplainable element to the slaughter while serial killers are the sociopaths & legit psychopaths of the world. They are terrifying all by themselves.

So without future ado, my 8 favorite slasher flicks.



* Halloween (1978)

The movie that introduced Michael Myers and the final girl will always have a place close to my heart. Very suspenseful and the blood flies when it needs to.


* Nightmare of Elm Street (1984)

This first movie is so damn creepy. I remember watching this with my fingers plugging my ears half the time, then not ever wanting to go to sleep again. Cut me some slack, I was twelve. Freddy Kruger is my favorite slasher of the 80's.


* Suspiria (1977)

I will go on record as stating Dario Argento is one of my favorite directors and this wrapped vision is his masterpiece. There are so many freaky things in this movie.


* Candyman (1992)

After watching this flick, did you immediately run to the mirror and say Candyman, Candyman, Ca --- then chicken out? I did, because I'm not going to get taken out by some ghost with a razor hook. Parts of this movie frightens the hell out of me. Maybe it's the music, may be it's actor Tony Todd portrayal.


* Haute Tension: Switchblade Romance (2003)

I'm still not sure I understand this movie completely, but man does it have style. There's plenty of tension and hostility to go around. This movie will keep you on the edge of your seat.


* Evil Dead Trap (1988)

This is one messed up movie from Japan. It's like a David Lynch-Takeshi Miike soup! a reporter receives a videotape which looks like a snuff film. Her crew goes to an abandoned warehouse to investigate. Then things get really weird...and gory.


* Hellraiser

There's only one sure way not to see Pinhead and the Cennobites. Dont play with the damn puzzle box. Good for us horror hounds that people just aren't that smart. A bloody good time at the movies with one of the best one liners every, "Jesus wept".


* Dust Devil (1992)

Director Richard Stanely doesn't make many non-documentary films, which is a shame because his movies are unique. This tale about a shape shifting serial killer (played by Robert Burke) may be slightly uneven at times but more than makes up for it with imagery and atmosphere.

My Favorite Shapeshifter/Body Transformation Movies

People that under go a body metomorphis or simple are able to change into different creatures have always been a favorite of mine. Unfortunately the great flicks of this kind are few and far between. Still the lore lives on and here are 7 of my favorites in this sub-genre.


* An American Werewolf in London (1981)

If there is a better transformation scene from man to wolf, then I've never seen it. Rick Baker's effects hold up amazing well. When I first watched this movie in my youth it scared the crap out me. Later on I grew to appreciate the dark humor elements of the movie. This is still the top of the line in werewolf movies.


* Slither (2006)

James Gunn took all his Troma training and made an awesome bigger budget movie in the style of all that is Troma. Aliens infect humans causing a transformation in them. Over the top gore combine with comedy makes this a bloody great time.


* Ginger Snaps (2000)

High school girls have a tough enough time figuring out their changing bodies...especially if you're just been bitten by a werewolf. Sisters deal with the issue together. The movie has plenty of gore and strong story.


* The Howling (1981)

Another great werewolf movie from the early 80's which gave me nightmares for months as a pre-teen. Another good round of special effects, this time from Rob Bottin, a top notch cast, and a rather dark humor undertone makes this a cant miss movie.


* The Fly (1986)

Nobody deals with the body transformations better than David Cronenberg. This is gory, updated version of the 50's classic. The big differnce here is we slowly watch a man transform into a fly-like creature over the coarse of days. Jeff Goldblum has never been better.


* The Wolfman (1941)

If you haven't figured it out yet, there's a soft place in my heart for the old Universal Studios monster movies. This one is no exception and Lon Chaney Jr. busts out his acting chops as Larry Talbot. The man makes you empathize with his situation. And that is great movie making.


* Dog Soldiers (2002)

A group of soldiers on a training excursion in the deep woods run into a family of werewolves. I'm sold. While the werewolves themselves aren't the best looking things ever, the acting and story more than makes up for it.


* Tetsou 2: The Body Hammer (1992)

Man merges with machine who takes justice in his own hands in this Shinya Tsukamoto classic. A true mind bender.

My Favorite Haunted House & Ghost Movies

All things haunted is the sub-genre today. Ghosts, specters, apparitions, and so on which haunt the establishments we live in.

These are my 8 favorites.


* The Haunting (1963)

The ultimate haunted house story. This movie does a great job of letting your mind take over and filling in what's on the other side of the door. This movie is simple amazing.


* Poltergeist (1982)

When you build a housing addition on an Indian burial ground then bad things will happen. A fun movie full of creepiness, like the clown and the old lady.


* A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

This Korean import is one of my all time favorite movies. Two sisters return home from a mental institution where they must deal with their father and stepmother. Part mystery and part ghost story, this is nothing short of classic cinema.


* Devil's Backbone (2001)

Guillermo Del Toro directs this film about a bording school filled with the ghost of a former student. A beautifully shot movie filled with chills that immerses you into a child like state.


* The Changeling (1980)

Actor George C. Scott chews up scenery like it's nothing in this chilling tale about a grieving father who retreats to a countryside mansion which happens to be haunted.


* Ju-On: The Grudge (2002)

The original, Japanese version of The Grunge is simply terrifying. Stay away from vengeful spirits. The mood and the sounds are what get to me in this movie.


* Phantom of the Opera ()

I love this tale of the disfigured phantom haunting the opera house. I'm not sure there's more of an iconic image than the look of horror on Lon Chaney Sr. when the mask is ripped off his face to reveal the hideousness underneath.


* The Eye (2002)

This import from the Pang Brothers is about a woman who gets a cornea transplant and realizes she can now see ghosts. It's very creepy and subtle film.