Your Thoughts on Building a Horror Collection

[FBTBTim]

The disclaimers:

I have a decent collection (over 230 titles), but one genre which is definitely lacking is Horror/Suspense - this is a void that I would like to fill, as my end goal is to try and have a well-rounded dvd library.

Currently, I own The Blair Witch Project, Jaws, Night of the Living Dead, The Haunting (the original), and the The Sixth Sense.

The best video and audio are what is important to me; if those two are solid I don't need a ton of extras - I enjoy them but don't absolutely need them.

So what are the best discs out there for this genre? Your thoughts appreciated . . .

[mlemmond]

There have been quite a few horror threads around here and as Morticia is fond of saying "Search is your friend" and I agree but to answer your question it really depends on what kind of horror you like.

The are slasher films - Friday 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween films are the best of that bunch

Hammer Horror - classics starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee

Universal Classics - the legendary b&w films featuring Dracula, Mummy etc.

Zombie movies - I would recommend talking to Orf about those

There are several other genres within horror that I have left out, if you look through some of the collection around here or use the search feature you will probably wind up with plenty of ideas. Good Luck

edit - I just remembered that is a John Carpenter box and a Wes Craven box coming out soon, picking those up wouldn't be a bad place to start.

[Griggi]

The Exorcist
The Fog
The Thing
Prince of Darkness
The Ring
The Changeling

[iluvalex]

I do not understand this kind of topic. Who are you trying to impress with your collection. Others or yourself? Don't you know what you like in horror or suspense? Why would you add to your collection based on strangers recommendations. A collection is based on what you like. Not what others like.

Then you claim best audio and video is what is important. What about story or the fact it's great horror?

Sigh - it's just weird.

[SidcupMartin]

Originally Posted by iluvalex

I do not understand this kind of topic. Who are you trying to impress with your collection. Others or yourself? Don't you know what you like in horror or suspense? Why would you add to your collection based on strangers recommendations. A collection is based on what you like. Not what others like.

Then you claim best audio and video is what is important. What about story or the fact it's great horror?

Sigh - it's just weird.

He's asking for peoples recommendations that's all - I don't see anything weird about it I've found a ton of movies that I only checked out through word of mouth.

[C Roberts]

There's also what I call Artistic/Horror. Movies that while might fall into the horror category are more into style and atmosphere than typical slasher flicks. Suspiria, The Others, Alien, Interview with the Vampire, Resident Evil, etc. These kinds of horrors have the most repeat value for me because I can enjoy the atmosphere they create in the movie.

[Indyphantom]

Horror is one of my favorite genres.

Here are some classics:

Carnival of Souls: Criterion Collection
Don't Look Now
Re-Animator: Millenium Edition
German Horror Classics from Kino (Nosferatu, The Golem, Waxworks, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari)
The Birds: Collector's Edition
Carrie: Special Edition
The Shining
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Pioneer Special Edition


Some interesting ones you might want to check out:

Anguish (don't read anything...just see it)
Thesis (early film from the director of "The Others")
Audition
John Carpenter's The Fog: Special Edition
Tenebre (Tenebrae)
Session 9 (creepy atmosphere)
May

[newt]

Definitely get the Alien Quadrilogy being released this fall!!!

[Oscar Antonio M]

Ive never been a huge fan of horror, mostly because there are a lot of crappy horror movies out there, but there are plenty of good ones as well and from the ones ive seen i would recommend:
Nightmare on Elm Street
The Ring
Resident Evil
The Sixth Sense
Signs
Alien
The Others
Jaws

[Monrozombi]

You want horror, don't forget George Romero,
Dawn of the Dead
Day of the Dead
Monkey Shines
Two Evil Eyes
Martin
Creepshow
Bruiser
The Crazies
Night of the Living Dead
Dark Half

From zombies to pyschological horror he covered it all, so don't skimp out on the Romero ifyou want a horror collection

[Anti-Hero]

here what i would say to get..

Nightmare on Elm St. box set
Friday the 13th 1-4
Night of the Living Dead: M.E.
Re-Animator: M.E.
Evil Dead: Book of the dead edition
The Fog
Halloween
Psycho (1960)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Hellraiser
The Shining
Any of the Universal Monster Movies if ya can find em

just kinda look through my collection
i'd say the majority of my collection is horror

[JFelix]

There are a few discs a horror movie dork needs in their collection.

And according to Guzzlefish, I have about 18% worth of horror movies.


...hey, according to the subgenres page, I have films in the 'Kidnapping and Missing Persons' and 'Nuclear Destruction', 'Food' and 'Family Crises' genres!)

Anyway, the list.

This is by the actual movie, and not by the DVD itself:

Dead Alive
May
The Evil Dead Trilogy
From Dusk Till Dawn
Re-Animator
Suspiria
Opera
The Thing
Audition (Only if you enjoy drama thrown into your movie. If you're looking for all-out gore, avoid.)
HOPEFULLY the upcoming Dawn of the Dead set.

[tomdkat]

Originally Posted by iluvalex

I do not understand this kind of topic.

I don't understand what's so hard to understand about this topic.

Who are you trying to impress with your collection. Others or yourself?

Why must he be trying to impress anyone?

Don't you know what you like in horror or suspense?

I'm sure he's got a very good idea of the kinds of horror and/or suspense movies he likes as he's already added some to his collection.

Why would you add to your collection based on strangers recommendations. A collection is based on what you like. Not what others like.

Spend a bit more time around here and the people you interact with the most won't seem like "strangers" to you...

Then you claim best audio and video is what is important. What about story or the fact it's great horror?

Well, I believe he indicated A/V performance was more important over extra features. The "story" part fits in through the specific titles people recommend. So if I recommend a horror movie that's a great movie (story part is covered) and it has awesome A/V quality, then this is a movie he might investigate and possibly add to his collection if he agrees with the recommendation.

What's the big deal?

Peace...

[redshifter]

some have been mentioned already:

hellraiser
candyman
the shining (kubrick)
the thing (carpenter)
dawn of the dead
prince of darkness
the ring (slow in the middle, but interesting)
the blob (80's remake... got to have at least ONE cheesey 80's horror film)
return of the living dead (okay, TWO cheesey 80's horror flicks)
evil dead 2
psycho (original)
halloween
the fog
seven
alien
silence of the lambs
bram stoker's dracula (copolla - operatic, eccentric, very cinematic)

[Marq]

I love horror too. And must recommend:

My Top 13
(note, Mulholland Dr. would be #1, but I'm not sure it can only be classified as horror. Thus it stands on its own)

01. Psycho
02. The Shining
03. The Evil Dead
04. Jacob's Ladder
05. Dawn of the Dead (wait for a better DVD in 2004)
06. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
07. Halloween
08. The Exorcist
09. The Blair Witch Project
10. Carrie
11. Rosemary's Baby
12. Night of the Living Dead
13. Candyman

the rest, in no particular order:

Repulsion (no good DVD exists though)
Se7en
Suspiria
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (no good DVD exists though)
Carnival of Souls
Scream
Videodrome
The Vanishing (Spoorloos)
The Ring
The Dead Zone
From Dusk Til Dawn
Dead Ringers
Re-Animator
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Ginger Snaps
Basket Case
The Tenant
28 Days Later (on DVD next year)
The Funhouse
The House on Sorority Row
Shivers
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Stir of Echoes
Session 9
The Birds
Nosferatu
Eating Raoul (not sure there's a DVD out there...)
American Psycho
The Cell
The Silence of the Lambs
The Last House on the Left
Sisters
The Frighteners
The Fly

[dvds'r'us]

28 Days Later, Identity, The Ring, The Others, Psycho (1960), etc.

[larphillips]

I realize that The Exorcist has already been mentioned, but let me expand upon it a bit. You really need to own 2 versions of this classic that holds up amazingly well after all of these years. First, get the latest "The Version You Have Never Seen Before." This is a rare example of a dvd with reincorporated footage actually succeeding. Also, you must own the 25th anniversary edition of theatrical release. Not only is the original version just a beautiful transfer, but the extras are worth their weight in gold. The trailer collection alone will give you the shivers (especially the 'banned' trailer) and the accompanying documentary is actually a strong stand-alone piece... not some piece of marketing fluff that add nothing to the experience. No collection is complete without The Exorcist... and no experience is truely worthwhile without both versions.

[BADBRAD]

Evil Dead 2, Rosemary's Baby, Don't Look Now, The Haunting (1963).

[MickeyKnox]

The Nightmare On Elm Street Collection
Friday the 13th (I like them all. (yes even jason x )
The Ring
Amityville horror
Creepshow 1+2
Phantasm
Hellraiser
Night of the living dead
Texas Chainsaw Massacre

[Soggy Bagel's Revenge!]

Absolutely ESSENTIAL is this:



Depending on how you watch it, it's either intensely frightening or just plain hilarious -- it works perfectly as both horror and comedy.

Others I'd most certainly recommend getting:

Tenebrae
Texas Chansaw Massacre
Perfect Blue
Profondo Rosso (Deep Red)
Peeping Tom
Les Diaboliques (Diabolique, original version)
The Bad Seed
Candyman (seriously -- it's good!)
Dead Ringers
Rosemary's Baby
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
The Mask of Satan (Black Sunday)
Black Christmas

[betty]

ahh, yes i saw whatever happened to baby jane a few days ago!

some of my other favorites are:

swim fan- (pg-13 "horror" is just way too funny)
the exorcist-the spider walk down the stairs still makes me nervous
children of the corn- i saw it when i was like 10 and the thought of some scenes still creeps me
night of the living dead-cheesy but great
sleepy hollow-one of the few good modern "scary" movies. ahh johnny depp
the shinning (k)-ive only seen some of it, but the few shots i have seen tell me that i must see the rest. oh god, that bear suit of the scariest thing ive ever seen for some reason

and, the best of the best:

silence of the lambs! none of the crappy sequals, just the original. "hello clarice" has been said by everyone way too much though

[machine ghost]

I agree with every title that has already been posted. A few that are a little more suspense oriented:
The Omen series (1&2 are fairly good)
Poltergeist
The Craft (A neat little movie with cute babes)
From Hell
Angel Heart (one of my all time favorite's- and I am purposely spelling it without a u )
Pacific heights (had its' moments)
Single White Female (creeped me out a little)
An American Werewolf in London
Blade 1&2 (more in the action flick genre- but still good horror elements)
Manhunter

If you like foreign films I'd recommend:
The Devil's Backbone
Kingdom (an american version of the series produced by Stephen King called 'Kingdom Hospital' has just started production)
Crimson Rivers

[theta]

Originally Posted by FBTBTim

The disclaimers:

I have a decent collection (over 230 titles), but one genre which is definitely lacking is Horror/Suspense - this is a void that I would like to fill, as my end goal is to try and have a well-rounded dvd library.

Currently, I own The Blair Witch Project, Jaws, Night of the Living Dead, The Haunting (the original), and the The Sixth Sense.

Well, that's a good start. Major points for the original "Haunting"; THAT'S class!

"Suspense"/high-toned horror:

Wages of Fear
Diabolique
Funny Games
Night Of the Hunter
The Vanishing (original, of course)
Dead Ringers
Eraserhead

Japanese/Asian:

Blind Beast
Audition
Ringu
The Eye
Tetsuo: The Iron Man (DO NOT BUY BLIND!!!)
Wild Zero (too funny NOT to own, I need the US version badly)
Versus (as above)

The Classics:

Dawn of the Dead
The Exorcist
Poltergeist
Halloween
A Nightmare on Elm Street
The Thing (1982)
The Fly (1986)
Alien
Aliens
Frankenstein
The Invisible Man

Cult/Gore:

Evil Dead Trilogy (1st one: Scary as hell. 2nd: Scary and funny 3rd: Hilarious!)
Dead Alive
Dog Soldiers ("COME AND HAVE A GO IF YOU THINK YOU'RE HARD ENOUGH!!!")
Any of the early Jason movies or "Jason X" (only one will suffice)
Crossroads (hey, Britney Spears scares the living hell out of me)