Horror is one of the most readily dismissed genres from critics and film buffs, yet is, arguably, the genre with the most avid and steadfast niche following and remains popular with the general public. With horror films aiming to terrify, spook, shock, disturb, repulse, amuse, entertain and more, it's no wonder the genre is so varied, divisive and controversial.
With so many people ignoring or simply not understanding horror, many great films slip under the radar and are relatively unknown to an audience outside of hardcore horror fans. In order to counteract this and bring awareness to the greatness of the genre, this list was created.
Compiled using 2,614 lists taken from various critics/polls/magazines/books/websites/forums/horror fans, They Shoot Zombies, Don't They? is intended to be the ultimate canonical top 1000 horror list. Spanning several decades, countries and sub-genres, and using lists from a wide range of people and publications, the resulting list is quite a diverse spread and representation of the best of horror.
Source: http://theyshootzombies.com/
This list is no longer updated as changes made to the way lists are editable on the site makes it impossible to place titles where they belong on the list. The complete/ongoing list lives on over at Letterboxed and lists over 1500 titles.
https://boxd.it/he4Mg
Last Update made May 17th 2022. Added: Kuntilanak 3 (2008), Kuntilanak 1-3 (remake trilogy), Haunted 1-5, The Damned and the Dead 1-3.
May 6th 2022: Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight 1&2, Mutilator 1&2, Dark Night of the Scarecrow 1&2, Matabatin/The 3rd Eye 1&2, Fear Pharm 1&2, The Doll 1-3, Invoking 3-5, Araf 3&4 and Paranoia Tapes 1-9.
Films yet to be added (missing in database): The House on the Edge of the Park 2, Cannibals (sequel to Cannibal Holocaust), Shrooms 2, Araf 5.
Hannibal Lector films sorted under "Hannibal", Interview With a Vampire & Queen of the Damned sorted under "Vampire Chronicles", House of 1,000 Corpses, Devil's Rejects, 3 From Hell and The Haunted World of El Superbeasto sorted under "Firefly".
Part of the AFI 100 Years… series, AFI's 100 Years…100 Laughs is a list of the top 100 funniest movies in American cinema. A wide variety of comedies were nominated for the distinction that included slapstick comedy, action comedy, screwball comedy, romantic comedy, satire, black comedy, musical comedy, comedy of manners and comedy of errors. The list was unveiled by the American Film Institute on June 13, 2000.
Source: http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/laughs100.pdf
These are films that Quentin has mentioned in best-of lists, end of the year top films lists, QT Film Fests, podcasts, off-hand remarks in interviews, etc.
These have been sourced from many lists online, and made available here, in one spot, for your enjoyment.
Sources:
https://screenrant.com/quentin-tarantinos-favorite-movies-time-ranked/
https://mubi.com/lists/quentin-tarantinos-favorite-movies
https://imdb.com/list/ls043093231/
https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/quentin-tarantino-favourite-11-films-handwritten-list/
https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/quentin-tarantino-favorite-movies/
https://wiki.tarantino.info/index.php/Tarantino's_favorite_films
https://www.pulpfiction.com/quentin-tarantinos-top-20-films-1992-to-2009
Please comment on any that I may have missed.
Pretty complete list with over 2,000 entries. All are in alphabetical order, order of release or to be watch in a sequence as part of the so called "universe", like for instance the Conjuring-universe, or part of an anthology or serie. Anything missing or to add, please let me know.
*Last update 06/03/2024
In his Guide for the Film Fanatic (1986), Danny Peary provides short reviews for over 1600 “Must See” films.
104 movies missing. Imported from external source.
Halloween movies from classics to new
Here is an exhaustive list of Universal Monster Movies including the new Universal Monster Universe. I will be adding more of those as they are released. If you feel that there is something missing, feel free to suggest an addition. I realize Dracula '92, Frankenstein '94 and Gods and Monsters '98 are not Universal properties but I feel they are closely related and relevant.
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board was established in 1988. Each year, 25 "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant films" are preserved, to increase awareness for its preservation. To be eligible for inclusion, a film must be at least ten years old but it is not required to be feature-length, nor is it required to have been theatrically released.
Source: https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/
HollyWood Movies based on Popularity
In his Guide for the Film Fanatic (1986), Danny Peary provides short reviews for over 1600 “Must See” films.
104 movies missing. Imported from external source.
Top 10 Trakt Popular of all movies released before 1980 according to Trakt's Popular tab.
Tweet @DannyVFilms for any adjustments or corrections.
For movies released after 1980 see Top 10 Domestic Gross by Year:
https://trakt.tv/users/dannyvfilms/lists/top-10-domestic-gross-by-year-1980-present
Tarantino's Coolest Movies of All Time from Wensley Clarkson's Tarantino - The Man, the Myths and His Movies book.
The rest of the list is not in order and not a definite list.
Source: http://wiki.tarantino.info/index.php/Tarantino's_favorite_films#Coolest_Movies_of_All_Time_.28September_2007.29
A personal introduction to 1000 movies by the provocative contemporary film critic and historian David Thomson.
Source: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-You-Seen-Introduction-masterpieces/dp/014102075X
Universal Horror or Universal Monsters - phrases used to describe the horror, suspense and science fiction films made by Universal Studios during the 1920s - 1950s.
Horror/Monster franchises include: Phantom of the Opera, Dracula, Frankenstein, Edgar Allan Poe, Mummy, Invisible Man, Werewolf / Wolf Man, Paula, the Ape Woman / Gorilla Girl, Inner Sanctum Mysteries, Creeper, Abbott & Costello, Gill Man / Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Universal has plans for rebooting the franchise. Starting with The Mummy (2019) as an origin story. [Though Dracula Untold (2016) was first and also an origin story, it is downplayed as the restart and said not part of Dark Universe canon). The new reboot Monster franchises include Creature from the Black Lagoon, Dracula, Frankenstein, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Invisible Man, and Phantom of the Opera. As of late 2017, those plans seem to have stalled.
A list of every film mentioned in the documentary In Search of Darkness.
UPDATED to include the films mentioned in the follow-up documentary In Search of Darkness: Part II.
List by hotsake
Horror movies featured in the documentaries In Search Of Darkness 1, 2 and 3
The best movies of the 1940's decade.
IMDB filter
7.0 or higher rating
5,000 or more votes
...and 50 more worth mentioning
https://digitaldreamdoor.com/mobile/z-movies/movies-comedy.html
Abbott and Costello were a comedy double act composed of William "Bud" Abbott and Lou Costello, whose work on radio and in film and television made them the most popular comedy team of the 1940s and early 1950s
Abbott and Costello made 36 movies together from 1940 to 1956.
Universal Classic Monsters is a name given to the horror, fantasy, thriller and science fiction films made by Universal Pictures during the decades of the 1920s through the 1950s. They were the first shared universe in the entire movie industry in Hollywood and around the world.
TSZDT's The 1,000 Greatest Horror Films
by maxwelldeuxVIP 8