Horror Hall of Fame

The Thing

Well, after a lot of confused counting here at "SGM" we eventually got there with your votes for the "SGM Hall of Fame Top 10". There were a mere 73 entries (though that's 730 votes to sort through in total).

So (let the drum roll begin) in reverse order we are pleased to announce the 10 horror classics YOU voted for beginning with :

10th place : The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue

Jorge Grau's 70's zombie classic is indeed a surprise entry as this gem has been long unavailable generally, which just goes to show you how well the bootleg market is going these days. Well deserved though, Ray Lovelock hams it up a treat in this gory classic which will be released on DVD by Anchor Bay later this year.

9th place : The Thing

John Carpenters vastly underated but fantastic monster movie remake combines great acting, great tension, a cool soundtrack and some excellent special effects too. (There's an excellent DVD release available of this one too with a stunning documentary - buy it!)

8th place - Night of the Living Dead

George Romero's original zombie classic had to figure in here somewhere. An inspiration to horror film makers to this day, Romero's claustrophobic tale of zombies on the rampage still has the power to scare it's viewers. (Available in a gorgeous THX special edition DVD from Elite Entertainment - see the SGM review)

Friday the 13th

7th place - Friday the 13th

Sean Cunningham's stalk and slash movie is not only infamous but spurned a whole horde of sequels and rip-off's. Not bad considering the film itself was a mish mash of Mario Bava's "Bay of Blood" and Hitchcock. A surprising entry here beating Cunningham's other classic "Last House on the Left" (which got only 8 votes!). A great film nonetheless showcasing the talents of gore guru Tom Savini. (Available on DVD in a R rated version from Paramount - see the SGM review).

6th place - Halloween

John Carpenter makes his second appearrance in the Top 10 with his own stalk and slash classic. Carpenter's small budget and small cast (including the lovely Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasance) add up to big scares in this tale of escaped loony Michael Myers returning home to do some killing. (Released on DVD by Anchor Bay - see the SGM review).

Suspiria

5th place - Suspiria

Dario Argento's surreal but classy horror masterpiece of witchcraft is surprisingly the only Italian entry into the Top 10. Beautifully photographed with an overpowering Goblin soundtrack "Suspiria" is not only a scary and violent classic but a very visually exciting film. (Available in various region 2 versions on DVD)

Dawn of the Dead

4th place - Dawn of the Dead

George Romero's sequel to "Night of the Living Dead" was a surprise smash when released back in the 70's. A great achievement for horror cinema at the time as the film was released unrated, a big gamble that paid off. Another great showcase for the talents of Tom Savini and a great subliminal parody of the human race as a consumer society also. A zombie flick that worked on several levels (and SGM's own choice for no.1 movie). (Available in various versions on DVD - see the SGM review)

3rd place - The Exorcist

Bill Freidkin's interpretation of Peter Blatty's tale of possession shook the world when first released back in 1973. Linda Blair plays the kid in peril who pukes pea soup and curses all and sundry in this creepy classic. Although relegated to Midnight screenings in cinema's for a couple of decades, interest was revived big time with it's video and DVD re-release last year. (Available on DVD from Warner Bros - see the SGM review)

The Evil Dead

2nd place - The Evil Dead

Sam Raimi's low budget gore classic was to change the world for it's cast and crew, leading to unparalleled success for all involved. Initial popular reception here in the UK through Palace Pictures led to inevitable interest following suit at home in the US. Leading man Bruce Campbell shone brilliantly in a taste of what was to come from SGM's favorite ham 'n' egger in this rollercoaster ride of evil possession. (Available on DVD from Elite - see the SGM review)

Leatherface

1st place - Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Tobe Hooper's tale of insanity in the deep south just pips "Evil Dead" to the post by one vote. Relatively bloodless but bloody scary, "TCM" was banned for many years in the UK by the censors who felt that the general viewing public would not be able to cope with the film's scariness. Very loosely based on real life killer Ed Gein's exploits (like both "Psycho" and "Deranged"), it tells the tale of a family of ex-slaughterhouse workers who continue doing what they do best, but using humans as cattle! A gem. (available on DVD from Pioneer - see the SGM review)

So there you have it, the SGM Hall of Fame as voted for by you. Generally a well balanced selection (though surprisingly neither Hitchcock or Fulci made it!)

Special thanks to everyone who took time to send in their personal Top 10's, we had a lot of fun (honestly) reading through them all. Everyones names went into a hat and lucky horror fan John Cook won not one, not two, but THREE horror DVD's from us kind folks at SGM.

Back to the Spotlight page