Halloween Vintage Classic Horror Movies Top 10

A lot of great horror movies were made prior to 1970. These often are scary but do not contain the blood and gore associated with horror films made after 1980. These are true classics. Each one has had a remake because they are that good. The originals are the best. This coming Halloween, give them a try. If you have not seen them before they are sure to be a real Halloween treat.

The Thing

This fits in both the Sci-fi category and the Horror movie category. It is from 1951 and stars Margaret Sheridan who plays Nikki Nicholson and Paul Frees is Dr. Vorhees. An air force crew investigates a UFO that lands on the north pole. The Thing is not just something that can be found but something that can take over your body. So who is the Thing?

It's a classic and is number 10 on my list.

The Fly

This stars Vincent Price and is from 1958. Price plays Francois Delambre who is a scientist. He tries to teleport things and successfully does. As he transports himself from one chamber to another, a fly gets into one chamber. The two combine and he soon becomes a fly. Day by day he increasingly becomes a fly in both looks and nature.

Much better than the 1986 remake and makes number 9 on my list.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

This is another movie that is both horror and sci-fi. The original was made in 1956.

Giant pods come to earth and slowly take over the human population. People look the same but lack emotion. The key is to stay awake because the pods take over your body while you sleep.

This classic movie that is number 8 on my list, stars Kevin McCarthy as Dr. Miles Bennell and Whit Bissell as Dr. Hill.

Dracula

It seems the original is always the best and I once again endorse watching the 1931 original version. It stars Bela Lugosi.

What can I say, Count Dracula is a vampire and sucks blood. He likes woman of course and attempts to stop one from dying. I like the storyline better than most Dracula movies.

This ranks number 7 on my top 10 classic horror movies made before 1970.

House on Haunted Hill

Another Vincent Price film that is a great classic for Halloween. It was made in 1959. Price plays Frederick Loren who invites five people to stay in the haunted house overnight for $10,000. If you stay, you get the cash. He chooses five people who need the money for various reasons. The key is some will live and some will die. But who is killing them? Him? His unhappy wife? Or the house?

I absolutely love this movie and it is number 6 on my list.

The Last Man on Earth

Yes, it is another Vincent Price scary movie. But it is so eerie, I think it is the scariest of all his movies. It scared me a great deal the first time I saw it.

Price plays Dr. Robert Morgan who is the last man on earth after a plague has killed everyone off. He is immune to the plague but has to defend himself against zombies.

It was made in 1964 and send chills up my spine, making it number 5 on my classic horror movie list.

The Birds

This Alfred Hitchcock directed thriller certainly made me look at birds a little differently. For some strange reason the birds are acting strange. It starts out with a seagull gashing a head. Before long, a flock of birds attacks a schoolhouse. No one knows why but the birds get more and more out of control until people are locked in a house. Should they make a run for it or close themselves in? I'm not fond of the ending but it does give you a good scare on Halloween. Due to its chill factor it is number 4 on my classic horror film list.

Frankenstein

The First Frankenstein movie was made in 1931 with Colin Clive and Boris Karloff. Clive plays Dr. Frankenstein who tries to make someone come alive using various dead body parts. Unfortunately it works but he makes a monster that is scary, strong and confused. People do not know what to think and terrorize the monster who then fights back. The movie is both scary and touching at times. It is a fabulous classic. I rate it as the number 3 vintage pre-1970 horror movie to watch on Halloween.

Night of The Living Dead

The original zombie classic movie is from 1968. Zombies are taking over and there seems to be no escape. Much like "The Birds", people are not sure whether to lock themselves up a home or to escape. Either way is bad.

This is a George Romero classic starring Duane Jones and Judith O'Dea. I watch it every October and you should too. It is number 2 on my classic horror movie list.

Psycho

I'm not sure if any other movie is considered more of a classic horror film than Psycho. As a kid, I was always warned not to watch it. It isn't as scary as most movies made today but it eerie and my number 1 horror classic movie made prior to 1970.

It stars Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates. The shower scene is classic and perhaps the biggest scare of the movie. It is an Alfred Hitchcock directed movie so you know it is scary yet not bloody. But then again, it is in black and white.

Most of these should be available for rent. You might also be lucky and see some on TV. Check out AMC as they show several during October.