The Ten Best Horror Movie Trailers of All Time

Horror movie trailers have a difficult job. In the span of 30 to around 120 seconds, they have to catch your attention and make you desperately want to see the film that they are advertising. Many horror movie trailers do this, and then some. Only the very best horror movie trailers can actually terrify an audience as much, or in some cases more than, the full length film. Not every great horror movie has a great trailer, and some of the best trailers are for terrible movies.

Here are the top ten horror movie trailers of all time:

Dawn of the Dead (1978): The trailer for "Dawn of the Dead" is a great example of an iconic scene and a great tag-line making a horror trailer special. It opens with an announcer reminding us of Romero's earlier work ("Night of the Living Dead") before matter-of-factly informing us that the 'night' is over. That same narrator later intones that famous phrase: "When there is no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the earth," before the trailer ends with the aforementioned dead reaching out for the audience.

When a Stranger Calls (1979): The teaser trailer for the original "When a Stranger Calls" employs a brilliant tactic. Instead of showing much footage at all from the film, the trailer instead focuses on the audience reaction. This horror movie trailer is also proof positive that a film need not be good to have a great trailer.

Ju-on (2000): Director Takashi Shimizu's "Ju-on" (which was later remade into 2004's "The Grudge") is a study in making a truly terrifying horror trailer. With just a series of unsettling images and a score comprised of even more unsettling noise, this trailer convinced horror-buffs everywhere that this was a film to see (as well as convincing horror-wimps that this was definitely a film to avoid.)

The Blair Witch Project (1999): The original teaser trailer for the "Blair Witch Project" was probably the most minimalistic trailer in horror movie history. The majority of the trailer consisted of a dark screen, which told the "true" tale of documentary filmmakers lost in the Maryland woods, followed by the now infamous shot of a flashlight-illuminated face declaring just how scared she is.

Paranormal Activity (2009): Combining the fake realism and hype of "The Blair Witch Project" and the focus-on-the-audience trick from "When a Stranger Calls," "Paranormal Activity" creates one of the most effective horror movie trailers in recent memory.

The Shining (1980): There's no denying that "The Shining" is a Stanley Kubrick film, based entirely on the trailer. What other director could get away with releasing a trailer that is almost entirely a static shot of elevator doors? Those doors, coupled with the increasingly ominous music, would be enough to scare anyone. But when they open, allowing a tidal wave of blood to come rushing out? Absolutely terrifying, and definitely one of the best horror movie trailers of all time.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974): Modern horror trailers could learn a thing or two from the unsettling trailer for the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Flashbulbs light up a gruesome scene and the audience becomes simultaneously enthralled and horrified. The way the trailer is filmed makes the carnage appear much worse than it actually is, showing that a little bit can go a long way.

The Descent (2005): The trailer for "The Descent" doesn't attempt to do anything new or unique, but it does stand out as perhaps the best example of the traditional horror trailer form. There is the slow set-up, the ominous titles, the heart-stopping jump scene (honestly, I still shriek every time I see it), and the all-out action conclusion. Again, nothing world-changing, but very effective nonetheless.

Psycho (1960): In this famous six-plus minute long trailer, Alfred Hitchcock introduces his film and takes viewers through a tour of the murder-scene. The audience can't help but feel uneasy as Hitchcock jokes and smirks through the tour, all while describing everything with an almost clinical detachment. The real catch of the trailer comes from the unexpected end.

Alien (1979): Not only is the trailer for "Alien" the best horror movie trailer ever made, it may be the best movie trailer of all time, period. Everything about this trailer is a work of art, from the near silent opening to the frenzied final act. It's amazing to think how effective the trailer is at conveying the tone of the film, and all without a word of dialog.