Top Ten Scariest Horror Movies of All Time

Horror Movies have long been a part of America's Pop Culture, and the opinions will vary wildly on this list. For the purposes of this article, I am going not for the best horror movies of all, but the scariest of all. Some would say that they go hand in hand, but I beg to differ. Horror movies can bring out fear differently in different people, and this is what scares me. So without any ado, let's dive into the list.

The Town That Dreaded Sundown - This particular little movie was a late 70's early entry into the slasher genre. It has been mentioned as a "cult classic" in many circles, and also has been listed as inspiration for later films in the genre. While I will be the first to admit that the acting is silly and laughable, some good performances by the killer, as well as some of the victims make the movie watchable. What really makes this movie scary, and gives credence to inclusion on this list is the fact that it is a true story. The movie is told from a narrative point of view, and it is haunting. It is the story of a serial killer that terrorized the city of Texarkana, Arkansas during the 1940's. The reason it impacted me so was because the killer wore a white hood over his head, and that vision has stayed with me since childhood.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1st edition) - This movie was scary for the same reason as above. It is famous for being true, though oddly, that isn't so. It is very slightly based on the murders committed by Ed Gein. Still, the images linger on, and the grainy way in which it is filmed adds to the brutality of the film. No true horror fan can go without seeing this film. It is legendary by any horror buff's standards.

The Omen---This is another early film that really taps into most folk's primal fears. It is about a little boy being possessed by Satan. The little boy in the movie is what drives the movie with his evil eyes, and haunting smile. It is a shining example that you don't have to be gory to be scary.

Scream - This movie scared me and made me laugh at the same time, and I was hooked. I will never forget seeing it in the theater, and watching the opening scene. The killer starts off the movie making prank calls to a character played by Drew Barrymore. She is killed in the first five minutes of the movie, and it floored me. The person played by the mega star doesn't die! That never happens! The rest of the movie, you had no idea who was going to make it out and who wasn't. That made for a fantastic scary movie.

Nightmare on Elm Street - Easily this was one of the most innovative and creative ideas ever filmed. Freddy Krueger is a household name, and for good reason. A bogeyman that can hunt you down in your dreams? Now that is scary.

Friday the 13th - The sheer gore of this movie was enough to scare the lights out of you. It was the first movie I recall seeing that I could not bear to watch because it went "there" every time you didn't think it would. It also had a wonderful background score, giving it a wonderful feeling of dread. It has lost some of it's impact over the years as there are slicker special effects now, but it was the start of the modern day gore movies.

Jaws - No movie before or since Jaws has scared more people. Every single time you go in the ocean, you think of this movie and being eaten alive. Being eaten alive by an animal with fearsome teeth, and a taste for human flesh will scare you every time. It also has the most well known theme song ever. This was brilliant scare tactics.

Arachnophobia - Okay, I know you are asking what in the world I am saying. No way this movie is this high on the list. No way it's on the list at all. Right? Well, this is MY list of the scariest movies, and this movie scared the crap out of me. I hate spiders, and this movie uses everyday type spiders as the leading men and women. I could not sleep for a week knowing that a spider was likely making it's web under my bed. Sorry, but this film deserves this spot on my countdown.

Wrong Turn - This is a great modern horror flick with all of the special effects and scares you would expect from a horror classic. The thing that scared me about this movie, is the fact that it has some eerie truths in it. There have been rumors for years that these type people exist, and it is an urban legend around my stretch of the woods. It isn't that far from reality that something like this could happen. That brings me to what scares us the most. Could it happen?

And the scariest horror movie ever?

HALLOWEEN - This movie is scary on every level. It has the best musical score, the best acting, the best cinematography, and the best believability factor all rolled into one power packed couple of hours. This was the movie that created the use of ambiance in a horror movie to scare you. John Carpenter directed this film, and took a lot of pains to build the suspense to a fever pitch. As he began to build the characters in the film, he was sure to insert the killer into several frames to show he was watching. The one thing I loved the most about this movie, is the fact that it could, and has, happened in real life. This storyline was not convoluted at all.

So, there you have it. My top ten scariest horror movies of all time. Let the debates begin!