Bellow is a list, beginning with the earliest examples, and moving towards present day. Some of these films will be famous and you might have heard of them, but maybe you have not seen them. Many people think that because a film is old it might not be scary. But this simply is not the case.
The very first horror films are also ranked as the finest examples of the genre. The first vampire film was not as many people think, the Bela Lugosi version. It was the German version Nosferatu. This still stands as an example of perhaps the best vampire genre films ever made.
Undoubtedly the classic horror films in the United States begin with Universal Studios. These films include the classic monsters that everyone remembers. There are three films in this section: Frankenstein, Dracula and The Mummy.
Mary Shelly based Frankenstein on the book. It is a classic examples of a man made monster run awry. It is not only considered a great monster movie, but also one of the best films every made. It stars Boris Karloff who is one of the classic stars of universal Horror films. The atmosphere of this film along with the story makes it stand the test of time.
Dracula, the version with Bela Lugosi, has become the standard for all those who love vampires. The entire Transylvania atmosphere and the distinct portrayal of the Count as a stylish and suave person have created the archetype.
The Mummy starting Boris Karloff is the third in the three most famous monster films ever made. The setting and the surroundings are the ancient ruins of Egypt, and the Mummy that was portrayed by Karloff. All of cinematic Mummy's since then have been portrayed in much the same manner. The entire framework and story line have originated with this original one.
When The Exorcist came out in theaters, people were astonished. People actually begin to faint in the theaters. The film concerned the possession of a young girl in a Georgetown neighborhood. Actual priests were brought in to consult, and the authority was considered beyond anything ever captured on film. There were many cast members who believed that so powerful was the film that it still haunted them for years to come.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is considered the first and perhaps still the best slasher film ever made. It is the birth of the modern monster film. Before the arrival of Texas Chainsaw, the horror films were mostly suspense and tame in comparison to what we have today. Chainsaw Massacre was different. It was made low budget and stared unknowns. However, it is thought to be perhaps the most realistic and frightening film ever made. The film is about a group of teenagers who pick up a hitchhiker and get waylaid at a house filled with maniacs.
Wes Cravens wrote A Nightmare On Elm Street after reading about a series of young people who died in their sleep after saying a demon was chasing them. They had tried to stay awake for days, but eventual fell asleep and died. Craven then wrote the film and used these stories to form the basis for the most popular film monster of the last twenty years, Freddy Kruger. Freddy entered dreams and attacked the children of the adults who had burned him to death. While there were many sequels, the original still stands as perhaps one of the top horror movies of all time.