21 Artists Share Their Favorite Horror Movies

We’ve all got different relationships with our favorite horror movies. Some are delighted by an on-screen gorefest, but for others, it can be a thoughtful look at the human condition, illuminating all kinds of fears stowed within us. Either way, it’s Halloween—that time of year again when these films really shine. We asked 20 artists to share their favorite horror films, and you can let us know yours in the comment box below.
1. Russ Manning (Rush Midnight, Twin Shadow)
1. The Exorcist
This is one of the first horror movies I watched….The makeup is supreme and this actress Linda Blair totally nails both innocence and evil.
2. Ringu
I couldn’t turn on the television when by myself for about week after watching this one. This is the original; darker and more suspenseful than the American remake.
3. Halloween 2
Michael Myers is a machine who can lift nurses off of the ground with one hand and withstand boiling water in the name of murder. He’s a unique immortal and we’re afraid because we have no [way to] sympathize with him.
4. REC
Although some of these zombies look more like circus freaks, just wait for the ending! There is no hope and this is that classic non-Hollywood narrative where no one escapes.
5. Paranormal Activity 3
Just watched this recently and luckily I have company at night. There’s nothing scarier than to watch a character you once sympathized with transform into the demon that lives in the basement. No soundtrack and a stationary camera help create a unique surveillance of horror.
6. The Silence of the Lambs
I once hung out with Jody Foster and she’s fun!
7. Candyman
Candyman among others inspired me and my friends to stand in front of the mirror and turn off the lights and hope our pants stay dry. Philip Glass’ score adds some true class to this movie, elevating it above many ‘90s horror flicks.
8. 28 Days Later
The motion-jitter effect used in this one is super effective. The consistent cold color palette and Godspeed You! Black Emperor opening song grabbed my attention. Not the most original plotline and a slightly too-good-to-be-true ending, but one of the most beautiful zombie movies I’ve ever watched.
9. The Amityville Horror (1977)
The opening theme is the creepiest ever. Again, nothing scares me more than little girls’ haunted spirits. While AH no longer has me jumping off my chair, I’m sure in 1978 it was the most bad ass date movie. Its probably one of the most recycled stories in history.
10. Stephen King’s IT
I’ve always hated clowns so this movie really cuts the cake. Part one is worth seeing, in which innocent children are tormented by their worst fears, embodied by this horrendous clown. This one challenges pure innocent and frailty against true evil.
2. Sergio Trevino (Buxton)
Favorite Horror Movie:
Event Horizon
When did you first experience the movie?
17
What’s the scariest scene?
When Sam Neil rips his eyes out (at this point I only knew him as the doctor from Jurassic Park.)
Are there any personal fears that resonate with you in this movie?
I guess isolation. I refuse to watch it again, can’t say why.
Why is this scarier than any other horror movie out there?
I think it just caught me in a vulnerable position. And it always throws me for a whirl when the protagonist becomes the antagonist. It’s like “Hey I like this guy. Wait, no I don’t….what happened to his eyes? We’re not in Jurassic Park anymore!”
3. Aaron Beam (Red Fang)
Favorite Horror Movie:
The Shining
When did you first experience the movie?
I was probably 13 or 14 when I first saw pieces of it, but I never made it all the way through until I was maybe 24. Too scary!
What’s the scariest scene in the movie?
Probably when the kid goes into the bathroom to see what is in the bathtub.
Are there any personal fears that resonate with you in this movie?
Discovering a mutilated body.
Why is this better than any other horror movie out there?
Because it was made by a true master of cinema and does not rely solely on suspense or horror movie gimmicks. Rather, it explores basic human fears and makes them corporeal. It is more about mental illness and its effects on relationships than cheap thrills.
4. Kevin Sharp (Brutal Truth/Primate/Venomous Concept)
Favorite Horror Movie:
Camp Rock II
How old were you when you first saw the movie?
43
What’s the scariest scene in the movie?
When Demi Lovato started to tearing up with these feeling things
Are there any personal fears that resonate with you in this movie?
Joe Jonas playing guitar and emoting feelings
Why is this scarier than any other horror movie out there?
‘Cause they have record deals….
5. Slam Donahue
I got into the horror movie game late. I’d watch through my fingers, telling/shrieking at my brother to switch off Jason, Freddy, Michael, Candy Man, whoever. So, excuse my plebeian tastes as this is more a list of which movies terrified me and not a list of the best gore fantasy.
1. Alien
Male rape. (Ed.—He’s referring to this.)
2. It
I can’t stand to look at Stephen King now without shuddering a bit. When I was a child, hearing the name alone would send me shivering up into my room and under the blankets. This film made me scared of clowns, spiders and John Ritter (RIP) all in one go.
3. Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday
This was one of those movies that somehow existed on a random VHS at my parent’s house for as long as I can remember. Taped off HBO, it had the old Home Box Office bumpers intact, I would blind fast forward through it since inexplicably Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure was the second film on the tape. I’d push the dusty tape in and hit fast forward and look away with all my might. Once, misjudging the time, I hit play looked back and a guy was eating Jason’s black beating heart.
4. Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure
This was my reward for blind firing through Jason. But only the first hour, then Pee-Wee has to deal with Francis, evil clowns, a demon/ghost truck driver, that shitty older brother from The Wonder Years, and I believe a rodeo somewhere in there—I was already on to playing Sega Genesis at this point.
5. Cube
Once when I had to flu in middle school, I woke up from my fever in the middle of Cube playing on the television. Delirious, I thought I imagined it and told everyone of my insane dream. Shifting rooms, people being impaled, terrible dialogue, all things my virus-fighting brain might hallucinate. Years later, I almost had an existential breakdown when I saw Cube 2: Hypercube on the shelf at Blockbuster Video. How did they make a sequel to my dream?
6. Chuck Whistler (Chamberlin)
Favorite Horror Movie:
The Evil Dead
When did you first experience the movie?
Too young, I was about 12 or 13. Whereas most people had teachers and coaches as role models I only had Bruce Campbell, that thick-browed exemplar of all things masculine. And that’s BEFORE he played an aging Elvis Presley battling mummies in rural Texas. It wasn’t much to work with, but I seemed to have made it through my pre-teens (relatively) unscathed. Heck, the first time I ever got drunk I watched the third film in the series, and to this day I’m still into Labatt Blue and dudes with chainsaws in place of missing limbs.
What’s the scariest scene in the movie?
Probably the one where the girl gets raped by possessed trees.
Are there any personal fears that resonate with you in this movie?
Probably my fear of getting raped by possessed trees.
Why is this scarier than any other horror movie out there?
In all seriousness, Sam Raimi’s entire Evil Dead trilogy is biblical in its importance to independent film, horror and horror-comedy alike. The original Evil Dead was a seminal progenitor of the low budget (or nowadays faux-low budget) horror genre. Much like the Old Testament it’s a bizarre, somewhat alienating and legitimately frightening tale of possession—good and evil—and the horrors of the ancient world. In addition it’s particularly resonant to someone who actually lives in cabin in the woods, and my personal favorite film in the series. The visual composition of the film screams amateur film buff nerd-dom in the best possible way, and its twisted, minimalist, and almost punk-rock take on the horror genre is simply unmatched.
Its sequel, Evil Dead II, turns the original completely on its head. Our hero (once again impeccably portrayed by Bruce Campbell) now reaches comic book levels of heroism in his now superhuman struggle with the dark forces within, providing the Christ-figure in our New Testament. Similarly adopting a much more lighthearted tone than the stoic original, the genre-bending film is seamlessly and intentionally interwoven with humor and b-movie level action hyperbole, thereby making it much more palatable for the masses. It’s truly the Gospel according to Sam Raimi, and easily the most widely adopted sect among the three.
For better or worse, the third film in the series, Army of Darkness (1992), our Book of Mormon if you will, is at first glance unrelated to the other films. In fact, Army of Darkness and the Book of Mormon both share the same beginning wherein our hero is magically transported to a completely different time and continent entirely! There, the battle between good and evil resumes. The tone of the film completes the transition towards pure comedy that began with Evil Dead II. I’ll leave that religious metaphor in the hands of the reader. Suffice it to say the film remains a welcome and important addition to the trilogy, completing the yin and yang of horror/comedy, and cementing the series’ place in the nerdy-fanboy-obscure-cult pantheon.
7. Mel Mongeon (Fuck the Facts)
Favorite Horror Movie:
Inside (2007)
When did you first experience the movie?
It was about 3 years ago, so I was definitely an adult! We watched it after band practice, only our drummer wasn’t there. We all enjoyed it
What’s the scariest scene in the movie?
Near the end when the ‘’crazy’’ lady performs a caesarian section and pulls the baby out of the mothers womb it is so intense. We were all really vocal at that moment at about how gross it was. I remember feeling a little sick to my stomach as well.
Are there any personal fears that resonate with you in this movie?
It is fictional but not surrealistic. I think that’s why it has more of an impact I was pregnant the year after and it didn’t give me nightmares. Nobody tried to steal anything straight from my womb so that’s a good thing.
Why is this better than any other horror movie out there?
It has the right balance of suspense, tasteful goriness with a nice touch of drama. The French know how to direct and produce good movies!
8. Phil Duboi-Coyne (Revocation)
Favorite Horror Movie:
Event Horizon
When did you first experience the movie? How old were you?
I was pretty young when I first saw Event Horizon, probably around 11 or 12. I remember having to smuggle it out of the video store in a power rangers VHS sleeve
What’s the scariest scene in the movie?
Either the scene where the hallucinated son with chewed up legs runs his hand on the inside of the tent, or when Dr. Weir’s wife pops up in the maintenance tunnel. That bugged me out as a kid
Are there any personal fears that resonate with you in this movie?
I once had a really bad experience with inter-dimensional deep space travel, so this movie really resonated with me. It’s spooky out there…
Why is this better than any other horror movie out there?
I don’t know if Event Horizon is necessarily better or scarier than other horror movies I’ve seen, it was just one of my gateway horror movies that holds a lot of nostalgic value. I’ve probably seen it over 50 times, its just one if those movies I have to leave on if I see it. At this point its more of a comedy to me.
9. Matthew Widener (Liberteer, Cretin, The County Medical Examiners)
Favorite Horror Movie:
The Exorcist
When did you first experience the movie?
I was 12 years old. I watched it through fingers over my eyes, in the dark, while my mom slept on the couch. Near the end of the movie, during the final exorcism scene, my mom jerked in her sleep and cried out and I almost made poo everywhere.
What’s the scariest scene in the movie?
Many contenders, but the one that kills me most is the crucifix masturbation scene. The unthinkable and grotesque rebellion, against God and mother, is horrifying in a fundamental way. I was an atheist even as a kid, but having gone to Catholic school, the imagery triggers so much.
Are there any personal fears that resonate with you in this movie?
Well, I don’t believe in demons or ghosts or anything. My personal fear is an unease that is tied into the absence of those things. The Exorcist is scary to me because it underlines the fiction of that worldview, reminds me of our lack of meaning, but at the same time slaps me around with the “what if” and assaults me from both sides. It’s terrifying imagining someone you know and love becoming like that.
Why is this better than any other horror movie out there?
It’s transgressive in a way that most movies never are. It feels like a documentary, but without the cloying pander of the modern found footage bullshit. The sound design, the acting, the writing, it’s all so perfect.
10. Marissa Martinez (Cretin/Repulsion)
Favorite Horror Movie:
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre(Original)
When did you first experience the movie?
It was the summer before starting my senior year of high school. So, either 16 or 17. Widener and I had been working on music for our band, when I told him that I had never seen The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The lyrical concept for Cretin was inspired by the characters in this movie, so I was told that it was required viewing. We immediately drove to the local video rental shop so I could see it.
What’s the scariest scene in the movie?
The scariest scene to me, is when Pam gets hung up on the meat hook by Leatherface. I constantly live with a fear of being manhandled by someone bigger than me. A fear of being at their mercy, being tossed around against my will. Unable to fightback to any effect, and then in the blink of an eye, finding myself in pain, bleeding and helpless.
The actress’ performance is extremely convincing. When she’s impaled on that hook and goes from hysterics, to stunned silence, with a look of shock on her face as she realizes what just happened. Then struggling to lift herself off of the hook, her screams reduced to strained, breathless, whimpers, trailing off until she surrenders to defeat… It’s really horrifying…
Are there any personal fears that resonate with you in this movie?
I grew up in the Santa Cruz, Calif., mountains which was home to a couple of serial killers back in the late ‘70s. There were also secluded towns out there, which we all understood, through urban legend, to be very “backwoods” and frightening. Widener and I often imagined that these places played host to characters straight out of movies like Deliverance or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. So, whenever we were out late at night driving through the mountains, our pulses would beat a little faster than usual. Our senses would be on alert as we feared for that inevitable moment where we were booby trapped by a cackling, feral, miscreant, and his gigantic, lumbering, friend.
Why is this better than any other horror movie out there?
The acting in this movie is really good. The terror expressed by all of the victims is so realistic it’s palpable. The cretanic performances of the murderous family are brilliant too. Plus, this movie has has it all! A creepy secluded shack, filled with furniture made out of people. A wild, scampering, cretin who plays with roadkill. Murder, meat hooks and mental torture, all building to a moving waltz between a monstrous, gender-bending, maniac, and his beloved chainsaw of death. It just doesn’t get any better than that…
11. Joe Frabotta (Evil Eyes)
Favorite Horror Movie:
Gremlins
When did you first experience the movie?
I was around 5-6 years old, watched it at home with my parents and brother.
What’s the scariest scene in the movie?
The kitchen scene. Gremlins blended. Gremlins microwaved. Gremlins stabbed. All by a maniacal mother.
Are there any personal fears that resonate with you in this movie?
The gremlins kind of look resemble a cross between a spider and a scorpion. Both are my arch enemies.
Why is this better than any other horror movie out there?
Gremlins was supposed to be family friendly (horror), which is why I saw it. Looking back, it was pretty freaky. And how can you not like Gizmo? He’s the boss.
Lesson learned: Never purchase a weird, furry, rare animal from a Chinese antique store. Actually, always do that.