Horror movies – yea or nay?

Back on my blog, I’ve been going through some of the most terrible B movies ever filmed, I think, but Martin Scorsese has a great list of great films at The Daily Beast including scenes from all of them.

Now, I can’t agree or disagree on some of them, but The Shining is on there. I watch it now and I’m not bothered , but the first time ever was at a friend’s place, a place I’d never been before, and the little turd was too tired to watch it with me and went to bed. I watched the whole thing in a dark basement with unfamiliar noises and was too freaked to sleep after.

The Changeling really was a great movie. I would also recommend it. I don’t know how The Haunting winds up on top of the list, but the original was more atmospheric than the remake done with Liam Neeson. Isle of the Dead would not be my Val Lewton pick but it wasn’t terrible. The Exorcist I never did care for. I never found it frightening, but Psycho freaked me out in the middle of the day, so point to you, Mr. Hitchcock. Point to you.

I’d suggest Night of the Hunter or Carnival of Souls, if you can track that one down. It’s artistically fabulous, even if the plot becomes obvious early on. It probably didn’t when it was made, so it can be forgiven.

Thoughts?