Guest Author - Florence Cardinal

You no doubt have your own list of favorite horror flicks as all horror fans do. Here are my favorites. Some of yours may be there. You may even hate some of my choices. But, for what it's worth here are my:

TOP THIRTEEN HORROR MOVIES

1. Carrie - I loved this show. Sure, I'd seen horror movies before, but this one really chilled my blood and hooked me on the genre, and on Stephen King, for life.
   
2. The Shining - Not the made-for-TV movie, although I know some folks thought that was the better show, but I liked the original Stanley Kubrick movie. Stephen King again, of course, but also one of my favorite actors, Jack Nicholson. Who better to play the part of a man going mad? I thought he did a fabulous job. "Here's JOHNNY!"
   
3. Poltergeist - Another creeper, with writing credits going to Stephen Spielberg and directing by Tobe Hooper. Imagine a little girl trapped in another dimension by not-so-friendly ghosts. Scary!
   
4. Nightmare On Elm Street - You might be able to tell by my first three choices that I prefer paranormal horror, but I do watch the psychological and slasher movies too. And this one is top of the line, combining both elements as this scarred monster, returns from the dead to seek revenge. We'll leave discussion of the ad nauseam sequels for another day.
   
5. The Amityville Horror - Some might consider this movie a bit campy and contrived. I liked it, though, and have shivered through it. Supposed to be based on fact, but I'd say it's a long way from it['s base.
   
6. Psycho - The original slasher/madman movie, dating back to 1960. The shower scene is now considered a classic bit of movie memorabilia.
   
7. Jaws - The music played a large part in this fishy flick for me. TUM tum TUM tum TUM tum. The big fish is coming. I think we'll need a bigger boat. Thrills, chills and shark-chewed bodies galore.
   
8. The Blair Witch Project - Another that's controversial. Is it scary. Is it too faked? Well, maybe it does look faked, and even I'll admit it's not as scary as some, but the atmosphere, man, crept me out. What's behind that tree? What are those strange designs?
   
9. The Mothman Prophecies - Another that's perhaps not as scary as some, but again, you could get lost in the atmosphere, that knowing something's brewing and soon it'll all hit the fan. I've watched it over and over and I still shiver.
   
10. The Birds - I'm going way back for this one. Alfred Hitchcock at his finest as he directs Daphne du Maurier's chilling story where the people are sane, but the birds go mad.
    
11. Sixth SenseA more recent production starring Bruce Willis and a little boy that insists he "sees dead people" everywhere. "And they don't even know they're dead." Truly chilling.
    
12. Halloween - Pure unadulterated slasher horror. The terror spirals ever upwards as a teen-age baby sitter played by Jamie Lee Curtis, tries to avoid a knife-wielding maniac with a need to kill. Another movie that's been spun out far too long and far too thin through umpteen sequels.
    
13. Silence Of the Lambs - Based on a novel by Thomas Harris, this one has everything. It deals with a madman who has cannibalistic tendencies. The atmosphere reeks of danger as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, form his underground prison for the criminally insane, still manages to control minds. If you like this one don't miss the sequel - Hannibal.
    

This is just a small sampling of movies I've known and shivered through. Watch this site for articles on the old, the new, DVDs, made for TV movies, and horror movies wherever it chooses to hide.