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10 Classic Horror Movies for People Who Think They Hate Classic Horror Movies

You do know all your favorite horror movies were inspired by classics like these, right?
Classic Horror
By  · Published on October 4th, 2020

5. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Creature lagoon classic horror

Jack Arnold’s Creature from the Black Lagoon is a tale of monstrous humans and humane monsters. Of interloping geologists traipsing into unknown territory and of a curious creature who, pushed to defend himself and his river, behaves the way we expect monsters to behave. Creature from the Black Lagoon is ecological horror by way of Lovecraft, a tragedy of human interference and a deft reminder that, of course, there are things about this planet that are, and ought to remain, unknown to us. Despite being the Universal Monster with the fewest credits to his name, Gill Man is one of the most artful creature designs in Hollywood history, realized by the skilled hand of Disney animator Millicent Patrick and brought to life by Ricou Browning, the stuntman under the suit. Shot starkly in black and white, this is an accusatory, melancholic film that never registers as shlock. It is ponderous, guilty, and less than hopeful about humanity’s ability to live in harmony with things it can’t understand. (Meg Shields)


4. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

Rosemarys baby

The fact that one of horror’s most essential masterpieces — a film that looks deeply and unflinchingly at issues of women’s bodily autonomy — is directed by Roman Polanski is a sick twist worthy of a horror film itself. Nonetheless, it’s impossible to leave Rosemary’s Baby out of any horror syllabus worth its own salt. Mia Farrow brings Ira Levin’s devilish tale to life as poor Rosemary Woodhouse, who moves into her dream apartment, becomes pregnant, and then begins to get the sense that her life is being ominously controlled by the people around her. Rosemary’s husband, doctor, and elderly neighbors all seem to be in on the conspiracy in a storyline that has inspired hundreds of gaslight-themed genre imitators. The result is an atmosphere of choking terror that lays bare the institutional patriarchy of the 1960s and signs off with a reveal that’ll chill God-fearing viewers to the bone. (Valerie Ettenhofer)


3. Psycho (1960)

Psycho

You know the music, you know the villain, and you likely know every little thing that happens in Psycho, but that doesn’t negate just how electric Alfred Hitchcock‘s seminal film still plays today. It has layers of dread sewn into every frame as we watch Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) pull up to the Bates Motel for the first time. We may be yelling at the screen for her to get out of Norman Bates’ (Anthony Perkins) parlor, but what we take for granted is just how unexpected it is that our heroine gets knifed midway through the film. This was the cinematic left turn – similar to the decapitation in Hereditary – that shoves its audience off-balance, unsure of who they can trust, be it the characters, or their creators. We put the puzzle pieces together quickly, but not enough to account for what we learn in the shocking conclusion as we stare into the gaping maw of the corpse of Mama Bates. There’s a lot that hasn’t aged well in Psycho – namely the psycho-sexual element of its villain – but overwhelmingly this classic horror movie still manages to strike queasy terror that is as thrilling as it is horrifying, sixty years later. (Jacob Trussell)


2. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Living Dead classic horror

We all have that friend. “I don’t do zombies,” they say. Sure, okay. The last twenty years of gut-munching gluttony would sour any stomach. Five seconds of the Walking Dead television series could transform any squeamish personality into a zombie-phobe. When you hand them Night of the Living Dead, ease their mind. George Romero’s black-and-white flick may have spawned an infinite pool of gore, but it remains a thoughtful and tremendously powerful confrontation with humanity. Night of the Living Dead knows our wretched hearts so well, and in its reflection, we are given a chance to change. We’re all in this hellscape together. We must find a way to work as a team and fight our most fearful, selfish desires. (Brad Gullickson)


1. Blood and Black Lace (1964)

Blood

Blood and Black Lace is an essential movie. In addition to inspiring the countless giallo movies that followed in its wake, it also informed American slasher films during their formative years. Essentially, Blood and Black Lace paved the way for two of the most important subgenres in the history of horror, and that’s not an understatement. By no means was Mario Bava’s Italian murder-mystery the first of its kind, but it’s an early trendsetter that captured the imagination more than most. Murder has never looked this pretty either. (Kieran Fisher)


Isn’t history fun? Now it’s time to look ahead and check out more 31 Days of Horror Lists!

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Jacob Trussell is a writer based in New York City. His editorial work has been featured on the BBC, NPR, Rue Morgue Magazine, Film School Rejects, and One Perfect Shot. He's also the author of 'The Binge Watcher's Guide to The Twilight Zone' (Riverdale Avenue Books). Available to host your next spooky public access show. Find him on Twitter here: @JE_TRUSSELL (He/Him)