The Wicker Man is at the very top for me, I never seek out horror films as any sort of fan of the genre, and this one transcends it.
So does Evil Dead 2. As well as The Shining.
So that’s three. Alien also belongs up there. Four down, one to go…
I’ll round it out with The Exorcist. And you know why that film was so shocking for the time? Because it wasn’t filmed as a horror film, but as a family drama. That dry context is what made it feel so immediate for seventies audiences, and it’s still effective today, as it’s not a conceit nor gimmick, it’s an artistic statement of intent.
The Wicker Man is at the very top for me, I never seek out horror films as any sort of fan of the genre, and this one transcends it.
So does Evil Dead 2. As well as The Shining.
So that’s three. Alien also belongs up there. Four down, one to go…
I’ll round it out with The Exorcist. And you know why that film was so shocking for the time? Because it wasn’t filmed as a horror film, but as a family drama. That dry context is what made it feel so immediate for seventies audiences, and it’s still effective today, as it’s not a conceit nor gimmick, it’s an artistic statement of intent.