Ten Horror Films worth watching - Happy Halloween!

There may be better horror movies out there, but for my money, I've got a Top 10 favorites for this Halloween. I'm limiting it to my DVD collection, which nixes several classics that I've yet to obtain.

10. Frailty. Bill Paxton's directorial debut is an overlooked gem. A single father comes to believe he's been chosen by God to punish sinners. He does so in front of his young boys. This film is visceral and unrelenting making it a great horror fright.

9. 28 Days Later. Shaun of the Dead may be my favorite zombie movie, but Danny Boyle's horror turn is well worth watching. From the opening sequence, which is unforgettable, to the Lord of the Flies finale, this film is a thrill ride.

8. The Others. Nicole Kidman does horror? Brilliantly. This ghost story in the classic gothic tradition is full of creeps rather than frights, but the story and acting are haunting.

7. Carrie. This and Badlands made Sissy Spacek a star and no wonder - this is probably the most faithful and best executed Stephen King adaptation ever. Brian DePalma may now be the king of b-movies, but he was in his element with this one.

6. The Thing. I haven't had the opportunity to see the 1951 original, but I have a hard time believing that it could be half as frightening as this film. Artic researchers trapped with a malevolent creature? What's not to love?

5. Silence of the Lambs. Some might think of this as more thriller than horror and that's the only reason it falls to 5th place. Of all the movies I've seen in a theater, this one scared me the most. Simply brilliantly writing, directing, and acting. A must see if there ever was one. How often does a horror film win a Best Picture Oscar?

4. Rosemary's Baby. The first 2 hours of this film are my favorite of any horror movie of all time. The last 5 minutes drop it to 4th on my list. Roman Polanski may be my favorite living director and his ability to make an average apartment house terrifying has been proven time and again. This film is an amazing psychological thriller from a time before there was such a genre.

3. Jaws. I still can't go back in the water.

2. Psycho. Take away the big budget, add Alfred Hitchcock, and what do you get? A truly brilliant film that captured the imaginations of a generation with thoughts of seedy roadside motels and cries of, "Mother, mother!"

1. The Shining. If I weren't completely enamoured with the work of Stanley Kubrick, Psycho would stand at number one, but Kurbick's version of Stephen King's mountain caretaker gone bad story is a truly amazing trip through the mind of disturbed man. Why would anyone ever bother making a cabin fever flick again?

Happy Halloween! And feel free to add your own tricks!