Dark Horse Halloween Countdown: Steve Niles' Horror Movie Countdown

10/29/2010 12:15pm
When it comes to horror, you'd be hard pressed to find a better expert on the genre than Steve Niles. Creator of the critically acclaimed Criminal Macabre series, Niles has been scaring the bejesus out of his readers for years. See which classic horror movies influence Steve as our Dark Horse Halloween Countdown marches on!

nilesThis list is in no particular order. It’s tough enough to pick only ten favorite horror films!

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

When I was a kid, I read a lot of comics, but what I really wanted to do was special makeup effects. My heroes were guys like Dick Smith, Rob Bottin, Rick Baker, and, of course, Tom Savini. Dawn of the Dead was Savini’s masterpiece; this was a master taking off the gloves and showing what he could do. To this day the image of the husband taking a chomp out of his wife’s shoulder is one of the creepiest shots I’ve ever seen.

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

This was the first movie that really scared me. Its black-and-white, gritty, realistic feel absolutely terrified me. This is one of my favorite movies to show people who have never seen it before. I love how they sort of joke about its low-budget look and the black-and-white film, and then slowly the jokes stop.


The Thing (1982)


I love the original Howard Hawks version of The Thing, but John Carpenter’s remake is the stuff of legend. It captures everything I love about horror: great characters, isolation, and paranoia. And the all-practical effects by Rob Bottin prove that CGI might be cheaper, but nothing beats the real thing



The Exorcist (1973)

I just watched this again, and it’s as creepy as it was when it first came out. It feels so real, and the characters are so well developed and portrayed, that you can’t help but become engrossed and pray for the life of the little girl.



Nosferatu (1979)

I love the original, of course, but Werner Herzog’s remake is so rich with beautiful imagery, and Klaus Kinski’s performance so dead on, that it just nudges the original from my list.

 

Let the Right One In (2008)

My favorite modern horror film. If you have to make vampires romantic, this is the way to do it.


Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

I’ve seen this a hundred times and I never get bored. It is still one of the best creature designs for film. I just plain love the Creature.

 

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

I love everything about this movie, but most of all I love the pace. Unlike today’s films, where something has to explode within thirty seconds of the start, Rosemary’s Baby takes its time and allows both the story and the characters to slowly build. I really miss films like this. The best horror works when you care, and this film gives you plenty of reasons to care.


The Night Stalker (1972)

I know it’s a TV movie, but it features one of the first monster hunters I came in contact with, and the effect on me was profound. Aside from being a great horror film, this is one of the few traditional vampire stories that I think successfully captures what makes vampires scary.


Frankenstein (1931)

What can you say about this classic that hasn’t been said? Frankenstein is still as chilling as ever, and Karloff, well, he is Frankenstein. I adore this film . . . and the monster.

 

There you have it folks! What do you think of Steve's list? Leave a comment below!


Steve Niles. Creator of the critically acclaimed Criminal Macabre series, Niles has been scaring the bejesus out of his readers for years. See which classic horror movies influence Steve as our Dark Horse Halloween Countdown marches on!

This list is in no particular order. It’s tough enough to pick only ten favorite horror...">

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