Andy's Top 5 Horror Movies

     For the sake of repeating myself I'm going to try to avoid some films I put on my "Ten Favorite Films" list.  So if you've read my Ten Favorite Films and saw a horror movie on that list, it's not going to be on this list.  So here they are in random order.

Dawn of the Dead(1978)

I know director George A. Romero meant it as a metaphor for consumerism, but let's face it, a zombie movie that takes place in a mall is simply brilliant.  The fan favorite of his "Living Dead" series, Dawn of the Dead is brilliantly written and directed, with a strong cast and some great special effects by Tom Savini.  

The worst part about being a walking corpse? Constantly needing to MOISTURIZE!

Prince of Darkness(1987)

One of John Carpenter's lesser known films, and that's a shame.  This movie is downright creepy and unsettling right to it's core.  The atmosphere is full of dread and can be downright apocalyptic.  The only downside is the stilted and uninteresting characters, but that's passable, seeing as how the brilliance of Donald Pleasance and Victor Wong make up for it.  Top it all off with that always great John Carpenter style music and you get a great hidden gem. 

Joy Ride (2001)

Admittedly, more of a thriller than a horror film, but this movie is really intense and keeps me on the edge of my seat.  One of the things I really like about this film is the side characters, who I almost wish had their own spinoff films.  I wanna see a series of short films about the ice truck driver, or the sheriff and his deputy with the toothpick.  What about the guy who body checks Fuller?  Well... we kinda know what happens to him... Eek!  Ted Levine is great and terribly creepy as the villain only known as "Rusty Nail", which is impressive seeing as how his entire performance is through his VOICE!

"Aw, man, we better hurry up! 'Dawson's Creek' is almost on!"

Tales From the Crypt(1972)/The Vault of Horror(1973)

I know I'm kind of cheating here, but TFTC/VOH is sort of like Queen's "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions", you can't have one without the other.  Based on the EC Comics series of the same name, these films actually predate the popular HBO tv show.  If you can ignore the pink blood, and the fact that Vault of Horror has been cut for American audiences, these films are a lot of fun and really creepy.  Features great performances by Peter Cushing and Tom "The Fourth Doctor" Baker.

[Rec] 2 (2009)

A great found footage movie that turns both found footage and zombie genres on their heads.  Taking place moments after the original [Rec], we see there is more to this zombie infestation that meets the eye.  Thanks to this movie, I have a slight fear of narrow, dark hallways.  

"AVON CALLING!!!"

     So there's my list. I hope you enjoyed it! Check out some of the other lists if you haven't already.