The 50 Best Horror Movies You've Never Seen (2014)

A stroll down horror's memory lane, 19 July 2018

I'll get to the contents of the film's list in a second, but overall, I enjoyed this stroll down horror's memory lane. For me, I've seen the vast majority of these movies. And those I haven't, for one reason or another, I have no desire. The doc moves at a nice pace and the "experts", fans, and insiders are interesting enough. There's not much to complain regarding the film's presentation. I suppose that if I had to pick one negative with the way things are presented it would be with some of P J Soles commentary. It's a bit groan-inducing in spots. 

It's difficult to put together one of these lists and make everyone happy. What you call a hidden gem, I might have seen a dozen times. Or something you love, I might find retched. So, here are a few of my arguments and agreements with the list of 50 movies presented:

- I'll start with a few of the films I completely agree with. These are films that would easily appear on a similar list if I put one together: When a Stranger Calls, Motel Hell, April Fools Day, Lemora (shocked to see it here), Exorcist III (very underrated), Alice Sweet Alice, Repulsion, Audition (probably my top ranked movie on the entire list), The Descent, and Night of the Hunter (even though I'm not sure it's really horror).

- A few movies I would never put on this list: Valentine (hated it!), The Brides of Dracula (it's good, but there are better, equally obscure Hammer films I would include), Halloween III (who doesn't know about this movie), Tourist Trap (fun enough, but not as good as this doc would have you believe), and Food of the Gods (really?).

I'll end this with a list of 20 films I would add to the titular 50. It's a non-US heavy list, but I've tried to stay away from the better known movies from the likes of Bava, Argento, or Fulci. In no real order:

1. The House with Laughing Windows
2. Eyes Without a Face
3. The Island of Lost Souls
4. Mad Love
5. Le Boucher
6. Onibaba
7. The Curse of the Crying Woman
8. The Plague of the Zombies
9. Spoorloos
10. Alucarda
11. The Black Pit of Dr. M
12. Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter
13. Mill of the Stone Women
14. Shock Waves
15. The Queen of Spades
16. The Ninth Gate
17. Mark of the Devil
18. Race with the Devil
19. A Tale of Two Sisters
20. Scream of Fear

6/10