31. Carnival of Souls (1962) Carnival of Souls is not the greatest story ever told, and can often be incredibly confusing. However, the true value of this film lies not within the story or the acting but with the cinematography. This could be one of the most surreal and eeriest films ever made in the history of horror. Mary Henry, a strange yet beautiful church organist, was supposed to have died in a fatal car accident that took the lives of her friends, but finds herself haunted by the ghosts that want to take her to the beyond. Compelled to go to an abandoned carnival outside of town. After a series of mysterious hauntings and strange dreams, she finally gives into her urges and once she arrives at the carnival the real horror beings. The performances are below average, the script is muddy and confusing and the plot is hard to decipher at times, but the style and eeriness of this film makes up for its downfalls. The carnival scenes and Mary’s run down the beach from her ghostly pursuers is one of the creepiest endings to any horror film, making this great 60’s B thriller. a must have in any horror buffs collection.
32. Night Creatures (1962) Also known as Captain Clegg, this Peter Cushing vehicle is one of the finest original screenplays that was put out by Hammer Films. Peter Cushing plays the priest and leader of a town of smugglers in 18th Century England. In the village church yard lays the grave of the legendary pirate Captain Clegg whose men are said to still roam the marshes at night as skeletal riders on horseback. When the Royal Crown begins to suspect smuggling is present in the village, the village is visited by Captain Collier (Patrick Allen) and his men to put and end to the criminal activity. What ensues is a battle of the wits between Cushing and Allen as Allen puts together the secrets of the village and its ghostly riders as well as the connection between the sadistic Captain Clegg and the kindly village vicar. Although the horror aspect doesn’t run deep in this film, Night Creatures has everything that one desires in a Hammer production – lavish sets and costumes, eerie atmosphere and, in the case of local bar wench Yvonne Romaine, gorgeous and buxom women. Furthermore, while some of the pieces of the mystery fall far too easily in place, there is still enough secrets right up to the film’s conclusion making it an engaging thriller. This film also features Oliver Reed playing the sort of nasty role that made him famous. Night Creatures is a perfect film to show a youngster who is just cutting his or her teeth on horror films.
33. The Birds (1963) The Birds is Alfred Hitchcock’s only true horror film. Focusing on Tippi Hedren, who plays rich and spoiled socialite Melanie Daniels, and Rod Taylor as lawyer Mitch Brenner, and the apple of Melanie’s eye, The Birds is about the California harbor town of Botch Boy’s fight to survive a serious of mysterious and unknown attacks by swarms of non predatory birds on the unsuspecting public. Bloody and violent, The Birds contains some of the greatest examples of subtle horror and shock with possibly the most suspenseful moment in the history being the gathering of birds on a set of monkey bars behind Tippi Hedren at the local school. Great co-stars include Jessica Tandy as Taylor’s mother and Suzanne Pleshette as local school teacher and Taylor’s ex-lover. Also featured are child actress Veronica Cartwright as Taylor’s sister and a walk on by character actor Robert Deacon as Taylor’s neighbor. Oddly enough, at the time The Birds was being made, Deacon played Fred Rutherford on the classic family sit-com Leave it to Beaver, and his daughter Violet Rutherford was played by Veronica Cartwright! Think Hitch watched the Beav? Obviously his casting directors did. Anyhow, although it’s a simple film, The Birds proves to be a garish movie experience as it explores the outcome of when horror and violence explodes within the simplest things we don’t consider to be a threat.
34. Blood Feast (1963) Hershel Gordon Lewis, the Godfather of Gore, serves up this classic gore fest of both intentional and unintentional laughs which has gone down as being called the first spatter film in the history of film! Mal Arnold plays Faud Ramses, an Egyptian caterer who tricks a rich socialite in allowing him to prepare an ancient Egyptian feast that has not been prepared for centuries for her debutante daughter’s party. However, unknown to the socialite, the menu consists of human flesh provided by body parts from nubile young female victims in order to bring an ancient goddess named Ishtar back to life! Now, armed with a machete, Faud goes grocery shopping, which leads to a series of murders that the police, lead by Detective Pete Thorton, who is romanticizing the debutante whose party Faud is committing the murders for (don’t you just love how this film comes full circle) is unable to stop…despite the fact that they actually have all the clues in front of them! I mean a retarded ten year old could figure this mystery out! Despite the fact that this film is played out as a sick and twisted black comedy, the film actually has a ton of unintentional laughs as well, with some terrible dialogue, laughable performances (my favorite goes to the sobbing boy on the beach whose hysterical wheezes of emotion over the murder of his girlfriend is more funny then tragic) and some of the dumbest police inspectors ever in a film. Mal Arnold also plays Ramses in a totally over the top performance, which adds to the delight of this film. Yet, the real spectacle is the gore and slaughter that had never been seen on the screen like this before, which, as a result, had Blood Feast banished to porn houses upon its original release. The most iconic scene is definatly where Arnold rips a woman’s tongue out of her mouth with his bare hands. Yuck! However, this film is a guaranteed crowd pleaser, as long as you have a strong stomach, and is a perfect film for your next dinner party!
35. The Haunting (1963) From the people who brought you West Side Story comes one of the most stylish and beautifully filmed ghost stories that has ever hit the screen. Style, imaginative camera work and great performances create a sense of tension and atmosphere so efficiently that you hardly notice that there really isn’t much of a story. Doesn’t matter anyways because you don’t want to turn away in case you miss something. Ghost hunter Dr. John Markway (Richard Johnson) assembles a group of three strangers: Theo, a lesbian psychic (Clair Bloom); Luke, a skeptical frat boy (Russ Tamblyn) and Nell; a troubled and socially inept woman who attracts spirits (Julie Harris) to the evil Hill House; a large gothic mansion with a history of death and insanity, to prove the existence of the supernatural. Naturally, haunting and happenings occur, mainly directed towards Harris’ character, driving her insane as her cohorts helplessly try to save her, but can only stand back in vain to watch. Director Robert Wise pull out all the stops in creating a moody and creepy film, especially through the simple use of an incredible set design, and the use of marble statues randomly placed in every scene. Furthermore, all four of the characters are brilliantly performed, and become strong characters within their own, often displaying a sense of fun towards each other with genuine laughter and witty dialogue, but most importantly, you genuinely like the characters, and the curiosity of their final fate motivates you far more then discovering the secrets of Hell House. Unfortunately, this masterpiece in suspense was badly remade in 1999, so don’t accidentally rent that version or it might be you trying to hang yourself in the library.
36. Pyro (1964) Although this Spanish film was a vehicle for Barry Sullivan and Martha Hyer, my personal interest in this eerie film of fatal attraction and revenge exists because it was the only film that one of my personal obsessions, Spanish actress Soledad Miranda, ever made that got any attention in the North American film market. Sullivan plays an architect who has an affair on his wife with Hyer, a deranged pyromaniac. When Sullivan breaks off the love affair to devote himself once again to his wife and daughter, Hyer sets his family home on fire. This results in the killing of Sullivan’s family and the horrible burning of Sullivan beyond recognition. With nearly 100% of his body scarred, Sullivan mysteriously disappears after threatening Hyer that he will seek his revenge upon her by killing off her family and seek out and murder her own child Soledad Miranda plays the daughter of a traveling carnival owner who falls in love with a mysterious man that knows more about Sullivan’s whereabouts than he is letting on. Playing out like a cross between Fatal Attraction and Darkman, Pyro proves itself to be a shocking and intelligent early entry in the revenge film genre.
37. Sound of Horror (1964) Soledad Miranda made two fantastic horror films in 1964. The first was Pyro; the other was the often overlooked Sound of Horror. Sound of Horror follows the Val Lewton method of horror, proving that you don’t need a large budget and tons of special effects to create fear and tension in the audience. In fact, you don’t need to show anything at all. A band of treasure hunters find themselves hunted when an invisible, prehistoric creature escapes as the result of a dynamite explosion from its long dormant rest. In most cases a cheaply made film that doesn’t even afford a visible monster can only mean disaster. However, Sound of Horror achieves the impossible. Relying only on sounds, footprints, the creatures screams, and the violent and brutally slashed remains of it’s victims, Sound of Horror is a tense and heart pounding thriller. The treasure hunters give up on finding the treasure in an attempt to flee for their lives, only to slowly have their numbers decrease throughout the film. This film also introduces future horror vixen and Hammer star Ingrid Pitt in her first feature film. Sound of Horror is available in many cheap DVD bins on various horror compilations and is easily overlooked. If you come across it, don’t pass this gem by.
38. Spider Baby (1964) Writer/director Jack Hill presents Lon Chaney Jr., in probably his last good role, as a loving chauffer who takes care of the three inbred cannibal children of his former employer in this strange and endearing black comedy. Life is fine for the odd little family, if not slightly strange, until relatives of the children come to adopt them, proving that when something isn’t broken then don’t try to fix it. The three children are marvelous, especially the insane and murderous Virginia, played by the late Jill Banner, whose seemingly innocent game of “spider” brings death to those who partake. Also featured is an early performance by cult movie favorite Sid Haig as the mentally handicapped brother Ralph. Although bloated, sickly and an alcoholic, Chaney, who was reportedly off of the bottle for this film in fear that he’d lose the part, gives one of the greatest performances of his career as a man who both loves and fears the children he takes care of, and also manages to “sing” the opening theme to the film.. Dark and funny, Spider Baby went virtually unknown and forgotten for decades, but has recently had a revival upon it’s release on DVD, and is only now gaining the cult status that it deserves.
39. Orgy of the Dead (1965) Orgy of the Dead could be one of the worst movies ever made – if you can even call it a movie at all. However, it seems to keep a fair amount of charm which maintains its cult status to the most hardcore of B movie fans. Written by Ed Wood and directed by AC Stevens, Orgy of the Dead is supposed to be an erotic horror movie, but doesn’t even manage to achieve that. Basically, Bob, a horror novelist, and his girlfriend Shirley find themselves in an old cemetery where naked ghouls dance for the pleasure of the Lord of the Dead and the Black Queen. This movie features some of the worst acting I’ve ever seen in a movie, and even worse script and editing. The naked girls are also unattractive and the dancing is dreadful (I once had a nightmare about one of the dancing girls). However the film is not without its charms, with highlights being an inept Werewolf and Mummy wearing K-Mart costumes and the final dance by actress Fawn Silver, the Black Queen. There is something about Fawn Silver I can’t get enough of and the fact that she is such a mystery in real life makes me love her more. This film also marks the return of Criswell in his final film appearance who is a scream to watch as he utters ridiculous lines as “more gold! More gold! It pleasures me.” What is he talking about? You’ll have to sit through this stinker and see. If you decide to watch this stinker alone, be warned. It’s pretty brutal and often rather repetitive and dull. Keep your finger on the fast forward button to get through the dances and watch the stuff in between. The in between stuff is worth every minute. However, Orgy of the Dead is great background eye candy at a party. Your guests WILL love it! Trust me. I’ve done it and it works, and your guests will never forget Orgy of the Dead.
40. The Diabolical Dr. Z (1966) Man oh man I can’t get enough of Jess Franco films. However, while Franco has gone into film history as the masters of European erotic horror, not to mention flat our sleaze and exploitation, The Diabolical Dr. Z is an example of just how great Franco could be as a film maker. Opting for style instead of sleaze, Franco makes this film without any nudity or sex, although themes of eroticism and domination run throughout this masterpiece. When the diabolical Dr. Zimmer has a fatal heart attack after a scientific council deems the mind control machine that he developed to rehabilitate (or more accurately labotomotize, as the case may be) dangerous criminals, his daughter Irma Zimmer plots to kill the doctors that shamed him. Kidnapping a beautiful erotic dancer named Miss Death from the local nightclub, Irma turns her into her slave and arms her with poisonous fingernails and sends her to unwillingly commit the murders that will avenge Dr. Z’s death. Jess Franco pulls out all the stops when filming this picture, putting together some of the most surrealist angles and shots seen in European horror films since The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. However the highlight of the film is easily Miss Death’s, played by the beautiful Estella Bain, incredible night club dance which sees her crawling amongst a spider web and ensnaring her victim. Less then a decade later Franco partially remade this film with more violence, nudity and sex with Soledad Miranda in She Killed in Ecstasy and while it can be debated who is more alluring – Miranda or Bain (I, obviously, prefer Soledad Miranda) – The Diabolical Dr. Z is easily the better of the two films proving that you don’t need tons of sex and nudity to create a masterpiece of erotic horror.
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