Top Ten Horror Movie Genre Contributers

This is a list of people who I think have made a significant mark on the horror movie genre, comprised of both filmmakers and actors. Most of these people's careers took off from the horror movies in which they were involved, and some have continued to dominate the genre throughout their careers. Disclaimer: This includes more contemporary films (70s and newer), as the likes of Hitchcock, Price, and Lugosi belong to a whole other world of horror.

1.      Wes Craven
Wes Craven is responsible for two of the greatest horror movie franchises of all time (in my humble opinion). Nightmare on Elm Street sparked several sequels, and while Scream only produced four films, Craven directed all four of them to perfection, satirizing the very genre that made him famous. He also directed classics such as Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes, as well as more recent films like Cursed, Red Eye, and My Soul To Take.

2.      Robert Englund
He starred as one of the most iconic horror villains, Freddy Kruegger, in one of the most popular horror franchises of all time. Not only did he star in the original, but he played Freddy Kruegger in every Nightmare on Elm Street sequel. He has also starred in horror films such as Wishmaster, Hatchet, and Urban Legend.

3.   Tony Todd
He is one scary mother-fucker. He is best known for playing the iconic villain in The Candyman series. Though the movie didn’t spark many sequels, Tony Todd delivers a memorably creepy performance as the Candy Man. He has also appeared in the Hatchet film series, warning everyone of the evil that lurks in the swamp. He plays a mortician in the Final Destination series (4 of the 5 films), who talks about Death as if he knows him personally; there are some moments where it seems as if he’s Death himself.

4.   John Carpenter
Carpenter started the slasher craze with the classic, Halloween. While many of his other horror projects have been lackluster (John Carpenter’s Vampires), he is responsible for the 1982 remake The Thing, as well as the eerily creepy In the Mouth of Madness.

5.   James Wan & Leigh Whannell
Together, Wan & Whannell created the highly successful horror franchise, Saw. While they weren’t involved with every one of the sequels, they started the craze and are responsible for the iconic killer, Jigsaw (and his creepy doll, Billy). On top of that, Wan has also directed Dead Silence, Insidious 1 & 2, and The Conjuring. They were different from the Saw films, more scary and creepy than bloody and gorey. Whannell had a part in writing all these films (excluding The Conjuring), as well as Saw II and Saw III. For me, these two renewed my love for the horror genre. I'd put them higher but you have to have some respect for those that made the genre what it is.

6.      Danielle Harris
Though no one talks about her, she is one of the last true Scream Queens left in the horror genre. She is best known for playing Laurie Strode’s niece, Jamie, in Halloween 4 & 5. She also stars as a different character in Rob Zombie’s reboot of the same series. She is the leading lady in the Hatchet movie series, as well as many many other horror movies, to incude Hallows’ Eve, See No Evil 2, Ghost of Goodnight Lane, Camp Dread, Shiver, Stake Land, Left for Dead…there’s just too many to list. She's also drop-dead gorgeous, so she gets bonus points for that.

7.    Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis appears in four of the eight films in the Halloween series. The original Scream Queen, you could call her. She also starred in other horror classics such as The Fog and Prom Night (the originals, not the shitty sequels).

8.   Kane Hodder
While Hodder didn’t take on the role of Jason Voorhies until later in the Friday the 13^th franchise when it was getting farfetched (a telepath, a trip to Manhattan, and a sequel set in space), he is the only actor to play Jason in more than one Friday film. In addition to that, he plays the villain, Victor Cromley in the Hatchet horror series.

9.   Brad Dourif
Brad Dourif’s greatest contribution to the horror genre is playing the hilariously crude Chucky in the Child’s Play series. He also starred in Zombie’s Halloween reboot, as well as cameos in Urban Legend and Alien: Resurrection.

10.    Lance Henriksen
Though it’s arguable whether or not the Alien film series counts as horror, Henriksen plays Bishop, a very memorable character. He also stars in the Pumpkinhead series.

Honorable Mentions:

Donald Pleasence - played Dr. Loomis, the most consistent character of the Halloween series (apart from Michael Myers, of course)

Eli Roth - Roth is a personal favorite of mine, and I'm sure many people who know me are surprised he's not #1 on the list. Mostly because he hasn't made a film in the last seven years. He started strong with the horror comedy Cabin Fever and followed it up with the two Hostel films. People often refer to him as the master of torture porn. Nevertheless, his films are great but he needs to make more movies if he wants to gain more cred.

Top Ten Horror Movie Franchises

The following list is what I believe are some of the best horror movie franchises out there. Some horror movies are great because they're scary; others are great because the villain out to get everyone is so incredibly bad-ass. Some are clever, some are just entertaining. I always say give me blood and breasts in a horror movie and I'm satisfied. Note: these are my personal favorites. I am not pretending to be an expert on the matter. Anyway...

1.      Scream

      - Scream is a clever spoof of horror movies. It points out all the overused, expected horror devices and the various rules of the genre (via the film geek, Randy, my favorite character). While Scream spoofs these movies, it falls into the very stereotypes it pokes fun at. It's funny, clever, and scary. They are the perfect whodunits. So if you love trying to guess who the killer is, this is the horror franchise for you. And, while the killer changes in each film, the costume and method of killing is consistent.

2.      Nightmare on Elm Street

      - While all of its sequels pale in comparison to the original, the original is such a strong, creative story that it can’t be forgotten. Freddy Kruegger is terrifying because he attacks you in your sleep; and, no matter how hard you try, eventually you'll fall asleep. He is also one of the most iconic Horror villains – and he’s a riot! "Help yourself, fucker!"

3.      Halloween

      - Again, the original stands as the strongest one in the franchise, but the sequels are entertaining enough to keep you wanting more. Michael Myers is a classic horror villain – he walks slower than a crippled old man yet somehow always catches up to his victims. The franchise is brought back to life with Halloween H20 and concluded with the equally entertaining Halloween: Resurrection. What better way to end the franchise than to have Busta Rhymes karate kick the shit out of Michael Myers.

(Rob Zombie's Halloween reboot is not included as part of this franchise and should maybe just be forgotten altogether).

4.      Friday the 13^th

      - Consistence. In my opinion, none of these films are great in the sense that it's a very basic story and not very well-written. That being said, it’s the perfect slasher. Watch teens get drunk and frisky and then watch them get cut up into little pieces. The cheesy dialogue makes the movies even better.

5.      Child’s Play

       - While the latest installments haven’t been anything to be proud of, the killer Chucky is consistently crude and hilarious throughout the entire series.

6.      Saw

      - The acting is atrocious in all of the films, but the original film is very creative. It becomes the same thing with every new sequel, but there are lots of innovative traps and it's fun to see how the characters are going to die. The characters are often forced to make tough decisions so it's interesting to see how they handle it. Jigsaw is a classic villain, despite being dead half the franchise. And that little clown guy is creepy.

7.      Texas Chainsaw Massacre

       - Teens are lured into a big creepy house and tortured. There’s usually a bit of backstory which is always changing or evolving, but one thing is for sure; there’s always gorgeous babes to look at: Jessica Biel, Alexandra Daddario, and Jordana Brewster, to name a few. The intense and intimidating R. Lee Ermey helped bring the franchise back to life.

8.      Final Destination

      - The original film was and probably still is one of my favorite movies. I love the concept of the film, in how everything you do ultimately leads to your death. Great cast. The sequels are pretty much just lesser copycats of the first film. But they are entertaining in that we get to see all the exaggerated, unbelievable ways in which they die. Also, Tony Todd as the mortician, or rather Death, makes the series that much better.

9.      Candyman

       - The first film is really good; I can't say the same for the sequels. But Tony Todd as the creepy Candyman is such a classic villain that it has to make the list. Tony Todd makes any horror movie all the better.

10.  The “Dead” series 

      - It’s hard to say which of these should count, as there are so many sequels (land of the dead, day of the dead, etc.). But having seen the original, Night of the Living Dead, and the remake Dawn of the Dead, I have no doubt in my mind that this deserves a spot on the top 10. If I had seen more of the older films, it may be higher, but alas, I have not.