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.