1. Night of The Living Dead (1968)

George Romero is a brilliant film maker, and in my opinion his debut “Night of the Living Dead” is his best moment. Basically you probably already know the story, the world is overrun with zombies(previously dead humans who have now come back to life for an unknown reason). From it’s terrifying opening to it’s incredible close, it is a rare horror that not only scares but comments on racial tensions inherent in American life.

2. Audition (1999)

If one had not seen any Takashi Miike and then watched Audition for most of the movie they would be surprised, because for a Director known for his dynamic and visual sometimes brutal style the first half of the movie is filmed with much restraint. That is until it is shown that the woman the man is pursuing is actually a serial kidnapper/murderer who wants to kill all men because of an atrocity committed to her as a child. This is when Takashi Miike’s real style come in and the blood begins to flow. It is probably one of the best horror films of the decade.

3. Halloween (1978)    

An obvious choice for this list, this film deals with Michael Myers a mentally deranged serial killer who targets  the suburb of Haddonfield, Illinois. Basically, on Halloween Michael Myers stalks different teens and manages to kill many of them as he tries to return to his home. Starring a Jamie Lee Curis at her prime, it is one of the early forms of the slaher genre and it is razor sharp, no pun inteded.

Honorable Mentions: The Shining, Dawn of the Dead, Peeping Tom, Shaun of the Dead, Repulsion, and The Exorcist