The All-Time Most Influential Horror Movies

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Kevin Delsignore at CBR.com came up with his list of The All-Time Most Influential Horror Movies.  (Sadly, although it was an interesting list, it is no longer available.)  I decided to play along and using Delsignore’s films, came up with my top two.  Interestingly enough, my #1 pick didn’t make his list.

#3.  Jaws:  While some may argue that Jaws isn’t really a horror film, it made Delsignore’s list, so for our purposes here it is.  Jaws not only spawned 3 sequels but also inspired countless other shark, octopus, orca, alligator, piranha… well, you get the idea, movies.

#2.  Halloween:  John Carpenter’s Halloween spawned 11 sequels with a 12th on the way.  It also opened the door for low-budget unstoppable serial killer movies where the victims were usually teenage kids (Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, etc.)..

#1  Night of the Living Dead:  My choice for the top spot is Night of the Living Dead and surprisingly it didn’t even make Delsignore’s list!  Not only did George Romero re-invent the “rules” for zombies, but he kickstarted a genre that has expanded from movies to tv to comics to video games and more.  What’s just as crazy is that the zombie craze is still going strong over 50 years later!