First of all, what is a classic? What are we referring to when we speak of classics, when we call a piece of work in art and entertainment a classic? Essentially, within this context, a classic is something of long-lasting value, which may be of outstanding quality, popularity, or both. And which may or may not be exemplary of its type and set the ground for more like it to arise over time. Generally, it’s something recognized as such that retains much worth despite the passing of the years.
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| The Shining (1980) |
When it comes to horror classics, I go back to the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Sorry, I wasn’t born before that and missed most of what came before (but I might do some digging for older stuff later). And when it comes to horror films, there’s one that pops up more than all the rest: The Shining. Who hasn’t heard of it ever? You know, that movie where a writer stays with his family at an empty hotel for the winter and goes coo coo to the point of chasing his wife with an axe. Even if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you probably came across parodies and memes of it, for there are countless. As well as tributes. And recently, the continuation of it came out: Doctor Sleep. Less scary, but still fascinating (shoutout to the person who recommended it to me). And let’s not overlook the fact that one of my favorite music videos ever is inspired by it: Thirty Seconds to Mars - The Kill. So yes, The Shining is an indisputable classic. No doubt about that. It’s not just me being nostalgic over an old movie that had a significant impact on me.
Like Misery, for example, which I haven’t heard of anywhere near as much and it being a classic is debatable. The writer that gets kidnapped by his supposed #1 fan and is forced to keep writing his novel - but only the way she prefers it to go. She breaks his feet to keep him from escaping, too. And although he does manage to escape regardless and moves on with his life despite the disability she caused, he’s shown traumatized enough to be wary of anyone new who claims to be his #1 fan, no matter how harmless they may be. It was a great movie then, it is still a great movie now. Yet, I was surprised to see it brought up on Bloody Hell when the protagonist was talking to himself, trying to figure out his situation and how to make it out of it.
Those are two movies that managed to stick out on their own, without the help of sequels. Another one that pulled it off and that, like The Shining, has been referenced countless times, is the unforgettable Carrie. The girl with an abusive mother who insisted on her being inherently sinful and continually punished her for it. Her peers actively mocking and ridiculing her. The one person she believed actually liked her despite it all betraying her, being a farce from the start. Of course, killing is bad. But can you blame the thousands or millions of people who, after witnessing all that on the screen, were glad for Carrie when she finally burned them all with her powers? I’d say it’s only natural. She might go to hell for it, yes, but still. Besides, it’s fiction. No literal killing involved. Carrie, another undeniable classic.
Village of the Damned also comes to mind, given how messed up it was that a bunch of kids acted collectively, with zero individuality, in a merciless fashion for the sake of their self-preservation. With the exception of only one, who lost his birth partner and developed compassion due to his loneliness and disconnection from the rest. That movie certainly made an impression on me, but can I call it a classic? Maybe not. Although... it has been referenced a few times. The children did have a peculiar design to be remembered.
All that said, we can’t leave out the slasher movies with iconic monsters. Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers, and so on. These may not have made it as classics without their sequels giving them extra exposure, leaving a mark on our minds through repetition, but still hold merit. The horror genre would not be the same without them and we wouldn’t have as many horror costumes to fool around in. Plus, the monstrosity that they represent.
And speaking of iconic monsters, there’s American Psycho. Not as obviously monstrous as others but so extremely deranged as a status-obsessed person that he couldn’t be ignored. If you’re anything like this character, you’re probably doing something wrong. Furthermore, you’ll be the laughing stock because that scene of him sweating over who has the best business card in the room went viral and it’s frankly hilarious what people have done with it.
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| The Shining (1980) |
So, what are the horror films I’ve seen, between 1970 and 2000, that because of the aforementioned reasons or something else, I consider classics?
• The Exorcist (1973)
• Carrie (1976)
• Halloween (1978)
• Friday the 13th (1980)
• The Shining (1980)
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
• Hellraiser (1987)
• Child’s Play (1988)
• Misery (1990)
• Interview With The Vampire (1994)
• Village of The Damned (1995)
• Scream (1996)
• Ringu (1998)
• The Sixth Sense (1999)
• American Psycho (2000)
If I was a horror snob (amazing how ego can be attached to practically anything) I’d tell you that you can’t think of yourself as a True Horror Fan if you have never seen these. But I’m not, so instead, I’ll tell you that, if you are a horror fan and haven’t seen them, you should check them out sometime. On the sole basis that they’re classics and you might not want to miss out on that. In any case, these are my picks.
Are there any horror classics that you personally appreciate?