Coastwizard's Top 10 (+1) Sci-Fi/Horror Movies Since 1956

by Coastwizard
(Missouri, USA)

These are my top 10 (+1) choices for the best Sci-Fi and/or Horror movies since I saw my first one in 1956. While many of you may not agree with my choices, I am 'old school’ and have based my selections on plot, ability to build suspense using dialogue, atmosphere, character-building, setting and the viewer's apprehension rather than excessive special effects and repetitive masses of blood and gore.

I have also taken into consideration my own reactions to my first viewings of these movies, as much of the shock value and ‘fright factor’ is lost once the viewer knows what to expect and when. For example, there was not much to the costume of the alien in The Thing from Another World (James Arness himself described his appearance as that of ‘a giant carrot’), but it was the suspense and apprehension of the alien's appearance that made the movie.

1. Jaws (1975). I thought I was a jaded horror movie buff when I first saw Jaws at its Hollywood premiere. Being an avid California surfer in waters teeming with Great Whites, it really creeped me out. Pulled a muscle in my thigh when the girl behind me screamed at the head appearing in the hole in the hull)!

2. Alien (1979). Scariest movie I ever saw, at least on the first viewing when everything was a surprise. All about apprehension and fear of the unknown. The alien backdrops were about as ‘alien’ to what a human being would be comfortable with as possible. The intricate layout of the mother ship, the missing alien, and its ability to morph, as well as the cold, routine mechanical noises of the ship all add to the suspense.

3. The Shining (1980). Stanley Kubrick at his best! Who else could turn a beautiful, sunny autumn drive into a disturbing and ominous trip into evil with just the right soundtrack? Jack Nicholson's descent into madness, and his family's response is a classic in film-making.

4. The Thing (1982) (Different enough from the earlier classic, this one plays closer to the book. Once again, the remote location in the Arctic provides one of the scariest backdrops for a horror movie. The special effects are excellent, and the movie uses the fear of the unknown and apprehension of imminent danger to the best possible effect, as the identity of the creature remains a mystery for most of the movie.

5. The Descent (2005). Claustrophobic settings. One girl’s getting stuck in a body-hugging passage in a prone position with people in front of her and behind her, adds to the fear factor, as does the possibility of being trapped deep below the earth in a cave with no way back out, the lighting, and the presence of unknown, menacing predatory creatures.

6. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1955). First saw it as a kid. Most frightening part was you could be taken over in your sleep and you never knew who you could trust.

7. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978). Scary for the same reasons as the original, but with a less-satisfying, more frightening ending.

8. Horror Express (1972). Little-known or mentioned horror classic with an all-star cast and a unique setting...a train crossing the frozen wastes of Siberia. Keeps you guessing whether the creature is an alien, a demon or both!

9. The Thing from Another World (1951). Classic horror. Uses ‘real-life’ conversation styles and ‘less is more’ technique of only showing the alien under specific circumstances and leaving the rest up to your imagination!

10. It: The Terror from Beyond Space (1958). Prototype for the movie Alien. Creature was unique in appearance and in the threat of draining all its victim's body fluids. The idea of crawling into the duct work after the monster really upped the creepiness factor!

11. Forbidden Planet (1956). Special effects have taken giant leaps since the monster in this classic Sci-Fi movie, but I first saw this when I was 5 years old, and it scared the pants off me. The fear of the unknown plays a great part in the suspense in this movie. The plaster cast of the creature's track...the footprints suddenly appearing in the ground and depressing the steps up to the ship...the hatch opening ‘by itself’ next to the sleeping crewmen...the crewman's remains plastered all over the walls of the cabin...the beast illuminated by the ship's blasters...it's howling/roaring...and it's ability to melt right through the adamantine steel doors of the Krell civilization. By the way, many of the scenes of the monster were deleted from earlier prints shown on TV because they were considered too frightening for younger viewers.