Your Top 10 Favorite Horror Films On Blu

[Popcorn_Bliss]

This probably isn't a very original post, but what are your ten favorite horror films that are out on blu-ray?

Feel free to provide a brief reason why (after all, the reasons why are often more interesting than the selections themselves).

If I were doing a Top 10 as of today I would go with:

1. The Exorcist (1973) Digibook
Technically a drama that just so happens to be horrific but most people consider it horror so, for the sake of this thread, so will I. Simply put, this is the film that has effected me more than any other I have ever viewed. I've often said that The Exorcist is the only film I know of where the horror can't be forgotten once the credits end. In fact, the questions it raises and the startling, visceral, and manipulative ride it takes you on lives long past the film. Many people judge The Exorcist, good or bad, based on the vile effects, yet the real confrontational aspect of the film is that makes you "active" in facing spiritual beliefs that you may or may not have whether you wanted to face them or not. As long as religion and faith continue to exist, appreciation for craftful filmmaking endures, and science and medicine remain unable to account for 100% of the unknown, The Exorcist will remain as timeless as it gets.

2. Jaws (1975) Digibook
Again, a horror film that is more horror as a result of drama, nonetheless it remains the film I have probably watched more than any other. I suppose that must say something...

3. Halloween II (1981) Scream Factory Edition
One of my all-time favorite slasher films. I far prefer it to the much more revered and influential "Halloween". I like the characters and setting much better and the mix n match qualities of the theatrical and television cuts make it a fun film to re-visit.

4. Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985) Double Feature Blu
Probably one of the most ridiculous films I've ever watched. It is exploitive, sleazy, full of delicious nudity, and features characters that seem to pop up out of nowhere only to be done away with in comical fashion. In other words, it is one of the best true slasher films ever made.

5. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) 40th Anniversary Set
It seems everyone has a favorite horror film that belongs to the influential, low-budget, "made famous at the drive-in" group. This one is mine. From the grainy, sun-scorched and foreboding opening to the somehow artful presentation of a most senseless summer day in an off the road Texas farmhouse, this film is exhausting and yet, well, one of a kind.

6. The Blob (1958) Criterion Collection
A classic that I never tire of. A pure slice of "popcorn horror" from the 1950's that is perfect for a midnight viewing as you drift off to sleep. Just make sure no foreign substance is oozing under your door!

7. Night Of The Living Dead (1968)
George Romero's masterpiece and a heavily influential film. Something about the stark black and white film adds to the grisly and claustrophobic nature of this classic.

8. Friday The 13th Part 2 (1981) Standard Blu
The Friday the 13th franchise is my favorite in all of horror, thus it's the series that lands two entries in my top ten. While not as exploitive and free-spirited as Part V, it is my favorite of the early and spooky Friday films and features my all-time favorite Jason of the series. How can you not love an un-killable lunatic running around in overalls and a pillow case?

9. Gojira (Godzilla) 1954 Criterion
The original and still the best. It is haunting, dark, a manifestation of Japan's fears of the atomic bombings not yet a decade removed. It also features two different versions, the original Japanese release and the "Americanized" version with Raymond Burr.

10. King Kong 1933 Digibook
The earliest entry on my list and a true landmark of not only horror (monster movie horror) but of what cinema could achieve from an epic standpoint.

But What About...

Halloween (1978)
As mentioned, highly influential. A great film but my personal favorite is the sequel.

The Shining (1980)
Very effective and certainly chill-inducing. Kubrick's films are always something special, but I've sort of drifted away from this one over the years. Nowadays, I'm more intrigued and challenged by something like 2001 or Eyes Wide Shut.

Psycho (1960)
Certainly worthy. Like Kubrick, any Hitchcock film is like a lesson in filmmaking, yet nowadays I lean towards something like the more surreal and symbol-laden complexities of "Vertigo".