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Five Classic Horror Movies That You Might Be Unfamiliar With

Remember such movies as Rosemary's Baby, Don't Look Now, Suspiria, the Sentinel and Alice Sweet Alice? A majority of you I'm sure are probably shaking your head's no. To me these movies have always been what horror is about. They didn't rely on the ability to just merely scare us. Instead they possessed something much more enduring - THEY HAUNTED US.

'Rosemary's Baby' is terrifying, and it remains terrifying every time I see it. This slow-burn distorts our attention to the sticking place for two hours and fifteen minutes and then it will stay etched in your mind forever. The climax of the film is unmistakably one of the most disturbing and horrifying in cinematic history.



'Don't Look Now' is not your traditional horror movie because it doesn't rely on scaring you with it's scenes. It's a movie that consumes you and won't let you go until it has it's way with you. The film is definitely another slow-burner, but it works perfect for the movie. The final twenty minutes of 'Don't Look Now' are among the most climatic and suspenseful twenty minutes in any horror film, culminating in a montage that is utterly horrifying.



'Suspiria,' the Dario Argento masterpiece, still leaves me with feeling of being unhinged with it's unrelentingly creepy atmosphere and it's unsettling visuals. There are so many memorable scenes in this film which left my heart palpitating. Although the plot may be a bit lacking, the film does have several strong points - one of which is it's vivid use of color, and the other is it's intangible soundtrack. The muc score by Goblin is perhaps one of the most effective score's ever to grace a horror movie and a real selling point of the movie. It's no surprise why 'Suspiria' has undoubtedly earned its place as one the finest horror movies ever.



One of the most underrated horror movies of all time is 'the Sentinel.' There were many scary moments in the film that were quite effective, but It was the engrosng plot that intrigued me the most. The tenon at times left me with a feeling of anguish and by the time the movie rose to it's crescendo, I was left completely aghast.



The sublime thriller, 'Alice, Sweet Alice' fits exceptionally well in the admirable horror decade that were the 70's. The movie relies on it's intense catholic atmosphere as well as it's symbolic imagery to create the films semblance. The elegant muc score is also a great addition which proves to be quite effective. What really made this unpredictable plot rather compelling was the notion that it could be interpreted many different ways.



All these movies succeed in creating a feeling of real discomfort and there is something derivative that accelerates a constant state of dread. Very few movies have been able to take me to those places.

Anyone who truly appreciates the art of horror will recognise these 5 films for what they are- clascs. If you haven't seen them I strongly suggest that you do.
Anonymous Monday 7/11/2011 at 01:40 AM | 78242
Great list man All clascs!
immortaldeath24 Monday 7/11/2011 at 01:56 AM | 78243
Suspiria is great, I remmeber when I first saw this I was 13 and it scred the hell out of me.

I hope they dont remake it like the rumors I have been reading.
latingoddyss Monday 7/11/2011 at 05:10 PM | 78255
These movies have been on my list to watch for a long time, ever nce Bravo had that 100 Scariest Movie Moments, but to be completely honest...Rosemary's Baby was TOO DAMN LONG!!! I think they could have whittled that down to about an hour and a half.

And I have been searching for Alice Sweet Alice for a long time and have yet to track it down.
Ryze Monday 7/11/2011 at 09:18 PM | 78268
As i was reading this article, my mom (being overprotective as usual) looked over my shoulder and saw the Alice, Sweet Alice mask photo, and knew exactly what it was. She said that we would have to look for it on DVD... can't wait to see that movie!
Kidtut Tuesday 7/12/2011 at 01:06 AM | 78284
Netflix has Alice Sweet Alice available, but only through the "DVD only" service. Unfortunately it's not available to watch instantly. Hope you do get a chance to view it.
Anonymous Tuesday 7/12/2011 at 03:09 AM | 78293
Nice list lol! There is only one movie which i've never enjoyed 'the Sentinel'. It seems pretty interesting horror movie and i admit myself to go enjoy with it
jonespaker Tuesday 7/12/2011 at 03:41 AM | 78298
Great list and writing as usual! I haven't seen Suspiria yet and its on my list of must watches. Thanks Bnizzle for all the updates.
Shakelford, J. Rusty Tuesday 7/12/2011 at 04:06 AM | 78306
AAAAAH! ABOUT TIME SOMEONE ACKNOWLEDGED THESE!!!! PROPS!!! I especially love Rosemary's Baby. Also, I've been thinking that if someone decided to remake Suspiria, they could posbly make it great. These days, they can push the envelope a lot farther, but keep the film just as suspenseful and mesmerizing. Who can forget that captivating imagery?
nolifefan Tuesday 7/12/2011 at 12:33 PM | 78327
I've been reading all your comments and its amazing how many young people acknowledge these clascs. Especially nce all five came out in the late 60s/early 70s. That's awesome!!
Anonymous Tuesday 7/12/2011 at 01:03 PM | 78328
freakin love Rosemarys baby... The old couple were money, as was Guy Woodhouse. This is the best film that old pervert Roman Polanski ever made. As good as it gets.
jswaffxxx Tuesday 7/12/2011 at 11:04 PM | 78414
I love all these movies
Tobyisoctopus Tuesday 7/12/2011 at 11:48 PM | 78426
Good article. Sadly, I believe I have only seen Suspiria. It was an enjoyable movie.
aceofspades70 Wednesday 7/13/2011 at 01:31 AM | 78460
@jswaffxxx

Rosemary's Baby isn't the only good movie that Polanski did...check out The Tenant if you can find it. It's another clasc that you might not be aware of. If your into creepy psychological horror, your gonna like this film.
Anonymous Wednesday 7/13/2011 at 03:53 AM | 78492
Suspiria changed how I watched movies. Argento is prob my favorite director next to Carpenter.

We need some more Italian horror talk on this forum

immortaldeath24 Wednesday 7/13/2011 at 04:02 AM | 78493
I've seen all of these. Don't Look Now being my favorite on the list. I have to admit though, I've NEVER gotten into an Argento film. It just doesn't do it for me.

Another 2 "clascs" that might've found a spot on a milar list would be "Black Christmas" and "Lets Scare Jesca To Death"
AgnesItsMeBilly Wednesday 7/13/2011 at 12:22 PM | 78541
I've been reading all your comments and its amazing how many young people acknowledge these clascs. Especially nce all five came out in the late 60s/early 70s. That's awesome

I've always been much more inclined to the clasc horror. The makeup and effects had to have much more thought put into them and so typically the overall effect was better. Naturally, I pretty much died when I saw House of the Devil. SO EIGHTIES.

I mean, I still love contemporary horror, I just bought Indious yesterday (sort of a throwback, but it's still contemporary), and I look forward to all the upcoming films... But I would do anything for modern filmmakers to use their new equipment and skills and still find ways to get that clasc feeling of raw suspense. The kind you feel when Laurie Strode is desperately trying to get Tommy Doyle to open the door with Michaely Myers making his slow way toward her, or when Rosemary realizes that seemingly EVERYONE is involved in the shenanigans.. mple, but utterly terrifying.
nolifefan Wednesday 7/13/2011 at 12:57 PM | 78545
@AgnetsMeBilly

Nick...I totally agree with you on both of your choices. I haven't seen Let's Scare Jesca to Death in such a long time. I remember it being extremely creepy. I have it in my collection, and I may just have to watch it again tonight!!
Anonymous Wednesday 7/13/2011 at 07:52 PM | 78569