What’s your favorite scary movie? The stars of horror share their No.1 pick

It’s the Halloween season and time for Fright Night movie marathons everywhere.

For the occasion, and as a nod to Scream, the iconic slasher flick that redefined and revived the horror genre, I took on the role of Ghostface, the saga’s infamous villain.

I slipped on the mask, put on my best psycho stalker voice and asked the stars of horror Ghostface’s signature question:

“What’s your favorite scary movie?”

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Roger Jackson (voice actor of Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4): “Titicut Follies because it’s not fiction, it’s real life. Who are the really insane?”

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Jamie Kennedy (star of Bermuda Tentacles, Mostly Ghostly 3: One Night in Doom House, The Sand, Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Tremors 5: Bloodlines): “The Exorcist. Growing up as an alter boy, religious horror was part and parcel of my upbringing, so when I saw Linda Blair possessed and screaming profanities, it brought a whole new aspect to the horrors that religion can inflict. The special effects still hold up today, and it is a classic.”

 

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Mike Vaughn (star of Scream: The Series, Zombie Strippers): “My favorite scary movie is The Shining (1980). Not so much for the scare factor (it’s always been more suspenseful than scary to me) but more for the just how well it’s crafted from top to bottom. That, and we always have a good time bonding with friends when we put it on at Halloween get-togethers. The scariest movie to me was 1980’s The Changeling with George C. Scott. I was 8 years old, and haven’t really seen it for very long time, so I’m sure it’s not scary anymore, but oh my, I remember that ball bouncing down the stairs from the hidden attic, and I still get the chills to this day.”

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Tyler Posey (star of Alone, Scream: The TV Series, Teen Wolf, Truth or Dare): “I love The Shining (1980). The cinematography and everything about it. It’s so epic.”

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Lucy Hale (star of Fear Island, Scream 4, Truth or Dare): “I’m a huge horror fan and I love being scared. The original Exorcist is my favorite, and I also love Paranormal Activity. I believe in all that, so these films freak me out.”

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Shay Mitchell (star of The Possession of Hannah Grace): “I’ll say The Exorcist. Not because it’s actually my favorite scary movie, but because it really freaks me out. Honestly, it gives me chills. I don’t watch a lot of horror movies. They terrify me.”

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Nina Dobrev (star of The Final Girls, Flatliners (2017), The Roommate, The Originals, The Vampire Diaries): “Scream. I love it. Kevin Williamson’s writing is awesome, and I’m not just saying that because we worked together on The Vampire Diaries. Obviously, he really is awesome.”

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Paul Wesley (star of Tell Me a Story, The Originals, The Vampire Diaries, Wolf Lake): “I like smart, unsettling movies, not disgusting gore. The Shining (1980) is one of my favorite movies. I love Stanley Kubrick’s films. I’m a big fan.”

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Ian Somerhalder (star of Pulse, The Vampire Diaries, V-Wars): “The first Freddy (A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984) always scared me.”

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Kat Graham (star of The Roommate, The Vampire Diaries): “I love Scream. It still scares me, no matter how many times I watch it. And Kevin Williamson is amazing.”

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Shaun Sipos (star of Final Destination 2, The Grudge 2, Lost Boys: The Tribe, The Remaining, Texas Chainsaw 3D, The Vampire Diaries): “The Shining (1980). The subliminal messages that are woven throughout the picture along with the performances and how beautifully cinematic it is make it stand the test of time. It’s quite literally a masterpiece in my opinion.”

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Jodi Lyn O’Keefe (star of Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, Lucifer, Out for Blood, Red Rover, Teacher’s Pet, The Vampire Diaries): “Halloween (1978). The original. Old fashioned horror scares me more than gore.”

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Malcolm McDowell (star of Antiviral, Asylum,  The Barber, Cat People, A Clockwork Orange, Evilenko, Excision, Halloween (2007), Halloween II (2009), The Outer Limits, Pact with the Devil, Sanitarium, Silent Hill Revelation 3D, Silent Night, The Surgeon, Tales from the Crypt, 31, The Unleashed,  Zombex): “I do a lot of horror films, but I’m not a great fan of slasher horror and gore. I like psychological horror. A Clockwork Orange is a good example of that genre.”

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Nick Mennell (star of Friday the 13^th (2009), Halloween (2007), The Lost Tribe, My Little Eye): “I concur with Malcolm. I’ve done my fair share of these films, but ironically, I’m not personally a great fan of the slasher/horror genre. The scariest film I’ve ever seen, and my favorite in that sense is The Exorcist by William Friedkin. To be fair, I grew up in a religious environment where these things were perceived to have been ‘real’ (and I think context is important) but that being said, I still think it’s a masterpiece of psychological and existential terror.”

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Mary Birdsong (star of Halloween II (2009), Scream Queens): “My favorite scary movie is The Second Presidential Debate (2016) in which the future president has to outsmart a sexist zombie predator. Luckily the predator is really dumb. Also, Trilogy of Terror, a 1975 made-for-tv movie starring Karen Black and a creepy little Zuni fetish doll.”

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Sheri Moon Zombie (star of The Devil’s Rejects, Grindhouse, Halloween (2007), Halloween II (2009), House of 1000 Corpses, The Lords of Salem, 3 From Hell, 31, Toolbox Murders): “The Shining (1980). Its pacing really sucks me into the isolation. I’m haunted by it every time I watch.”

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Sid Haig (star of Blood Bath, Brotherhood of Blood, Creature, Death House,  Devil in My Ride, The Devil’s Rejects, Galaxy of Terror, Halloween (2007), Hatchet III, The Haunted Casino, House of 1000 Corpses, House of the Dead 2, The Inflicted, Mimesis, Night of the Living Dead 3D, Spider Baby, 3 From Hell, Zombex): “Cujo. That dog is horrifying. I’m sorry, any time you get a 200 pound dog trying to eat your car is just scary.”

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Bill Moseley (star of Alone in the Dark II, The Alphabet Killer, Army of Darkness, Babysitter Wanted, The Blob, The Convent, Dead Air, The Devil’s Rejects, The Devil’s Tomb, The First Power, Grindhouse, Halloween (2007), Home Sick, House of 1000 Corpses, Night of the Living Dead (1990), Repo! The Genetic Opera, Silent Night Deadly Night 3, Smothered, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Texas Chainsaw 3D, 3 From Hell, The Tortured): “Carnival of Souls (1962). Neat little B&W film shot in Kansas and Utah about a woman who survives a car crash only to be haunted by a mysterious man and the old Saltair Pavilion on the banks of the Great Salt Lake. Spooky, cool story, nice acting by Candace Hilligoss and a wonderfully odd organ score.”

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Tyler Mane (star of Compound Fracture, Devil May Call, The Devil’s Rejects, Halloween (2007), Halloween II (2009), Penance Lane, Take 2: The Audition, 247°F, William Froste): “Halloween (2007). The remake tells the backstory of Michael Myers and how he became a psychopathic killer. In this movie he’s not the boogeyman, he’s the product of his environment and his troubled childhood. He’s like a real human being and that is scary.”

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Daeg Faerch (star of Dark Mirror, Halloween (2007), Sebastian): “Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles. This movie is the reason my hair is long. I like, and have written vampire stories since I was four years old. For a slasher film, my vote goes to Halloween (2007). Ditto what Tyler Mane had to say about this movie.”

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Sybil Danning (star of Deadly Nightmares (aka The Hitchhiker), Grindhouse, Halloween (2007), Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf, The Lair, The Tomb, Virus X): “Psycho (1960). Alfred Hitchcock’s grueling real to life characters, mesmerizing stylistic camera angles, lighting and suspense with horrific crescendo captivated me. I’m not easily scared, but I have a gun in my shower.”

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Brad Loree (star and/or stunt performer of The Cabin in the Woods, Final Destination 2, Halloween: Resurrection, House of the Dead, Jennifer’s Body, Supernatural, White Noise 2: The Light): “Halloween (1978). While it’s very minimal in its gore and violence, it’s extremely scary and suspenseful. I remember first seeing it, and half way in thinking, ‘This is really scary. I’m sh*tting myself.’”

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Katee Sackhoff (star of Don’t Knock Twice, The Fearing Mind,  The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia, Oculus, White Noise 2: The Light): “Horror movies scare the crap out of me. Modern horror movies are even scarier, like I can’t watch the Saw movies. I grew up watching old-school scary movies like Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960). I’m more of a thriller fan.”

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Wendy Foxworth (star of Blood Deep, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, Homecoming,  The Labyrinth): “So not a good question for me to answer as I get completely freaked out by watching horror movies. The original Poltergeist (1982) scared me just enough to have fun and spur my imagination without completely terrifying me. I can’t watch anything current. I’m a lightweight!”

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James Winburn (stunt performer of Beyond Evil, The Fog (1980), Graduation Day, Halloween (1978), Mortuary, Popcorn): “Halloween (1978). I enjoy scary productions that directors bring to the screen without tricks, but with good scripts, good acting and good production and editing skills. Halloween was a hoot. I loved working with John Carpenter, the late Debra Hill and the whole crew. I am partial to this film. It was a great production and Debra was a dear friend.”

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P.J. Soles (star of Alone in the Dark II, The Butterfly Room, Carrie (1976), The Devil’s Rejects, Halloween (1978), Innocent Prey, The Tooth Fairy, William Froste): “Funny Games (2007) is the scariest movie I have ever seen. I couldn’t believe the way the two guys deliberately and slowly terrorized and tortured Naomi Watts’ character and her family. I really didn’t expect that. That is real terror. When bad things happen to nice people for no good reason, or in this case, even more terrifying, just for fun and sport.”

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William Katt (star of AVH: Alien vs. Hunter, Carrie (1976), House, House IV, Mirrors 2, The Paperboy, Paranormal Movie, Piranha (1995), Snake Island, The Unwanted): “The Fly was the first scary movie I ever saw and it left the biggest impression on me. I threw up.”

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Nancy Allen (star of Carrie (1976), Children of the Corn 666: Isaac’s Return, Forced Entry, The Outer Limits, Poltergeist III, Strange Invaders): “Rosemary’s Baby (1968). Roman Polanski, backdrop of NY and one of its most famous buildings ‘The Dakota,’ wonderful actors and a macabre sense of humor. I can’t resist watching it whenever it’s on.”

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Olivia Hussey (star of Black Christmas (1974), Distortions, Headspace, It (1990), Psycho IV: The Beginning): “I love The Omen (1976) with Gregory Peck and Lee Remick. The scene with Billie Whitelaw in the kitchen terrifies me! I also love the original Psycho. Brilliant! I could not take a shower for weeks after seeing it! Those would probably be my No.1 and 2 of all time. There are several others, but these two come to mind immediately.”

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AJ Bowen (star of Among Friends, Chillerama, Creepshow 3, Found, The Guest, Hatchet II, A Horrible Way to Die, The House of the Devil, The Old Chair, Rites of Spring, The Sacrament, The Season, The Signal, Tom Holland’s Twisted Tales, You’re Next): “My No.1 is Black Christmas (1974). In my mind it’s as influential (albeit way lesser known) as Psycho or Texas Chainsaw Massacre. There are countless sub genres born out of Black Christmas, that would all splinter off as their own thing throughout the late 70s to mid 80s. Predating Halloween by four years, it offers a similar premise, set around a snowy college town on Christmas Eve. I love the performances, love the aesthetic and especially atmosphere that Bob Clark created, book ending this film like he would with A Christmas Story 9 years later. Instead of diffused colorful lights and warm saturated tones along with music, Black Christmas, while also showing a house, is painted in stark blacks and whites, no music but the sound of snow falling. It’s just a perfect film for me.”

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John Jarratt (star of Observance, 100 Bloody Acres, Savages Crossing, Shiver, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek 2, Wolf Creek 3): “Psycho (1960). I like horror films that could happen in real life. This film set the bar for those kinds of horror films that followed, Cape Fear, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Wolf Creek and so on. Zombies, vampires and monsters don’t do it for me.”

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Cassandra Magrath (star of Scare Campaign, Vanished, Wolf Creek): “Scream by far!  I had not seen a horror film since I was a kid on VHS and it was my first time seeing a horror film in a cinema. Intense laughing and intense fear is a killer combo.”

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Gunnar Hansen (star of Aconite, Campfire Tales, The Deepening, The Demon Lover, Freakshow, Gimme Skelter, Hellblock 13, Murder-Set-Pieces, Rachel’s Attic, Shudder, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Texas Chainsaw 3D, Witchunter): “The Haunting, the 1963 original with Julie Harris is my favorite scary movie. John Carpenter’s Halloween and The Thing are also some of my favorites.”

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Alex Reid (star of Arachnid, The Descent, The Descent Part 2,  The Facility): “Jaws. Just a great film all round. Story, acting, edit incredible. Stands the test of time and people’s reactions to it are so strong. Just mention the name around anyone who is near a body of water and watch people think twice about getting in! I also want to mention The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). Such a beautiful looking film, but so utterly terrifying. The performances, the sound, the pace and the color palette all add up to the most uneasy but mesmerizing watch.”

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Craig Conway (star of Airborne, Bloodshot, The Descent, Devil’s Playground,  Dog Soldiers, The 4th Reich, The Hybrid,): “I’ll give you my top three starting at No. 3 with American Werewolf in London. No. 2 is The Exorcist and still taking the lead has to be for me, The Shining (1980). However, I do have to say that The Descent is up there too, but then I am slightly biased!”

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Jamie Bernadette (star of All Girls Weekend, Axeman, The Bunnyman Massacre, Face of Evil, 4/20 Massacre, I Spit On Your Grave: Deja Vu, Injustice for All, Let’s Be Evil, Nightstalker, Reel Evil, The 6th Friend, State of Desolation): “The Descent, not only because it’s brilliantly done, but because it broke through the social stereotypes of women. It’s an all-female cast of strong women. It’s not just another ‘Cinderella’ story where the men are saving the women or the women look to the men for help. The women must save themselves. These characters are independent, intelligent, and brave and not one fits into a stereotype that we too often associate with women, like the ‘dumb blonde one’ or the ‘promiscuous one.’ I am forever indebted to the film because it inspired me to write The 6th Friend, which is also an all-female main cast of strong women.”

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Kate McNeil (star of The House on Sorority Row, Monkey Shines): “Truthfully, I hate to be scared! I am a big baby. The movie that scared me the most in my life is The Exorcist. Today, kids would probably think it was lame, but I could not sleep with the lights off for weeks after I saw that movie. The performance, the music, the priests, the voices coming out of that poor little girl! Even now, if I am somewhere alone and I see that The Exorcist is on TV, I can not turn it off fast enough.”

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Robert Englund (star of Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, Dead & Buried, Eaten Alive, Fear Clinic, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, Freddy’s Nightmares, Freddy vs. Jason, The Funhouse Massacre, Hatchet, Inkubus, Kantemir, Lake Placid: The Final Chapter, The Mangler, The Midnight Man, A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, Nightworld, Night Terrors, The Phantom of the Opera (1989), Strangeland, Supernatural, 2001 Maniacs, Urban Legend, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, Wishmaster): “I like old school horror. Brian De Palma’s Sisters and Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby (1968) are two of my favorite scary movies.”

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Heather Langenkamp (star of American Horror Story: Freakshow, The Butterfly Room, A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Shocker, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare): “A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) because it stood the test of time and became such a phenomenon. It’s dark, scary and the child murderer aspect of the movie gets to me. It is so disturbing.”

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Amanda Wyss (star of Alice: The Hatred, Dexter, Black Magic Woman, The Graves, The Id, A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Oct. 23rd, Sleep Study, Son of Darkness: To Die For II, This House Possessed, To Die For, The Watcher of Park Ave.): “Jaws. I was a beach kid, and that movie kept me out of the water for years.”

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Robert Rusler (star of  Amityville: A New Generation, Black Asylum, Blood Feast, The Hunt, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, Sometimes They Come Back, Surveillance, Tales of Halloween, Vamp): “The Exorcist. William Friedkin was able to utilize all the great elements of storytelling in horror to create an impactful experience that left me believing in the possibility of the supernatural.”

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Jennifer Rubin (star of Heebie Jeebies, Little Witches, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Tales from the Crypt, The Twilight Zone, Twists of Terror, The Wasp Woman): “The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane starring Jodie Foster, Martin Sheen, Alexis Smith, Mort Shuman, and Scott Jacoby. The film, though predominantly a dramatic thriller, also blends elements of horror, mystery, and romance. I love the cast!”

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Bradley Gregg (star of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Nightwatch, The Twilight Zone): “Magic with Anthony Hopkins. It was so scary to me.”

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Lisa Wilcox (star of The Church, Clinger, Fear Clinic, Imago, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, Watchers Reborn, William Froste): “A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). I’m still blown away about how prolific it is. It has this gravity, and Wes Craven and Robert Englund are a big part of that. Nightmare has a dark story and a great monster. Freddy is a child molester and that’s scary, that’s real life.”

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Tuesday Knight (star of A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Opening Night, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare): “Dead Silence. So scary because it’s about dolls… evil ones! The film has a great tone and story line, and Donnie Wahlberg and Amber Valletta gave a great performance. It brought back the feeling of the older ‘Killer Doll’ films. Don’t dolls scare everyone?”

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Lisa Zane (star of Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, The Nurse, The Outer Limits, Point Pleasant, Terrified): “The Exorcist because the theme song sounds like swirling autumn leaves, and because the set up is a secure-feeling A-list drama, that turns into the most preposterous (in my opinion) and shocking (even by today’s standards!) horror film, and yet I believe every minute of it. It scares the hell out of me as much today as it did the first time I saw it in the theatre where people were passing out, throwing up and running screaming from the auditorium.”

.gets his hands on Brendan Fletcher in Freddy vs. Jason.

Kellan Lutz (star of The Forgotten Ones, Ghosts of Goldfield, A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), Prom Night (2008), Twilight, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, The Twilight Saga: New Moon): “I love horror movies. Growing up, I watched a lot with my dad. I loved Child’s Play. Chucky scared me when I was a kid. Now The Shining (1980) and The Exorcist are some of my favorites.”

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Brendan Fletcher (star of Alone in the Dark, Altergeist, Bates Motel, BloodRayne: The Third Reich, Freddy vs. Jason, Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning, Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed,  Goosebumps, Leprechaun: Origins, Masters of Horror, Night Visions, Ogre, RL Stine’s The Haunting Hour, Supernatural, 13 Eerie, Tideland): “The Blair Witch Project. It’s the first horror film I remember to really blur the line between reality and cinema. I definitely thought it was real. The hype and mystery around it was pretty exciting.”

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Ken Kirzinger (star and/or stunt performer of The Cabin in the Woods, Dreamcatcher, The Fog (2005), Freddy vs. Jason, Friday the 13^th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead, Joy Ride 3, Messages Deleted, Supernatural, Thir13en Ghosts, Wrong Turn 2: Dead End): “The Exorcist. I was raised Catholic, went to private school, had nuns for teachers, went to church every Sunday, in fact I was even an alter boy. So there were plenty of fire and brimstone speeches, but as if that wasn’t bad enough, along comes The Exorcist. That’s when I discovered that you didn’t even have to do anything wrong and the devil could still get you.  I was about 14 years old when I sneaked into the theater to see that movie and it took me years to get over it. We all imprint on that first really scary movie we saw. That first one that followed us out of the theater, all the way home and into our nightmares. And they always say you never forget your first. Thanks Linda, you were great!”

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Katharine Isabelle (star of American Mary, Being Human, Freddy vs. Jason, Ginger Snaps, Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed, Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning, Hannibal, See No Evil 2, Supernatural, 13 Eerie, 30 Days of Night: Dark Days, Torment, Vampire): “Alien. None of that gore and torture porn. Classic horror like Alien, The Exorcist and Jaws, that’s what really scares me.”

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Kane Hodder (star of Abandoned in the Dark, Among Friends, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, Death House, Exit 33, Fear Clinic, Friday the 13^th Part VII, Friday the 13^th Part VIII, Frozen, Hatchet I, II & III, Jason Goes to Hell, Jason X, Paralyzed with Fear, Muck, Night of the Living Dead: Contagion, Rock Paper Dead, Smothered, 2001 Maniacs, William Froste): “Willard (2003). Crispin Glover is scary. Not the movie, just his personality. F***ing weird.”

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Russell Todd (star of Chopping Mall, Friday the 13^th Part II, He Knows You’re Alone): “When The Exorcist came out it scared the hell out of me. At the young age of 15 the exorcism scenes were so powerful and adult to me that they stuck in my psyche always. Later in life I was lucky enough to meet the special effects make up artist Dick Smith at his home workshop and held the actual mock up head of Linda Blair’s character that spun around in the film. What an incredible thrill!”

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Thom Mathews (star of Friday the 13^th Part VI: Jason Lives, Midnight Cabaret, Return of the Living Dead, Return of the Living Dead II, The Vampire Hunters Club): “My favorite scary movie would have to be the 1976 film The Omen. I was a young man when I saw it for the first time and it scared the hell outta me! Great story with a great cast. It will always be in my top 5 scary movies of all time.”

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Darcy DeMoss (star of A Bucket of Blood, Devilish Charm, Friday the 13^th Part VI: Jason Lives, Night Life, Pale Blood, Return to Horror High, Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!, 666: Kreepy Kerry): “The Ring. It just scared the crap out of me. I love my horror films.”

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Vincent Guastaferro (star of Friday the 13^th Part VI: Jason Lives, Shocker, The Twilight Zone): “Jaws. The monster was real and viable, not imaginary. Just like Creature from the Black Lagoon stopped me from swimming in lakes, Jaws took all the joy out of swimming in the ocean. No more body surfing, wake boarding, even boating was a scary proposition for me. And I would not let my kids go passed knee deep when I was in Hawaii shooting a TV pilot. What a drag! I was later in Friday the 13^th but don’t fear maniacs in masks, and in Wes Craven’s Shocker, but am not afraid to plug in my toaster. Steven Spielberg has the ability to make a movie that will change people’s lives.”

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Lar Park-Lincoln (star of Freddy’s Nightmares, Friday the 13^th Part VII: The New Blood, From the Dark, Gravestoned, House II: The Second Story, Sky Sharks): “The Birds. The thought of small, attacking, eye gouging, feathered beings ferociously pecking at me, along with messing up my hair, flapping about with menace that’s just wrong. Makes you look at Tweety a whole different way.”

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Felissa Rose (star of Camp Dread, Dead End, Dead and Gone, Dead Serious, Horror, The Perfect House, Psycho Sleepover, Return to Sleepaway Camp Slaughter Party, Sleepaway Camp, Silent Night, William Froste, Zombie Killers: Elephant’s Graveyard, Zombie Night): “Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). It grabbed me. I loved Marilyn Burns’ performance. I’m an avid fan.”

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Jonathan Tiersten (star of Blood Reservoir, The Perfect House, Return to Sleepaway Camp, Sleepaway Camp, Terror Tales): “The Exorcist. I couldn’t sleep after I first saw it. Like Psycho (1960) and The Omen (1976), it doesn’t need much gore to make it scary. That’s what makes a really good horror movie.”

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Adrienne Barbeau (star of Alice Jacobs is Dead, Burial of the Rats, Carnivale, The Convent, Creepshow, The Darker Side of Terror, Dexter, The Fog, Killer: Malevolence 3, Open House, Ring of Darkness, Someone’s Watching Me!, Swamp Thing, Tales of Halloween, Terror at London Bridge, The Thing (1982), Two Evil Eyes, Unholy, War Wolves): “The Fog (1980). I don’t like scary movies, but I love seeing Point Reyes where it was filmed.”

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Deborah Foreman (star of April Fool’s Day (1986), Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat, Waxwork): “The Haunting (1963). When you cannot see what is scaring you, your imagination can then participate. This movie allows the viewer to create their own scenario and what scares them the most. Not to mention Julie Harris’ performance enhances that experience. Oh so scary!”

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Dee Wallace (star of Ayla, Critters, Cujo, Dark Fields, Death House, Grimm, Halloween (2007), Hansel & Gretel, The Hills Have Eyes (1977), The House of the Devil, The Howling, Killer Instinct, The Lords of Salem, The Plague, Red Christmas, Supernatural, Voodoo Moon, Zombie Killers: Elephant’s Graveyard): “Don’t Look Now is the classic example of true horror. You don’t see blood. You don’t see guts. Everything is inferred, and your psyche fills in the rest. Brilliant.”

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Michael Berryman (star of Brutal, Dead AfterLife, Deadly Blessing, Death House, The Devil’s Rejects, Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield,  Fallen Angels, The Haunted Casino, Haunting Fear, The Hills Have Eyes (1977), The Hills Have Eyes Part II (1985), Invitation to Hell, The Mangled, Mask Maker, Night of the Living Dead: Contagion, Penny Dreadful, Rock Paper Dead, Satan Hates You, Shed of the Dead, Smash Cut, Stingy Jack, The Storyteller, Tales from the Crypt, The Tenant, William Froste): “My all time favorite scary movie is The Hitcher (1986). The reason is the effect this film has. It is so very tight, it never lets up. The fear is unrelenting. Rutger Hauer simply nails it.”

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Tony Todd (star of Agoraphobia, Angel, Beg, Bleeding Hearts, Candyman, Candyman (2021), Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, Candyman 3: Day of the Dead, Dark Reel, Dead of the Nite, Death House, Disciples, The Family, Final Destination, Final Destination 2, Final Destination 3, Final Destination 5, Frankenstein (2015), The Graves, Hatchet, Hatchet II,  iMurders, Jack the Reaper, Kill Her, Not Me, Live Evil, Masters of Horror, Murder-Set-Pieces, Night of the Living Dead (1990), The Prophecy: Forsaken, The Quiet Ones, Scarecrow Slayer, Shadow Puppets, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Thirst: Blood War, Two Faced, Voodoo Dawn, West of Hell, Wishmaster): “Rosemary’s Baby (1968) is my favorite scary movie. It scared the sh** out of me.”

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Harrison Smith (director, producer and/or writer of Camp Dread, Death House, The Fields, 6 Degrees of Hell, Zombie Killers: Elephant’s Graveyard): “Jaws is the motion picture that made want to make movies. My mother took me to see it in theaters when I was 8 years old and it blew me away. I remember people were laughing, screaming and when the movie was over, they stood and applauded. All these people sitting in that dark theater loved it so much and I thought, ‘Wow, I want to make movies that do that to people.’ It had a profound impact on me. Great screenplay, directing and editing. And here is a movie that is far superior to the book. That’s rare.”

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Herschell Gordon Lewis: (director, producer and/or writer of Blood Feast, Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat, Color Me Blood Red, The Gruesome Twosome, Two Thousand Maniacs!, The Wizard of Gore): “Two Thousand Maniacs! Unlike the typical horror film of its time, Two Thousand Maniacs! begins with what seems to be a rollicking lighthearted adventure. The tone changes through a conversational statement in which a tourist from the north refers to ‘Trick or Treat.’ And with a look that might be fun or might be a sneer, a local says, ‘Yeah. We’re gonna provide the tricks and them folks gonna provide the treats.’”

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George A. Romero (director, writer and/or producer of The Crazies (1973), The Crazies (2010), Creepshow, Creepshow 2, Dawn of the Dead (1978), Dawn of the Dead (2004), Day of the Dead, Diary of the Dead, Land of the Dead, Monkey Shines, Night of the Living Dead (1968), Night of the Living Dead (1990), Night of the Living 3D Dead, Survival of the Dead): “Howard Hank’s The Thing from Another World. It was the first film that scared me. I was 12.”

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Judith O’Dea (star of Abandoned Dead, Claustrophobia, Hole in the Wall, Night of the Living Dead (1968), Night of the Living Dead: Genesis, Safe Inside, Timo Rose’s Beast, Women’s Studies): “Night of the Living Dead (1968). Not because I was in it, but because it grew into something iconic. This zombie craze or ghouls as we called them, is a result of Night, or at least we helped begin it. I believe that Night still holds up today. There is something special about the film and people treasure it.”

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Lynn Lowry (star of Basement Jack, Beyond the Dunwich Horror, Cat People, The Crazies (1973), The Crazies (2010), Dead Girls, Dead Things, Ditch Day Massacre, George’s Intervention, A Grim Becoming, Hack Job, The Haunting of Whaley House, The House of Covered Mirrors,  I Drink Your Blood, I Spill Your Guts, If I Die, The Legend of Grassman, The Legend of Six Fingers, Model Hunger, Mostly Dead, Next Door, Ovulation, Pretty Fine Things, Revenge of the Devil Bat, Schism, Shivers, Spirit, Splatter Disco, The Super, Terror Tales, The Theatre Bizarre, Torture Chamber, The Trouble with Barry): “The Omen (1976) with Gregory Peck. The story is brilliant, the cast perfection and it’s terrifying. It is perfect.”

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Ken Foree (star of Blood Brothers, Brotherhood of Blood, Curse of Midnight, Cut/Print, Dawn of the Dead (1978), Dawn of the Dead (2004), Death Spa, The Dentist, Devil’s Den, The Devil’s Rejects, From Beyond, Halloween (2007), Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, Live Evil, The Lords of Salem, The Rift, Sleepstalker, 30 Days of Night: Dust to Dust, The Totem, Zone of the Dead): “Alien, The Exorcist, Night of the Living Dead (1968). They still hold up. These are ground breaking films.”

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Patricia Tallman (star of Army of Darkness, Dead Air, Night of the Living Dead (1990), Tales from the Dark Side): “Horror films were so different when I was little. The scary films that helped shaped my imagination were The Haunting (1963) starring Julie Harris, and Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. I wasn’t supposed to watch these kinds of movies, but I would sneak downstairs when the house was asleep, and turn on our old TV set with the sound so so low to watch these iconic horror films. The was no gore at all in The Haunting. It was all suggested, and the acting is amazing. And absolutely terrifying. They just don’t make ’em like this anymore!”

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Beverly Randolph (star of Caesar and Otto’s Paranormal Halloween, Death House, Freaks of Nature, The Return of the Living Dead): “Beside the obvious choice for me The Return of the Living Dead, it would have to be The Omen (1976). The movie seemed so real and so possible. Evil could capture any family, no matter their rung in the ladder of society. The quality of the film is exquisite.”

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Kim Poirier (star of American Psycho II, Dawn of the Dead, Decoys, Decoys 2: Alien Seduction, No Solicitors, Silent But Deadly): “Stephen King’s It. I really enjoy the fright factor. I’m a huge fan of suspense much more than I am of gore. This movie scares me and I’m a big screamer.”

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Sarah Wayne Callies (star of Faces in the Crowd, The Other Side of the Door, Pay the Ghost, The Walking Dead, Whisper): “I’ve never finished a horror movie. I can’t watch them, they scare me too much and give me nightmares. I got horrible nightmares from working on The Walking Dead. I tried Zombieland, the comedy with Woody Harrelson, and I didn’t even last 20 minutes. That’s the closest I’ve come to watching a horror movie. I guess you can put that one down.”

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Jon Bernthal (star of The Walking Dead): “The Silence of the Lambs is one of my favorite movies of all time. Ted Levine’s performance as Buffalo Bill is f***ing haunting.”

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Scott Wilson (star of Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, Damien, The Exorcist III, The Twilight Zone, The Walking Dead): “The Omen (1976). I’m a big fan of the original. I actually did some work with the late Lee Remick, who was one of the cast members. It’s a great movie and was so scary at the time. And The Thing from Another World (1951) is a classic that everyone should see. I’ve always liked it.”

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Michael Rooker (star of The Belko Experiment, Cell 213, The Dark Half, Freeway Killer, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Hypothermia, The Outer Limits, Penance, Shadow Builder, Skeleton Man, Slither, Tremors: The Series, The Walking Dead): “Night of the Living Dead (1968) is my favorite scary movie. It’s an awesome, timeless film and I love the grittiness.”

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Josh McDermitt (star of The Walking Dead): “Horror movies scare the sh** out of me. I remember watching the original Poltergeist (1982) when I was a kid. It scarred me.”

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Kevin Galbraith (star of  Bad Blood: The Movie, Goat Witch, Goosebumps, The Walking Dead): “I was 11 when I saw Dawn of the Dead (1978) at my friend’s house and it utterly horrified me. All rational knowledge that zombies weren’t actually real was totally overridden by pure anxiety and fear. That night, I refused to walk home defenseless, so I took a lead pipe from my friend’s basement and practically ran the whole way, constantly looking over my shoulder and ready to swing!”

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Lin Shaye (star of Alone in the Dark, Amityville: A New Generation, Critters, Critters 2: The Main Course, Dead End, Director’s Cut, Grace: The Possession, Insidious, Insidious: Chapter 2, Insidious: Chapter 3, Insidious: Chapter 4, A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Ouija, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Tales of Halloween, 2001 Maniacs, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare): “In honor of Wes Craven I will say A Nightmare on Elm Street. I say ‘in honor of’ as this particular film and director will never be just a memory. It started a genre of horror that gave many newcomers, including myself, great opportunity and created a franchise that seems to live on and on. Working with Wes was truly an honor. A kind gentle spirit filled with rich philosophy of what makes us afraid. Also the fact that my brother Robert Shaye, who started New Line Cinema in 1968, gave Wes this opportunity which enriched New Line for years to come. And as I say in the wonderful Insidious franchise, ‘Into the Further we go!’”

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Lindsay Seim (star of  Befall, Dark Corners Horror Anthology, The Girl and the Ghost, Insidious: Chapter 2, #Final 60): “The Shining (1980). Classic, genre-defining terror. The iconic combination of Kubric and King, indelible imagery by Alcott, and haunting score by Carlos and Elkind all come together to embody the slow-burn psychological disturbances of our collective nightmares. It’s rooted in just enough reality to tap into the dark impulses and fears we all have inside of us. Plus, Jack Nicholson.”

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Jocelin Donahue (star of All the Creatures Were Stirring, Browse, The Burrowers, Dead Awake, Holidays, The House of the Devil, Insidious: Chapter 2, Summer Camp): “Rosemary’s Baby (1968) for it’s style and disturbing psychological themes. Polanski makes the kind of horror that blurs the line between what’s real and imagined. But the film that scared me the most as a child was Poltergeist (1982), which I watched alone at a slumber party after everyone else fell asleep!”

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Steve Coulter (star of After, The Conjuring, The Conjuring 2, Insidious Chapter 2, Insidious Chapter 3, The Walking Dead): “My favorite has to be The Exorcist. I saw it at a drive-in, in the pouring rain, and it scared the sh** out of me. But the all-time scariest movie I ever saw was The Other (1972). The last 5 minutes of that film will give you nightmares for life.”

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Bonnie Aarons (star of Annabelle: Creation, The Conjuring 2, Dahmer vs. Gacy, Drag Me to Hell, The Nun): “The original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). Because, Leatherface? Could happen!”

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Javier Botet (star of Annabelle 2: Creation, The Conjuring 2, Crimson Peak, Don’t Knock Twice, Insidious Chapter 4, It (2017), Mama, The Mummy (2017), The Other Side of the Door, [Rec], [Rec 2], [Rec 3]: Genesis, [Rec] 4: Apocalypse, The Strain): “The Shining (1980) still is amazing and a very good movie in every single way. It was one of the first I suffered and enjoyed when I was easy to scare.”

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Camden Toy (star of Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer): “Dracula (1931). I love Bela Lugosi’s performance. He embodied this wonderful aristocratic monster. I was very drawn to vampires when I was very young. It’s funny, I never saw them as evil. I saw them as characters that couldn’t help themselves. They just have to do it. They have to drink blood.”

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James Marsters (star of Abruptio, Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, House on Haunted Hill, Shadow Puppets, Strange Frequency, Strange Frequency 2, Supernatural, Witches of East End): “My favorite horror movies are Night of the Living Dead (1968) and The Exorcist. Both are just great films ahead of their time and before the predictable horror movie formula.”

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Juliet Landau (star of Angel, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Fairfield, Fatal Reunion, Haunted Echoes, Ravager, The Terror, Toolbox Murders, currently directing A Place Among the Dead and A Place Among the Undead): “I have two that tie for first place: The Shining (1980) and Don’t Look Now. The Shining is iconic in its imagery and storytelling. It sears itself into your consciousness and lives there, forever haunting you! The performances are extraordinary. Don’t Look Now isn’t horror in the traditional sense, but it is incredibly interesting, disturbing and viscerally scary. Nicolas Roeg is a master of getting to you on an emotional level, going straight to your core rather than your head. I also love how he shoots unusual details, the way your eye would take them in. And the way he edits is brilliant.”

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Julie Benz (star of Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dark/Web, Dexter, Havenhurst, Satan’s School for Girls, Saw V, Supernatural, Two Evil Eyes): “Saw is a good one. They did a great job. It’s scary, it’s intelligent. But I don’t watch too many horror movies. They scare me. My role in Saw V gave me nightmares. The traps looked so real. They terrified me. I panicked on set.”

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Emma Caulfield (star of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Darkness Falls, Removal): “Silence of the Lambs is my all-time favorite, if that counts as a horror movie. Old school scary movies like The Exorcist and The Shining (1980) are great too.”

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Mercedes McNab (star of Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dark Reel, Hatchet, Hatchet II, Supernatural, Thirst, XII, Vipers): “I love slasher movies like the original Halloween (1978). That’s what I loved about being in Hatchet. I love that it’s like a throw back to those kinds of movies from the 70s and 80s.”

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Eliza Dushku (star of Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Coverup, Eloise, Soul Survivors, Wrong Turn): “I have three older brothers, and I grew up always wanting to do what they did. They’d watch horror movies and let me watch, trying to scare me. I remember A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) being one of those movies. I was a tough little girl, a real tomboy, but honestly, it scared me.”

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Ashley Greene (star of The Apparition, Burying the Ex, Kristy, Snowblind, Summer’s Moon, Twilight, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, The Twilight Saga: New Moon ): “I love scary movies, but I’m not a big fan of the gory ones. I love psychological thrillers like The Shining (1980).”

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Corey Feldman (star of The Birthday, Bordello of Blood, Corbin Nash, Dark Realm, Evil Obsession, Friday the 13^th Part IV: The Final Chapter, Friday the 13^th Part V: A New Beginning, Gremlins, Intrusion: Disconnected, Legion, Lost Boys: The Thirst, Lost Boys: The Tribe, The Lost Boys, 6 Degrees of Hell, Seance, Splatter, Stepmonster, The Sunday Night Slaughter, Tales from the Crypt,  Voodoo, Zombex, The Zombie King): “My fave scary movie is the original Halloween (1978). By far the best of all scary movies as it’s all about the tone and pace of the film. Never gory, no need for gore because it’s all about the suspense. The figure never talks, never runs, never dies, and has no real identity, what can be scarier than that? John Carpenter’s music!”

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Chris Sarandon (star of Bordello of Blood, Child’s Play, Fright Night (1985), Fright Night (2011), The Outer Limits, Reaper, The Vampyre Wars): “Nosferatu, one of the first vampire movies ever made. I might have a thing for vampires. The scary, frightening kind.”

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Brad Dourif (star of Alien: Resurrection, Blood Shot, Body Parts, Bride of Chucky, Chain Letter, Child’s Play, Child’s Play 2, Child’s Play 3, Critters 4, Cult of Chucky, Curse of Chucky, Death Machine, The Exorcist III, Eyes of Laura Mars, Gingerclown, Graveyard Shift, Halloween (2007), Halloween II (2009), Malignant, Nightwatch, Priest, Progeny, The Prophecy 3: The Ascent, Pulse, Re-Animator: Evolution, Seed of Chucky, Trauma, Urban Legend, Wildling): “The Host by Joon-ho Bong. That is the scariest monster I have ever seen, and a wildly entertaining film.”

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Christine Elise (star of Body Snatchers, Child’s Play 2): “The Exorcist. I saw it when I was about 14, and had to walk home after, alone and at night. The idea of a rival as powerful as Satan, or anything supernatural, kinda takes the cake. This film couldn’t be made today. Gotta love the grit the 70s allowed.”

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Fiona Dourif (star of Cult of Chucky, Curse of Chucky, Enclosure, Fear Clinic, True Blood): “My favorite horror movie is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) because it feels like a documentary.”

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Doug Bradley (star of Book of Blood, The Cottage, Deer Crossing, Exorcismus, The Forbidden,  Hellraiser, Hellraiser: Bloodline, Hellraiser: Deader, Hellraiser: Hellseeker, Hellraiser: Hellworld, Hellraiser: Inferno, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, Hellraiser II: Hellbound, The Inflicted, Lucifer’s Unholy Desire, Nightbreed, On Edge, The Prophecy: Uprising, Proteus, Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes, Red Lines, The Reverend, Salome, Scream Park, Shame the Devil, A Vampire’s Tale, Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines): “I like the classics. Bride of Frankenstein with Boris Karloff is my favorite horror movie of all time.”

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Naomi Grossman (star of American Horror Story: Asylum, American Horror Story: Freakshow, The Chair, Fear Inc., A Zombie Named Ted): “Rosemary’s Baby (1968). It’s not an overt, slasher-type, more old-school, psychological. It’s sure kept me childless! Plus, I love Mia Farrow’s style.”

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Mark Pellegrino (star of Bad Meat, Being Human, Brimstone, The Coverup, Dexter, Fear Itself, Grimm, Night Life, Supernatural, Tales from the Crypt, 2:13): “The Shining (1980) is a classic and an amazing psychological horror.”

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Elias Toufexis (star of Ba’al, Bitten, Blade: The Series, Blood Suckers, Decoys, Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep, Sand Serpents, Supernatural): “I adore John Carpenter’s The Thing. Kurt Russell, Keith David, great cast and its practical effects still live up to today’s standards. Easily the movie that scared me the most as a kid. As an adult I instantly loved The Babadook. An incredibly well made and written film more about what people go through than about ghosts.”

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Laura Vandervoort (star of Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Bitten, Goosebumps, Jigsaw): “I love horror movies. I’m a huge fan. The Shining (1980) is my all-time favorite.”

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Paul Greene (star of Bitten, Deadly Sanctuary, Eastwick): “The Shining (1980). ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.’ The way Shelley Duvall’s character flips through all the pages that are typed with that phrase repeating over and over again. That scene is classic and epic.”

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Sarah Booth (star of American Horror Story: Roanoke, Hemlock Grove, To Hell with Love, The Scarehouse): “Scream was the first slasher movie I remember seeing and the fact that people were killing people made it real. I was sure it would happen to me, especially since I lived in a remote little farm house. My brother actually got his hands on the Ghostface costume and scared the sh*t out of me when I went out to the barn to feed my horses at night. I may have peed a little.”

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Kathleen Mackey (star of Apartment 1303 3D, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Gothika, The Woods): “The Exorcist permanently affects your psyche and raises adamant questions of possessions and whether or not one could be possessed by a mysterious entity. It is realistic enough to scare the living sh** out of someone.”

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Richard Harmon (star of Bates Motel, Evangeline, Forever 16, Grave Encounters 2, The Hollow, Puppet Killer, Rufus, Scarecrow, The Secret Circle, Trick ’r Treat): “Scream. I watched it without my parents knowing and it traumatized me for years. I had nightmares about Ghostface until I was 17. It did however make me realize how thrilling it is to be scared and it started my obsession with horror films that I have today.”

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Debbie Rochon (star of As Night Falls, Bleed, Dead End, Dollface, Hanger, The Harrowing, The House of Covered Mirrors, Nightmare Box, Santa Claws, Serial Kaller, Witchstalker): “The Shining (1980). This Stanley Kubrick masterpiece is easily my No.1 choice. His attention to every detail, the epic framing, the use of sound and music, the set design and the character details are cinematic perfection. Kubrick’s colorscape, the scares, the decent into madness, the way the character Jack Torrance unceremoniously knocks off Dick Hallorann, the good guy who is seemingly the only one who can save them, all beautifully handled. A perfect film from beginning to end with some pitch black humor, just because he can, makes for a film that is re-watchable and deserving of the timelessness it has earned.”

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Cary Elwes (star of The Alphabet Killer, Black Christmas (2019), Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Don’t Sleep, Ghost Light, A Haunting in Cawdor, Hellgate, Psych:9, Night Visions, The Riverman, Saw, Saw 3D: The Final Chapter, Shadow of the Vampire, Stranger Things): “Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980) is my favorite. I like smart, clever, well-made horror films that make you think.”

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Dean Armstrong (star of Beauty and the Beast (2016), Joy Ride 3: Road Kill, Repo! The Genetic Opera, Saw 3D: The Final Chapter, Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings): “The Strangers. This film is unsettling. Inspired by statistical random acts of violence, the backdrop for horror stems from the ordinary and the possible. Although it may border the genre, nothing  is more terrifying than the haunting closing words ‘Because you were home.’”

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Gina Holden (star of Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, Blood Ties, The Exorcism of Molly Hartley, Final Destination 3, Harper’s Island, Messages Deleted, Mysterious Island, R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour, Sand Sharks, Saw 3D: The Final Chapter, Screamers: The Hunting, Supernatural): “The Shining (1980). I always find psychological thrillers terrifying because they play into our deepest fears. Makes us questions our own mind and thoughts. Also, Kubrick.”

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Jesse Moss (star of Extraterrestrial, Final Destination 3, Ginger Snaps, iZombie, The Outer Limits, Still/Born, 13 Eerie, Tucker and Dale vs Evil,  The Twilight Zone, The Uninvited, Wolfcop): “The Shining (1980). Kubrick is a master at creating suspense and that feeling of isolation. And you can’t beat Jack Nicholson’s performance as he makes his descent into madness. The film is truly a work of art.”

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Al Santos (star of Jeepers Creepers II, Killer Movie, Lost Signal, Mustang Sally’s Horror House, Speed Demons): “I’d have to say the original 1982 Poltergeist for several reasons. 1) This film was decades ahead of modern classics in regards to effects, writing and cinematography. The combination of sound, shadows and acting worked to scare the toughest souls in 1982. 2) Best possession and clown scenes before the 90s. 3) The strange premature deaths of several people associated with the film, as covered by E! True Hollywood. 4) The epic trio of Steven Spielberg, Tobe Hooper and Frank Marshall. Pound for pound, it was a beast and best in class.”

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Tenika Davis (star of Debug, Saw VI, Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings): “Quarantine. I’ve always been afraid of contagious infectious diseases, and shot documentary style, this concept is all too realistic. Huge fan of Jennifer Carpenter here. Gasping screams in dark corners totally freak me out.”

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Scott Johnson (star of Devil’s Gate, The Exorcism of Molly Hartley, Joy Ride 3: Road Kill,  Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings): “Definitely 28 Days Later. Great story, tons of action and loaded with blood. If I had to pick a close second, it would be The Hills Have Eyes (2006) because after working on Wrong Turn 4, I can really appreciate good makeup and great prosthetics. That movie is packed with both.

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Kimberly Caldwell (star of Wrong Turn 2: Dead End): “Hocus Pocus hands down! Bette Midler is a genius. It’s such a timeless movie that I watch every Halloween and I can’t wait to enjoy it with my daughter one day.”

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Anthony Ilott (star of The Trees that Bleed, The Tombs, Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort): “Saw. The intensity of the suspense and gore was something new. The element of the ‘game’ just added to the uniqueness of the franchise.”

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Michael Nardelli (star of Circle, The Collection, Dark/Web, Hyenas): “Halloween (1978). I love John Carpenter. His score for the film is brilliant. Donald Pleasence as Loomis and Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie are two of the most iconic horror protagonists ever. I ‘totally’ love how creepy and dangerous Carpenter made the suburbs.”

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Augie Duke (star of Awaken, Bad Kids Go to Hell, Blood Craft, The Black Room, Hell Hunters, Hell’s Kitty, 6:45, Welcome to Horror): “When a Stranger Calls (1979) gave me nightmares and so did the sequel When a Stranger Calls Back. The creepy stalker paints his body to match the wall then hides on his victim in the dark. That is some f***ed up sh**.”

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Christine Quinn (star of The Ghost of Midnight Lane, Humans vs Zombies, Shark Night 3D): “House of 1000 Corpses. It’s become a classic. Anything Rob Zombie does is totally outrageous and just nuts. This is such a good one.”

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Adrian Bouchet (star of Alien vs. Predator, Awaiting, The Crypt, Eve, Idol of Evil, Knights of the Damned, The Seasoning House): “Hostel. Not because of the mutilating horror porn, although that is terrible enough, but because I understand it is based on real events in the Far East. It’s disturbing what humanity can do to itself at times.”

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Ellen Sandweiss (star of Dark Fields, The Dread, The Evil Dead (1981), Satan’s Playground): “The Exorcist scares me the most. It’s the only movie I ever walked out of. I just couldn’t take it. When that low voice came out of that little girl I was outta there!”

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Betsy Baker (star of Echo of Evil, The Evil Dead (1981), Lake Eerie, True Blood, 2084, Witches’ Night): “Rosemary’s Baby (1968) is very frightening to me. The fact that the elderly neighbors seemed so kind and caring, but actually weren’t is scary.”

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Theresa Tilly (aka Sarah York) (star of The Evil Dead (1981), Stomping Ground): “Psycho really scares me. Of course the stabbing in the shower is brutal, but what really creeps me out is Anthony Perkins portraying Norman’s mother. That whole idea gives me the creeps.”

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