Inspired by the recent screening of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho at the Paramount, and the ongoing carnival of horror that is Zack Carlson's "Terror Tuesday" series at the Alamo Drafthouse, I figured I'd do a prequel to my recent column, The Greatest Horror Movies of the '70s.
Here, presented in ascending order, is a highly subjective rundown of The Greatest Horror Movies of the '60s:
Blood Feast (1962) and 2000 Maniacs (1964): Herschell Gordon Lewis inspired a generation of filmmakers to go for the gore with this exploitation item about a deranged chef who prepares his meals with human flesh. Still stomach-churning after all these years. In the cornpone gorefest 2000 Maniancs, the inhabitants of a Southern town rise from the grave to avenge their massacre at the hands of the Union army 100 years earlier by killing off two carloads of Yankees in various creative and disturbing ways. Something Weird Video.
Little Shop of Horrors (1960): Concerning the misadventures of a lovelorn dweeb (Jonathan Haze) and his man-eating palnt named Audrey Jr. Featuring a young Jack Nicholson as a squeaky-voiced masochist. Inspired a broadway musical and a subsequent movie remake, but the original is the best. Directed by Roger Corman.
The Curse of the Werewolf (1961): Hammer horror with Oliver Reed as young Spanish nobleman with a problem: he keeps turning into a wolf and disemboweling people. Written (under pseudonym) and produced by Anthony Hinds, and directed by Terence Fisher. With Yvonne Romain.
Horror Hotel a/k/a City of the Dead (1960): Concerning the creepy goings on in the foggy New England town of Whitewood, where a certain devil-worshippin' witch got herself barbecued by the local citizens back in 1692. Fast forward to the early '60s, and Professor Driscoll (Christopher Lee), urges one of his students (Venetia Stevenson) to visit Whitewood to bone up on all things witchy, and to be the main attraction in a human sacrifice. The Clash nicked the original British title for the B-side to "Complete Control."
The Birds (1963): Hitchcock helped to pioneer the "Nature Strikes Back" school of horror with this tale of flocks of nasty birdies peckin' the heck out of the local citizenry in a California coastal town. My older sister is still scared of birds to this day. With Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor. 
Dance of the Vampires a/k/a The Fearless Vampire Killers, or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck (1966): Polanski's horror-comedy was not the bold artistic statement of his first English-language film Repulsion, but it is a lot more entertaining. The title sequence is a visual feast, and Sharon Tate is incredibly beautiful. With Jack McGowran, Alfie Bass, and Polanski.
Village of the Damned (1960): Sci-fi horror about an English village visited by otherworldly forces who impregnate the women of the town with a bunch of blond-haired, glowing-eyed children, who just happen to possess supernatural abilities. The original "scary kids" movie inspired two lesser sequels (Children of the Damned and The Damned a/k/a These Are the Damned) and a highly inferior 1995 remake by director John Carpenter. With George Sanders, Barbara Shelley, and Michael Gwynn. 
Spider Baby a/k/a The Maddest Story Ever Told a/k/a Cannibal Orgy (1964): Director Jack Hill's meditation on unconditional love stars Lon Chaney Jr. in his last great role as Bruno, the loyal chaffeur and caretaker of the Merryes, a degenerate, inbred family afflicted with a rare disease that causes them to mentally regress at the onset of puberty, devolving to a pre-human state of cannibalism and savagery. More comedy than straight-up horror, it's one of my favorite films of the '60s. With Sid Haig, Jill Banner, and Mantan Moreland.
Witchfinder General a/k/a The Conqueror Worm (1968): Vincent Price at his most evil as Matthew Hopkins, a sadistic creep who gets his kicks torturing and burning people in 17th century England. The film was renamed The Conqueror Worm for the US market, despite having nothing to do with Poe's poem. Director Michael Reeves maintains a dark tone and a breathless pace throughout. With Ian Ogilvy, who also starred in Reeves's 1967 shocker The Sorcerers with Boris Karloff.
Repulsion (1965): Catherine Deneuve stars in Roman Polanski's first English language feature about a sexually repressed girl who slowly loses her mind over the course of a weekend, with homicidal results.
La Maschera del Demonio a/k/a Black Sunday (1960): In his directorial debut, Italian master of horror Mario Bava made this atmospheric, beautifully photographed shocker about an evil vampire princess who rises from the grave to stalk a young beauty. With the incredible Barbara Steele in a dual role. The Starz/Anchor Bay reissue presents the original director's cut, which is far superior to the original, heavily edited English language edition that played in American theaters and on TV.
Rosemary's Baby (1968): Roman Polanski directed this adaptation of Ira Levin's best-seller about an actor's wife, played by Mia Farrow, who is chosen to bear the son o' Satan. Totally creepifying, man. Co-starring John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, and Maurice Evans.
Night of the Living Dead (1968): The Greatest zombie movie ever made. It's all about the nutty hi-jinx of some recently deceased individuals who come back to life thanks to a radioactive space probe, and proceed to feast on the flesh of the living. It is not just one of the most influential horror movies ever made, it's also a landmark of independent cinema. Directed by George A. Romero and starring Duane Jones and Judith O'Dea. Available on DVD in myriad bootleg editions and legitimately from the Weinstein Company (the single-disc 40th Anniversary Edition).
And at #1...
Psycho (1960): Alfred Hitchcock pushed the envelope of screen violence with this adaptation of Robert Bloch's novel inspired by real life serial killer Ed Gein. Casting Anthony Perkins was a stroke of genius, humanizing the character of Norman Bates, while killing off Janet Leigh's character halfway through the film boldly defied audience expectations. With Vera Miles, John Gavin, and Martin Balsam. Memorable score by Bernard Herrman.
Honroable Mention:
The Pit and the Pendulum (1961): The first in a series of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations starring Vincent Price from American International Pictures and producer/director Roger Corman.
The Raven (1964): A cast of old pros -- Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, and Basil Rathbone -- poke fun at themselves and AIP's Poe films as duelling wizards in this horror/comedy from producer/director Roger Corman, from a script by Charles B. Griffith (Little Shop of Horrors).
Phantom of the Opera (1962): Herbert Lom plays the title role in this Hammer remake of the classic Lon Chaney silent film. Directed by Terence Fisher.
Kiss of the Vampire (1964): Hammer horror about two newlyweds who fall prey to a family of bloodsuckers. The vampires' waltz was an inspiration for Roman Polanski's Dance of the Vampires a/k/a The Fearless Vampire Killers.
Kill, Baby, Kill! a/k/a Operazione Paura (1966): Creepy, haunting tale from director Mario Bava about a ghost child exacting revenge upon the villagers who condemned her family to death for witchcraft. Get the restored version for maximum chills!
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Your comments, suggestions, and requests are welcome.
Recent articles by JM Dobies:
American Dreamer: Dennis Hopper 1936-2010
Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye (1973)
The Greatest Horror Movies of the '70s
Lady in a Rage: David Cronenberg's 'The Brood' (1979)
Swamp Things: Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)
Teenage Rampage: The Runaways (2010)
Bad, Bad Girl: Kitten with a Whip (1964)
Rock n' Roll Faust: Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
Fatal Femmes: Girls on the Loose (1958)
Teenage Pygmalion: Lord Love a Duck (1966)
Like, Crazy, Man: The Wild Party (1956)
Hollywood Hell: The Big Knife (1955)
To Put Out or Not to Put Out: The Young Lovers (1964)
Comments
Scariest thing I ever saw at the Alamo Draft House was the cops when they were arresting Mad Max fans back in 2004 after the run of post apocalyptic vehicles down the highway.
Excellent list, my friend. All wonderful films. I might add a few, but then this particular list could have virtually no end! In my personal opinion, Carnival Of Souls, Dementia 13, The Terror (Karloff and Nicholson? Hell, man! That's a classic!) and Die, Die my Darling would have made the cut. I'm glad you mentioned Barbara Steele's amazing performance in Black Sunday. That one REALLY terrified me as kid. I guess I owe my dad a handshake for raising me on this stuff!
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