Top 5 Inferno: British Horror Films

[Flick James]

Inspired by a recent post, and by the film High Fidelity, I will periodically post discussions welcoming all to participate in the outstanding “Top 5” format as practiced by the loveable music geeks from the film.  It seems to fit this forum perfectly.  This can include both “good” movies and “bad” movies, as the proposed subject, and your personal tastes, dictate.  These will usually be posed based on recent experiences or films I’ve seen, with the intention of generating playful and enjoyable discussion.  I will post my own “Top 5,” and welcome agreement, disagreement, comments, insults, and you own personal “Top 5” lists related to the topic.  Enjoy.

Today’s post:
 
Top 5 British horror films (either good or bad)

1.  “The Wicker Man” (1973) – #1 #1 #1!  And again, the remake with Nick Cage is what should have been burned, in a wicker film canister.

2.  “Night of the Demon” (1957) – because it’s scary regardless of the terrible effects and no gore.

3.  “Village of the Damned” (1959) – because it’s good and the remake with Christopher Reeve is horrible and people need to see that the concept was good.

4.  “Psychomania” (1972) – because it’s trash and makes no sense and the title is completely irrelevant and it’s just jolly good fun.

5.  “The Haunting” (1962) – because, well, it’s terrifying.  Yet another horribly made remake in 1999.

Where the USA has always excelled in the arena of slasher films, the brits have likewise excelled in supernatural horror films.  The British are responsible for more amazingly chilling, and horribly remade horror films than any other culture in my humble opinion, as my Top 5 list illustrates.  The crying shame is that the average American will never know that so many films made across the pond that never received attention in the states get remade into garbage by Hollywood, trying to pass it off as an original idea.  I’m of Irish decent and have my natural prejudices toward the British, but when it comes to supernatural gothic horror, those fog-breathers have never been touched. 

[Rev. Powell]

I was just reading an essay on PEEPING TOM (1960) yesterday, and the writer pointed out that there were hardly any British horror movies to be found prior to 1960 (though you manage to cite two from the late 50s).  Brits apparently hated the genre and considered horror movies to be a "German thing."  Certainly the British have overcome their irrational fear of horror since, though.

My Top 5 British horror films:

1. PEEPING TOM (1960) - so much for the idea Brits don't do slasher films!
2. THE WICKER MAN (1973)
3. NIGHT OF THE DEMON (1957)
4. VAMPYRES (1974)
5. THE COMPANY OF WOLVES (1984)

Honorable mention: DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES [AKA FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS]--love the movie, but it's more comedy than horror. 

Also, I believe the classic THE SHINING was a UK/USA co-production, but I only included films that were primarily British.

[Allhallowsday]

...1. PEEPING TOM (1960) - so much for the idea Brits don't do slasher films!
...

Debatable.  Interestingly, this film was reviled by critics and audiences alike and ended MICHAEL POWELL's career as an important and respected filmmaker. 

[Jack]

1)  Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
2)  The Mummy (1959)
3)  The Keep (1983)
4)  The Abominable Snowman (1957)
5)  Horror Express (1973)
 
Yeah, I'm somewhat of a Hammer fan.

[Rev. Powell]

...1. PEEPING TOM (1960) - so much for the idea Brits don't do slasher films!
...

Debatable.  Interestingly, this film was reviled by critics and audiences alike and ended MICHAEL POWELL's career as an important and respected filmmaker. 

I assume you consider it debatable whether it's a slasher film, not whether it's a horror film, British, or a top 5 selection.  Anyway, though it's clearly not a formula 1970s/1980s slasher, and Mark pierces his victims rather than slashes them, the fact that it's about a human killer whose overwhelming motivation is to stalk and kill victims puts it, like PSYCHO, into a very broad "slasher" definition.  At the very least, the slasher genre would be unlikely to develop in the way it did if not for PEEPING TOM and PSYCHO.

The thesis of the essay I was reading is that the critics reviled PEEPING TOM precisely because it was a horror film, and horror films in Britain were prima facie trash.  According to the author the critics lambasted the early Hammer features as well, before they finally got used to them and did a turnabout.

[Allhallowsday]

...1. PEEPING TOM (1960) - so much for the idea Brits don't do slasher films!

Debatable.  Interestingly, this film was reviled by critics and audiences alike and ended MICHAEL POWELL's career as an important and respected filmmaker. 

I assume you consider it debatable whether it's a slasher film, not whether it's a horror film, British, or a top 5 selection...

No.  I don't disagree that it may be classified as a Slasher film.  What's debatable is the idea that the British do do Slasher films... my comments are directly related to the reception a film by the highly respected, even beloved, MICHAEL POWELL originally received. 

[ToyMan]

lifeforce (aka: space vampires)
curse of the werewolf
horror express
the wicker man
hellbound: hellraiser II

of course, horror express and the wicker man were already mentioned, but i had to have them in my personal top 5. i'd also second peeping tom, but i wanted to add some fresh titles to the list.

[peter johnson]

Yeah, I'd put "Quatermass and The Pit" at number one on just about any list of anything.  Still wish more people knew of this film/would watch this film -- I find it a bit odd that it gets overlooked either because A) It's old or B) It doesn't fit neatly into any category of either science fiction or horror or suspense because it is no unique.
peter j/denny c

[peter johnson]

That should be "SO unique . . ."

[Flick James]

I figured it out.  That's funny though

[Raffine]

Lots of outstanding films already mentioned.

I'll add: DEAD OF NIGHT (1945)

[BoyScoutKevin]

I've seen most of those mentioned. I've enjoyed most of those I've seen, but to keep the total restricted to just 5 British horror films, I've to restrict myself to just British vampire films.

1. The Horror of Dracula.

2. The Fearless Vampire Killers.

3. Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter.

4. Vampire Circus.

5. Lair of the White Worm.

[Hammock Rider]

  I'd put almost anything already mentioned on my list although i would also include the Two Faces of Dr. Jekyl and of course....

[darthchicken]

Spice World is a classic. 

[RCMerchant]

The HAUNTING (1962) was British?!?!? Wow...color me duh! If so...that's #1 for me!
2. One that Raffine pointed out...DEAD of NIGHT. GREAT ghost story anthology!

Ok....here's where I get weird on you guys...

3.The BLACK ZOO- Micheal Gough is a weirdo who kills people with exotic animals from his ...uh....Black zoo. He worships them...some kinda nonsense. Anyway-I like this movie alot!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r0l5rquLzc
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4. SCARS of DRACULA-My favorite Chris Lee/Dracula movie ever! Why? This one has MORE Chris Lee than almost 3 of his other Drac movies put together!

5. This took a lot of thought....so I choose....KONGA!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh01vf3-8j4
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