Zombie movies are a good gateway drug into the horror genre. The Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead (original or remake), and 28 Days Later are movies that pretty much everyone should see.
Next, I'd try him on the horror movies that mix in some comedy. The Evil Dead movies, Shaun of the Dead, (now that he's seen some zombie classics, he'll get all the references), Dead Alive (early Peter Jackson movies are great), Scream, Bubba Ho-Tep, and An American Werewolf in London are some of my favorites. (Has he seen the original Fright Night? The Colin Farrell remake actually looks pretty good.)
After that, go through the horror classics. Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, The Sixth Sense, Poltergeist, Halloween, Psycho, Dead Ringers, The Wicker Man (the original, not the Nicolas Cage version), Silence of the Lambs, Pet Cemetery, the original Nightmare on Elm Street, The Shining, and The Fly are not only some of the best horror movies, they are some of the best films ever made.
There are tons of great foreign horror movies that put American stuff to shame. (Not surprisingly, many have been remade in America.) Let the Right One In, Ringu (the inspiration for The Ring), Audition, Suspiria, Rec (remade as Quarantine), and Ju-On (we know it as the Sarah Michelle Gellar vehicle The Grudge) will give your guy nightmares for days and show him that foreign filmmakers are far ahead of America in terms of edgy scares. (Note: Many of these, particular Audition, are not for the squeamish.)
Sci-fi/fantasy horror is also a good entry point. Try Event Horizon, the first two Alien movies, The Thing, Cube, Altered States, Videodrome, Jacob's Ladder, Pan's Labyrinth, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers are all really creepy and entertaining movies. (I tend to fall into this camp when it comes to horror favorites.)
If you want a so-bad-it's good horror movie to laugh at together, definitely Netflix Troll 2.
Finally, there is one amazing horror movie that I forgot to add to my "movies every guy likes" list: John Carpenter's They Live. I defy any guy not to love a movie where shotgun-toting '80s wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper blows away aliens that only he can see thanks to a special pair of sunglasses. It also includes the classic tough guy line, "I've come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum."
Any other suggestions? What horror movies do you like to watch with your guy? Do you want to see Fright Night?
Next, I'd try him on the horror movies that mix in some comedy. The Evil Dead movies, Shaun of the Dead, (now that he's seen some zombie classics, he'll get all the references), Dead Alive (early Peter Jackson movies are great), Scream, Bubba Ho-Tep, and An American Werewolf in London are some of my favorites. (Has he seen the original Fright Night? The Colin Farrell remake actually looks pretty good.)
After that, go through the horror classics. Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, The Sixth Sense, Poltergeist, Halloween, Psycho, Dead Ringers, The Wicker Man (the original, not the Nicolas Cage version), Silence of the Lambs, Pet Cemetery, the original Nightmare on Elm Street, The Shining, and The Fly are not only some of the best horror movies, they are some of the best films ever made.
There are tons of great foreign horror movies that put American stuff to shame. (Not surprisingly, many have been remade in America.) Let the Right One In, Ringu (the inspiration for The Ring), Audition, Suspiria, Rec (remade as Quarantine), and Ju-On (we know it as the Sarah Michelle Gellar vehicle The Grudge) will give your guy nightmares for days and show him that foreign filmmakers are far ahead of America in terms of edgy scares. (Note: Many of these, particular Audition, are not for the squeamish.)
Sci-fi/fantasy horror is also a good entry point. Try Event Horizon, the first two Alien movies, The Thing, Cube, Altered States, Videodrome, Jacob's Ladder, Pan's Labyrinth, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers are all really creepy and entertaining movies. (I tend to fall into this camp when it comes to horror favorites.)
If you want a so-bad-it's good horror movie to laugh at together, definitely Netflix Troll 2.
Finally, there is one amazing horror movie that I forgot to add to my "movies every guy likes" list: John Carpenter's They Live. I defy any guy not to love a movie where shotgun-toting '80s wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper blows away aliens that only he can see thanks to a special pair of sunglasses. It also includes the classic tough guy line, "I've come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum."
Any other suggestions? What horror movies do you like to watch with your guy? Do you want to see Fright Night?
Stir of Echoes
I hate horror movies. I love Nathan Filion. Slither is one of my favorite movies. It's funny, gross, and has some very startling moments. I like my horror funny. So Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland as in there. Botched was really fun.
I also consider Pan's Labyrinth, From Hell, and Donny Darko to be in the horror genre, but mostly because I can't watch them by myself.
And I'm not sure if it counts, but I think if Silence of the Lambs count so should Freeway. Freeway is among the "why won't you die!?!" genre of horror, not the "dear God, kill it with fire!!!" kind.
Slither is fun. Yeah, I'd count Silence of the Lambs as well. Donnie Darko and Freeway are also great.
The Orphanage!!!! Hands down the. best. movie. ever. Plus it's also a scary movie.
Also - what about Se7en and other movies in the so-suspenseful-it's-scary category? My perspective is that if there's an (intelligent) and creepy twist, it's a keeper.
I never want to see 1978 Magic with Anthony Hopkins again.
Maybe he's thinking of slasher movies, which I also find pretty boring. Gore is a bore, but good suspense rules.
ooh thank you for the Cube reference! :D
definetly gonna try some of those! he thinks ALL horror are corny/boring. especially ghosty type ones. hopefully he'll get pulled in by a few good zombie movies! thankyou for all the great suggestions! hopefully he'll let me convince him to try a few.
I'm not a HUGE fan of the slasher flims in contrast with a good demonic/ghost story or a pyscological thriller.
stir of echos is deifnetly a good one, I own it.
Wish me luck on my misson!
My guy and I have dissimilar movie tastes. He likes anime and I like opera.
Whenever one of us wins a bet the loser has to watch an hour of the winners' favorites. But the winner has to make it fun for the loser. I've gotten into a bit of anime this way, and I'm starting to like it.
So have frequent bets on silly things and then spring some good'uns on him.
Tip: it helps if you say he only has to watch half of the movie (they alwyas want to see the other half)
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I agree