I would add an indie film from 1999 called Habit - it's a neat little vampire flick set in NYC that blurs the line between drug addiction and vampirism - fans of the films on this list should also check this one out

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/poetry/article6896449.ece

Deep dark unsettling dread, I think you mean. It came out as "deep, dark, unsettling dream" in the published copy.

I had to create a Salon account just so I could try to be the first to put in my 2 bits for The Blair Witch Project and, I know, Japanese remake, The Ring. These are 2 of the best but I may have to take them down a notch once I've seen all of this list. Loved Hardware when I was 20.

I thought I was the only one who had seen that movie. It really is very good.

I've seen all of them, the Italian ones, the Asian ones. I've never shied away from the ultra gore. They don't bother me. then a couple years ago I saw Cannibal, and I have never, ever, been so disturbed by a movie. It's based on the infamous German internet cannibal case. Very low budget, but very well done. Actually more art film than horror. Hardly any dialog. It takes alot to shock me, and I was stunned. It's not easy to find but I'd definitely recommend it to anyone not feint of heart. Cannibal directed by some German guy, Marion Dora.

As much as I love horror movies, I haven't been watching them lately. They're all the same now: bossy girl running around barking orders at everyone. I really wish that boring formula would be retired.

There is nothing better than a profoundly so bad it's good horror film, and at the top of that list for me is the notorious Burial Ground. Italian from the early 80's. Scientis has been looking for a secret ancient tomb for years and conveniently finds it on the grounds of his estate just as guest are ready to arrive for a weekend party. Zombies are unleashed, kill the scientis ("Stop! Stop! I'm your friend!") and go on a weekend rampage terrorizing the Eurotrash guests. The zombie effects are created with masks with generous use of maggots and peat moss. Sometimes you can see the actor's face through the eye holes. Other times the eye holes are filled in with above mentioned peat moss and maggots and the actor has to lumber around feeling his way around because he can't see through the mask. Gore, trashy sex, horribly dubbed dialog (Mark, I'm terrified."), but there is one thing that makes this one an uber-classic. Among the guests is a newlywed couple. The wife has her ten year old son from a previous marriage with her. The ten year old son is played by a weird actor who must be every bit of thirty five. It's one of the most bizarre things. Highly, highly recommended.

great list. i think that the best, lingering horror involves things that are a step from the reality we all identify with. look at the success of 'the silence of the lambs' - both buffalo bill and hannibal lector seem believable.

i rank david lynch's 'blue velvet' as a horror movie for the same reason, that sociopaths like frank booth are real, moreso than michael meyers, freddie krueger or jason ever may be. and the 'elephant man' - i love it but i know people who find that movie very disturbing.

there is a film called 'trouble every day' that readers of the list may enjoy [not to mention that the soundtrack is written and performed by the tindersticks, a wonderful band that gets absolutely no exposure in north america].

oh, and one from the 90's 'mute witness.' very hitchcock-ian with a twist of post-glasnost. A film company is making a movie in the new russia and the union laborers boot them off of the set at the end of their shift. a production assistant who is mute forgets her purse, goes back to retrieve it and catches the help making a snuff movie using their equipment. the mother of all chase scenes ensues and one of the joys of the movie is when they try to get help from the russian police but don't speak russian & the scenes are not subtitled or translated, so you feel as a viewer as shut out as they do. if you see this one and like it, dig a bit and find out the back story of the alec guinness cameo.

and what about scary/funny? the trifecta of 80s horror humor hybrid would have to be

1 - an american werewolf in london

2 - return of the living dead

3 - reanimator

... now wouldn't it be nice if a single one of them was available from Netflix watch-instantly...

Thanks Andrew for another great list! Looking through it, I've seen a good amount already like The Ordeal, High Tension, Drag me to Hell, and the Descent. But I've heard from other movies like Murder Party and Hardware which look pretty good. I'll see if I can check them out on Halloween. I'm also with you that I'm glad U.S. horror hasn't forgotten it's story roots, thanks to our European horror friends. I still love the sick stuff sometimes. But Japanese and Korean horror are masters at that so I look to for the really edgy stuff these days. They definitely stand out on their own.

Here's a few of my favorite lesser known horror flicks...

Slither -- (2006, written and directed by James Gunn). An amalgam of horror staples, part The Blob, part Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and part Night of the Living Dead with a HEAVY dose of comedy. Plus, it stars Nathan Fillion, (Firefly, Castle) and Michael Rooker Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.

Dog Soldiers (2002, written and directed by Neil Marshall). Basically Aliens with werewolves. Stars Rome's Kevin McKidd. Tons of mildly cheesy fun.

The Descent (2006, also written and directed by Neil Marshall). A claustrophobic masterpiece about a group of women on a spelunking adventure gone horribly wrong.