Pretty good list. One of my personal favorite haunted house movies is The Legend of Hell House with Roddy McDowall. The Sentinel is also good, although more of a ‘portal to hell’ movie, and rather infamous for using actual deformed people for some scenes. Rorschach is a simple ‘found footage’ type film about a couple of guys investigating a haunted house, not widely known but I think is well done. Another ‘found footage’ film in the genre that is a fun watch is Hell House LLC.
Legend of Hell House was the first movie to use modern paranormal concepts, terminology, and investigation techniques that we would later see in films like Poltergeist, Ghostbusters, and Entity.
1. Totally agree. 👍 2. My first “ haunted house” movie when I was seven. 3. That door bulging into the room my most terrifying memory from the film. 😱 4. NOT seeing the ghost actually made it more effective in my opinion.
I've heard burnt offerings is tough to get through. Is it? I love my old horror, but squeamish things set my teeth on edge so I have to watch them bits at a time. They are just so much more realistic than the new stuff.
@@Emmaforever I would characterize it as BEYOND scary because it's so depressing. The house 'feeds' on the inhabitants, which, on paper, might sound like it might be silly. It's not. The first person the house preys on is the robust, vital old Aunt who has accompanied the family(the Bette Davis character). Soon she begins to lose her strength and, worse, her faculties. Long story short, she is made to believe that she caused an accident with the gas that nearly killed her beloved great-nephew. Families see this kind of excruciating decline among the elderly more often now than when this movie was released, so it resonates in an even more visceral way than it did back in the '70's. And for sheer cruelty...to have a decent woman believing that she nearly killed a child she loved...and for this to wind up being among her final memories....you just don't find that level of malice in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I've loved horror movies my entire life(I'm 55)....I've been scared ONCE. With this. Throughout the movie, there is a door on the top floor of the house that had hitherto always been locked. At the very end of the film, the father tries the knob...and it opens...what happens next kept me from sleeping for almost a week...
As always, a great eclectic list, Daniel. My favorite is The Changeling. Such an unusual role for George Scott. He's best known for over-powering, larger than life performances. Think The Exorcist 3 and Patton. His vulnerability in this one really affected me as a child. The ghost is also very sympathetic, which makes us root for just about everyone to get to the bottom of the mystery. Additionally, in my opinion, the truly most frightening seance scene in horror history. Keep the lists coming, my man!!!!
I’m with you 100% on The Changeling!!! My number one scariest haunted house film of all time. I was 15 when I went to see it in the theatre when it came out. I was with my friend and it was so hard to try to hide that I was scared shitless!!! I watch at minimum once a year. It has everything you want from a haunted house move…bones, seance, creaking doors, cobwebs, and an absolute gorgeous, immensely creepy mansion!! And when he listens back to the tape of the seance…holy shit!!!! Great film!
Oh yes! My sister and I would watch this as kids and were scared silly. As an adult, I thought it couldn't be that bad, watched it again...SCARED SILLY!!
@@suzimilligan I saw it as a 12 year old. Theatre packed so I had to watch it from the third row. I wanted the pounding on the door to stop. Scared the hell out of me but I loved it.
The character of Eleanor Lance is an excellent portrayal of someone who has been emotionally abused since childhood and is therefore emotionally stunted.
The house they used in the film is just up the road from me in Stratford On Avon. It's a hotel now. They did wonders in the film with the strange angles and icy black and white photography. In reality it's not scary at all. Just a charming old country house!
That banging and the face in the wallpaper kept me awake for quite a while. Also, the house is beautiful. I think the remake is like a ghost train, it's more fun than scary.
I agree! I remember a friend of mine was chatting on the phone with a friend of his. The friend mentioned he was going to watch The Haunting that evening. Alone. I remember both of us shouting at the phone 'don't do it!'
The Legend of Hell House (1973) - A team of investigators stay in a haunted mansion. The Forgotten One (1989) - Terry O'Quinn moves into a new house that happens to be haunted. Haunted (1995) - Period film about a college professor who is called to help investigate a mansion that is reported haunted. Also an early role for Kate Beckinsale. The House That Would Not Die (1970) - TV movie about a woman and her niece moving into the family home, which is haunted.
For me it is the best horror movie of all time. NO gore! Nothing disgusting or sickening. I don't LIKE gory movies and don't think they are "horror" movies - they are, at best, "gorror" movies, and I don't watch most of them. The remake of "The Haunting" many years later is utter garbage and a desecration of the excellent Shirley Jackson book. My #2 is either "Poltergeist" or "Hell House" - but I have to admit, I have not seen many of these, or if I have, only once and long ago. The three I mentioned I've watched over and over through my life (I'm 74).
@@DalokiMauvais I agree. I saw it when it was first released at the Esquire Theater in Chicago back around 1962. I was 14, and it is quite a memory seeing it on the big screen. I am 75 now. I recommend a movie called "Black Sunday" if you can find it. The old Hammer Horror movies with Christopher Lee are also watchable, especially "Horror Express". If you like to read creepy horror try the short stories of M. R. James and E. F. Benson.
@@peterpuleo2904 I loved Christopher Lee's Dracula but have never heard of "Horror Express" - I'll have to look for it. "Black Sunday" seemed familiar but it turns out I _had_ seen the movie of the same name about the Super Bowl. Thanks also for the authors' names - I've read some James but Benson is a new one.
I also loved the kids' performances in The Others, especially the little girl. The way she constantly confronts Nicole Kidman, revealing little details of what happened... so good.
I loved The Others. It is a must see! My favorite is The Haunting with Julie Harris and The Changeling with George C Scott. Thanks to you, I finally watched The Uninvited, and The Innocents. Both are excellent! I will have to watch Lake Mongo next. Thoroughly enjoyed your list!
Ooooh yeah, the woman in black is one of my favorite movies. I'm not sure if it's "haunted house" or more curse or what, but I love that the suspense alone is enough to be creepy. I read the story it was based on, and I have to admit the movie did it better. The book kinda failed at being suspenseful and in my opinion just read like a guy scared of his own shadow, but the movie did what the book couldn't accomplish
There’s one haunted house movie that I never hear mentioned. It’s called “The Sentinel” from 1977. It’s an unknown, underrated, classic from the 70’s with an absolutely incredible cast. Chris Sarandon, Christina Raines, Beverly D’Angelo,Burgess Meredith, Ava Gardner, John Carradine, Martin, Balsom, Eli Wallach, Jerry Orbach, Jose Ferrer, Arthur Kennedy, and Christopher Walken, Tom Beringer, and Jeff Goldblum in tiny parts, that if you blink you’ll miss them. Some truly spooky scenes and a crazy, crazy ending!
I know this film, though I don't like it very well. It seems to imply those who die in a certain manner which I believe UA-cam doesnt like mentioned, are condemned to perdition. Only a movie, but rather insensitive even for a horror film.
This film is very frightening to me. For some reason, it really creeps me out. Burgess Meredith is a trip in this movie. "Black and white cat, black and white cake."
My #1 is “The Haunting” but I have zero hate for your list. Since you love them both, I hope you’ve caught the reference to “The Uninvited” in “Poltergeist”. When everything seems fine in the outdoor moving scene, JoBeth Williams character smiles and says “Mm! Smell that mimosa!” …which, of course is the scent that preceded the ghost in “The Uninvited”. It’s something very few would have caught in 1982, but it cleverly telegraphs that it’s not over yet! 🙂
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken! It may not be the best movie, but we loved Don Knotts in our house growing up and its so much fun! Also The Innocents is my favorite horror movie of all time. Legitimately scary movie from the 60s!
If you liked The Orphanage then you should definitely watch the Guilermo Del Toro movie The Devil's Backbone if you haven't already. It's set during the Spanish civil war, & is about a group of boys living in an isolated orphanage that turns out to be haunted.
You had me at The Uninvited and The Changeling. I had never seen The Uninvited until my wife mentioned seeing it as a kid and immediately fell in love with the atmosphere created in that movie. But The Changeling! Saw that on tv when I was a kid and it changed how I saw horror as a genre. The writing, the atmosphere, the cinematography, and the acting are amazing. Telling the story without any ghost effects at all really and it's still fantastically creepy and suspenseful. So good to see those two movies getting recognition.
Wow I can’t believe The Orphanage was at the top of your list! It’s one of my all time favourites and I find it very emotional. Fantastic list thanks! Btw, if you haven’t seen Lady in White by Frank LaLoggia, I highly recommend it. It’s a wonderful ghost film that really mesmerised me as a kid.
So glad that House on Haunted Hill was referenced. It's one of my personal favorites. The dialogue between Vincent Price and Carol Ohmart is so great! It also features terrific character actor Elisha Cook who also is in Stephen King's Salem's Lot. 👹☠️🦇👌
Since no one else has, just thought I'd point out that the undead/ghost soldier in House -- Big Ben -- was played by Richard Moll, who also played the amiable "Bull" in the TV show 'Night Court'. He recently passed away, last October, at the age of 80! (I was surprised to learn that he was that old). RIP Richard Moll...
OMG he was so funny in Night Court, especially the scenes where he realizes he's the sanest one in the room. "Ohhhhhkay!" I love when they visit his apartment and the tops of all the doorways are broken.
I worked with him briefly on an industrial film, a side project he took on during his Night Court days. He was a very thoughtful guy, friendly and down-to-earth. Classic character, Richard Moll. 🙏🏼
I love the old Haunting movie. I think that Eleanor is the ghost. She is not dead, at the beginning anyway, but is like a ghost in life. She is not loved or wanted by anyone. She is lonely and has been used by her family who have no love or respect for her. In the end she becomes a more traditional (dead) ghost but was a walking ghost in life. So sad.
I love this perception: the novel brilliantly played out the unreliable narrator but its sadness was that the house was the only entity that showed interest, and by the time this was understood it was too late.
The Haunting is a classic of suspense filmmaking..even tho its in monochrome ..it's effect is chilling...a cut above other productions along the same lines...no gratuitous schlock horror nonsense...Julie Harris is superb as the terrified recipient of supernatural forces determined she shall not leave the house .
I was just curious if this made the list. If not, then I would question the validity of choices made given The Haunting's premise and execution. Sad that it's legacy became 'Hell House'.
Black-and-white is not an absence of color. (In fact it IS color. Black and white are two colors). Shooting on black-and-white film is a completely different style - black and white film has qualities that you can NEVER achieve on color film. It is a style choice.
A great underrated Irish gothic horror movie is "The Lodgers" (2017). It involves a cursed brother and sister forced to live in a haunted house. To keep the ghosts as bay they have to follow 3 rules: 1. be in your room by midnight, 2. don't bring in strangers and 3. they can't move away.
As a 12-year-old, I was traumatized in the theatre by "Burnt Offerings", in the Autumn of 1976, as were my older sisters. The final three minutes are some of the most haunting cinema of my entire life. I will NEVER forget the impression it made on me. EASILY one of my Top Five scary movies of All-Time. ESSENTIAL "month-of-October" viewing....!! Incidentally, my sisters & I saw it on a double-bill with the GREAT comedy "The Big Bus" in Columbia, Mississippi. Talk about a WEIRD double-feature....!! LOL
Yes I remember that ending to Burnt Offerings very well. Scared the shit out of me after watching on tv one night when I was about 11 yrs old. I finally saw again when I was in my late 40's or so and Oliver Reed really could overact sometimes. Still ... a scary flick.
Every scene with that creepy chauffeur traumatized me, especially when he pushes the coffin at Bette Davis. I first saw it when I was a kid in the theaters then was lucky to see it again on the big screen several years ago at the same theater in Phoenixville PA where they filmed The Blob and hold annual Blobfest. I love the Big Bus, it was Airplane before Airplane existed!
To this day, the _ONLY_ horror movie to ever scare me was "The Haunting" (1963). It scared me as an atheist and still as a Christian. Its *creepiest* aspect is you never see a thing (save for the breathing walls maybe). That's the one thing that makes it my favorite. "Poltergeist" was fantastic and while it didn't scare me, I was completely invested in the adventure and the mom's willingness to die to save her own daughter. Anecdotally, the swimming pool scene used real cadavers as it was cheaper than using replicas. Apparently they failed to inform Jo Beth Williams and she said later that if she had known, she would have walked off the set. As other commentators have written, I appreciate that this is another manufactured list like so many "Top 20" or "Greatest whatever" lists. I can't wait to see more.
A-list casting really elevates these movies! Vincent Price, Julie Harris, Margaret Rutherford, Rex Harrison, Claire Bloom, Deborah Kerr, Sylvia Sidney, Burgess Meredith, Bette Davis, Ray Milland, George C. Scott, Karen Black, Nicole Kidman - wow, what a list The TV terror movies of Dan Curtis need to be seen more widely, they're always so creative. I think most of them are on youtube now for anyone interested. Great "ritual," Daniel!
I still wonder about the old couple and that house but I guess that part of what's scary ,not really fully understand ing the dynamic of what's going on or how it started
Well done, Daniel, and I have to admit you have chutzpah taking on such an overcrowded subgenre. Three films come to my mind that you haven't mentioned that could possibly be in my top 20. One is 1973's The Legend of Hell House, yet another story written by the beloved and prolific Richard Matheson. Also from 1973, the TV movie Don't Be Afraid of the Dark; though I realize one could debate if the scary entities are ghosts or not. Then on a more subdued, and romantic note, 1947's The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, starring the beautiful Gene Tierney, and Rex Harrison as the ghost. I'm going to check out a few of the films on your list that I haven't seen.
I'm so thrilled that three of my favorite haunted house movies made your list - 'Crimson Peak', 'The Changeling', and 'The Others'. I'm encouraged to watch some of the films you've included that I haven't yet seen. I'd like to recommend 1946's 'The Time of Their Lives', starring Abbott and Costello. It's a really fun ghost story, but also a romance.
Great list! So glad to see "The Changeling" (1980) on your list! It really doesn't get the accolades it deserves. I also probably would have put "Paranormal Activity" (2007) and / or the sequel "Paranormal Activity 2" (2010) (expanding the list or adding some "Honorable Mentions").
You need to see or revisit "The Legend of Hell House" based on Richard Matheson's novel "Hell House". IMO the grandfather of all haunted house tales! I can't believe it was not included and in my list would be #1
Yeah, #1 for me, too. Hands down. Matheson admitted that he used Shirley Jackson's _The Haunting of Hill House_ as the basic blueprint for _Hell House_ , but he cranked the horror level up to 11.
So glad you put (The Others) in there. That movie is the ultimate spooky house horror of the past 3 decades. It's got ghosts galore and jump scares that will knock everything else out of the park. And the ending is to die for, literally.
Exceptional video! I’m really glad you spoke on “Lake Mungo”. That film lived under my skin for quite some time. It was extremely effective in its delivery. And not enough people are talking about it. You have some great picks here, Mr. Epler!
Yep. Great list. Only film I was hoping to see is "The Legend of Hell House". That movie scared the daylights out of me when I first watched as an older kid. Thanks for the cool episode!
In The Haunting there is a scene where the spirit is pounding on the solid oak doors. the doors are bending under the pressure. That sound of the deep pounding has become stuck in my head. I saw this movie 5 decades ago. Sometimes I wake up at night hearing it still. When I saw you lighting the candles I thought you were going for the Abbot and Costello bit. The boys are in a haunted house and Lou lights a candle. In front of Lou it moves but when Bud looks nothing happens.
DIsney Imagineers Yale Gracey and Rolly Crump were fans of The Haunting. They used this movie as inspiration for The Haunted Mansion. The breathing door has been a target of plussing since the beginning. They did the best with what materials were available and they needed to create. Frankly, I love the movie version, and I love that which is in the Corridor of Doors in the attraction.
Your reply reminded me of an A&C movie which was of a haunted house - Costello was the ghost from the American revolution - I think I would have included it as another comedy.
@@robwolf2152 The movie is called The Time of Their Lives. Yes it is a lot of fun you are thinking about a scene where Lou/Heratio is pounding o a furnace.
the old wheelchair scene chasing the lady down the stairs in "the Changeling" traumatized me as a kid, i could not sleep after seeing that old spider webbed mothballed rusty old creeky wheelchair move on its own
That wheelchair and the red ball are more terrifying than 99% of most horror movies. I first saw that movie in college and it scared the bjeezus out of me. I was literally scared to walk back to my dorm. SO many amazing scenes. Great cast, including Star Trek's first major Klingon character John Colicos as the detective. I also didn't appreciate who Melvyn Douglas was at the time but now when I see it, my wife and I say "Have a potato" followed by "thank you, I should love a potato" when he first appears.
I’m happy to see that this isn’t the typical cut and paste haunted house list. There are some great hidden gems on this list. It’s great to see the Changeling on here too. Such an amazing movie that no one seems to know about
14:00 #14 The Haunting (1963). It's funny how the presenter goes out of their way to defend their low ranking against the inevitable onslaught of rabid fans of The Haunting. I'm one of them, reporting for duty. I caught The Haunting some Sunday afternoon on local TV when I was maybe 13. It sank its claws into me and never let go. It has terrific acting in it, a great script, faithfulness to its source, and some truly artful technical cinematography. One of those movies that made me want to make movies.
Happy to see THE CHANGELING so high on this list since I don't think it gets talked about enough but couldn't help noticed another film missing, that has been mentioned a few times in the comments below, THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE.
Legend of Hell House will always be my top favorite haunted house film. I've been a big fan of Roddy McDowell since he was in Planet of the Apes and saw this film in the theaters at least 5 times when it first came out in 1973. The music by Delia Derbyshire and Brian Hodgson was amazing. It was done with synthesizers which were somewhat new at the time--Delia Derbyshire did the theme for Dr. Who, also. The music is creepy, bizarre and totally effectively eerie. It's a great film, IMO.
Michael Flanagan has redone, spectacularly, "Haunting of Hill House", "Haunting of Bly Manor" remake of "Turn of the Screw" And "the best remake" is "THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER" With tons of Poe references!!❤❤❤❤❤❤
I've just watched The Fall of the House of Usher. Being an Edgar Allen Poe fan, I loved all the references, it was almost like a little game. And it was visually beautiful to watch.
This may be my favorite genre of horror/suspense, so thank you for making a video celebrating it. Truly a superb list Daniel - it shares so many of my personal favorites! I appreciate that you added some comedy and camp - like you, I love when spooky intermingles with comedy. I would like to recommend that you peep The Legend of Hell House (circa 1973); it just may end up on your "Top 21 Haunted House Movies".
Great list! Some of these I haven't herd of so I will def give them a watch! One you missed or didn't make your list was "13 Ghosts" where the house was definitely a character as well as the ghosts themselves.
Such a great list! Im going to watch Lake Mungo soon. I've never heard of it. I held my breath waiting to hear your thoughts on "The Legend Of Hell House." Maybe next time 😉
If you hadn't had the 1963 "The Haunting" on the list, I would have been disappointed. I've loved that film since childhood! My younger sibs and I used to play Hill House. The end can still make me shiver. Back in the early 1980s I showed it as a Halloween treat to the 13-year-old son of my commander (who sometimes parked him in my medical library across the hall). We'd both gone to see "Poltergeist" in the theater, so I didn't know how he'd take the old film. I'd closed the curtains and was sitting in the rocking chair. He was sitting hardly two feet away, but five minutes in he was sitting at my feet and asking me to open the curtains.
The Haunting (1963 version) is #1 on my list. The fact that you don’t see the ghost/s is what makes it so terrifyingly creepy. Also it is the only version that faithfully follows the book.
Great list, but I agree that The Legend of Hell House, and The Conjuring 2 should be on it. Both terrifying! But what about The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe? It has all the things you like: great locations, spooktacular mansion, ghosts appearing in the background, and great atmosphere with such a sense of dread! If you haven't seen it, treat yourself to a fantasmic feast!
For some reason, I always get "The Innocents" and "The Uninvited" mixed up in my head, exchanging various scenes into an epically incoherent mashup. But they're both great on their own, as intended! :)
Both these films I saw for the first time with my mother when I was little…not really into it herself, she still always encouraged my interest in ghost stories. I loved the Uninvited, it had its spooky moments for sure - but was on the light-hearted side, nowhere near as dark as The innocents. That one scared the hell out of me. It’s still the one film, and novel, I measure all the others by.
Some of these are a little too over the top or sappy for me, but happy to see Lake Mungo here, it doesn’t get mentioned much. It’s the creepiest film of the last few decades. My mother introduced me to The Innocents when I was around 10 years old. Scared me like no other movie ever has, still does. The Changeling was a great one as well.
Thank you for putting "The Uninvited" with Ray Milland in the Top Ten. You were generous with the film's cuts. An excellent selection of haunted houses. A few new ones I didn't see---yet.👻👻👻
No "The Legend Of Hell House"?? How could you not have in this list when you have good but lesser films listed? I am hoping you have not seen it yet. Kudos for having the great "Burnt Offerings" on here.
I was glad to see The Changeling on the list and put so high up, it's such a great classic haunted house film. Some really scary scenes!! Great list overall.
Some of my favorite movies in this genre are on your list: The Others, The Orphanage, The Changeling, Stir of Echoes. Of the few I own, I'd recommend Ghost Story from 1981. All of these still give me chills.
One of my favorite haunted house movies is The Hearse with Trish VanDeVere, which never gets the attention and appreciation it deserves. It is truly creepy and atmospheric and so so good. The whole movie is on UA-cam so check it out!! You won't be sorry.
Such a great channel. I reckon the 2010s Woman in Black is the best recent haunted house movie. Ok, its got Harry Potter in it, but the J-Horror twist is really effective and it's a masterclass in suspense.
I also saw the live stage play, which was very well written and very creepy. The earlier version of the Woman in Black, which is a BBC classic, scared me so much that I can't bear to watch it alone!
I’m so glad you included both The Others and Blithe Spirit, as well as the masterpiece The Innocents. One film I’ve never heard anyone discuss is “A Place of One’s Own” with James Mason and Margaret Lockwood. One of the eeriest films I’ve ever seen. Loved this, thank you!❤️
That's it. I thought that movie was a bomb ... the one black mark in George C Scott's illustrious career (although I just thought of Firestarter ...). I have to revisit The Changeling which I honestly don't remember now that i'm thinking about it.
The seance scene in The Changeling is one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever seen on film. It’s a classic film with a great George C. Scott performance.
I was about to comment “why have I never seen this?” Then I realised it’s been uploaded 25 mins ago 😂 Love this video! I adore haunted house movies. House on Haunted Hill is my favourite 😁
So glad you had The Changeling on here! It’s one of the first horror movies I ever saw and it haunts me to this day, that bathtub scene is gut wrenching 😢
#15 "The House on Haunted Hill". I grew up in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles, and the house used for the exterior shots, sat in the Hills above Vermont Ave. I always enjoyed seeing this iconic Frank Lloyd Wright house, once I discovered the film after seeing it on Television. I think the reason this film, "The Old Dark House", "Psycho", and "The Haunting", worked so well for me, is how being filmed in black and white, really added to the moodiness of the film.
Some great choices, and some I never would have included. But basically, for me, the first two spots on this list should be occupied by the original The Haunting and The Legend of Hell House. The Haunting is hands down the greatest haunted house film ever made, in my less-than-humble opinion. I get what you say about Eleanor. But honestly once she's at the house, I'm not annoyed anymore. To me, it's everything a "real" haunted house would be. To omit Legend of Hell House... well, that's just wrong.
The Legend Of Hell House is a very well made film, but is it that scary? The Haunting still sends shivers down my spine every time I watch it, and I'm deep into middle-age now. Wonderful film. Indeed, Robert Wise's second most frightening film after...The Sound Of Music.
The original "The Cat and the Canary" is a silent film worth watching. It started many of the hoary haunted house tropes but, on its own terms, is funny, spooky and entertaining.
Awesome list. For comedies, have you ever seen the Topper movies, in particular "Topper Returns" from the 1940s? I grew up on that movie and it is hilarious. Topper's wife is played by Billie Burke, who played Glinda in The Wizard of Oz. If you've never seen them, it's about a regular guy who can see ghosts and in this particular film, a ghost of a woman he meets (while alive) on the side of the road) comes back to enlist his help in finding her killer. Topper has to balance doing this with keeping his wife from knowing what he's up to. It's a riot.
I think the reason the Amityville Horror was a lot scarier when it came out was because at the time it wasn’t considered a hoax and there was an episode of In Search Of with Leonard Nimoy that came out around the same time so it seemed very real. This was in the ancient days before the internet and my parents wouldn’t let me watch it, so it seemed very mysterious and scary to me as a child. Kids nowadays are used to CGI and jump scares so it might seem slow to them. It’s kind of like Blair Witch Project, it seemed a lot more real when it first came out and that made it scarier.
Great list, appreciate the Fulci shout outs! Another haunted house (or in this case haunted castle) movie I love is Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes. A gorgeous and trippy gothic horror film that takes some pretty unexpected turns.
Pretty good list. One of my personal favorite haunted house movies is The Legend of Hell House with Roddy McDowall. The Sentinel is also good, although more of a ‘portal to hell’ movie, and rather infamous for using actual deformed people for some scenes. Rorschach is a simple ‘found footage’ type film about a couple of guys investigating a haunted house, not widely known but I think is well done. Another ‘found footage’ film in the genre that is a fun watch is Hell House LLC.
Great list.. but what about the Entity...??
I adore Roddy McDowell! Thank you for mentioning him.
Legend of Hell House was the first movie to use modern paranormal concepts, terminology, and investigation techniques that we would later see in films like Poltergeist, Ghostbusters, and Entity.
So there are no similarities to 'The Evil' 1978 starring Victor Buono?
Yes, the Sentinel!!!
I like The Ghost and Mr. Chicken with Don Knotts ❤
And they even used Bon Ami
The best movie ever!
@@stacypappas9677 Attaboy, Luther!😆
@@jamesbrice6619 😂yes that was hilarious
My favorite Don Knott's movie😂
The Haunting from 1963 is the absolute best.
1. Totally agree. 👍
2. My first “ haunted house” movie when I was seven.
3. That door bulging into the room my most terrifying memory from the film. 😱
4. NOT seeing the ghost actually made it more effective in my opinion.
The Haunting 1963 is genuinely scary, so well made.
A Film Noir art classic as well.
That's because it has no gore but keep you wondering...."what really is behind that door??!!"
I don't think the host mentioned the director Robert Wise. I saw this film in a movie theater in 1963. Scared the crap out of us kids!
It stands alone imo.
Yes!
The Haunting is #1 for me. #2 The Legend of Hell House. Great list, thanks!
Same here!!!
Me too.
Scared me so bad it took 40 years to watch it again (the remake sucks).
Absolutely! 😃👍
The haunting is the best
The Haunting, The innocence, Burnt Offerings, The Uninvited. I’m old school when it comes to most horror. No cgi for me.
I'm not a CGI fan either.
I’m the same way. You’d probably like The Others.
Burnt offerings was excellent
I've heard burnt offerings is tough to get through. Is it? I love my old horror, but squeamish things set my teeth on edge so I have to watch them bits at a time. They are just so much more realistic than the new stuff.
@@Emmaforever I would characterize it as BEYOND scary because it's so depressing. The house 'feeds' on the inhabitants, which, on paper, might sound like it might be silly. It's not. The first person the house preys on is the robust, vital old Aunt who has accompanied the family(the Bette Davis character). Soon she begins to lose her strength and, worse, her faculties. Long story short, she is made to believe that she caused an accident with the gas that nearly killed her beloved great-nephew. Families see this kind of excruciating decline among the elderly more often now than when this movie was released, so it resonates in an even more visceral way than it did back in the '70's. And for sheer cruelty...to have a decent woman believing that she nearly killed a child she loved...and for this to wind up being among her final memories....you just don't find that level of malice in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
I've loved horror movies my entire life(I'm 55)....I've been scared ONCE. With this. Throughout the movie, there is a door on the top floor of the house that had hitherto always been locked. At the very end of the film, the father tries the knob...and it opens...what happens next kept me from sleeping for almost a week...
As always, a great eclectic list, Daniel. My favorite is The Changeling. Such an unusual role for George Scott. He's best known for over-powering, larger than life performances. Think The Exorcist 3 and Patton. His vulnerability in this one really affected me as a child. The ghost is also very sympathetic, which makes us root for just about everyone to get to the bottom of the mystery. Additionally, in my opinion, the truly most frightening seance scene in horror history. Keep the lists coming, my man!!!!
I’m with you 100% on The Changeling!!! My number one scariest haunted house film of all time. I was 15 when I went to see it in the theatre when it came out. I was with my friend and it was so hard to try to hide that I was scared shitless!!! I watch at minimum once a year. It has everything you want from a haunted house move…bones, seance, creaking doors, cobwebs, and an absolute gorgeous, immensely creepy mansion!! And when he listens back to the tape of the seance…holy shit!!!! Great film!
That damn old wheelchair creeped me out!
@@stephenosullivan9016I agree, such a good story and very scary. Probably the most perfect haunted house movie.
Great movie.
@@margiekinlaw4260 Yes! One of the scariest scenes ever
It's silly and campy but terrified as a child, and I watch it now with fondness: 13 Ghosts.
Yes, this scared me silly when I was a child!
The original or the Tony Shalub remake?
The remake sucks@@robertadorian4234
Same here. It's funny, it's spooky, it's 100% William Castle.
Thank you. How could he skip 13 ghosts
The original The Haunting is easily the best.
Agree totally.
@@AmitSharma-nf5ed Yes it had a degree of ambiguity but ''Whose hand was I holding?'' And the bending door. Subtle and insidious movie.
Oh yes! My sister and I would watch this as kids and were scared silly. As an adult, I thought it couldn't be that bad, watched it again...SCARED SILLY!!
@@suzimilligan I saw it as a 12 year old. Theatre packed so I had to watch it from the third row. I wanted the pounding on the door to stop. Scared the hell out of me but I loved it.
Yes! The original Haunting was the the best. So glad I found the DVD
The character of Eleanor Lance is an excellent portrayal of someone who has been emotionally abused since childhood and is therefore emotionally stunted.
The 1963 version of The Haunting is easily no.1 and the fact that you can't see what's in the house only adds to the scare. 😉👍
Best in the list The Haunting
The house they used in the film is just up the road from me in Stratford On Avon. It's a hotel now. They did wonders in the film with the strange angles and icy black and white photography. In reality it's not scary at all. Just a charming old country house!
That banging and the face in the wallpaper kept me awake for quite a while. Also, the house is beautiful.
I think the remake is like a ghost train, it's more fun than scary.
my favorite, love the tense soundtrack
I agree! I remember a friend of mine was chatting on the phone with a friend of his. The friend mentioned he was going to watch The Haunting that evening. Alone. I remember both of us shouting at the phone 'don't do it!'
So happy you included The Uninvited! I feel it is never mentioned enough - beautiful, haunted film. Great job!
I'd love to own that house. That film had a great cast.
And the materialisation of the ghost is highly effective, used to frighten and depress me as a kid.
The Legend of Hell House (1973) - A team of investigators stay in a haunted mansion.
The Forgotten One (1989) - Terry O'Quinn moves into a new house that happens to be haunted.
Haunted (1995) - Period film about a college professor who is called to help investigate a mansion that is reported haunted. Also an early role for Kate Beckinsale.
The House That Would Not Die (1970) - TV movie about a woman and her niece moving into the family home, which is haunted.
@@lurkerrekrul I loved The House That Would Not Die. The book is called Ammie, Come Home.
Hell house is not even on the list, when it should be top 5, #1 in my book.
There's another one I love made in the 60s about the ghost of a sea captain falling in love with the woman of the house
@@moonfire41 The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) ?
@@lurkerrekrul That's it. I remember now.
"The Haunting" from 1962 is the absolute best IMO.
I agree. No CGI, no practical special effects, but a dark very creepy atmosphere from start to finish. A classic !
I think so too. you can feel the terror in it.
For me it is the best horror movie of all time. NO gore! Nothing disgusting or sickening. I don't LIKE gory movies and don't think they are "horror" movies - they are, at best, "gorror" movies, and I don't watch most of them. The remake of "The Haunting" many years later is utter garbage and a desecration of the excellent Shirley Jackson book. My #2 is either "Poltergeist" or "Hell House" - but I have to admit, I have not seen many of these, or if I have, only once and long ago. The three I mentioned I've watched over and over through my life (I'm 74).
@@DalokiMauvais I agree. I saw it when it was first released at the Esquire Theater in Chicago back around 1962. I was 14, and it is quite a memory seeing it on the big screen. I am 75 now. I recommend a movie called "Black Sunday" if you can find it. The old Hammer Horror movies with Christopher Lee are also watchable, especially "Horror Express". If you like to read creepy horror try the short stories of M. R. James and E. F. Benson.
@@peterpuleo2904 I loved Christopher Lee's Dracula but have never heard of "Horror Express" - I'll have to look for it. "Black Sunday" seemed familiar but it turns out I _had_ seen the movie of the same name about the Super Bowl. Thanks also for the authors' names - I've read some James but Benson is a new one.
I was happy to see THE OTHERS get some kudos. Definitely a great movie. THE GHOST AND MRS MUIR is another favorite in my collection.
I liked both the movie and series of "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir". I was a young man when the series aired and found it actually kind of comforting.
No, Mr.Chicken
I also loved the kids' performances in The Others, especially the little girl. The way she constantly confronts Nicole Kidman, revealing little details of what happened... so good.
agreed
@@sherrismith8874 i have never seed that picture
I loved The Others. It is a must see! My favorite is The Haunting with Julie Harris and The Changeling with George C Scott. Thanks to you, I finally watched The Uninvited, and The Innocents. Both are excellent! I will have to watch Lake Mongo next. Thoroughly enjoyed your list!
An absolute classic & one of my personal favorites 👍
The Changeling 1980
Stars George C Scott.
Romantic Hollywood ghost story is The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
I love that movie.
With the wonderful score by Bernard Herrmann. 💙👻
One of my favorites. ❤
Absolutely loved that film .
That film is so good it's on my top ten films of all time
Strong choices. I would find a place for The Woman in Black. One of my favorites is The Canterville Ghost with Charles Laughton
Ooooh yeah, the woman in black is one of my favorite movies. I'm not sure if it's "haunted house" or more curse or what, but I love that the suspense alone is enough to be creepy. I read the story it was based on, and I have to admit the movie did it better. The book kinda failed at being suspenseful and in my opinion just read like a guy scared of his own shadow, but the movie did what the book couldn't accomplish
I second those two…plus one that other people are mentioning “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.”
Absolutely love The Woman in Black"!
There’s one haunted house movie that I never hear mentioned. It’s called “The Sentinel” from 1977. It’s an unknown, underrated, classic from the 70’s with an absolutely incredible cast. Chris Sarandon, Christina Raines, Beverly D’Angelo,Burgess Meredith, Ava Gardner, John Carradine, Martin, Balsom, Eli Wallach, Jerry Orbach, Jose Ferrer, Arthur Kennedy, and Christopher Walken, Tom Beringer, and Jeff Goldblum in tiny parts, that if you blink you’ll miss them. Some truly spooky scenes and a crazy, crazy ending!
I know this film, though I don't like it very well. It seems to imply those who die in a certain manner which I believe UA-cam doesnt like mentioned, are condemned to perdition. Only a movie, but rather insensitive even for a horror film.
Chris Sarandon is a wonderful actor. He was excellent in Fright Night and also The Princess Bride.
This film is very frightening to me. For some reason, it really creeps me out. Burgess Meredith is a trip in this movie. "Black and white cat, black and white cake."
Great choice in the Sentinel. That movie scared me as a kid. I saw it as an older adult and was unsettled still.
@@darrenmiller6927 Especially when the old man came out from behind the door! That scared the hell out of me when I was a kid. 😂
The Haunting (1963 version of Shirley Jackson’s novel) is THE BEST in my opinion!
My favorite novel, well that & James Herberts Ghosts Of Sleath.
My #1 is “The Haunting” but I have zero hate for your list.
Since you love them both, I hope you’ve caught the reference to “The Uninvited” in “Poltergeist”.
When everything seems fine in the outdoor moving scene, JoBeth Williams character smiles and says “Mm! Smell that mimosa!” …which, of course is the scent that preceded the ghost in “The Uninvited”. It’s something very few would have caught in 1982, but it cleverly telegraphs that it’s not over yet! 🙂
Machfront, Nice catch! I keep searching for the Uninvited but can’t find it…
Wow! thanks for that info. I will watch Uninvited this October.
@@klaatu368 do you search your local library system?
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken! It may not be the best movie, but we loved Don Knotts in our house growing up and its so much fun!
Also The Innocents is my favorite horror movie of all time. Legitimately scary movie from the 60s!
If you liked The Orphanage then you should definitely watch the Guilermo Del Toro movie The Devil's Backbone if you haven't already. It's set during the Spanish civil war, & is about a group of boys living in an isolated orphanage that turns out to be haunted.
The Devil’s Backbone is one of my favorite movies of any genre.
Yes! I saw that in the theater - a very haunting movie, whose name I had forgotten. Thank you!
Very Good Movie!!
You had me at The Uninvited and The Changeling. I had never seen The Uninvited until my wife mentioned seeing it as a kid and immediately fell in love with the atmosphere created in that movie. But The Changeling! Saw that on tv when I was a kid and it changed how I saw horror as a genre. The writing, the atmosphere, the cinematography, and the acting are amazing. Telling the story without any ghost effects at all really and it's still fantastically creepy and suspenseful. So good to see those two movies getting recognition.
SHIRLEY JACKSON'S "THE HAUNTING" ORIGINAL 1963.👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Wow I can’t believe The Orphanage was at the top of your list! It’s one of my all time favourites and I find it very emotional. Fantastic list thanks! Btw, if you haven’t seen Lady in White by Frank LaLoggia, I highly recommend it. It’s a wonderful ghost film that really mesmerised me as a kid.
I love this movie Lady in White
So glad that House on Haunted Hill was referenced. It's one of my personal favorites. The dialogue between Vincent Price and Carol Ohmart is so great! It also features terrific character actor Elisha Cook who also is in Stephen King's Salem's Lot.
👹☠️🦇👌
Agree but I love the remake but it’s what got me to find the original, just like miracle on 34th street
@@jmurray2018We don't speak of the alleged remake.
Elisha Cook could scare you by reading the phone book to you.
The Legend of Hell House. I was shocked this one didn't make it onto you list.
Since no one else has, just thought I'd point out that the undead/ghost soldier in House -- Big Ben -- was played by Richard Moll, who also played the amiable "Bull" in the TV show 'Night Court'. He recently passed away, last October, at the age of 80! (I was surprised to learn that he was that old). RIP Richard Moll...
OMG he was so funny in Night Court, especially the scenes where he realizes he's the sanest one in the room. "Ohhhhhkay!" I love when they visit his apartment and the tops of all the doorways are broken.
I worked with him briefly on an industrial film, a side project he took on during his Night Court days. He was a very thoughtful guy, friendly and down-to-earth. Classic character, Richard Moll. 🙏🏼
I love the old Haunting movie. I think that Eleanor is the ghost. She is not dead, at the beginning anyway, but is like a ghost in life. She is not loved or wanted by anyone. She is lonely and has been used by her family who have no love or respect for her. In the end she becomes a more traditional (dead) ghost but was a walking ghost in life. So sad.
I love this idea
I love this perception: the novel brilliantly played out the unreliable narrator but its sadness was that the house was the only entity that showed interest, and by the time this was understood it was too late.
Good thought. I found Eleanor annoying at first, but then felt sorry for her.
The Haunting based on Shirley Jackson novel is one of the most terrifying movies I have ever seen.
The Changeling is one of my favorites. The acting was really great and it definitely creepy.
The Haunting is a classic of suspense filmmaking..even tho its in monochrome ..it's effect is chilling...a cut above other productions along the same lines...no gratuitous schlock horror nonsense...Julie Harris is superb as the terrified recipient of supernatural forces determined she shall not leave the house
.
I was just curious if this made the list. If not, then I would question the validity of choices made given The Haunting's premise and execution. Sad that it's legacy became 'Hell House'.
Totally agree with "The Haunting" being the no.1.
Black-and-white is not an absence of color. (In fact it IS color. Black and white are two colors). Shooting on black-and-white film is a completely different style - black and white film has qualities that you can NEVER achieve on color film. It is a style choice.
The monochrome adds so much to The Haunting, I honestly think we'd have forgotten it if it was in color.
A great underrated Irish gothic horror movie is "The Lodgers" (2017). It involves a cursed brother and sister forced to live in a haunted house. To keep the ghosts as bay they have to follow 3 rules: 1. be in your room by midnight, 2. don't bring in strangers and 3. they can't move away.
So they had to stay in their rooms 24 hours a day?
Just watched this one again! I love it!
As a 12-year-old, I was traumatized in the theatre by "Burnt Offerings", in the Autumn of 1976, as were my older sisters. The final three minutes are some of the most haunting cinema of my entire life. I will NEVER forget the impression it made on me. EASILY one of my Top Five scary movies of All-Time. ESSENTIAL "month-of-October" viewing....!!
Incidentally, my sisters & I saw it on a double-bill with the GREAT comedy "The Big Bus" in Columbia, Mississippi. Talk about a WEIRD double-feature....!! LOL
Yes I remember that ending to Burnt Offerings very well. Scared the shit out of me after watching on tv one night when I was about 11 yrs old.
I finally saw again when I was in my late 40's or so and Oliver Reed really could overact sometimes. Still ... a scary flick.
One of my faves.
It was creepy!
Every scene with that creepy chauffeur traumatized me, especially when he pushes the coffin at Bette Davis. I first saw it when I was a kid in the theaters then was lucky to see it again on the big screen several years ago at the same theater in Phoenixville PA where they filmed The Blob and hold annual Blobfest. I love the Big Bus, it was Airplane before Airplane existed!
To this day, the _ONLY_ horror movie to ever scare me was "The Haunting" (1963). It scared me as an atheist and still as a Christian. Its *creepiest* aspect is you never see a thing (save for the breathing walls maybe). That's the one thing that makes it my favorite.
"Poltergeist" was fantastic and while it didn't scare me, I was completely invested in the adventure and the mom's willingness to die to save her own daughter. Anecdotally, the swimming pool scene used real cadavers as it was cheaper than using replicas. Apparently they failed to inform Jo Beth Williams and she said later that if she had known, she would have walked off the set.
As other commentators have written, I appreciate that this is another manufactured list like so many "Top 20" or "Greatest whatever" lists. I can't wait to see more.
IMHO The original Haunting of Hell House was so very good because they didn't go overboard on special effects and allowed imagination to run wild.
A-list casting really elevates these movies! Vincent Price, Julie Harris, Margaret Rutherford, Rex Harrison, Claire Bloom, Deborah Kerr, Sylvia Sidney, Burgess Meredith, Bette Davis, Ray Milland, George C. Scott, Karen Black, Nicole Kidman - wow, what a list
The TV terror movies of Dan Curtis need to be seen more widely, they're always so creative. I think most of them are on youtube now for anyone interested.
Great "ritual," Daniel!
Absolutely, there are some amazing actors in these movies!
Burnt Offerings scared me so much when I was young. One of my absolute favorites!
OMG, the scene where the undertaker drags the coffin up the stairs scared the heck out of me as a kid.
I still wonder about the old couple and that house but I guess that part of what's scary ,not really fully understand ing the dynamic of what's going on or how it started
Well done, Daniel, and I have to admit you have chutzpah taking on such an overcrowded subgenre. Three films come to my mind that you haven't mentioned that could possibly be in my top 20. One is 1973's The Legend of Hell House, yet another story written by the beloved and prolific Richard Matheson. Also from 1973, the TV movie Don't Be Afraid of the Dark; though I realize one could debate if the scary entities are ghosts or not. Then on a more subdued, and romantic note, 1947's The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, starring the beautiful Gene Tierney, and Rex Harrison as the ghost. I'm going to check out a few of the films on your list that I haven't seen.
I'm so thrilled that three of my favorite haunted house movies made your list - 'Crimson Peak', 'The Changeling', and 'The Others'. I'm encouraged to watch some of the films you've included that I haven't yet seen.
I'd like to recommend 1946's 'The Time of Their Lives', starring Abbott and Costello. It's a really fun ghost story, but also a romance.
The Haunting is the best IMO. Glad you put it on your list. What makes it sooo very scary is suggestions of ghosts. Love your list!
Thank you!
Great list! So glad to see "The Changeling" (1980) on your list! It really doesn't get the accolades it deserves. I also probably would have put "Paranormal Activity" (2007) and / or the sequel "Paranormal Activity 2" (2010) (expanding the list or adding some "Honorable Mentions").
You need to see or revisit "The Legend of Hell House" based on Richard Matheson's novel "Hell House". IMO the grandfather of all haunted house tales! I can't believe it was not included and in my list would be #1
I actually revisited it before I made this list. It just didn’t make the cut for me. But I’m glad you enjoy it so much!
This film scared me more than any others as a kid, and even as a teen.
Yeah, #1 for me, too. Hands down. Matheson admitted that he used Shirley Jackson's _The Haunting of Hill House_ as the basic blueprint for _Hell House_ , but he cranked the horror level up to 11.
i get the Matheson House mixed up with the Shirley Jackson House. Starting to figure out why i was so confused.
So glad you put (The Others) in there. That movie is the ultimate spooky house horror of the past 3 decades. It's got ghosts galore and jump scares that will knock everything else out of the park. And the ending is to die for, literally.
It is one of the best horror movies in the last 30 years.
@@Giselle62 Agree, i watch it every Halloween, and i also love Stephen Kings Misery, I love psychological thrillers.
Exceptional video! I’m really glad you spoke on “Lake Mungo”. That film lived under my skin for quite some time. It was extremely effective in its delivery. And not enough people are talking about it. You have some great picks here, Mr. Epler!
Thanks David!!
“Lake Mungo” is the scariest movie ever made!!
Omg
Still have chills
Yep. Great list. Only film I was hoping to see is "The Legend of Hell House". That movie scared the daylights out of me when I first watched as an older kid. Thanks for the cool episode!
In The Haunting there is a scene where the spirit is pounding on the solid oak doors. the doors are bending under the pressure. That sound of the deep pounding has become stuck in my head. I saw this movie 5 decades ago. Sometimes I wake up at night hearing it still.
When I saw you lighting the candles I thought you were going for the Abbot and Costello bit. The boys are in a haunted house and Lou lights a candle. In front of Lou it moves but when Bud looks nothing happens.
DIsney Imagineers Yale Gracey and Rolly Crump were fans of The Haunting. They used this movie as inspiration for The Haunted Mansion. The breathing door has been a target of plussing since the beginning. They did the best with what materials were available and they needed to create. Frankly, I love the movie version, and I love that which is in the Corridor of Doors in the attraction.
Your reply reminded me of an A&C movie which was of a haunted house - Costello was the ghost from the American revolution - I think I would have included it as another comedy.
@@robwolf2152 The movie is called The Time of Their Lives. Yes it is a lot of fun you are thinking about a scene where Lou/Heratio is pounding o a furnace.
the old wheelchair scene chasing the lady down the stairs in "the Changeling" traumatized me as a kid, i could not sleep after seeing that old spider webbed mothballed rusty old creeky wheelchair move on its own
Yes, easily the scariest scene ever!!
That wheelchair and the red ball are more terrifying than 99% of most horror movies. I first saw that movie in college and it scared the bjeezus out of me. I was literally scared to walk back to my dorm. SO many amazing scenes. Great cast, including Star Trek's first major Klingon character John Colicos as the detective. I also didn't appreciate who Melvyn Douglas was at the time but now when I see it, my wife and I say "Have a potato" followed by "thank you, I should love a potato" when he first appears.
I’m happy to see that this isn’t the typical cut and paste haunted house list. There are some great hidden gems on this list. It’s great to see the Changeling on here too. Such an amazing movie that no one seems to know about
Thanks!!
I've been a fan of the Changeling since early mid 80s..
I can't believe that "The Legend of Hell House" didn't even make the list. My all time favorite.
14:00 #14 The Haunting (1963). It's funny how the presenter goes out of their way to defend their low ranking against the inevitable onslaught of rabid fans of The Haunting. I'm one of them, reporting for duty. I caught The Haunting some Sunday afternoon on local TV when I was maybe 13. It sank its claws into me and never let go. It has terrific acting in it, a great script, faithfulness to its source, and some truly artful technical cinematography. One of those movies that made me want to make movies.
Happy to see THE CHANGELING so high on this list since I don't think it gets talked about enough but couldn't help noticed another film missing, that has been mentioned a few times in the comments below, THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE.
The Haunting from 1962, The Legend of Hell House and the original 13 Ghosts that has an interesting idea for a story and kind of creepy. Great list.
Legend of Hell House will always be my top favorite haunted house film. I've been a big fan of Roddy McDowell since he was in Planet of the Apes and saw this film in the theaters at least 5 times when it first came out in 1973. The music by Delia Derbyshire and Brian Hodgson was amazing. It was done with synthesizers which were somewhat new at the time--Delia Derbyshire did the theme for Dr. Who, also. The music is creepy, bizarre and totally effectively eerie. It's a great film, IMO.
Michael Flanagan has redone, spectacularly, "Haunting of Hill House", "Haunting of Bly Manor" remake of "Turn of the Screw"
And "the best remake" is "THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER" With tons of Poe references!!❤❤❤❤❤❤
I've just watched The Fall of the House of Usher. Being an Edgar Allen Poe fan, I loved all the references, it was almost like a little game. And it was visually beautiful to watch.
The haunting (1963) is the quintessential haunted house movie. My sister and i watch it every Halloween.
This may be my favorite genre of horror/suspense, so thank you for making a video celebrating it. Truly a superb list Daniel - it shares so many of my personal favorites! I appreciate that you added some comedy and camp - like you, I love when spooky intermingles with comedy. I would like to recommend that you peep The Legend of Hell House (circa 1973); it just may end up on your "Top 21 Haunted House Movies".
Thank you!!
Blithe Spirit is such a fabulous film...so happy you included it.
Margaret Rutherford was wonderful in that.
Great list! Some of these I haven't herd of so I will def give them a watch! One you missed or didn't make your list was "13 Ghosts" where the house was definitely a character as well as the ghosts themselves.
I love your list! I am so glad you included the Changeling- such s Creepy Classic Movie !
Such a great list! Im going to watch Lake Mungo soon. I've never heard of it. I held my breath waiting to hear your thoughts on "The Legend Of Hell House." Maybe next time 😉
If you hadn't had the 1963 "The Haunting" on the list, I would have been disappointed. I've loved that film since childhood! My younger sibs and I used to play Hill House. The end can still make me shiver. Back in the early 1980s I showed it as a Halloween treat to the 13-year-old son of my commander (who sometimes parked him in my medical library across the hall). We'd both gone to see "Poltergeist" in the theater, so I didn't know how he'd take the old film. I'd closed the curtains and was sitting in the rocking chair. He was sitting hardly two feet away, but five minutes in he was sitting at my feet and asking me to open the curtains.
The Haunting (1963 version) is #1 on my list. The fact that you don’t see the ghost/s is what makes it so terrifyingly creepy. Also it is the only version that faithfully follows the book.
There´s a really good audiobook version of it here on youtube (Classic Ghost Stories Podcast - Tony Walker).
So glad you added some old and some newer. "The Others" OMG...such a fantastic pick 💜
Great list! I agree with most of them, The Ghost and Mrs Muir is a great movie that meets the criteria. Definitely a new subbie!
"Audrey Rose" with Anthony Hopkins and Marsha Mason is another great one! And oh, their Manhattan apartment!😎
@@sandtats I think Audrey Rose was a reincarnation movie rather than a haunted house movie
I love a good scary movie in a gorgeous apartment. Rosemarys Baby falls into the same category.
The Legend Of Hell House is my favorite.
Can't believe that you did not include Richard Matheson's "The Legend of Hell House" (1973) A True great
Great list, but I agree that The Legend of Hell House, and The Conjuring 2 should be on it. Both terrifying! But what about The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe? It has all the things you like: great locations, spooktacular mansion, ghosts appearing in the background, and great atmosphere with such a sense of dread! If you haven't seen it, treat yourself to a fantasmic feast!
The Haunting 1963 better be number 1
For some reason, I always get "The Innocents" and "The Uninvited" mixed up in my head, exchanging various scenes into an epically incoherent mashup. But they're both great on their own, as intended! :)
haha That’s pretty funny
You should do an edit of both based on what's in your head.
Both these films I saw for the first time with my mother when I was little…not really into it herself, she still always encouraged my interest in ghost stories. I loved the Uninvited, it had its spooky moments for sure - but was on the light-hearted side, nowhere near as dark as The innocents. That one scared the hell out of me. It’s still the one film, and novel, I measure all the others by.
Some of these are a little too over the top or sappy for me, but happy to see Lake Mungo here, it doesn’t get mentioned much. It’s the creepiest film of the last few decades. My mother introduced me to The Innocents when I was around 10 years old. Scared me like no other movie ever has, still does. The Changeling was a great one as well.
Curious. Both films are well made, but I don't find either very frightening. The Innocents in particular I find "so-so".
Thank you for putting "The Uninvited" with Ray Milland in the Top Ten. You were generous with the film's cuts. An excellent selection of haunted houses. A few new ones I didn't see---yet.👻👻👻
The returning rubber ball scene is really creepy
I forgot about The Uninvited. I loved that film when I saw it. Fantastic.
No "The Legend Of Hell House"?? How could you not have in this list when you have good but lesser films listed? I am hoping you have not seen it yet. Kudos for having the great "Burnt Offerings" on here.
I actually rewatched it before making this list to see if it would make it. I like it okay, but it can’t crack the top 20 for me.
The two best are The Legend of Hell House and Burnt Offerings. The Sentinel also holds up well.
Oh man. That Burnt Offerings movie freaked me the hell out when I was a kid.
Same
I was glad to see The Changeling on the list and put so high up, it's such a great classic haunted house film. Some really scary scenes!! Great list overall.
Yep, The Orphanage. I was so glad you made this number 1. Very believable movie and very unique.
So good
My favourite too.
Some of my favorite movies in this genre are on your list:
The Others, The Orphanage, The Changeling, Stir of Echoes. Of the few I own, I'd recommend Ghost Story from 1981. All of these still give me chills.
Ghost Story is truly underrated.
Stir of Echos excellent
Adding my voice to all those who recommend both The Legend of Hell House and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.
One of my favorite haunted house movies is The Hearse with Trish VanDeVere, which never gets the attention and appreciation it deserves. It is truly creepy and atmospheric and so so good. The whole movie is on UA-cam so check it out!! You won't be sorry.
The Haunting #1 forever
G0ood list. Thanks for sharing. I hoped The Haunted 1991 with Sally Kirkland would be on the list somewhere. That was my fave.
The Screaming Skull (1958). Well, at least there's a house. And a ghost... eventually.
Young man, you have excellent taste! I didn’t expect to see The Changeling on your list. New subscriber but old man, 😊.
Such a great channel. I reckon the 2010s Woman in Black is the best recent haunted house movie. Ok, its got Harry Potter in it, but the J-Horror twist is really effective and it's a masterclass in suspense.
Yeps that’s number 2 on my list.. I think maybe he needs to re-watch some movies he might change his mind
I can't believe it wasn't on the list either. It's seriously creepy.
I also saw the live stage play, which was very well written and very creepy. The earlier version of the Woman in Black, which is a BBC classic, scared me so much that I can't bear to watch it alone!
There's one called " The Other " that I consider worth watching. It's a movie that you think about long after you see it.
I’m so glad you included both The Others and Blithe Spirit, as well as the masterpiece The Innocents. One film I’ve never heard anyone discuss is “A Place of One’s Own” with James Mason and Margaret Lockwood. One of the eeriest films I’ve ever seen. Loved this, thank you!❤️
The changeling with George c. Scott is my all time favorite
I was looking for this comment. One of my favorite movies of all time!
That's it. I thought that movie was a bomb ... the one black mark in George C Scott's illustrious career (although I just thought of Firestarter ...). I have to revisit The Changeling which I honestly don't remember now that i'm thinking about it.
The seance scene in The Changeling is one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever seen on film. It’s a classic film with a great George C. Scott performance.
I was about to comment “why have I never seen this?” Then I realised it’s been uploaded 25 mins ago 😂
Love this video! I adore haunted house movies. House on Haunted Hill is my favourite 😁
haha You’re right on time! Thank you!
So glad you had The Changeling on here! It’s one of the first horror movies I ever saw and it haunts me to this day, that bathtub scene is gut wrenching 😢
#15 "The House on Haunted Hill". I grew up in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles, and the house used for the exterior shots, sat in the Hills above Vermont Ave. I always enjoyed seeing this iconic Frank Lloyd Wright house, once I discovered the film after seeing it on Television. I think the reason this film, "The Old Dark House", "Psycho", and "The Haunting", worked so well for me, is how being filmed in black and white, really added to the moodiness of the film.
So happy you included The Uninvited. Such a great ghost story and to this day I still need something to 'hide' behind during the 'haunting' scenes.
Some great choices, and some I never would have included. But basically, for me, the first two spots on this list should be occupied by the original The Haunting and The Legend of Hell House. The Haunting is hands down the greatest haunted house film ever made, in my less-than-humble opinion. I get what you say about Eleanor. But honestly once she's at the house, I'm not annoyed anymore. To me, it's everything a "real" haunted house would be.
To omit Legend of Hell House... well, that's just wrong.
I totally agree with you about "The Haunting" in 1963.
The Legend Of Hell House is a very well made film, but is it that scary? The Haunting still sends shivers down my spine every time I watch it, and I'm deep into middle-age now. Wonderful film. Indeed, Robert Wise's second most frightening film after...The Sound Of Music.
@@vordman I DO agree that of the two, The Haunting is the scarier by far. But Legend is creepy and works very well in its own way.
The original "The Cat and the Canary" is a silent film worth watching. It started many of the hoary haunted house tropes but, on its own terms, is funny, spooky and entertaining.
The version thar Bob Hope made was excellent, and there was also a British version made in the late 70s or early 80s that was excellent as well.
The Others is one of the best. The twist caught me completely off guard. So many other great ones on this list.
Awesome list. For comedies, have you ever seen the Topper movies, in particular "Topper Returns" from the 1940s? I grew up on that movie and it is hilarious. Topper's wife is played by Billie Burke, who played Glinda in The Wizard of Oz. If you've never seen them, it's about a regular guy who can see ghosts and in this particular film, a ghost of a woman he meets (while alive) on the side of the road) comes back to enlist his help in finding her killer. Topper has to balance doing this with keeping his wife from knowing what he's up to. It's a riot.
Yes always liked the Topper movies 😂
I think the reason the Amityville Horror was a lot scarier when it came out was because at the time it wasn’t considered a hoax and there was an episode of In Search Of with Leonard Nimoy that came out around the same time so it seemed very real. This was in the ancient days before the internet and my parents wouldn’t let me watch it, so it seemed very mysterious and scary to me as a child. Kids nowadays are used to CGI and jump scares so it might seem slow to them.
It’s kind of like Blair Witch Project, it seemed a lot more real when it first came out and that made it scarier.
Great list, appreciate the Fulci shout outs! Another haunted house (or in this case haunted castle) movie I love is Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes. A gorgeous and trippy gothic horror film that takes some pretty unexpected turns.