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Chewers' 100 Scariest Films of the 60's - Page 2

post #51 of 81
10/27/11 at 2:47am

43. The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) dir. Roman Polanski

 

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A black comedy that features some really dark moments and plenty of chills.

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post #52 of 81
10/27/11 at 4:29am

44. The Plague of the Zombies (dir. John Gilling, 1966)

 

 

One of two films Hammer filmed back to back in Cornwall, and an atmospheric little piece of zombies, midnight trips to graveyards, threatened sexual assault, and a fiery climax. The undead in this one are surely an influence of Romero and we get one of the first sequences of a transformation from dead to undead.

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post #53 of 81
10/27/11 at 9:34am

45. The Collector (1965)

 

 

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"You could fall in love with me if you tried! I've done everything I could to make it easy. You just won't try!"

 

Terence Stamp finds that butterfly collecting is merely a gateway to pretty girl collecting. While not as explicitly horrific as Psycho or Peeping Tom, this film is every bit their creepy equal. Directed by the legendary William Wyler.

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post #54 of 81
10/27/11 at 7:36pm

46. Cape Fear (dir. J. Lee Thompson, 1962)

 

 

Robert Mitchum as Max Cady. Nightmare fuel.

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post #55 of 81
10/27/11 at 7:58pm
Thread Starter 

47. Experiment In Terror (1962) d. Blake Edwards

 

Slapstick master Blake Edwards delivers a edge-of-your-seat nightmare thriller. A very underrated film. Great performance from Lee Remick.

 

Allrovi Synopsis:

 

"Bank teller Lee Remick is accosted in her garage one dark night by asthmatic psycho Ross Martin. He forces her to go through with an elaborate robbery scheme, threatening to kill Lee's teen-aged sister Stefanie Powers if the police are summoned. FBI agent Glenn Ford suspects that something is amiss and advises Lee to play along with Martin, hoping in this way to capture this dangerous criminal with a minimum of bloodshed. Unfortunately, Martin is as clever as he is deadly, always managing to stay one step ahead of Ford. The now-famous climax of Experiment in Terror finds the feds closing in on Martin during a crowded night baseball game at San Francisco's Candlestick Park."

 

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post #56 of 81
10/27/11 at 8:05pm

48.  Jigoku aka The Sinners of Hell (1960)

 

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Literally, a vision of hell (according to this film, only Asian people go there. Phew!)

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post #57 of 81
10/29/11 at 8:36am

49. X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)

 

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My favourite Corman film. Cheapo directs Ray Milland in the story of a scientist who finds a way to enhance human eyesight. But as is so often the case, the SCIENCE GOES WRONG. Don Rickles is great in a supporting role. Unforgettable bleak-as-fuck ending.

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post #58 of 81
10/29/11 at 1:47pm

50. La Jetee (dir. Chris Marker, 1962)

 

You say you want a post-apokaliptic world and the story of a protagonist trapped by fate? Here's 28 minutes of brilliance with a world gone mad at its center.

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post #59 of 81
10/29/11 at 4:53pm
Thread Starter 

51. The Hands of Orlac  (1960)

 

"The frightening nightmare of a man who finds himself with hands he can't control!"

 

This remake of the Silent classic is an effective chiller in its own right. A creepy B.

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post #60 of 81
10/30/11 at 12:02pm

52. PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES (1965) dir. Mario Bava

 

 

Before ALIEN, THE BLACK HOLE, EVENT HORIZON, etc. this was the original "gothic horror in outer space" film, and one of the best. I think Scott and O'Bannon have denied it influenced ALIEN, which seems impossible. But even if their claim is true, the comparison gives you an idea of how effective and ahead of its time this film was and is. Bava was a god of otherworldly atmosphere and visuals, and even though you can kinda tell it's low budget, the care put into the lighting, cinematography, and design makes it seem like it could be from 10-15 years later than most of its actual contemporaries.

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post #61 of 81
10/31/11 at 11:05am

53. Strait-Jacket (1964)

 

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I like most William Castle films because they're hard not to like, but this is the only time he ever genuinely freaked me out. Joan Crawford was fucking terrifying here.

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post #62 of 81
10/31/11 at 12:05pm

54. Spirits of the Dead (d. Vadim, Malle, Fellini, 1968)

 

I direct your attention mainly to the Fellini segment, Toby Dammit.

 

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post #63 of 81
10/31/11 at 12:22pm

55. Blood Feast (H.G. Lewis, 1963)

 

Two Thousand Maniacs is actually better, but this was the first horror from lovable ol' Herschell Gordon. Yes, he was name-checked in Juno. No, that doesn't make his movies any less fun. (Or awful.)

 

Always found it funny how the posters and VHS art made the killer look like a dinner-theater Mark Twain impersonator, while the dude in the actual movie looks more like...well, a dinner-theater Alan Arkin (circa 1960s) impersonator, with baby powder in his hair.

 

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Also, "Fuad Ramses" is an awesome name. And "He died a fitting end for the garbage he was" is a line John Waters would've been proud of.

 

Also, I want to know a hell of a lot more about Allison Louise Downe, co-writer of this flick and apparently one of HGL's nudie regulars (and his wife from '62 to '71). How much (and what) did she contribute to the script? What did she do after leaving Lewis' circle? A Mary Harron-style biopic of a nudie actress, and cowriter (and, later, assistant director) and make-up/FX artist of gore flicks, would kick every kind of ass. Diablo Cody, get on this!

 

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post #64 of 81
10/31/11 at 12:23pm
Thread Starter 

56. The Day of the Triffids (1962)

 

The original 28 DAYS LATER. A very effectively scary film. I love the mood of it.

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post #65 of 81
10/31/11 at 7:22pm

57. The Curse of the Werewolf (dir. Terence Fisher, 1961)

 

 

It takes awhile to get to Oliver Reed, but it delivers when it gets there. If the pace isn't breathless, at least it's compensated for with a good story.

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post #66 of 81
10/31/11 at 8:35pm
Thread Starter 

58 Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964) d. Herschell Gordon Lewis

 

H.G. Lewis' masterpiece. A year after the President was blown away in the South this film brilliantly plays on the unease the rest of the nation had of its deep South dark corners. Like A TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE a decade later, it's a Southern Thing, and it's terrifying.

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post #67 of 81
11/1/11 at 5:35am

59. Army of Shadows (dir. Jean-Pierre Melville, 1969)

 

 

A true life horror film, with the main characters in a world of paranoia where you can't trust your allies and death potentially waits behind every corner.

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post #68 of 81
11/1/11 at 9:45am

60.  Fail-Safe (1964)

 

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Crazy tense doomsday thriller from director Sidney Lumet, who reunites with his Juror #8, Henry Fonda. But instead of one young man accused of murder, this time it's the fate of all humanity at stake. Like the serious-as-a-heart-attack sibling to Dr. Strangelove (this movie was a flop, apparently Stanley Kubrick's film cockblocked it at the box office)

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post #69 of 81
11/1/11 at 12:01pm
Thread Starter 

61. Children of the Damned (1963)

 

Kind of CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE to the original's CAT PEOPLE. While lacking the chills of the original, it does have its own charms.

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post #70 of 81
11/3/11 at 2:58pm

62. The War Game (1965)

 

"Oh, where are you coming from, soldier, gaunt soldier,

With weapons beyond any reach of my mind,

With weapons so deadly the world must grow older

And die in its tracks, if it does not turn kind?"

 

 

 

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Lots of scary black-and-white pseudo documentary style stuff going on in the 60s (NOTLD, In Cold Blood, etc) and you can add this one to the list. It's the granddaddy of all "survivors will envy the dead" movies, especially Threads which was a powerful experience in its own right, but wouldn't exist without this film. Highly controversial at the time, director Peter Watkins (Punishment Park) won an Oscar but it was banned from British TV for 20 years, and even though such decisions are almost always foolish it's not hard to see why. Decades later, there are images in this film that still have the power to disturb and haunt.

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post #71 of 81
11/5/11 at 9:57am

63. The Devil Rides Out (1968)

 

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Devil worship: THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME KNOWN TO MANKIND (dramatic music sting)

 

Hammer horror classic directed by the great Terence Fisher, featuring one of my all time fave Chris Lee performances- he's very cool as the dignified, erudite, aristocratic hero, and really makes you wish he did more good guy roles. Bond-villain-to-be Charles Gray is also excellent as his nemesis Mocata, sinister master of the Dark Arts. This film probably takes Satanism a bit too seriously, but the few silly or campy moments are outnumbered by undeniably intense sequences (e.g. rearview mirror hypnosis, Mocata paying a visit, the protective circle etc) and Fisher makes sure the whole thing moves at a cracking pace.

 

"It is the Goat of Mendes... The Devil Himself!"

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post #72 of 81
11/5/11 at 4:31pm
Thread Starter 

64. Homicidal (1961) d. William Castle

 

A silly PSYCHO rip (tho 'Time' had this to say: "It surpasses Psycho in structure, suspense and sheer nervous drive."), but I love Castle's gimmicks:

 

"This film contained a "Fright break" with a 45 second timer overlaid over the film's climax as the heroine approached a house harboring a sadistic killer. A voiceover advised the audience of the time remaining in which they could leave the theatre and receive a full refund if they were too frightened to see the remainder of the film."

 

And then there's his setting up of a "Coward's Corner":

 

"William Castle simply went nuts. He came up with 'Coward's Corner,' a yellow cardboard booth, manned by a bewildered theater employee in the lobby. When the Fright Break was announced, and you found that you couldn't take it anymore, you had to leave your seat and, in front of the entire audience, follow yellow footsteps up the aisle, bathed in a yellow light. Before you reached Coward's Corner, you crossed yellow lines with the stenciled message: 'Cowards Keep Walking.' You passed a nurse, who would offer a blood-pressure test. All the while a recording was blaring, "'Watch the chicken! Watch him shiver in Coward's Corner'!" As the audience howled, you had to go through one final indignity -- at Coward's Corner you were forced to sign a yellow card stating, 'I am a bona fide coward.' Very, very few were masochistic enough to endure this. The one percent refund dribbled away to a zero percent, and I'm sure that in many cities a plant had to be paid to go through this torture. No wonder theater owners balked at booking a William Castle film. It was all just too damn complicated."

 

 

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post #73 of 81
11/5/11 at 6:54pm

65. The Reptile (dir. John Gilling, 1966)

 

 

Filmed back to back with The Plague of the Zombies, The Reptile is the lesser of the two. That said, it shares a good atmosphere, a lot of touches of colonial India come back to haunt the British shores, and some decent scares. Plus Michael Ripper gets to save the day!

 

(Also, judging from the list to date, I see that someone's going to have to break down and watch some of the Corman/Price Poe films.)

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post #74 of 81
11/9/11 at 2:19pm

Personally I would leave the Corman/Poe stuff until the 80s or even 90s, but that's just me.

 

 

 

66. Burn, Witch, Burn a.k.a. Night of the Eagle (1962)

 

 

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Instead of posting an image or poster from the film, I went with a random picture of the film's star: international sex symbol, and icon of 1970s suavity (and ghostly creep from The Innocents!) Peter Wyngarde. Just because.

 

This is a dark and broody little mood piece where Wyngarde finds out that his wife dabbles in witchcraft. Often compared to Curse of the Demon, it's not quite in the same league as the Tourneur classic but still well worth a watch.

 

 

PS:

 

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post #75 of 81
11/11/11 at 4:48am

67. The Zapruder Film (dir. Abraham Zapruder, 1963)

 

Real world horror proves that no one is safe.

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post #76 of 81
11/11/11 at 12:25pm

68. Whistle and I'll Come To You (1968)

 

Jonathan Miller's adaption of "Oh, Whistle and I'll Come to You, My Lad" (by master of the ghost story, M.R. James). Is Michael Hordern being harassed by a supernatural presence, or is he just losing his marbles? Very low key, very psychological, very British. Definitely not for short attention spans- the whole thing is only 40 minutes long in total, but even then it takes its sweet time getting there. But get there it does.

 

Looks like the whole thing is on youtube:

 

 

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post #77 of 81
11/15/11 at 1:50pm

69. La Residencia (1969)

 

 

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Eerie and suspenseful gothic mystery from Spain, courtesy of Narcisco Ibanez Serrador (Who Can Kill a Child?). Big influence on the giallo output of guys like Argento and Dallamano in the following decade.

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post #78 of 81
11/15/11 at 2:14pm

This list is brilliant! 

 

Since TV is on the table...

 

 

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70.  Rod Serling's NIGHT GALLERY.  If Twilight Zone is the Beatles and Outer Limits is The Stones, Night Gallery's what, The Who?

 

 

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post #79 of 81
11/15/11 at 2:24pm

Technically I guess it would be like McCartney and/or Lennon post-Beatles solo output. Either way, love it.

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post #80 of 81
11/15/11 at 2:42pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by yt View Post

This list is brilliant! 

 

Since TV is on the table...

 

 

70.  Rod Serling's NIGHT GALLERY.  If Twilight Zone is the Beatles and Outer Limits is The Stones, Night Gallery's what, The Who?


Night Gallery is Black Sabbath.

 

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post #81 of 81
11/15/11 at 2:52pm
Thread Starter 

71. The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)

 

The underrated Hammer Frankenstein film. Love the call back to Karloff look of the creature.

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