For folks who want to call themselves knowledgable horror film fanatics, what are the essential movies to build this base of knowledge on? 

What are the movies you simply must see--just have to?

And no quirky favorites that hardly no one's heard of and can only be seen on a PAL viewer--unless it really brought something to the genre.  I won't suggest Night of the Lepus or Gargoyles.

I'd say some are obvious:

The Exorcist

Psycho

Jaws

Alien

The Shining

Halloween

I'd say the Romero group

at least Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead

At least a couple of Universal films from the 30's, a Val Lewis from the 40's, a Hammer film or two  from the 60's (at least one Chris Lee Dracula)

Somthing psychlogical like the Other, Ghost Story, Woman in Black,

Something from Argento and Fulci--I would suggest Suspiria and Zombie

Others maybe that come to mind American Werewolf in London, Carrie, Interview with the Vampire, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Evildead series,The Omen, Freddy, Jason -- what else is "Essential"  or what of my suggestions do you think should be removed.

For extra credit: Shaun of the Dead and Nightmare before Christmas

Definately some old classics like Frankenstein and Creature from the Black Lagoon. Also Invasion of the body snatchers and rosemary's baby. Definately some of Cronenberg's stuff like Scanners and The Fly. Definately Hellraiser and Hellraiser II. Poltergeist, the original Hills Have Eyes, Ringu, The Lost Boys, I'm sure im missing heaps more.

When it comes to horror though bro, everything is essential.

*Except new wave teen slasher flicks. They must return to the OC and die horribly.

*throws 2 cents in*

Alien - quintissential and groundbreaking

I'd add Day of the Dead (1985 version PLEASE) to that Romero list, it's my favourite of all zombie horrors and is a damn fine standalone horror flick in itself

Basket Case and Pirahna - cheapies, cheapies, cheapies! Always good value

Friday the 13th Part II - THE slasher flick

Nightmare on Elm Street - what can i say? If you havent seen it, GET OUTTA MY OFFICE!!!! *BLAM *BLAM*

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (original 1974 version ONLY) if you havent seen...ehhh see my comment above!

aaaaaaaaaand....*drum? roll, my man!* Re Animator (1985) THE example of schlock horror from the 80's

In case you havent figured it out, I think the 70's and 80's were the KILLER decades for horror films

In addition to Pumpboy's list, I think The Birds, The Stepford Wives (original), Trilogy of Terror (doll segment), The Thing (remake), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (I prefer the 1978 version), Rosemary's Baby, and Nightmare on Elm Street (which I don't much like) are essential. (I can't include Friday the 13th because it is to my mind just a poor man's Halloween.)

.

I'm not a big fan of mid-to-late eighties and nineties horror. Blair Witch ushered in a new era of "realistic" horror that I think is worthwhile, so I'd pick up the list from there, but I'll have to think more about which of the other more modern movies I'd consider essential.

It's nice to see some love for "Day of the Dead".  I keep reading about how much superior "Dawn" was, and it was better...but only slightly.  "Day of the Dead" had a much better gore factor and the actors were better than the ones in "Dawn" over-all.  "Dawn" may have had all the social commentary hoopla...but "Day" is just flat out good dirty fun.

Can we all just come to an agreement to not mention the fact that a remake exists that stars...Nick...freaking...Cannon.  The idea makes my brain bleed.

And as for my thoughts that aren't already on here:

Creepshow

Return of the Living Dead

Child's Play (it's kinda borderline)

The Descent

Scream

and Children of the Corn.  Mostly cuz I feel it's being unjustly swept under the rug.

What about the original Village of the damned?

original King Kong?

I'm glad that someone else will speak up for Children of the Corn

(#100 my ass!)

Can we all just come to an agreement to not mention the fact that a remake exists that stars...Nick...freaking...Cannon.  The idea makes my brain bleed.

Agreed!

Sorry bro, but I 100% disagree. I love Day of the Dead. It is one of my favorites, but Dawn of the Dead, in my opinion anyways, is one of the best horror films. I swear by it and could care less about the remake. It ain't about the social commentary either. It is one of those films that has spawned countless imitators and even caused Lucio Fucli to make an unofficial sequel, Zombie, which turned out to be another definitive classic. Dawn of the dead is the best.

I'm really...really....really sorry to be the possible bearer of bad news there MadMolly......

*links to new topic I just made*

no ones mentioned pet cemetary... so now I am

Nah...we agree on that.  I'm not taking away from "Dawn" at all...it is one of my five favorite films...I'm just saying "Day" doesn't get the credit it deserves generally (it gets more respect on this site than it usually does).

Nosferatu (1922)

Frankenstien (1910)

Der Golem

any of the original classics.

...I'd like to add Near Dark to the list

I would add The Howling to the essential list. I swear to God they used real Werewolves in that movie. If I threw in a

Argento movie it would be Demons. 28 days later, Dog Soldiers, High Tension and Pumpkinhead. Include those with almost all of Pumpboy's choices. I wasn't a real fan of the 60's vampire movies. But I would toss in The Fall Of The House Of Usher and The Omen ( original ). Those 2 movies scared the s@*t out of me as a child!

I would like to add Poltergeist and The Entity(with Barbara Hershey)That movie scared the shit outta me, but then again I was like 8 years old the first time I saw it.