Less And Best! List of The Masters of Horror And The Macabre!

1. Fritz Lang

Fritz Lang was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1890. His father managed a construction company. His mother, Pauline Schlesinger, was Jewish but converted to Catholicism when Lang was ten. After high school, he enrolled briefly at the Technische Hochschule Wien and then started to train as a painter. ...

Metropolis (1927) M (1931) The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)

2. Robert Wiene

Director | Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari

Robert Wiene was born on April 24, 1873 in Breslau, Silesia, Germany [now Wroclaw, Dolnoslaskie, Poland]. He was a writer and director, known for The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Das wandernde Licht (1916) and The Knight of the Rose (1925). He died on July 17, 1938 in Paris, France.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) Raskolnikow (1923)

3. Paul Leni

Director | The Man Who Laughs

Paul Leni was born on July 8, 1885 in Stuttgart, Germany. He was an art director and director, known for The Man Who Laughs (1928), Das Rätsel von Bangalor (1918) and The Last Warning (1928). He died on September 2, 1929 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

The Man Who Laughs (1928) Waxworks (1924) The Cat and the Canary (1927)

4. Tod Browning

Director | Dracula

Belonging to a well-situated family, Charles Browning fell in love at the age of 16 with a dancer of a circus. Following her began his itinerary of being clown, jockey and director of a variety theater which ended when he met D.W. Griffith and became an actor. He made his debut in Intolerance (1916)...

Freaks (1932) Dracula (1931) London After Midnight (1927)

5. Georges Franju

Director | Les yeux sans visage

Georges Franju is a figure of immense importance in the history of French cinema, not primarily for his films (exceptional though many of these are) but for being the co-founder, with Henri Langlois, of the Cinematheque Française in 1937--France's most famous and important film archive.

He worked ...

Eyes Without a Face (1960) Spotlight on a Murderer (1961) Judex (1963)

6. Michael Powell

Director | Peeping Tom

The son of Thomas William Powell and Mabel (nee Corbett). Michael Powell was always a self-confessed movie addict. He was brought up partly in Canterbury ("The Garden of England") and partly in the south of France (where his parents ran a hotel). Educated at Kings School, Canterbury and Dulwich ...

Peeping Tom (1960)

7. Alfred Hitchcock

Director | Psycho

Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born in Leytonstone, Essex, England. He was the son of Emma Jane (Whelan; 1863 - 1942) and East End greengrocer William Hitchcock (1862 - 1914). His parents were both of half English and half Irish ancestry. He had two older siblings, William Hitchcock (born 1890) and ...

Psycho (1960) Rear Window (1954) The Birds (1963)

8. William Castle

Director | Homicidal

William Castle was born on April 24, 1914 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and producer, known for Homicidal (1961), House on Haunted Hill (1959) and The Lady from Shanghai (1947). He was married to Ellen. He died on May 31, 1977 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

The Tingler (1959) House on Haunted Hill (1959) 13 Ghosts (1960)

9. Edward D. Wood Jr.

Writer | Plan 9 from Outer Space

Hacks are nothing new in Hollywood. Since the beginning of the film industry at the turn of the 20th century, thousands of untalented people have come to Los Angeles from all over America and abroad to try to make it big (as writers, producers, directors, actors, talent agents, singers, composers, ...

Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959) Bride of the Monster (1955) Glen or Glenda (1953)

10. Herschell Gordon Lewis

Director | This Stuff'll Kill Ya!

Only one film-maker can claim the title "Godfather of Gore." That peculiar but apt identification seems to be the exclusive property of Herschell Gordon Lewis. With an unusual background that included teaching English Literature to college students, producing and directing television commercials, ...

Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964) Blood Feast (1963) Color Me Blood Red (1965)

11. Brad F. Grinter

Director | Flesh Feast

Brad F. Grinter was born on May 18, 1922 in Illinois, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Flesh Feast (1970), Blood Freak (1972) and Devil Rider! (1970). He was married to Heather Grinter. He died in April 1993 in Miami, Florida, USA.

Blood Freak (1972) Flesh Feast (1970) Barely Proper (1975)

12. Joel M. Reed

Director | Killer Zombies from the Titanic

Joel M. Reed was born on December 29, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Killer Zombies from the Titanic, The G.I. Executioner (1971) and The Renegade Ghouls of Kaplan's Swamp. He died on April 14, 2020 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA.

Bloodsucking Freaks (1976) Blood Bath (1976) The G.I Executioner (1971)

13. Lucio Fulci

Writer | Lo squartatore di New York

Lucio Fulci, born in Rome in 1927, remains as controversial in death as he was in life. A gifted craftsman with a sharp tongue and a wicked sense of dark humor, Fulci achieved some measure of notoriety for his gore epics of the late 1970s and early 1980s, but respect was long in coming.

Abandoning ...

The Beyond (1981) The House by the Cemetery (1981) Zombie (1979)

14. Joe D'Amato

Director | Emanuelle e Françoise (Le sorelline)

Joe D'Amato was born Aristide Massaccesi on December 15, 1936, in Rome, Italy. At age 14 he began working for his father, a chief electrician and later the founder of the company A.C.M. By going to school in the daytime, Massaccesi worked afternoons part-time as a stagehand and stage cameraman ...

Death Smiles on a Murderer (1973) Antropophagus (1980) Absurd (1981)

15. Dario Argento

Writer | Profondo rosso

Dario Argento was born on September 7, 1940, in Rome, Italy, the first-born son of famed Italian producer Salvatore Argento and Brazilian fashion model Elda Luxardo. Argento recalls getting his ideas for filmmaking from his close-knit family from Italian folk tales told by his parents and other ...

Phenomena (1985) Suspiria (1977) Deep Red (1975)

16. Ruggero Deodato

Director | Deathcember

Ruggero Deodato was born on May 7, 1939, in Potenza, Italy, and grew up outside Rome. One of his close friends at the time was Renzo Rossellini, the son of famed Italian director Roberto Rossellini. Knowing Ruggerio's love for the movies, Renzo persuaded him to work as a second unit director on ...

House on the Edge of the Park (1980) Cannibal Holocaust (1980) Dial: Help (1988) Cut and Run (1985)

17. Jesús Franco

Writer | Der Teufel kam aus Akasava

He was only six years old when he started composing music under the protection of his brother Enrique. After the Spanish Civil War he was able to continue his studies at the Real Conservatorio de Madrid, where he finished piano and harmony. Being a Bachelor of Law and an easy-read novel writer (...

Christine, Princess of Eroticism (1973) Dracula Prisoner of Frankenstein (1972) Esmeralda Bay (1989)

18. Bruno Mattei

Editor | Double Target

Born in 1931, Bruno Mattei grew up in Rome, Italy, where his father owned a small film editing studio. At age 20 Bruno started working odd jobs at his father's company as his assistant, then went on to other small spots. He wanted to follow in his father's footsteps as a film editor, and soon found...

Rats (1984) Night of the Zombies (1980) Strike Commando (1987)

19. Bob Clark

Director | A Christmas Story

Bob Clark was born on August 5, 1939 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He was a director and writer, known for A Christmas Story (1983), Baby Geniuses (1999) and Porky's (1981). He died on April 4, 2007 in Pacific Palisades, California, USA.

Black Christmas (1974) Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (1973) DeathDream (1974)

20. Ted V. Mikels

Producer | The Doll Squad

Ted V. Mikels was born on April 29, 1929 in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. He was a producer and actor, known for The Doll Squad (1973), Blood Orgy of the She-Devils (1973) and Ten Violent Women (1982). He was married to Geneva Kirsch. He died on October 16, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

The Astro-Zombies (1968) The Corpse Grinders (1971) The Doll Squad (1973)

21. Herb Robins

Actor | Sinthia: The Devil's Doll

Herb Robins was born on January 12, 1930 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Sinthia: The Devil's Doll (1970), The Worm Eaters (1977) and The Funhouse (1981). He died on January 27, 2011 in California, USA.

The Worm Eaters (1977) The Brainsucker (1988)

22. Frank Henenlotter

Director | Bad Biology

Writer/director Frank Henenlotter was born August 29, 1950, in New York City. He gleefully "misspent" his youth watching a large array of blithely cheap'n'cheesy low-budget exploitation flicks in various seedy grindhouse theaters on Mahattan's 42nd St. He began making 8mm films as a teenager. His ...

Basket Case (1982) Brain Damage (1988) Frankenhooker (1990)

23. Mark Pirro

Director | A Polish Vampire in Burbank

According to the news program, Hard Copy, "Mark Pirro practically made Hollywood history with his 1983 feature comedy, A Polish Vampire in Burbank." Shot for the unbelievable budget of $2500, the feature went on to make back over a million dollars in home video and cable television distribution. It...

Deathrow Gameshow (1987) Nudist Colony of the Dead (1991) Curse of the Queerwolf (1988)

24. Joseph Zito

Director | Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

Joseph Zito is a well known action film director. Three of his movies--Missing in Action (1984), Invasion U.S.A. (1985) and Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)--each reached the #1 box office position of top grossing film in the country in their opening weeks of U.S. theatrical release. "...

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) The Prowler (1981)

25. George A. Romero

Writer | Land of the Dead

George A. Romero never set out to become a Hollywood figure; by all indications, though, he was very successful. The director of the groundbreaking "Living Dead" films was born February 4, 1940 ,in New York City to Ann (Dvorsky) and Jorge Romero. His father was born in Spain and raised in Cuba, and...

Martin (1977) Dawn of the Dead (1978) Creepshow (1982)

26. John Carpenter

Writer | The Fog

John Howard Carpenter was born in Carthage, New York, to mother Milton Jean (Carter) and father Howard Ralph Carpenter. His family moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where his father, a professor, was head of the music department at Western Kentucky University. He attended Western Kentucky ...

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) Halloween (1978) Escape from New York (1981)

27. Clive Barker

Writer | Nightbreed

Born in Liverpool, England, UK, Clive Barker is an English writer, director, and visual artist, best known for his works in the genres of horror and dark fantasy. His mother Joan Ruby (née Revill) was a painter and school welfare officer and his father Leonard Barker was a personnel director for an...

Hellraiser (1987) Nightbreed (1990) Lord of Illusions (1995)

28. Tobe Hooper

Director | The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Honored with many awards for his films and achievement in the horror genre, Tobe Hooper is truly one of the Masters of Horror (2005).

Tobe Hooper was born in Austin, Texas, to Lois Belle (Crosby) and Norman William Ray Hooper, who owned a theater in San Angelo. He spent the 1960s as a college ...

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) Poltergeist (1982) Spontaneous Combustion (1990)

29. Wes Craven

Writer | A Nightmare on Elm Street

Wes Craven has become synonymous with genre bending and innovative horror, challenging audiences with his bold vision.

Wesley Earl Craven was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Caroline (Miller) and Paul Eugene Craven. He had a midwestern suburban upbringing. His first feature film was The Last House on ...

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) Scream (1996) The Last House on the Left (1972)

30. Brian Yuzna

Producer | Beyond Re-Animator

Brian Yuzna was born on August 30, 1949 in Manila, Philippines. He is a writer and producer, known for Beyond Re-Animator (2003), The Dentist (1996) and Faust (2000). He is married to Cathy Yuzna. They have four children.

Society (1989) Bride of Re-Animator (1990) The Dentist (1996)

31. Fred Olen Ray

Director | Hatfields and McCoys: Bad Blood

Fred Olen Ray spent most of his childhood in Florida, where he was always a fan of horror movies on TV. He collected autographs of many of the actors in those films where he met Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. His early career was filled with low-budget horror and science-fiction films, but the ...

Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (1988) Scalps (1983) Evil Toons (1991)

32. Fred Dekker

Writer | The Monster Squad

Writer/director Fred Dekker was born on April 9, 1959 in San Francisco, California. An avid comic book fan, monster movie buff, and film nerd from an early age, Dekker was rejected by both USC and UCLA film schools. He wound up attending UCLA as an English major instead. His fellow UCLA classmates ...

Night of the Creeps (1986) The Monster Squad (1987) RoboCop 3 (1993)

33. Joel Schumacher

Director | The Phantom of the Opera

Joel Schumacher was an American film director, film producer, screenwriter and fashion designer from New York City. He rose to fame in the 1980s for directing the coming-of-age drama "St. Elmo's Fire" (1985), and the vampire-themed horror film "The Lost Boys" (1987). In the 1990s, he worked on two ...

The Lost Boys (1987) Flatliners (1990) The Number 23 (2007)

34. John Alan Schwartz

Writer | Knight Rider

John Alan Schwartz was born on November 7, 1952 in the USA. He was a writer and director, known for Knight Rider (1982), The Worst of Faces of Death (1987) and The Fall Guy (1981). He was married to Joan Alperin. He died on August 13, 2019 in the USA.

Faces of Death 1-6

35. Stacy Title

Director | Let the Devil Wear Black

Stacy Title was born on February 21, 1964 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. She was a director and producer, known for Let the Devil Wear Black (1999), The Last Supper (1995) and The Bye Bye Man (2017). She was married to Jonathan Penner. She died on January 11, 2021 in Los Angeles, ...

The Last Supper (1995) Let the Devil Wear Black (1999) Hood of Horror (2006)

36. Stuart Gordon

Writer | Re-Animator

Stuart Gordon started his film directing career in 1985. After graduating from Lane Technical High School, Gordon worked as a commercial artist apprentice prior to enrolling at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Unable to get into the film classes, he enrolled in an acting class and ended up ...

Re-Animator (1985) From Beyond (1986) Dolls (1987)

37. Don Coscarelli

Writer | Bubba Ho-Tep

In much the same way that director George A. Romero creative output has been primarily centered around the highly successful "Dead" series of zombie films, then fellow fantasy director Don Coscarelli has for over two decades seen his universe swirling around the lesser successful, but equally cult,...

Phantasm (1979) BubbaHo-Tep (2002) The Beastmaster (1982)

38. Don Edmonds

Producer | Bare Knuckles

Don Edmonds was born on September 1, 1937, in Kansas City, MO. He came to Hollywood in the mid to late 1950s. He studied acting with noted acting coach Estelle Harmon and began performing in various California stage productions. His initial forays into television acting included such live TV shows ...

Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS (1975) Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks (1976) Terror on Tour (1980)

39. Joe Dante

Director | Innerspace

Joe Dante is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Art. After a stint as a film reviewer, he began his filmmaking apprenticeship in 1974 as trailer editor for Roger Corman's New World Pictures. He made his directorial debut in 1976 with Hollywood Boulevard (1976) (co-directed with Allan Arkush)...

Gremlins (1984) The Howling (1981) Piranha (1978)

40. Nacho Cerdá

Director | Genesis

Nacho Cerdá was born in Catalonia, Spain. He is known for Genesis (1998), The Abandoned (2006) and Aftermath (1994).

Aftermath (1994) Genesis (1998) The Abandoned (2006)

41. Gaspar Noé

Director | Enter the Void

Gaspar Noé is an Argentinian filmmaker and screenwriter who lives in France. He is the son of Luis Felipe Noé, an Argentinian artist. He directed I Stand Alone, Irréversible, Enter the Void, Love, Climax, Carne, Lux Æterna, Sodomites and Vortex. His films are known for having a sensory overload ...

Irreversible (2002) I Stand Alone (1998) Carne (1991)

42. David Cronenberg

Actor | The Fly

David Cronenberg, also known as the King of Venereal Horror or the Baron of Blood, was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1943. His father, Milton Cronenberg, was a journalist and editor, and his mother, Esther (Sumberg), was a piano player. After showing an inclination for literature at an early...

The Fly (1986) Dead Ringers (1988) Videodrome (1983)

43. Shin'ya Tsukamoto

Actor | Tetsuo

Shin'ya Tsukamoto was born on January 1, 1960 in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. He is an actor and director, known for Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989), Vital (2004) and Tokyo Fist (1995).

Tetsuo, the Iron Man (1989) Tokyo Fist (1995) A Snake of June (2002)

44. David Lynch

Writer | Twin Peaks

Born in precisely the kind of small-town American setting so familiar from his films, David Lynch spent his childhood being shunted from one state to another as his research scientist father kept getting relocated. He attended various art schools, married Peggy Lynch and then fathered future ...

Blue Velvet (1986) The Elephant Man (1980) Eraserhead (1977)

45. Vincenzo Natali

Director | Cube

Vincenzo Natali was born on January 6, 1969 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He is a director and producer, known for Cube (1997), In the Tall Grass (2019) and Cypher (2002).

Cube (1997) Cypher (2002) Splice (2009)

46. Tim Burton

Producer | Edward Scissorhands

Timothy Walter Burton was born in Burbank, California, to Jean Rae (Erickson), who owned a cat-themed gift shop, and William Reed Burton, who worked for the Burbank Park and Recreation Department. He spent most of his childhood as a recluse, drawing cartoons, and watching old movies (he was ...

Edward Scissorhands (1990) Batman Returns (1992) Sleepy Hollow (1999)

47. Tom Holland

Writer | Fright Night

Tom Holland is an American director and screenwriter of horror and thriller films. His early writing projects include Class of 1984 (1982) and the Robert Bloch- inspired Psycho II (1983), the latter starring Anthony Perkins as the menacing psychopath, Norman Bates.

Tom gained more notoriety, however...

Child's Play (1988) Fright Night (1985) The Langoliers (1995)

48. William Lustig

Producer | Maniac

William Lustig was born on February 1, 1955 in Bronx, New York. During his teenage years, Lustig avidly watched a huge volume of lowdown trashy exploitation fare at numerous 42nd Street grind house theaters in Manhattan and also worked as a movie theater usher in Fort Lee, New Jersey. After ...

Maniac (1980) Vigilante (1983) Maniac Cop (1988)

49. Andreas Schnaas

Actor | Unrated: The Movie

Born in Hamburg, Germany on April 1, 1968, filmmaker Andreas Schnaas embraced the cinema at a very young age. Since many of the local theaters in his city didn't care about how young their patrons were, he was exposed to violent martial arts, zombie films, and splatter at a very tender age. The ...

Anthropophagous 2000 (1999) Violent *beep* II (1992) Zombie '90: Extreme Pestilence (1991)

50. David DeCoteau

Director | Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge

A dual citizen of Canada and the USA, David DeCoteau has worked professionally in the movie business since he was 18 years old. He got his start through a generous offer from movie legend Roger Corman, who hired him in 1980 as a production assistant at New World Pictures. In 1986, DeCoteau directed ...

Final Stab (2001) Leeches! (2003) Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge (1991)

51. Danny Draven

Editor | Restitution

Danny Draven is an award-winning director and producer of genre films. After receiving his film degree in Boston, he moved to Hollywood and worked his way up through the ranks until he began producing and directing sci-fi/horror films for genre studio Full Moon Pictures (Puppet Master series, ...

Dark Walker (2003) Deathbed (2002) Hell Asylum (2002)

52. Terry Gilliam

Writer | Brazil

Terry Gilliam was born near Medicine Lake, Minnesota. When he was 12 his family moved to Los Angeles where he became a fan of MAD magazine. In his early twenties he was often stopped by the police who suspected him of being a drug addict and Gilliam had to explain that he worked in advertising. In ...

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) Brazil (1985) Twelve Monkeys (1995)

53. Jeff Lieberman

Writer | Satan's Little Helper

Writer-director Jeff Lieberman has crafted a handful of highly quirky, creative, and distinctive horror movies that are much enjoyed and appreciated by fans of offbeat and imaginative fright-film fare. His pictures are distinguished by their novel oddball plots and an amusingly eccentric sense of ...

Blue Sunshine (1978) Just Before Dawn (1981) Satan's Little Helper (2004)

54. Juan Piquer Simón

Writer | The Rift

Juan Piquer Simon (who goes by "J.P. Simon" on foreign releases) resides in Madrid, Spain, where he has produced and directed "exploitation" pictures for two decades running. He owns his own studio and creates and/or designs many of the impressive special effects sequences you see in any of his ...

The Pod People (1983) Pieces (1982) Slugs: The Movie (1988)

55. E. Elias Merhige

Director | Shadow of the Vampire

E. Elias Merhige was born in 1964 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is a director and writer, known for Shadow of the Vampire (2000), Begotten (1989) and Suspect Zero (2004).

Begotten (1990) Shadow of the Vampire (2000) Suspect Zero (2004)

56. David Fincher

Director | Se7en

David Fincher was born in 1962 in Denver, Colorado, and was raised in Marin County, California. When he was 18 years old he went to work for John Korty at Korty Films in Mill Valley. He subsequently worked at ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) from 1981-1983. Fincher left ILM to direct TV commercials...

Se7en (1995) Fight Club (1999) Zodiac (2007)

57. Ridley Scott

Producer | The Martian

Described by film producer Michael Deeley as "the very best eye in the business", director Ridley Scott was born on November 30, 1937 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear. His father was an officer in the Royal Engineers and the family followed him as his career posted him throughout the United Kingdom ...

Hannibal (2001) Blade Runner (1982) Black Rain (1989)

58. William Friedkin

Director | To Live and Die in L.A.

Friedkin's mother was an operating room nurse. His father was a merchant seaman, semi-pro softball player and ultimately sold clothes in a men's discount chain. Ultimately, his father never earned more than $50/week in his whole life and died indigent. Eventually young Will became infatuated with ...

The Exorcist (1973) Cruising (1980) Bug (2006)

59. Brian De Palma

Director | Body Double

Brian De Palma is one of the well-known directors who spear-headed the new movement in Hollywood during the 1970s. He is known for his many films that go from violent pictures, to Hitchcock-like thrillers. Born on September 11, 1940, De Palma was born in Newark, New Jersey in an Italian-American ...

Dionysus (1970) The Fury (1978) Sisters (1973)

60. George McCowan

Director | Frogs

George McCowan was born on June 27, 1927 in Paris, Ontario, Canada. He was a director and producer, known for Frogs (1972), Run, Simon, Run (1970) and Seeing Things (1981). He was married to Anna Gilmour Wilmot and Frances Hyland. He died on November 1, 1995 in Santa Monica, California, USA.

Frogs (1972) To Kill the King (1974) Run, Simon, Run (1970)

61. Larry Cohen

Writer | God Told Me To

Larry Cohen was born July 15, 1936, in New York, New York, and spent time in Kingston, a small town north of New York City. At a young age, his family moved to the Riverdale section of the Bronx, and he eventually majored in film at the historic City College of New York, from which he graduated in ...

Full Moon High (1981) Perfect Strangers (1984) Perfect Strangers (1984)

62. Robert Hiltzik

Writer | Sleepaway Camp

Robert Hiltzik was born in 1957 in the USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Sleepaway Camp (1983), Return to Sleepaway Camp (2008) and Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988). He has been married to Michele Tatosian since 1982. They have three children.

Return to Sleepaway Camp (2008) Sleepaway Camp (1983)

63. Robert Kurtzman

Make_up_department | From Dusk Till Dawn

For more than three decades Robert Kurtzman has been an icon in the world of special make-up, creature effects, and genre filmmaking. His award-winning, photo-realistic effects work can be seen in hundreds of movies including Hollywood's biggest blockbusters, franchises and television series-most ...

Wishmaster (1997) Buried Alive (2007) The Rage (2007)

64. Danny Steinmann

Director | Friday the 13th: A New Beginning

Writer/director/producer Danny Steinmann was the son of noted East Coast art collector Herbert R. Steinmann. Danny made his debut as both writer and director with the funky hardcore porno picture High Rise (1973), on which he used the alias Danny Stone. Steinmann was a production associate on ...

Savage Streets (1984) The Unseen (1980) Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)

65. Tom McLoughlin

Writer | Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI

Tom McLoughlin was born on July 19, 1950 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is a writer and director, known for Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986), Date with an Angel (1987) and Sometimes They Come Back (1991). He has been married to Nancy McLoughlin since July 2, 1983. They have two ...

Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI (1986) One Dark Night (1983) The Unsaid (2001)

66. Robert Rodriguez

Producer | El mariachi

Robert Anthony Rodriguez was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, USA, to Rebecca (Villegas), a nurse, and Cecilio G. Rodríguez, a salesman. His family is of Mexican descent.

Of all the people to be amazed by the images of John Carpenter's 1981 sci-fi parable, Escape from New York (1981), none ...

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) The Faculty (1998) Planet Terror (2007)

67. Sean S. Cunningham

Producer | Friday the 13th

Like William Girdler, Oliver Hellman or even Ed Wood, Sean S. Cunningham had a successful career of starting films cheap and fast. Originally from New York, Cunningham had a vast knowledge of directing films and came to Hollywood. He started about the same time Wes Craven did. Cunningham meets ...

Friday the 13th (1980) DeepStar Six (1989) Jibaku (2006) From "Trapped Ashes" (2006)

68. Steve Miner

Director | House

Steve Miner has had a very popular career in making films and remains one of Hollywood's most prolific directors and has worked with a variety of stars that includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Leslie Nielsen, C. Thomas Howell, Tom Arnold, Amy Steel Rick Moranis, and Bill Pullman.

Before becoming a director, ...

Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) Friday the 13th Part III (1982) House (1986)

69. Sam Raimi

Director | Spider-Man

Highly inventive U.S. film director/producer/writer/actor Sam Raimi first came to the attention of film fans with the savage, yet darkly humorous, low-budget horror film, The Evil Dead (1981). From his childhood, Raimi was a fan of the cinema and, before he was ten-years-old, he was out making ...

The Evil Dead (1981) Crimewave (1985) Darkman (1990)

70. Scott Spiegel

Actor | Evil Dead II

Scott Spiegel was born on December 24, 1957 in Walnut Lake, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Evil Dead II (1987), The Rookie (1990) and The Evil Dead (1981).

From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999) Intruder (1989) My Name Is Modesty: A Modesty Blaise Adventure (2004)

71. Anthony Hickox

Director | Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth

Anthony (Tony), started as a club promoter in London in the early eighties and financed his first short 'rock-a-bye baby' by holding an event at Le'quipe Anglaise, where all the door money went to finance the film. In fact, when it was finished it was the clubs owner Shariffi who showed it to ...

Waxwork (1988) Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992) Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)

72. Jack Sholder

Director | The Hidden

Known for The Hidden, Nightmare on Elm Street 2, and Alone in the Dark, Jack Sholder was born in Philadelphia where he studied to become a classical trumpet player. While still in high school, he performed under such conductors as Leopold Stokowski and Eugene Ormandy. After a year studying chemical...

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985) Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies (1999) Alone in the Dark (1982)

73. Tony Randel

Director | Hellbound: Hellraiser II

Tony Randel was born on May 29, 1956 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an editor and director, known for Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988), The Hybrids Family (2015) and Escape from New York (1981). He has been married to Eugenia Vasels since March 26, 1996. They have four children.

Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) Children of the Night (1991) Fist of the North Star (1995)

74. Michael Haneke

Writer | Caché

A true master of his craft, Michael Haneke is one of the greatest film artists working today and one who challenges his viewers each year and work goes by, with films that reflect real portions of life in realistic, disturbing and unforgettable ways. One of the most genuine filmmakers of the world ...

Funny Games (1997) Time of the Wolf (2003) Benny's Video (1992)

75. Quentin Tarantino

Writer | Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Jerome Tarantino was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. His father, Tony Tarantino, is an Italian-American actor and musician from New York, and his mother, Connie (McHugh), is a nurse from Tennessee. Quentin moved with his mother to Torrance, California, when he was four years old.

In January of...

Reservoir Dogs (1992) Death Proof (2007) Inglourious Basterds (2009)

76. Eli Roth

Producer | Thanksgiving

Eli Raphael Roth was born in Newton, Massachusetts, to Cora (Bialis), a painter, and Sheldon H. Roth, a psychoanalyst, psychiatrist, and clinical professor. His family is Jewish (from Austria, Hungary, Russia, and Poland). He began shooting Super 8 films at the age of eight; after watching Ridley ...

Cabin Fever (2002) Hostel (2005) Hostel: Part II (2007)

77. Adam Green

Writer | Frozen

Adam Green is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and actor known for his success within the horror genre with films like the "Hatchet" franchise, "Frozen," and "Digging Up The Marrow." He is also the creator, writer, director, star, and show runner of the television comedy series "...

Hatchet (2006) Frozen (2010) Spiral (2007)

78. Ti West

Director | Pearl

Ti West is most notable for directing horror films, as well as being an actor, writer, producer, and editor. Ti broke out, after directing various projects, in 2009, when he directed two feature films - 2009's The House Of The Devil and Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever. Ti later directed, with his ...

Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever (2009) The House of the Devil (2009) The Roost (2005)

79. Guillermo del Toro

Writer | El laberinto del fauno

Guillermo del Toro was born October 9, 1964 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Raised by his Catholic grandmother, del Toro developed an interest in filmmaking in his early teens. Later, he learned about makeup and effects from the legendary Dick Smith (The Exorcist (1973)) and worked on making his ...

Mimic (1997) Cronos (1993) The Devil's Backbone (2001)

80. Alexandre Aja

Director | Haute tension

Alexandre Aja was born on August 7, 1978 in Paris, France. He is a producer and director, known for High Tension (2003), The Hills Have Eyes (2006) and Piranha 3D (2010). He is married to Laïla Marrakchi.

High Tension (2003) Mirrors (2008) Piranha (2010)

81. Brad Anderson

Director | Session 9

Brad Anderson was born in 1964 in Madison, Connecticut, USA. He is a director and producer, known for Session 9 (2001), The Machinist (2004) and Transsiberian (2008).

Session 9 (2001) The Machinist (2004) Vanishing on 7th Street (2010)

82. Greg McLean

Director | Wolf Creek

After training as a fine artist before working as a director in Theatre and Opera, Australian writer, director, and producer Greg McLean's filmmaking career began when he wrote and directed the horror smash hit 'Wolf Creek.' The film played at the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals before going ...

Wolf Creek (2005) Rogue (2007) ICQ (2001)

83. James Isaac

Director | Pig Hunt

James Isaac was born on June 5, 1960 in San Francisco, California, USA. He was a director, known for Pig Hunt (2008), Jason X (2001) and eXistenZ (1999). He was married to Harriet Isaac. He died on May 6, 2012 in Sausalito, California, USA.

Jason X (2001) Skinwalkers (2006) Pig Hunt (2008)

84. Breck Eisner

Director | The Crazies

Breck Eisner was born on December 24, 1970 in California, USA. He is a director and producer, known for The Crazies (2010), The Expanse (2015) and Sahara (2005). He has been married to Georgia Irwin Eisner since June 24, 2006.

The Crazies (2010)

85. James Wan

Writer | Saw

James Wan (born 26 February 1977) is an Australian film producer, screenwriter and film director of Malaysian Chinese descent. He is widely known for directing the horror film Saw (2004) and creating Billy the puppet. Wan has also directed Dead Silence (2007), Death Sentence (2007), Insidious (2010)...

Saw (2004) Death Sentence (2007) Insidious (2010)

86. M.J. Bassett

Director | Solomon Kane

MJ Bassett is an English screenwriter, director and producer of feature film and television.

As a teenager in the UK, MJ's ambition was to become a wildlife vet. She was a veterinary assistant throughout her teenage years and was the youngest person in the UK to be granted a license to run a ...

Deathwatch (2002) Wilderness (2006) Solomon Kane (2009)

87. Fred Vogel

Writer | The Final Interview

Fred Vogel was born on April 18, 1976 in Warren Township, New Jersey, USA. He is a writer and actor, known for The Final Interview (2018), August Underground (2001) and Sella Turcica (2010). He has been married to Shelby Lyn Vogel since October 13, 2006.

August Underground's Mordum (2003) Maskhead (2009) The Redsin Tower (2006)

88. Lucifer Valentine

Director | Slow Torture Puke Chamber

Lucifer Valentine is known for Slow Torture Puke Chamber (2010), Slaughtered Vomit Dolls (2006) and Black Metal Veins (2012).

Slaughtered Vomit Dolls (2006) Slow Torture Puke Chamber (2010)

89. Nick Palumbo

Director | Murder-Set-Pieces

Nick Palumbo attended film school in Los Angeles. He wrote, produced, and directed one of the most notorious horror cult films of all time; Murder-Set-Pieces. Shot on location in Las Vegas on 35mm and screened for its theatrical world premiere at the prestigious Sitges International Film Festival ...

Nutbag (2000) Murder-Set-Pieces (2004) Sinister (2002)

90. Ryan Nicholson

Make_up_department | The Chronicles of Riddick

Ryan Nicholson was born in 1971 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He was a director and writer, known for The Chronicles of Riddick (2004), Andromeda (2000) and Dreamcatcher (2003). He was married to Megan Nicholson. He died on October 8, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Gutterballs (2008) Hanger (2009) Torched (2004)

91. Nick Zedd

Director | Geek Maggot Bingo or The Freak from Suckweasel Mountain

Nick Zedd was born on May 8, 1958 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He was a director and writer, known for Geek Maggot Bingo or the Freak from Suckweasel Mountain (1983), War Is Menstrual Envy (1992) and Scumbag (2017). He was married to Monica Casanova. He died on February 27, 2022 in Mexico City, ...

Geek Maggot Bingo or The Freak from Suckweasel Mountain (1983) War Is Menstrual Envy (1992) They Eat Scum (1979)

92. Shozin Fukui

Director | 964 Pinocchio

Shozin Fukui is known for 964 Pinocchio (1991), Rubber's Lover (1996) and Den-Sen (2006).

Rubber's Lover (1996) Den-Sen (2006)

93. Takashi Miike

Director | Jûsan-nin no shikaku

Takashi Miike was born in the small town of Yao on the outskirts of Osaka, Japan. His main interest growing up was motorbikes, and for a while he harbored ambitions to race professionally. At the age of 18 he went to study at the film school in Yokohama founded by renowned director Shôhei Imamura, ...

Audition (2000) Ichi the Killer (2001) Imprint (2005)

94. Fruit Chan

Director | Na yeh ling san, ngoh choh seung liu Wong Gok hoi mong Dai Bou dik hung Van

Fruit Chan was born on April 15, 1959 in Guangdong, China. He is an actor and director, known for The Midnight After (2014), Three Husbands (2018) and Made in Hong Kong (1997).

Dumplings (2004) Don't Look Up (2009) Public Toilet (2002)

95. Ernest R. Dickerson

Director | Juice

Ernest Roscoe Dickerson A.S.C., aka. Ernest R. Dickerson, is an American film director and cinematographer. As a cinematographer, he is known for his frequent collaborations with Spike Lee. As a director, he is known for films such as Juice (1992), Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995), Bones (...

Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995) The V Word (2005) Blind Faith (1998)

96. Rob Zombie

Writer | Grindhouse

Robert Bartleh Cummings, more famously known as Rob Zombie, was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts on January 12, 1965. He is the oldest son of Louise and Robert Cummings, and has a younger brother, Michael David (aka Spider One; b. 1968), who is the lead singer of Powerman 5000. Growing up, Zombie ...

House of 1000 Corpses (2003) The Devil's Rejects (2005) The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (2009)

97. Craig Singer

Director | A Good Night to Die

A former Disney Creative VP, Craig Singer's latest film 6:45 enjoyed a nationwide theatrical release via Regal Cinema in 2021. Singer is also known as the director and producer of A Good Night to Die (2003), Dark Ride (2006), Perkins' 14 (2009) and Animal Room (1995). In 2022 Singer is prepping ...

Dark Ride (2006) Perkins' 14 (2009) A Good Night to Die (2003)

98. John Waters

Writer | Pecker

Growing up in Baltimore in the 1950s, John Waters was not like other children; he was obsessed by violence and gore, both real and on the screen. With his weird counter-culture friends as his cast, he began making silent 8mm and 16mm films in the mid-'60s; he screened these in rented Baltimore ...

Eat Your Makeup (1968) Polyester (1981) Cecil B. DeMented (2000)

99. Edgar Wright

Director | Shaun of the Dead

Edgar Howard Wright (born 18 April 1974) is an English director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. He is best known for his comedic Three Flavours Cornetto film trilogy consisting of Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), and The World's End (2013), made with recurrent collaborators Simon Pegg...

Shaun of the Dead (2004) Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) Hot Fuzz (2007)

100. Tom Six

Director | The Human Centipede (First Sequence)

Tom Six was born on August 29, 1973 in Alkmaar, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. He is a director and writer, known for The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009), The Human Centipede III (Final Sequence) (2015) and The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) (2011).

The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009) The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) (2011)