Horror anthologies I've seen with the top 25 highlighted
I love scary movies, and horror anthologies are my favorite of all. The following is a list of all the ones I've seen, with the top 25 being listed first. The top 25 are not in order, for it's too difficult to determine the order, but just easy enough to determine the cream of the crop.
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- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsHal HolbrookLeslie NielsenAdrienne Barbeau"Creepshow" is a 1982 movie that tells five grisly tales from a children's comic book: a murdered father rising from his grave, a bizarre meteor, a vengeful husband, a mysterious crate's occupant, and a plague of cockroaches.My favorite horror anthology of all time. The only thing that could have made it better was some nudity, but you can't always get what you want, but it does give you what you need: lots of horrific fun. All the segments are entertaining, and when it comes to choosing the top story of the anthology, what one may find the best, another may find the weakest. I thought "Father's Day" was the weakest, but a coworker liked it the best. All in all one of the best horror anthologies of all time.
The Strongest Story: The Crate
The Weakest: Father's Day ( - DirectorMichael DoughertyStarsAnna PaquinBrian CoxDylan BakerFive interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: an everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the guy for her; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank; a woman who loathes the night has to contend with her holiday-obsessed husband; and a mean old man meets his match with a demonic, supernatural trick-or-treater.Quite possibly the greatest horror anthology ever made. Definately the most imaginative when it comes to presenting the stories to the viewer. Unlike most other horror anthologies that present 3-5 stories that are pretty much independent of each other and sometimes told through the use of one top level story such as characters telling each other spooky stories, this film weaves the stories into each other so that characters and parts of one story are actually part of another. Because of the nonlinear style, it's hard to say which story is strongest and which is weakest, because this is a movie where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
The Strongest Story: N/A
The Weakest: N/A - DirectorRoy Ward BakerStarsCurd JürgensTerry-ThomasTom BakerAn anthology of five horror stories shared by five men trapped in the basement of an office building.If you liked Tales from the Crypt, then you'll like this. In fact most of the stories were originally published in Tales from the Crypt comic books. All the stories are entertaining except for "This Trick'll Kill You" which I found to be a bit dissappointing.
The Strongest Story: The Neat Job
The Weakest: This Trick'll Kill You - DirectorRusty CundieffStarsClarence Williams IIICorbin BernsenJoe TorryA funeral director tells four strange tales of horror with an African American focus to three drug dealers he traps in his place of business.A horror anthology with some urban flava. Unlike some other horror flcks where the horror comes from monsters or killer maniacs, the real horror in this movie comes from some of the real problems in the inner city that the movie touches upon, such as racism, police brutality and gang violence. Don't worry, there are still monsters and the supernatural to keep things from getting too real and heavy. I enjoyed the frame story with the funeral director telling three gang bangers his tales from the hood, and I really enjoyed David Allan Grier's perfomance in "Boys Do Get Bruised"
The Strongest Story: Boys Do Get Bruised
The Weakest: Hard Core Convert - DirectorLewis TeagueStarsDrew BarrymoreJames WoodsAlan KingA stray cat is the linking element of three tales of suspense and horror.A great movie for cat lovers! The star of the movie is a cat who makes an appearance in three different stories, with his role becoming bigger in each story so that by the third one he is the protagonist. "Quitter's, Inc." is the weak link of the three stories, but it's a tossup between the other two as which one is the best. Both "The Ledge" and "General" are great. Had they both been made as short films without the rest of the movie, I'd probably give the edge to "The Ledge", but because they weren't, I give the edge to "General", since the movie leads up to the film's climax with the cat in an epic battle. Plus how awesome is that...a cat in an epic battle?!
The Strongest Story: General
The Weakest: Quitter's, Inc. - DirectorMichael GornickStarsGeorge KennedyLois ChilesDomenick JohnThree macabre tales from the latest issue of a boy's favorite comic book, dealing with a vengeful wooden Native American, a monstrous blob in a lake, and an undying hitchhiker.Though not as good as the first, still a pretty damn good movie. Missing is the cinematography that gave the first one a comic book feel, but it has something the first one lacked: nudity. Sadly, no full frontal, just a pair of boobs (though technically not nudity, there's also an athletic stud in a wet skimpy speedo if you're into guys). It also has well written, interesting stories. In fact, I'd say that "The Raft" may be the best story in any of the Creepshow movies. Definately a movie worth watching if you liked the first.
The Strongest Story: The Raft
The Weakest: Old Chief Wood'nhead - DirectorMario BavaStarsMichèle MercierLidia AlfonsiBoris KarloffBoris Karloff hosts a trio of horror stories concerning a stalked call girl, a vampire-like monster who preys on his family, and a nurse who is haunted by her ring's rightful owner.Boris Karloff hosts this horror masterpiece. Though it came out in 1963 and lacks the gore of today's horror, many horror fans will still enjoy it as it doesn't seem boring like many other old horror ficks do. The lighting and makeup is done to perfection! The dead medium in "The Drop of Water" looks just as scary as monsters made today; she is one creepy looking old bitch!
The Strongest Story: The Drop of Water
The Weakest: The Telephone - DirectorAdam GreenJoe LynchBear McCrearyStarsAdam RifkinSarah MutchRay WiseIt's the closing night at the last drive-in theatre in America, and manager, Cecil Kaufman's planned to show 4 movies; films so rare, they've never been exhibited publicly on American soil, until tonight.Though it's more comedy than horror, there is enough gore and monsters to keep horror fans entertained. Some of the moments in "Wadzilla" are laugh out loud, and a couple of the songs in "I Was a Teenage Werebear" are pretty catchy. After those two stories, the movie goes downhill a bit.
The Strongest Story: Wadzilla
The Weakest: The Diary of Anne Frankenstein - DirectorFreddie FrancisStarsJoan CollinsPeter CushingRalph RichardsonFive strangers get lost in a crypt and, after meeting the mysterious Crypt Keeper, receive visions of how they will die.If you were a fan of the show "Tales from the Crypt" that was on HBO, you should definately check out this movie. Some of the stories in this movie were also episodes of that series. Filled with twists and surprises, this movie features bad people recieving their just desserts. While difficult to determine which story is the best, it's easy to pick out the weakest: "Reflection of Death". While not bad, just not quite as good as the other four.
The Strongest Story: (4 way tie) not "Reflection of Death"
The Weakest: Reflection of Death - DirectorFreddie FrancisStarsChristopher LeePeter CushingNeil McCallumAboard a British train, mysterious fortune teller Dr. Schreck uses tarot cards to read the futures of five fellow passengers.In this Amicus production, a fortune teller gives a tarot card reading for 5 passengers on a train. It's not as good as some other older British horror films, but still a decent movie worth seeing.
The Strongest Story: Disembodied Hand
The Weakest: Voodoo - DirectorJohn HarrisonStarsDebbie HarryMatthew LawrenceChristian SlaterTo stall a witch plotting to eat him, a boy reads her horror tales dealing with a collegian's resurrection of a mummy, a murderous cat, and an artist's pact with a gargoyle.From the ones who brought you Creepshow comes Tales from the Darkside: The Movie. It features a young boy telling a witch three tales from the darkside. I enjoyed the first two, but the last one sucked. Definately worth checking out, because you can always skip the last story and just go to the ending. Or maybe rewatch one of the first two stories and pretend the boy retells it to the witch for the third story, and then skip to the end.
The Strongest Story: Cat from Hell
The Weakest: Lover's Vow - DirectorRoy Ward BakerStarsBarbara ParkinsRichard ToddSylvia SymsIn order to secure a job at a mental institution, a young psychiatrist must interview four patients inside the asylum.
- DirectorDan CurtisStarsRobert BurtonJohn KarlenGeorge GaynesThree bizarre horror stories, all of which star Karen Black in four different roles playing four tormented women.
- DirectorJeff BurrStarsVincent PriceClu GulagerTerry KiserIn a small Tennessee town, a historian relates four horror stories to a reporter.Vincent Price recounts 4 tales of former residents of a town named Oldfield. The stories are well told, and the acting great. There are also some entertaining gore scenes, but the most disturbing part about this movie is some of the material it touches upon: necrophilia, child murder, and incest. If seeing a naked woman in her 50's dolled up for her brother to give her a bath sounds like something you'd like to see, then this is definitely the movie for you!
The Strongest Story: The one about the old man who can extend life
The Weakest: The one about the glass eater in the freak show - DirectorJeffrey DelmanStarsScott ValentineNicole PicardMatt Mitler"Deadtime Stories" is a 1986 horror anthology, where a babysitting uncle tells his nephew three horror stories about killer witches, Little Red Riding Hood and a werewolf, and "Goldi Lox" and the three bears.A sleazy uncle tells his nephew scary bedtime stories to get him to sleep so he can get back to watching his miss nude competition. The first story about the witches is visually appealing, with the scene of the dead witch being brought back to life being absolutely disgusting. The last one about Goldilocks and The Three Bears is pretty funny. Throw in a few catchy tunes (especially the opening title song) and you've got a pretty fun horror romp.
The Strongest Story: Peter and the Witches
The Weakest: Little Red Runninghood - DirectorJim WheatKen WheatStarsJillian McWhirterPamela AdlonRamy ZadaA college class, Psychology of Fear, has a new teacher who believes that you have to feel fear to understand it. A group of students convene at the teacher's house, where scary stories are told.
- DirectorNeil JordanStarsSarah PattersonAngela LansburyDavid WarnerA teenage girl in a country manor falls asleep while reading a magazine, and has a disturbing dream involving wolves prowling the woods below her bedroom window.
- DirectorFreddie FrancisStarsJack HawkinsDonald PleasenceGeorgia BrownA psychiatrist tells stories of four special cases to a colleague.I enjoyed most of the stories in this one, except for "Mel" which just seemed a bit bland and mediocre. Although confusing, my favorite was "Penny Farthing". Uncle Albert is quite creepy.
The Strongest Story: Penny Farthing
The Weakest: Mel - DirectorRoy Ward BakerStarsVincent PriceJohn CarradineAnthony SteelA writer of horror stories is invited to a "monster club" by a mysterious old gentleman. There, three gruesome stories are told to him; between each story some musicians play their songs.
- DirectorJohn CarpenterTobe HooperLarry SulkisStarsJohn CarpenterTom ArnoldTobe HooperThree short stories in the horror genre: the first about a serial killer, the second about a hair transplant gone wrong, and the third about a baseball player.
- DirectorDan CurtisStarsEd Begley Jr.E.J. AndréAnn DoranThree horror stories about a vintage car that transports its driver back to 1926, the mistress of an old Victorian mansion who is scared of a vampire and a mother tormented by her dead son who she has brought back to life.
- DirectorMatt CooperMartin KunertDavid SemelStarsJames MarsdenAmy SmartFrederick LawrenceTeens entertain one another by telling an anthology of famous urban legends with a modern twist; including makeout-point, monsters, psychopaths, and ghosts.
- DirectorJoe DanteJohn LandisGeorge MillerStarsDan AykroydAlbert BrooksVic MorrowFour horror and science fiction segments, directed by four famous directors, each of them being a new version of a classic story from Rod Serling's landmark television series.
- DirectorJack SmightStarsRod SteigerClaire BloomRobert DrivasIn 1930s, a psychotic drifter who's after the mystery woman who covered his whole body in illustrations that foresee distant future shows three of them (The Veldt, The Long Rain and The Last Night of the World) to a mesmerized traveler.
- DirectorAna ClavellJames Glenn DudelsonStarsStephanie PetteeRoy AbramsohnSusan SchrammThis second sequel to Creepshow (1982) features five new tales of horror: "Alice", "The Radio", "Call Girl", "The Professor's Wife", and "Haunted Dog".