My Love of The Horror Genre

In film, there are usually very clear definition of genre. From when you walk into the movie theatre you usually have a clear idea of what you are about to see; perhaps you are viewing because of a particular cast member, a director or a theme which excites you and makes you want to go and witness a movie in a room full of people.
Nothing to me is better than getting crammed into a room, plunged into darkness, and put through the rigors of horror. Although these beginnings did not originate in the cinema, I later discovered the pleasures of cinematic pilgrimage.

I remember vividly witnessing zombies chowing down to human brains in the original Day of the Dead. I remember peeking through the bars of my bunk bed and witnessing Lianna Quigley's naked graveyard striptease in Return of the Living Dead. Of Tales from the Crypt heralding nightmares and making me sleep in my parent's bed just so I could escape the monster-ridden dreams.
And to this day, I still love those movies, and that show. And you know why? It's because I love to be scared. I love the mastery of horror. The thrills, the make-up, the direction, the cast, the blood, sweat and tears. Passion is key in horror, passion is the lifeblood which causes fear to bubble up inside of your stomach because you know that what you are watching has been orchestrated to creep you out.
It wasn't just the movies - an old illustrated copy of Dracula (which I still own) purveyed this imagery; Lucy's mouth dripping with blood after she fed on an infant - her eyes gleaming like a haunted, bloodthirsty animal, Dracula moving through Mina's open window, cape held and a pale, spidery hand covering his shadowed face.
My love of horror grew, and I pestered my older brother to get more horror movies, more books, more comics. Anything to add to this growing obsession. All of these scenarios, endless creativity and soul, and art, just inspired me. I was making my first drawings of women covered in blood in bride's dresses, searching for revenge, of beetle-like monsters with deathly stings, and zombies shuffling and biting, searching for human flesh.

With age, a refined knowledge of what makes a good horror movie for me, I have grown to know what I want, what I need in a good horror movie. Here I will provide a short list of some of my favorite horror movies, and I also ask that you leave your favorites in the comments!

- Night of the Demons
- Night of the Comet
- The Evil Dead Trilogy
- Night of the Living Dead
- Dawn of the Dead
- Day of the Dead
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
- Demons 1 and 2
- Suspiria
- Zombie Flesh Eaters
- Return of the Living Dead
- Nightmare on Elm Street 1 and 3
- Alien + Aliens
- The Silence of the Lambs
- Friday the 13th
- Sleepaway Camp 1 and 2

Those are all that I can think of in the wee hours of the morning - but please feel free to leave comments and start a discussion!