So what do you think are the five most influential horror films of all time? Not what are the best, or what are the most frightening, but the ones that had the biggest impact on films and on the culture as a whole?
Here’s my list
1) Dracula 1931
2) Frankenstein 1931
3) The Wolfman 1941
4) Godzilla/Gojirra 1954
5) Night Of The LIving Dead. 1968
If you think another film should be on this list, what is the movie and which film should be cut and why?
I can’t agree with you there. While the film Nosferatu came before Dracula, it did not have the impact that Dracula created. In fact Nosfeatu was sued for plagiarizing the story of Dracula from the novel which was still under copyright at that time. Dracula launched Universal as the studio that made horror films. It is a film that defined for generation what a vampire was. urbane, charming, seductive, these qualities are the ones used over and over not the hideous monster from that German film. No way does nosferatu have more impact and influence that Dracula.
Also Metropolis is not a horror film and does not belong on the list. When I list and chat about the most influential SF films, yes then we might have Metropolis on the board.
I would replace Dracula with Nosferatu. (Without Nosferatu, all Dracula and vampire films would not exist. Take that! Anne Rice.)
I would put Metropolis on the list. While not classic horror, it it the beginning of the sub-category of horror films where “the machine did it.” Without that concept, we lose a big chunk of Science fiction – not only in film but in print as well.