Listmania!
the best horror of TV and film
Alien: The Director's Cut (Two Disc Special Edition)Alien: The Director's Cut (Two Disc Special Edition)
Buy used from: £1.98
Forget the poor sequels that trample on the ideas of the original script. Alien, as directed by Ridley Scott, is one of the most phobic films ever. Score, cinematography and production design excel.
The Day Of The Triffids [1981]The Day Of The Triffids [1981]
Buy new: £6.98 / Used from: £5.89
The most faithful screen adaptation of the classic John Wyndham story. Compelling.
Survivors - Series 1 - Complete [1975]Survivors - Series 1 - Complete [1975]
Like Triffids, a post apocolyptic view of Britain, perhaps grittier though as hard decisions have to be made. Law and Order is the episode that stands out though they are all superb.
The Quatermass Collection - The Quatermass Experiment / Quatermass 2 / Quatermass And The PitThe Quatermass Collection - The Quatermass Experiment / Quatermass 2 / Quatermass And The Pit
Buy new: £10.98 / Used from: £15.00
Surely essential viewing to anyone who cares about tightly crafted plotlines and indeed about how drama was born on British TV.
Doctor Who - The Talons Of Weng Chiang [1977] [1963]Doctor Who - The Talons Of Weng Chiang [1977] [1963]
Buy new: £6.98 / Used from: £5.90
So you've heard Dr Who is a bit cheap and wobbly. Well FX shouldn't be the primary concern to a fan of scriptwriting. Talons showcases Dr Who at its witty best. Atmospheric stuff, supremely acted.
The Asylum [1972] (REGION 1) (NTSC)The Asylum [1972] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Buy used from: £21.97
The British anthology horrors are always entertaining. This one, along with Tales from the Crypt, From Beyond the Grave and Vault of Horror mix humour and genuine creepiness expertly.
Theatre Of Blood [1973]Theatre Of Blood [1973]
Buy new: £3.98 / Used from: £3.50
What a great idea. A shakespearean actor bumps off his harshest critics in excrutiatingly gory ways lifted straight from the Bards works. Price excels amid a cast of notable Brits. Great music too.
Thriller - The Complete Series (15 Disc Box Set)Thriller - The Complete Series (15 Disc Box Set)
Buy new: £42.07 / Used from: £42.97
The scripts vary in quailty but this was a series made in the heyday of British television and features many great character actors and there are many geniunely menacing storylines in this classic.
Blood On Satan's Claw [1971]Blood On Satan's Claw [1971]
Buy used from: £19.20
Steeped in atmosphere and creating a great sense of its period, Satans Claw is another film that shows British horror stands head and shoulders above the frenetic, shallow rubbish we're served today.
Quatermass and the Pit/Quatermass 2 [1957] (REGION 1) (NTSC)Quatermass and the Pit/Quatermass 2 [1957] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Buy used from: £104.84
The Hammer versions of the Quatermass tales were mixed, but there is no doubt the Quatermass and the Pit is not only one of the best Hammers, but one of the best Sci Fi films full stop.
The Devil Rides Out [1968]The Devil Rides Out [1968]
Buy used from: £38.68
Another of Hammers very best. A great cast headed by the always reliable Christopher Lee (in one of his best roles) excel. Great period setting too. The German DVD release is the best.
Hammer House of Horror : The Vampire Collection [1980]Hammer House of Horror : The Vampire Collection [1980]
Buy used from: £40.00
Twins of Evil is the stand out film here. It's another Hammer that is perfect in every way. A gothic horror that is both sexy and sinister. Again the German DVD is the one to go for ideally.
Hammer House Of Horror - Complete Collection [1980]Hammer House Of Horror - Complete Collection [1980]
Buy new: £20.78 / Used from: £13.28
A series with enough high points to make a worthy addition to any horror collection. All stories take place in contemporary times which adds a new dimension to Hammers take on things.
Carry On Screaming [1966]Carry On Screaming [1966]
Buy used from: £5.74
It may be a spoof, but as an affectionate send up of Hammer it is superb. The cast relish their roles and despite the lack of Carry On regulars it is probably the best of the series. And creepy too.
Island Of Terror [1966]Island Of Terror [1966]
Buy new: £11.98
A lonely fog-shrouded Irish island, people found melted into a pile of boneless gloop, green tentacled monsters, great Sound FX and Peter Cushing. What more could you want? Great fun.
Zombie Flesh Eaters [1980]Zombie Flesh Eaters [1980]
Buy new: £5.28 / Used from: £3.24
One of the few non Brit horrors that I rate, but it does have a couple of decent British actors in it so I guess that's why. A good story, badly dubbed but very creepy, and gory - but justifiably.
Dawn Of The Dead [1978] [1979]Dawn Of The Dead [1978] [1979]
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £3.01
I don't suppose anyone thought it was particularly deep in 1978, but the remake shows how intelligent the original was. Not without it's flaws, it's still a great apocolyptic premise.
Jaws 30th Anniversary 2dvd Special Edition [1975]Jaws 30th Anniversary 2dvd Special Edition [1975]
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £3.10
Spielbergs best film without doubt. An urgent menace underpins the first half of the film whilst the sea adventure that follows provides the thrills and an opportunity for the three leads to shine.
The Wicker Man - Special Edition Director's Cut (2 disc set) [1973]The Wicker Man - Special Edition Director's Cut (2 disc set) [1973]
Buy used from: £1.69
Another intelligent British horror, that works because of where the script leads its characters. If only MTV hadn't come along and ruined horror films by turning them into 'pacey' teen tripe.
An American Werewolf in London : Two Disc 21st Anniversary Special Edition [1981]An American Werewolf in London : Two Disc 21st Anniversary Special Edition [1981]
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £1.89
Some people regard it as an Amercan mickey take of British culture, but frankly it's so much like a British horror, steeped in self deprecating humour, its great.
The Stone Tape [1972]The Stone Tape [1972]
Buy used from: £45.00
A ghost story for Christmas by Quatermass creator Nigel Kneale. Those trademark elements of ancient history and science surface here again in a very creepy tale.
Whistle And I'll Come To You (BBC Ghost Story For Christmas) [1968]Whistle And I'll Come To You (BBC Ghost Story For Christmas) [1968]
Buy used from: £55.95
Again horror as it should be. Something that gets into your mind - rather than shock effects and jumps.
The Signalman [1976]The Signalman [1976]
Buy used from: £29.95
If you believe the writer is the most important person in any production, then I'd guess this should work for you. Another story that will haunt you.
A Warning To The Curious (BBC Ghost Story For Christmas) [1972]A Warning To The Curious (BBC Ghost Story For Christmas) [1972]
A creepy story that is well told and performed will always win out and prove its longevity. Eerie
The Omega Factor - The Complete SeriesThe Omega Factor - The Complete Series
Buy used from: £17.50
My last choice, and I have to admit I haven't even seen it. But the credentials look good, and I wasn't going to chose AVP now was I?