My Favorite Horror Films of the 1960's

The title speaks for itself.

1) The Haunting (1963)- A group of people spend a few nights at the infamous Hill House to find any sort of supernatural occurrences. And that's what they get. Robert Wise's ghost story is probably the best ever made, keeping the audience completely in suspense and letting their imagination run as a ghostly apparition is never found onscreen. Indeed, what you don't see is scarier than what you do see. Based on Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House," there's no doubt that this film will give you chills.

2) Psycho (1960)- Marion Crane embezzles 40,000 dollars and spends the night at the homey Bates Motel, run by the shy Norman Bates, who's got a terrifying secret hidden in his house on the hill. Gotta love Alfred Hitchcock! "Psycho" is not only a perfect horror film, but a template in the history of cinema as well. Pitch-perfect atmosphere, a classic mind-numbing score by Bernard Hermann, and a performance by Anthony Perkins that will be remembered forever. To this day, the shower scene is still a shocker!

3) Rosemary's Baby (1968)- Guy and Rosemary Woodhouse, a happily married couple, buy an apartment in the Bramford, which leads to Rosemary's weird dreams, paranoid ideas of the elderly Castevet couple next door, and fear that something terrible is going to happen to her unborn baby. Roman Polanski's journey into the heart of paranoia and psychological horror is to die for. Not a single moment in this film goes by that isn't creepy or surreal. And Mia Farrow's performance as Rosemary is perfect. Aided by a strong cast, including John Cassavetes and Ruth Gordon, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Minnie Castevet, and a bizarre musical score, you should be ashamed if you haven't seen "Rosemary's Baby."

4) The Innocents (1961)- Classic gothic horror about Miss Giddens, an 1800's governess who travels to the Blye mansion to care for the young Miles and Flora. Not all is well at the Blye mansion as Miss Giddens begins to experience strange happenings and see horrific figures around the house. Could Miles and Flora have something to do with it? Another ghost story in the vein of "The Haunting" that is weird and eerie. Great atmosphere is the sole purpose of the film, and it succeeds nicely. A wonderful performance from Deborah Kerr as Miss Giddens.