The Tuesday Top 10: Favorite Haunted House Movies

You know how there are those horror fans who will go on and on about how the best horror comes from what you don't see, and that psychological dread will always trump blood and guts? Yeah, I'm one of those guys. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with gore, but I'll take the gothic over the macabre any day of the week, and I've always been more Poe/Lovecraft than King/Barker.

And when it comes to subtle, psychological horror, the most effective movies have always involved ghosts--particularly the ultimate distillation of that particular subgenre: the haunted house movie. Because we're dealing with the supernatural in its most ethereal, mysterious and non-corporeal form, it's hard to pull off a good ghost story. There aren't always a lot of bells and whistles, but the payoff is always worth it.

Many of my all-time favorite horror films are in the tried-and-true haunted house category. They've thrilled me, chilled me, and made me think twice about sleeping with the lights off. Here are a few of the very best...

10. Ghost Story (1981)
Largely underrated chiller featuring future Borg Queen Alice Krige as the spirit of a hot young chippie terrorizing a group of septuagenarians who accidentally killed her back in the 1920s. While not technically a “Haunted House” tale since the activities transcend location, it hits many of the familiar tropes, and hits them well. It also features the great Fred Astaire in his final role—although sadly, he doesn’t dance. Based on the 1979 novel by Peter Straub.

9. Poltergeist (1982)
Easily one of the most financially successful horror flicks of all time, this one had the backing of Steven Spielberg, and a “summer blockbuster” feel. And although the spectacle and Spielberg touch do soften the scares just a bit, there’s enough creepiness and genuine terror in there (courtesy of director Tobe Hooper) to get the job done. I particularly enjoy how the movie really gets at some primal fears and exploits them to great effect (see: Clown Toy and Face Ripping Scene).

8. The Others (2001)
The good old-fashioned ghost story gets ushered into the 21st century with this Shyamalan-esque (back when that was a good thing) period piece. The look and feel are rich and foreboding, generating an atmosphere of creeping dread. Plus, you’re not entirely sure of the nature of what you’re seeing until the final reel—and even if you see it coming, it’s one hell of an ending. (See my illustrious son’s movie blog for his own review of the film!)

7. The Uninvited (1944)
For years, this film was mystifyingly unavailable on DVD—but thankfully that situation has recently changed. In many ways, this movie became the prototype for the classic haunted house film—a mansion on a cliff; a deep, dark secret; plenty of things that go bump in the night… Plus, it even spawned a great standard: “Stella By Starlight”! Beautiful, funny and frightening at the same time.

6. Beetlejuice (1987)
Back when Michael Keaton used to exist, he was known for some memorable roles—but this one might be his greatest (Flying Mouse Guy notwithstanding). Birthed from the addled mind of Tim Burton, this was really the flick that set the course for the young director’s career, and became one of the greatest horror comedies of all time. Worth it for seeing Dick Cavett dance to the Banana Boat song, and catching Alec Baldwin before he mutated into a different person.

5. House on Haunted Hill (1959)
Another one that stretches the definition of a haunted house film (I won’t spoil it for the newbies), but no list of this kind would be complete without it. Both producer William Castle and star Vincent Price are in top form here, and the result is one of the most rip-roaringly fun horror flicks of the Eisenhower era. I never get tired of the way this movie deconstructs the entire sub-genre with such glee. Plus, it happens to be my daughter Zombelina’s favorite movie (though she seems to be gravitating more toward Drag Me to Hell recently…)

4. The Woman in Black (2012)
Blasphemy to rank this one so highly? Mayhaps. However, I came away from it very, very impressed a few months ago, and found it to be one of the most effective mainstream horror films I’d seen in years—not to mention the best British horror film since the heyday of Hammer. A real gothic throwback, this movie restored my faith that a truly excellent haunted house film could still be made in the era of post-slasher torture porn.

3. The Changeling (1980)
A personal favorite of mine, and one the virtues of which I’ve been extolling for years. George C. Scott is superb (when is he not?) as a reclusive widower being stalked by the ghost of a murdered child. Perhaps it was because I first saw this at such a young age, but the sheer terror it inspired in me never truly left. One of the most restrained yet powerful horror films I have ever seen, and must-see viewing for any fan of ghost stories.

2. The Haunting (1963)
Speaking of restrained yet powerful, this stellar adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House. Robert Wise pulls off such a fine job that the experience of watching this film is almost like that of actually reading a really great haunted house story. There are moments in this film that have frightened me more than anything I’ve ever seen in any other horror film. The ultimate “pure” haunted house film. Plus, you get to see Richard Johnson pre-Zombi 2, before he got all sweaty and hairy.

And the number one haunted house movie of all time…

1. The Shining (1980)
This film is so stylized and surreal (like almost all Kubrick’s work), that you almost forget what you’re watching at times: An absolutely incredible haunted house movie. In this case, the house is the Overlook Hotel—and the haunting is of a nature that is never fully explained, although we know it has something to do with Native American burial ground and some very long-staying guests from the 1920s. One of, if not the greatest horror film of all time, and a masterpiece that never loses a bit of its power. Stephen King may have hated it, but what does he know—he once attacked a car with a chainsaw. This is supernatural terror at its absolute zenith.

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The Tuesday Top 10: Favorite P.J. Soles Lines

Moving right along with this week's P.J. Soles Blogathon, here's a look at some of my favorite pronouncements from one of the most quotable scream queens of all time...

10. "You're really not gonna come? You're gonna miss out on the prom?" (Carrie)

9. "Go get me a beer!" (Halloween)

8. "I only use it on special equations." (Rock 'n Roll High School)

7. "Don't rip my blouse, it's expensive, you idiot!" (Halloween)

6. "I'm gonna treat it like a UFO sighting. I saw something, but I'm not quite sure what it was." (Stripes)

5. "So who cares? I always forget my chemistry book and my math book, and my English book, and my, let's see, my French book, and... well who needs books anyway, I don't need books, I always forget all my books, I mean, it doesn't really matter if you have your books or not... hey isn't that Devon Graham?" (Halloween)

4. "I'm a teenage lobotomy." - (Rock 'n Roll High School)

3. "Tom Roberts is so boring his brother is an only child." (Rock 'n Roll High School)

2. "Totally." (Halloween)

And of course...

1. "See anything you like?" (Halloween)


For more in the P.J. Soles Blogathon, keep your greasy eyeballs glued to the Vault's sister blog, Day of the Woman!

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The Tuesday Top 10: Reasons Why I Love Theater of Blood

Let's get something straight. If I needed to, I could probably write a post entitled Top 100 Reasons Why I Love Theater of Blood and not really have to strain too hard. The 1973 Vincent Price classic is one of my all-time favorite horror films, and a movie that remains an endless source of joy for me since I first discovered it in the discount bin several years ago. It's an unqualified pleasure from start to finish, and the reasons for this are nearly limitless. However, for the purposes of this post, I will confine my reasons to ten. Here goes:

10. Robert Morley in a Pink Leisure Suit
For a generation of Americans in the '60s and '70s, the effete, rotund Morley represented the ultimate British stereotype, and he is put to such good use here as the ridiculous Meredith Merridew, meeting his demise dressed as if he should be hanging out with Jack Tripper at the Regal Beagle. Glorious.

9. The Hamlet Speech
I know the idea is that Edward Lionheart is a hack, and an inside jab at Price himself, but I'll be damned if his "To be or not to be" soliloquy isn't genuinely powerful and moving. It's perhaps the most famous speech in the English language, and Price breathes new life into it, delivering it just before he takes the Nestea plunge into the River Thames.

8. Gore Galore
I can't be totally sure, but I feel as if this has to be Price's most graphically violent film. From excised hearts and impaled chest cavities to beheaded poodles and Kentucky fried critic, we get it all. It's a far cry from the more reserved Hays Code days that first set Price on the road to horror immortality in the 1940s and '50s, that's for sure.

7. Michael Hordern
Plain and simple, I love watching this man work. I've always admired him as Jacob Marley in the 1951 British version of A Christmas Carol, and his voice remains iconic thanks to his turn as Gandalf in the legendary 1978 BBC Radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. He's one of those old school English character actors, for whom every word or expression is memorable. If only his appearance wasn't so brief...

6. Shakespearean Murder Theme
It almost goes without saying that this would be one of the main things to love about this movie. Lionheart is a disgraced stage actor on a vendetta against his worst critics, basing each murder around a different play by the Bard. How could the English Lit geek inside me be anything but tickled pink by this concept?

5. Richard III Costume
Price has quite a number of costume changes throughout the film, but his Richard III getup is truly breathtaking. Combining the classic hunchback accoutrements with some really impressive makeup, it's the perfect ensemble to showcase some particularly hammy acting on Vincent's part--so much so that he even references it as such within the scene itself!

4. The Music
The Welsh composer Michael J. Lewis is one of film's most underrated tunesmiths, and this score is a prime example. His notes are the first thing you hear as the movie begins, and you're instantly hooked. A haunting woodwind theme, almost Renaissance in its flavor, it is perfectly evocative of the era of Shakespeare, and provides a counterintuitive juxtaposition to the unfolding grisly mayhem.

3. The Utterly Transparent Diana Rigg Subplot
Needless to say, sweet Diana is always fun to watch on screen, but here she finds herself involved in one of the most strangely developed character arcs I think I've ever seen. Her role in the plot is telegraphed from a mile away, with almost zero attempt at concealing it prior to the supposedly "shocking" revelation at the end. This should be a negative, but for some reason I find it all the more reason to enjoy the movie. It could be the abject silliness, not sure.

2. The Fencing Scene
"Alive in triumph! And you thought me slain!" Could this be Price's finest moment on screen? I would submit that it is. So grandiose, so over-the-top, relishing every moment of it as he leaps into action, rapier in hand, chasing the startled Devlin across the gymnasium with glee, the score kicks into high gear. Of course, this is intercut with some really obvious stunt double work, but I think that only makes it all the more excellent.

1. Butch
There are really no words for this. Vincent Price, sporting a gigantic white man's fro, prancing about as an overtly stereotypically gay hairdresser. This is camp of the highest order, and something that each time I watch it, I honestly marvel that it actually happened. Price truly was a great sport, and he clearly was having the time of his life making this movie. And thanks to scenes like this, that pleasure and joy is transferred over to me every time I pop it in the DVD player. Mr. Price, I salute you.

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The Tuesday Top 10: Favorite Vincent Price Roles

Perhaps no other genre of film has been as dominated and epitomized by a single actor the way that horror has been by Vincent Price. The gloriously histrionic Price has attained a position unlike anyone else in the history of terror cinema, and with a mere glance over his resume, it's quite simple to see why. When looking back on such a deeply enjoyable body of work, it is almost impossible to select just a handful of favorite roles out of a career built with one unforgettably iconic turn after another.

So you'll gave to excuse me if I left out any of your favorites. Being the died-in-the-wool Vincent fanatic that I am, I agonized over what to include, but in the end I think I managed to put together a fitting collection of some of the performances that have forever etched him into the minds and hearts of fright fans worldwide. Enjoy!

10. Professor Hubert Whitehead
Yes, the two-part Brady Bunch tiki episode rears its perm-covered head. For baby boomers and genXers alike, Price's guest spot alongside America's whitest family in 1972 is a pop culture flavor explosion that still resonates.

9. Fortunato Luchresi
In perhaps the most memorable portion of 1962's Poe anthology Tales of Terror, Price plays the proud and doomed Fortunato of The Cask of Amontillado, alongside a decidedly over-the-hill Peter Lorre. To this day, this remains the definitive adaptation of Poe's chilling tale of revenge.

8. The Inventor
In one of his final roles, Price takes to the screen in 1990 with his young admirer, Tim Burton, directing behind the lens. And although a small part, the aging legend injects so much pathos into it that it becomes one of the most powerful elements of the entire film. The master reminds us one last time that there will never be another.

7. Dr. Warren Chapin
Price played a lot of men of science, and without doubt his character in William Castle's gimmicky 1959 masterpiece, The Tingler, is one of the finest of these. Dr. Chapin is a scientist delving into the nature of fear itself, and unleashing a hideous creature in the process.

6. Matthew Hopkins
Despicable, debauched and devious, Price is at his villainous peak here, playing a cynical and unscrupulous witch hunter in the 1968 British film Witchfinder General. Reportedly, director Michael Reeves instructed Price to reign in his trademark hamminess in exchange for more subtle realism, and in this case it paid off with one of the actor's most chillingly realistic roles.

5. Frederick Loren
And here we have another classic Vincent Price role brought to us by William Castle. In 1959's House on Haunted Hill, Price is both chilling and wryly humorous as the sardonic, scheming Loren. If you're looking for Price at his classy, sophisticated and self-satisfied best, then look no further.

4. Dr. Robert Morgan
In one of his most influential turns, Price once again plays the part of a scientist--only this time, one whose experiments are for the purpose of saving humanity. In The Last Man on Earth (1964), the first of three screen adaptations of Richard Matheson's I Am Legend, Price exudes a Larry Talbot-esque blend of regret, guilt and outrage as the last human holding down the fort against an army of vampire/zombies out for his blood.

3. Edward Lionheart
Here we have one that is truly dear to my heart, from 1973's Theater of Blood. Price is quite literally priceless here, playing a self-deprecating role that is clearly a spoof of himself. Ever the sport, Price attacks the part with relish, delivering one Shakespearean soliloquy after another as he dispatches his critics with violent aplomb.

2. Prof. Henry Jarrod
The part that put Price on the map, and skyrocketed him into the horror pantheon for all-time. A 3-D extravaganza from 1953, House of Wax gives us Price as the deranged and disfigured Jarrod, transforming unsuspecting victims into museum exhibits. This role would literally set the tone for much of the rest of Price's career.

1. Dr. Anton Phibes
Not only my favorite Vincent Price role, but very easily one of my favorite roles in any horror movie, period. It gets no better than The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), and in this role, Vincent is given his greatest palette ever. The ease with which he commands each scene--without ever even moving his lips, no less--is awe-inspiring. To watch Vincent Price as Dr. Phibes is to watch an inspired god of genre cinema at his over-the-top best, managing to be both sublime and ridiculous simultaneously.

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The Vault of Horror's Top 10 of 2010

The previous 12 months were interesting ones for the horror genre. I won't say outstanding, but I also won't say terrible. There certainly was a bunch of entertaining and engaging films released last year, but not as many as in some previous years. I can't say I'm totally thrilled with this top 10 list, but I can at least honestly say that the top 7 were films I genuinely found to be terrific. The rest may very well have been bumped if I had had the pleasure of seeing movies like The Crazies and Daybreakers, for example.

But alas, I was invited by the incomparable Scott Weinberg of Cinematical and FEARNet (by way of the delightful Britt Hayes of Brutal as Hell and CHUD) to take part in a vast Ultimate Horror Top 10 of 2010, and so here is the list I came up with, when pressed. My list, along with those of many others across the horror blogosphere, have been tabulated to create a soon-to-be-published master list of the best horror flicks of 2010. I'm thrilled to be a part of it, and here's the list I sent in!

10. Afterlife
The inclusion of this one is definitely proof that I needed to see more new horror films in 2010. Ah well, what can I say, life got pretty busy. Still, there are worse ways to kill a couple of hours.

9. A Nightmare on Elm Street
Sorry, people, I actually enjoyed it, OK? Sue me. No, not as good as the original, but I thought it was a decent little horror movie, and the "Dream, Dream, Dream" drugstore scene is pretty classic.

8. The Wolfman
A flawed film, but one I enjoyed nonetheless. I've long been waiting for a remake of this Universal classic, and I can't say I was disappointed.

7. [REC] 2
Alright, now we're getting into the really good ones. I am a huge fan of the original [REC], and though I found it far scarier than this, I will go on the record as saying this was the better film.

6. Piranha 3-D
Just a ton of fun, and when it comes to horror, that's really what I've been gravitating more and more toward in recent years. Great gore, and a balls-to-the-wall attitude you don't see too often anymore.

5. Shutter Island
Not really horror in the truest sense, but a very well-made psychological thriller from Martin Scorsese.

4. The Human Centipede
I enjoyed this far more than I ever imagined I would. I also was amazed that it really wasn't the gross-out flick I was expecting, but actually a very cerebral horror film. And Dieter Laser definitely plays the best villain of the year, not to mention having the coolest name ever.

3. Survival of the Dead
I championed this flick like nobody's business, and I stand by that. As a lifelong Romero fan, I found this to be the maestro's greatest zombie flick since Dawn of the Dead. And I fully realize I'm of the minority opinion.

2. I Spit on Your Grave
Another pleasant surprise, although nothing about this movie could really be described as pleasant. In the end, I found it much better than the original, even if it was surprisingly even more brutal.

1. Black Swan
Another psychological thriller, but one that has Oscar written all over it, especially in the case of the always-excellent (when she's not being directed by George Lucas) Natalie Portman. I just had the pleasure of seeing it, and can honestly say it was my favorite horror film of 2010. Expect a review of this amazing film a little later this week...

There you have it, Vault dwellers. So, what do you think of my choices? What would yours be? Let me know!

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The Tuesday Top 10: Favorite Bad-Ass Robots!

Let's face it: Is there anything cooler than robots? I vote no. As old and wise as I get, there is still a part of me that will never cease to be floored by the concept of robots, like all little boys invariably are. Hell, I wanted to actually build one as a kid--had the blueprints drawn up and everything.

And if there is one thing cooler than a robot, it would be a killer robot. You can keep all your Datas, Number Fives and Small Wonders--give me a robot on a rampage every time (I'll make an exception for Paulie's robot from Rocky IV, she can stick around.) The idea of a mechanical creation wreaking havoc, turning on its creators--or on other living things--and using its cold, amoral intellect and steely musculature to maim, crush and pulverize is both terrifying and fascinating. And in the world we live in today, more close to reality than ever. I mean, have you seen those creepy Japanese android things?

So on that note, I've brought back the Tuesday Top 10 (alright, I know it's technically Wednesday, calm down) to catalog my all-time favorite mechanical monsters. Domo origato, Mr. Roboto...

10. The Gunslinger
Some vacationing softies get more than they bargained for at a futuristic theme park in Michael Crichton's Westworld, in the form of a cybernetic Yul Brynner dressed as a cowboy. And unlike in The King and I, here Brynner is far less interested in "Getting to Know You" than he is in "Getting to Kill You". I don't know when the follically challenged Russian was more bad-ass, as a robot cowboy here, or a real one in The Magnificent Seven.

9. The Sentinels
From the world of Marvel Comics come everyone's favorite mutant-hunting giant machines. Programmed with one mission and one mission alone--to hunt down and destroy all specimens of homo sapiens superior--the sentinels are cold, calculating and horrifying, and do it all while painted pink and burgundy. You have to give them points for that. They desperately need a big-screen appearance--and no, I don't count that throwaway cameo in X-Men 3.

8. Maria
She doesn't actually cause any of the damage directly, but this iconic robot from Fritz Lang's Metropolis is the veritable hand that rocks the cradle, using the womanly wiles instilled in her by sorcerer/scientist Rotwang to incite hapless men to absolute riot. Played by the sublime Brigitte Helm, Maria's design also inspired a far-less threatening, and nearly as feminine movie robot, C-3PO.

7. ED-209
It may not have been the state of the art in urban pacification, but old Ed sure was one hell of a killing machine, wasn't he? Rumor has it that that sicko Paul Verhoeven had to significantly cut out portions of the already dizzyingly gruesome boardroom scene in order to avoid the once-dreaded X rating. This stop-motion menace is one of the highlights of Robocop, even if Officer Murphy dispatches the big guy without much effort.

6. Gort
Apparently, you just need to say the words "klaatu barada nikto" to keep this towering silver behemoth at bay in The Day the Earth Stood Still. Unfortunately, matters aren't always as simple as that (as Ash discovers in Army of Darkness, incidentally). Although technically a force for good, Gort is just intimidating enough to warrant inclusion here, even if he does look like a professional wrestler wrapped in tin foil.

5. Ash
Speaking of Ash, I simply couldn't forget Ian Holm as the milk-blooded homicidal android who shares a name with Bruce Campbell's signature character. Holm's performance as Ash might be the very best one in Alien, a film that includes one of the finest dramatic ensembles ever assembled for a genre film. Plus, his head appears to be filled with condoms, which one would think must come in handy, even for a robot.

4. Maximilian
I'm firmly convinced that I was the only little boy in Brooklyn in 1980 in possession of a Maximilian model kit. Needless to say, The Black Hole--Disney's often-misunderstood response to Star Wars--had a strong effect on me, in large part due to Max Schell's crimson, faceless, floating Cuisinart. This robot is the most memorable thing in the picture, and for a film featuring Tony Perkins, Robert Forster and a flying garbage can voiced by Slim Pickens, that's saying a lot.

3. Cylons
The revamped Sci-Fi Channel version may have been far superior as drama, but give me the Darth Vader-esque centurions of the kitschy 1970s original any day over the completely non-robotic toasters of the new show--or even over the CGI centurions who serve as nothing more than lackeys. And this choice has nothing at all to do with the 12-inch posable Cylon action figure with moving red eyelight which I owned during the Carter administration.

2. Mechagodzilla
Call me biased, but who isn't floored by the notion of a 300-foot-tall robot Godzilla? Best of all, in his original appearance, in Godzilla vs. The Cosmic Monster, Mechagodzilla first shows up as a perfect replica of Big G, only to have his prickly green hide shorn away to reveal the metallic hull underneath. Bristling with weaponry and awesomeness, Mechagodzilla is easily the finest Godzilla foe of the 1970s.

1. The Terminator
And speaking of shearing away skin, what better example of the cinematic killer robot than the Terminator, a humanoid machine constructed for the sole purpose of murdering human beings? Arnold Schwarzenegger brings Termy to life--at least as much as someone with the acting ability of a dining room chair can be expected to do. The beauty of it is that this was one of the few roles in which Arnold's lack of convincing emotional range was actually an advantage--another one being the governor of California.

*Honorable Mention* The Daleks
I had to be a stickler here, since these unforgettable Dr. Who baddies are technically not robots but living organisms residing within a mechanical shell. But really, who cares? These malicious, single-minded, computerized tyrants inspired true terror, even as they glided around like floor buffers with plunger attachments. "Exterminate! EXTERMINATE!!"

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The Tuesday Top 10: Favorite Ray Harryhausen Creations

Can I admit something? There are nights I go to sleep sounder knowing that Ray Harryhausen is still out there somewhere. That such a titanic legend of the movies, and of genre entertainment in general, is still with us. The great Harryhausen turned 90 today, and to commemorate the birthday of the screen's most revered special effects man, this week I'm looking back at his greatest works.

The efforts of Ray Harryhausen brought me great joy as a child, and they still do. For example, back in the days before VCRs, I became so entranced by a showing of Jason & The Argonauts on TV that I checked the TV Guide (remember that?) to see what day and time it was, my naive six-year-old brain assuming the network would be showing it again each year, like they did with The Wizard of Oz. So that gives you an idea of how deeply I fell in love with the magic of Ray Harryhausen.

And so, this week for the Tuesday Top 10, I reached back through all my favorite Harryhausen flicks to come up with the specific stop-motion creations of his that thrilled me the most. Happy Birthday to Mr. Harryhausen, and thanks in particular for giving us the following...

10. The Kraken
Clash of the Titans (1981)
Why does the ultimate weapon of the gods rank so low? Well, between you and me, the infamous Kraken has never been at the top of my list because, as impressive as it is, the Greek mythology buff in me was always put off by how it looked nothing like the Kraken as traditionally described. In hindsight, since the Kraken is actually a giant squid, I suspect the change was made so the creature wouldn't too closely resemble the next entry in my list, one of Harryhausen's earlier triumphs...

9. Giant Octopus
It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955)
Harryhausen famously created an octopus with only six arms for the sake of manageability, but given the finished product, I can forgive him. The monstrous cephalopod that attacks San Francisco in Robert Gordon's classic giant-monster-run-amok movie is a sight to behold, made even more foreboding by the fact that we only see a bit of it here, and a bit of it there. As a proud Italian-American and sci-fi fan, I can honestly say this movie comes to mind anytime I'm enjoying a little polpo salad...

8. Flying Saucers
Earth vs. The Flying Saucers (1956)
At least up until Independence Day, this might have been the most iconic alien invasion ever put to celluloid, and the thanks for that is due pretty much entirely to Harryhausen. With all due respect to B-director extraordinaire Fred F. Sears and the mighty Clover Productions, it's Harryhausen's unforgettable fleet of spacecraft that everyone remembers to this day. What also makes this particular effort stand out is it's one of the only times that Harryhausen animated something other than living creatures.

7. Rhedosaurus
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
This particular monstrosity was the one that put Harryhausen on the map as the go-to man in stop-motion animation. And it's a matter of public record that there basically would've been no Godzilla without the influence of Harryhausen's work here, crafting a dinosaur that wreaks havoc in New York City. The final standoff in Coney Island is something to see--hell, every time this thing is on screen it's something to see. Quite literally the granddaddy of all movie dinos.

6. Kali
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974)
Technically it's not actually the Indian goddess of death, but rather a wooden idol come to life, but that took nothing away from how much this demonic creature freaked me out. Sinbad and his men face a few different beasties in this, my second favorite Sinbad movie, but the six-armed Kali was definitely the one that most stuck with me.

5. Ymir
20 Million Miles to Earth (1957)
One of Harryhausen's most creative creations, the Ymir was a Venusian alien that crash-lands in Italy and grows bigger and bigger as the movie progresses. Today the Ymir is practically synonymous with Ray Harryhausen effects, as was proven when a statuette of the creature was packaged with a recent special edition DVD box set of Harryhausen films (which, with any luck, will be mine before too long...)

4. Medusa
Clash of the Titans (1981)
As if the original Harryhausen masterpiece wasn't enough, the Medusa was made even more wondrous in comparison to the ridiculous CGI failure of the recent Clash of the Titans remake. Harryhausen's brilliance came in taking a well-known creature of myth and making it his own--the snake body and bow and arrow, for example, were his concepts. And the manner in which he pulls off her famous mane of vipers is breathtaking, proving once again that the heart and soul he put into his work could outshine anything spewed forth from a computer.

3. Cyclops
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
Speaking of classic monsters of myth, here's another one brought vibrantly to life by the master. This was the first time his work would be shown off in a full color feature, and we couldn't possibly have asked for a cooler creature to show off with than this nightmarish behemoth. There have been many Harryhausen creations that impressively embodied the man's artistry, but this may very well be the one for which he's best known.

2. The Skeleton Army
Jason & The Argonauts (1963)
It was very tough not making this my number one, as the sight of this ghoulish battalion of undead warriors is something I will always cherish as a lover of film in general. In fact, talk to any died-in-the-wool Harryhausen fanatic, and it won't be very long before this incredible scene is brought up. The interaction between the human characters and stop-motion figures is particular outstanding, and there's no doubt this climatic combat was the most deftly staged of all Harryhausen effects sequences.

1. Talos
Jason & The Argonauts (1963)
Yes, Jason & The Argonauts is my favorite Harryhausen picture, and so it gets the top two spots on my list. As much as I adore the skeletons, Talos will always be the one creation that best represents the talent of Ray Harryhausen for me, personally. That initial viewing of this movie all those years ago was highlighted most of all for tiny B-Sol by the emergence of this terrifying, towering bronze killing machine. The movement, the design, the sound effects--it all added up to pure movie magic. And that's what the body of work of Ray Harryhausen is all about.

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