While the horror writing style may not always command a huge amount of deference , it is a genre that boasts many of the greatest film producer of all - clip . It is incredibly thought-provoking to thrill and scare away people through film , and all of these antic revulsion managing director were able to do this in their own unique and distinctive fashion .
Many of these director have had an impact on pic outside of the genre , while sadly , a mates remain more or less unknown and unappreciated . Whatever the case , these are the horror directors who have surpass at contribute your nightmares to life .
12. Tobe Hooper
Before Michael Myers , Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees stalk multitude ’s nightmares in the 1980 ’s , the biggest repulsion ikon of them all was Leatherface , from Tobe Hooper ’s immensely influential revulsion filmThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre . Prior to this , no repugnance had ever felt quite so credible , which paved the way for the multitudinous slasher films that followed . The Texas Chainsaw Massacreis a repugnance masterpiece , and is as terrorise today as it was upon its 1974 going . This is for the most part thanks to the film - making ability of Hooper , who made his movie find claustrophobic and muggy through lengthy shoots in the sweltering Texas heat . Massacremight be Hooper ’s magnum opus , but he also directed a handful of other marvellous repugnance films , includingThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2(an excellent subsequence ) andPoltergeist(another important horror film ) . While Hooper has also direct some less - brilliant films , his of import and staggeringly influential contribution to the music genre should not be overlooked .
11. James Whale
The repulsion genre is one which has taken many twists and turn over the twelvemonth , and is now totally different to how it was in the former 1900 ’s . However , although it is dissimilar , it is important to not bury the roots of the writing style , as they influence what came later and lay the design for years to come . At the head of the entrant horror writing style was James Whale , who is well known for manoeuvre four classical repugnance films of the 1930’s : Frankenstein(1931),The Old Dark House(1932),The unseeable Man(1933 ) andThe Bride of Frankenstein(1935 ) . Whale ’s employment in horror and a few other genres ( he really did not need to be judge as a horror director , and therefore in all likelihood would not appreciate inclusion body here ) invigorate Universal Studios during the 1930 ’s , but his non - horror works took place during a down period for the company , and this is the understanding why he is well recall for his early piece of work in horror .
10. Lucio Fulci
know by many as the “ Godfather of Gore ” , Italian film producer Lucio Fulci is famed for make revulsion films that were sure as shooting not for those with rickety stomachs throughout the recent 70 ’s and 80 ’s . Where his fellow countryman and horror director Dario Argento followed more in the suspenseful nature of Alfred Hitchcock , Fulci reveled in alarm his consultation with gory force ( without get it the main focus of the film ) . His most notable piece of work isZombi 2 , which was an extremely violent automaton movie that introduced Italian repugnance to the masses . This flick is still widely view as one of the most outrageous gore films ever made . Fulci is also famed for other contributions to the horror genre , includingCity of the Living DeadandThe Beyond . In summation , although best known for his gore film , Fulci was also turn over a successful director outside of the genre .
9. Terence Fisher
Hammer Films was a British yield company that made XII of revulsion films from the mid 1950 ’s to 1970 , which dominated the horror grocery store , and therefore played a primal role in determine the genre as we have a go at it it today . Terence Fisher wreak for Hammer Films , and is one of the most prominent repugnance director of the 2nd half of the twentieth Century . It is thanks to him that we have classic movies such asThe Curse of Frankenstein(1957),Dracula(1958),The Hound of the Baskervilles(1959 ) andThe Mummy(1959 ) . Fisher is turn over to be the theatre director that brought gothic horror , consummate with sexual overtones , to the mainstream , concepts which are now huge aspects of modern day horror films . It is also thanks to Terence Fisher that celebrated actor Christopher Lee became a horror caption , as it was his role in some of Fisher ’s films that helped make him a house name .
8. Sam Raimi
For some citizenry , the name Sam Raimi will conjure up figure of speech of the improbably pop Spider - Man trilogy , but for revulsion fans , Raimi ’s name will always represent something much darker . Sam Raimi as responsible for creating the cult malevolent Dead serial publication of films , which not only control one of the heavy horror photographic film in the form of the original instalment , but also aid to modernize an entire new genre : the revulsion drollery . Raimi brightly incorporated vitamin B complex - movie tropes and cinematic style along with really shivery stories , helping to make moving picture which are both terrifying and highly entertaining . Although Raimi hone his acquisition through his Evil Dead series , he would continue to evolve his corner of the genre with his tax return to repugnance after the Spider - Man movies in 2009’sDrag Me to Hell . Although he may have moved away from the musical genre , he still remains an important fig in the history of revulsion movies .
7. Mario Bava
Italian film maker Mario Bava is famed for kick - start what we know as the advanced slasher plastic film , as well as thegiallofilm genre ( Italian produced murder mystery picture show which hold in elements of repugnance and eroticism ) . This began with hugely influential celluloid includingThe Girl Who Knew Too Much(1963 ) andBlood and Black Lace(1964 ) , whilstBay of Blood(1971 ) is considered by most to be the motion picture that pave the mode for the blowup of slasher films in the 1980 ’s . He was also have sex for make grotesque gothic horror films such asBlack Sunday(1960 ) , plus 1965 ’s sci - fi / horrorPlanet of the Vampires , which was a thematic precursor toAlien . Anyone that view themselves a fan of modern film or auteur conductor including Martin Scorsese , Quentin Tarantino , Francis Ford Coppola and Tim Burton must check out his piece of work , as they all refer his films as being very influential on their own .
6. Dario Argento
The third Italian film maker to grace this lean , Dario Argento has had a vast impact on modern horror movie , and is fabled for his work in thegiallosubgenre . Dubbed “ The Italian Alfred Hitchcock ” , Argento has made some astonishing horror films , beginning with his first “ animal ” trilogy . This comprise ofThe Bird with the Crystal Plumage(1970),The Cat o ’ Nine Tails(1971 ) andFour fly on Grey Velvet(1972 ) . After that come his most famous moving-picture show , one that any repugnance buff must see , 1977’sSuspiria . Moving away from the constraints ofgiallo , Suspiria saw plot and character as secondary to sound and vision , creating a movie that was as much a surreal piece of fine art as it was a revulsion picture show . With stunning employment of color and sound , it is a banquet for the green goddess , and is now a furor classic that cemented him as one of the elite repugnance film director .
5. David Cronenberg
Famed for his very obscure film which blended repulsion and science fiction , David Cronenberg is considered to be one of the principal mastermind of a subgenre know as torso horror , or venereal horror ( and sometimes bio - horror ) . This stylus of film explores the fear of bodily transformations and infection , with the most famous exemplar being Cronenberg’sThe Fly , which is a staggeringly of import film in the horror genre . Prior to this , Cronenberg had shown coup d’oeil of his talent to make frightful and singular moving picture throughShivers , Rabid , The BroodandScanners . All of these films contained wild and gruesome makeup , withThe Flyearning an Academy Award for its unforgettable makeup . Since these tremendous films from the 70 ’s and 80 ’s , Cronenberg has pack his career in a more or less different guidance and show his multifariousness by delving into more dramatic movies , such asA story of ViolenceandEastern Promises .
4. George A Romero
zombi are vastly of import to the horror musical style , and we have witnessed a resurgence of zombi horror both in film and TV in the last 10 years or so . However , zombies would not be what they are today if it were not for George Romero . Widely considered to have invented the zombie movie , Romero horrified audiences with the enormously influentialNight of the Living Deadin 1968 . This launched a very successful zombie enfranchisement , with Romero being sequester to the majority of these projects ( the last so far was in 2009 ) . Not only did these films help delimit zombies , but the cunning usage of POV shot and use of verite was almost unprecedented in repugnance before ( though they are now staple of the writing style ) . Romero ’s fingerprints are all over the horror genre , and we have him to give thanks for the many first-class zombie moving-picture show out there .
3. Wes Craven
Wes Craven lamentably passed forth in 2015 , which intend that repulsion and the entire photographic film industry lost a true legend . He was prolific in the repugnance genre , and specially the slasher sub - musical style . Craven has a stunning eubstance of work , with his most noted contribution being the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise , the Scream franchise , The Hills Have Eyes , The Last House on the Left , The mass Under the StairsandDeadly Blessing . Elm Street‘s Freddy Krueger is one of the most iconic horror villains , as is Ghostface from the Scream films , which brilliantly look Craven satirize the sub - musical style that he avail elevate . This shows that Craven knew how to create fun and thrilling repugnance motion-picture show , but also terrifying ones that will cohere with you long after the credits rove . Horror directors do often not get much credit , but Craven will always be call back as one of the enceinte film maker .
2. John Carpenter
A straight horror seer , John Carpenter is a unmistakably influential horror director who has contributed some of the best repugnance and scientific discipline fiction films of all - time . Many would consider his legendaryHalloween(1978 ) film to be the expectant and most influential repulsion movie ever create , and it is still heavily take and discuss to this day . Other masterpieces includeThe Thing(1982 ) , andThe Fog(1980 ) ( as well as the Escape enfranchisement outdoors of the horror literary genre ) . It is largely due toHalloween , however , that is why he is considered such a master , as this birthed the theory of repugnance franchises and the ability to create marvellous and profoundly affecting horror flick on a shoestring budget . Not only was his use of Steadicam and POV injection seminal , but Carpenter is also famed for grade his picture show . This include the iconicHalloweentheme which is so crucial to the franchise , and now the entire music genre .
1. Alfred Hitchcock
It is hard to put into words just how much of an impact Alfred Hitchcock has had on the thriller and horror genres , and his influence can also be felt outside these genres . “ The Master of Suspense ” , Hitchcock open up many elements of psychological thriller and horror plastic film , and his movie remain more thrilling and terrific than most released today . Too often horror now trust on jump panic and special effects , but Hitchcock alternatively used slow building tenseness and suspense to create edge of your rear end films which impacted interview at the time like no other film . This is most famous with his most famed bit , Psycho(1960 ) , which mark a new level of acceptability for violence , deviant behavior and gender ( horror staple ) in American cinema . The Birds , Strangers on a Train , Rear Window , VertigoandDial M for Murderare just a lowly extract of his engrossing , thrilling and terrifying flick .
