The IMDB list of the 50 best rated horror movies

Rank Rating Title Votes

1. 8.7 Psycho (1960) 137,303

2. 8.5 Alien (1979) 173,346

3. 8.5 The Shining (1980) 169,859

4. 8.3 Les diaboliques (1955) 13,812

5. 8.1 The Thing (1982) 74,815

6. 8.1 King Kong (1933) 37,259

7. 8.1 Rosemary's Baby (1968) 48,245

8. 8.1 Frankenstein (1931) 22,604

9. 8.1 The Exorcist (1973) 98,591

10. 8.0 Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari. (1920) 16,247

11. 8.0 Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) 28,381

12. 8.0 Bride of Frankenstein (1935) 15,308

13. 8.0 Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) 14,097

14. 8.0 Faust - Eine deutsche Volkssage (1926) 4,330

15. 8.0 Kaidan (1964) 4,010

16. 8.0 Night of the Living Dead (1968) 37,675

17. 8.0 Dawn of the Dead (1978) 41,000

18. 8.0 Shaun of the Dead (2004) 126,093

19. 8.0 What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) 12,007

20. 8.0 Onibaba (1964) 4,023

21. 7.9 The Innocents (1961) 6,507

22. 7.9 Halloween (1978) 61,841

23. 7.9 Repulsion (1965) 12,151

24. 7.9 The Unknown (1927) 2,442

25. 7.9 The Birds (1963) 51,002

26. 7.9 The Man Who Laughs (1928) 1,288

27. 7.9 Les yeux sans visage (1960) 4,448

28. 7.9 Freaks (1932) 13,231

29. 7.8 Evil Dead II (1987) 42,923

30. 7.8 Island of Lost Souls (1932) 1,321

31. 7.8 The Invisible Man (1933) 7,689

32. 7.8 Peeping Tom (1960) 8,835

33. 7.8 Dead of Night (1945) 3,342

34. 7.8 The Haunting (1963/I) 11,179

35. 7.8 The Wicker Man (1973) 19,793

36. 7.8 The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) 3,608

37. 7.8 Vargtimmen (1968) 4,275

38. 7.8 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) 3,668

39. 7.8 Häxan (1922) 2,677

40. 7.7 The Others (2001) 83,758

41. 7.7 The Phantom of the Opera (1925) 5,487

42. 7.7 Profondo rosso (1975) 8,591

43. 7.7 Dracula (1931) 12,937

44. 7.7 Saw (2004) 109,275

45. 7.7 [Rec] (2007) 32,213

46. 7.7 Dracula (1958) 5,338

47. 7.7 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) 102,124

48. 7.7 The Devils (1971) 2,752

49. 7.6 The Spiral Staircase (1945) 3,114

50. 7.6 Night of the Demon (1957) 3,432

The Exorcist and LEGION Republished in One Volume

Cemetery Dance Publications, best known for their work with Stephen King and Dean Koontz, is also publishing collectible editions by William Peter Blatty.

In 2009, they published a special hardcover edition of his classic haunted house novella, Elsewhere. The signed editions are sold out, but the trade edition is now in its second printing.



In 2010, Cemetery Dance will publish The Exorcist and Legion in one special volume. Featuring the two classic William Peter Blatty novels in one beautiful volume for the first-time ever, this oversized deluxe special SIGNED edition will be a must-have for any collector of horror. This incredible collector's edition also includes original B&W artwork by acclaimed artist Keith Minnion and the entire career spanning interview
conducted by Cemetery Dance Managing Editor Brian Freeman, covering Blatty's life and career from the 1950s to the present. Both the Limited Edition and the Lettered Edition are signed by William Peter Blatty and there are no plans at this time to publish a trade edition of this special volume.



And finally, Cemetery Dance magazine issue #62 was a William Peter Blatty Special Issue featuring three original contributions by Blatty: "Epilogue: The Exorcist" and "Prologue to Exorcist III: Legion", which were "lost" sections of the screenplays of those movies, and "Terry and the Werewolf", an original short story Blatty wrote in the 1960s that never saw print. Also in the issue was an excerpt of a career spanning interview conducted by Cemetery Dance Managing Editor Brian Freeman and "An Invitation To The Dance, Legion: Exorcist III" by Kealan Patrick Burke. The cover artwork was painted by Les Edwards.



[Cemetery Dance Publications is an official sponsor of WildClaw's LEGION]

The reviews are in - LEGION is a smash!

Here's what people have been saying about WildClaw Theatre's production of LEGION:

Kerry Reid, Chicago Tribune
“Chilling Exorcist sequel gets WildClaw treatment - Three Stars! LEGION deserves attention from serious fans of smart, well-crafted psychological horror.”

CSE Cooney, Centerstage
“RECOMMENDED – a Must See Show … LEGION provides a gruesomely good time at the theater.”

Aggie Hewitt, Chicago Theater Blog
“LEGION lives in the dark and the light: it’s political and scary and cinematic all at the same time… this play hits all the right marks for a fun night out.”

Chris Arnold, SteadStyle Chicago
“Horror is a difficult genre to pull off, especially onstage, but WildClaw Theatre has proven to have the intelligence and wherewithal to make it happen.”

Jude W. Mire, Killer-works.com
“WildClaw's LEGION is intelligent theology wrapped up in a bloody strait-jacket and whispering at you from the shadows. Do not miss it!”

Don Hall, An Angry White Guy in Chicago
“The show is a gas … LEGION is definitely worth your time.”

David Schmidt, Sword and Cloak
“The WildClaw folks deliver a powerfully ominous atmosphere, some wonderful suspense, and some genuinely chilling moments that are a complete delight.”



WildClaw Theatre proudly presents the world premiere of William Peter Blatty’s sequel to his horror classic, The Exorcist.

Based on the novel LEGION, written by William Peter Blatty.

Adaptation by Charley Sherman (The Great God Pan, The Dreams in the Witch House)

Directed by Anne Adams (The Revenants)

Now running Thurs - Sat 7:30pm, Sun 3pm – MUST CLOSE April 18th!!!

Viaduct Theatre Mainstage - 3111 Western Ave., Chicago

$10 industry/student tickets are available at the door on Thursdays and Sundays!

Visit http://www.wildclawtheatre.com for more info...

Cemetery Dance News

Cemetery Dance Publications, best known for their work with Stephen King and Dean Koontz, is also publishing collectible editions by William Peter Blatty.



In 2009, they published a special hardcover edition of his classic haunted house novella, Elsewhere. The signed editions are sold out, but the trade edition is now in its second printing.



In 2010, Cemetery Dance will publish The Exorcist and Legion in one special volume. Featuring the two classic William Peter Blatty novels in one beautiful volume for the first-time ever, this oversized deluxe special SIGNED edition will be a must-have for any collector of horror. This incredible collector's edition also includes original B&W artwork by acclaimed artist Keith Minnion and the entire career spanning interview conducted by Cemetery Dance Managing Editor Brian Freeman, covering Blatty's life and career from the 1950s to the present. Both the Limited Edition and the Lettered Edition are signed by William Peter Blatty and there are no plans at this time to publish a trade edition of this special volume.



And finally, Cemetery Dance magazine issue #62 was a William Peter Blatty Special Issue featuring three original contributions by Blatty: "Epilogue: The Exorcist" and "Prologue to Exorcist III: Legion", which were "lost" sections of the screenplays of those movies, and "Terry and the Werewolf", an original short story Blatty wrote in the 1960s that never saw print. Also in the issue was an excerpt of a career spanning interview conducted by Cemetery Dance Managing Editor Brian Freeman and "An Invitation To The Dance, Legion: Exorcist III" by Kealan Patrick Burke. The cover artwork was painted by Les Edwards.

Minimalist Movie Posters

Thanks to Don Hall for turning us on to this awesome gallery of re-imagined movie posters. (Parlez-vous francais?)

Film the Blanks - The Exorcist

Jamie Bolton - The Shining

Spacesick - Shaun of the Dead

(lots of horror films represented here, check it out!)

Tres bien. Tres tres bien.

Trailer for LEGION World Premiere

Tubular Bells Remixed and Rereleased

Mike Oldfield's classic album, Tubular Bells has been remixed and will be rereleased in several audiophile drool worthy formats this year.

This is one of many "The Exorcist" related events happening this year. In addition to WildClaw's world stage premiere adaptation of William Peter Blatty's novel, LEGION (the sequel to The Exorcist), Blatty has new novels coming out, and Cemetery Dance is republishing The Exorcist and Legion in one volume. Stay tuned for more here at BLOOD RADIO.

Possession, Part I: What Is Gained?

When asked to name itself, the demon inside Emily Rose (from The Exorcism of Emily Rose) declares , in several languages, that it is not one demon but six.

1. I am the one who dwells within Cain.
2. I am one who dwelt within Nero.
3. I dwelt within Judas.
4. I am with Legion.
5. I am Belial.
6. And I am Lucifer, The Devil in the flesh!

WildClaw’s upcoming production of William Peter Blatty’s LEGION has us all thinking about possession. Demonic possession, bodily possession, material possessions, worldly possessions, you name it. If it’s possessed (or possessive), we’ve got it on our minds.

Let’s look at the word. From the American Heritage Dictionary, 4th edition

POSSESS

TRANSITIVE VERB:
pos•sessed, pos•sess•ing, pos•sess•es

ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English possessen, from Old French possesser, from Latin possid re, possess- : pos-, as master; see poti- in Indo-European roots + sed re, to sit; see sed- in Indo-European roots

1. To have as property; own.
2. To have as a quality, characteristic, or other attribute: possessed great tact.
3. To acquire mastery of or have knowledge of: possess valuable data.
4. a. To gain or exert influence or control over; dominate: Fury possessed me.
b. To control or maintain (one's nature) in a particular condition: I possessed my temper despite the insult.
5. To cause to own, hold, or master something, such as property or knowledge: She possessed herself of the unclaimed goods.
6. To cause to be influenced or controlled, as by an idea or emotion: The thought of getting rich possessed him.
7. Obsolete To gain or seize.

To possess supposes ownership or dominion. Words like 'control' are important in these definitions, or 'mastery.' But I like the idea that possession is not limited to Demons and Spirits but also extends to possession by ideas or emotional extremes. These aren’t as fun as supernatural applications (we’ll take a good demon any night of the week), but it is a fascinating psychological conceit. When we’re not possessed of our faculties, we’re possessed by something else. Naturally.

But that 7th definition…that’s the one that sticks with me most. To gain. I’d like to challenge the “obsolescence” of this definition, because not only do I think it’s extremely applicable to horror, but it’s also deliciously vague. When one is possessed, what is truly gained by the possessor? I agree, there must be a gain, but is it a tangible gain we’re talking about, or something else? A “gain,” the way I think of it, is strategic. Gaining ground in a war. Gaining a foothold in an argument. Gaining leverage in a negotiation, or in the workplace. Gaining evidence to support a theory. Gaining the upper hand.

Material gain is boring, as are material possessions. Demons know this, which is why when they possess you, they’re looking to gain something else. The question of what it is PRECISELY they wish to gain has always been pretty fucking scary to me (not why they do what they do, but what it is exactly they GAIN). Your soul? Maybe, but what does that actually do for them? I assume they aren’t just trophies on the walls of their lairs, objectified. “Souls Gained.” So is it part of a greater strategy? Or just a desire to unleash chaos and make us lowly mortals despair? It is as impossible to know what happens to you when you die as it is to know what demons and evil spirits hope/wish/want/need to gain. They are beyond us. Their true intentions are unknowable, as are their ultimate aims.

Are there many demons competing for supremacy in the void? Or is there indeed only one demon, and all of evil simply the strategic gains of his odyssey?

He is a liar. The demon is a liar. He will lie to confuse us. But he will also mix lies with the truth to attack us. The attack is psychological, Damien, and powerful. So don't listen to him. Remember that - do not listen. ~ Father Merrin, The Exorcist

What is the endgame?

The Exorcist and Legion (Special Edition)

Coming soon from Cemetery Dance Publications. They say: "Featuring two classic William Peter Blatty novels in one beautiful volume for the first-time ever, this oversized deluxe special edition will be a must-have for any collector of horror! This special collector's edition also includes original B&W artwork by acclaimed artist Keith Minnion and a career spanning interview conducted by Cemetery Dance Managing Editor Brian Freeman, covering Blatty's life and career from the 1950s to the present."

William Peter Blatty's LEGION - Our Next Show

The Exorcist wasn't the end of the story. William Peter Blatty continued the tale in his book, LEGION. WildClaw Theatre will be producing the world premiere stage adaptation by Charley Sherman (The Great God Pan and Dreams in the Witch House) and it will be directed by Anne Adams (director of The Revenants).

LEGION will open on Monday, March 15th at the Viaduct Theatre Mainstage.

And he asked him, "What is thy name?" And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion: for we are many." (Mark 5:9)