Stephen King writes books that are chilling enough to keep you awake at night for a year or so. The following are the scariest of the lot.

1. Pet Sematary

This movie focuses on a pet cemetery which is haunted and if you bury your pet there, it will come to life but not as the cute and loyal creature you remember it to be. A family loses their son and decides to bury him in the same “sematary” for some absurd reason. He does come back but makes it a point to take a dozen people back with him.

2. Storm of the Century

This terrifying story is about an unknown man who turns up during an awful blizzard in some godforsaken island. He is peculiar and knows how to bend the will of those around him to make sure that he gets what he wants.

3. 1408

1408 stars Samuel L. Jackson and John Cusak. It is about a hotel room which has seen a lot of life, so to say and therefore, has quite a dreadful history. Those who visit the hotel keep away from the room but one brave author decides to check in and prove the rumors wrong. Let’s just say he doesn’t succeed.

4. Children of the Corn

Children of the Corn is about a child who takes it upon himself to persuade all the children in town that it is their job to kill the adults.

5. It

Some adults realize that the evil bully from their past has returned. He is evil and he appears without prior notice. He has supernatural powers and he is a clown. The adults aptly name him It.

6. Rose Red

Rose Red is four hours long and the plot revolves around a haunted mansion. It may sound clichéd and done to death but the movie is actually pretty good. Most of the scenes are scary and the characters are quite likeable. The ending ties up the movie neatly and does not leave the viewer feeling anything less than frightened.

7. Secret Window

This film stars John Turturro and the legendary Johnny Depp. It is about Mort Rainey, a well known writer who is in the middle of a divorce. An odd man named John Shooter turns up at his doorstep and claims that one of the stories written by Rainey is actually Shooter’s. He wants to be credited for his work and will not stop till he gets what he deserves.

8. Misery

Kathy Bates plays Annie Wilkes, a stalker who happens to save an author’s life. “Hobbling” is a word she uses quite often and those who saw this movie will understand why the mere mention of the word can make somebody cringe for hours.

9. Carrie

Carrie White is a young timid girl who is ostracized by her classmates at school. One of them decides that it will be funny to douse the poor girl with pigs blood during prom. Carrie gets her revenge by killing every body in the gym using her telekinetic powers.

10. The Shawshank Redemption

IMDB gave this movie a 9/10 rating which is extraordinary if you know how selective the website is. It is about a banker who spends time in jail after being falsely convicted of a crime. The actors have done a great job and the plot is amazing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this movie which makes it a definite must-watch.

Popularity: 1% [?]

The overall popularity of the films in this article is determined by the rating given to them on popular film websites such as IMDB and the like. The following won Oscars but got very dismal ratings.

1. Terms of Endearment

Rating- 7.3

This film won an Oscar for Best Picture and beat movies like The Dresser and Tender Mercies. The star cast included Jack Nicholson and Shirley McLaine. It is an ordinary film about a mother and daughter duo and their journey as they try to find happiness and joy in very different ways.

2. Chariots of Fire

Rating- 7.3

This film is about two athletes, Eric and Harold. They reach some sort of compromise and manage to run during the 1924 Olympics. It stars Ben Cross and Ian Charleson and was directed by Hugh Hudson. It beat other deserving movies like Reds and On Golden Pond.

3. An American in Paris

Rating- 7.3

An American in Paris is laced with romantic complications because while Jerry, an artist falls in love with Lise, a French girl, an heiress falls for Jerry. A very messy triangle is formed and the movie is quite a snooze-fest. Many people agree with the fact that Quo Vadis should have won.

4. Gentleman’s Agreement

Rating- 7.3

Gregory Peck plays the character of a journalist at a well-known magazine in New York. He gets a break and decides to be Jewish for a while so that he can write about bigotry and its effects. The rest of the movie is about how he is denied certain basic rights and refused a job.

5. Titanic

Rating- 7.2

Most people will be appalled to see this movie on this particular list because people all but fawn over it till date. It’s basically about the unsinkable ship that ends up sinking. Leonardo DiCaprio plays his part perfectly and so does Kate Winselet. But then again, it mustn’t be all that hard to pretend to be filthy rich, right?

6. The English Patient

Rating- 7.2

Directed by Anthony Minghella, this film starred Kristin Scott Thomas and Ralph Fiennes. The plot revolves around four characters whose lives mesh together during the Second World War.

7. Out of Africa

Rating- 6.9

The star cast of this film was fabulous- it included Robert Redford and Meryl Streep which is the main reason it did well. The plot talks about the life and struggles of Karen Dinesen Blixen. The other nominees were Kiss of the Spider Woman and The Color Purple.

8. Around the World in Eighty Days

Rating- 6.8

Somebody challenges a man named Phileas Fogg that he should prove it if he can travel around the world in eighty days. He accepts and takes off with a butler and bets all the money he has. It has a surprising twist which will make you wonder whether the man is as clean as he seems to be.

9. The Greatest Show on Earth

Rating- 6.7

Brad Braden is a circus manager who wants to enhance his profits during the current season. He removes Holly, his girlfriend from her spot and what follows is a dangerous competition between the two. Buttons the Clown is a part of the plot as well and the lucky audience gets to understand his past in great detail.

10. The Broadway Melody

Rating- 6.5

Directed by Harry Beaumont and starring Kenneth Thomson, Charles King, Bessie Love and Anita Page, this film from the 1930s is about two performers who come to Broadway because their fried, Mr.Kerns needs them. Kerns falls in love with one of them but a socialite marries her.

Popularity: 4% [?]

While some people hate Disney, others adore it but nobody can deny the fact that it has created some of the best villains that will go down in history.

1. Stromboli from Pinocchio

Stromboli is a heartless, evil and loud showman who does not think twice before burning up the marionettes he owns once they reach a certain age. The puppeteer cares about nothing but money which is why he kidnaps Pinocchio and pushes him to work and help him earn more cash.

2. Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians

Cruella De Vil loved fur and was hated by all animals. When she saw the Dalmatians’ fur, she tried her best to catch hold of them and turn them into coats. She was evil because she wanted to poison and drown cute puppies just so that she could parade about in long furry coats.

3. Governor Ratcliffe from Pocahontas

This greedy governor does not trust anybody which is why he orders his men to go after the so-called savages. He believes that they own the treasure that he is desperately looking for. As the film progresses, it becomes clear that he was wrong but he announces that a war must take place, nonetheless.

4. Jafar from Aladdin

Jafar is basically an evil sorcerer who transforms himself when he needs something done. While sometimes he is a sultan, other times he is a terrifying genie or an old man. He betrays the Sultan and tries to steal his throne to fulfill his lifelong dream of ruling Agrabah.

5. Lady Tremaine from Cinderella

Cinderella’s step-mother was evil and self-centered and tried her best to smother the young girl’s spirit. She mercilessly plays with her emotions and gives her what she wants just to take it away the next minute. 

6. Shan-Yu from Mulan

Shan-Yu is a ruthless man who is single-minded when it comes to his dream of conquering China. He kills people without giving it a second thought and invades the country to show the Emperor who’s boss.

7. Ursula from The Little Mermaid

Ursula was an octopus who liked to manipulate naïve and vulnerable mermaids like Ariel. Her main aim was to collect souls and inflict great misery on the ‘victims’ who would then live in sorrow for the rest of their lives.

8. Scar from The Lion King

Scar was Mufasa’s evil brother in the movie who made it clear that he would remove every obstacle in his way if it meant gaining the prestigious title of The King. He kills his brother and tells Simba that he should take responsibility for it. The poor cub is left guilt-ridden and it is all very depressing.

9. The Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

When The Queen finds out that she is aging, she wants to kill Snow White, her step daughter and feed on her heart after her death. She uses magic to turn herself into an elderly woman just so that she can deliver a poisoned apple to the beautiful young Snow White.

10. Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty

Maleficent was undoubtedly the most evil villain ever created by Disney. She is malicious and has horns which only add to her terrifying persona and aura. The fact that her name means evil should give you an idea about her sinister character and menacing plans.

Popularity: 1% [?]

People in horror films are usually quite stupid- they practically walk into the killer’s arms and ask to be bludgeoned to death. If you ever find yourself caught in a horror movie, keep the following tips in mind-

1. Keep Checking

If a man with a mask is chasing you and you are lucky enough to get into your car in time, take some time to turn around and run your eyes over the back seat. Then do it again- just to be sure. Also, if you have a feeling that somebody is hiding in the boot, find a sharp enough weapon to puncture it because what’s the point of opening it normally?

2. Hide

If you are hiding under the bed or in a closet, try not to keep peeking through the cracks every two minutes. Once you are sure that the killer has left the building, you should check your surroundings carefully and run your hand over the ground.

3. Run

If you cannot find a knife and you are sure that your lipstick will not work, run as fast as you can. Do not be silly enough to think that you will outrun the monster, though. No matter how fast you run on the treadmill in the gym and even if the monster is only strolling towards you, it will catch up with you sooner than you think. But still- keep running.

4. Don’t Be Excessively Brave

If you walk by a deserted building whose entrance is smeared with blood and you hear somebody crying out, do not take it upon yourself to save them. You will get killed.

5. Stay Away From the Undead

Sometimes pets and family members come back from the dead in horror movies. If you own such a pet or are knew the relative, don’t even think of going towards them. They won’t really care who you are as long as you have some meat on your bones that they can chew on.

6. Use Your Head

If your friend has never sat through the Latin or French classes with you but suddenly starts speaking in the language and you happen to be in a haunted house, kill them without thinking twice. They are either possessed or dead already so you are only doing them a favor.

7. Pack Your Bags

If the door starts opening and closing by itself after dark or if the piano keys start chiming when nobody is around, do not start using logic to explain it all away. The house is haunted- you need to leave, unless of course you don’t mind sharing the house with these spirits.

8. Move Around in Numbers

If you and your friends decide to spend the night in the woods or an isolated area and you feel the need to walk off by yourself- don’t. Always take three or more friends with you wherever you go because there is always comfort in numbers- unless of course 60 monsters decide to come after you.

9. Use a Weapon

You are seriously delusional if you think that you will be able to defend yourself against a killer or a monster without a weapon.

10. Be Sure That It’s Dead

If you manage to decapitate the killer or the monster, don’t walk away without checking twice. Shoot at it as many times as you can and then run. It will be too clichéd if you think you’ve killed it but it comes up behind you and throws you off the cliff.

Popularity: 6% [?]

The following films are inspiring simply because they show it is possible to come out victorious and not give in to the addiction.

1. 28 days

Sandra Bullock stars in this dark comedy about a woman named Gwen Cummings who is forced to check-in to a rehab centre after she ruins her sisters wedding under the influence of drugs and alcohol. She looks at her life in a different light and realizes that even though it won’t be easy, she is willing to start over.

2. Trainspotting

This beautifully made movie focuses on Mark Renton who is trying to rid of his heroin habit. As the movie progresses, we see that his attempts change his equation with his who are under the influence as well.

3. Traffic

Traffic is about four different people who are battling with drug addiction. By the end, the viewers realize that their stories are all inter-connected in one way or another.

4. When a Man Loves a Woman

A woman is battling alcoholism and finds support in her husband who is an airline pilot. She decides that she needs to clean up when her daughter is put in danger because of her. She enters a rehabilitation program and is able to sober up and leave within a short period of time. The pilot has trouble adjusting to his newly independent wife which is when the marital problems begin.

5. Drugstore Cowboy

Several drug users come together in this crime drama during the 1970s and because they are low on cash, end up cleaning out a number of drug stores all over the country. Bob Hughes played by Matt Dillon realizes that he needs to clean up his act after disaster strikes and he has no other choice.

6. Not My Kid

Not My Kid is about a teenager who enterer a drug intervention program supervised by the infamous Dr. Royce. The drug addicts are made to interact with each other during group meetings and share stories from their past. The girl’s parents find this aspect horrifying and remain in denial till she takes them through the details of her drug addiction.

7. Clean And Sober

Daryl Poyner is a well-known real estate agent who is battling with a severe cocaine problem. He wakes up one morning beside a woman who seems to have overdosed on cocaine and he also finds out that some money has been stolen from his bank account. He runs to a drug rehabilitation centre in order to avoid the law which is when he meets Morgan Freeman. This is when he realizes that he ran to the right place.

8. London Kills Me

London Kills Me is about a young man who wants to pull himself out of the drug scene in London. However, he can only do this if he can present the drug lord with a pair of shoes.

9. Lady sings the blues

Billie Holiday turned Elinore Harris, spends most of her life as a prostitute and a cleaning woman. She is raped several times after which she fulfills her dream of making it big as a jazz singer. The pressure of it all leads her to abuse substances like heroin. Her friends help her through it all and encourage her to give up the habit.

10. Little fish

Little Fish is about a recovering drug addict named Tracey Heart who must help her ex-boyfriend leave behind his addiction as well. It almost triggers off her own addiction but she manages to stay afloat and realizes that she has to face the music in the end.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Films over the years have been filled with loving and adorable characters but it has also featured a fair share of creepy and menacing people.

1. Ellen Ripley from Alien

Ellen Ripley was known to bite off another person’s head if they happened to annoy her. Not only that, but she would also return and feed on the rest of the body if she felt like it. Ellen obviously lived by that one phrase- in space nobody can hear you scream.

2. Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street series

We first saw him in “A Nightmare on Elm Street “in 1984 as a stalker who would appear in people’s dreams and kill them. He was disfigured and sharp knife-like razors poked out of his glove. The catch was that these ‘dreamers’ would be dead in the real world as well.

3. Hayley Stark from Hard Candy

Hayley Stark looks young and knows how to play up her charms which she then uses to trap an older man, tie him up and cut up his genitals. If anybody tries to reason with her, she confuses them with her clever answers and dismisses them.

4. Norman Bates from Psycho

Normal is shown to be a respectable man who lives in a large but creepy house which is situated across the motel he owns. He loves his mother very much who tells him that sex and women are dirty. As the movie progresses, we find out that Norman is jealous and obsessive. It is then revealed that he has Dissociative Personality Disorder and that he killed his mother several years back.

5. Carrie White from Carrie

Carrie is a mousy and timid girl whose classmates bully her constantly. Her mother is a religious fanatic and emotionally unstable in many ways. On prom night, the kids at school decide to throw a bucket of pig’s blood on her which irritates Carrie, to say the least. She uses her telekinetic powers to kill everybody in the school gym.

6. Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series

This character supports the practice of cannibalism heartily and wears a mask that is made entirely of human skin. He uses tools like sledgehammers and chainsaws to cut up his victims.

7. Alex Forrest from Fatal Attraction

Daniel Gallagher has a one night stand with Alex Forrest and moves on with his life. However, Alex has other ideas and becomes quite obsessed with the man. She wants to remove every obstacle that she can see between her and Daniel so she does whatever it takes. This includes attacking his wife with a knife and boiling his daughter’s pet rabbit.

8. Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs

Hannibal is introduced as a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a serial killer and cannibalistic. He keeps the audience on the edge because quite frankly, he is creepy. What’s more, he writes extraordinary pieces for medical journals after he is done eating his victims.

9. Jack Torrance from The Shining

Jack is stuck in a motel and he is trying to finish his novel but his wife keeps annoying him. His son is slightly odd and friends with an imaginary friend who is called Tony. Jack then meets some ghosts who like to hang around in the hotel who then convince him to kill his family.

10. Damien from The Omen

Damien is a young boy who likes to stare at people and make them uncomfortable. People tend to die around him. About an hour and a half into the movie, the other characters in the movie realize that something is wrong with the ‘sweet’ child. He is, wait for it, the son of the devil!

Popularity: 6% [?]

A great soundtrack can work wonders for most films and set the tone for any scene. The following are the top 10:

1. Ed Wood

This movie had a very funky soundtrack and was Howard Shore’s baby. It was directed by Tim Burton and was extremely funny. The music was both soothing and startling at the same time and managed to capture hearts all around the world.

2. The Fountain

This breathtaking film had an equally remarkable soundtrack. The music manages to merge in with the beautiful scenery and is such that it is laced with grace and timelessness. The movie and the soundtrack are both classics and intensely beautiful.

3. Doctor Zhivago

This movie’s soundtrack is undoubtedly the most inspirational of its time. Composed by Maurice Jarre, it is peppered with well picked out themes like revolution, rebellion and paranoia. The fact that it is brilliant was clearly recognized as it won an Oscar.

4. Dracula

This eerie remake was better than the original simply because of its soundtrack. It was picked out in such a way that it merged in with the overall theme of the movie and kept its peculiar style alive till the closing credits started rolling. Dracula’s soundtrack was as terrifying as the movie and it is not surprising that it did as well as it did.

5. Breakfast At Tiffany’s

Breakfast At Tiffany’s is undoubtedly a classic which is not surprising as the legendary Audrey Hepburn was a part of the cast. One particular song won an Academy Award as it was the highlight of a remarkable soundtrack. The movie was graceful and beautiful and the soundtrack has kept it alive all these years.

6. Requiem for a Dream

This movie gets darker with every scene and so does the soundtrack. While the initial songs are upbeat and cheerful, the last few are grim and dark. This adds to the overall feel of the film and allows the audience to remain gripped till the last scene.

7. Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Even though this film’s soundtrack was not concentrated on as much as that of the rest in this list, fact remains that it will never be forgotten. Those who grew up in the 80s will agree and besides, when somebody like John Williams is involved with a movie, it is obvious that it will do well.

8. Star Wars

This film’s soundtrack became so popular that it is shocking when somebody does not recognize it instantly. It is so remarkable that even those who are not interested in science fiction cannot help but fall in love with it.

9. McCabe and Mrs. Miller

McCabe and Mrs. Miller’s soundtrack includes songs recorded by Leonard Cohen. This legendary singer created beautiful music and will go down in history as among the best. If you have not watched the movie, you should do so just to listen to the songs. There is no doubt that the beauty, depth and clarity will render you speechless.

10. Faust

Directed by F.W. Murnau, this film has an amazing soundtrack. Most of the songs have extremely morbid choruses which stay with the audience long after the movie ends. They resound through the haunting scenes and give life to the scenery.

Popularity: 7% [?]

The first four decades of cinema saw only silent movies and because nothing was known about the field, every technique had to be created from scratch. The following are the top 10 silent movies of all time.

1. The Phantom of the Opera

Made by Rupert Julian in 1925, this movie was an adaptation of a book by Gaston Leroux of the same name. Lon Chaney was the Phantom and is best-known for this film because he did his own make-up which involved painting the area around his eyes black, pulling the tip of his nose upwards and keeping it in place with the help of wires and more.

2. Un chien Andalou

This film was released in 1929 by Luis Buñuel and contributions were made by Salvador Dali. The film is short and is basically a series of dream-like and disturbing images. Andalou is Luis Buñuel’s most famous film and after its release, the nature of film-making changed and was seen from a different perspective.

3. Sherlock, Jr.

Sherlock, Jr. was a comedy released in 1924 by Buster Keaton. The plot revolves around a janitor who wants to become a detective. After the release of this film, Keaton gained immense respect which is clear from the fact that his unique style is imitated even today.

4. Greed

This film was released in 1924 and was originally 9 hours long. It talks about a dentist’s wife who strikes gold after winning a lottery but becomes quite obsessed with the wealth soon after. The movie is 4 hours long and the remaining 5 hours were cut out which is considered to be quite a tragedy till date.

5. The Birth of a Nation

The Birth of a Nation made by D.W. Griffith in 1915 changed the entire foundation of films forever. This Civil War epic made use of techniques like close-ups, eyeline matches and camera pans which were brand new and accepted readily by the audience. The film created controversy because it depicted the slaves in a discriminating manner.

6. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

This German film was released in 1920 by Robert Wiene. The plot of the movie was laced with asymmetrical sets which had the distinct quality of being slightly twisted. The story revolves around an eccentric doctor and his servant who has the habit of sleepwalking.

7. Nosferatu

Directed by F W Murnau in 1922, this silent film is among the few that helped build the foundation of the horror genre as we know it today. It was initially supposed to be another version of “Dracula” but the plot had to be changed drastically because of copyright problems.

8. The Gold Rush

The Gold Rush is one of the best films made by Charlie Chaplin. It is about a Tramp who travels to Alaska so that he can take part in the gold rush. The poster is famous as well and the film is both hilarious and heartwarming.

9. The General

The General talks about an engineer who wants to fight during the Civil War but is not able to. A few months later his train gets hijacked by some soldiers and he takes it upon himself to stop them. The action sequences in the movie are amazing and the climax of the film will have you at the edge of your seat.

10. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

Created by the same legendary director who made Nosferatu a reality, this film is about a broken marriage. The images are dream-like and mesmerizing and the film does its best to enthrall the audience. Needless to say, it succeeds brilliantly.

Popularity: 3% [?]