Horror anthologies I've seen with the top 25 highlighted
by im_a_whammy | created - 25 Feb 2013 | updated - 12 Aug 2013 | PublicI love scary movies, and horror anthologies are my favorite of all. The following is a list of all the ones I've seen, with the top 25 being listed first. The top 25 are not in order, for it's too difficult to determine the order, but just easy enough to determine the cream of the crop.
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1. Creepshow (1982)
R | 120 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
"Creepshow" is a 1982 movie that tells five grisly tales from a children's comic book: a murdered father rising from his grave, a bizarre meteor, a vengeful husband, a mysterious crate's occupant, and a plague of cockroaches.
Director: George A. Romero | Stars: Hal Holbrook, Leslie Nielsen, Adrienne Barbeau, E.G. Marshall
Votes: 53,269 | Gross: $21.03M
My favorite horror anthology of all time. The only thing that could have made it better was some nudity, but you can't always get what you want, but it does give you what you need: lots of horrific fun. All the segments are entertaining, and when it comes to choosing the top story of the anthology, what one may find the best, another may find the weakest. I thought "Father's Day" was the weakest, but a coworker liked it the best. All in all one of the best horror anthologies of all time.
The Strongest Story: The Crate
The Weakest: Father's Day (
2. Trick 'r Treat (2007)
R | 82 min | Comedy, Horror
Five interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: an everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the guy for her; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank; a woman who loathes the night has to contend with her holiday-obsessed husband; and a mean old man meets his match with a demonic, supernatural trick-or-treater.
Director: Michael Dougherty | Stars: Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, Rochelle Aytes
Votes: 104,654
Quite possibly the greatest horror anthology ever made. Definately the most imaginative when it comes to presenting the stories to the viewer. Unlike most other horror anthologies that present 3-5 stories that are pretty much independent of each other and sometimes told through the use of one top level story such as characters telling each other spooky stories, this film weaves the stories into each other so that characters and parts of one story are actually part of another. Because of the nonlinear style, it's hard to say which story is strongest and which is weakest, because this is a movie where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
The Strongest Story: N/A
The Weakest: N/A
3. The Vault of Horror (1973)
R | 87 min | Horror, Thriller
An anthology of five horror stories shared by five men trapped in the basement of an office building.
Director: Roy Ward Baker | Stars: Curd Jürgens, Terry-Thomas, Tom Baker, Dawn Addams
Votes: 6,264
If you liked Tales from the Crypt, then you'll like this. In fact most of the stories were originally published in Tales from the Crypt comic books. All the stories are entertaining except for "This Trick'll Kill You" which I found to be a bit dissappointing.
The Strongest Story: The Neat Job
The Weakest: This Trick'll Kill You
4. Tales from the Hood (1995)
R | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
A funeral director tells four strange tales of horror with an African American focus to three drug dealers he traps in his place of business.
Director: Rusty Cundieff | Stars: Clarence Williams III, Corbin Bernsen, Joe Torry, De'aundre Bonds
Votes: 9,615 | Gross: $11.80M
A horror anthology with some urban flava. Unlike some other horror flcks where the horror comes from monsters or killer maniacs, the real horror in this movie comes from some of the real problems in the inner city that the movie touches upon, such as racism, police brutality and gang violence. Don't worry, there are still monsters and the supernatural to keep things from getting too real and heavy. I enjoyed the frame story with the funeral director telling three gang bangers his tales from the hood, and I really enjoyed David Allan Grier's perfomance in "Boys Do Get Bruised"
The Strongest Story: Boys Do Get Bruised
The Weakest: Hard Core Convert
5. Cat's Eye (1985)
PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy, Horror, Thriller
A stray cat is the linking element of three tales of suspense and horror.
Director: Lewis Teague | Stars: Drew Barrymore, James Woods, Alan King, Kenneth McMillan
Votes: 28,181 | Gross: $13.09M
A great movie for cat lovers! The star of the movie is a cat who makes an appearance in three different stories, with his role becoming bigger in each story so that by the third one he is the protagonist. "Quitter's, Inc." is the weak link of the three stories, but it's a tossup between the other two as which one is the best. Both "The Ledge" and "General" are great. Had they both been made as short films without the rest of the movie, I'd probably give the edge to "The Ledge", but because they weren't, I give the edge to "General", since the movie leads up to the film's climax with the cat in an epic battle. Plus how awesome is that...a cat in an epic battle?!
The Strongest Story: General
The Weakest: Quitter's, Inc.
6. Creepshow 2 (1987)
R | 92 min | Fantasy, Horror
Three macabre tales from the latest issue of a boy's favorite comic book, dealing with a vengeful wooden Native American, a monstrous blob in a lake, and an undying hitchhiker.
Director: Michael Gornick | Stars: George Kennedy, Lois Chiles, Domenick John, Tom Savini
Votes: 28,366 | Gross: $14.00M
Though not as good as the first, still a pretty damn good movie. Missing is the cinematography that gave the first one a comic book feel, but it has something the first one lacked: nudity. Sadly, no full frontal, just a pair of boobs (though technically not nudity, there's also an athletic stud in a wet skimpy speedo if you're into guys). It also has well written, interesting stories. In fact, I'd say that "The Raft" may be the best story in any of the Creepshow movies. Definately a movie worth watching if you liked the first.
The Strongest Story: The Raft
The Weakest: Old Chief Wood'nhead
7. Black Sabbath (1963)
Approved | 97 min | Horror
Boris Karloff hosts a trio of horror stories concerning a stalked call girl, a vampire-like monster who preys on his family, and a nurse who is haunted by her ring's rightful owner.
Director: Mario Bava | Stars: Michèle Mercier, Lidia Alfonsi, Boris Karloff, Mark Damon
Votes: 13,919
Boris Karloff hosts this horror masterpiece. Though it came out in 1963 and lacks the gore of today's horror, many horror fans will still enjoy it as it doesn't seem boring like many other old horror ficks do. The lighting and makeup is done to perfection! The dead medium in "The Drop of Water" looks just as scary as monsters made today; she is one creepy looking old bitch!
The Strongest Story: The Drop of Water
The Weakest: The Telephone
8. Chillerama (2011)
Not Rated | 120 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
It's the closing night at the last drive-in theatre in America, and manager, Cecil Kaufman's planned to show 4 movies; films so rare, they've never been exhibited publicly on American soil, until tonight.
Directors: Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Bear McCreary, Adam Rifkin, Tim Sullivan | Stars: Adam Rifkin, Sarah Mutch, Ray Wise, Lin Shaye
Votes: 4,844
Though it's more comedy than horror, there is enough gore and monsters to keep horror fans entertained. Some of the moments in "Wadzilla" are laugh out loud, and a couple of the songs in "I Was a Teenage Werebear" are pretty catchy. After those two stories, the movie goes downhill a bit.
The Strongest Story: Wadzilla
The Weakest: The Diary of Anne Frankenstein
9. Tales from the Crypt (1972)
PG | 92 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Five strangers get lost in a crypt and, after meeting the mysterious Crypt Keeper, receive visions of how they will die.
Director: Freddie Francis | Stars: Joan Collins, Peter Cushing, Ralph Richardson, Geoffrey Bayldon
Votes: 13,023 | Gross: $1.70M
If you were a fan of the show "Tales from the Crypt" that was on HBO, you should definately check out this movie. Some of the stories in this movie were also episodes of that series. Filled with twists and surprises, this movie features bad people recieving their just desserts. While difficult to determine which story is the best, it's easy to pick out the weakest: "Reflection of Death". While not bad, just not quite as good as the other four.
The Strongest Story: (4 way tie) not "Reflection of Death"
The Weakest: Reflection of Death
10. Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965)
Approved | 98 min | Horror
Aboard a British train, mysterious fortune teller Dr. Schreck uses tarot cards to read the futures of five fellow passengers.
Director: Freddie Francis | Stars: Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Neil McCallum, Ursula Howells
Votes: 7,504
In this Amicus production, a fortune teller gives a tarot card reading for 5 passengers on a train. It's not as good as some other older British horror films, but still a decent movie worth seeing.
The Strongest Story: Disembodied Hand
The Weakest: Voodoo
11. Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990)
R | 93 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
To stall a witch plotting to eat him, a boy reads her horror tales dealing with a collegian's resurrection of a mummy, a murderous cat, and an artist's pact with a gargoyle.
Director: John Harrison | Stars: Debbie Harry, Matthew Lawrence, Christian Slater, David Forrester
Votes: 19,368 | Gross: $16.32M
From the ones who brought you Creepshow comes Tales from the Darkside: The Movie. It features a young boy telling a witch three tales from the darkside. I enjoyed the first two, but the last one sucked. Definately worth checking out, because you can always skip the last story and just go to the ending. Or maybe rewatch one of the first two stories and pretend the boy retells it to the witch for the third story, and then skip to the end.
The Strongest Story: Cat from Hell
The Weakest: Lover's Vow
12. Asylum (I) (1972)
PG | 88 min | Horror
In order to secure a job at a mental institution, a young psychiatrist must interview four patients inside the asylum.
Director: Roy Ward Baker | Stars: Barbara Parkins, Richard Todd, Sylvia Syms, Peter Cushing
Votes: 8,183
13. Trilogy of Terror (1975 TV Movie)
Unrated | 72 min | Horror, Thriller
Three bizarre horror stories, all of which star Karen Black in four different roles playing four tormented women.
Director: Dan Curtis | Stars: Robert Burton, John Karlen, George Gaynes, Jim Storm
Votes: 8,724
14. From a Whisper to a Scream (1987)
R | 99 min | Action, Drama, Horror
In a small Tennessee town, a historian relates four horror stories to a reporter.
Director: Jeff Burr | Stars: Vincent Price, Clu Gulager, Terry Kiser, Harry Caesar
Votes: 2,986 | Gross: $1.36M
Vincent Price recounts 4 tales of former residents of a town named Oldfield. The stories are well told, and the acting great. There are also some entertaining gore scenes, but the most disturbing part about this movie is some of the material it touches upon: necrophilia, child murder, and incest. If seeing a naked woman in her 50's dolled up for her brother to give her a bath sounds like something you'd like to see, then this is definitely the movie for you!
The Strongest Story: The one about the old man who can extend life
The Weakest: The one about the glass eater in the freak show
15. Deadtime Stories (1986)
R | 93 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
"Deadtime Stories" is a 1986 horror anthology, where a babysitting uncle tells his nephew three horror stories about killer witches, Little Red Riding Hood and a werewolf, and "Goldi Lox" and the three bears.
Director: Jeffrey Delman | Stars: Scott Valentine, Nicole Picard, Matt Mitler, Cathryn de Prume
Votes: 2,573 | Gross: $2.75M
A sleazy uncle tells his nephew scary bedtime stories to get him to sleep so he can get back to watching his miss nude competition. The first story about the witches is visually appealing, with the scene of the dead witch being brought back to life being absolutely disgusting. The last one about Goldilocks and The Three Bears is pretty funny. Throw in a few catchy tunes (especially the opening title song) and you've got a pretty fun horror romp.
The Strongest Story: Peter and the Witches
The Weakest: Little Red Runninghood
16. After Midnight (1989)
R | 93 min | Horror, Thriller
A college class, Psychology of Fear, has a new teacher who believes that you have to feel fear to understand it. A group of students convene at the teacher's house, where scary stories are told.
Directors: Jim Wheat, Ken Wheat | Stars: Jillian McWhirter, Pamela Adlon, Ramy Zada, Judie Aronson
Votes: 2,394 | Gross: $0.08M
17. The Company of Wolves (1984)
R | 95 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A teenage girl in a country manor falls asleep while reading a magazine, and has a disturbing dream involving wolves prowling the woods below her bedroom window.
Director: Neil Jordan | Stars: Sarah Patterson, Angela Lansbury, David Warner, Graham Crowden
Votes: 18,421 | Gross: $4.39M
18. Tales That Witness Madness (1973)
R | 90 min | Horror
A psychiatrist tells stories of four special cases to a colleague.
Director: Freddie Francis | Stars: Jack Hawkins, Donald Pleasence, Georgia Brown, Donald Houston
Votes: 2,149
I enjoyed most of the stories in this one, except for "Mel" which just seemed a bit bland and mediocre. Although confusing, my favorite was "Penny Farthing". Uncle Albert is quite creepy.
The Strongest Story: Penny Farthing
The Weakest: Mel
19. The Monster Club (1981)
Unrated | 104 min | Comedy, Horror, Musical
A writer of horror stories is invited to a "monster club" by a mysterious old gentleman. There, three gruesome stories are told to him; between each story some musicians play their songs.
Director: Roy Ward Baker | Stars: Vincent Price, John Carradine, Anthony Steel, Roger Sloman
Votes: 4,535
20. Body Bags (1993 TV Movie)
R | 94 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
Three short stories in the horror genre: the first about a serial killer, the second about a hair transplant gone wrong, and the third about a baseball player.
Directors: John Carpenter, Tobe Hooper, Larry Sulkis | Stars: John Carpenter, Tom Arnold, Tobe Hooper, Robert Carradine
Votes: 12,615
21. Dead of Night (1977 TV Movie)
76 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Three horror stories about a vintage car that transports its driver back to 1926, the mistress of an old Victorian mansion who is scared of a vampire and a mother tormented by her dead son who she has brought back to life.
Director: Dan Curtis | Stars: Ed Begley Jr., E.J. André, Ann Doran, Christina Hart
Votes: 1,625
22. Campfire Tales (1997)
R | 88 min | Horror, Mystery
Teens entertain one another by telling an anthology of famous urban legends with a modern twist; including makeout-point, monsters, psychopaths, and ghosts.
Directors: Matt Cooper, Martin Kunert, David Semel | Stars: James Marsden, Amy Smart, Frederick Lawrence, Christopher Masterson
Votes: 4,481
23. Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
PG | 101 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
Four horror and science fiction segments, directed by four famous directors, each of them being a new version of a classic story from Rod Serling's landmark television series.
Directors: Joe Dante, John Landis, George Miller, Steven Spielberg | Stars: Dan Aykroyd, Albert Brooks, Vic Morrow, Doug McGrath
Votes: 41,208 | Gross: $29.50M
24. The Illustrated Man (1969)
PG | 103 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
In 1930s, a psychotic drifter who's after the mystery woman who covered his whole body in illustrations that foresee distant future shows three of them (The Veldt, The Long Rain and The Last Night of the World) to a mesmerized traveler.
Director: Jack Smight | Stars: Rod Steiger, Claire Bloom, Robert Drivas, Don Dubbins
Votes: 3,467
25. Creepshow 3 (2006 Video)
R | 104 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
This second sequel to Creepshow (1982) features five new tales of horror: "Alice", "The Radio", "Call Girl", "The Professor's Wife", and "Haunted Dog".
Directors: Ana Clavell, James Glenn Dudelson | Stars: Stephanie Pettee, Roy Abramsohn, Susan Schramm, Gibson Bunny Klein
Votes: 5,749
26. Screamtime (1983)
R | 89 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A trilogy of three improbable stories of horror and the supernatural are combined into this low budget thriller: "That's the Way to Do It," "Dreamhouse,," and "Do You Believe in Fairies?"
Directors: Michael Armstrong, Stanley A. Long | Stars: Vincent Russo, Michael Gordon, Marie Scinto, Kevin Smith
Votes: 1,013
This movie is a collection of three stories tied together through a couple of thieves watching videos. The first story is barely worth watching, and the wrap around story is pulled off poorly. The second story starts out a bit slow, but leads up to a surprisingly good ending, with the quality carrying on through to a decent third tale.
The Strongest Story: Dreamhouse
The Weakest: That's The Way To Do It
27. The House That Dripped Blood (1971)
PG | 102 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
An anthology of four horror stories revolving around a mysterious rental house in the U.K.
Director: Peter Duffell | Stars: John Bryans, John Bennett, Denholm Elliott, Peter Cushing
Votes: 7,511
Solid movie from Amicus. I really liked the segment about the father who thinks his daughter is a witch.
The Strongest Story: Sweets to the Sweet
The Weakest: Method for Murder
28. Two Evil Eyes (1990)
R | 120 min | Horror
A duo of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations about a greedy wife's attempt to embezzle her dying husband's fortune, and a sleazy reporter's adoption of a strange black cat.
Directors: Dario Argento, George A. Romero | Stars: Adrienne Barbeau, Harvey Keitel, Ramy Zada, Bingo O'Malley
Votes: 8,146 | Gross: $0.35M
29. Terror Tract (2000)
R | 96 min | Comedy, Horror, Romance
A real estate agent terrifies a couple with the grim fates of the previous owners of a house they're looking at.
Directors: Lance W. Dreesen, Clint Hutchison | Stars: John Ritter, David DeLuise, Allison Smith, Kim Correll
Votes: 1,912
30. Deadtime Stories: Volume 2 (2011)
R | 77 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
In this anthology of horror tales, two hikers are trapped in a cave-in, a jilted teen lover turns bad, and a man is murderously desperate to help his ailing wife.
Directors: Michael Fischa, Jeff Monahan, Matt Walsh | Stars: George A. Romero, Aric Amendolea, Kristen Barrega, Amy Lynn Best
Votes: 668
31. Deadtime Stories: Volume 1 (2009)
Not Rated | 77 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
"Deadtime Stories" is a 2009 hosted horror three story anthology movie with host George Romero.
Directors: Michael Fischa, Jeff Monahan, Tom Savini | Stars: George A. Romero, Amy Marsalis, Marty Schiff, Antone Pagán
Votes: 707
32. Trilogy of Terror II (1996 TV Movie)
R | 90 min | Horror, Thriller
Three horror stories, including a woman's fate when she and her lover attempt to rob her husband's grave, a woman who brings her son back from the dead and a Zuni fetish doll who comes to life again and goes on another murderous rampage.
Director: Dan Curtis | Stars: Lysette Anthony, Geraint Wyn Davies, Matt Clark, Geoffrey Lewis
Votes: 1,805
33. Nightmare Alley (2010)
Not Rated | 88 min | Horror
A ghoulish host relates seven macabre stories. Zombie cowboys rampage across the prairie in "A Fistful of Innards." An evil satanic rat forces a man to do its murderous bidding in "... See full summary »
Directors: Laurence Holloway, Scarlet Fry | Stars: Vincent Bocchini, Scott Boyd, Tara Carlton, Brian Carr
Votes: 118
34.
Night Gallery (1969–1973)
Episode:
Pilot
(1969)
Unrated | 98 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A seemingly haunted painting drives a greedy man insane. A rich blind woman gets a new pair of eyes that allow her to see for only one brief ironic moment. An idyllic painting gives a Nazi war criminal in hiding some fleeting comfort.
Directors: Boris Sagal, Barry Shear, Steven Spielberg | Stars: Joan Crawford, Ossie Davis, Richard Kiley, Roddy McDowall
Votes: 2,043
35. Barrio Tales (2012)
R | 84 min | Horror
Two American teenagers in search of cheap drugs, trespass into the seedy town of Barrio, Mexico. What they find instead is a disturbed story teller and three tales filled with blood, witches and a cannibalistic taco chef.
Director: Jarret Tarnol | Stars: Alexander Aguila, Carson Aune, Adam Beesely, Maritza Brikisak
Votes: 496
36. The Macabre Pair of Shorts (1996)
76 min | Comedy, Horror
Featuring Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angelstar David Boreanaz in his first screen appearance! This anthology of comic horror tales follows a pair of snobby vampires, a psychotic mime and ... See full summary »
Director: Scott Mabbutt | Stars: Rick Benattar, David Boreanaz, Patrick Bradley, Kimber Breauxl
Votes: 152
37. The Willies (1990 Video)
PG-13 | 92 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A harmless backyard camp out becomes an unforgettable night of chills and thrills for three young boys as they share their favorite scary stories.
Director: Brian Peck | Stars: Sean Astin, Jason Horst, Joshua John Miller, James Karen
Votes: 2,007
A campy PG-13 horror movie about kids camping out and telling scary stories. Although there are a few short clips of urban legends at the beginning, the majority of the movie is about two tales. The first one is entertaining, but the second one about the kid obsessed with flies drags on too long. The best thing about this movie is that it has Donkeylips from "Salute Your Shorts" in it.
The Strongest Story: Bad Apples
The Weakest: Flyboy
38. Necronomicon: Book of Dead (1993)
R | 96 min | Horror
Lovecraft visualizes 3 stories in Necronomicon: The Drowned, The Cold and Whispers, about bringing a dead wife and child back to life, extending life and aliens.
Directors: Christophe Gans, Shûsuke Kaneko, Brian Yuzna | Stars: Jeffrey Combs, Tony Azito, Juan Fernández, Brian Yuzna
Votes: 6,958
39. Hood of Horror (2006)
R | 84 min | Comedy, Horror
A hip hop horror anthology of three tales of terror told by the Hound of Hell that revolve around the residents of an inner-city neighborhood whose actions determine where they will go in the afterlife.
Director: Stacy Title | Stars: Snoop Dogg, Daniella Alonso, Anson Mount, Hawthorne James
Votes: 3,164 | Gross: $0.33M
40. The Theatre Bizarre (2011)
Not Rated | 114 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A modern horror omnibus inspired by the over-the-top shocks of Paris' early 20th century 'Theatre du Grand Guignol'. Enola Penny sneaks into an abandoned theater and witnesses six bizarre tales.
Directors: Douglas Buck, Buddy Giovinazzo, David Gregory, Karim Hussain, Jeremy Kasten, Tom Savini, Richard Stanley | Stars: Udo Kier, Virginia Newcomb, Amanda Marquardt, Amelia Gotham
Votes: 4,477
41. Chillers (1987)
Unrated | 87 min | Horror
Five passengers in a bus depot are waiting for a bus that is overdue. To pass the time, they start telling each other horror stories.
Director: Daniel Boyd | Stars: Jesse Emery, Marjorie Fitzsimmons, Laurie Pennington, Jim Wolfe
Votes: 557
Very cheesy, very low budget. The stories are lame, and the acting horrible. Yet, the whole thing is so bad, it ends up being fun. For a bad movie, it does have a couple of great songs in it. The song played at the closing credits is good enough to be in an actual 80's mainstream movie
The Strongest Story: The one with the scouts camping
The Weakest: The one about the vampire newsman
42. Scary or Die (2012)
R | 94 min | Horror
Five complete strangers attempt to escape a gruesome demise by a clown that feeds upon human flesh.
Directors: Bob Badway, Michael Emanuel, Igor Meglic | Stars: Bill Oberst Jr., Hali Lula Hudson, Shawn-Caulin Young, Charles Rahi Chun
Votes: 3,815
This movie is bad. Not so bad it's good, but so bad it's hard to sit through
The Strongest Story: The Crossing
The Weakest: Clowned
43. From Beyond the Grave (1974)
PG | 97 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
An anthology of four short horror stories revolving around a mysterious antique shop owner and his antique pieces, each of which hides a deadly secret.
Director: Kevin Connor | Stars: Peter Cushing, Ian Bannen, Ian Carmichael, Diana Dors
Votes: 5,298
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