Credit: Steven Friederich

Clive Barker’s 10 favourite films

Wed 15 March 2023 14:30, UK

Horror master Clive Barker has put his creations out in a wide range of formats, including novels, films and even visual art. Barker rose to the public’s attention with his 1980s short stories under the collection Books of Blood, which made him one of the most prominent names in the world of horror fiction.

Perhaps Barker is best known for creating the Hellraiser series, which began with his 1986 novella The Hellbound Heart and was made into a feature film the following year. So Barker is just as recognised in cinema as he is in fiction. But how about Barker’s favourite cinematic works? Well, let’s consult a list of his ten favourite films, as per Combustible Celluloid.

First up for Barker is Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1966 biographical classic Andrei Rublev. The film is based loosely on the life of the titular Russian religious icon painter, starring Anatoly Solonitsyn in the lead role. Although Tarkovsky’s film is only loosely based on Rublev’s life, it aims to depict a realistic account of what life was like in 15th-century Russia.

Knowing Barker is a key figure in the world of horror, it is unsurprising to find several horror classics amongst his favourite films. They include one of the greatest horrors of all time, William Friedkin’s 1973 picture The Exorcist, which was based on Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel of the same name. It told of a young girl who is seemingly possessed by the devil and a Catholic’s priests mission to save her.

We also find another true classic of the horror genre, the 1935 science fiction Bride of Frankenstein, directed by James Whale, the first sequel to the original 1931 picture Frankenstein. The film takes place immediately after the events of the first film and takes a subplot from Mary Shelley’s novel to expand on it by creating a wife for Frankenstein’s monster.

Science fiction also looks to be a deep love of Barker, as he also includes the wonderful Blade Runner among his favourite films. It was headed by Ridley Scott in 1982, having been adapted from Philip K. Dick’s 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. Blade Runner is widely considered to be one of the best science fiction films of all time, and it appears that Barker is in consensus.

However, there is also room for lighter moments among Barker’s top choices. He looks to be a fan of Disney’s second animated feature film, 1940’s Pinocchio, directed by Ben Sharpsteen. It told, of course, of an Italian woodcutter who creates a wooden puppet in the hope that one day he will become a real boy, inspiring Guillermo del Toro’s inventive recent stop-motion version.

Check out the complete list below.