Eli Roth’s 10 favourite horror movies of all time
Over the last few years, the public perception of the horror genre has undergone several changes as critics have tried to push the “elevated horror” label. However, many fans still love and appreciate the camp associated with horror that has been around since its origins. That’s precisely the domain in which the films of Eli Roth operate, paying tribute to the innovative low-budget flicks that defined the genre’s unique identity.
On multiple occasions, Roth has opened up about his favourite horror movies that have inspired his own journey as a director. Ranging from Stanley Kubrick’s brilliant 1980 masterpiece The Shining to William Friedkin’s acclaimed 1973 work The Exorcist, Roth’s list is full of all-time greats as well as campy B-movies that have become proper cult classics in the years that have followed. This combination of selections from both ends of the spectrum perfectly explains Roth’s own horror sensibilities.
While talking to Today, the director cited Creepshow as a top pick: “George Romero was the king of horror then, having made the classics Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, Stephen King was the scariest author on the planet (and still is, as far as I’m concerned), and Tom Savini had upset nearly every parent in America by creating the goriest makeup effects in the nastiest horror films of the golden era. The three of them teamed up to create an old EC Comics-style scarefest that is Creepshow.”
Roth also mentioned Robert Hiltzik’s interesting slasher Sleepaway Camp in his list, urging fans to go into the film blind: “Director Robert Hiltzik’s film is anything but a by-the-numbers, early ’80s, low-budget slasher flick set at a summer camp. The kills are fun, but the ending simply cannot be topped. Don’t read anything about it, just go rent it, pop it in, and watch your friends freak out. This will be the film you guys talk about for weeks after.”
The Cabin Fever director was also full of praise for Juan Piquer Simón’s Pieces: “Watching this film with a crowd is the most fun experience I have ever had watching a movie. I showed it to a packed house at a film festival I held a few years ago, and people had so much fun that, afterwards, they were actually depressed they’d never have that good a time at the movies again… I am almost sorry you are going to watch Pieces because pretty much any moviegoing experience after will be a letdown.”
Roth’s list is particularly interesting because it acknowledges the definitive classics as well as the more niche picks that have repeatedly captured the attention of horror fans over the years. Including the work of giallo legend Lucio Fulci as well as horror pioneer Tobe Hooper, this selection makes for perfect Halloween viewing.
Interestingly, the Hostel director’s list also includes Claudio Fragasso’s Troll 2. He said: “Troll 2 is one of the rare sequels where you don’t have to waste time watching the first one, since the films have absolutely nothing to do with one another. It has such a strong cult following, it was recently re-released on Blu-Ray for you to enjoy in all its high-definition glory.”
Check out the full list below.
Eli Roth’s 10 favourite horror movies:
- Cannibal Holocaust (Ruggero Deodato, 1980)
- The Evil Dead (Sam Raimi, 1981)
- The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973)
- The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
- Troll 2 (Claudio Fragasso, 1990)
- Sleepaway Camp (Robert Hiltzik, 1983)
- Creepshow (George A. Romero, 1982)
- Pieces (Juan Piquer Simón, 1982)
- Zombi 2 (Lucio Fulci, 1979)
