1.DAS CABINET DES DR. CALIGARI. (THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI) (1920)
Critics Consensus: Arguably the first true horror film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari set a brilliantly high bar for the genre -- and remains terrifying nearly a century after it first stalked the screen.
Synopsis: A landmark of cinematic artistry, this classic silent horror film has vivid expressionistic imagery which brilliantly reflects the nightmarish...
Starring: Werner Krauss , Conrad Veidt , Lil Dagover , Friedrich Feher
Directed By: Robert Wiene
2.NOSFERATU, A SYMPHONY OF HORROR (NOSFERATU, EINE SYMPHONIE DES GRAUENS) (NOSFERATU THE VAMPIRE) (1922)
Critics Consensus: One of the silent era's most influential masterpieces, Nosferatu's eerie, gothic feel -- and a chilling performance from Max Shrek as the vampire -- set the template for the horror films that followed.
Synopsis: F. W. Murnau's landmark vampire film Nosferatu isn't merely a variation on Bram Stoker's Dracula: it's a direct steal, so much so that Stoker's widow...
Starring: Max Schreck , Alexander Granach , Gustav von Wangenheim , Greta Schröder
Directed By: F.W. Murnau
3.REPULSION (1965)
Critics Consensus: Roman Polanski's first English film follows a schizophrenic woman's descent into madness, and makes the audience feel as claustrophobic as the character.
Synopsis: When Carol, a shy young Belgian, is left alone for a few days in the Kensington flat she shares with her sister, she begins to withdraw into a...
Starring: Catherine Deneuve , Ian Hendry , John Fraser , Patrick Wymark
Directed By: Roman Polanski
4.KING KONG (1933)
Critics Consensus: King Kong explores the soul of a monster -- making audiences scream and cry throughout the film -- in large part due to Kong's breakthrough special effects.
Synopsis: "How would you like to star opposite the tallest, darkest leading man in Hollywood?" Enticed by these words, brunette leading lady Fay Wray dyed her...
Starring: Fay Wray , Robert Armstrong , Bruce Cabot , Sam Hardy
Directed By: Ernest B. Schoedsack , Merian C. Cooper
5.THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935)
Critics Consensus: An eccentric, campy, technically impressive, and frightening picture, James Whale's Bride of Frankenstein has aged remarkably well.
Synopsis: Dr. Frankenstein is forced to tempt fate once again by creating a suitable mate for his monster.
Starring: Boris Karloff , Colin Clive , Valerie Hobson , Elsa Lanchester
Directed By: James Whale
6.PSYCHO (1960)
Critics Consensus: Infamous for its shower scene, but immortal for its contribution to the horror genre. Because Psycho was filmed with tact, grace, and art, Hitchcock didn't just create modern horror, he validated it.
Synopsis: In 1960, Alfred Hitchcock was already famous as the screen's master of suspense (and perhaps the best-known film director in the world) when he...
Starring: Anthony Perkins , Janet Leigh , Vera Miles , John Gavin
Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock
7.THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933)
Critics Consensus: James Whale's classic The Invisible Man features still-sharp special effects, loads of tension, a goofy sense of humor, and a memorable debut from Claude Rains.
Synopsis: A mysterious stranger, his face swathed in bandages and his eyes obscured by dark spectacles, has taken a room at a cozy inn in the British village of...
Starring: Claude Rains , Gloria Stuart , Henry Travers , William Harrigan
Directed By: James Whale
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8.THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955)
Critics Consensus: Featuring Robert Mitchum's formidable performance as child-hunting preacher, The Night of the Hunter is a disturbing look at good and evil.
Synopsis: Adapted by James Agee from a novel by Davis Grubb, The Night of the Hunter represented legendary actor Charles Laughton's only film directing effort....
Starring: Robert Mitchum , Shelley Winters , Billy Chapin , Sally Jane Bruce
Directed By: Charles Laughton
9.ALIEN (1979)
Critics Consensus: A modern classic, Alien blends science fiction, horror and bleak poetry into a seamless whole.
Synopsis: "In space, no one can hear you scream." A close encounter of the third kind becomes a Jaws-style nightmare when an alien invades a spacecraft in...
Starring: Sigourney Weaver , Tom Skerritt , Veronica Cartwright , Harry Dean Stanton
Directed By: Ridley Scott
10.FRANKENSTEIN (1931)
Critics Consensus: Still unnerving to this day, Frankenstein adroitly explores the fine line between genius and madness, and features Boris Karloff's legendary, frightening performance as the monster.
Synopsis: "Frankenstein" is a film about a mad, obsessed scientist, Dr. Henry Frankenstein", who creates a monster, by taking body parts from dead people. Upon...
Starring: Colin Clive , Boris Karloff , Mae Clarke , John Boles
Directed By: James Whale
The
title of the film was chosen to counter American author Katherine
Mayo's
1927 polemical
book
Mother
India,
which vilified Indian culture. Allusions to Hindu
mythology
are
abundant in the film, and its lead character has been seen as a
metonymic
representation
of a Hindu woman who reflects high moral values and the concept of
what it means to be a mother to society through self-sacrifice.
Mother
India metaphorically
represents India as a nation in the aftermath of independence,
and alludes to a strong sense of nationalism and nation-building.
While some authors treat Radha as the symbol of women empowerment,
others see her cast in female stereotypes. The Oedipal
elements
between Radha and her son Birju have also been discussed by authors.
The film was shot in Mumbai's Mehboob
Studios
and
in the villages of Maharashtra,
Gujarat,
and Uttar
Pradesh
states.
The music by Naushad
introduce
Western
classical music
and
Hollywood-style orchestra to Hindi cinema.The
film was the most expensive Hindi cinema (Bollywood)
production and earned the highest revenue for any Hindi film at that
time. Adjusted for inflation, Mother
India still
ranks among the all-time Indian box
office hits.
It was released in India amid fanfare in October or November 1957,
and had several high-profile screenings, including one at the capital
New Delhi attended by the country's president and prime minister.
Mother
India became
a definitive cultural classic and is regarded as one of the best
films in Indian and world cinema. It was India's
first submission
for
the Academy
Award for Best Foreign Language Film
in
1958, where it got the nomination and lost the award by just one
vote. The film won the All
India Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film,
the Filmfare
Best Film Award
for
1957, and Nargis and Khan won the Best Actress and Best Director
awards respectively.
her longtime creative collaborator, Sooni
Taraporevala.
The film chronicles the day-to-day life of children living on the
streets of Bombay,
India's biggest city. It won the National
Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi,
the National
Board of Review Award for
Top Foreign Film, the Golden
Camera and
Audience Awards at the Cannes
Film Festival,
and three awards at the Montréal
World Film Festival.
The film was India's second
film submission to
be nominated for the Academy
Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
The film was among the list of "The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made"
by the New
York Times.
