HDC Presents: 100 Years of Horror
 

Over the years, we've celebrated our favorite genre in many different ways. Discussions, games, tournaments and lists have all passed through our little website. Members come and go, and we've been able to compile quite a nice history throughout the process.

I think it's time to give a go to honoring the history of horror cinema as a whole. Yes, it's arguable that it's been a few more years than 100, but for the most part we'll be focusing our efforts on the history of the genre from 1910 to 2010.

This is a big project. Before anyone who remembers brings up the defunct Encyclopedia, I assure you that I can handle the lions share of the legwork myself. However, I can't do it alone.

I have set this project up in five different phases. Each one is different from the other in its own way. Each phase will also be revealed separately, and the whole picture will not come together until the final phase is complete. Some of them you will recognize from previous HDC projects, and others are new and have never been tried before.

so what are the phases? Well, as stated above, you'll uncover another after the previous one is complete. Sound interesting? Well, it begins now.

Phase one is simple: gauging interest. These projects are massive and time consuming, and nothing is more disappointing than starting a huge project and laying it out only to have hardly anyone participate. So you see the poll above? It's a very simple vote. Will you participate in some way, shape or form? There must be enough interest to continue, or phase one becomes end phase.

You may comment on your level of interest in this thread, or how much participation you're willing to commit to on a scale of one to ten. When it all comes down to the end, however, the number of yes votes is the determining factor as to whether I spend all of my free time crunching numbers and spreadsheets or sitting in front of my TV, contemplating what could have been. The choice is yours, HDC.

I'm in....:D

I'm in but I have a severely limited online free time at the moment but will try my best. I'm hoping to have more free time once the next few extremely difficult months are over.

I'd be happy to help. My free time is a bit restricted but if you need something, I won't offer if I can't complete.

How many 'yes' votes gets phase 1 over the finish line?

More than we have

Ready for Phase 2!:)

Yeppers...........

I'll help when I can

Right now my computer is in meltdown phase.... once I get back online I'll be around.

Nine people is what we have. I suppose nine people is what we'll roll with. Phase two will be announced soon.

Happy to help out where I can...

I'd help where I can. If this project is a long-ish one, I'd have much more free time after May...

i'll be happy to help when and where i can.

Nice to see a couple of other people on board.

On a side note, I need a few judges. A lot of our lists have used them, and this one will be no different. How they are used will be reviewed later. If you are interested in being a judge and can spare some time and commitment, please PM me.

Now, what you've all been waiting for:

Phase 2: The 1920's through the 1940's

For these three decades, I've decided to stick with the ten best movies of the decade instead of year by year. Why? Because some years are very poorly represented, or practically not represented at all. Not a lot of movies were being produced at this time, and the medium was still new and experimental.

How this phase will work is as follows:

I will post a list of all horror movies I can find from these decades. Your job is to pm me your top 10, in no particular order, that you think deserve to make the list. The 10 movies with the most votes will represent the dawn of horror.

Let's get to it! First up: the 20's.

Please choose 10 from the following and pm me your list:

A Blind Bargain (1922)
A Daughter of Destiny (1928)
Ang manananggal (1927)
Anita (1920)
Black Shadows (1920)
Cagliostro - Liebe und Leben eines großen Abenteurers (1929)
Chamber of Horrors (1929)
Dante's Inferno (1924)
Der Bucklige und die Tänzerin (1920)
Der Graf von Cagliostro (1920)
Der Hund von Baskerville - 6. Teil: Das Haus ohne Fenster (1920)
Der Hund von Baskerville (1929)
Der Januskopf (1920)
Desire (1920)
Die Pest in Florenz (1921)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920)
Drakula halála (1923)
Faust (1926)
Genuine (1920)
Gevatter Tod (1921)
Haunted Range (1926)
Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922)
His Brother's Keeper (1921)
House of Horror (1929)
Il mostro di Frankenstein (1921)
Itching Palms (1923)
Kurutta ippêji (1926)
Kyôren no onna shishô (1926)
Le manoir de la peur (1927)
Les morts qui parlent (1920)
London After Midnight (1927)
Love Without Question (1920)
Maciste in Hell (1925)
Midnight Faces (1926)
Moken no himitsu (1924)
Nachtgestalten (1920)
Noidan kirot (1927)
Nosferatu (1922)
Pan Twardowski (1921)
Schatten - Eine nächtliche Halluzination (1923)
Seven Footprints to Satan (1929)
Tariel mklavadzis mkvlelobis saqme (1925)
Ten Days (1925)
The Bat (1926)
The Bells (1926)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
The Cat and the Canary (1927)
The Dark Mirror (1920)
The Dream Cheater (1920)
The Fall of the House of Usher (1928)
The Ghost Breaker (1922)
The Golem (1920)
The Great London Mystery (1920)
The Hands of Orlac (1924)
The Headless Horseman (1922)
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1922)
The House of Whispers (1920)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)
The Last Moment (1923)
The Lost World (1925)
The Man Who Cheated Life (1926)
The Man Who Laughs (1928)
The Mechanical Man (1921)
The Monkey's Paw (1923)
The Monster (1925)
The Penalty (1920)
The Phantom Carriage (1921)
The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
The Red Night (1923)
The Shadow of the East (1924)
The Terror (1928)
The Unknown (1927)
The Wizard (1927)
Those Who Dare (1924)
Unseen Hands (1924)
Waxworks (1924)
West Of Zanzibar (1928)
While Paris Sleeps (1923)
Wolf Blood (1925)

What about the 1910s? There are a few notable examples from that decade.

Also, this list is egregiously missing Chaney's Hunchback of Notre Dame and West of Zanzibar.

Thank you for the notification of the omissions, NE! They have been added in, and duly so.

As far as earlier than 1920, I never said the project would be chronological. There will be a section for the dawn of horror.

is there a deadline for the lists? i have most of my list, but am going to be gone all this weekend.

Let's say the end of the month.

Speaking of which, I have 12 votes to help but only three lists. Get moving, HDC!

Just for easy clarification, the deadline to vote for the first decade of horror is April 30th, 2011.

I have four lists now, and the decade is starting to take shape! Keep them coming, guys!

Sent...................

Damn! I think I completely overlook one of the very famous classics:o But no worries, I'm sure it'll get all the votes from others.

List submitted! Keep 'em coming peoples

I've done mine as well now!

sounds like fun! obviously I cant watch them all but Ive seen a couple and will watch a couple. Ill have my top 10 before the weekend!

just sent mine in

Excellent! 11 lists so far!

Here are some updates!

We have 13 lists.
We have all three judges.
There are four days left to vote for the 1920s.

Now that everyone is more into the swing of things, we'll start moving a little faster.

Schedule:
Phase 2: the 30's & 40's will run through the month of May. Each decade will have a two week voting period.

Phase 3 will be run through June. You'll have to wait to see what it is until June 1st:)

Phase 4 will the first three weeks of July, and will be very intense. Phase 4, for all intensive purposes, will be the final phase.

Presentation and conclusion will be the last week of July. The list will be posted, and a few special surprises will be revealed.

Keep a look out for a PM in your inbox. If you voted, you might be asked sometime within the next few months to do something special!

Thanks to everyone so far! This looks like it could be our best list yet!

Will there be no chance for debate? Because I certainly want to argue for The Phantom Carraige, which I assume few have seen.

I felt it a bit unfair as I only voted for films that I'd seen (save for London after Midnight). I'm definally lacking on my knowledge of very early cinema (horror or otherwise) - so i feel my vote probably really didn't represent the 'best' films of this period..

But then again this is a problem that will occur for other people in other decades too..

There will be room for tie breaking decisions. As far as debate goes, you can post your feelings here and try to sway other peoples votes, but the actual votes once cast will stand.

Don't forget, there will be special surprises that rear their heads during the duration of the project. I'd say more, but that would take away from the excitement of it all!

Bah. Humbug.

Due to certain circumstances, we have room for one more judge. Anyone interested, drop me a pm.

It's a problem inherent to all lists that are voted upon, whether it be by judges or the general populace. We do the best we can, and for the ones I host I do the best I can to stay impartial and let everyone sort it out for themselves.

That being said, as I stated there will be some special surprises that try to patch up some of the holes. Will they be perfect? Of course not, but I feel that each one of these that I host (and V probably feels the same way) get a little better as we try to fix the flaws in the processes.

Very valid point from Flayed.

Each of the compilations I have initiated has room for improvements and future suggestions. For example, for the Disturbing 100 list, several recommendations by Ferox last year were discussed by me and 3 other original Judges of that project. We all felt Ferox had some really good recs and watched them too, then accomodated them into the 100, at the expense of some of the original choices which we thought were tamer than the rest. The list thus keeps evolving, and the freshness of it is maintained. Right now we are looking at "A Serbian Film" for that 100, and once it gets the nod it will replace one of the original "comparatively much tamer" choices.

*raises hand*

...if nobody has any objections.

And I support NE's call for debate and discussions. A better film seen by few always scores more than an average film which is more popular. Projects such as this deserve top notch quality films, and that's how people come to know about them and hunt them down.

I mean, if we don't put some limelight on those forgotten gems, who will? :)

You watched 'Tumbling Doll of Flesh' - I'm sorry really I am :-)

Nope, not yet. I ll see about DLing it once I get my cable back. Haven't heard from any other Judges regarding it, either.

This connection really, really sucks during rains and cloud cover. Took me over six minutes just to log in and reply back! :mad:

I'm also having having severe computer problems at the moment-limiting my time online or watching movies (I can't stream or download at the moment limiting me watching forgotten gems for the time being sadly). I hope to have this sorted in june/july when this gets more intense.

Last day to vote for the 20's!

Next up: the 1930's
Behind the Mask (1932)
Black Moon (1934)

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Bucket of Blood (1934)
Chandu the Magician (1932)
Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939)
Charlie Chan in Egypt (1935)
Charlie Chan's Secret (1936)
Chloe, Love Is Calling You (1934)
Condemned to Live (1935)
Doctor X (1932)

Double Door (1934)

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
Dracula (1931)

Dracula's Daughter (1936)
Every Madman to His Specialty (1939)
Fährmann Maria (1936)
Frankenstein (1931)

Freaks (1932)

Get That Girl (1932)

House of Mystery (1934)
I Accuse (1938)

Ingagi (1930)

Island of Lost Souls (1932)
Kaibyô nazo no shamisen (1938)
King Kong (1933)

King of the Wild (1931)
Kísértetek vonata (1933)
Kongo (1932)

La voluntad del muerto (1930)
Mad Love (1935)

Maniac (1934)

Mark of the Vampire (1935)
Murder at Dawn (1932)
Murder by Television (1935)
Murder by the Clock (1931)
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
Murders in the Zoo (1933)
Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935)
Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933)
Night of Terror (1933)
Ouanga (1936)

Pan Twardowski (1936)
Phantom Ship (1935)
Revolt of the Zombies (1936)
Secret of the Blue Room (1933)
Sexton Blake and the Hooded Terror (1938)
Shadow of Chinatown (1936)
Shadow of Chinatown (1936)
Son of Frankenstein (1939)
Song at Midnight (1937)
Supernatural (1933)

Svengali (1931)

Thark (1932)

The Bat Whispers (1930)
The Beast of Borneo (1934)
The Black Camel (1931)
The Black Cat (1934)

The Black Room (1935)
The Cat and the Canary (1939)
The Cat Creeps (1930)
The Crime of Doctor Crespi (1935)
The Crying Woman (1933)
The Dead Speak (1935)
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1936)
The Devil-Doll (1936)
The Devil's Daughter (1939)
The Drums of Jeopardy (1931)
The Face at the Window (1939)
The Ghost Goes West (1935)
The Ghoul (1933)

The Golem (1936)

The Gorilla (1939)

The Horror (1932)

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1932)
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1937)
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)
The Human Monster (1939)
The Invisible Man (1933)
The Invisible Ray (1936)
The Last Will of Dr. Mabuse (1933)
The Living Dead (1932)
The Macabre Trunk (1936)
The Mad Genius (1931)
The Man They Could Not Hang (1939)
The Man Who Lived Again (1936)
The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932)
The Monkey's Paw (1933)
The Monster Walks (1932)
The Most Dangerous Game (1932)
The Mummy (1932)

The Mysterious Mr. Wong (1934)
The Mystery of the Ghastly Face (1935)
The Old Dark House (1932)
The Phantom (1931)

The Phantom of the Convent (1934)
The Phantom of the West (1931)
The Raven (1935)

The Return of Chandu (1934)
The Return of Chandu (1934)
The Return of Doctor X (1939)
The Rogues Tavern (1936)
The Sign of Death (1939)
The Son of Kong (1933)
The Super Madman (1937)
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)
The Vampire Bat (1933)
The Walking Dead (1936)
The Whispering Shadow (1933)
Torture Ship (1939)

Vampyr (1932)

Werewolf of London (1935)
White Zombie (1932)
Witches' Night (1937)