10 Scariest Movies of All Time: #1

1 Halloween [1978]

John Carpenter's masterpiece is the granddaddy of all slasher films.  It differs significantly from later copycats by creating an ambiance of ominous, Hitchcock-ian suspense that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats throughout the movie.

Michael Myers -- or "the Shape," as he's referred to in the script -- is just a man, but his frightening malevolence is made exponentially more sinister by the featureless, opaque white mask he wears throughout the movie.  Mix in the creepiest movie soundtrack in horror history, and you have all of the ingredients for the most horrifying movie of all time.

The 2007 remake [directed by Rob Zombie] is a subpar effort that doesn't hold a candle to the original.

Halloween