“The Exorcist” Voted the Best Horror Movie

November 2nd, 2008 MovieTags: best horror movie, the exorcist

The Exorcist, William Friedkin’s iconic 1973 movie, has been voted the best horror film ever made, according to a new poll of British filmgoers published today, the AFP reported.

Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, the 1980 film of Stephen King’s classic novel, was placed second in the survey, followed by Ridley Scott’s 1979 movie Alien.

Four other films in the top 10 were released between 1970 and 1984 - Wicker Man (1973), The Omen (1976), Halloween (1978 and Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

The three others featuring at the top of the list were The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Ring (1998 and Saw (2004)).

FW Murnau’s Nosferatu is the oldest film on the list, having been released in 1922, while The Mist and Shutter, the DVD versions of which were released this year, are the most recent.

More than 6,000 people were surveyed by entertainment retailer HMV on its website between September 19 and October 20 for the poll.

The top 10:

1. The Exorcist (1973) - William Friedkin
2. The Shining (1980) - Stanley Kubrick
3. Alien (1979) - Ridley Scott
4. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Jonathan Demme
5. Saw (2004) - James Wan
6. Halloween (1978) - John Carpenter
7. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - Wes Craven
8. Ring (Ringu) (1998) - Hideo Nakata
9. The Wicker Man (1973) - Robin Hardy
10. The Omen (1976) - Richard Donner