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Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (Directed by John McNaughton) 1986

If ever there was a film that went against the apparent glitz and shoulder-pad glamour of the 1980's it was John McNaughton's gritty and realistic serial killer movie. Based on the real crimes of one Henry Lee Lucas it cast relatively unknown actor Michael Rooker as the twisted, tormented nomadic killer. Stark, brutal, grim and above all a docu-style drama - 'Henry....' was a shock to the system of most as we delved deep into the mind of a killer played absolutely brilliant by Rooker who along with his disturbed buddy Otis(based on Henry Lee Lucas's friend Ottis Toole)  prowl the underbelly of Chicago in search of prostitutes and other victims to quench such a depraved thirst.

'Henry....' is one of those films which lives a nasty taste in the mouth in the same fashion as the grisly 'Last House On The Left' in that it feels as if the horror is just a few blocks away, worming and squirming its way to your neck of the woods. Like in all serial killer derangement there's that feeling as if we're scraping the psyche of Henry as we follow him - drifter style - around the country, and in spite of his liking for Otis's sister Becky, by the end of the film we come to know just what vile lengths Henry will go to in order to continue is wretched spree.

Oddly, 'Henry....' sits in the same squalid, sordid corner as Abel Ferrara's grotty 'The Driller Killer' only with less tomato ketchup and more seediness and realism. Not the sort of horror film you'd watch for fun, 'Henry....' still remains as devastating classic that has stood the test of time.

The Shining (Directed by Stanley Kubrick) 1980

Arguably the greatest horror film of all time in many critics and fans' eyes, and who am I to argue. 'The Shining' takes the premise of the 'haunted house' movie to new shocking levels of fright as Jack Nicholson stars as writer Jack Torrance who, along with his wife Wendy (Shelly Duvall) decides to take a job as an off-season caretaker at an ominously large hotel during a harsh winter. Along with their son, Danny, the family settle in to the Overlook Hotel not realising it is on fact built on the site of a Native American burial ground and that during the terrible winter months the hotel often becomes shut off from the outside world due to the severe snow.

This of course means that tormented author Jack is pretty much left to his typewriter and his thoughts whilst his son is left to wander to empty, icy corridors of the building and due to his ESP qualities starts to foresee tragic events at the hotel whilst encountering some seriously eerie apparitions, including two young girls of gaunt complexion and flowing blood. Jack too becomes tormented by the isolation of the setting and also starts to have bizarre encounters, and begins a slow descent into insanity where he attempts to murder his family.

'The Shining' I so much more than a horror film and even without its plethora of oddities which have become soaked into the walls of the hotel, the atmosphere alone of the setting is enough to give anyone goose bumps, and with Nicholson giving one of the performances of his life, this movie makes for quite chilling viewing with the movie featuring several scenes which have been considered 'classic' over the years.

Although Stephen King, who wrote the original novel, wasn't best pleased with Kubrick's interpretation of the tale, this is without doubt one of the great five horror movies to ever grace our screens, and whatever flaws it may have I condemn anyone who sits through such a film and isn't moved by its supernatural power.

Alien ( Directed by Ridley Scott) 1979

The ultimate in claustrophobic horror, Ridley Scott's menacing sci-fi chiller is up there with some of the best horror films, and like all the classics, contains a selection of scenes that will live long in the memory - chest-bursting beast anyone? The movie, which stars Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Harry Dean Stanton among others, is set aboard a spaceship carrying a crew back to Earth, but they pick up a peculiar signal which seems to be emanating from some derelict craft which just so happens to be occupied by a hideous extra-terrestrial monster that begins to feast on the humans once they are aboard. And not only that, but it seems as if the being is breeding, as the crew stumble across numerous bizarre egg-like formations, resulting in a stalk n' slash episode for the thinking man. 'Alien' is just one of those films you have to watch, rather than hear about - I saw this as a kid in the early '80s and the stuffy passageways, sweaty shadows and ferocious aliens really gave me the creeps. The creatures of this epic were based on work by talented artist H.R. Giger, and despite spawning a number of sequels, including the impressive immediate follow up 'Aliens,' the original is far superior when it comes to out and out scares and horror, and boasts enough blood and jumps to effortlessly ooze itself into any horror film chart. As expected, the script is good, the plot excellent and the acting strong, but unlike so many other sci-fi monster movies, 'Alien' succeeds on atmosphere alone.

The Signalman (Directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark) 1976

Another festive chiller that stood hand in hand beside some of those creaky M.R. James television adaptations. 'The Signalman' is taken from the 19th century Charles Dickens short story and concerns a troubled signalman who looks after a remote segment of railway. The signalman is befriended by a rambler, and in him confides that he has been seeing a terrible figure by the tunnel entrance that shadows the railway. Initially the rambler scoffs at such spooks and ghouls, but senses that the signalman is clearly disturbed by the alleged apparition. Several terrible tragedies occur on the line near to where the wraith is seen, and its last appearance signals the end for the signalman too, as he is draw to the tunnel by the gaunt, waving figure only to be hit by a passing train.

When this was shown on television as part of the 'Ghost Story for Christmas' it marked a new event in the BBC calendar, such was its festive atmosphere amid those foggy moors and hills. Denholm Elliot is superb as the troubled signalman and this adaptation is wrought with tension and as darkness falls, and the rambler leaves, the signalman is left to his own devices and also the powers of the mind.

Like so many of these adaptations the horrors are subtle, but have all the antiquarian charm of the original tale, and will certainly make the viewer wary of those hidden places of the British countryside. 'The Signalman' was filmed at the Severn Valley Railway, that runs through Worcestershire and Shropshire, and is the perfect setting for this classic ghostly tale.

Carnival of Souls (Directed by Herk Hardevy) 1962

Arguably one of the creepiest films of all time, 'Carnival of Souls' relies on a strong sense of atmosphere and a degree of surrealism to succeed. We meet a trio of women who whilst driving are challenged to a race by a group of ne in another vehicle. The women decide to take up the offer but end up speeding over a bridge into a river. The lead role is played by Candace Hilligoss (she plays the role of Mary) who somehow survives the crash, although she surfaces from the murky depths some three hours after the accident. When Mary eventually returns to work strange things begin to occur, resulting in the appearance, as she is driving, of a peculiar pale-faced man (played by the director.) From here on Mary begins to investigate the area where the man has been seen and finds out there used to be a carnival situated on the spot, all the while Mary continues to suffer peculiar bouts involving losing her hearing and even becoming invisible to the rest of the world. Eventually this surreal movie leads us to a very eerie climax, and one can see why masterful director of the surreal, David Lynch, became so influenced by this true oddity of film-making. Hard to believe that this flick was shot for such a low budget and received rather poorly first time round, but the sheer atmosphere alone of this movie means that today it considered a cult classic. It's one of those films that doesn't really on any effects to get its message across, so I suggest you seek it out if you like your films a little weird.

The Fearless Vampire Killers (Directed by Roman Polanski) 1967

Also known as 'Dance of the Vampires,' this comedy horror is essential viewing if you're a fan of vampires and atmosphere. The movie, like many vampire films, is set in the dark heart of Transylvania where we meet Professor Abronsius and his sidekick Alfred who are stalking the night in the hunt for the bloodthirsty undead. Alfred, played by Polanski, is a rather bumbling apprentice, who, whilst staying at an old inn falls for a young lady named Sarah (played by Sharon Tate - who was married to Polanski) but the biggest concern for the Professor - apart from his own old age and aversion to the weather, is the bizarre behaviour of the locals who are keen to perform weird rituals to ward off the rumoured local evil spirits.

When Sarah is kidnapped by the local Count, Alfred and the Professor follow a trail through the snow-laden landscape in search of the culprit, which leads them to a dusty old castle where they, through invitation by the Count, stay the night, resulting a comedy of errors rather than terrors in this joyous romp that I first saw as a child and distinctly recall Alfred and the Professor sledging through the snow in coffins!

Jack McGowan is fantastic as the Professor and 'The Fearless....' goes down as one of my favourite vampire films of all time just due to the feel-good factor alone rather than the blood and gore which may feature in lesser quality films.