Most Important Director in Modern Horror Film
 

Not the best, necessarily, but the one who's most shaped or influenced the genre in modern times. By modern, let's say since 1968, the year Romero's NotLD came out, which sort of dragged horror out of its classic gothic era (Universal, Corman, Hammer, etc.)

Not my favorite at all, not even close actually, but I'd say Wes Craven completely reshaped horror three times (with Last House on the Left, a Nightmare on Elm Street, and Scream) which no other director did. He also made a few good films here or there.

Bob Clark - Black Christmas, 1974




...and the AMERICAN slasher was born.

Completely agree, both in terms of the overall patchiness of his work and the overwhelming influence he's had.

I think a certain Mr Bava would have something to say about that.

you beat me to it. ANd this is the weird thing. I'd basically call Craven my favorite horror director, although he didn't direct that many of my favorite horror films. But there's something I love about his films. Something reliable. I have all of his stuff.

Hitchcock would disagree fully, this movie alone has built carrers, and (almost) ruined them. I'm talking to you Mr. Van Sant.

Happier?


Now, I understand that there are plenty of horror films that could easily be viewed as slashers that pre-date Bob Clark's Black Christmas. But this one was the first to really fit the mold of the modern slasher film.

That's not true. The Gore Gore Girls came out 2 years before and was quite clearly a slasher film.

Yeah. I'd have to disagree about Black Christmas as well. I'm kind of biased though. It's a slasher that I actually dnt care much for.

besides, the first slasher was:

Horror is divided into a BR and AR... Before Romero and After - just like DemonRail cleverly points out.

No doubt he is the single most important director in the genre if we're talking about last decades.

Carpenter added to that with his different approach to film making, and Cronenberg (who started off with big debts of gratitude in the Romerian dept. of Ideas - i.e. RABID, SHIVERS...) took a different direction as well.

Lynch prolly does not qualify as a horror director so he prolly should not be listed here, but a lot of his movies surely got me scared shitless... Mullholland Dr. being the finest example.

These 4 dudes are unbeatable IMHO.
It's cool to see true appreciation for this kinda things in here.

Fuck, you're right! I could've sworn Black Christmas came out before The Gore Gore Girls.

Well, in that case, I would like to contribute H.G. Lewis as my new response to this thread. Not only for The Gore Gore Girls but for pioneering the 'buckets of blood' mentality with this gem...




...as well as his many other classics.

HG Lewis was great.

Frank Hettenlotter is probably my favorite horror director. He never lets you down.

Yeah same here. Henenlotter's made 5 absolutely brilliant films. Can't wait to see his new one.

I've never even heard of Henenlotter/Hettenlotter (sp?)

Any recommendations?

...

Reccomendations? How about I just rank 'em?

1. Brain damage
2. Basket Case
3. Frankenhooker
4. Basket 'Case 2
5. Basket Case 3

Exactly! They're all great. My recomendation is see any of them now! See all of them soon!

no dario argento!