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The Engineer’s Room: Horror for Halloween

By: Richard Kroon, Director of Engineering, EIDR

Halloween, observed on October 31 each year, has its origins in the Celtic festival of Samhain (or “Summer’s End”), which marked the last day of the Celtic year and the traditional start of winter. On this night, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and dead blurred and ghosts would walk the earth while the living would wear costumes and burn bonfires through the night. When Pope Gregory III established November 1 as All Saints Day, the day before became All Hallows Eve and eventually Halloween. Customs vary over the years and around the world, but a common theme cuts through them all: being scared.
 
People do love being scared, at least in a safe and comfortable way, likely beginning with ghost stories told to eager audiences around a campfire. Many horror stories and folktales come down to us from the Ancient and Medieval words. The first modern horror novel was The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole while horror movies have been frightening audiences since Georges Méliès released Le Manoir du Diable (The Haunted Castle) in 1896.
 
In the dark and shrouded mists of 2016, we shared with you the gruesome tale of London’s Time Out magazine and their list of the 100 best horror films of all time as judged by their panel of ghoulish experts, including Alice Cooper and Stephen King – the former credited with creating “Shock Rock” and the latter with more than 200 film adaptations to his name, starting with Carrie (1976). This year, we turn our statistically-evil eye towards Rotten Tomatoes and their aggregated Tomatometer scores. (Fun fact, there’s currently a three-way tie for the worst horror film of 2018 between Blood Honey, Delirium, and Day of the Dead: Bloodline, each with a 0% Fresh ranking.) Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the 100 best-reviewed horror movies of all time ranges from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) to Hereditary (2018) with entries from Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Perhaps scariest of all is the fact that the top-ranked film has a lower Tomatometer score than number two on the list thanks to Booosian – sorry that should be BooOOoo-sian – I mean, Bayesian statistics, where the Rotten Tomatoes’ editors take into account the number of critical reviews received to come up with an adjusted top score of 113.376% Fresh. Now that’s frighteningly fresh.
 
Naturally, all of the movies on Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time have a corresponding EIDR ID. Happy Halloween.
 

Rotten Tomatoes’ 100 Best-Reviewed Horror Films of All Time

Rank Title Year %Fresh Score EIDR ID
1 Get Out 1973 99% 113.38% 10.5240/E4DF-F953-7B36-D0AD-10C7-S
2 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari 1980 100% 111.25% 10.5240/E795-2B0D-965A-5552-A424-2
3 A Quiet Place 1974 95% 110.65% 10.5240/AEA1-3EF3-245B-CA6A-B9C0-0
4 Psycho 1979 97% 109.22% 10.5240/E172-9592-4D15-6E9A-A63A-Y
5 King Kong 1960 98% 108.55% 10.5240/49FC-259A-46A7-DC36-B99B-X
6 Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror 1982 97% 108.54% 10.5240/4DA4-0765-DD7B-69F7-925E-W
7 Repulsion 1968 100% 108.36% 10.5240/E21A-3593-D6E8-FEAA-7F51-9
8 The Bride of Frankenstein 1978 100% 107.96% 10.5240/AD91-77F6-7587-BDFC-274C-J
9 Alien 1978 97% 107.35% 10.5240/55AD-7242-833C-F4AA-9776-7
10 The Night of the Hunter 1975 98% 106.72% 10.5240/A392-FE00-1B91-B840-CA81-7
11 The Babadook 1976 98% 106.60% 10.5240/17B3-4D4F-9492-FE49-AC78-T
12 Rosemary’s Baby 1968 99% 106.61% 10.5240/7C58-3BF4-62BD-BE12-5FB1-F
13 The Invisible Man 1973 100% 106.42% 10.5240/2B08-EB1F-92B4-2E53-471C-0
14 Frankenstein 1961 100% 106.22% 10.5240/0D1B-689D-5865-AD1B-0F89-L
15 It Follows 1976 97% 105.87% 10.5240/C302-8810-DFB7-3A48-761E-M
16 Jaws 1981 97% 105.86% 10.5240/36E3-649C-57F2-A251-72B1-E
17 Vampyr – Der Traum des Allan Grey 1987 100% 104.98% 10.5240/620D-7464-F030-12C1-75FD-U
18 Let the Right One In 1986 98% 104.49% 10.5240/4587-ABC2-81FA-A636-3DCB-6
19 Aliens 2008 98% 104.28% 10.5240/52D5-69C2-9DCD-AF72-E8CD-S
20 Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1984 98% 104.18% 10.5240/978D-EF0D-0439-27F3-FCC1-B
21 Freaks 1999 94% 103.57% 10.5240/404F-32CD-FF47-2745-BAA0-O
22 Night of the Living Dead 1963 97% 103.61% 10.5240/C326-4F83-CED1-F0EC-29DB-5
23 Eyes Without a Face 1922 98% 103.31% 10.5240/2F66-B68A-F669-8A1B-9104-M
24 The Witch 1932 91% 102.79% 10.5240/0E6C-7B1E-871C-1BFA-0618-X
25 Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn 1976 98% 102.46% 10.5240/78A9-FAAC-1C10-BDE7-84D2-U
26 Peeping Tom 1982 96% 102.21% 10.5240/E883-622C-BEA0-06F6-02D5-G
27 Hereditary 1999 89% 104.25% 10.5240/D980-255E-96C7-9F53-CBF8-4
28 The Silence of the Lambs 1981 95% 101.79% 10.5240/9A23-263F-7817-8874-7D54-V
29 The Birds 1963 96% 101.92% 10.5240/2BB1-D8C5-942E-271C-BDEA-6
30 Dead of Night 1979 97% 101.53% 10.5240/FD70-B20C-14BB-28F3-269C-P
31 The Cabin In the Woods 1982 91% 100.60% 10.5240/E7CF-E2F8-C21C-7D3D-A1D1-L
32 Don’t Look Now 1942 96% 101.38% 10.5240/03B1-E89B-C646-12AC-66B1-E
33 The Wailing 2008 99% 101.24% 10.5240/72B0-2FA2-9082-7DCF-4F32-9
34 10 Cloverfield Lane 1935 90% 101.02% 10.5240/622B-2097-1E78-EC9C-DD6A-B
35 Under the Shadow 1962 99% 101.33% 10.5240/32A4-F75B-D2DA-0EE4-6BFF-S
36 The Innocents 1973 96% 101.12% 10.5240/C76B-3EE7-DCCF-BB67-DBF6-7
37 The Fly 1931 95% 100.36% 10.5240/7A26-03CB-9209-54C4-FC15-W
38 House of Wax 1959 95% 100.36% 10.5240/12D1-BF5E-9825-BE0A-1D69-J
39 Cat People 1979 93% 100.07% 10.5240/6C57-F611-FF52-24DA-2F4F-J
40 A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night 1990 96% 100.17% 10.5240/5792-807C-7549-7A78-803A-P
41 Drag Me to Hell 1981 92% 99.98% 10.5240/7EAD-1715-29CB-79F4-9DCA-L
42 The Wolf Man 2001 94% 99.66% 10.5240/F2EB-85B0-B47F-C749-9C43-W
43 Carrie 1967 93% 99.58% 10.5240/2A14-47AB-BC21-D34C-3FB9-W
44 Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1976 94% 99.58% 10.5240/3A00-93A1-FFC1-9538-E4BF-F
45 The Evil Dead 2001 95% 99.46% 10.5240/D1D7-E826-A860-7BCB-3BB4-C
46 The Loved Ones 1990 98% 99.18% 10.5240/C66B-60A7-FABC-444B-76A3-L
47 It 1945 85% 99.23% 10.5240/B893-9CE5-63F7-4AED-5EF4-X
48 Halloween 1956 93% 98.96% 10.5240/F55B-E276-0102-C4C1-93B5-Y
49 Village of the Damned 1998 92% 94.91% 10.5240/4359-4D90-C584-7BD3-9F76-8
50 Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht 1960 94% 98.62% 10.5240/A6F8-DD91-D127-6081-15F2-1
51 Ringu 2005 97% 98.42% 10.5240/FCFD-589B-82D7-2FC7-F9B9-A
52 House un Haunted Hill 1971 96% 98.29% 10.5240/B002-8EA8-5C8B-14B4-2616-B
53 Green Room 1975 90% 98.30% 10.5240/C04B-0621-7FDE-9BBC-FD15-H
54 Re-Animator 1977 95% 99.20% 10.5240/B61A-0C97-0F0F-D48C-5102-1
55 I Walked with a Zombie 1965 92% 97.90% 10.5240/8BBD-0EC9-77BB-CE02-1DB0-0
56 Train to Busan 1999 96% 98.88% 10.5240/D13A-FD68-D516-B481-590E-H
57 A Nightmare on Elm Street 1988 94% 97.60% 10.5240/B884-6DA7-BFD6-28F4-C749-Z
58 The Mummy 1964 93% 97.58% 10.5240/1DE8-E6C4-D3F4-6222-5896-Z
59 Raw 1932 91% 97.74% 10.5240/87B7-E889-BC7C-2F12-955D-8
60 Shaun of the Dead 2007 92% 97.48% 10.5240/C4F3-817E-619C-A61D-C43B-9
61 Zombieland 1955 90% 97.47% 10.5240/7CC0-348A-3918-1736-146D-Y
62 Dracula 1955 91% 97.22% 10.5240/909B-DA9F-7D4D-C639-69CF-8
63 Nina Forever 2008 97% 97.32% 10.5240/1E3A-4586-ED89-F1A4-518D-A
64 It Comes at Night 1981 88% 97.30% 10.5240/0145-DB0C-5D5D-3260-F8CD-F
65 Deep Red 2001 96% 97.91% 10.5240/F7B9-A597-E3F8-E143-86B5-G
66 Suspiria 2003 92% 96.62% 10.5240/3F75-F397-1C2F-49A1-D20C-A
67 Eraserhead 1957 91% 96.55% 10.5240/3FC7-59D2-B863-8380-9BAB-W
68 The Fly 2002 91% 96.40% 10.5240/C43A-3556-CB27-C99F-EEA8-R
69 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 1920 93% 96.24% 10.5240/AE91-C07E-3049-64AA-42F7-4
70 Dawn of the Dead 1966 93% 96.24% 10.5240/2A83-1326-9730-0514-2432-F
71 Phantom of the Opera 1932 91% 96.03% 10.5240/FF74-AAA6-DBD2-8E9B-AECF-A
72 L’uccello Dalle Piume di Cristallo 1986 93% 96.05% 10.5240/A65D-5B62-AA84-09C4-5743-O
73 Don’t Breathe 1974 88% 95.78% 10.5240/58CE-1DE4-34EE-826E-BD97-A
74 The Devil’s Backbone 1960 92% 95.50% 10.5240/F9E7-A17C-5EB5-3DE5-D9C6-W
75 Theater of Blood 1987 93% 95.44% 10.5240/D429-B438-F0CC-6033-338F-K
76 Horror of Dracula 1985 88% 92.69% 10.5240/733F-3478-FC8A-007A-DC91-3
77 The Wicker Man 1979 90% 94.89% 10.5240/A0B7-940B-6DA2-D726-7420-E
78 Attack the Block 2000 90% 94.73% 10.5240/75F8-5C10-8425-3102-8B31-T
79 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 1987 88% 94.48% 10.5240/5D0F-8CAC-581E-A744-86E0-I
80 Let Me In 2005 87% 93.40% 10.5240/1B4F-8FCF-68A6-B2FA-AD30-T
81 The Blair Witch Project 1999 87% 94.00% 10.5240/F4CB-CB59-EA32-084B-CA1A-A
82 The Exorcist 1963 86% 93.71% 10.5240/2268-C7E9-E304-C67D-7F06-Z
83 The Conjuring 1958 86% 93.75% 10.5240/645A-98C5-BB3F-0AD3-50D9-Z
84 The Dead Zone 2007 90% 93.52% 10.5240/4692-8A58-5440-75CB-0A5D-D
85 The Fall of the House of Usher 1978 90% 93.36% 10.5240/24EF-B60C-C440-7C09-535F-F
86 Misery 1975 89% 93.31% 10.5240/01F3-783D-5F53-D0FA-A541-J
87 Fright Night 2001 91% 93.31% 10.5240/9B62-A4CF-AFC1-FADA-0117-H
88 The Shining 1927 86% 93.17% 10.5240/3D61-EB75-9F5F-C5A7-5D26-E
89 Martin 1985 90% 92.51% 10.5240/44DB-FE8F-F843-1745-97AB-D
90 An American Werewolf in London 1988 88% 91.77% 10.5240/74B9-E9B5-8219-663F-6F3D-9
91 Demon 1992 92% 93.73% 10.5240/BA46-EEFD-AA81-9659-D3A2-Y
92 Poltergeist 1986 86% 91.51% 10.5240/085B-61ED-61F1-58E0-6C25-4
93 The Invitation 1985 88% 90.97% 10.5240/1A45-1191-BDE4-EE69-B661-S
94 The Descent 1996 85% 90.49% 10.5240/6C14-8437-AFAF-7DDF-29F1-U
95 The Omen 1989 86% 90.44% 10.5240/A7A7-E995-6893-C76B-8C97-I
96 Paranormal Activity 2015 83% 88.81% 10.5240/2FB0-C153-8022-CA37-E778-6
97 The Thing 1976 83% 88.62% 10.5240/F71D-B8B7-B0DC-976A-5397-P
98 The House of the Devil 1976 86% 88.32% 10.5240/CB7E-F77F-0F19-211A-05A2-Z
99 [Rec] 2007 88% 88.17% 10.5240/ACED-BF41-9C80-F92D-B7B8-V
100 The Conjuring 2 2014 79% 87.85% 10.5240/6583-D856-7260-F6F4-9B34-R