The Believers (1987) by John Schlesinger was pretty good, or at least better than The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) by Wes Craven.

Oh, I have to kick out something.

I just remembered Altered States (1980) by Ken Russell, which kinda also makes me think of Jacob's Ladder (1990) by Adrian Lyne.

South Park parodied that scene in the "Lice Capades" episode recently. It a pretty good one for a recent one.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0983724/

jacob's ladder used to freak me out so bad when I was in high school

a lot of the imagery was taken from Joel Peter Witkin's photographs

Top thirteen horror films, great idea:

Here's my contribution:

1. The Wicker Man - Robin Hardy
2. Witchfinder General - Michael Reeves
3. Night of the Living Dead - George A. Romero
4. Halloween - John Carpenter
5. The Devil Rides Out - Terence Fisher
6. Martin - George A. Romero
7. Vampyres - Jose Larraz
8. Black Sunday - Mario Bava
9. Alien - Ridley Scott
10. Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Tobe Hooper
11. Nosferatu - F. W. Murnau
12. Bride of Frankenstein - James Whale
13. Shivers - David Cronenberg

Oh, and a happy Halloween to you all!

It's weird, I can never decide whether i actually like that film or not.

Good suggestions all round. I'd like to add Herk Harvey's "Carnival Of Souls" too - a fantastic horror film which works on suggestion as opposed to more visceral visuals. And talking of genius splatter, on the exploitation tip, I can think of many worse ways than to grab a bottle of red wine and watch Amando De Ossorio's "Tombs Of The Blind Dead"...talking of which, anyone here seen "Night Of The Seagulls"?...and for pure misanthropic misery, you cannae beat "American Nightmares", the uncut version of "Combat Shock".

demonrail666, your Shivers (1975) mention makes me think of Videodrome (1983), The Fly (1986), The Dead Zone (1983), and Scanners (1981), all of which I had forgotten.

Eastern Promises, his new one, is very good. I actually went to see it downtown (across town) and wanted to see The Simpsons Movie (saw it the week after), but made the choice to see it first because I knew it might not be there long. It's kind of irritating when you know you have to do that sort of thing.

I almost did the same thing with Across The Universe instead of 3:10 to Yuma (which I figured might run for several weeks (turned out it did)), but I didn't and I missed Across The Universe. I'm glad I did too. It kind of looks like it might be wretched.

Totally agree. I completely forgot about it. Otherwise it would've been hovvering very close to the top of my list. I might've even stuck it at joint top with The Wicker Man.

...and copying Atari's lead, I love Croenenberg's "Dead Ringers" - very twisted and compelling.

EDIT: And from the sublime to the, er, "legendary", anyone here for Herschell Gordon Lewis' "Two Thousand Maniacs" (including a truly demented theme tune from the Pleasant Valley Boys)? Demonrail666 once described the barrel-roll sequence in this film as pure genius, and still I heartily agree with this sentiment.

A triple amen to that.

Oh shit, I missed Dead Ringers.
That's one of his best, if not his best overall. And outstanding acting from Irons. A fucking first-rate head trip; it's up alongside Videodrome.

You shouldn't have been so nice; should've ridiculed me.

I suppose Naked Lunch, and for that matter, Existenz, weren't so bad. There's so much dreamlike eeriness in both of those to like, but there's also so much tackiness that spoils things.

Go ahead and shoot me now for not mentioning Eraserhead (1977) by David Lynch.

...also the Bunuel Un Chien Andalou (1929) experimental short.

added Videodrome & Eraserhead...

Evil Dead 2 & Night Of The Living Dead just aren't cuttin' into the top 13.

I had trouble deciding on either Shivers, Rabid or Videodrome (I'm not that big a fan of Dead Ringers or the Dead Zone) so I chose the one with Barbara Steele in it. It worked for my Bava selection too. Thanks Babs!

Despite its rather contrived "shock" ending, I still find Takashi Miike's "Audition" to have some genuine chills to it in places....and seeing as Mario Bava's been mentioned, I'd like to throw in the fabulously unpleasant "Semaforo Rosso" (Rabid Dogs).

On a final note, seeing as it is Halloween, I'd also like to nominate Joe D'Amato's "Anthropophagous".

"You are the weakest link ... goodbye!"

The Entity was also quite disturbing.
Rumor has it that Hideo Nakata is going to do a remake.

DR666: LOL...you have to admit though, the idea of George Eastman throtting Anne Robinson would make for jolly fine entertainment.

In the very early 80's, I really wanted to see this film (thanks to several tabloids ranting about the "rape" sequences, and repeated showings of a sleazy TV ad for this film)..."Brimstone and Treacle" (featuring the fist magnet that is Sting) was also hyped on the "rape" premise...could anyone imagine a film being sold like that now? Kinda seems like a lifetime ago.

^Interesting.
It's supposedly based on a "true" story.

Yeah, I remember the same thing happening with Death Wish II. And of course, there were few more hallowed playground topics than that of the 'bummed in the greenhouse' scene in Scum. Which probably reduced instances of juvenile crime in Britain by half, the week following its release.

I'm gettin' feeble-brained...I forgot one of the very best...Spoorloos (1988, The Vanishing) by George Sluizer...the original Dutch version.

see ya Dracula, you're off the list