There’s only a few days left until the spookiest holiday of the year and to celebrate in anticipation, ComingSoon.net is asking our readers to dive deep into the horror genre for our poll asking just who is the greatest director in the horror genre, exploring everyone from the iconic Alfred Hitchcock (Psycho) to cult hit deliverers such as Rob Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses). Place your vote in the poll below and let us know any other favorites in the comments!
RELATED: POLL RESULTS: Who is the Greatest Slasher Icon?
RELATED: POLL RESULTS: What is the Best Director’s Cut?
The horror movie genre is one frequently remembered for both its menacing antagonists and the storytellers who bring them to life, but choosing which is the better is one of the toughest decisions to make of all genres. There’s no denying the charm and technical innovations made by early filmmakers such as Hitchcock, Roger Corman (The Raven), Mario Bava (Black Sunday), Dario Argento (Suspiria), Lucio Fulci (The House by the Cemetery), Antonio Margheriti (Cannibal Apocalypse), James Whale (Frankenstein), William Castle (House on Haunted Hill), Tod Browning (Dracula), Bert I. Gordon (The Amazing Colossal Man), Freddie Francis (The Evil of Frankenstein), Terence Fisher (The Mummy) and Roy Ward Baker (Quartermass and the Pit).
That being said, there’s a lot of fun and chills to be had from those with access to bigger budgets and special effects of the later 1900s and took it in more surreal or comedic directions including John Carpenter (The Thing), George A. Romero (Dawn of the Dead), Steven Spielberg (Jaws), Guillermo del Toro (Cronos), Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead), Peter Jackson (The Frighteners), David Cronenberg (The Brood), Joe Dante (Gremlins), Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator), John Landis (An American Werewolf in London), David Lynch (Eraserhead), Brian De Palma (Carrie), Tobe Hooper (Poltergeist), Don Coscarelli (Phantasm) and Clive Barker (Hellraiser).