The very first horror films are also ranked as the finest examples of the genre. The first vampire film was not as many people think, the Bela Lugosi version. It was the German version Nosferatu. This still stands as an example of perhaps the best vampire genre films ever made.

Undoubtedly the classic horror films in the United States begin with Universal Studios. These films include the classic monsters that everyone remembers. There are three films in this section: Frankenstein, Dracula and The Mummy.

Mary Shelly based Frankenstein on the book. It is a classic examples of a man made monster run awry. It is not only considered a great monster movie, but also one of the best films every made. It stars Boris Karloff who is one of the classic stars of universal Horror films. The atmosphere of this film along with the story makes it stand the test of time.

Dracula, the version with Bela Lugosi, has become the standard for all those who love vampires. The entire Transylvania atmosphere and the distinct portrayal of the Count as a stylish and suave person have created the archetype.

The Mummy starting Boris Karloff is the third in the three most famous monster films ever made. The setting and the surroundings are the ancient ruins of Egypt, and the Mummy that was portrayed by Karloff. All of cinematic Mummy’s since then have been portrayed in much the same manner. The entire framework and story line have originated with this original one.

When The Exorcist came out in theaters, people were astonished. People actually begin to faint in the theaters. The film concerned the possession of a young girl in a Georgetown neighborhood. Actual priests were brought in to consult, and the authority was considered beyond anything ever captured on film. There were many cast members who believed that so powerful was the film that it still haunted them for years to come.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre is considered the first and perhaps still the best slasher film ever made. It is the birth of the modern monster film. Before the arrival of Texas Chainsaw, the horror films were mostly suspense and tame in comparison to what we have today. Chainsaw Massacre was different. It was made low budget and stared unknowns. However, it is thought to be perhaps the most realistic and frightening film ever made. The film is about a group of teenagers who pick up a hitchhiker and get waylaid at a house filled with maniacs.

Wes Cravens wrote A Nightmare On Elm Street after reading about a series of young people who died in their sleep after saying a demon was chasing them. They had tried to stay awake for days, but eventual fell asleep and died. Craven then wrote the film and used these stories to form the basis for the most popular film monster of the last twenty years, Freddy Kruger. Freddy entered dreams and attacked the children of the adults who had burned him to death. While there were many sequels, the original still stands as perhaps one of the top horror movies of all time.

Since early 2000, American screenwriters and Film directors have captured Horror film fanatics world-wide with scintillating remakes of popular Japanese horror movies. With a completely different setting, a somewhat Americanized plot and script in a completely different language, the films still carry the same fascinating concepts and ideas; and it’s these concepts and ideas that have geared these Japanese horror movies to top ranks, years after they’re released. Nonetheless, the horror movies have attracted the attention of American Producers who not only have seen the success of the film, but also appreciate what propels these films to the heights they get to.

Any Horror film director would tell you that a great horror film is more than just awesome sound simulation and orchestration, and eye-candy visual effects, but a great film has got more to do with the story behind the suspense and eerie, cold atmosphere they create for the audience. Japanese screenwriters and directors stick to this fact and crazy-glue and it’s no wonder why American directors remake Japanese films. In Japan, the horror films are more than just your average films; for them they are Japanese traditional stories captured and exposed in beautiful art of film. One such film is “Ringu” – adopted from a novel based on a Japanese ghost folktale and directed by Hideo Nakata – an outstanding Japanese director, and was the highest grossing film in Japan upon release in 1998, not for great cinematography, but the mythical story passed down from generations that fueled it.

American film director, Gore Verbinski just could not pass the opportunity for an American adaption of “Ringu” in 2002, titled “The Ring” and was a huge hit in The U.S, garnering a gross revenue of over 249 Million dollars. With such success of a remake, which film director wouldn’t want such a chance? and true to that, Film and television screenwriter, Stephen Susco not only wrote the remake titled “The Grudge”, but also incorporated Takashi Shimizu, the director of the original film titled “Ju-on”, just one year after its release in 2003. “Ju-on” is themed by a Japanese folktale, “onryn” – a mythological spirit able to exist by its own life and returns to the world to seek vengeance and a tale passed down generations for centuries.

Don’t be surprised if more and more screenwriters and directors join the game and re-produce Japanese horror movies in remarkable American cinematography, keeping the unforgettable stories alive for a wider audience and gathering a loyal fan-base. For these American remakes of Japanese horror movies, the life of the films is re-lived over and over and arguably in a way that captures many more audiences?maybe because of the fact that they are remade in English, or because of the fact that they are remade in the U.S?the capital of world cinema. Notwithstanding, Americans and horror fanatics globally get that dose of thrill they so long for and these remakes deliver it every time.