So Lycos, as part of a desperate bid to prove it’s still relevant (not to mention that it still, you know, exists) released the top ten horror movies of all time as determined by web search activity.

On Lycos.

Here are the results of the immensely intensive study into horror movie viewing patterns:

1) Halloween
2) Alien
3) Poltergeist
4) The Exorcist
5) Friday the 13th
6) The Shining
7) Nightmare on Elm Street
Saw
9) Night of the Living Dead
10) Nosferatu

So…what does that mean exactly?  These are the top ten horror films based on the search results of everybody who works at Lycos and all their parents and immediate family members?  You wouldn’t think the opinions of twenty-five people would be useful enough to merit a press release, but hey, I’m writing about it so they got what they wanted in the end.

It’s not as though this list is a BAD list, necessarily–they’ve got most of the major franchises represented.  No love for Child’s Play or Hellraiser, other equally extensive franchises, but the majors are certainly there.  It’s interesting to see that Saw made its way onto the list being that it’s the most recent of all franchises, but frankly, I have my doubts that Alien actually qualifies as a horror film.  Sure, it’s got horror ELEMENTS, but it’s really more of a sci-fi title, with an outside nod to thriller.

Horror?  No, not really.

I’m really not convinced that Nosferatu should have made the list.  Nothing against old horror movies, but for crying out loud, that’s really dredging the bottom.  Some go so far as to claim this was the first real horror film, and there’s something to that…but I can’t see this relic managing to generate actual scares any more.  Outside nods to The Shining and The Exorcist are fair enough as they still pack in the screams, and I’ll always give an agreement to any list that shows the Romero love with Night of the Living Dead, but Nosferatu and Alien are a bit too questionable adds for my tastes.

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