Unlike other genres, the horror movie experience is often enhanced by poor presentation. Grainy VHS tapes half-remembered from late night slumber party viewing, scratched and tattered film reels dug up from the depths of grindhouse theaters…these can fuel nightmares even without the aid of surround sound. Nonetheless, horror movies have come swarming to Blu-ray, and many of them have embraced the capabilities of the format with a vengeance. Here are our picks for the 25 movies that offer enough bells and whistles — or rather, screams and chainsaws — to make the upgrade worthwhile.
THE EXORCIST:EXTENDED DIRECTOR’S CUT & THEATRICAL VERSION It's the horror movie every self-respecting fan has to own. And The Exorcist Blu-ray is definitive in every sense of the word. Both versions — the original theatrical version and the director's cut (also known as "the crabwalk version") — are presented in crisp, meticulous transfers and three new special features plus a "making of" booklet round out an impressive set. But what will really have you praising your home theater is the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio. Just keep repeating, "it's only a movie, it's only a movie..."
