Articles
This article from the New York Film Academy lists six early movies that caused a significant effect on the genre. NYFA is an accredited institution with many notable alumni. Along with the titles and a screen cap of the movie, the author includes a short explanation to explain why it was included on the list. It is a short article that is available to all without needing a subscription. This may be a used as a guide for those who are not sure where to start in terms of what movies to watch. Since it includes classics of the genre, readers will be able to see how movies have evolved since the early days.
NYFA. (2016, October 26). 6 Horror Films That Changed the Genre Forever. NYFA. https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/6-horror-films-that-changed-the-genre-forever/
This list from Variety Magazine is comprehensive, including movies from the origin of the genre to those released in the late 2010's. For those looking for more variety in recommendations, this list will offer them not only newer movies but also movies that have pushed the boundaries of the genre. The publication of this article is highly regarded and was originally dedicated to covering the theater industry during the early 1900s. One drawback from this source is it does not include the most recent releases. There have been a number of high rated movies since the late 2010's that readers may be interested in watching as well.
Adlakha, S., Debruge, P., Gleiberman, O., Howard, C., Laffly, T., Nicholson, A., Rodriguez, R., & Earl, W. (2024, October 31). The 100 best horror movies of all time. Variety. https://variety.com/lists/best-horror-movies-of-all-time/
This list is made up of majority older films from the genre. Some that may not have the same level as recognition as ones like Psycho or The Shining, but that are still important to the evolution of the genre and are highly rated. This list also includes a few international films as well. Readers may notice an overlap between this last and the one mentioned above. However, because two different sources created them, any repetition may be taken as a second co-sign for movie watchers to give them a chance. Much like the aforementioned article, the recommendations from this one stop at 2018. For those who would like updated recommendations may use Google to find those created by community users instead of publications.
100 horror films to See before you die. Museum of Pop Culture. (n.d.). https://www.mopop.org/100horrorfilms
How To Watch
The library website for University at Albany allows students to look for a wide selection of scholarly journals, books, research articles, and even movies. Movie titles are available for students to borrow in the form of DVDs. While the library catalog may not offer the most extensive collection of movies, it is still a valuable and reliable resource to obtain movies for free. In addition, through the service of interlibrary loan, students can ask their librarian to search for titles that are available at other public or academic libraries (other SUNY locations) to be delivered to the Albany campus. This services increases the level of access students have to materials in general.
The New York Public Library has an extensive catalog of movies as well as books and other print material. Signing up for a card is free and available to do online or through the app. Their catalog includes cult classics like the Scream franchise and Midsommar. For those who have access to visit the locations in person, they will need to make sure that the library has a DVD collection (not all do) before arriving. Optionally, one can search the online database to check if a movie is on the shelf. If these locations are too far, interlibrary loan is another way to obtain these materials.
Kanopy is a free streaming platform available to UAlbany students an participating public libraries. Through this partnership, students have access to over 30,000 movies free of charge. It, of course, does not contain every horror movie that you may be looking for. However, early films of the genre like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) and Nosferatu (1922) are available. As well as newer films, including fan favorites like Hereditary (2018) and Pearl (2022). Furthermore, Kanopy has a "request access" feature which allows UAlbany students to request movies that are not included with the university's subscription. Students will need to provide their information and an academic reason for why they need access to a specific movie. Overall, this is a great alternative to platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime.