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Who is the best classic horror icon?

Who is the best classic horror icon?

  • Freddy Krueger (Nightmare on Elm Street)

    Votes: 102 32.0%

  • Jason Vorhees (Friday the 13th)

    Votes: 107 33.5%

  • Chucky (Child's Play)

    Votes: 3 0.9%

  • Michael Myers (Halloween)

    Votes: 94 29.5%

  • Pinhead (Hellraiser)

    Votes: 13 4.1%
  • Total voters
    319

Deleted member 42484

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EDIT - This is 1980's horror icons. The classic Universal horror icons is a poll for another day. (Creature from Black Lagoon would win anyways). I think this is a more interesting poll because many of us were alive to watch these films in theatres, perhaps even the originals! That was the topic and discussion I hope to get into.

I'm a big horror fan, especially of the classics, and was curious who everyone's favorite horror villain icon is, as well as their favorite classic horror series, and why. Please share your experience, especially if you were lucky enough to watch any of them in theatres or back when they came out in the 80's!
 
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Rolodzeo

Rolodzeo

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RedMercury

RedMercury

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I think Freddy is prob the best just due to the amount of character he has, I feel like culturally Jason might have a bit more recognition.
 
Sawyer

Sawyer

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Oct 26, 2017
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I mean Dracula is king.

From these, Michael Myers started the slasher genre.
Freddy is the most creative.
 
Lobster Roll

Lobster Roll

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Poll is split evenly between the big 3. This should be a fun one.
 
Gundam

Gundam

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Gotta say I was expecting Dracula, The Mummy, and Frankenstein. These slashers feel modern relative to how long the genre and medium have been around and in terms of sensibility
 
djplaeskool

djplaeskool

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Oct 26, 2017
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It's really hard to pick one out of the classic triumvirate of American slasher flicks (Freddie, Jason, Michael Myers)
 
Violence Jack

Violence Jack

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When you say "classic horror icon", I keep thinking of the universal monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, The Mummy, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the Wolfman. These are pretty much slasher horror icons except Pinhead. In that aspect, it's definitely Freddy.
 
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Deleted member 42484

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Gundam said:
Gotta say I was expecting Dracula, The Mummy, and Frankenstein. These slashers feel modern relative to how long the genre and medium have been around and in terms of sensibility
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Violence Jack said:
When you say "classic horror icon", I keep thinking of the universal monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, The Mummy, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the Wolfman. These are pretty much slasher horror icons except Pinhead. In that aspect, it's definitely Freddy.
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I went with the modern era of 80's horror icons.

If I had done of the OG classics, we all know Creature from the Black Lagoon would have swept, so why do the poll?
 
Z-Beat

Z-Beat

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Tie between Freddy and Jason

Jason and Michael gave rise to the supernatural silent mask-wearing killer genre and Freddy gave rise to the supernatural smack talking killer genre.

I'm gonna say Jason because he made the hockey mask synonymous with murder and he didn't even start with it. Also It's Freddy's fault we have Thankskilling, Jack Frost, and Gingerdead Man

For classics, it's Frankenstein's Monster.
 
deftones r cool

deftones r cool

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Oct 28, 2017
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As far as slashers go, Leatherface never gets his due credit. He scares me the most because he's the most plausible and also - chainsaw.

Best franchise in the game.

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Jon Carter

Jon Carter

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Michael Myers. The white mask clashing with the dark jumpsuit, the crazy hair, the slow movements... To me, he's the perfect horror serial killer. There's something so simple and incredibly effective about his look and attitude. It's been over 40 years and I don't think anyone has come up with something better.
 
Zushin

Zushin

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Out of those slasher icons it would have to be Jason I reckon. Hockey mask is synonymous with horror even if you haven't watched Friday the 13th.
 
pixelation

pixelation

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Not rating the quality of the movies themselves and basing my decision solely on look and iconic-ness alone... Jason Vorhees.
 
blazenumb1

blazenumb1

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From the choices in the poll Mike Myers or Jason.

I would also add Dracula and Frankensteins Monster to your poll(unless you only want slasher villains).
 
Garble Slew

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Denman said:
C'mon that's not as well known lol. If anyone should have made the cut it's leatherface, but even that series/character aren't as relevant or iconic today (cough Hellraiser barely deserves on the list imo)
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If their relevance in modern times is the metric we're going by then that list should just be Jason (even that is arguable) and Myers. I've worn my Freddy sweater every fall/winter for a decade and despite countless people commenting on it every year I maybe have 5-10 people recognize what it is (almost always older people) . Everyone else thinks it's a Christmas sweater. One could maybe make an argument for Chucky but that remake didn't exactly make a cultural splash. Ghostface deserves a spot over Chucky. Also, Pinhead may not be relevant nowadays but that's as iconic a look as you could ever wish for.
 

Ooopsklo

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It might be Freddy just due to Robert Englunds performance but also Jason might be the most iconic
 
Forsaken82

Forsaken82

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Oct 27, 2017
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Depends on what you consider to represent Icon.

Halloween and Childs Play are still relevant and being made, the others aren't and I think that holds more weight than nostalgia.

you can't say the same for Nightmare, Hellraiser or Friday the 13th over the last 5 years.

(edit: apparently there's been a recent Hellraiser... but i'd lump that along side Leprechaun in that unless it's theatrical or major show presence (both of which Child's Play has going for it) it's irrelevant)
 
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Deleted member 42484

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Ensorcell said:
Bullshit! Freddy Krueger leads the poll which just proves just how much of a joke this is. No series has had more jokes for entries, even Friday the 13th.
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I disagree. Freddy, for all his jokes and silly kills, touches on much more serious subject matter. Child abuse, schizophrenia, alcoholic parents, split-personality disorder, mental health. I know it's doesn't get terribly deep, but it's a hell of a lot more interesting than killing camping teens for the dozenth time.

And let's not pretend Jason goes to New York or Jason X aren't blasphemously awful movies. They aren't even campy fun imo.
 
CoolestSpot

CoolestSpot

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Denman said:
I disagree. Freddy, for all his jokes and silly kills, touches on much more serious subject matter. Child abuse, schizophrenia, alcoholic parents, split-personality disorder, mental health. I know it's doesn't get terribly deep, but it's a hell of a lot more interesting than killing camping teens for the dozenth time.

And let's not pretend Jason goes to New York or Jason X aren't blasphemously awful movies. They aren't even campy fun imo.
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Also Freddy has the great meta NEW NIGHTMARE, the best way to relaunch a franchise
 
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Deleted member 42484

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Garble Slew said:
If their relevance in modern times is the metric we're going by then that list should just be Jason (even that is arguable) and Myers. I've worn my Freddy sweater every fall/winter for a decade and despite countless people commenting on it every year I maybe have 5-10 people recognize what it is (almost always older people) . Everyone else thinks it's a Christmas sweater. One could maybe make an argument for Chucky but that remake didn't exactly make a cultural splash. Ghostface deserves a spot over Chucky. Also, Pinhead may not be relevant nowadays but that's as iconic a look as you could ever wish for.
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Ghostface came along in the 90s. This list is pretty exclusively the 80's horror icons. They are relevant as older horror icons, not relevant as character today. I probably should have used my wordage better.
 
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Deleted member 42484

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deftones r cool said:
As far as slashers go, Leatherface never gets his due credit. He scares me the most because he's the most plausible and also - chainsaw.

Best franchise in the game.

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The first film is an absolute all-time classic. I'd put the 1974 original over any film in any of the series I listed above.

I just can't say the same about any of the sequels. They are so forgettable. And where the other series I listed kind of get campy and fun in their later entries, I don't remember the same with Leatherface.

But it's been awhile. What are the better Texas Chainsaw movies in your opinion (other than the OG). I'll give them a watch.
 
ElephantShell

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Freddy and Michael are both outstanding. Jason is meh, though the movies are fun. I've only seen the original Hellraiser and Pinhead is barely in it so I can't really say on that one.
 
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Deleted member 42484

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CoolestSpot said:
Also Freddy has the great meta NEW NIGHTMARE, the best way to relaunch a franchise
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Nightmare of Elm Street and New Nightmare are perhaps better than any film in the Friday the 13th chronology.

Elm Street 1 also has very impressive and ambitious makeup and visual FX. The first Friday the 13th, only a few years prior in 1980's, feels a decade older in comparison.

I love Jason too, don't get me wrong, but it just doesn't have the depth.
 
Ensorcell

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Denman said:
I disagree. Freddy, for all his jokes and silly kills, touches on much more serious subject matter. Child abuse, schizophrenia, alcoholic parents, split-personality disorder, mental health. I know it's doesn't get terribly deep, but it's a hell of a lot more interesting than killing camping teens for the dozenth time.

And let's not pretend Jason goes to New York or Jason X aren't blasphemously awful movies. They aren't even campy fun imo.
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In that case a couple of movies doesn't make an icon.If you can watch 4 and beyond and NOT think it's a joke then we will just have to completely disagree. That isn't horror, it's slapstick, and not even good slapstick at that.
 
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Watevaman

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Michael Myers will always be the one I think of when I think of horror. Seeing Halloween when I was young really imprinted him on me. Plus, out of those listed, I feel like he's the one who is the most plausible.
 
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Deleted member 42484

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Ensorcell said:
In that case a couple of movies doesn't make an icon.If you can watch 4 and beyond and NOT think it's a joke then we will just have to completely disagree. That isn't horror, it's slapstick, and not even good one at that.
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I mean, without diving into each film, I would agree that outside of Elm Street 1, 2, and New Nightmare, the series is pretty schlock. I would also say the entire Friday the 13th series is schlock except for a few good moments. Hellraiser, after the first one, is not good. Child's Play 1 and 2 are good then turns to weird comedy, although Curse of Chucky is great. Halloween is hit and miss through-out, with probably more hits than the rest of the list.

So, in conclusion, most of these movies are not good. But there is some appeal in how cheesy and bad they sometimes get. Just all out camp.

I disagree that a couple of movies can't make an icon. I think these characters' appeal goes beyond just the quality of the films they are in. I spoke to a friend about this, but there is also this collective memory of going to the video rental store and seeing the terrifying VHS box's as kids, and being too young to rent, literally using our imagination and nightmare for years to wonder about these mystical scary creatures. Halloween masks. Parodies. Video game inclusions. I'd say these are all definitely icons, despite having mostly not great films.
 
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Deleted member 42484

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Watevaman said:
Michael Myers will always be the one I think of when I think of horror. Seeing Halloween when I was young really imprinted him on me. Plus, out of those listed, I feel like he's the one who is the most plausible.
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So between:

-a criminal-spirit inhabited doll
-a teleporting zombie with a hockey mask
-a hellraising demon
-a supernatural dream-invading burn-victim

......yes I'd agree that Michael Myers is by far the most believable lol.
 
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