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To me, an effective horror movie is the type that I can watch in the dark and get this deep feeling of dread, as if at any moment some unknown being will grab my shoulder.
I also like it when horror movies or stories can make me afraid of things that I don't normally find scary. For example, I'm sure we can all agree that butterflies aren't scary at all, but The Cocoon by John B. L. Goodwin was very tense and creepy. Also, I'm not a religious person, but Jigoku put the fear of hell in me as I was watching it.
I'm also in full agreement with Banshee, in that subtlety can be the mark of some of the best in the genre. One recent film in that regard which I highly recommend is Session 9.
It does befuddle me as well that so many people don't think horror is horror without some blood and tits. They say that slasher movies are "old school," but was The Haunting a flasher film? What about Freaks? Or The Phantom of the Opera?
Still...I do think the gorehounds have better taste than some. I've heard one guy claim that the Resident Evil movies were "real" horror. Oh, and some people who claim to be horror fans name I am Legend, The Unborn, and the American version of One Missed Call as some of their favorites. I can't help but shake my head.
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