Dracula

Today, some claim that Dracula is a bit stiff and stagy, and indeed it was adapted from the successful stage play of the time, rather than directly from Bram Stoker's famous book. Often, actions are described rather than shown. Moreover, director Tod Browning was forced to cast the star of the play, Bela Lugosi, rather than his first choice, actor Lon Chaney (who had recently died). Now, however, it's difficult to picture any other actor in the role, and almost all of today's vampire lore can be traced back to Lugosi.

Browning was more familiar with and adept at macabre material than any other director, and he instills the movie with a creepy, sinister mood that's hard to shake. Part of this is thanks to the master cinematographer Karl Freund (who would go on to direct the equally creepy The Mummy the following year), and part of it is thanks to some purely unsettling imagery. Perhaps best of all is the dialogue, which yielded many memorable lines. All in all, it's a chilling classic.