'The Witch' Director Robert Eggers's 5 Favorite Horror Movies

Director Robert Eggers knows horror. His movie, "The Witch," has been earning raves since its premiere more than a year ago at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. To celebrate the movie's nationwide release this Friday, February 19th, we asked Eggers to reveal, in his own words, his five all-time favorite horror movies.

'Nosferatu' (1922), F.W. Murnau

"It was an indie horror in its day -- a bit rough around the edges -- yet it's one of the greatest and most haunting films ever made. The newly restored color tinted versions are really impressive, but I still prefer the poor black-and-white versions made from scraps of 16mm prints. Those grimy versions have an uncanny mystery to them and helped build the myth of Max Schrek being a real vampire."

'The Shining' (1979), Stanley Kubrick

"Truly, one of the few horror movies that actually scares me. Stanley Kubrick, in his genius, uses almost no traditional horror atmosphere in the visuals, and exploits the artificiality of filmmaking to create a bizarre tension -- perfectly crafted in every aspect."

'Possession' (1981), Andrzej Żuławsk

"Isabelle Adjani's harrowing performance is so damn terrifying. She commits 120% for some of the most unforgettable moments in cinema."

'Twentynine Palms' (2003), Bruno Dumont

"This is demanding, boring, minimalist horror -- but if you deal with watching two miserable people in a car, not speaking, for scene after scene, you may be rewarded by being afraid to leave your house for days. So was my experience. Bruno Dumont knows what he's doing."

'Psycho' (1960), Alfred Hitchcock

"A classic. Alfred Hitchcock sheds his big budgets and makes a tiny masterpiece. It's just great traditional American filmmaking. Bernard Hermann's paired down score was so original, it created a cliché."