Escape real-life horror this 2011 with the lovely dark thrill of the cinema. We’ve got a grab-bag of the top (nearly) 30 best horror films in 2011, from franchise blockbuster to indie foreign horror. Actually, 28. We had 30 but the last two were rubbish.

Master of horror John Carpenter has his first film for years arriving in January with supernatural chiller The Ward. We take a look back at the legendary director’s finest moments, to celebrate a career including some genre icons, a few cult classics and more than a few scares.