9. George A. Romero
George A. Romero's name is pretty synonymous with that of the "zombie flick," which makes a lot of sense given that the man pretty much invented the modern zombie film as we know it - at least, he took an established legend and made it his own. After all, the zombies we think of today didn't exist until Romero made Night of the Living Dead - lots of people don't seem to realise that such creatures aren't age-old or traditional "monsters" in the same way that vampires and werewolves are. Romero invented them. As a result, Romero is pretty much hailed as something akin to a god within the realms of the horror genre. And though he deserves credit for giving us one of the best and most appealing subgenres in horror cinema, his standing as a "legend" seems a little stretched; after all, he made two great zombie films in Night of the Living Dead and its arguably better follow-up, Dawn of the Dead, and has spent the last three decades churning out middling sequel after middling sequel; hardly the sort of stuff you'd associate with such a legendary figure. There's no denying his influence, but sometimes it pays to take a step back and approach things with a level head. Romero is a notable figure... but - and let's face it - he's nothing akin to the "god" that so many people seem intent on pegging him as. But thanks for the zombies, George.