The best thrillers ever made

Whether they made you wince, leap with fright or gasp with admiration, they are the 100 most thrilling Hollywood films of all time.

From Safety Last in 1923 to The Sixth Sense in 1999, they have held audiences spellbound.

A panel of experts chose the list - shown alphabetically below - which will be counted down in order in a three-hour programme on Channel 4.

The wide-ranging selection includes blood-curdling Dracula dramas, the classic The Wizard of Oz, epic Ben-Hur, the camp What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and the innovative Pulp Fiction.

Though it was supposed to be limited to US films, some British contenders crept on to the American Film Institute list. Classics by director Alfred Hitchcock, including The Birds, Psycho and Vertigo, were voted in, as were Stanley Kubrick's The Shining and Full Metal Jacket.

'Despite being a Brit, Hitchcock has nine of his films featured in the list and Stanley Kubrick has six of his,' said a spokesman from Channel 4. 'This did cause some debate. But Hitchcock was a Brit based in the US whereas Kubrick was an American based over here.'

Some, such as Lawrence Of Arabia and Titanic, have predominantly British actors and were filmed here, he added. 'But they were either funded with US money or had American directors and producers.'

Harrison Ford will present the programme, 100 Years...100 Thrills, on October 26.

The ultimate thrillers