No brainer for me. Mario Bava was clearly the best director and I love his films the best. Fulci is hit and miss but I've enjoyed his crime films and Zombie. Argento has the chops but sometimes he misses badly. Did anybody see his latest take on Dracula? Simply the worst film that I've ever seen by any of these directors. What the beep was the deal with the praying mantis? So for me.

1. Bava
2. Fulci
3. Argento

Dario Argento, because he made the best movies, but Mario Bava for the entire career because unlike Argento and Fulci, he still made good movies in his later years. It's ironic how Argento's decline resembles Fulci's.

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Bava! Bava is the best horror director of all time Look at his resume

I also love Michele Soavi, who directed STAGE FRIGHT, THE CHURCH, and CEMETERY MAN. All three films have amazing style and I'm upset he didn't direct more movies.
"Cinema is everything to me. I live and breathe films I even eat them!"

• Lucio Fulci

Argento, he seems in better shape physically, so he could probably take Fulci.
I'm sure that Dario Argento does seem in better physical shape. What with Lucio Fulci having died many years ago

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Bava is the obvious winner. Seen 16 of his films so far and most of them are great. Rabid Dogs is one of my favorite films and The Whip and the Body and Blood and Black Lace as long with many others are brilliant.
Fulci comes second. He goes for the gore. At times a bit cliced and I don't get the ending of City of the Living Dead but of the 7 films I have seen from him this far he is AWESOME. Pervasion Story is a masterpiece and The Beyond is one of the greatest horror films ever made. For not to mention the thriller Contraband.
Argento gets third place. Loads of great film. Inferno is pretty close to a 10 but then he also have a few I'm not too crazy about. Overall good/great films that suffer from an extreme amount of clices and "cheese". Still a great director though. Seen 9 of his films this far.
I would like to add that Sergio Martino is unfairly left out. Just as great as the rest of them with films like The Black Belly of the Tarantula, The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardth and Torso.
Somebody here has been drinking and I'm sad to say it ain't me - Allan Francis Doyle

I like some of Lucio's movies and some of Lamberto Bava's movies. But I can't stand that over rated spaghetti slurping cretin Argento. I wouldn't squirt piss in his dire16d0ction if he was on fire!.
2732 zombies were harmed in the making of this movie - L4D2: Dark Carnival finale.

I like Argento and Bava for different reasons.
Bava has made the best films however Argento's movies resonate more with me and nothing Bava has done has the same impact on me as Suspiria. Still, the two are hard to seperate but I'll put Argento on top.
As for Fulci, he clearly lacks the skill and class of the other two. His films contain excessive, poorly timed gore and like many horror directors, struggles with creating an engaging plot and characters, even though many argue this is not what he intendes to do in his films. Even The Beyond, which I feel is Fulci's strongest attempt at creating a visually powerful film, falls short compared to Suspira, Deep Red, Black Sunday or Kill Baby Kill. In fact, I could name a host of films by Argento and Bava that are surperior to any of Fulci's films, and I have seen all his good ones.
For what they are, Fulci's films are entertaining and enjoyable but Bava and Argento have made masterpieces

Fulci, Bava, and then Argento.
And in that exact order.
"I will always be there for you to haunt you in your dreams."

This post was so unexpected that I burst out laughing uncontrollably. So for that, nicely done.
Zagreus waits at the end of the world, For Zagreus is the end of the world.

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Argento, he seems in better shape physically, so he could probably take Fulci.

1. Mario Bava
2. Dario Argento
3. Lucio Fulci

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GrigoryGirl said:
Argento and Bava.
Ignore Fulci, his films suck.
I've seen TOO many of them.
No they don't!
Fulci's made a lot of movies - sure some of them are bad. But there are some true gems in his filmography.
For example,
'Lizard In Woman's Skin'
is my favorite Fulci movie. Great Giallo with great atmosphere and great style. Every horror/mystery fan should check it out.
I also love
'The Beyond'
for being creepy and surrealistic (for some reason, I don't find
'City of the Living Dead'
to be that good, though).
'Zombi 2'
is simply put an extremely entertaining zombie movie with some very memorable scenes, a wonderful musical score and in my humble opinion, it has the best zombie design ever. Those dead bastards looked scary!!!
And
'Don't Torture a Duckling'
is a classic. Because of its very controversial story it almost ended Fulci's career. But let me tell you - if that would have been Lucio's final movie ever - he would've gone out with a bang!
So there - at least 4 movies that any movie fan should have in his/her collection. And I'm sure there's more - I just love exploring European cinematography.
But ON TOPIC:

1. Dario Argento - i just love that guy. He stuck with pretty much one and the same story and yet he did and amazing job for over two decades.
2. Mario Bava - a pioneer and a very diverse director
3. Lucio Fulci

Bava has better gore scenes than Argento? Examples please.

I agree. I love Don't Torture a Duckling.
And going back to horror, I prefer Dario Argento as movie director. But Fulci is better with the gore.
Best Horror Movies (from movie perspective)

1. Dario Argento
2. Fulci/Bava (can't decide)
   Best Giallo Movies
3. Lucio Fulci
4. Mario Bava
5. Dario Argento
   Best Gore Scenes
6. Lucio Fulci
7. Mario Bava
8. Dario Argento

I find "Don't Torture a Ducking" is a masterpiece.
Try see "The Psychic".

I've seen City of the Living Dead, Don't Torture a Duckling, Cat in the Brain, New York Ripper, The Beyond, and Zombie, and only Zombie is decent, which means it's not as bad as the others. Cat in the Brain is especially awful.

Fulci gialli don't suck.

Argento and Bava. Ignore Fulci, his films suck. I've seen TOO many of them.

It's pretty hard. But I agree that Bava and Fulci had more range in this area.
I think Argento is the most superior director of them all. But if you're talking about just the gory movies I think Argento did his best movies during the 70s but before that time and after his movies were not as good as his best. His other movies outside of horror were kinda always on the same level. But his horror films were defiently at the best in the 70s.
Bava is really good. You know, I really liked Shock more than most of his other movies made during the 70s. I think Shock was a great finale for Bava. And what differs Bava from Argento & Fulci is that kinda all of his movies were successful. Of all Argento & Fulci movies that were made, almost half of them were kinda bad and got bad reception. Bava mostly never had any films that were "ignored" by the audience and his fans.
Fulci was not the best visual director but it's something indescribable unique about him and his directing. Argento, Bava and Fulci are experts in how to use gore and to scare the audience with it, but I always find Fulci to have been the one with most unlimited range in how to use the gore in front of the camera. He did some bad movies, he's infamous for his countless numbers of plot holes. But he's got such brutal dark and gothic atmosphere in his films. He was of course most famous for his gore flicks with Zombi 2 and Gates of Hell trilogy being the most prominent example. But I guess the way he uses gore and atmosphere is what is I'm most impressed by. Gates of Hell trilogy and Zombi 2 being the most prominent example. But what makes me sad is that some general horror fans have seen The Beyond, but they haven't seen Don't Torture a Duckling which he deserves just as much credit and recognition for. And he was more multi-dimensional in plots, areas, concepts and directing skills.
I hope I didn't sound like I was bashing Argento too much cause I really like him and most of his films but I tried to be as constuctive in critic as possible.
All right if ya want a list I'll give you a list.

1. Lucio Fulci
2. Mario Bava
3. Dario Argento
   Take in consideration that this list is based on their splatter films. I would probably put Dario Argento above as the best director overall but I find Bava and Fulci to be more unique in this area. Argento had much more successful films with better story and not so much plot holes as Fulci. But Fulci and Bava are way more unique in the gore area.