I never thought Rosemary’s Baby was scary. Then again, neither is my favorite horror film, The Shining. It was okay, not great. Notable today for helping usher in European-style pacing and camera work that became popular in the 70s, for better or worse.
Chinatown, on the other hand, is a classic. One of those films you think of a thousand ways to make it different, but almost none to make it better. The way it hangs together trumps the little flaws (if they are, in fact, flaws).
I love Chinatown. I’ve watched it more times than I can count. The Pianist was an excellent Holocaust film by Polanski. I’ve never seen Rosemary’s Baby. But it doesn’t matter. He still deserves to do the time for the crime.