I would like - revisited

I was wondering if it's ok to use the sentence 'I would like watching horror films' to mean that I was in the habit of doing that just like in the sentence 'I would always go to the cinema when I had some time to spare'. It sounds terrible to my ears but if the first sentence is unacceptable, how come? Can the verb 'like' not go with 'would' then. If so, isn't it some kind of flaw and limitation of English?

For the meaning you give, it seems like you want to narrate something.

So, it sounds ok as a narrative if you say "I would watch horror films"

Or you could say "I liked watching horror films" I know your meaning is conditional.

So is the sentence "I would like watching horror films" as a narrative correct or not?

No, I gave you two correct versions.

When you put the words "would like" together, the meaning becomes something similar to "wish" or "want" so your sentence 'I would like watching horror films' does not make sense. If you said 'I would like to watch horror films' it would mean that you are wishing to watch them.

Based on what you mean, I would use the sentence "I used to like watching horror films." This means that in the past you were in the habit of watching horror films and you liked them.

You could say....

"I would watch horror films if I had some time to spare." (conditional)

"I would like to watch horror films since it is Halloween." (This gives the sense of wishing or wanting as Lana stated above).

"If I weren't so easily scared, I would like horror films." (This is a conditional and conveys the fact that you don't like horror films because you're easily scared).

I hope some of these examples helped.

I only read the first post, and here is my take on the sentence:

By itself, it is wrong. It needs another part to it. For example, "I would like watching horror films if they were not so scary." Since there is a part at the end now, the sentence makes more sence.

Now to make the sentence sound how I think you meant it to sound. You used the present participle when you should have used the infinitve. "I would like to watch horror films."

The first sentence leaves people feeling, "what's next?" And the second sentence makes people think, "oh, he just wants to watch horror movies."