‘Tis the season for getting scared. What’s better than curling up with your sweetie on the couch, candles flickering, while watching your favorite horror movie on the television. So, when it comes to great horror movies, what comes to mind?
I asked friends and family in a recent Halloween poll what their favorite scary flicks are. Here are some of their responses:
20. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre-the original: This flick was supposedly based on true events, which makes it just that much scarier. I could easily picture myself stranded on the side of the road in some honky donk country town out there in Texas, having this happen to me. A good reason to always carry a cell phone, keep your gas tanked filled and to not trust anybody!
19. House of Wax: Who doesn’t want to see Paris Hilton get gruesomely murdered? The movie is unsettling, but more than anything, is entertaining to watch. I especially liked the movie theatre scene.
18. The Others: Nicole Kidman was excellent in this haunting film. There is no blood or gore, which can be quite refreshing. I enjoyed the movie’s surprise ending.
17. Silence of the Lambs: Anthony Hopkins was well cast as everyone’s favorite cannibal, Hannibal Lecter. Many of us still quote lines from the movie as of today.
16. The Birds: Great classic Hitchcock thriller, especially for all you bird lovers out there. I know some people who refused to buy a parakeet after seeing this movie. I always hated the one scene with the farmer who was found with his eyes pecked out. To a young child, this made for terrible nightmares and a irrational fear of chickens.
15. The Strangers: This movie greatly disturbed me, and made it difficult to watch the whole way through. The masks used by the three killers would be perfect for trick or treating.
14. Alien: As a child, I was terrified seeing this film. I’m not much for space horror or sci-fi, but this is such a classic and one of the most intense horror movies to date.
13. Paranormal Activity: Yes, this is the just released thriller that is captivating movie audiences everywhere. I have been told that it is extremely suspenseful, and probably would make for a great date movie since most people will find themselves grabbing the person next to them in absolute fear.
12. Psycho: Another Hitchcock favorite. Yes, the blood used in the shower scene was only Hershey’s chocolate syrup, but in reality there was nothing sweet about this horror flick. Most who saw this movie refused to use their showers after this, making bath tubs increasingly popular again. And Anthony Perkins made it downright terrifying to be a “momma’s boy.”
11. The Blair Witch Project: Okay, so this movie got mixed reviews. At first everyone loved it, thinking it to be a real documentary about three lost college kids in the woods. Then, after we all learned those college kids were merely actors and there was a script involved, the movie’s reputation became greatly damaged. I, personally, loved this movie and despite the fact it wasn’t based on true events, I still enjoy watching it each and every Halloween. The eerie moaning sounds emanating from the woods and the child handprints inside the creepy house always freaked me out.
10. Saw (I and II): When I watch this movie, I imagine what I would do if something like this were to happen to me. Could I gauge my eye out in order to find a hidden key that I would need to free myself from ultimate death? Or would I possibly be able to cut off my foot with a dull, rusted saw just so I could to get to another level? Yes, I would probably have to, but thinking about it and seeing different straining scenarios played out in this movie, is definitely not much fun.
9. House: A cult classic, I believe. This flick is not only scary, but humorous too, which is hard to pull off successfully. William Katt is great in this movie; an actor you don’t get to see very often. And then there is George Wendt, our favorite Cheers bar patron, who provides comic assist to this film, not to mention Richard Moll, formerly of Night Court, who makes a mean ghost. One of the greatest parts in House is the troll scene, and the nightmarish monster woman with her slinky dress and red fingernails. A can’t miss during the season.
8. The Uninvited: This is a film that pre-dates many other horror films. The Univited came out in 1944, and is still haunting movie fans to this day. The mysterious tale revolves around a ghostly seaside abode discovered by a brother and sister. Some feel that it’s the vintage horror flicks that are much more terrifying than the modern day slasher, gore films. I couldn’t agree with this more.
7. The Sentinel: This 1970s horror film stars Ava Gardner and Fright Night‘s Chris Sarandon and is set in a Brooklyn Heights apartment. The movie is full of surprises, including a very sexually disturbing scene involving a young Beverly D’Angelo. The ending of this movie is very frightening, and so is an earlier scene involving a half naked old man with a cut off nose. Did I spark your interest yet?
6. Freaks: Another downright scary, and visually disturbing vintage horror flick. It debuted in 1932, and was about sideshow carnival freaks. There was no fancy special effects or make-up artistry used, which brought a truly terrifying factor to the film. It was all very real and all very creepy.
5. The Sixth Sense: Perhaps it’s a tad played out by now, and we all know the surprise ending, but this is a Halloween classic. If you are into the paranormal, you will truly appreciate this movie even after seeing it for the gadzillionth time. I can still remember seeing this the first time at the theatre and the unified gasps of all the movie goers after the amazing ending was revealed. One of the best ghost films ever.
4. It: Simple name, scary movie. This is a movie that defined what it’s like to be clown phobic. If you aren’t scared of clowns prior to this film, you can almost guarantee you will be afterwards. It took me years to walk by storm drains after seeing the film. “They all float down here…” Beware of big rubber shoes and bright red noses.
3. Rear Window: This is by far one of my all time favorites. Rear Window is a psychological thriller without any blood or guts to be seen. Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly are phenomenal here. As a woman, it is worth it to see this movie just for Kelly’s beautiful change of costuming throughout. Talk about elegance! But as a horror lover, this is a must-see. Hitchcock is genius with Rear Window. This flick makes me miss my apartment days for sure. Disturbia, starring Shia LaBeouf, is a modern day version of this classic, but holds no comparison.
2. The Shining: Another favorite horror movie of mine. Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall were perfectly cast in The Shining. The acting was superb and the one liners in this movie are classics to this day. ”Heeere’s Johnny!” When I first saw this movie as a child, there was a lot I didn’t understand. Seeing it as I got older, I definitely understood and that wasn’t always a good thing. Many of the scenes in this film are not only frightening and gruesome, but deeply disturbing. I was particularly scared of The Shining as a child mostly because my dad was a dead ringer for Jack Nicholson. Having a dad that looked like a deranged killer was a bit unnerving.
1. Halloween-the original: When I took this poll, most people responded with this movie as being their all time favorite. It conjures the image of what Halloween should be: fallen leaves strewn across quiet neighborhood streets, carving pumpkins, watching scary movies, trick or treating and what the “boogeyman” is. This movie set the standards for all other classic horror movies. It also put Jamie Lee Curtis on the map. The soundtrack to this film is one of the most listened to of all scary movie soundtracks of all time. Afterall, it just wouldn’t be Halloween without Halloween.
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