Are you scared yet?
I've always loved scary movies, and there is no better time of year to watch them than the month of October. Halloween is approaching, the leaves are changing and the weather is getting cooler, which generates a perfect storm to get spooked by a good, scary movie.
Here are some of my favorite movies to watch in the days and weeks leading up to All Hallow's Eve:
"The Crow"—I first saw this shortly after it came out in 1994, and while it's not a horror movie, it's probably my favorite Halloween movie. I love the movie's atmosphere and its great soundtrack. My scare factor rating (out of 10): 2.
"Sleepy Hollow"—Who better than Tim Burton to do a movie based on the Washington Irving classic? Add in Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane and a fantastically scary Christopher Walken as the headless horseman and you've got a new classic. Scare factor: 5.
"28 Days Later"—I always love a good zombie movie, but this one changed that genre for me. When zombies can sprint instead of shuffling around, it adds another level of suspense. Scare factor: 6.
"Halloween"—For sheer Halloweeniness, nothing beats John Carpenter's scare fest from 1978. I think Michael Myers is one of the best horror movie characters ever and the super creepy music makes it unforgettable. Scare factor: 7.
"Poltergeist"—Steven Spielberg does horror movies better than just about anybody! It scared me about off-air television channels for years. Scare factor: 8.
"Drag Me to Hell"—Everybody knew Sam Raimi could do tongue-in-cheek horror (see the "Evil Dead" trilogy) but he really amped it up in this 2009 flick. It makes you not want to anger any old gypsy ladies. Scare factor: 8 1/2.
"The Exorcist"—There isn't much to say about this 1973 classic that hasn't already been said. Spiderwalk, pea soup and the 360-degree head turn. That is all. Scare factor: 9.
"Blair Witch Project"—This 1999 film has often been imitated, but never duplicated. The closing scene in the basement of the abandoned house is still one of the scariest movie endings ever. Scare factor: 9 1/2.
"Texas Chainsaw Massacre"—It's been a long time since I've seen the 1974 original, but I will say the 2003 remake wasn't too bad. However, the original's low budget helped it get filmed in such a way that it actually looks real. Scare factor: 10.
"The Ring"—Scary. Just plain scary. The cursed videotape in the movie kind of reminds me of a Nine Inch Nails video, but then a creepy-looking girl comes out of the screen to scare you to death. Not a good ending to your day. Scare factor: 11.
There are some classic horror movies that I am planning on watching for the first time this fall, including "Night of the Living Dead" (George Romero's original from 1968), "Salem's Lot" (1979), "Dawn of the Dead" (1978), and "The Thing" (1982). I'm sticking with the originals, as the remakes are generally never as good. I am really looking forward to checking them out for the first time.
There are also a lot of newer horror movies I want to see, though many of them seem to put more of an emphasis on blood and gore than on sheer creepiness. In any case, I think "Insidious," "The Cabin in the Woods," "The Woman in Black," "Sinister" and "V/H/S" all look pretty promising.
There is also "Paranormal Activity 4," which will be released Oct. 19. However, I watched the first "Paranormal Activity" a while back and it scared the crap out of me. I probably won't be checking out its sequels anytime soon, but it's certainly going to be a great month for scary movies.
What are some of your favorite horror movies? Are there some that you watch every Halloween season? Are there any that you've seen that you don't think you could watch again due to a high fright factor?
Oct 15, 2012 at 9:40 a.m.
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I have all the Halloween episodes of Roseanne on tape... fun to watch! Also some of the Home Improvement ones! Not Scary but fun! A fun Scary movie that is more recent is Slither... great Gore scenes..
Oct 15, 2012 at 9:06 a.m.
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The Twilight Zone episode that terrified me as a kid was "The Living Doll," with Telly Savalas and his daughter's Talky Tina doll that takes a disliking to him.
Oct 13, 2012 at 6:01 p.m.
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I love Hocus Pocus and watching old episodes of the Twlight Zone
Oct 12, 2012 at 9:22 p.m.
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It'd be nice if politics wasn't brought into this, but I should know better.
Oct 12, 2012 at 6:58 p.m.
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I forgot Black Christmas, with Margot Kidder! If you consider that it was one of the first slasher-type movies and was made around the same time Ted Bundy was out slaying young women, that adds a certain extra creep factor.
Oct 12, 2012 at 6:52 p.m.
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They never show it on tv, anymore, but "Dark Night of the Scarecrow" was good. And I'll take anything with scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis!
Oct 12, 2012 at 4:59 p.m.
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Paranormal Activity...1,2,3 and probably 4!!?? nobody? fear of the unseen, fear of the dark, anything like that,scares the crap out of me! #1 of all time though is The Strangers. almost couldn't even sit through that one!
Oct 12, 2012 at 4:24 p.m.
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Do you know is scarier then all of that? Michael Vick with a dog! Roseanne Barr running for President! Now that's scary!
Oct 12, 2012 at 2:19 p.m.
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The first zombie movie I ever watched, Return of the Living Dead, is still probably my favorite. It also is the only major zombie movie that I know of where the zombies want "BRAINS". Some people give 28 Days Later credit for the "running" zombies, but they run in this one, and this was 1985! This one also has a few laughs, and a great cemetery strip-tease. Also noticed that nobody mentioned the remakes of "Night of the Living Dead" (1990) and "Dawn of the Dead" (2004). Both were better than the originals in my opinion.
Oct 12, 2012 at 2 p.m.
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That 'As Goes Janesville' movie scared me.
Oct 12, 2012 at 9:49 a.m.
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I just watched prometheus last night...Although not a horror movie by any means, there were a few key scenes that had me squirm which reminded me the first time I saw Alien as a kid in about 1980,1981...on the ol betamax. I remember watching it in the dark with my cousins...at the age of about 5 or 6...and being completely terrified...
Oct 11, 2012 at 10:23 p.m.
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frogger: "They don't need a stretcher, they need a mop."
Oct 11, 2012 at 10:22 p.m.
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"diary of the dead" (second best george romero movie - second only to the original)
"the mist" - one of the few movies based on a stephen king novella that actually worked as a scary movie (very scary and truly claustrophobic with a twilight zone style ending)
Oct 11, 2012 at 7:13 p.m.
Oct 11, 2012 at 7:03 p.m.
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Just a little trivia and you may already know. Johnny Deep was in the first Nighmare.... He is the kid that gets sucked in and spit out of the bed.
Oct 11, 2012 at 11:25 a.m.
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I still like Nightmare on Elmstreet the best. Freddie ones are still a bit corney and slow to watch. BLair witch was very stupid. Texas Chainsaw- creapy. Silence of the Lambs would be good. Yp Amittyville is good. Isn't this true story? Cannot go wrong with Shinning I- agree. don't forget Psycho's. and the Birds.
Sixth sence was very good. If you have only watched it once you need to watch again and NOTICE he wears the same shirt, Nobody actually talks to him directly. Wife was talking to him(to herself sorta). Mom of kid never talks to him directly. "Oh COLD in here". When wife eats dinner she speaks but not directly to him.
Thanksgiving is coming- my fav to watch evety year is "home for the Holidays" with Holly Hunter. It is just funny.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113321/
Oct 10, 2012 at 4:52 p.m.
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I'm not a big fan of scary films, but I can appreciate the acting, writing and the use of CG in some of the more modern films. I agree that Night of The Hunter showed the greatness of Robert Mitchum's acting. Another that depended more acting and story is The Haunting of Hill House. I also remember a film I saw on TV in my childhood that more for laughs than fright, Olson and Johnson's Ghost Catchers
Oct 10, 2012 at 3:45 p.m.
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Some old black & white movies scared me in my youth, the lack of color seemed to increase their supernatural atmosphere and suspense. Scariest movies in black & white that I can think of.. Night of the Living Dead; The Haunting; Psycho; and Night of the Hunter (with Robert Mitchum chasing terrified orphans across the countryside).
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As for color - I agree with all mentioned, but would add "Signs" - I was terrified watching Mel Gibson search for an intruder in his cornfield with a flashlight. Pity after that (and Sixth Sense) that M. Night Shyamalan's successive movies went downhill, because I think he understood that fear didn't necessarily require a chainsaw.
Oct 10, 2012 at 2:25 p.m.
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Terror Train - often forgotten.
Oct 10, 2012 at 2:04 p.m.
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2016 is supposed to be pretty scary
Oct 10, 2012 at 1:21 p.m.
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Anything with Jerry Lewis.
Oct 10, 2012 at 11:33 a.m.
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First, I am a horror fan, I enjoy a good scare. I understand the classics and what they did to bring us good stories, characters, and scares. I appreciate the oldies yet goodies, but I think you are looking for more modern horror. My favorite genre: Zombies!
But on with a good list of horror films…
So here is my 2 cents…
Here are some of my favorites:
Like you mentioned: 28 Day Later, Poltergeist, and the Exorcist are good ones. Blair Witch had me not wanting to go outdoors for a year (and for me, that is big).
Some others to consider: The Thing (Carpenter’s), Dawn of the Dead (Snyder’s), Splinter, The Mist, Silent Hill (My Wife’s favorite).
I too heard V/H/S is good and cannot wait to see it. Other films on my “to see list this Halloween”: Dying Breed, Yellowbrickroad, Martyrs. Pulse, Inland Empire, Cabin in the woods, Darkness(uncut Spanish version), Megan is Missing, Pathology, and $la$her$.
Recommend if you haven’t seen: Juan of the Dead, Deadheads, Tucker and Dale vs Evil ( any three of those if you like comedy horror like Shaun of the Dead). And pick up The Raid: Redemption (uncut) Not a horror, but AWESOME action (foregn)– and available at Hedberg public Library – in blu-ray too – go Janesville!
Before you watch any movie, please do a little research to see if it is your taste before you watch it. For example there is torture horror which I will not see, not my cup of tea. (i.e. Hostle, Tuorista, Human Centipede, etc.).
Oct 10, 2012 at 10:28 a.m.
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Salem's Lot and Nightmare on Elm Street were two that come to mind as very scary. It might be because I was home alone when I watched them. Motel Hell is my favorite cult classic type horror movie.
Oct 10, 2012 at 9:11 a.m.
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The original Amityville Horror scared the daylights out of me when I was a kid. Exorcist though did nothing for me. The Shining, the original, has a lot of scares in it and I'll be introducing my eldest son to it later this month.
I'd agree that The Crow is a great film but it truly pales in comparison to the source material. Still not really horror in the strictest sense but the graphic novel is incredibly good.
Oct 10, 2012 at 8:48 a.m.
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Cabin in the Woods is a great movie, but not really a horror movie. It is a much smarter movie than you think. Don't get me wrong, lots of jumps and screams, but not straight horror.
Oct 10, 2012 at 8:39 a.m.
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The strangers
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