I’m a big fan of Halloween and by extension I’m a fan of scary movies.
Here are some of my favorite horror flicks throughout the years:
Halloween (1978)
I couldn’t make a top five list without including the classic: this movie defined the modern slasher genre–before Jason there was Michael Myers. Jamie Lee Curtis showcases her scream queen genes as she gets chased by the silent masked psycho killer with a knife. The most memorable thing about this movie is the eerie score. Like The Joker’s theme in The Dark Knight, it only takes a few uneasy notes to know something bad is lurking around the corner.
The Strangers (2008)
Liv Tyler is amazing in this. A simple setting, minimal effects, and pure horror. What makes The Strangers so scary is its realism. A couple is stalked in a middle-of-nowhere house by a “family” of masked crazies. The creepiest part is when the “dad” walks into the room and Liv Tyler’s character is not aware of his presence, while the movie theater audience screams in terror.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
I can look back on this movie and laugh at how campy it is but as an 80′s child it was so scary! I think Wes Craven’s goal was to make kids afraid of falling asleep (great job, by the way). A charismatic Robert Englund plays the iconic Freddy Krueger who stalks children in their sleep, wears the trademark red-and-green sweater, hat, burnt face and knives for fingers. What ‘Nightmare’ did for slasher movies was make killers more talkative. It didn’t take away from the suspense; it in fact added some scares. It’s also pretty cool that this is Johnny Depp’s first role, and he has a very memorable death scene (if that was a spoiler to you, then one, two, Freddy’s coming for you . . . ). The 2010 reboot doesn’t live up to the original but both have very twisted, scary (and cool) endings.
Insidious (2010)
This movie messed me up for weeks. I watched it without any knowledge of the story or any recollection of its trailers, which I have found to be a good way to watch movies nowadays. Let me say that this movie made me afraid to be home alone–in broad daylight. A small, but wonderful cast (lead by Rose Byrne of X-Men: First Class and Bridesmaids), creepy, creepy images and scares that come so unexpected it will bring out the scream queen in you. Horrifically terrific ending and best scary movie song to date (Tiny Tim singing “Tiptoe Through the Tulips”). What I like so much about Insidious is that it uses creepy atmosphere and cinematic slight-of-hand to scare you instead of excessive effects or gore (it’s PG-13). If you have the guts, don’t watch clips of the movie, watch it all the way through–in a dark room, with good company, and surround sound preferably. Just make sure to use the bathroom first.
Scream 2 (1997)
Scream is more of a slasher/whodunit/suspense/thriller, and I am a huge fan of the series because they are so much fun to watch. Scream 2 is my favorite not only because it was the most anticipated entry in the series but because I think it has the best elements of what makes a Scream movie good: witty 90′s dialogue courtesy of Kevin Williamson, huge ensemble cast of colorful characters (including everyone’s favorite: Randy the film geek), among plenty of red herrings. The girl on the phone with Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character “Cici” at the Omega Beta Zeta house is actually Selma Blair. I even think Portia De Rossi and Rebecca Gayheart were underutilized, though there were a lot of characters to balance. As for the scares, there are plenty–Scream 2 had more cat-and-mouse chase and suspenseful anticipation than the original. I really like the whole “attack on college campus” and the fact that there were several survivors at the end of the film–instead of just killing everybody off.
Gather some friends, put in a scary movie, turn off the lights, and have a scream.
