As Halloween approaches, some of us may find our appetite for scary movies increasing as we get into the spirit of things, and there are some super scary movies for a Halloween movie marathon that will make for a fabulous fright night. I love scary movies and while I relish the thrill of the fright, my partner prefers to stick his fingers in his ears and hide behind the sofa. He’s nearly 30 but that’s another issue. So while I prepare my partner for a night of scary movies from which there is no escape, here are some creepy classics to watch this coming Halloween.
Of course, a list of scary movies would seem a little daft without mentioning the classic Halloween movie franchise. Directed by John Carpenter and starring a young Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut, this 1978 slasher horror classic spawned 7 sequels. After escaping from the county sanitarium where he has been institutionalized for 15 years after having killed his 15 year old sister, Michael Myers begins a reign of terror in the fictional town of Haddonfield and dons a sinister, white, expressionless mask in the process. Now celebrating its 35th anniversary, fans of the franchise can even attend the official 35th Anniversary Halloween Convention in California this coming November but before that, you could always have a Halloween movie marathon and watch all the films!
The Scream series consists of four fabulous scary movies. The first Scream movie was released in 1996 and according to boxofficemojo.com is the highest grossing slasher movie in the US. Its success is due to its mixture of humour and horror and of course, the brilliant characters. Sydney Prescott, is taunted by the mysterious Ghostface while trying to cope with the anniversary of her mother's murder. The Ghostface masks made famous by the films are often worn by trick or treaters during Halloween, as are the Michael Myer's masks.
This spooky psychological horror based on the fantastic Stephen King book (which Joey from F.R.I.E.N.D.S found so sinister he resorted to putting it in the freezer) will probably leave you cowering behind the sofa. Jack Torrence, played by Jack Nicholson, is a writer who takes the job of winter caretaker at a hotel in order to find some peace and solitude so he can concentrate on his writing. However, strange things start happening. Well, they would do in a hotel which is built on Native American burial ground!
This classic horror film starring none other than Jamie Lee Curtis' mother, Janet Leigh, was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and is a must-see for anyone interested in the horror genre. It is frequently ranked as one of the greatest films of all time and you may think twice about stopping off at a seemingly innocuous looking motel in the future after watching this film.
This film seems to divide audiences. Whilst it scared the living daylights out of me, I know others who prefer the slasher horror movies. It seems to be something of an acquired taste where horror movies are concerned as it does rely on the imagination, which can be the scariest thing of all! Based on the idea of camera footage being found after a group of teenagers go missing, part of its success was due to the fact that many thought it was actual found footage. The movie's official website featured interviews and fake police reports which added fuel to the movie-publicity fire. It is one of the most successful independent movies of all time and proof that a small budget can reap dividends.
Freddy Krueger is the sinister character who stalks teenagers in their dreams. You won't want to sleep after this film which follows the character Nancy Thompson, who is having nightmares about a badly scarred figure with razor sharp knives in the fingers of his gloved hand. Written and directed by Wes Craven of Scream fame, the horror franchise consists of nine films. As with most film franchises though, the original ones are usually the best so make sure you watch the 1984 horror classic and you'll see a young Johnny Depp looking super cute too!
There is something incredibly sinister about Japanese horror films that I think is sometimes lost in translation. Whilst the American version is great, I don’t think it is as scary as the Japanese original which actually made me hide under the duvet cover – a sign of a great horror film! In this film, the reign of terror is caused by a video tape which is said to kill the viewer seven days after watching it. Full of sinister moments, it's no wander this film is the highest grossing horror film in Japan.
So there you go guys, take the phone off the hook, ignore the doorbell (unless it’s the pizza delivery guy who you NEVER ignore) and snuggle up close on the sofa. Happy Halloween and scary movie viewing. What scary movies will you be watching this coming Halloween?