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| moviepilot.com |
Happy Halloween, folks! It’s that wonderful time of year again where we all get together and purposefully scare the crap out of each other as much as possible! While we love our dressing up (not as clowns, though), one of the main staples of the holiday season is horror movies, something I’ve talked about once or twice. I’m not a big fan of horror movies, but there are plenty that have really affected me over the years, so I thought I’d share them with you all in the spirit of the season. Let’s dive right in!
Editor’s Note: Not being a huge fan of horror, I haven’t seen a lot of the classics or more famous films. This is just a list made out of what I have seen. If you have any suggestions please leave them in the comments below!
5. The Thing (1982)
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| weirdfictionreview.com |
Directed by: John Carpenter Who’s in it: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David
Why it’s scary: Paranoia and sci-fi horror like you can’t even believe!
While most people prefer Ridley Scott’s Alien as their favorite sci-fi horror movie, I feel like that film (great as it is), still pales in comparison to this masterwork. Taking place at an Antarctic research station where something caused the previous crew to die, Kurt Russell’s R.J. MacReady begins to suspect that something is stalking them, and that it could be anything or anyone. The titular monster is a unique and frightening creature, able to mimic the appearance of anything it kills, leading to one of the most intense scenes I’ve ever witnessed where MacReady locks the remaining crew in a room and tests them all one by one to find the monster. Very few people can put you into a world like John Carpenter, and his cinematic expertise lends to a big sense of claustrophobia and terror as we begin to try and figure out just who the monster could be, and this combined with some outstanding gore effects makes this something that you can't miss!
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GET IT TOGETHER, KURT!
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4. You’re Next (2011)
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| lionsgate.com |
Directed by: Adam Wingard Who’s in it: Sharni Vinson, A.J. Bowen, Joe Swanberg
Why it’s scary: Combines subtle meta humor and true thrills better than Scream.
It takes a lot to make a good horror movie and it takes a lot to make a good comedy, but it takes true genius to make a good horror comedy. The director-writer duo of Adam Wingard and Simon Barret burst onto the scene with this surprisingly refreshing take on the horror genre, taking place over the course of one night as a family is targeted by three masked intruders. Unlike a similar film from that year, Cabin in the Woods, which was goofy and over-the-top, You’re Next is much more subtle with its humor. Jokes are hidden behind serious line deliveries and classic home invasion tropes, while Wingard manages to make the horror elements actually scary. Sharni Vinson’s supposedly unassuming character has a secret of her own that shows her to be a complete badass, but You’re Next doesn’t hand her an easy victory, with the three antagonists proving to be worthy foes for her. There isn’t a film I’ve seen that combines smart humor, genuine terror, and crowd-pleasing “Hell yes!” moments quite like this, and it’s definitely something that should be in your Halloween film collection.
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| Just ignore that unfortunate remake they did this year... |
3. It Follows (2015)
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| imdb.com |
Directed by: David Robert Mitchell Who’s in it: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist
Why it’s scary: True filmmaking plus 80’s horror sensibilities equals creepiness
The most recent entry is still one of the most impressive pieces of horror filmmaking since the turn of the millennium, providing an effective 80’s throwback that creates genuine frights and a wonderful experience. The premise is simple: a young, blonde teenage girl named Jay has sex with her new boyfriend, only for him to tie her up and explain to her that he has passed on an STD-like entity to her, which will pursue her without ceasing until she either dies or passes it on to someone else. While the film aims for more of a creepy vibe than an out-and-out gorefest, it plays on the primal fear that someone is always following us and wants to kill us, providing a nice break from the crapfest that is Jason Blum’s entire catalogue. Rather than relying on cheap scares, Mitchell chose to reflect the absolute best of 80’s horror, primarily taking from the works of John Carpenter with an 80’s synth score, wide open shots and a growing sense of dread that threatens to overwhelm the viewer. While the kids aren’t as stupid as those in many 80’s slashers, the creature itself proves a worthy foe and a horrifying staple in the horror pantheon once you see what it really can do. This is not just a great horror film, it’s a great film period.
2. The Exorcist (1973)
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| wikipedia.org |
Directed by: William Friedkin Who’s in it: Max Von Sydow, Ellen Bursten
Why it’s scary: Regan is the scariest possessed kid in the business, guys.
Universally regarded as one of the best horror movies of all time, The Exorcist doesn’t actually become horror until around the second half, giving the characters time to develop and grow so that we care about what happens to them. Despite these more dramatic elements, William Friedkin certainly doesn’t skimp on the horror, with the creepiest kid on the planet Regan providing some of the most shocking horror imagery I’ve ever seen (I’ll never look at a crucifix the same way again). Some elements like whether or not Regan is actually possessed and the conflict of faith that Father Damien is facing supplement the horror, giving the audience more to chew on before the man of the hour, Max Von Sydow’s Father Merrin, steps out into the lamplight to do battle with the demonic presence inside. And what an event that is, with Regan becoming more and more dangerous and the terror ramping up with every passing second, leading up to a powerful conclusion that would never be topped in other exorcism films, let alone horror movies in general.
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Yeah, you can't tell me you weren't thinking this during that scene.
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1. Halloween (1978)
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| crypticrock.com |
Directed by: John Carpenter Who’s in it: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasance
Why it’s scary: It’s just really damn scary, guys.
Before all the sequels, before the dumb horror movie curse, and before Busta Rhymes, Michael Myers was the most terrifying face in horror. While not technically the first slasher villain (that honor goes to Leatherface), Michael Myers definitely plays on every fear we have about serial killers: he’s big, he’s smart, and he really, really hates Jamie Lee Curtis. His shrink, Dr. Loomis, defines him simply as the ultimate sort of evil, and from the opening point-of-view shot of the young Michael murdering his sister to the chilling “where’d he go?” ending, he never stops being frightening. While many prefer the more supernatural killers like post-Friday the 13th VI Jason Voorhees or Freddy Krueger, the original Michael Myers scared us all because he was a real man who could be hurt, but that was still a mystery to us. Where did this anger come from? Why is he so obsessed with his sister? What exactly is he capable of? John Carpenter’s name has popped up on this list a lot, and Halloween proves his unchallenged mastery of the genre, giving us nicely developed young characters, wonderful cinematography that can hide Michael if you’re not paying attention, and contains the single most horrifying shot I’ve ever seen in my life. Yes, Michael Myers and Halloween are a joke now, but the original film still sends chills down my spine when I think about it, and it more than deserves the number one spot on any horror list.
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PUT DOWN THE ACTIVIA AND RUN, DAMN IT!
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Tonight I’m treating myself to The Babadook, and with a year like we’ve had now (The Witch, Don’t Breathe) I think that horror could be going through a renaissance that could bring back the glory days of the 70’s and 80’s, and I’m very excited at that prospect. Let’s hope that the next Halloween or The Exorcist is right around the corner! Everyone have a great Halloween and be safe! Watch out for clowns!
Hey guys, if you like this article please leave a comment or share this post so we can get the word out there! If you have any questions or comments you can find me at:
Twitter: @PresidentGlover
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