Ten of My Favourite Horror Movies for Halloween
Introduction
With it being Halloween today I thought I might share some of my favourite horror movies.
These are mostly old movies which you should be able to watch on your favourite streaming service and also in many cases on just regular TV.
I have previously posted about how I love the artistry of old movie posters. In each case I have posted the appropriate movie poster (often there is more than one and I have picked my favourite in those cases).
I have tried hard to limit the spoilers to things which will not ruin your enjoyment of the films.
I have also put a Wikipedia link at the bottom of the description of each movie.
DO NOT read the wikipedia article if you want to avoid spoilers.
The Exorcist (1973 - Dir. William Friedkin)
I don't think this is the most frightening movie ever made but it is a masterful example of the horror movie making art.
This is such a powerful influence on the genre that I suspect I probably don't even really need to outline the plot.
For the sake of being a completionist I will say that it is about a girl who seems to be suffering from what may be demonic possession or a psychiatric illness.
Two priests are called in to help - one who is older and has experience of a demonic possession before and one who is younger, more scientifically minded and having issues with his "faith".
If I say too many more details I fear I might spoil it so I will move on to some of the more abstract issues which relate to the movie.
The real power of the movie comes from the contrast between periods of quiet calm and outright loud, jarring mayhem.
These create large tonal contrasts which help to build and release tension. Friedkin produces a textbook example of how to use this to maximal effect.
Aside from one or two scenes it is also not 100% clear cut whether this is a supernatural issue or a psychiatric one. I think the movie would have been even better if these scenes had been removed to actually make the ambiguity greater.
I won't spoil it by explicitly stating what they are. The movie is still brilliant and I would recommend any horror movie fan watches it.
The Thing (1982 - Dir. John Carpenter)
A group of scientists on an antarctic research station encounter an ancient alien life-form that has some interesting abilities.
Note this has a lot of good old 1980s style latex gore. If you can't handle that then you might want to avoid this.
This is pure 80s class with a bearded Kurt Russell, big hair (and beards) plus the kind of amazing synth soundtrack that John Carpenter movies are famous for.
In this case the music is not one of Carpenter's own creations but is the work of the legendary Ennio Morricone. Even if you have not seen this film you will recognise the chilling base synthline.
This is a cold war movie. Horror movies (and scifi) often satirise and explore contemporary issues in a covert way. This movie is all about 1980s cold war paranoia, McCarthyism and the impending fear of communist infiltration.
Source for this Still Image from "The Thing"
Who is friend and who is foe? That seems to be the central underlying theme to the whole movie.
There is also a very apocalyptic feel, particularly towards the end. It also has a very dark comedic element interspersed throughout it - another 1980s hallmark.
The Omen (1976 - Dir. Richard Donner)
Beware of little boys wearing suits! They are evil I tell you!
The US ambassador to the UK has a cute adorable son - who also may or may not be the son of Satan.
This movie can be seen as either a purely supernatural thriller or the descent of a man into psychosis with religious overtones.
Are we actually seeeing objective events or the subjective interpretation of the father who may be descending into paranoid schizophrenia?
I think in some ways the second interpretation is just as frightening.
This was (in my opinion) a precursor to the Final Destination movies.
The way that people die in what seems like an elaborate version of the kids game "Mousetrap" seems to have been a strong influence on those later movies.
There were a number of sequels to this movie but none captured the dark, desperate and tense feel of the original.
I won't spoil the movie but I would suggest to look out for the Etruscan graveyard scene - it is truly frightening and thrilling in a primal sort of way.
I should also remark on the famous and outstanding soundtrack for which Jerry Goldsmith won an Oscar. His version of a black mass, the signature tune, "Ave Satani" is spine chillingly powerful!
People often confuse it with "O Fortuna" by Carl Orff which should tell you about the superb quality of this piece.
Ju-On (The Grudge: Japanese Version 2002 - Dir. Takashi Shimizu)
Sometimes a horrific event can leave a spiritual stain on a location.
This story is based on the Japanese concept of vengeful ghosts.
It is a series of vignettes involving different people who come to be associated with a very troubled house.
Like most Japanese horror films this is about atmosphere, tone and good old fashioned creepiness.
There is no gore and only very minor violence. As is often the case that actually makes the movie even more powerful.
If I say any more I might spoil it. Just trust me and watch it.
One of the creepiest horror movies of all time.
Alien (1979 - Dir. Ridley Scott)
This is an early Ridley Scott film and unlike James Cameron's (action based and equally good follow up) Aliens this is straight out horror.
It has been described as a haunted house movie in space and with good reason. The "Alien" is a good proxy for the monster from so many old movies.
This movie can still shock you over 30 years later. The John Hurt scene still has me traumatised whenever someone chokes whilst they are eating.
Like many of Scott's early movies this is a visual masterpiece from start to finish.
Of particular note are H R Giger's amazing alien creations which have both disgusting and pseudo-erotic psychological undertones that make them all the more disturbing for the combination(see image above).
This is not a movie for the faint hearted!
Ringu (the Ring - Japanese Version, 1998 - Dir. Hideo Nakata)
This is the movie that really sold me on J-Horror which is short for Japanese horror (in case you were wondering).
I remember going to my local Blockbuster Video (remember those) in around the year 2000. This was just as they had gotten rid of most of their VHS tapes and replaced them with DVDs but there were still a few tapes on display.
They had one of those video store trailers for "Ringu/The Ring" playing and I was fascinated. Ironically they only had it on VHS!
The basic plot is as follows. A female reporter finds out about a number of bizarre deaths involving local schoolchildren. There is an urban legend going around the local school that if you watch a particular VHS tape - or copies of it, then you will be cursed and die within a week.
It seems all the children who died watched the tape. The reporter watches the tape and immediately receives a mysterious phone call where the voice tells her "Seven Days".
It is then a race against time for her to solve the mystery lest she become another victim.
Not only does the idea of a cursed VHS tape sound fantastically anachronistic and quaint today but it also makes for a great horror movie. Don't watch the American version - watch the orginal Japanese version for the full impact.
Never before has a lady combing her hair been so terrifying!
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976 - Dir. John Carpenter)
From the moment the John Carpenter synth soundtrack starts you know you are in for a treat.
The town the movie is set in has a big problem with gang violence and the local police station is shutting down.
That may not sound like a horror movie but if you watch it you will see that this is more similar to a zombie movie than an action movie.
A mixture of police officers, criminals and civilians must work together to survive a terrifying night in the old police station as they suffer a terrifying onslaught of never ending gang members.
The gang members seem to have supernatural resilience and a complete disregard for their own lives.
You will be on the edge of your seat right up until the end.
The Shining (1980 - Dir. Stanley Kubrick)
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. "
This comes from one of my film making heroes (Stanley Kubrick) and one of my novel writing hereoes (Stephen King).
The original novel was inspired by actual experiences that King had when staying at the Stanley Hotel in Colorado. There are also (according to conspiracy theorists) various hidden meanings embedded by Kubrick in the movie which I personally believe are absolute BS but are discussed in the 2013 documentary "Room 237" by Rodney Ascher.
This is an amazing horror movie. It could be seen as being purely supernatural or a man's descent into alcoholism and psychotic illness. It works either way.
Apparently King was not happy with the changes that Kubrick made to the storyline of the novel - the thing is both the novel and the movie are masterpieces and stand perfectly on their own.
The stories are different but I think they are equally potent.
Jack Nicholson's central performance really helps to make this movie.
Nicholson plays a struggling writer who takes on a job to become the winter caretaker for a Colorado hotel in the mountains that shuts down over the holiday season. His wife and son (who may have psychic abilites) come with him - which was probably not a good idea to say the least.
There are hints that the marriage has been marred by his drinking and there are also undertones of domestic violence.
The movie is all about isolation and alienation - common themes in horror.
Like most really great horror movies this does not try to shock you with gore. This film is all about tension, tone and psychological manipulation of the viewer.
Is the hotel haunted or is Nicholson's character having a mental breakdown induced by his dependence on alcohol? Perhaps it is a mixture of the two.
I don't want to spoil the movie just watch it and decide for yourself.
Dawn of the Dead (1978 - Dir. George A. Romero - make sure to get the fully restored 2003 Director's Cut Release)
This is George Romero's Zombie masterpiece. None of the other movies even come close.
In the event of a Zombie apocalypse what would you do?
I know that I would stake out a shopping mall and having watched this movie I would know exactly WHAT mistakes NOT TO MAKE.
There is no CGI here only Tom Savini's practical effects.
Some of them might seem a bit ropey by modern standards - this movie probably suffers a little from the clarity of modern digital formats like Blu-ray but if you can put aside that aspect of it this movie is a real treat.
I still prefer real latex to CGI latex - no matter how badly done it still looks more realistic than computer effects for me.
Like many great horror movies this one is filled with metaphor. The original movie "Night of the Living Dead" was about racism and civil rights.
This movie is (in my opinion) an analysis of consumerism and materialism.
I won't say any more - please just watch it.
Halloween (1978 - Dir. John Carpenter)
I couldn't do a Halloween movie post without mentioning the eponymous Halloween movie.
Forget the Rob Zombie remakes. This is the original 1970s John Carpenter movie with the expectedly brilliant 70s synthesiser theme tune that accompanies all his great films.
The plot is pretty simple. A psychiatric patient that murdered his sister a decade earlier escapes from a psychiatric hospital on Halloween and goes on his own version of "trick or treating" where he pursues a very young Jamie Lee Curtis and her friends.
This is one of the great early slasher movies from the 1970s. You would never think that a Captain Kirk mask could be so frightening.
It also started the meme of the invincible villain - along with his equally invincible psychiatrist - are they actually working together?
I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil it.
Conclusion
This is by no means an exhaustive list. I love horror movies and there are a lot I have left out.
If people like this and are interested I might make some more similar posts to fill in some of the gaps. Feel free to put your own suggestions in the comments section.
I have also deliberately been vague so as not to spoil the movies for those who have not seen them before. I hope I have succeeded in that regard.
Finally it is very rare to find good modern horror movies these days and I have often looked for good places to pick out those odd hidden gems which are still being made. I have yet to find somewhere that concurs with my own personal tastes.
Perhaps you have some suggestions of sites that help to filter the proverbial wheat from the chaff?
I may eventually have to start doing my own reviews of new movies to make up for this.
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How could you possibly leave the best one out?
I totally forgot about Audition!
What a great list you made up for us and the article itself, bang on! Maybe you could add up some other old classics such as "The Changeling", "Creep Show", "The Serpent and the Rainbow", and "An American Werewolf in London"?!? Thanks a bunch. Namaste :)
Good choices:)
Excellent post and agree with all your choices as I would pick the same. I can see a lot of thought has gone into your article and with some grear great photos
Thanks:)
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Great list, I would add "The Crow", my favorite, and "Miriam wakes up at Midnight" (not sure about the exact english title for the last one).
I haven't heard about the second one at all? Which country is it from - I will see if I can find it?
I checked for the original english title (the italian titlle is totally different) and it is "The Hunger" 1983 :)
Oh I think I may have seen it. Is it about Vampires with Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie?
Excellent choices. I'll have to catch up with these.
Thanks. I would definitely recommend them and I deliberately chose films which are old enough that you can easily catch them on TV or streaming.
Great list @thecryptofiend, but i 'll add another one: The Red House by Stephen King is a great film too! (;
I haven't seen that one. Is it recent?
No, i think that it was made in 2001, and the original title is "Rose Red", not "Red House". (;
OK I will see if I can find it.
Impeccable list! The stuff our nightmares are made on.
Thank you:)
Fantastic post!
Thank you:)
A man with great taste in his movies! :)
Thank you. It was really hard to just go with ten. I love horror movies!