The 31st has rolled around again and it's my favorite time of year. So, without further ado, I present 10 of my favorite scary movies for your Halloween pleasure (in no particular order).
1. 28 Days Later - the first zombie film to convert me to zombie fandom. Tired of slow, boring zombies? Well, suffer no more! The undead in 28 Days Later are hyper speed and completely insane!! This is why I wake up every morning, praying for zombie apocolypse.
2. Dead Alive - directed by Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame. This movie was made before he was as well known as he is now, and still making quality horror. If possible, get the unrated version. Looking for gore galore? Well, this film has it in endulgent excess with a healthy dose of humor poured in. If you strike out and get the rated version, you're missing the animated intestines.
3. Rosemary's Baby - sure, it's a little tame compared to today's standards; there's no gore and little violence. However, it's a classic, creepy tale that any pregnant woman would shudder at. Even if you're not PG, it's a well-made thriller.
4. Evil Dead - no horror movie list is complete without this title. If you see such a list, it wasn't written by a true horror fanatic. Sure it's campy and low budget and it's basically a one-man Bruce Campbell show, but it's funny as hell.
5. Tale of Two Sisters - this is a Korean film, so be prepared for subtitles. The camera angles are really what make the movie frightening. The first time I viewed this one, I was paralyzed until it ended. Very, very terrifying!!
6. The Eye - another subtitled movie, this time from China. It's about a blind woman who gets an eye transplant and can see the dead. Mostly psychological scares, but very eerie.
7. The Shining - from one of the best directors in history; Stanley Kubric. Need I say more? It also has little to do with the author of the book by the same name. For some reason, it's the weird bear costume scene that scares me the most.
8. Halloween - the first one. Legendary to be sure. I cannot vouch for the rest of the series, but the initial film is solid.
9. Night of the Living Dead - another classic. The entire movie is filmed in black and white and it's of the slow zombie variety, but a good foundation in horror films starts with this one.
10. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (original version) - This movie is hands down, the most terrifying movie I have ever seen. Seriously scared the crap out of me! If you've ever driven through the rural parts of Texas, or any other small town roadside stop, you might know that fear. The really frightening thing about this film is that, in most horror films, the woman runs outside in her neglige and high heeled slippers to check out strange noises. In TCM, the lead character does everything I would have done and still finds herself in a nightmare.
**Bonus Pick** High Tension - a French horror film. Yes, there ar subtitles, but not many at all. The movie is mostly action and - indeed - tension. See it, see it, see it. High Tension knocked Fight Club out of it's number one status as my favorite movie of all time. It's since been replaced by Grindhouse, but that's another review for another time.
I hope you enjoy my Halloween suggestions and have yourself a ghoulish holiday!
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