JagBytes

Issue date: 10/31/07 Section: Entertainment

Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger and Ken Kirzinger as Jason in "Freddy Vs. Jason," and the cast of 2003's. Photos courtesy of www.allmoviephotos.com

"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."

"Halloween" (1978)

Janet Leigh in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho,"

Max Von Sydow in Warner Brothers' "The Exorcist,"

It's that time of year again - the leaves are falling and the weather turns a bit cooler. What better time than Halloween night to cuddle up with that special someone and put on a movie that will scare the living daylights out of the both of you. Here are ten scary movies sure to chill your blood.



1. "Halloween" (1978) - This movie marks the start of the "slasher" genre. The original film in the series introduces audiences to Michael Myers, a troubled adolescent who stabs his sister to death on Halloween night and returns years later to wreak havoc on Haddonfield, Ill. This film is a classic, packed with suspense and shock. You never know who or what is lurking around the corner.



2. "Friday the 13th" (1980) - This film kicked off a long-running series of somewhat horrible sequels that will never live up to the original. The death scenes are filled with enough gore and realism one can't help but cringe at every slaying. People should return to this classic to get the full effect and story line behind the films that followed.



3. "Saw" (2004) - While this movie may be relatively new, it still packs an original storyline and plenty of terror. Jigsaw, the villain, captures his victims and puts them in situations where they have to figure out how to avoid being brutally killed. The storyline revolves around two men in a bathroom chained to a pipe. As the story unfolds, many questions from the beginning are answered to perfection. Plenty of gore and suspense make this a perfect choice for Halloween night.



4. "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (2003) - This remake is one of the few that is superior to the original. The relatively new storyline is more interesting and makes the plot more modern. Leatherface takes on a whole new persona rather than being a deranged psycho in the original.



5. "Scream" (1996) - Throughout the '90s, horror movies seemed dull and uninteresting. Wes Craven went back to the basics of classic slasher films and put together a recent masterpiece in "Scream." The phone calls are creepy throughout the movie, and when the killers are identified, everything comes together. Plus, it doesn't hurt that there are graphic death scenes and heightened suspense to add to a good plot and a great ending.



6. "The Shining" (1980) - Put a small family in a large hotel for months and you're sure to have one of them go completely insane. After selling his soul just for a drink, Jack Torrance goes completely insane and tries to kill his family. While this movie is long, it is the one of the first horror epics that keep viewers hooked throughout.



7. "Psycho" (1960) - Norman Bates comes across as an average man who runs a small motel off the side of the interstate. Little does the audience know that his controlling mother is just a bit too controlling. The famous shower scene where Marion Crane gets stabbed to death is both shocking and gruesome. A remake was made in 1998, but it just doesn't live up to this original Hitchcock classic.



8. "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984) - Whoever thought sleep was a time for peace was wrong when it comes to this horror classic. Freddy Krueger makes his debut in this slasher by killing people in their dreams after his death a few years earlier. Like "Friday the 13th," this movie spawned a bunch of sequels that may never live up to the original.



9. "The Exorcist" (1973) - When a little girl is suddenly possessed by Satan, she goes on to brutal self-mutilation that brings her mother on a rocky road to self-destruction. While there is not a lot of death and murder in this movie, the whole plot and certain scenes with will make any viewer cringe or break into tears. A true classic.



10. "Freddy vs. Jason" (2003) - This movie pits two iconic mass murderers against each other. The movie fits perfectly with a lot of gruesome deaths and a large amount of gore. The story is done well along with all the added extras that horror movie viewers actually want to see. The best part is going through the whole experience just to find out who wins the finale at the end.



These ten scary movies are highly recommended by horror buffs. Though only ten are named here, there are plenty other worthy films that deserve an honorable mention. These films include "Black Christmas," "The Omen," "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Child's Play" and "Valentine."



Contact Trent Dilts at tdilts@iupui.edu.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools