The horror! The horror!

It’s almost here, that special time when we unload mass quantities of chocolate and candy onto the next generation of trick-or-treater’s and creepy older kids who shouldn’t be doing that kind of thing. That time when dress-up as our favorite TV character, thinking that we’re so cool, but actually we just look stupid. That time when we turn out the lights and watch scary movies, then turn the lights on again, because that movie really freaked us out. Yes, Halloween is only a few days away.

If there is one thing that I love most this time of year, it’s the movies. Everyone has a favorite horror movie. Whether it be the da-dum, da-dum of Jaws or the spurting green pea soup of The Exorcist, the horror movie is a must watch on All Hallow’s Eve. I love the sit on the edge of your seat, spin tingling horror classics of days gone by. There is something about the mystery and that ever-increasing creep factor that keeps me coming back for more. Now, I’m not one for the squeamish side of horror. You can keep the blood and the chopped off body parts. Less is always more. The real art is in the things you don’t see. A squeaky door, a scream, a howl, the highs and lows of the music as you follow the protagonist running through the halls of the haunted house on the hill. These are the things that really make you scream. So in honor of Halloween here are my top 5 favorite classic horror films. Are you scared yet?

5. Silence of the Lamb’s (1991)

I’ll never think of fava beans in the same way again. Anthony Hopkins is one seriously scary serial killer (Say that 10 times fast). It might not be exactly horror, but this is one thrill ride that will give you nightmares for days.

4. Poltergeist (1982)

“Carol Anne? Carol Anne?” Oh, just thinking about this movie makes me shiver. I saw this movie when I was about 11 or 12, and I will never be the same. Scariest movie I have ever seen. Things you will learn from this movie: 1. When things go bump in the night, get the hell out of there! 2. Don’t sit too close to the TV.

I will never sit too close to the TV.

3. The Birds (1963)

After all these years, this is still one of my favorite movies. While I never found The Birds particularly scary, there is one scene that can always make me fast forward. As the attacks on the shore town grow, the towns people gather at the diner.

Mrs. Bundy: “I have never known birds of different species to flock together. The very concept is unimaginable. Why, if that happened, we wouldn’t stand a chance! How could we possibly hope to fight them?”

2. Psycho (1960)

Do you really need an explanation here? Alfred Hitchcock. Genius. Classic. Amazing. With nothing more than a Anthony Perkins portrayal of a psychotic son, a hotel, and a major twist, Psycho began the classic horror genre. “A boy’s best friend is his mother.”

1. The Haunting (1963)

“I don’t stay after I set out the dinner, not after it begins to get dark. I leave before the dark. So there won’t be anyone around if you need help. We couldn’t hear you. In the night. No one could. No one lives any nearer than town. No one will come any nearer than that. In the night. In the dark.”

When the credits began to roll the first time I saw The Haunting, the music began to play, then I shut the TV off. This is the grand champion of scary movies. Without any special effects or advanced trickery, this movie will give you nightmares. With a BUMP!, a swish of wind, a KNOCK!, The Haunting does everything a horror movie is supposed to. After the movie, you jump every time you think you hear a noise. You turn the lights on every time you see a shadow. It’s just that good.

What are your favorite scary movies? Are they classics or modern horror films? Tell me in the comments!

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