In the spirit of Halloween, I've decided to compile a list of ten horror movies that have made an impression on my life, inspired, or just downright scared the hell out of me!
10. The Shining (1980
Every horror movie list needs to have a movie that messes with your mind: the psychological horror movie. This movie made me a little weary of hotel hallways...and Jack Nicholson.
Favorite Scene: The chilly climactic chase scene in the jarring maze. *Shivers*
9. Jaws (1975)
A movie that taps into the most universal fear: the unknown. The direction, acting, atmosphere, and pace of the film is spot-on and adds a splash, no pun intended, of action to horror.
Favorite Scene: The terrifying opening sequence.
8. The Fog (1980)
Weather-inspired horror has never been so f-ing scary. John Carpenter has a knack for creating killer atmosphere and telling a good ghost story.
Favorite Scene: The tapping on the back window. Creepy.
7. Christine (1983)
Possession doesn't just need to occur with people. This frightening flick is a big guilty pleasure of mine. It doesn't need a knife-wielding psychopath, it just needs a car. How simple is that? The hokey premise plays out so realistically, you can taste it.
Favorite Scene: The drive-in scene. Nothing is more terrifying than 50's pop music. Yikes!
6. Psycho (1960)
The grand-daddy of slasher movies and Hitchcock's masterpiece. Black and white cinema may sound boring to today's mainstream audience, but rent this classic and you won't be bored, or want to take a shower.
Favorite Scene: The shower scene, of course. So well made.
5. The Exorcist (1973)
This movie isn't just scary, it's religious. Eek! The whole film is unsettling and subliminal. It takes awhile for things to register, and when it does, God help you.
Favorite Scene: The finale - you just can't top it.
4. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Camping out in a forbidden woods seems like a cautionary tale - ahem, it is. The key phrase here is: less is more. Movies today need to rely on atmosphere because I believe, is what sold this movie.
Favorite Scene: The attack on the tent.
3. Scream (1996)
Mixing fun and thrills is the recipe for a great old school scary movie. This was my first horror movie I can remember that holds a place in my heart and still has me on the edge of my seat everytime I watch it.
Favorite Scene: Drew Barrymore's telephone call.
2. The Ring (2002)
This is the reason why VHS tapes no longer exist. Solid performances and a mystifying story really sold this movie and should be considered a classic.
Favorite Scene: When Naomi Watts discovers her son watching the tape.
1. Halloween (1978)
Being simple, practical, inexpensive, and creepy never hurt anyone. Simplicity and atmosphere, in my opinion, make horror movies ten times more effective than in-your-face horror. I don't care to see blood and guts, I want to be downright scared. Sure splatter films are fun, but they aren't scary. Watch this one with all the lights off, the volume turned up, and more appropriately, on Halloween.
Favorite Scene: The discovery of the dead friends by Jamie Lee Curtis, with Michael Myers lurking in the background.
Honorable Mentions: A Nightmare on Elm Street, Night of the Living Dead, I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Hills Have Eyes, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, & Friday the 13th.
