Recently, on The Twitter (as this octagonarian likes to call it), The Emily (as this octogenarian likes to call her) was asking around for SCARY movie suggestions because it is getting to be that time of year again. You know. OCTOBER.
I guess October is a pretty good month for watching horror movies. Why is this, I wonder? Please note: that’s a joke. I thought I should clarify because some people still occassionally ask me if I was really serious when I publicly declared Salinger listened to Lady Gaga a lot when he wrote Catcher in the Rye, which he totally did, but anyway.
I love watching horror movies year round, but I must admit THE NEED gets greater when the weather starts to change. I inevitably find myself buying scary movies recklessly and feeling no buyer’s remorse later even though I really should (my last purchase was Voices about uhm, an hour ago and I hope it is good).
Anyway, I threw some suggestions Emily’s way and then I shook my fist at her because I decided I wanted to write a blog post about the horror movies I think people need to watch in October or really any month and here we are! This said, does anyone have any absolute horror (or horrorish) movies they think MUST be watched in the upcoming grand month that is October? PLEASE put them in the comments! I want to hear them! Unless they are torture pr0n (ie Saw et al), in which case forget it. I really do not like torture pr0n at all.
Here are mine, in no particular order:
This was my first J-horror! So It has a very special place in my heart. It’s about people who get a phone call from themselves in the future at the moment of their death. And involves a vengeful spirit. This movie really creeped me out. It took me over a month to finish it for some reason. Probably because it really creeped me out! The hospital scene is terrifying and I remember feeling like I could not trust one corner of the screen. And I was right! Avoid the remake.
I think this was my second J-horror? It’s about a haunted house full of vengeful spirits (I love vengeful spirits!) and an inescapable curse, told in a compelling, non-linear fashion. This movie scares me every single time I watch it and I watch it a lot. The first five times I watched it, I kept noticing things I hadn’t upon initial viewing. Scary things! Either I am really unobservant (possibly) or this movie is a work of SUBTLE GENIUS (definitely). I love it. Very high on my scary list. Avoid the remake.
The first time I saw Shutter, I watched it with one hand over my eyes and one hand over my mouth. It’s about a photographer, his girlfriend and a REALLY SCARY VENGEFUL SPIRIT that turns up in his photos but whatever, that’s what you get when you shoot with a Canon (Nikon: Ghost Free Since 1917). I still watch it through my fingers. The scene in the hotel room is the bestest thing ever and there is one moment that gets me every time, provided I have the nerve to watch it. This is also very, very high on my personal scary list. As always, avoid the remake. Even if it DOES star Pacey Witter. Trust me.
It’s my personal belief that The Changeling is one of the best and scariest–if not thebest and scariest–ghost stories out there. The seance scene is a work of art. Also: GEORGE C. MOTHERFN SCOTT is in it. I am not going to say anymore than that. Except 95% of my viewings of this movie take place in the day because watching it at night is sometimes more than I can bear. Also: creepiest ghost voice ever. Seriously, if you watch any movie on this list, MAKE IT THIS ONE. THIS ONE I TELL YOU.
My copy is called Horror Hotel. Okay, this movie is not scary per se, but it’s WONDERFUL! It’s about a college student who is writing a paper on witches and she goes to this old witch town and there are witches there and BAM! WITCHES! I tend to think of these movies as like, feel good horror. You watch them with a big bowl of popcorn and a comfy blanket wrapped around your shoulders and enjoy.
I love this movie with my whole heart. I can’t stop buying new editions of it every time they come out. It is about a psychokiller who kills a group of sorority girls on Christmas Eve, but it is also so much more than that. I think Black Christmas is pretty unnerving and the ending is PERFECT and I first saw it when I was like, thirteen and what a great memory of my youth! Also, the tagline is: IF THIS MOVIE DOESN’T MAKE YOUR SKIN CRAWL, IT’S ON TOO TIGHT! Where can you go wrong? Exactly. You can’t. Also: AVOID. The remake.
What a great, great, great perfectly low-budget Irish zombie movie. When I first saw it, it vaguely put me in mind of Night in the Living Dead. It veers more into campy territory, but the production values are similar and I guess that over-riding feeling of isolation and trying to make it work is too. Now, this is not a direct comparison–nothingbeats Night of the Living Dead!–but I found Dead Meat pretty dang satisfying for a (kinda) zombie movie. Objectively, I am not sure it’s good, but personally, I liked it a whole lot.
I don’t think there will ever be a zombie movie that is better than this one. I saw Night of the Living Dead in my early teens and I wanted to curl up in a ball and give up on everything, it bothered me so much. I felt like I had survived something but there was no point; it was so grim and senseless and exhausting. Those quickly became the same reasons I would love the movie and turn into a big zombie fanatic. The sheer poetry of survival! It’s all here in this movie, which is always brilliant and always scary. And because it fell into the public domain, you can watch it here.
The opening of this movie is basically a good argument for why PETA will cause the end of the world. It’s about a rage virus that turns you into like, a rage zombie in less than a minute (again, entirely thanks to a PETA (like) organization tsk tsk). And a guy that wakes up from a coma 28 days after it has spread all over England. 28 Days Later is so fantastic and bleak and hopeful and TENSE. This movie gave me a stomachache the first time I watched it, I found the idea so distressing. And I dreaded every scene that took place at night. Aaah, dread. Delicious dread.
This is a zombie comedy starring BILLY ZANE. It is hysterical and campy and fabulous. BILLY ZANE (his name should always be capitalized just because) plays this former rocker turned uptight doctor, who is on a road trip with his new girlfriend, angry daughter and his angry daughter’s idiotic boyfriend. When they make a stop in a small town… ZOMBIES abound! And absolute hystericalness. Hystericalness that involves a raw beef patty that attacks people. Yes, A RAW BEEF PATTY THAT ATTACKS PEOPE (see above).
I judge people who don’t like this movie now that it’s all cool not to like. I judge them HARSHLY. Because The Blair Witch Project is amazing, dammit. AMAZING, DAMMIT. I love the way it exploded onto the scene and I love that it holds up as a good movie even now. I mean, how horrible would it be to be lost in the woods with this possible evil witch stalking you? Horrible. Every time I watch this movie I have a complete understanding of how horrible it would be. And I’m impressed. Rock on, Blair Witch. Rock on. Haters to the left.
And finally, if I could encourage you to watch any movie in the month of October to ring in Halloween… ANY MOVIE. Of ALL THE MOVIES IN THE WORLD. BESIDES THE CHANGELING. It would be…
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That’s freaking right. It ain’t the time of the season until you’ve watched this movie at least ONCE. And if you haven’t, you miss out. YOU DO YOURSELF AN INJUSTICE. Hocus-freaking-Pocus. Bette Midler. Kathy Najimy. Sarah Jessica Parker (okay, not so much Sarah Jessica Parker). Witches who are accidentally resurrected on Halloween night by OMRI KATZ and THORA BIRCH. An immortal cat. EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS MOVIE. IS PERFECT. If you don’t watch it in October, then, I don’t know. You should be ashamed. ASHAMED! Because being a fierce witch STARTS with these witches and don’t you forget it.
And that is my (nowhere near complete) list. So what would be on yours? Lay ‘em on me!
The Shining still scares the crap out of me.
The Shining rocks.
BRB. MAKING AN EXTENSIVE LIST OF MY FAVES.
MUST CONSIDER ALL CANDIDATES CAREFULLY.
WILL PROBABLY END UP BEING FAR TOO LONG.
xx
BAZ BB THERE IS NO SUCH THINGS AS TOO LONG I WANT TO READ THEM ALL.
OMG…you ROCK. I thought you did before, but when you listed Hocus Pocus as your all time fav, I realized I never understood just how dang cool you were!
Now I know.
It isn’t Halloween without a couple of viewings of HP. I missed it a few years back and things just weren’t the same. Not sure they’ll EVER be the same.
Good call on The Blair Witch Project, too. I don’t care what the haters say, that movie is SCARY.
Scariest movie for me is The Exorcist. Hands down. But I can’t watch it alone. Heck, if I think about it for too long, I get freaked out about having the _DVD_ in my house!
Favorites? Yanno, I’m all about the campy horror flicks. I love the original Friday the 13th’s, the Halloween’s…yeah, give me a killer in a mask and I’m happy.
I’ll definitely have to check out some on your list. I’m afraid to say (cough) that I’ve seen many of the remakes already. BOO.
OMG you are speaking my language! I LOVE horror movies and it’s so hard to find good ones so thanks for all the great suggestions– Haven’t seen the changeling so it’s on my list for sure now.
I thought “The sentinal” (old 70′s flick) was super creepy– esp the part where her dead dad comes walking out of the closet doing the classic not-swinging-my-arms ghoul-walk– and the creepy lesbian ghosts. Also loved “The others”, and recently, “The uninvited.”
“The Ring” is defiantly the scariest movie I’ve ever seen
What about people who hated Blair Witch BEFORE YOU WERE BORN? (Oh, fine, you were probably alive when it came out, but could you even read yet? COULD YOU?)
P.S. You know I will be making a list. Watch this space. Or, like, my blog.
I am not a scary movie chick but I agree that Blair Witch is amazing. I’d say The Cell too as it’s so weird that its freaky, Vincent D’nofrio **shudders**.
HOCUS POCUS was the freaking bomb. I watch NCIS occasionally to check in on my old friend Thackery (ahhh so yummy before he turned talking feline). I think we talked about this on twitter a few months back and I adore this movie because it’s so freaking campy and Bette Midler-awesome.
BATTLE ROYALE
i never, EVER watch horror movies, let alone any sort of movie, because i can’t sit in one place for so long. but i rented BR this summer after years of wanting to see it and it was awesome. SERIOUSLY AWESOME.
EEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so ~honoured~ (spelled Canadian) that I could inspire SUCH A POST. Omg!
The ONE movie I will add to your list…scratch that, THREE are:
SUSPIRIA (haterz to the LEFT *cough*)
DEAD ALIVE – I still can’t believe you haven’t seen this, zombie fanatic that you claim to be…
PHENOMENA – two words: Floating Skulls (puts any attacking meat patties to SHAME especially since the skulls are NOT supposed to be funny!)
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! GREAT POST, BB!!!!
Ah…I’m so happy to see this post. It gets me all excited for my favorite month of the year. October becomes ROCK-tober with a quickness.
Love, love, love the love you have for THE CHANGELING. Still probably my most favorite horror movie of all time.
Some others I dig with a passion undescribable in this comment field:
THE DESCENT – I squealed like a little girl when I saw the first monster-thing standing behind what’s her name. Too cool.
JACOB’S LADDER – It’s up there with THE CHANGELING for me. Uber-freaky and uber cool. One of the greatest horror movies of all time.
HALLOWEEN – The original rocks so hard it needs to take a drum solo in the middle to rest. Seriously. Creepy, timeless music, and hidden Michael Myers-es in places that you don’t catch the first time. He’s WATCHING YOU ALL THE TIME. Love it.
NIGHTWATCH – Stylistically cool as all get-out. By the dude who did WANTED (which I loved) it’s just slick, crazy and pretty garsh-darn creepy.
Anyway, those are a couple off the top o’ my head. Can’t wait to see some other suggestions and Netflix the heck out of ‘em.
Believe that.
- TKT
Jennifer: Hocus Pocus fanclub members represent! The Exorcist is a great one. And I LOVE F13 and the Halloween series (well, before Rob Zombie ruined it). I have the Crystal Lake boxset. I love Jason vs. Tina, the Psychic Teen. :D
Sue: Ooh! Haven’t seen The Sentinal! The Uninvited with the sisters? BB, you should check out a Tale of Two Sisters, the movie it is based on. It is incredible.
Morgan: I’ve seen the Ring! Have you seen the original? I liked it better. But the concept is super creepy no matter how you slice it!
Annika: I WAS ALIVE DAMMITS I SAW IT IN THEATRES heh. omg. I am WATCHING. I am also waiting for you to see F13. If you don’t blog your F13 experience I will never forgive you. NEVER!
Adele: I have never seen TheCell!!! And I did not know Thackery was the dude on NCIS until you told me that. We did talk about it on Twitter. I flipped when I realized that was the NCIS dude! I flip about it regularly, actually.
shanap: I have been trying to get my hands on BR for ages! I have the book but I haven’t gotten through it yet. :( I feel I should read it first but now I’m starting to think I should watch the movie first. Because I’ve wanted to for AGES!
Emily: THANK YOU FOR THE POST INSPIRATION. And I have seen ~Suspiria~. I like the ~theme~ by ~Goblin~ The other two, I shamefully, have not seen.
TKT: I am so glad you are out there, another member of The Changeling fan club. Your list is STELLAR! I loved The Descent. I saw Jacob’s Ladder when I was too young to get it and Halloween–BEST EVER. I have a Michael Myers action figure; it was my fave franchise until Rob Zombie ruined it. What did you think about the remake? Travesty, Y/Y?
I do love me some Rob Zombie, but his Halloween remake was a misstep. I heard H2 was even worse…can’t be bothered to see it. Nope.
Yeah. I didn’t get through his vision of Halloween. Not much offends me but I really thought it was CRASS (and seriously–not much offends me!!!). And I HATED how he humanized Michael Myers. I felt he completely missed the point! /Halloween fangirl snobness
Courts, did you get freaked out by those Wheelers in Return to Oz back in the day?
Or did that movie pass you by?
OMG HOCUS POCUS YES.
I loved — LOVED! — that movie. When I was far too young to see its hilariousness and just thought it was legit freaky. Ha!
Also, movies with jump scenes aren’t usually my thing, for various reasons, but if you haven’t seen Let The Right One In, you need to get on that, immediately. I hardly ever get around to watching movies because books have eaten my life — you’re shocked, I know — but I’ve seen it twice this year. Twice in one week, actually.
Courtney – I read the WHOLE thing… right up to where you started listing movies and showing pictures.
Then I skipped down to here. I can handle Gremlins… on a happy, sunny day. But my favorite October movie was THE WORST WITCH (which came out in 1986 and you can IMDB it). It does not get much better than Mildred Hubble and her tough transition to The Academy (<— inspiration for Hogwarts). Also, Tim Curry is the Grand Wizard. It is rated for ages 6 and up.
Excuse me, I need to go buy a copy to bring with me to @2010BigYApple. We can do a double feature with Rainbow Brite.
Jacob’s Ladder always scared me… *shivers*
Also, I had to comment to give another vote for The Blair Witch Project. LOVED that film!! :)
Cheers,
Kaz
Profundo Rosso, aka Deep Red. It’s an Italian horror movie from the 70s, and the only version that still exists is half in Italian and half dubbed into English.
It has everything. Spectacular deaths, an ABBA dude lookalike and a synthesiser soundtrack. It is AWESOME.
Also: The Shining scares the bejebus out of me. And pretty much all Hitchcock movies. And I’m pretty sure Wolf Creek would scare me, if I had seen it.
Oh, and Silence of the Lambs is AWESOME and CREEPY.
I just added all of the titles (that I haven’t already seen) on this list to my Netflix queue. Because I have le trust.
And because I just watched The Changling for the first time, like, a week ago. I loved it, and not just because my father-in-law bears a striking resemblance to George C. Scott. I loved that he believed in what was happening right away, and didn’t go through that oh-this-all-must-just-be-some-sort-of-coincedence-and-there-must-be-a-logical-explanation-for-it-all. THANK YOU, GCS.
My scary movie is Session 9. Oh, and for a classic, Rosemary’s Baby always does it for me, because it’s so claustrophobic and freaking Ruth Gordon is such a monstrous beast in it. (Her character reminds me a bit of my across the street neighbor, which makes it even scarier.)
omg you are the effing best person in the world. sean and I decided that October will be “netflix scary movies a la courtney’s recs” month. so pumped.
I don’t really watch scary movies so I have no recommendations. this is sad, I know. that’s why october will be the month it is.
xoxo.
I only saw ONE of these movies. Can you guess which? (I bet you can)
But then I would probably only be into the feel-good horror.
Also, the scariest picture on here, by far, is the raw meat patty.
*BEWARE THE RAW MEAT PATTY*
Adele: I haven’t seen it! Must! Look! Up!
A.: HOCUS POCUS FTW! I *must* look up Let the Right One In. Everyone keeps telling me about it! Have you read the book, bb?
Tiffany: Aw, you missed out on some fine scary movies. ;) You know, I think I’ve seen The Worst Witch–I feel like I have–but I can’t remember a thing about it! But Tim Curry is ~always~ amazing.
Karen: YAY! Blair Witch fans! I always get a little sad when I find out someone hates on it.
Briony: … Why have I never seen Deep Red? It is officially on the list! I always think of you when The Simpsons’ Shinning comes on. ;) And I liked Silence o the Lambs a lot!
Leila: So crossing my fingers nothing disappoints! I will not be able to live with the shame. That is not sarcasm. And aaah it makes me so happy when other Changeling fans speak up because seriously. Best. Ever. And AGREED. That movie did not waste time on boring the boring skeptic-turned-believer stuff lots of others have. I have not seen Session 9! Totally on the list. Rosemary’s Baby ROCKS. And heh. Always disturbing when someone nearby reminds you of a person from a horror movie.
whitney: YOU MUST LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THEM. Must!
Susan: BEWARE RAW MEAT PATTIES FOR LIFE.
Hocus Pocus is possibly the best Halloween movie EVER made.
HANDS DOWN.
Oh my crap, I consider myself a horror expert, but somehow I’ve never heard of Dead Meat or The Mad which apparently has Live Meat. THANK YOU!
Some that haven’t been mentioned yet:
- Undead. I kinda liked it even though it may have objectively sucked.
- The Descent. Oh wait it has been mentioned. But I loved it so I’m keeping it here.
- Troll / Troll 2. Because they’re deliciously horrible.
- Near Dark. Not that scary but a really good vampire(ish) movie.
- Monster Squad. Because it’s the best movie of all time.
And geeze…Rob Zombie..for a guy who obviously has some love for horror and some talent, he sure sucks at applying either to create a good movie.
I haven’t read the book yet, but I’ve put in a request for it at the library and am waiting my turn — I figured I should get on that before the American remake comes out and the number of people who want to read the book quintuples. Heh.
“Turn of the Screw” scared the crap out of me. There’s one scene in it that still makes me a little light headed when I think of it.
LOVED 28 Days Later. And I’ve never heard of The Mad, but am SO going to seeing it now.
Yay scary movies!
Trust me, Battle Royale (the film) is worth whatever lengths you go to in order to watch it. I got it from Netflix.
I had no idea it was a book… but I emphatically recommend the movie. Crazy gory awesomeness.
Nightmare on Elm Street. Especially since it was through a dream world that he killed people. That movie made sleeping somewhat impossible.
But my all time favorite movie to watch this time of year, although it is not scary, is Young Frankenstein. Best movie ever.
I watch a lot of bad horror movies so I don’t have any to rec, but good list!
Hocus Pocus is the movie to watch for Halloween, absolutely!
Bloodfeast! is one I love with Robert Reed. It’s so camp. It’s supposed to be horror, but it’s not. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054691/
I wrote this whole MST3000 thing of it one day. For no reason.
Have you ever been to rifftrax.com? If you like any movie with camp, go there and listen.
Phronk: If you check ‘em out, you have to let me know what you think! I am pretty sure The Mad is Canadian, which makes it about a 1,000 times more awesome. I don’t know if you watch Trailer Park Boys, but Julian’s cop girlfriend from Season 2 is in it, which makes it EVEN MORE AWESOME! And I am marking down your suggestions. And… YES. Agreed to the nth degree about Rob Zombie.
A: I will want to know what you think!!
Bobbie: Haven’t seen it! Will definitely have to check it out. If you see The Mad, you gotta let me know what you think!
shanap: Well. I can’t not watch it now!!! I will do more digging.
Debbie: I loved Nightmare! I love the scene in the first movie where Freddy is walking down the alleyway and his arms get impossibly long so he can run his knivefingers down it. Stuck with me all this time! And omg, Young Frankenstein!
Bri: Bad horror can be GREAT horror! I’ve never heard of Bloodfeast or rifftrax! Thank you for pointing me in the direction of both!
OMG Julian’s hot cop girlfriend?? AND Billy Zane? Er, BILLY ZANE? That’s going to the top of my Ziplist.
Canadian is a plus too. It’s part of what makes me proud of Black Christmas. I want to see Pontypool, which is another magical mix of zombies and Canada.
I have a weird relationship with horror movies. I hate to watch them – I am deff the biggest scaredy-cat to ever live – but I looove reading the plot summaries for them. Especially the apocalyptic ones. :) Have you heard of GRACE from this year’s Sundance Festival? Woman gives birth to stillborn baby, then nurses it back to life… Mega intense.
The only actual horror movie I’ve ever watched all the way through was STAY ALIVE, which has a 9% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and I had to cover my eyes whenever the freakish zombie girls appeared. LOL.
The Mad is on my Blockbuster queue now. (Or is it queueueue?) If you watch Turn of the Screw, it’s the 1994 version I saw starring Julian Sands (sighhhh). Still working up the nerve to read The Haunting of Hill House. Scary movies are easier for me to get over than scary books.
Hands down best scary movie would have to be Carrie.
Love that movie.
Hocus Pocus is awesome, I own it on Video and DVD thats how long ive loved it!
Also it must be said, the kids show, In The Night Garden scares the bejebus out of me!!!
Phronk: I wanna see Pontypool too! If you see it, let me know what you think!
Emilia: I have never heard of Grace before! But… omg. That sounds freaky. Must look it up after I finish responding. I have never seen Stay Alive eitehr! Dangit. I am putting both on my list!
Bobbie: YAY! You’ll have to tell me what you think! I read the Haunting of Hill House a lonnggg time ago. I almost hate admitting it didn’t leave much of an impression on me–I can’t remember a thing about it. But I was probably too young when I read it as well.
tyecat: Carrie is GREAT! And rock on with the Hocus Pocus love! I have never heard of In the Night Garden, but the title alone is pretty creepy. :D
okay, so i know that this is totally random and not horror movie related (although hocus pocus is the shiz) but you were talking to my friend tye on twitter the other day and said something about the tv show ‘being erica’ and its awesomeness and tye told me about it and now we’re both kind of obsessed with it so just wanted to say thanks for sharing the awesome!
: )
Let me just start off by saying that homegirl here does not do horror movies. But I LMAO when you included HOCUS POCUS. Such a cute movie. I agree with you about the whole “SJP not so much”. Love Kathy Najimy, though. Saw the last half hr? Maybe 20 mins of SHUTTER. The one with Pacey Witter. LOL. The ending was really weird, but interesting with the whole “spirit weighing him down” kinda thing.
Also, I totally agree with you that BILLY ZANE needs to be referred to in all caps. The man is hella sexy with that bald head of his and that delicious deep voice. I could listen to him recite the phone book.
I have to second what A said about LET THE RIGHT ONE IN. I didn’t find that one scary at all, but it was definitely an interesting take on the vampire story.
The horror movies that I’ve been coerced into seeing, the Night on Elm Streets, Texas Chainsaw ones freak me out. Of course, the ones I was forced to “hear” due to a small house and my husband’s need to have deafening HD surround sound, I can honestly say that all those FINAL DESTINATION movies “sound” scary. Everyone dies in such a horrible way and all you seem to hear in those movies are screams of pain. *shiver*. Me no likey.
This girl does not do scary movies AT ALL!
sonja: yay! Tye had mentioned watching the latest S2 episode on twitter and now I hear the S1 DVDs are on the way! :) I am so so happy to hear that being Erica is watched and loved! I ADORE that show. There’s very little I tune into each week but with BE, I make note. It’s so so so so good!
Celise: Hocus Pocus is so great! It is like A Christmas Carol for Halloween. It makes me so happy. It’s funny, the ending to the US version of Shutter is pretty much the same as the original, but I think the original pulled it off way more effectively. Total O_O moment. And Billy Zane is TOTALLY sexy! I am definitely keeping my eye out for Let the Right One In. And Elm Street and Texas Chainsaw! Good classics! I can see how Final Destination is totally a scary sounding movie. I didn’t enjoy them so much, but maybe I would have better if I could’ve only heard them. ;)
Daisy: Awwww!
Some good calls (“The Changeling”, “Blair Witch Project”, readers on “The Descent”), but my pick for the most terrifying movie ever made: BLACK SABBATH, a 1963 horror movie directed by Mario Bava, a master of the genre. The movie is actually a collection of three unrelated stories, each one creepier than the last. The final story, “A Drop of Water”, is the most paralyzingly terrifying thing I’ve ever seen, though I must say that it could also be unintentionally hilarious by today’s standards, as it all depends on one crucial setpiece.
I remember going into it as a cocky teenager, being slightly chilled by the second story, and thinking to myself: “There’s no way this third story can top that.” Did it fucking ever.
On another note, if you live close enough to a city playing it, I urge you to check out “Paranormal Activity”. It’s definitely the scariest movie of the decade.
Aaron: I haven’t seen Black Sabbath, but you make a really good case for it! :) And I am really interested in Paranormal Activity. I am hoping it lives up to the hype!
Ha! I wasn’t expecting Hocus Pocus at the end. That movie is So. Much. Fun! I’m more of a scary book person than a scary movie person … something about being too young and home alone watching Jaws, Carrie, Christine, and Night of the Living Dead (which I can’t find on DVD, only the remake – thanks for the URL link). Plus DH isn’t into horror movies.
The original Shining is kind of hilarious and dated now – the clothes! Mostly because I saw it after I read the book and years after it was made. Also think the Friday the 13th and the like are hilarious, because they aren’t really scary, they just have stuff jump out at you. I guess I prefer that kind of scary to psychological terror.
Fun Halloween movies are the best though. Any more recommendations like Hocus Pocus? That movie totally rocks. Trying to think of the names of others I’ve seen, but I’m drawing a blank. Will have to look at the TV listings this month ;)
I LOVE Hocus Pocus. And scary books are totally an experience all of their own. I like psychologically scary stuff. Something about the Friday the 13th really satisfies me though! They are pretty campy, but they deliver everything I want to see. They have sort of evolved into cozy horror for me. :)
Oooh, Disney’s Sleepy Hollow!! I LOVE it!! That’s another fun one. Well. Tragic for Ichabod, but. :)
Ooh, good one. Poor Ichabod! Creepy and scary, and fun too!
The Corpse Bride is also great, and of course, Nightmare Before Christmas. Don’t know how I could have forgotten those!
Oh, and another one, Monster House.
I like kids Halloween movies.
BTW, “cozy horror” is a great way to describe Friday the 13th and Scary Movie, etc.
I do like psychologically scary for books, just not movies (Orca so ruined that for me – stupid stalker killer whales).
Good calls on the Tim Burton flicks! Totally forgot about those. I haven’t seen Monster House, but it looked totally great. What about Ernest Scared Stupid? That movie TERRIFIED me when I was young but now I love it.
And… what. There is a movie about a stalker killer whale?! WHAT!!!
I never saw Ernest Scared Stupid, but Ernest kind of bugs me. Sorry.
Orca is probably a really cheesy movie, but I saw it when I was really young. I like to think of Orca as a smart Jaws (because the shark didn’t think … not that it made it easier for the humans).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orca_(film)
I just read the Wiki entry and it sounds really convoluted (it is). But the idea that a killer whale could seek revenge for killing his mate and baby, and then stalk the humans all over the place has stayed with me. I might have to watch it again sometime to see what I think as an adult. I know Jaws is still scary, except for the Spanish version (no music).
Orca looks… amazing. Omg. I am actually terrified of whales and love sharks for some weird reason!!
You have to watch Orca then, and let me know what you think!
Definitely!!!
Hi,
My Favorite Horror movie was Final destination 3 because I wish I could give this movie a 9.5 or even a 10, but there are a few minor flaws. For the most part, Final Destination 3 is an awesome movie, filled with gore and Rube Goldberg-esquire deaths. If you liked the first two, you’ll love this.