In honor of this year’s Halloween and with some inspiration from a Miss Sophie Miller, I’d love to share with you a list of my favorite horror/thriller/suspense movies. Obviously, I work for a horror movie channel but my love for horror began long before I started working in it. I can’t say my horror expertise can hold a candle to my roommate Jennifer McConnell, who is much more open minded than me let’s just say. I can tell you my favorite TV show as a kid was Are You Afraid of the Dark? and I started reading mystery novels as soon as I could read.
Happy Halloween!
Friday the 13th Part One – My favorite horror movie of all time. A classic slasher that kicks off the franchise with Kevin Bacon, strip monopoly, an archery range and the worst fake lightning I’ve ever seen. I love it. I own all of them.
The Shining – It’s not the gore that makes this movie scary; it’s one man’s decent into insanity that makes the Shining so terrifying. The imagery is haunting and the twist at the end will leave you thinking. (Different than the book’s ending, thanks for the reminder Kyle.)
Poltergeist – One of the first horror movies I ever saw. Nothing can beat creepy kids but the entire atmosphere of the film is eerie (the toy clowns everywhere.) And the scene when the guy peels his face off is the grossest thing ever.
Psycho – This list wouldn’t be complete without the Master of Suspense himself: Alfred Hitchcock. Of course it’s nearly impossible for me to choose just ONE for this list, but Psycho (aside from Peeping Tom) is considered the first slasher movie so I have to go with it.
Insidious – Easily one of the most creative and innovative horror movies in the last twenty years. Insidious is TERRIFYING and is the perfect blend of all types of horror. Its full of twists, jumpy moments, wtf moments and even heartfelt ones. A brilliant film that takes horror where it hasn’t gone before.
High Tension – Even though the first few times I watched this movie it was the poorly dubbed, English version, this movie got me SO pumped. Lots of badass moments, lots of blood, even a female masturbation scene (it’s edgy is all I’m saying.) Anyways, this is a must see for horror fans.
The Orphanage – Guillermo del Toro, need I say more? This movie is extremely suspenseful and keeps you guessing until the very end. Its beautifully shot and the disturbing conclusion isn’t just creative storytelling but a fascinating commentary about parenthood.
The Descent – Its hard to describe how great this movie is. The Descent is personal and gives you a claustrophobic feeling. The characters are forced to face their own darkest secrets, not just the secrets of the cave they’re stuck in.
Blair Witch Project – There haven’t been too many movies (even among the others on this list) that have freaked me out as much as the last five minutes of this movie. You have to wait it out on this one, but the pay-off is SO good.
Nightmare on Elm Street – While I didn’t see these movies until recently, the original easily makes my list. The beginning of iconic Freddy Krueger that takes us in and out of the nightmares of a handful of teens. Wes Craven is a master.
Exorcism of Emily Rose – This movie might be part court room drama, but I thought it executed a lot of the spiritual aspects and questions surrounding exorcism better than The Exorcist. Not to mention that Jennifer Carpenter’s scream was made for horror movies. This movie also delivers the creepy, disturbing body contortions, satanic voices, and distorted faces from all demonic horror.
Alien – Aliens are always pretty scary simply because they’re inhuman, but Ridley Scott’s alien is one like you’ve never seen. And its not just the mother alien that you need to worry about, but it impregnates the others on the ship so that you can’t know who might be an alien. Also, Ripley is a badass.
Amityville Horror – Last but not least, this was the first movie about demon possession I ever saw as a kid. Creepy house, possessed kids and questionable priests make for one scary movie. I can’t vouch for any of the sequels or remakes, though – haven’t seen them.
