Halloween is here again which means that it's scary movie season again. However for this girl who was brought up on a diet of classic horror, thanks to my dad and my mum's side of the family who got me watching blood-chillingly frightening movies at an age when I had no business to be watching them, every day was pretty much Halloween! Is it any wonder that for years I had to sleep with the light on???
The Poltergeist, Halloween, Carrie, The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby... I'd seen them all. And as I got older, and we'd go to pick up movies from Blockbuster (damn, I miss Blockbuster!) you could bet your life it'd be something nightmare-inducing whether it was classic horror, suspense, a whodunnit or psychological thriller. And I have to say those are still among my favourite film genres today. I'll leave the sci-fi and fantasy to the fella!
There's loads of horror films that I could watch over and over again without getting bored of them. Here's a list of my top five horror flicks. It wasn't easy picking just five and I know there's a couple here that a lot of people might not be familiar with. But I have great memories of watching them the first time round, and there were some parts that scared the hell out of me... which is exactly what a good horror movie is supposed to do! And just in case anyone is wondering why The Texas Chainsaw Massacre isn't on this list, well that's because despite being a great film, it didn't do what it was supposed to and frighten me. Instead it made me laugh. A lot. And hard!
1. PSYCHO
Year: 1960
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Country: United States
Starring: Anthony Perkins
Janet Leigh
The film considered to be the Master of Suspense's great masterpiece and the film that made everyone afraid to step into the shower, Psycho turned the big 6-0 this year, and I still remember the very first time I watched this Hitchcock spine chiller. I was probably about eleven, it was a school night, and my sister and I had stayed up with Dad to watch it. It freaked me the hell out - especially the final scene - but Psycho did go on to become one of my fave movies.
How The Story Goes...
After stealing a huge sum of money from her employer, secretary Marion Crane flees Phoenix in order to go on the run with her boyfriend in the hope that he'll marry her. But overcome with exhaustion and eager to escape the heavy rainstorm, Marion decides to check into the rundown looking Bates Motel for the night. There she meets the owner, the seemingly sweet but slightly odd, Norman Bates, who has an interest in taxidermy and has a rather difficult relationship with his domineering mother. But Marion doesn't realize just how difficult until she decides to take a shower... and when no one hears from her, Marion's very worried sister raises the alarm...
2. THE OMEN
Year: 1976
Director: Richard Donner
Country: UK & USA
Starring: Gregory Peck
Lee Remick
Billie Whitelaw
Harvey Spencer Stephens
My dad had had the David Selznor novel as part of his collection of books for years. But I only read it after seeing the film adaptation for The Omen. It freaked me the hell out (Dad, there's a reason why films come with a rating!) but I was incredibly fascinated with the film, and Dad's book came in very handy for explaining the bits I didn't get. And watching The Omen might explain why I've always thought twice about telling off naughty children!
How The Story Goes...
When the wife of an American diplomat living in London gives birth to a baby boy who is stillborn, husband Robert quickly and secretly adopts another newborn baby in order to spare his wife Katherine any pain; passing off the child as the baby boy she gave birth to. A classic case of 'it seemed like a good idea at the time!' And if they were wondering why baby Damien had such a thick shock of hair, well, there was a good reason for that!
But as little Damien grows older, a series of bizarre happenings and tragedies - not to mention Damien's intense fear and hatred of places of worship - causes Robert to become suspicious. When a priest approaches Robert with a terrifying prophecy regarding Damien, Robert is forced to investigate and is horrified to discover the awful truth about both his sons...
3. THE SHINING
Year: 1980
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Country: USA
Starring: Jack Nicholson
Shelley Duvall
Danny Lloyd
Scatman Crowthers
"Come and play with us Danny. Come and play..."
What is it with horror movies and kids? There's a reason why I never thought identical twin girls dressed the same were cute. And if you need further explanation, all you have to do is watch The Shining. As my dad has always been a Jack Nicholson fan, he naturally loved The Shining and introduced me to it. The first time I watched it, I have to admit I didn't really know what was going on exactly but that didn't stop the film from scaring the bejeezuz out of me!
How The Story Goes...
When writer and recovering alcoholic Jack Torrance takes on the position of a seasonal caretaker at an isolated hotel in the Colorado Rockies, he sees it as the perfect opportunity to overcome his writer's block. So along with wife Wendy and son Danny the family settle into life at the hotel. But it isn't long before young Danny is plagued by terrifying visions of the hotel's disturbing past. It is the hotel's chef, Dick Hallorann who realizes that like himself, Danny has psychic abilities and can communicate telepathically; an ability known as 'the shining.' Things take a turn for the worse however when Jack, having ghostly visions himself, and is frustrated that his writing is going nowhere, begins to spiral into a psychotic rage and targets his family in a terrifying ordeal...
4. CROWHAVEN FARM
Year: 1970
Director: Walter Grauman
Country: USA
Starring: Hope Lang
Paul Burke
John Carredine
Lisa Eilbacher
Now this little known, made-for-TV movie won't be instantly recognizable to a lot of people but it's definitely one of my favourites. Although for years, I thought it was called Craven Hill Farm (no wonder people said they didn't know it. The movie Craven Hill Farm hasn't been made yet!) I must have seen it for the first time back in the eighties because I have memories of watching it in our first family home. As the years have gone by, I sometimes feel as though I have what I now call Crowhaven Syndrome: it's where you're the only person who can sense that something isn't right but no one else will listen or take notice of what you're saying a la Maggie Porter - the movie's heroine. And the moral of the story is always trust your intuition. That and your wife is always right (eh, Mr. D!)
How The Story Goes...
A married couple, Ben and Maggie Porter, inherit a New England farm, hoping that the fresh start and change of scene might help to patch up their troubled marriage. But tales of supernatural activity and a weird sense of foreboding surrounds Crowhaven Farm. And while Maggie immediately picks up on something not being quite right with the people or the place, Ben takes to life at Crowhaven Farm like a duck to water, ignoring his wife's misgivings, and befriending the locals. It isn't long before the Porters are confronted by supernatural forces and Maggie soon learns who the locals really are...
5. THE DEAD ZONE
Year: 1983
Director: David Cronenberg
Country: United States
Starring: Christopher Walken
Brooke Adams
Tom Skerrit
Martin Sheen
Based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King, I remember watching this for the first time with my parents and my sister, and I'd thought about it a lot over the years. I might call it a horror of the non-ghosts and ghouls variety but The Dead Zone also falls under the psychological thriller, sci-fi thriller or political thriller genres. If you watch it, you're sure to find it chilling, sinister, and tragic.
How The Story Goes...
Teacher Johnny Smith is in a relationship with his colleague, Sarah, and everything is going well until one night, following a date with Sarah, Johnny has an accident while driving home. When he awakes from his coma, he is shocked to discover that not only have years gone by, but Sarah has married and moved on with her life. Making an effort to move on and make up for the lost years, Johnny is unnerved when he discovers that he can see into a person's future through the power of touch. As these premonitions are disturbing, Johnny is quite unsettled by this. But after meeting and shaking hands with political candidate Greg Stillson, Johnny realizes the danger presented by the candidate should he be successful, so Johnny takes it upon himself to kill Stillson...
Which scary movies do you like best?
Photos: YouTube
Word Cloud: Nostalgia Pie