Horror movies
There’s nothing like a good horror movie. From those tense moments forcing you to the edge of your seat to the inevitable jump-scare leaving you screaming, the best scary movies find a way to draw you in and keep you hooked until the credits roll.
With Halloween approaching, you’re likely itching to find a terrifying flick to strike fear in the hearts of you and your friends. You could shell out some bucks to go see Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension or The Visit, both showing in theaters now.
Or you could watch one of the seminal horror films that influenced the genre for good. They might be lacking in modern special effects and pop culture references, but they make up for that with groundbreaking ingenuity that horror flicks emulate even to this day.
If you feel up to watching one of those anxiety-inducing films, here’s a list of five influential horror movies perfect for all Halloween-related activities.
Alien
Before Alien, few horror movies successfully used extraterrestrials as their main antagonists. Even when aliens were used, they usually came as munchkin-sized beings that utilized technology to compensate for their lack of physical strength.
The beings in Alien, however, were insanely terrifying beasts boasting spiky tails and a menacing form. Add that to their acidic blood and method of reproduction — boring into another being until emerging as a baby in a gruesome manner — and it’s not hard to fathom why the 1979 movie sparked three sequels, with a fourth one on the way.
Spin-offs like Alien vs. Predator and Prometheus continue to have success in the 21st century, proving just how timeless Alien is. So sit back and prepare to be scared, but don’t worry, as you’re not likely to venture into space in the near future.
But hey, the aliens still might come looking for you.
The Blair Witch Project
As a huge fan of found footage horror films, The Blair Witch Project remains one of my favorite movies of all time. The shaky camera work and realistic nature of the characters somehow make the film even more frightening. After all, it could be you or me who unwittingly runs into the wrong woods and draws the ire of the local witch.
The movie, produced with a budget of less than $1 million, grossed more than $240 million in the box office. It was an iconic moment for the film industry that proved even inexpensive projects could be considered a triumph.
Films like Paranormal Activity, Cloverfield and Grave Encounters largely play off the script of the 1999 film, with a few twists added in. Each are worthy of a watch in their own right, but no found footage film to date has transcended the low-budget terror that is The Blair Witch Project.
Nosferatu
Released in 1922, Nosferatu was one of the pioneering films that sought to fill audience members with dread. Based on Dracula, but with altered names to avoid legal trouble, it set a high bar for all vampire movies that followed.
It inspired films like Terence Fisher’s Horror of Dracula (1958) and Tod Browning and Karl Freund’s Dracula (1931), but something about Nosferatu makes it stand out as the best of the bunch for many horror movie buffs.
It could be the film’s style of horror that slowly grows in suspense until the viewer is entangled in an all-encompassing cocoon of jitters. It could also be the movie’s visionary cinematography that makes every moving shadow absolutely gripping. The unnerving appearance of Count Orlok, the film’s devilish vampire, is also an important factor.
Whatever the reason, Nosferatu proves that — even when in black and white — all a good horror film requires is a strong concept and an equally menacing villain.
Halloween
With a name like Halloween, the 1978 film is practically made to be watched during the spookiest holiday of them all. As one of the highest-profile slasher films of all time, the movie left its mark by showing that our worst nightmare is not always something supernatural, but instead could be someone walking among us.
When you think of other prominent slasher movies — Scream, Terror Train and The Strangers — the recurring themes they gleaned from Halloween become apparent. There’s always a psychologically deranged man in a mask consumed with the need to stalk and murder. The nature of the murders, especially with women, is usually wrought with sexual undertones.
The film gives you plenty of reasons to feel wary around your fellow man and will leave you looking over your shoulder when walking in the dark. Don’t worry about that guy in the mask over there, however, because he’s just feeling the Halloween spirit. Or at least let’s hope so.
The Exorcist
“The power of Christ compels you!”
You’ve likely heard that phrase in any recent horror flick centered around demonic possession, but it truly became ingrained in pop culture thanks in large part to The Exorcist. Allegedly inspired from a real story, the 1973 film incited mass fear that someone you know — or even you yourself — could be the next victim of Satan’s spawn.
Even if you haven’t seen the movie, you likely know some of its iconic moments, including that disgusting swarm of projectile vomit and the exorcism scene itself that can make even the staunchest of nonbelievers reach for the nearest Bible. The film is so adept at instilling absolute trepidation in viewers, it doesn’t matter if they believe in demonic possession or not.
If you think you can stomach disgusting and demonic terror, and you’re not trying to get a good night of sleep, The Exorcist could be the perfect movie to watch on Halloween. Make sure to keep the rosary beads nearby, just in case.
