This is the last post under the blog’s Halloween theme. In December, the theme will be obviously self-explanatory. Wait for it!
In the meantime, here is the last post: Naturally a countdown of the top 10 scariest movies I’ve ever watched. I.e. these movies are scariest in my opinion. If you disagree, or you have other replacements, do mention them, but don’t forget these are my choices, so do respect them!
Here we go!
10) The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Look into that girl’s eyes.
The Blair Witch Project is so infamous because it disguises itself not as a fictitious film, but a real-life documentary. And that is also what makes it so darn scary.
The actors in the disguised movie have amazing acting skills, and are able to skilfully project it as a real life ghosthunt. IMDb.com even reported the three actors dead at some point in time due to such convincing portrayal of the Blair Witch killing them.
Not to mention, they filmed the whole thing using handheld video cams. Cool, or what?
9) Halloween (1978)
I know, I know, it’s a slash-hack film, but how can there be no Halloween movie list complete without one of the most profitable genre films of the decade?
Filmed with a budget of a few hundred thousand, it went on to gross millions of dollars worldwide. And the original movie is best, because, of course, they really didn’t cut down on the blood and the storyline wasn’t convoluted.
It does also teach us many real-life moral values, such as :
1) Always watch your back, especially when you venture into anything alone, because no one else can save you or hear you scream.
2) Always watch your back, even if you’re going into anything with pals, cause your friends can never do it for you, and you could be backstabbed by them too.
3) It doesn’t matter if you watch your back or not, because you’re going to die anyway.
A movie with a moral? It is indeed the defining movie of the slasher flick genre.
Poltergeist (1982)
A Steven Spielberg movie.
Need I say any more?
Spielberg co-writes this script, and that’s what makes it so amazingly intricate. The details are down pat, and the spectacular effects (especially during the Beast chase scene in the house) are magnificent.
The poltergeists that haunt the house derive from the dead bodies that are buried in the ground on which the house is built on. Not really a good indication of real estate trust, but what to do? Got conmen and got cheapskates and got en bloc sales what.
In any case, the movie is exciting, nail-biting, and the lines are fleshy and very real and very creepy (especially the medium). Throw in some un-Casper ghosts and you got yourself a real problem.
7) The Sixth Sense (1999)
The little boy who can see dead people.
Spawned the famous line, “I see dead people.”
Of course now Haley Joel Osment is seeing drugs and drunks more, but that doesn’t make this movie bad. This movie, I think, is M. Night Shyamalan’s best, before he went on to such lower-class flicks like The Village and Lady In The Water (though Signs was good too).
The twist at the end is priceless too, and the best part of this movie is the haunting atmosphere that Shyamalan manages to embroil each and every shot in, giving off an uneasy feel to the movie that makes you feel creeped out and weird.
6) The Omen (1976)
The original is still the best. No pun intended for the listing of The Omen in 6th place on the list, but it is the dominant use of the Devil’s numbers in the movie, coupled with chilling effects and a well-written script that earns this film the recognition as one of the best movies that deals with Devils and religion.
A highlight scary moment is the hanging of the girl at the birthday party of Damien.
Although the newer version in 2006 kept quite close to the original, it lacked the creepy (and magical) tone noticeable in the first, and hence that what makes the 1976 version better and scarier.
5) 1408 (2007)
The newest flick in the entire list here, 1408 began as a story that Stephen King wrote for a magazine eons ago, which found its way into a compilation book called, “Everything’s Eventual”, which found its way into a Hollywood script that eventually got John Cusack and Samuel Jackson in.
I have the book, “Everything’s Eventual” (from which I will handily recommend everyone to read ‘The Man In The Black Suit’ and ‘The Road Virus Heads North’) and in the foreword, Stephen himself credits this story as his version of the haunted hotel room tale.
That said, the story was frightening much and the description vivid and horrific, but 1408 on the big screen doesn’t so much bring out that description. Granted, the shots are luscious, and Cusack’s acting is so spectacular that he can flesh out the character even while NOT speaking and just moving around.
But the film does not keep to the story, and if anything, it extends its length even more, losing some of the charming creepiness of the story. Some details even change, like the paintings on the walls in the room.
But even so, the chilling quiet tone of the film unearths fear and a psychological terror in the watcher, which is the best kind of feeling.
4) Psycho (1960)
Norman Bates, icon of Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, is a nightmare to watch.
The oldest movie on this list, and shot in beautiful, classy black-and-white, features Norman Bates, the psycho-in-the-making, having derailing conversations with mad Leigh in a room squawkingly full of fowl, and being hunted after by a murderous stalking mother.
It’s something that only Hitchcock can pull off with his masterful direction, and pull off in such a manner that is impressively frightening and lingers on your mind forever.
3) The Shining (1980)
The second Stephen King film-adaptation on this list (yes, I’m a big fan), The Shining features Jack Nicholson in his scariest role yet, as a psychotic killer seeing ghosts in the inn he is living in.
Like 1408, the movie doesn’t quite follow the storyline of the book, prompting King to complain of the bad adapting, especially since King wrote the book when he was at a all-new low in his life, but the film still turned out fine, and even quite good for starters to the horror genre.
It shines (pun intended) as one of those films that gets under your skin and stays there.
2) Donnie Darko (2001)
I absolutely love this movie.
It transcends all ages, all genres, all barriers. One of Jake Gyllenhaal’s earlier films, this cult classic is haunting, psychologically-creepy, and also features brilliant acting from Drew Barrymore and Patrick Swayze.
The concept is fresh, and it combines science-fiction with horror elements, resulting in a fusion of both genres so well the film becomes one that is unforgettable as long as you are alive. The tones are balanced and the shots filmed exquisitely well that you’ll be thrown into Donald Darko’s world almost as soon as the movie starts.
A must-watch!
1) The Exorcist
Any Exorcist movie will do (seeing that there are so many).
The Linda Blair version is best, of course, with perfect execution of split-pea-soup vomit, and the battle between the demon and the priest in the bedroom is one that is just waiting to be rewatched again and again.
It is another one of those demonic possession movies, but what makes it one of the most outstanding (and most defining in its genre) is its clear direction – The plot of the Exorcist is very certain, and all the plot revolves around that classic good vs evil showdown… something that, if you take a look at all of the other films mentioned in this list, isn’t clearly present or clearly defined.
Exorcism is definitely not to be messed with (Novena Church, anyone?).
With that, I conclude the last Halloween-based post for the October-November months (so I’m a little late, sue me).
Be sure to catch those horror flick gems!
As they say…
‘Tis the season to be frightened!
