It's the most...wonderful time...OF THE YEAR!
No, not Christmas. Halloween! I'm one of those people who LOVES horror movies. But I'm picky. I don't like "torture porn" stuff--rather, I enjoy movies that are clever, suspenseful, and preferably with a huge unexpected scare and/or twist. I also adore humor and horror together...best combo!
Here are five of my all-time favorites...
JAWS
1. JAWS (1975) is one of the first horror movies I watched, and it made quite an impression. Even without high quality special effects, this film has stood the test of time. The story itself, the characters, and of course the fear of "Bruce" the shark, managed to transform good old-fashioned Cape Cod into a horror lover's perfect vacation spot. Steven Spielberg realized his fake shark pretty much sucked, and so he had to do a rewrite on set. Instead of having the shark be the center of attention, he made the fear of the unknown the scary part of this film. And it worked. I highly recommend getting the Collector's Edition--it includes a documentary on the making of JAWS and it is absolutely fascinating for a horror buff.
ALIENS
2. ALIENS 2...Although I do love the original Aliens movie, the sequel is my favorite. It's so great to see a powerful and courageous woman as the lead in a Sci Fi/Horror film. To be blunt, Ripley kicks serious ass in this film. I could watch it a million times! Also, I used this film as an example of insect colony morphology and development when I was teaching biology class. (You wish you were my student, right?) This film has it all...amazing special effects, the perfect build-up of suspense, and insanely scary moments. The follow-up films have not been as successful in my opinion, but this movie is a classic monster film. Love it!
SHAUN OF THE DEAD
3. What's better than chocolate and peanut butter? Horror and humor! When it's done right, it is so entertaining. SHAUN OF THE DEAD is possibly the best example of blending horror and humor I've seen. Simon Pegg manages to make us laugh and scare the bejimminies out of us at the same time. I just adore this film. Think quirky characters in a zombie apocalypse.
CABIN IN THE WOODS
4. I accidentally watched this one on TV--not having any clue what it was about. I fell instantly in love with it! So clever, bursting with dark humor and horrifying monsters. It plays with the conventions of typical horror movies in a most satisfying way. Really just a brilliant movie. The whole idea of watching a movie within a movie, and how it spirals out of control, is lovely. If you haven't seen this one, check it out.
THE RING
5. As a long-term horror movie fan, I am somewhat immune to real "scares" in these films. You pretty much know what to expect...scary music, stuff pops out, etc etc. But if I had to confess about the single-most terrifying movie scene I've ever watched, it is from THE RING. There is a scene in this film that literally made me JUMP out of my seat and scream. Literal jump, not figurative. I think my heart stopped. Holy shit. The whole film is interesting and atmospheric and creepy AF, but honestly, that one scene is worth the whole thing. *hides under a rock*
What about you? Do you have a favorite horror film? Do you love October as much as I do! Every year on October 1, I jump out of bed and yell "IT'S THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN!" and my husband groans because he hates horror films. Hee hee!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Nina/Penny
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