It's October... Fall is here as is Halloween.... And I love watching truly scary movies (and the odd TV show). Not the slasher, blood and gore types, but the ones that have me in a tense ball of nerves, wondering what's going to happen, the ones that are just believable enough to leave me sleepless for days. The ones that understand sarcasm. The TV shows are tough, it doesn't take long for the story to become predictable and characters truly annoying, unless you are American Horror Story (seriously I will forever be creeped out by Zachary Quinto after season 2...)
So, in the spirit of the season, I thought I'd share my 5 favourite Scary movies with you:
1. The Exorcist (1973) I still can't sit through the entire film without getting up and taking a break. And don't get me started on that re-release, those added scenes were some of the creepiest, weirdest things I have ever seen. At first glance, I didn't quite understand why they were deemed to extreme, until I stuck in the middle of the isle, in a theatre full of people, with no escape, watching that re-release. If you haven't seen this one yet, definitely watch the original first, it's well creepy on it's own (then watch the re-release to see the scenes that were deemed to extreme for 1973)
2. Halloween (1978) I love this movie. Jamie Lee Curtis kick some serious ass (especially that stabbing with the knitting needles) just enough build up and tension so that you will need a massage after watching it. And that music. All the greatest scary movies have a killer theme song. I also love that this was one of the first "slasher" type films but it's not all blood and gore like today. What you don't see is what makes it scary.
3. Candyman (1992) Now, this one might be a surprise, but it's one of those urban myth type movies that works. The scary part isn't Candyman and his bees (although Tony Todd does a great job and being creepy and alluring all in one) it's Helen's journey in crazy. Did she go bonkers from all her research, or is the myth real and she's the only one who can see it. Wouldn't that drive you nuts? Being locked in the mental hospital and going to prison because NO ONE BELIEVES YOU. That kind of stuff creeps me out.... which leads us to #4.
4. Season 2 American Horror Story (2012) This season was set in an asylum in the 60's and houses some serious deranged characters plus the fact that every season of the show is based on factual events makes you wonder just which events are true. Being wrongly committed is up there with drowning, one of those horrific things that could happen to you, that you would be 100% aware of the whole time. I was watching this season all after it originally aired, and usually I watched an episode or 2 a night if it's really awesome. I had to stop watching this as it was giving me nightmares. Now that's what the horror genre is supposed to be about! Can't wait for season 3 (has Kathy Bates = Awesomesauce!)
5. 28 Days Later (2002) Call me weird but I don't find zombies scary at all, gross yes, scary - not so much. What was really eerie about this movie was the human reaction. If zombies ever were come to be, I'd be more likely to believe this scenario to something like Walking Dead (really can they all just die already) That moment when Jim wakes up and is wandering a very empty London, makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Can you imagine waking up from a coma and NO ONE is around. Anywhere.
Honourable Mention: Dead Snow (2009) Ok, you've heard me talk on and on about this one. I have to say, it's really not that scary of a movie but there's that one scene with the outhouse.... gets me every time. I already had a slight phobia of outhouses, after this movie I'll never EVER go in one again. Now, even though this movie isn't really scary, it's all kinds of amazing. Fun and silly and gross and really well done. And FYI - this one is subtitled, but Norwegian is such a fun language to listen to :)
What it comes down to for me... movies that make me jump out of my seat all good fun, but movies that keep me up at night, wondering what every little bump in the night is, those are the ones that are true horror films. But ask anyone, they've all got an opinion on what's scary.
Happy Halloween Peeps!
So, in the spirit of the season, I thought I'd share my 5 favourite Scary movies with you:
1. The Exorcist (1973) I still can't sit through the entire film without getting up and taking a break. And don't get me started on that re-release, those added scenes were some of the creepiest, weirdest things I have ever seen. At first glance, I didn't quite understand why they were deemed to extreme, until I stuck in the middle of the isle, in a theatre full of people, with no escape, watching that re-release. If you haven't seen this one yet, definitely watch the original first, it's well creepy on it's own (then watch the re-release to see the scenes that were deemed to extreme for 1973)
2. Halloween (1978) I love this movie. Jamie Lee Curtis kick some serious ass (especially that stabbing with the knitting needles) just enough build up and tension so that you will need a massage after watching it. And that music. All the greatest scary movies have a killer theme song. I also love that this was one of the first "slasher" type films but it's not all blood and gore like today. What you don't see is what makes it scary.
3. Candyman (1992) Now, this one might be a surprise, but it's one of those urban myth type movies that works. The scary part isn't Candyman and his bees (although Tony Todd does a great job and being creepy and alluring all in one) it's Helen's journey in crazy. Did she go bonkers from all her research, or is the myth real and she's the only one who can see it. Wouldn't that drive you nuts? Being locked in the mental hospital and going to prison because NO ONE BELIEVES YOU. That kind of stuff creeps me out.... which leads us to #4.
4. Season 2 American Horror Story (2012) This season was set in an asylum in the 60's and houses some serious deranged characters plus the fact that every season of the show is based on factual events makes you wonder just which events are true. Being wrongly committed is up there with drowning, one of those horrific things that could happen to you, that you would be 100% aware of the whole time. I was watching this season all after it originally aired, and usually I watched an episode or 2 a night if it's really awesome. I had to stop watching this as it was giving me nightmares. Now that's what the horror genre is supposed to be about! Can't wait for season 3 (has Kathy Bates = Awesomesauce!)
5. 28 Days Later (2002) Call me weird but I don't find zombies scary at all, gross yes, scary - not so much. What was really eerie about this movie was the human reaction. If zombies ever were come to be, I'd be more likely to believe this scenario to something like Walking Dead (really can they all just die already) That moment when Jim wakes up and is wandering a very empty London, makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Can you imagine waking up from a coma and NO ONE is around. Anywhere.
Honourable Mention: Dead Snow (2009) Ok, you've heard me talk on and on about this one. I have to say, it's really not that scary of a movie but there's that one scene with the outhouse.... gets me every time. I already had a slight phobia of outhouses, after this movie I'll never EVER go in one again. Now, even though this movie isn't really scary, it's all kinds of amazing. Fun and silly and gross and really well done. And FYI - this one is subtitled, but Norwegian is such a fun language to listen to :)
What it comes down to for me... movies that make me jump out of my seat all good fun, but movies that keep me up at night, wondering what every little bump in the night is, those are the ones that are true horror films. But ask anyone, they've all got an opinion on what's scary.
Happy Halloween Peeps!
