Hello all it’s almost time for my most favorite time of the year, October 31, Halloween. There’s one thing I love to do on this special time of year: both dressing up and watching horror films. Well since Marron is going over the costume portion of Halloween, I thought I should go over some movies you can sit down and watch with your significant other or with a group of friends. I’m not going to go over the BEST horror films, but rather just 10 of my personal favorites and why you should watch them. Yes, there are some classics, but there’s some here that you haven’t even heard of. Lets Begin….

Gremlins (1984):
I thought we would start of on a nice family movie… or so it tries to be. The movie starts off as something everyone in the family can enjoy, but as soon as them gremlins start showing up and start killing people ,that’s when the wee ones should be off to bed.I remember when I first saw Gremlins when I was younger, I was horrified.

The plot is simple but really doesn’t make too much sense. Billy Peltzer gets an odd gift from his father for Christmas, that of a Mogwai, a small, cute and cuddly creature that has a natural ability to sing. But Billy must remember three special rules about caring for a Mogwai; 1) Never expose it to bright light 2) Never get it wet 3) The most important of all, never feed it after midnight.

A Nightmare on Elm Street(1984):
Now that there’s a re-boot on the way, I think if you haven’t seen the original, you should check it out. This is the only real version that makes Freddy actually creepy. You almost never see his full face; if you do see him, he’s all slimy and bloody. Even some of his “Nightmares” are terrifying. Think about it; you go to sleep in a world that isn’t suppose to hurt you but here comes along this man who can hurt you when your at your most vulnerable point.

Nancy Thompson starts to have terrible dreams about a man in a stripped shirt and hat wearing what looks like knives on his fingers. Soon it’s not only her that’s having these dream, her friends start seeing him as well. The worse part is when they go to bed, there’s a chance they may end up dead.

Ravenous(1999):
When I first heard about this movie I thought it was such an ingenious idea, but after watching it I thought it was brilliant. There is nothing like the idea of being almost utterly alone in a barren wastelan, kept captive by a cannibal who has an insatiable hunger for human flesh.

During the 1840s, after the Mexican-American War, a war hero by the name of  John Boyd is sent to an outpost in the middle of nowhere called Fort Spencer. Soon after John arrives at Fort Spencer, a mysterious man is found lurking around the outpost in need of some help. The solders bring the malnourished and very cold man in for food and warmth. When asked about his current state, he tells the men a horrific story of cannibalism at it’s worst. Unbeknownst to the men, the worst is yet to come.

Last House on the left (1972):
When this movie was made it caused a stir in the film industry,  and even created a name for Wes Craven, a little known director at the time. The movie was banned for over 32 years in Australia and was finally released on DVD in 2004. The film is quite disturbing ,especially for female audience members. The scary thought is that this could actually happen, and the film plays up the feeling of vunerability to its fullest.

Two girls, Mari Collingwood and Phyllis Stone, are on their way to a concert. Along the way, the girls try to get a hold of some pot and ask some sketchy boy hanging outside an apartment. The boy says that he has some, but it’s inside. The girls follow the boy into the apartment where they are met by three wanted criminals, who take them out to the woods where they torture, rape and kill the girls. The four criminals soon come across a home out in the middle of the woods and wish to take shelter. The house belongs to the parents of Mari Collingwood who let them in, but soon find out that they have killed their daughter. The parents decided to take vengeance on their daughter and set their sights on their new house guests.

The Entity(1981):
Now this isn’t a big movie like the others I have mentioned, but it has a creepiness factor all the same. This little ghost story is like none that you have ever seen; it not only deals with a ghost that haunts a family. This ghost does the unthinkable and actually sexually assaults the mother of the family. Sure rape is a frightening matter, but it’s all the more frighting when you can’t see it actually happening.

Carla Moran moves into a new home with her family, but before she even moved, there was someone still residing secretly within the residence. Then one night the unexpected happens and Carla is unsure on what to do. She tries to find an answer with a therapist from a local college campus and seeks some some counseling. The attacks continue and soon a paranormal investigation is brought in, and an attempt to rid the house of the unseen force begins.

Shivers(1975):
I wouldn’t be surprised if no one out there has heard of this movie, but it ranks way up on the originality chart. This doozy of a film is brought to us by none other than the master of the surreal David Cronenberg, who sets up in an apartment complex which gets infested by genetically engineered slugs that force people to become both extremely violent and extremely sexually active.

An apartment complex soon has a problem and it’s growing fast. The complex seems to be infected by strange slug-like creatures, turning people into zombie sex-fiends. Is there anyone left un-infected who can stop the infection before it breaks out and eventually spreads causing the collapse of the human race as we know it?

Hellraiser(1987):
This is one of my favorites. Hellraiser is a film that deals mainly in sexual lust and desire while blurring the line between pleasure and pain. Clive Barker really shows us how frighting Hell can be and the dangers of the extent of human curiosity, all while introducing us to one of the baddest mofos out there; none other then the legendary Pinhead.

To escape the city life, Larry and Julia decide to movie into a rustic old home which once used to belong to Larry’s late parents. The problem doesn’t start until Larry accidentally cuts himself causing his dead brother Frank to rise out from the gates of Hell. When Julia finds out that her lover Frank has came back, he tells her that he cannot be whole without her help. Secretly, Julia helps Frank gain the strength he needs so he may walk upon this earth whole once more. But Hell is not without its rules, and sends out one of it’s most lethal and feared demon to gather Larry’s soul and the soul of the one responsible for his escape.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974):
In this list of movies, this is one of the most talked about and controversial pieces of horror cinema out there. The movie drops you right down in the middle of a very uncomfortable situation and doesn’t let go. Unlike some contemporary horror movies, there was no comedy relief; nothing to take the edge off. it’s like being on a rollercoaster in the beginning; it’s all fine and dandy, but once it ends, you feel exhausted, but the experience leaves you wanting more.

Five friends are on a summer vacation out in the middle of rural Texas. While on their way to their destination, the youths pick up a hitchhiker, who turns out to be more then what he seems. He is part of a family who has a taste for human flesh. When the family finds out about the batch of new victims in the area, someone is sent out to collect; the one they call Leatherface.

The Haunting(1963):
Forget zombies, slasher killers with masks, or even creatures from the depths of Hell. Now compared to the others this may be very tame, but it’s not what you see with your eyes that makes this film scary, instead its the way the film plays with your mind. The film really digs deep down while it grabs a hold of the viewers mind, causing psychological creepiness in all who watch it. A real classic.

In an old house on a top of a hill sits Hill House. For years it sat dormant, untouched by human hands until one day a doctor by the name of John Markway decides to start research into the world of the paranormal. Along with him for the study he is accompanied by Eleanor Lance, Theodora and Luke Sanderson, who all find out the house holds a much darker past than anyone has seen.

The Exorcist(1973):
This movie ranks as one of the most, if not thee most terrifying movie ever filmed. The movie is actually based an a real event that had happened in 1949 concerning a young boy that gets possessed by the fallen angel Lucifer. The victim in the movie is a girl rather than a boy, but a lot of what happens actually happened in real life. The movie upon its initial theatrical release the film affected many audiences so strongly that at many theaters, paramedics were called to treat people who fainted and others who went into hysterics.

Regan, a girl of 12 has no idea what she is getting into when she decided to communicate with the dead using an Ouija board. After some sessions with the Ouija board, Regan starts to behave strangely. Her parents are concerned and soon seek medical help. When that fails, the family seek the help of two clergy men who realize the girl has been possessed by a malicious demon. They must trust in their faith if they wish to banish the demon for good from her body.

I hope you enjoy the selection, hope you have a very scary Halloween.