(Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.)Halloween is the perfect time to be scared. Most people will put in a copy of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” while wearing a Jack Skellington costume, sipping apple juice from a “The Nightmare Before Christmas” cup right before they go to sleep in their Tim Burton-themed pajamas. But, for the true believers of the holiday cheer, horror movies are the best way to celebrate Halloween. Sadly, there are a bunch of horrible horror movies out there. For those unfamiliar with the horror genre, but are interested in familiarizing with it, The State Press has composed a list of the top 5 horror films to check out first.
5. “Dawn of the Dead” (1978). “Dawn of the Dead” is the greatest zombie movie ever made, bar none. Zombie fiction is a sub-genre of the horror genre, and the one film that stands out in the gratuitous amount of zombie films is “Dawn of the Dead.” There isn’t a modern zombie movie that isn’t influenced by “Dawn of the Dead” in some way. Directed and written by the “Godfather of Zombies,” George A. Romero, this movie still holds up due to the fantastic special effects and make-up by the great Tom Savini. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times called it “one of the best horror films ever made.” Zombie fans who haven’t seen “Dawn of the Dead” need to do so this Halloween because this movie is the sub-genre’s magnum opus.
4. Halloween (1978). Does this sound familiar: a mysterious omnipotent killer, with a weapon of some kind, hunts down teenagers one by one? Well, John Carpenter popularized that formula and perfected it with “Halloween.” One of the first and still the best slasher films, "Halloween" is a must-watch film on the holiday. Viewers might be surprised by the lack of graphic violence and gore, but don’t let those be the deciding factors. The film proves that violence and gore don't make a horror film. What is not shown on camera in “Halloween” will scare audiences more than what is shown. The human imagination will create a scarier scenario than any special effect would. People’s deepest fears are stimulated by their own personal fears, and this film understood this concept and uses it well.
3. Alien (1979). For those who want a side of science fiction with their order of horror, “Alien” is the perfect choice. Not only is it one of the best horror films, it’s one of the best science fiction movies as well. A space crew is trapped in a spaceship with a giant alien. Basically, the set-up of this movie is a haunted house on a spaceship, but replacing the ghosts with an alien. What makes this film so great is how well it succeeds in its execution. Everything in “Alien” is incredible. The alien is one of the greatest cinematic monsters, and the look of the film is still awe-inspiring. Modern filmmakers still take influence from this film’s cinematic style. For being a film from 1979, it still hasn’t dated a day.
2. The Thing (1982). Why is “The Thing” higher on the list then “Halloween”? Both John Carpenter films are essential for Halloween, but why is “The Thing” a better choice? “Halloween” might give a couple of genuine scares, but “The Thing” will cause nightmares. A group of researchers are trapped on an American Antarctic research facility with a creature that has the ability to imitate any human being, so the monster could be anyone. That is true terror — the uncertainty that a person could be a monster and not having the ability to know if is he or she truly is or not. The film effectively uses this notion and gives its audience a two-hour descent into pure horror. Also, “The Thing” has some of the best practical, non-CGI effects ever to grace the silver screen. This film is a “can’t miss,” so don’t.
1. The Exorcist (1973). “The Exorcist” is the scariest film ever made. There have been a great number of movies about demon procession lately, but none of them can match “The Exorcist’s” cinematic prowess. This movie has some of the most iconic, most unnerving and most terrifying scenes that will still frighten with viewers long after watching the film. The film has been out for almost 40 years, and still no other horror film can match it. Out of the five horror movie recommendations, “The Exorcist” surpasses the others due to how effective it is. This movie will haunt viewers afterwards, a perfect feeling for Halloween.
Reach the reporter at tverti@asu.edu
