Top 10 classic horror films to watch this Halloween
Halloween is quickly approaching, which means decorations are out, pumpkins are being carved, leaves are falling, and nostalgia for candy and scary movies is filling the air. For university students, the smell of dead leaves and October morning rain stimulates childhood memories, and leaves us yearning for childhood traditions, like watching Halloweentown on the Family
Channel.
In light of this spreading nostalgia for all things spooky, I decided to compile a list of classic horror films circa 1965 – 1999. What makes these films classic is their ability to create suspense and scare their viewers using scarce gore and very few resources. These horror films will not only feed your nostalgia for Halloween tradition, but also scare the pants off of you.
1. Halloween (1978)
What better movie to watch during Halloween than Halloween? This is one that has seen its fair share of horrible remakes, but John Carpenter’s original film is timeless. Michael Myers – a man who was institutionalized as a child for the violent murder of his sister – escapes the asylum and goes after young Jamie Lee Curtis, who plays a compelling victim. Carpenter demonstrates his talent by scaring his audience with small details and cleverly done camera shots.
2. The Exorcist (1973)
Linda Blair’s role as Regan in this film is something every horror film lover should witness. The special effects were ahead of their time when the movie came out; viewers in 1973 had never seen anything like it, and, supposedly, audience members were puking in movie theatres. The Exorcist adds a perfect spin to the religious and the demonic. This is a movie that belongs in every horror collection.
3. The Shining (1980)
Jack Nicholson brings together this Stephen King film and makes it a classic. About a man who moves his family out to a remote resort in the middle of the winter to write, this film is bound to scare the pants off of you. From creepy ghost children, to Danny screaming, “REDRUM”, I still have nightmares of Nicholson creeping through my bedroom door and yelling, “HERE’S JOHNNY!”
4. The Omen (1976)
The cinematography alone in this film is magnificent. The Omen is not only a great horror film that will creep out even the most avid horror fanatic, but is also a work of art. The camera shots are so clever, the details are so well thought-out, and the suspense is so artful that this movie is nothing short of a masterpiece. From the disturbing Gregorian Chants that accompany the final credits, to my personal favourite quote from the possessed nanny “Look at me, Damien! It’s all for you”, this movie is everything a good horror movie should be.
5. Friday the 13th (1980)
Here’s a classic slasher film. This one takes you into Camp Crystal Lake and introduces every horror film cliché imaginable. A murderer seeks vengeance for Jason’s death by targeting the sexually driven camp counselors at Camp Crystal Lake, who were too busy making out to notice that Jason was drowning. This movie has stereotypes, gore, a remote location, blood-curdling screams, a cool mask, and Kevin Bacon. There’s also a little twist – like Scream, we don’t know who the killer is until the end.
6. Children of the Corn (1984)
The title alone mentions two of the creepiest horror tropes: children and cornfields. This movie has the classic horror film plot of a couple driving into a village in the middle of nowhere and getting stuck – but Stephen King adds a new twist to the cliché by throwing a religious cult of children into the mix. Yeah, this one’s got cornfields, satanic children, and human sacrifices – a recipe for a good horror film.
7. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
On a creepiness scale of one to 10, this film pulls a 15. It’s unique plotline is utterly twisted. This one’s not about the blood and guts, but about genuinely creeping its viewers out. Just reading the plotline on IMDb is enough to give someone the heebie-jeebies. I can’t go into detail about the plot without providing spoilers, but if you’re looking to really creep yourself out, feel a little disturbed, and probably have nightmares, watch Rosemary’s Baby.
8. Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Here we have Freddy Krueger – a creepy, murderous, and vengeful pervert who haunts the dreams of a few local teenagers, including a young Johnny Depp. This film proudly carries the gore, the special effects, and the clichés of a classic 1980s horror film.
9. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Throw a bunch of young adults into the middle of a forest haunted by a vengeful spirit, and what do you get? The Blair Witch Project. This one uses the “fear of the unknown” to scare the crap out of its viewers. Who isn’t afraid of getting lost in the depths of a dense forest, only to be haunted by blood-curdling screams of your missing friend at night? Oh, and it’s supposedly a true story. Forget about the fact that you can
see into Heather Donahue’s nostrils for most of the film, and you have yourself a decent horror flick.
10. Scream (1996)
This Halloween classic couldn’t be left out. Scream, directed by Wes Craven, is known for starting a genre of its own. Craven created a satirical horror genre by combining comedy with classic slasher-film elements. Known for never revealing the true murderer until the end, Scream is a classic Halloween flick (I guess the ‘90s are becoming “classic” now, too). Fun fact: Neve Campbell is actually from Guelph, making this film an even juicier horror indulgence.