As Halloween approaches, so do the inexhaustible lists of horror movies you should watch on All Hallows’ Eve.
Picking the ‘best’ Halloween movies is a tricky business. Should the perfect Halloween marathon leave your terrified to go to sleep alone? Or should it be made up of classics that have been celebrated for decades? I’ll attempt to include both, but if I leave any of your favourite out, please comment below!
The Amityville Horror (1979)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yr6VbT8QcU]
A staple for any horror movie fanatic, the original Amityville Horror follows the Lutz family after they move into a home on Long Island, where a mass murder had previously been committed.
Dawn Of The Dead (2004)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36X8C7nlbE4]
Yes, we know this is a remake of George Romero’s 1978 classic, but we think this movie’s good enough to stand alone. Faced with torrents of flesh-eating zombies a group of survivors must fight to survive in a midwestern shopping mall.
Suspiria (1977)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MecSlkWMHPY]
Director Dario Argento shares the tale of ballerinas in Germany. When American Suzy Bannion arrives at the unassuming ballet school, she has no idea that it may be a front for something far more sinister.
Paranormal Activity (2007)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twoWuDy5kys]
These days the Paranormal Activity series is seen somewhat as a joke but when the first movie came out in 2007 it was an instant hit. The low-budget movie builds tension throughout, so it’s super fun to watch it with those who’ve never seen it before.
Fire In The Sky (1993)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LhshgLJuuM]
If alien abduction movies are your ideal horror movie niche, you’ll want to watch Fire In The Sky. The film explores the peculiar events of November 5, 1975 in Snowflake, Arizona when aliens apparently abducted White Mountains logger Travis Walton. For the first five days, Travis’ colleagues are accused of murder, but when Travis returns he slowly recalls what happened to him.
The People Under The Stairs (1991)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEyQIcuGwDw]
Ever considered burgling someone’s home? Before you do, just watch The People Under The Stairs. A young boy named Fool and his two friends break into a home, only to discover the inhabitants are completely insane and are ‘rearing’ children under the stairs. Once they’re in, they can’t get out.
Session 9 (2001)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsxkRNvEbhM]
Ah, the old mental hospital horror flick. In Session 9 we follow an asbestos abatement crew as they explore an abandoned mental hospital. With complicated back stories and a building sense of tension, Session 9 will have you wanting to avoid hospitals for the rest of your life.
A Tale Of Two Sisters (2003)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anF5XiN8QY8]
After spending time in insane asylum, two sisters return home to their father and cruel stepmother. Not only do the two girls have to deal with their unstable new mother, they also have a ghostly intruder.
Salem’s Lot (1979)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itgqj4okSv8]
These aren’t today’s sparkly, emo vampires who fall in love with humans with all the personality of a potato. No. These are old school vampires with glowing eyes and gnarly fangs.
Signs (2002)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4f3X1TGSXY]
Okay, so Signs isn’t particularly scary (except for staring Mel Gibson) but it’s definitely a must watch for thrill seekers. After preacher/farmer Graham Hess looses his wife in a tragic car accident he no longer has nay faith in God. His children and brother live with him in his farmhouse, where crop circles begin to appear in his fields.
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52vK2-Dv1TA]
This remake shares the story of a group in San Francisco after they realise the human race is being replaced with clones devoid of emotion. How can you escape the same fate as everyone else, when you cannot trust anyone?
The Beyond (1981)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef0oH3ZizfI]
Don’t you hate it when you inherit a hotel built over one of the entrances to Hell? A young Lousianna woman sure does in this masterpiece from Lucio Fulci.
Saw (2004)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-1QgOMQ-ls]
Like Paranormal Activity, Saw has become somewhat of a parody of itself due the numerous sequels that followed the original. However, when Saw was first released in 2004, it brought gore and terror to the cinema in a whole new way.
The Omen (1976)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7CEbd7ffNw]
Gregory Peck directs this classic thriller in which mysterious deaths keep occurring around the secretly adopted child of an American ambassador. Damien, whose real mother apparently died whilst giving birth to him, may be more than an innocent little boy.
Hellraiser (1987)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7TWm3Akw-s]
After a couple moves into an old home, they discover a disturbing creature hiding in their attic. Although, it’s not as though the couple haven’t encountered the creature before, as he’s the husband’s half-brother and the woman’s ex boyfriend. The monster soon encourages his former lover to bring him human sacrifices so that he can complete his earthly body.
The Descent (2005)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSYg7Z1KS_I]
Explorers become trapped after a caving expedition goes terribly wrong. Not only do they struggle to survive due to a lack of supplies, but they are also being chased by bloodthirsty predators.
The Devil’s Backbone (2001)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90o1YhN0vHY]
Carlos is an orphan after his father dies in the Spanish Civil War. When he is abandoned by his tutor at an orphanage he is subjected to bullying and strict staff, as well as the presence of Santi, a ghost and former occupant of the orphanage.
Friday the 13th (1980)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqqej9T2gqI]
Let’s ignore the sequels for a minute and focus on the original. At Camp Crystal Lake, a group of counselors are victim to a murderer, Jason, who isn’t happy about the antics going on in their camp.
REC (2007)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGJ_jPKOj1c]
A modern day classic, REC takes place in an apartment building riddled with a disease that turns its inhabitants into monsters. A young journalist and cameraman must fight through the night to survive, but who will help them if even the police won’t let them out?
Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCVh4lBfW-c]
Whatever you do: Don’t. Fall. Asleep. If you do, Freddy Krueger will come for you in your dreams. Nightmare on Elm Street follows a group on teenagers as the burned monster with knives for fingernails torments them.
The Shining (1980)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32A7bTalgAE]
Although Stephen King may not like The Shining, many horror fans do. When a family is asked to take care of an isolated hotel throughout winter, they aren’t prepared for the presence of spirits and the violence that ensues.
Night Of The Living Dead (1968)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pElSu_ECJGM]
The original zombie movie! George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead will have you barricading yourself in your house to ensure no zombies can get in.
Psycho (1960)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz719b9QUqY]
Be wary of mommy issues ladies; you don’t want a Norman Bates on your hands. When a secretary steals $40,000 from a client, she checks into a motel run by Mr Bates, and soon regrets it.
Poltergeist (1982)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eZgEKjYJqA]
Although the ghosts visiting a family in their home appear to be friendly at first, they soon turn and terrorize the homes’ inhabitants before eventually kidnapping their daughter.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs3981DoINw]
Five teenagers visit the old family home en route to visiting their grandfather’s grave and soon come face-to-Leatherface with a family of cannibals Hell bent on killing each and every one of them.
Ju-On: The Grudge (2002)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PytX70Q8fW0]
Set in Japan, a volunteer social assistant Rika Nishina is assigned to look after a family. Everyone who enters their house is either murdered or disappears. There, Rika she is cursed and chased by Kayako and her son Toshio.
Halloween (1978)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHuOtLTQ_1I]
Of course! John Carpenter’s legendary classic about masked, homicidal murderer Mike Myers, who’s just returned from fifteen years an insane asylum for stabbing his sister, will leave you terrified and anxious for days.
The Exorcist (1973)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDGw1MTEe9k]
Linda Blair is perhaps one of the best child actors in the history of time as she portrays a young girl possessed by the devil. We (and the power of Christ) compel you to watch the directors cut.
