My Ten Favorite Scary Movies

Well, Halloween is just a few weeks away, and I thought it an appropriate time to talk about my ten favorite scary movies. First, a couple of things that this list is not: it's not about monster movies, classic or not. "Frankenstein" and "The Bride of Frankenstein" may be great, old, classic movies, but they are not scary, certainly not in the creepy, goose-bumpy way. I also haven't included the gory, splatter movies. You know, the ones that think scary is all about blood and grossness, movies like "Saw" or "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre." What you'll find here are scary, suspenseful, creepy movies. Things may jump out at you, there can be blood and guts, but there has to be more to them than that. So, without further ado, here are my top ten in reverse order:

10. "Cloverfield"

I don't know what I was expecting when I sat down to watch the DVD of this movie, but I certainly wasn't expecting anything so good that I would add to a top ten list. But from beginning to end, this movie grabbed me, kept me on the edge of my seat, and never let up the tension or suspense. The premise is similar to "Blair Witch Project" in that it happens in real time, with the entire movie seen through the lens of a videotape camera. Very nifty, and very effective.

9. "Blair Witch Project"

Once again, a very clever premise, and very suspenseful and scary. The fact that you never see the witch, or whatever it is that is stalking the main characters only adds to the effectiveness of the scares. Excellent performances by the three principal actors are crucial to the wonderful atmosphere and moodiness of this film. You'll never find me walking in the woods again.

8. "Nightmare on Elm Street"

Yes, the sequels were horrible and nothing more than gore-fests, but the original was terrifying. The introduction of Freddie Krueger was creepy and scary as all get out, with a fine performance by Robert Englund in the title role.

7. "It"

Yes, I know, it's a TV movie, and not a theatrical release, and yes, the best parts of the book were left out, and the ending sucked. Never mind, the first half of this film is mesmerizing and terrifying. Tim Curry gives the performance of his career as Pennywise, the scariest, creepiest, most horrifying clown you will ever come up against. A better second half, and this would have been much higher up the list.

6. "28 Days"

Probably the most intelligent zombie film ever made, this is part end of the world apocalypse, part zombie thriller. Atmospheric, moody, and terrifying, all done with the sardonic wit that only the British seem to possess. The opening sequence, where the main character wanders through an eerily silent, abandoned London is simply brilliant.

5. "Night of the Living Dead"

The grandaddy of all zombie films, filled with blood and gore, not to mention horrible acting by its grade Z cast. Nevertheless, it is creepy and terrifying. The grainy, black and white cinematography only add to the realism. George Romero's first major hit, and still his best film. The sequels had their moments, but none could match the original classic.

4. "The Ring"

A solid story, fine acting (especially Naomi Watts), and the most terrifyingly creepy dead child ever put to celluloid all added up to the best scary film in many years. The climactic moment when the child actually came up out of the well, and.....Never mind, you didn't really think I was going to give it away, did you.

3. "The Shining"

As one of Stephen King's "constant readers", I'm supposed to not like this version of King's scariest book. Sorry to disappoint you, Stephen, but this is one of the moodiest, most ominous films ever made, with classic Kubrick touches like the steadicam dolly shots behind Danny's tricycle, and the hedgemaze. Sure, they left a lot of great stuff out of the book, but Jack Nicholson's performance as crazy Jack Torrance is towering, and the movie is genuinely scary. It helps to have read the book beforehand, but this is still a major achievement. This is one film that has gotten better as the years have gone by.

2. "Halloween"

I'm talking about the original, and only the original, you can forget all the lame sequels. From the incredible theme music, written by director John Carpenter himself, to the amazing beginning set-piece that starts the film, this movie is terrifying and suspenseful from beginning to end. The blood and gore is minimal, while the terror is unrelenting. An absolute masterpiece, and if it is to be blamed for the entire slasher genre it spawned, so be it, this movie is worth it. An homage to "Psycho", the Donald Pleasance character is actually named Sam Loomis. Jamie Leigh Curtis was never better.

1. "Psycho"

What can I possibly say about this movie that hasn't already been said? The shower sequence is probably the most famous sequence in American cinema and never loses its power to shock. This is probably the only movie that kills off its main character 45 minutes into the film, and it's a tribute to master director Alfred Hitchcock that he gets away with it. Anthony Perkins was perfectly cast as Norman Bates, and he is terrifying and pitiful at the same time. Janet Leigh is breathtakingly beautiful, and a perfect combination of naive waif and shady sex object. I believe this is Hitchcock's best film, and one of the top ten movies of all time. Still holds up after all these years.


And there you have it, my top ten scary films of all time. If you think I've left anything worthwhile out, let me know. And if you haven't seen one or more of these movies, check them out this Halloween, you won't regret it.