Top 10 Horror MoviesOct 19 '02 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Movies that have both Psychological and Physical Horror: Exorcist, Alien, Black Christmas, Halloween, Clownhouse, Night of the Living Dead, The Hitcher, In The Mouth of Madness, Hellraiser and Se7en.
I am a purist. I like sheer terror: the type of movie that scares you as you tell a friend about a specific scene. It’s not enough for a movie to scare you once, but it has to create that "raising of the hair on the back of your neck" no matter now many times you see it. Some movies use a lot of blood and gore to get a shock but I don't consider that real terror. Real terror is psychological and uses visuals and special effects to heighten that internal fear. A good example of this is the feeling that people have in the movie "The Exorcist" when the words "Help Me" appear on Regan's stomach. The gasps in the theater were audible and even now, as I write this, my skin crawls. A good horror movie should tantalize you; a great horror movie should make you feel confused and disoriented: the real hallmarks of evil. There are movies that I left off the list that I still consider very scary and I would still recommend (i.e. Sixth Sense, Suspiria, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Phantasm and Memento). There is also a now defunct TV show, Millennium, which I think combined the psychological and physical aspects of horror extremely well(if you can get any old episodes on rental, especially from the first season, I recommend you do). My list is in no particular order because each movie, in its own way, is a real winner, which has stood the test of time of time. During Halloween Season, these would be the movies I would bet on to scare my friends and me. 1. Exorcist, 1973(get the re-released edition w/ the crab walk and the haunting faces): From the very beginning of the movie until the ending scene, you are taken on a psychological ride. It is not just a story about possession. It is a story about human fear and how, in the end, evil works to exploit our own fear and guilt. Certainly, Regan is the extreme metaphor for this and watching her imaginary friend, Mr. Howdy, eventually take over her body and soul is disturbing. What better way for evil to come to us than through something we desire and something enticing (i.e. a friend to a lonely child). The actual exorcism itself is very intense and watching the Regan’s body contort and spin is truly disturbing. The special effects add to the psychological thrill of the movie (make sure you view the re-released version with the crab walk and the flashing evil faces---it makes a difference!). The mix of theology and psychology is also very well done. Still has the same effect on me it did the first time I saw it. 2. Alien, 1979: Some argue that the sequel Aliens, is better. I say, rent them both and watch them back to back and you are sure to be scared to death. The creepy mood created by the ship and the darkness of space works well. Since you have no idea what the hell is going on until you witness the birth and growth of the creature, you find yourself feeling exactly like those aboard the ship: disturbed and confused. I think that this makes the original superior if for no other fact that in the sequel, you are already familiar with the creature and what it is capable of. I was told years ago that the husband and wife team that made this movie specifically chose a female as a protagonist and a male as the first host victim because the movie deals with the underlying theme of rape and violation, and how this is not just a woman's issue. The scene where the alien creature from the egg is attached to the one crewman's face and won't come off seems to make this point. I think that adds another element to the movie and makes it even more unsettling. The Alien is horrific and truly scary and never more so than when it is born. It still makes me jump. 3. Black Christmas (Silent Night, Evil Night), 1974: I have to put this on the list because it is still one of my all time favorite horror movies and is the movie that started the genre of the slasher movie. Many, many movies must bow in homage to this Canadian movie as their inspiration. Yes, it is a bit dated to watch but it still works and works well. The use of POV camera angles is nicely done. The basic plot: sorority girls trapped in their house over Christmas break with someone stalking them. The killer is creepy, creepy, creepy. “Agnes, you won’t tell them what we did will you Agnes.” His voice still haunts me and no movie since has used the varying voices and phone dialogue to the same haunting effect. The use of psychological twists and confusion as to who the murder is or might be works extremely well. The ending is the creepiest of all and is the best ending of any horror movie ever. Period! 4. Halloween, 1978: Another perennial favorite and one which I return to regularly. Jamie Lee is great and the use of the familiar images of Halloween as a backdrop, is perfect in creating the foreboding mood. The use of pumpkins and other Halloween paraphernalia effectively lulls the audience into familiar surroundings while exploiting the evil lurking behind the familiar. The killings are done masterfully (I am especially fond of the way that Michael Meyers, when he kills the one student in the kitchen, turns his head like a dog hearing a high pitched whistle). The use of shadows and light is excellent. More than anything, this movie uses suspense to make you jump. Using the Hitchcock method, the director shows you something terrible is about to happen and then makes you wait an additional, unpredictable amount of time for it to occur. Still a classic. 5. Clownhouse, 1988: Somewhat of a controversial movie. I put it on my list because it still scares me. This is B movie, don’t get me wrong. But, it is a well done B movie. Anyone who hates or is afraid of clowns will relate to this movie. The basic premise is that 3 young boys are left alone overnight (one of the 3 has a fear of clowns) and go to the circus. On the same night, 3 mental patients escape from a nearby institution and are on the loose. Eventually, the mental patients and the boys meet and all hell breaks loose. Not much gore but a lot of suspense and creepiness. Watching the one boy who is afraid of clowns try to convince his brothers that the clowns are coming for them and that he is not paranoid or imagining it, is a great study in isolation and fear. Those clowns still scare me and one scene, where one of the boys is in the attic replacing the fuse, is particularly well done. Oh yeah, you will never look at novelty balloon animals or the circus in the same way again! 6. Night of the Living Dead, 1968: Classic. The beginning of the movie in the cemetery is priceless and sets the appropriate mood for the whole movie. Why are these dead bodies coming back to life and why do they want to chomp on my arm? The siege mentality of the house and the confusion among the trapped victims as to what is going on is very believable. The gore works to the movies advantage and is not gratuitous. The fear and anxiety in the house and the basement builds predictably but authentically. The zombies are horrific in appearance and are insatiable. Enough said! 7. The Hitcher, 1986: This is really an underrated movie. The relationship between the hitchhiker and his foil is very well crafted. A young college student picks up a hitchhiker and is dragged into a terrible duel for his life. The cat and mouse antics of the hitchhiker are very well done and believable. One scene, where the young man sees the hitchhiker in the back window of a station wagon filled with kids, is particularly horrific and frightening. As the story progresses, you learn that the movie is as much about the psychological taunting of the young man as well as the killings themselves (i.e. the killings are only a vehicle for the killer). More psychologically haunting than anything else with an excellent ending. 8. In the Mouth of Madness, 1995: Yep, I admit it this movie really scared me. If for no other reason, it really puts you on edge and keeps you there. I don’t think there was one moment in this movie where I did not feel confused and disoriented. The movie keep you guessing and off balance but throws bits of hints your way just to keep you interested. All those who are reading the books of a certain author start to exhibit homicidal behavior. This begins to spread like wildfire but the author himself cannot be found. Eventually, this leads the publishing company of the book to hire a PI to find the author. Once the PI finds the place where the author is supposed to be, the movie really takes off. Nothing is as it seems and the horrific truth starts to unfold. It is fitting that the movie ends where is begins and nothing is really resolved. 9. Hellraiser, 1987: Another classic. The demons are truly evil. The special effects make you shift and shift in you seat. The psychological torment is uniquely related to the overall movie. The sense of betrayal and horror is the basis of the movie and Barker uses the characters and the cinematography to create this exact mood. Very dark and very scary. What other movie uses skinning people, Sado Masochism, and toy boxes in the same scene. The scene where we first meet Pinhead is quite memorable. But what makes this so good is the truly underlying theme of consumption and betrayal. The gluttony of the evil characters is directly related to their overall vanity and basal lives. In some ways, the people get the fate they deserve but the evil is timeless. That is the real horrific aspect of the movie: the evil remains and just shifts its form. 10. Se7en, 1995: A thinking man’s horror movie. The true fear and loathing in this movie is in the recognition that everyman has a sin which could be exploited to their own downfall. The killer exploits the evil, which already resides in his victims and is some ways is more a facilitator of death than the actual cause. The use of the 7 deadly sins and theological constructs of those sins is brilliant. The actual killings add to the overall eerie mood of the movie while showing the audience just how bad we really all are and what could happen to any of us if we don’t’ check our own sinful inclinations. Pitt and Freeman are excellent and believable. The ending ranks as a psychological and visual piece of art.  |
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