ENID, OK - This time of year, everyone has a list of recommended horror movies; I'm no different. I thought it would be more appropriate to do a Top 13 list, though, rather than a Top 10 list. Not all my movies are strictly "horror," there's even one for the kids; but, they are all, in my opinion, very scary. In no particular order (other than alphabetical), and certainly not all-inclusive, here are a few movies guaranteed to send shivers up and down your spine this Halloween season.
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Top 13 Scary Movies To See
by Jeff Owens
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The Collector (2009). Imagine if Jigsaw from the Saw franchise made house calls. How would you like to come home to a house booby-trapped with gruesome devices of death and torture? Better yet, how would you like to be an “innocent” bystander: an ex-con who plans a robbery of the house and unknowingly stumbles into the trap? The story is a little contrived and logistically makes no sense, but if you suspend your disbelief from the very beginning, it's hard not to sit on the edge of your seat, cringing with every potential explosion of gore.
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The Eye (2002). Although reminiscent of "The Sixth Sense", this amazing thriller stands on its own, rising above and beyond the now unoriginal ideas first presented in that late summer blockbuster. This movie has a style all its own, especially when dealing with a story that seems like you've probably seen a million times. The filmmakers have created an atmosphere that is creepy, unsettling, and often, downright scary. Like most American remakes of J-Horror movies, this original is much better, even though I do kind of like the 2008 version starring Jessica Alba.
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Frankenstein (1931). Until I re-watched it recently, I would have told you that the "monster" in Frankenstein was simply misunderstood, a mere victim of circumstance. However, I'm now reconsidering that assessment and am willing to argue that the creature stitched together from dead bodies and brought to life by science was, in the absolute sense of the word, a true monster. From its abnormal brain to its lascivious growling at Elizabeth on her wedding night, this Universal Monsters classic is full of subtext that makes it timeless.
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Frankenweenie (2012). Based on Tim Burton's 1984 live action short film of the same name, Frankenweenie is entertaining for movie goers of all ages. To fill a full-length movie, a simple subplot was added: a science fair at school that drives young Victor Frankenstein's friends to steal the secret he used to revive his dog that was hit by a car. During this midsection, the movie pays tribute to classic movie monsters with stand-ins for Dracula, The Wolfman and The Mummy that include a Vampire Cat, a Were-Rat and a Mummy Hamster. It's hilarious and, at times, sweet.
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Halloween (1978). Any list of my favorite movies will always include the original Halloween. After all these years, it still has the power to scare. I'm too familiar with the story and its outcome to really be shocked by it; however, the suspense of him stalking Laurie Strode is something I'll never stop feeling when I watch it. Technically, the way director John Carpenter crafted these scenes is flawless. It's like he's wired into our brains and knows exactly what's going to make us scrunch down in our seats and kick our feet, mentally yelling at Jamie Lee Curtis to get out of that closet.
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House of Dark Shadows (1970). In 1970, a theatrical version of the television soap opera, Dark Shadows, was released in theaters. It remains to this day a creepy, atmospheric and frightening movie. Even if I were not a Dark Shadows fan, I would love this movie. I wholeheartedly recommend it as a classic horror movie of the 70’s. It doesn’t hurt that Barnabas Collins is portrayed almost completely as sadistic and evil, with little of the romantic pining he did later in the series. He’s not really a “reluctant vampire” at all in the movie, which makes him (and it) all the more terrifying.
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The Loved Ones (2009). Very rarely does a horror movie come along that truly raises the bar. Its various components may not be entirely original, but they are masterfully combined into a gory, scary classic. The movie has a little something for nearly every horror subgenre fan: action, mystery, psychological horror, splatter, suspense, thriller and, just perhaps, a tiny hint of zombie horror. Most movies claiming the same do not also have the additional characteristics of interesting characters and development, a smart, no-nonsense script and authentic, emotional revelations.
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Magic (1978). "Abracadabra, I sit on his knee. Presto, change-o, and now he's me! Hocus Pocus, we take her to bed. Magic is fun...when you're dead." It's definitely dated by specific content, but not by the overall story, so Magic is not only an entertaining movie, but also a nice time capsule of the mid-to-late 1970s. It's a timeless tale of split personality or, since it's never actually explained in the movie, possibly demonic possession of an inanimate object. It's dark and it's scary and you're not sure what exactly is going to happen in the end.
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Sound of My Voice (2011). This is a movie that enthralled me from beginning to end and stuck with me for a long, disturbing time. It is effective because it provides so few answers for what’s happening. I don’t just mean that the ending is left open to interpretation; I also mean that there are little details sprinkled throughout that seem to have nothing to do with the story, but may really be important pieces to solving a puzzle. Part of the experience of watching Sound of My Voice is deciding which questions to ask. And depending on the part of the story that interests you, you may or may not get answers.
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The Stepford Wives (1975). Urban Dictionary defines “Stepford Wife” as a term “used to describe a servile, compliant, submissive, spineless wife who happily does her husband’s bidding and serves his every whim dutifully.” If you’ve never seen the original movie (and I pray you’ve never seen the awful remake), you may not really understand this definition. Even though the movie has a downer of an ending, I love its dark sci-fi outcome. Overall, the movie isn't that serious, it's just a seriously fun movie that's also a brilliant suspense thriller.
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The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014). The remake/sequel/reboot of The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976) takes the bare bones of the original movie and turns it into a surprisingly strong exercise in self-aware meta film making. Sort of a movie within a movie, it's about a killer inspired not by actual 1946 murders, but by the 1976 movie depicting those murders. It's full of fast, dynamic scenes of bloody gore. Add to that flashbacks from both the original movie and the characters’ back stories, and you have one of the most creatively-filmed movies of any genre.
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Triangle (2009). British writer/director Christopher provides a top-notch thriller with a challenging plot and creative cinematography. What Triangle does better than most other complex thrillers of its kind; i.e. time travel, is to make the material seem like it makes complete sense. Well-written, well-directed and well-acted, Triangle works on all levels to challenge, then satisfy. The final reveal is somewhat heartbreaking; I realized I was more invested than even I knew during everything that preceded it. I can't recommend it highly enough.
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Twins of Evil. I've got to include representation from Hammer Films, and this one is my current favorite. Following his wife's illness and eventual death, actor and horror legend, Peter Cushing, returned to movies with Twins of Evil. Whether he's still grieving for her or simply performing an acting tour de force, he is amazing to watch. This retelling of the lesbian vampire tale, Carmilla, has a distinct style and a surprisingly lush musical score. Director John Hough went on to helm some of my 70s favorites, The Legend of Hell House and Escape to Witch Mountain among them.
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Jeff Owens
Jeff, a graduate of Enid High School, is the Managing Editor and Senior Movie Critic of Boom Howdy, an entertainment and web culture site featuring news, movies, podcasts, comedy and gaming.
Jeff is also the Movie Buzz Guy for Enid Buzz and a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Email Jeff Here or follow his Twitter Page.
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