10. Friday the 13th - A bit of a "Halloween" rip-off, the original "Friday the 13th" accelerated the movement of crazed slasher films. The poor campers at Crystal Lake never stood a chance against the lurking Jason. Although the barrage of sequels became a bit ridiculous, I really liked the first Friday.
9. The Blair Witch Project - You either love or hate this movie. Personally, I thought it was great. A group of young film makers get lost in the woods while doing a documentary on the elusive Blair Witch. Shot without a soundtrack, this movie created an eerie feeling of uneasiness. And the ending was just downright scary.
8. Hostel - Movies that put unsuspecting Americans in dire straits while traveling abroad always have great potential. This one had me guessing until the end. Could something like this really happen? I sure wouldn't want to find out.
7. When A Stranger Calls - "We've traced the call. And it's coming from inside of the house"! One of the most frightening movie lines ever!
6. The Amityville Horror - I loved both the original and the remake. I would have moved out of the house on the first day! Being "based on a true story" made this one even more scary.
5. The Strangers - One of the more recent scary movies that I've seen, I found this one to be downright terrifying. Who were these people? And why did they decide to stop at this house? Liv Tyler gave a great performance. It definitely had me on the edge of my seat.
4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - One of the creepiest movies ever. The character Leatherface was loosely based on serial killer Ed Gein. This only added to the macabre of this film. The remote farmhouse was the perfect setting for this gritty adventure.
3. Halloween - A horror classic! A crazed madman who escapes from a mental institution always has unlimited potential to terrify us. Michael Myers is the epitome of a horror movie villain. Never knowing when he would be lurking behind a bush or a set of curtains kept audiences on the edge of their seats.
2. The Exorcist - When the devil comes to town, you know things are going to be rough. I saw this one when I was quite young and it scared the BeJesus out of me! Regan MacNeil remains one of the most iconic horror movie characters ever. Ironically, years later, I developed a crush on Linda Blair. I'm not sure what this says about me but there you have it....
1. The Shining - Regarding Stephen King, this is one the rare exceptions where the movie was better than the book. Watching Jack Nicholson's character's descent into madness was very compelling. Who can forget the classic "Here's Johnny" line? The setting and cast were perfect but beleive it or not, Jack Nicholson was not the first choice to play the lead role. Director Stanley Kubrick had Robert DeNiro and Robin Williams in mind, while writer Stephen King had his eyes on Jon Voight. A brilliant movie that I'll never get tired of watching.
An honorable mention goes out to "Saw" which provided a different twist on the traditional horror movie. I think they went a little crazy with the sequels, but the original film is definitely worth watching. It has plenty of gore with an element of suspense.
Although it didn't make my top ten, I must mention the movie Scream for a very good reason. While in Colorado years ago, I was looking to kill some time one Tuesday evening. So, I decided to catch a movie. I had heard some good reviews about Scream, so I bought a ticket. It turns out that not many people in Colorado go to the movies on a Tuesday night because I was the only person in the theater! I have to tell you, to watch a horror movie totally alone in a dark theater is the way to go! Impulsively, I kept looking behind me to see if anyone was sneaking up on me. I felt like I was ten years old! A unique adventure indeed.
Happy Halloween!
kw
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