Monday, October 29, 2012

Scary Movies

It's nearly Halloween and I'll be the first to admit that I'm a wimp and don't like being scared. I love movies that offer suspense and surprises, but I don't care for the ones that get in your mind and instill fear in you long after you watch them. There are plenty of movies in the horror genre. I don't think the ones about serial killers, chainsaw wielding psychopaths, or monsters are that scary, but I do get spooked with the more subtle supernatural stuff like ghosts.

The first movie I remember being scared of was Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I saw it in the theater with my parents when I was a little kid. They ended up taking me out to the lobby. I'm not sure if it was the Oompa Loompas, watching kids get picked off, or Gene Wilder's hair, but something was just wrong and scary about that movie. It should not have been classified as a children's movie.

Here is a list of horror movies that have since scared me. Since I'm not a big fan of this genre, I admit I haven't seen very many scary movies so my list is limited.


Psycho- This is a classic. The concept behind this movie has been copied quite a bit since then. I miss the subtlety and suspense that Hitchcock featured in his movies.
The Ring- I never thought a little girl could scare me so bad, but I wet my pants when she crawled out of the TV.
The Exorcist- I've only seen parts of this movie. Whenever I am flipping channels and come across Linda Blair's spinning head, I just keep moving on.
The Shining- All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
Nosferatu-The original from 1922 and Klaus Kinsky's 1979 German version is also great.
Salem's Lot-Several things about this movie freaked me out. It was no fun walking home from my friends house after it was over.
Poltergeist- I've never looked at clowns the same after seeing this movie.
Nightmare on Elm Street-This movie had a scary premise. I only saw the original so I can't vouch for any sequels.
Alien(s)- One of the few " monster" movies I think is extremely intense and scary.
What Lies Beneath-The real horror in this movie is that Harrison Ford plays the bad guy for a change!
The 6th Sense-My wife's family all slept in their living room after watching it because they were too afraid to sleep in separate bedrooms.
The Others-Not that scary, or original, but I still liked it.
Diabolique-I'm referring to the original 1955 French version. Very suspenseful.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers- Both the 1956 original and the 1978 remake were pretty good. I love the concept of people not really being who they appear to be.
The Haunting in Connecticut-Makes you want to get a very detailed history of a home before you buy one.

What are some movies that have kept you from wanting to go down in the fruit cellar at night?
PS- This post was borrowed from The Movie Guy.

3 comments:

Dr Zibbs said...

Remember the trippy scene when they go on the boat through the tunnel? Freak out!

Lisa said...

I love Sixth Sense, I'd watch it every time it comes on.

This is oceangirl. Not sure if you remember me :)

mCat said...

My list is comparable to yours. Can't stand a scary movie. I watched merely a snippet of the Exorcist on a news program and couldn't sleep for weeks. Afraid of clowns (thanks Poltergeist) and was shaken to the core during The Sixth Sense.

mCat = total wuss with scary movies