Halloween is quickly approaching, which for many viewers means that it is a great time of year to watch scary movies. But with so many out there, how should viewers know what to watch? Should they watch the 14th installment of “Friday the 13th,” or “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians”? Well, viewers definitely shouldn’t watch either of those, but here is our list of the top five Halloween movies to watch around this time of the year:
“halloween”
The film “Halloween” was released in 1978, and was one of, if not the first, slasher film to ever come out. It was the first and the best. Directed by John Carpenter, it follows the psychotic, masked Michael Myers (Tony Moran, “Beg”) on his journey from childhood to his adulthood as an escaped mental patient who terrorizes the fictional town of Haddonfield, Ill. on Halloween night. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis (“A Fish Called Wanda”) in her film debut. In addition to being one of the scariest films ever made, the film also features a phenomenally haunting soundtrack. Michael Myers is one of the most classic horror movie villains of all time. His mask, his brutal nature and his silence inspired many copycats, none of which lived up to “Halloween.” “Halloween” is scary, it is fun, it feels original and it is one of the scariest Halloween films ever made.
“the shining”
Although not considered one of Stanley Kubrick’s best films, this movie has a place among the top Halloween movies of all time. Released in 1980 and starring Jack Nicholson (“Chinatown”), “The Shining” is about a man named Jack Torrance who takes care of a paranormal hotel during the off season with his wife and son, who has supernatural powers. “The Shining” brings a excellent ghostly element to the screen along with the always excellent filmmaking of Stanley Kubrick. ”The Shining” should be considered one of the best Halloween movies viewers can see.
“the blair witch project”
Viewers seem to either love or hate this film, but everyone is universally scared by it. Released in 1998 and directed by Eduaro Sanchez and Daniel Myrick, “The Blair Witch Project” is about a documentary film crew who is creating a film about the mysterious “Blair Witch” in Maryland. The crew then gets lost in the woods trying to find out about her. Filmed in a documentary style, “The Blair Witch Project” is on this list because it is different. Throughout the course of the film, viewers never see what is happening to the characters. Viewers feel the situation up close and personal just like the characters do, and the scariest part of this film is that we never know what is going on. It is mysterious and that makes it terrifying.
“psycho”
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and released in 1960, “Psycho” is one of the first and greatest horror movies ever made. “Psycho” certainly has the element of surprise and scare factor as all horror movies should, but it has something else as well. All of the characters feel real. For its time, “Psycho” is a deeply disturbing and frightening movie, and we can even feel that today, 53 years later. Many horror movies tend to have one physically intimidating character killing stupid teenagers, with no real plot. “Psycho” is different – it has an excellent plot, great dialogue and fantastic cinematography as well. It is a must see.
“young frankenstein”
Okay, so it is not a “scary” movie, but it is a Halloween movie, and why can’t Halloween movies be fun? Directed by Mel Brooks and released in 1974, “Young Frankenstein” is one the best comedies of all time, not to mention a great Halloween movie. As one can tell from the title, “Young Frankenstein” parodies the story of Frankenstein in the brilliant style that Mel Brooks is capable of. “Young Frankenstein” is a break from all the other scary Halloween movies, not to mention
