Ah, Halloween. The holiday that lets children accept candy from strangers, gives college students an excuse to dress up as slutty-anything and get wasted and allows adults to scare children without fear of getting prosecuted. It really has something for everyone. We here at Filmophilia love every aspect of Halloween (is slutty couch potato a thing?) and as a celebration we have been huddled cackling around our cauldrons cooking up this list of our favorite scary movies. So lock your doors and windows and get ready to hide behind the couch, ’cause by the prickling of our thumbs, something wicked this way comes!
Ari Gunnar Þorsteinsson: Evil Dead II
The fact is that although many films attempt it, few films manage to blend comedy and horror in a satisfying way. Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead II is one of the few exceptions. From the opening narration, which briefly sets up the story, the audience is treated to a film which is basically a roller-coaster ride, fun, exciting and exhilarating, leaving you with a numb feeling in your body. The film’s greatest asset, apart from Raimi’s filmmaking exuberance, is Bruce Campbell. He is so in tune with the material, playing it completely straight, but heightening everything, just like the camera does. Although it could be argued that the film is more a comedy than a horror film, the atmosphere and situations are genuinely terrifying. The laughs don’t usually come from out-and-out jokes, but rather the timing, editing and performances. Seeing the film when I was about 14 was a revelation, and it continues to be one of my all-time favorite films.
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Atli Sigurjónsson: Rosemary’s Baby
“This is no dream! This is really happening!”
Roman Polanski‘s Rosemary’s Baby is a perfect example of how to do a good horror film without showing much but simply suggesting things the whole time. The film creates an atmosphere of utter creepiness throughout as you’re never really sure what exactly is going on. Is she carrying the Devil’s spawn or not? What’s the deal with the old couple next door? Said old couple is probably the single creepiest old couple in the history of cinema. The music score also does a lot for the movie, a kind of lullaby of doom. Really everything in this movie is just right and it never loses itself in excess or gore. It simply plays with the audience’s fear of the unknown and treats all the weird goings on casually, making everything even weirder and more eerie. The film also works just as well as a black comedy and manages to succeed in the very tricky feat of being both scary and funny, sometimes both at once! Mia Farrow has never been better and this was clearly Polanski’s finest hour. But the standout is the late Ruth Gordon as the old lady next door who understandably won an Oscar for her performance.
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Áslaug Torfadóttir: Drag Me to Hell
I’m going to cheat a little bit. My favorite scary film is actually The Changeling but my love for that film has been documented on these pages before. But Sam Raimi’s return to horror Drag Me to Hell is the best new horror film I’ve seen in years. Not one of the “found footage” horrors so popular these days, this is good old schlocky fun. Sure, it’s over the top and laughably ridiculous at times, but it also produces some genuine scares. The old gypsy woman is one of the freakiest villains I’ve seen in ages and the scene in the car park will make sure you never think about chin-sucking the same way again (why are you even thinking about chin-sucking at all, you weirdo?) I watch a lot of horror films but this is one of the few that have really stayed with me.
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Erlingur Grétar Einarsson: Event Horizon
Sometimes less is more when it comes to horror films. Subtly picking at your nerves rather than assaulting your vision so often results in much more effective horror.
Not in this case, though. Event Horizon throws all the gore at its disposal at you, and then some, with a wonderfully polarizing effect on its audience. You either hate it, or you luuurve it. I squarely belong in the latter group. Sam Neill is one of the best Evil Character Actors in the World, and here he revels in a completely over-the-top role as Dr. William Weir, protagonist and villain all rolled up into one. He is ably supported by a fantastic cast of Laurence Fishburne, Jason Isaacs, Joely Richardson, Richard T. Jones and more in a scare-fest which ages unreasonably well (but that might just be the Sam Neill fanboy in me talking). And the soundtrack by Orbital and the late, great Michael Kamen, is nothing short of awesome.
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Kolbrún Björt Sigfúsdóttir: Idle Hands
I’m a wuss when it comes to scary movies, just like I don’t like going on big rollercoasters. I say that and still I will find the biggest ride in every amusement park I go to. In 1999 me and my best friend got the shit scared out of us twice the same week. First by this horror-comedy and then at a local theatre staging The Woman in Black. Now The Woman in Black still haunts my dreams while Idle Hands holds a special place in my heart as I link teenage giggling, running through the streets with unexplainable fear and swooning over boys whose picture we saw in 17 magazine and therefore had to see it at the cinema. Such simple days! Rest assured – this is not a good film. But I like it.
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Simeon Lloyd-George Haselton: Shaun of the Dead
The comedic side of Shaun of the Dead may outweigh the horror, but it’s too perfect not to be included on a list like this. Edgar Wright’s superb writing skill, combined with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s unparalleled chemistry as a comedic duo, creates a film that highlights what every fan of zombie movies has thought about at some point: how much fun a zombie takeover would be at times. What makes the film even better is that, underneath the humour, there are well-crafted relationships that develop that you can’t help but care about. On top of all this, the social commentary on life in English suburbs running throughout the film turns it into a masterpiece.
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Sverrir Sigfússon: The Thing
I’ve never been a horror movie buff. It’s not that I don’t like horror, I just want the film to be a good film (I mean no offense to those who enjoy Freddy and Jason and such, it’s just not my preference). For that very reason John Carpenter’s The Thing is by far my favorite scary movie. The tension building is masterful and it keeps you guessing at every turn. The performances are great and the unnerving and disgusting practical effects hold up pretty darn well. Not to mention the absolutely fantastic synthesizer score!
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Scared yet? Why not tell us about your favorite scary movie in the comments below.
Related articles
- Rosemary’s Baby Film Review (le0pard13.wordpress.com)
- Evil Dead Ii: Dead by Dawn (jmountswritteninblood.com)
October 31, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Needs more Psycho
October 31, 2011 at 6:22 pm
Needs more cowbell!
November 3, 2011 at 1:10 pm
needs more shining