The Halloween season is a perfect time to curl up with your daughter to
watch a horror movie. But there is nothing worse than watching a horror
film that turns out to be a complete failure as Paranormal Activity. Here's
a guide to some of the best horror movies to ensure you do not lose a night
of dark storm.
The Omen (1976)
A gift for Damien
Curse is the story of the birth and childhood of the antichrist. The
Antichrist, named Damien Thorn in the film, is the literal son of the
devil. Although this is horrible theology, he does not stop the film to be
very disturbing. For me, the most shocking scene is when Damien nanny hangs
herself as a willing sacrifice to his fifth birthday party. I'll give an
honorable mention to the Exorcist here as another film that has the devil
as the main protagonist, but I think that special effects are pretty bad
taste by today's standards.
The Shining (1980)
Horror, as science fiction and fantasy, is a despised race. Actors and
directors prefer to make "serious" works on AIDS, cancer or mental illness.
For this reason, horror movies are generally low-budget affairs with actors
unnamed and directed by men who will never receive an Oscar nomination.
Shining was an exception to this rule. It was directed by Stanley Kubrick,
who had several Oscars to his name, and he played Jack Nicolson, another
Oscar winner. And the script was based on a novel by one of the masters of
the horror genre, Stephen King.
Shining is a ghost story set in a hotel that caters to the rich nestled in
the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Due to the severe winters in the
mountains, the hotel stops in autumn leaving only a caretaker to maintain
it. The concierge is a writer named Jack Torrence who jumps at the chance
to spend the winter with his wife and young son in a hotel doing nothing
written. Of course, Jack gets more than he bargained for as the hotel is
haunted by the evil that has accumulated the shocking immorality held at
the hotel over the years.
The suspense in the film is enhanced by the fact that Jack Torrence is also
an alcoholic. The viewer is never 100% sure if the events taking place at
the hotel are caused by ghosts or Jack himself. Kubrick did a masterful job
of creating an atmosphere and foreboding real encounters with ghosts are
brief. Nicholson is brilliant as the tortured artist who slipped into
madness.
Of all the films in this article, The Shining is the only one that I look
most years. While I practically memorized the film, I am still drawn into
the disturbing atmosphere of the film.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
A Nightmare on Elm Street falls firmly in the slasher genre: Teenagers are
pursued by the villain, Freddy Krueger. But Wes Craven injects the
supernatural in the film. Freddy Krueger's death and how he kills his
victim through their dreams. If the victim dies in his dream, he dies in
real life. Teens quickly learn that the only way they can survive is to not
go to sleep. Of course, it is impossible for one to stay awake forever if
teenagers are being devastated by Freddy.
In the film, the viewer is never 100% sure he looks at reality or if it is
a dream then it is constantly off-balance. And while many horror films are
based on recycled monsters (vampires, werewolves, ghosts, etc.) A Nightmare
on Elm Street introduced a truly memorable villain Freddy Krueger. His skin
burned and glove brand with blades on the fingertips make him one of the
villains of the most recognizable movie.
Hellraiser (1987)
Some horror movies are based on pure creepiness rather than trying to
surprise the viewer. Hellraiser falls into this category. The story
involves a magical box that, when opened, is supposed to give him the
possessor of untold wealth, power and pleasure. When a man opens the box,
he instead called a daemon that takes body and soul to hell.
The man's mistress (his brother's wife) begins to have a night with men at
random, and sacrifice to bring her lover. She is successful, but there is a
catch-boyfriend returned without skin. He proceeds to kill his brother and
stealing his skin.
Hellraiser is disturbing from beginning to end. This movie is not feeling
good. It is better monitored only very late in the night.
Ringu (1998)
Ringu is a Japanese film. There is an American version of the film with
Naomi Watts called The Ring. For some reason, the Japanese version is
infinitely more frightening. The plot involves teenagers (always young) who
watch a video that they find in a vacation cabin. Teenagers all end up
dying with looks of horror on their faces. Heroin is a journalist who tries
to understand the mystery. In the process, she watches the video itself.
After watching the video, she receives a phone call ominous. She realizes
that anyone who watches the video is sentenced to die after a certain
number of days.
Troubled, the journalist appealed to the help of her ex-husband, who seems
to have some latent capacity extrasensory perception. Together, they
understand that the video has a link to a psychic woman and her daughter
disfigured. The rest of the movie is spent trying to figure out how to
escape the curse of the video.
Ringu is based on creating an atmosphere and foreboding element of
surprise. If you do not already know the surprise, you will certainly enjoy
Ringu.
Conclusion
You may have noticed that most of the films I mentioned are 1980s I think
horror movies of this period are more enjoyable because they have a
supernatural element, be it a demon, a ghost, or someone who has returned
from the dead. In contrast, the latest movies in the horror genre tend to
lack any reference to the paranormal. Instead, their subject involves
people being tortured and killed by flesh and blood. Films like Saw, The
Strangers, the invitation and all Hush involve random violence, free of
charge.
I would say that the disappearance of supernatural horror in movies is a
good barometer of the state of religious belief in the West. As more people
lose their faith, all that remains is the random violence.
Of course, there are many other films that I could mention, but space does
not permit. I'd be interested to hear your suggestions for other high
quality horror films in the comments.
Learn more: 4 horror movies Underappreciated
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