Whether you plan on curling up on the couch with an Irish coffee and a pint of Breyers, or are throwing a huge Halloween costume bash this thirty-first of October, it’s a great time to toss a scary movie into the DVD player and listen to some blood-curdling screams. While I remain a fan of the classics – Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween – there are some newer, lesser known horror flicks that deserve your attention on this Eve of All Saints. Here are the top ten movies you should watch this Halloween.
1. WOLF CREEK. Backpackers stranded in the Australian outback turn to an Aussie for help, but soon get more than they bargained for. This film starts out slow, but once it grabs you, it holds you to the very end.
2. HOSTEL. Written and directed by Eli Roth and produced by Quentin Tarantino, this gruesome slasher flick truly rocks. Set in a Slovakian city, three friends find themselves in a youth hostel where guests often meet an unfortunate end.
3. THE HILLS HAVE EYES. Although critics were harsh when reviewing this remake, it is an excellent survival horror film. Survivors of nuclear testing in the New Mexico desert inhabit the hills and attack unsuspecting tourists.
4. SAW. The original that launched the popular series is still (and will most likely remain) the best. Chained up in a serial killer’s basement, two strangers struggle to figure out Jigsaw’s sick and twisted puzzle.
5. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. A fantastic update on a classic film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre brings Leatherface back to life as one of the most fearsome serial killers ever to hit the screen.
6. DAWN OF THE DEAD. From the opening scene, it is evident that these zombies aren’t the same undead individuals that inhabit George C. Romero’s films. They’re fast and they’re frightening and they’re damn hungry. An awesome flick with a terrific soundtrack.
7. 28 DAYS LATER. Another exceptional zombie movie, this film is set in a post-apocalyptic London with an as yet unknown actor named Cillian Murphy leading the cast.
8. HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES. Directed by Rob Zombie, this film was a surprising success. Two teenage couples become the prisoners of a bizarre family of serial killers while seeking out the legend of the twisted Dr. Satan.
9. THE DEVIL’S REJECTS. Rob Zombie’s sequel to House of 1,000 Corpses is one of the most thrilling films to hit theaters over the past few years. Although the movie itself is very different from House of 1,000 Corpses, all the favorites are back, including Captain Spaulding, Otis Driftwood, and Baby Firefly.
10. AMERICAN PSYCHO. Based on the spectacular novel by Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho is a unique horror film that also serves as a clever satire of the decadent eighties. Christian Bale stars as Patrick Bateman, a meticulous young businessman who is living his own sick and disturbing American dream.
Happy Halloween, and be sure to enjoy one or more of these top ten movies!
