Films offer plenty of scares for Halloween
I worked at a video store while in college, and every year
around October people would come in looking for classic horror
films such as
”
The Exorcist,
”
”
The Omen,
”
or
”
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
”
and they were usually rented out.
So, based on my own tastes and years of video store experience,
I’ve created a list of some horror films, maybe not as well known
but just as scary as the mainstream ones.
Films offer plenty of scares for Halloween
I worked at a video store while in college, and every year around October people would come in looking for classic horror films such as “The Exorcist,” “The Omen,” or “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and they were usually rented out.
So, based on my own tastes and years of video store experience, I’ve created a list of some horror films, maybe not as well known but just as scary as the mainstream ones.
“Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon” (2006)
This starts out as a black comedy about college students making a documentary about serial killer Leslie Vernon. He shows them how he chooses his victims, his workout routine and introduces them to his mentor, a retired serial killer who lives with his wife. Vernon seems like an easy going guy who just happens to be a serial killer, and the students are having fun hanging out with him, but events become frightening when he lures a group of teenagers to an abandoned farmhouse for slaughter. Nathan Baesel is superb as Leslie Vernon; he’s like a mixture of Jim Carrey and Jason Voorhees from the “Friday the 13th” series. Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger) is also in the cast.
“The Believers” (1987)
Martin Sheen stars as a police psychiatrist who defends his son from a cult that wants to use him for a human sacrifice. This is a scary movie because it is based on the religion Santeria, a form of voodoo. I watched this alone in the theater and then had to walk home past a cemetery. I dare you not to look away at the scene where Helen Shaver picks at the pimple on her face. Jimmy Smits is good as a New York policeman.
“Blacula” (1972)
This is blaxploitation at its best. The movie begins in the year 1870, and Dracula has bitten African Prince Mamuwalde and stolen his wife. The movie then jumps to present day (or 1972) Los Angeles, where Mamuwalde has become a vampire called Blacula and is searching for his wife. Even though it’s corny, this movie has enough scares in it to qualify as a modern day classic. William Marshall is one of the best screen vampires ever. It’s a little outdated, but worth seeking out if you haven’t seen it. Stay away from the sequel “Scream, Blacula Scream.”
“Dog Soldiers” (2002)
A British army squad on a routine exercise in the Scottish wilderness runs into an army of werewolves. Director Neil Marshall has reinvented the werewolf genre with this movie. It has humor and gore, and the werewolves are scary and realistic. This is the best werewolf movie to come along since “An American Werewolf In London.” If you can’t find this, try out Marshall’s other film “The Descent.” Just don’t watch either one of them alone.
“High Tension” (2003)
I was hesitant to watch this because it’s a foreign film, but after the first scene I was immediately hooked. College students Marie and Alex go to Alex’s parent’s farmhouse during a semester break and encounter a killer. This movie is bloody, suspenseful and it has a surprise ending I didn’t see coming. Cecile De France gives a great performance as the heroine Marie. Don’t let the subtitles discourage you. This is a must see for any true fan of the horror genre. Director Alexandre Aja also directed the “The Hills Have Eyes” remake.
“Jeepers Creepers” (2001)
Director Victor Salva grew up in Martinez watching “Creatures Features” on Saturday nights, so he knows how to put some scares into a movie. Brother and sister Trish and Darry Jenner are driving home for spring break when they encounter a demonic creature named the Creeper, who wants to eat them. Justin Long – Mac guy from the Apple commercials – and Gina Philips play the doomed siblings. If you can’t find this, sequel “Jeepers Creepers II” is pretty good too.
“Near Dark” (1987)
Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, Jenny Wright and Jenette Goldstein are redneck vampires roaming around Texas in a motor home with the windows painted black to keep out the sun. Wright falls in love with farm boy Adrian Pasdar and tries to make him a vampire. The best scene is when the vampires terrorize a bar full of cowboys. Paxton really stands out as the craziest vampire.
“Play Misty for Me” (1971)
Oscar winner Clint Eastwood made his directorial debut with this thriller about a radio deejay who is terrorized by an obsessive fan. Not really a horror film, but it does have some jump-out-of-your-seat moments and it is fun to watch Eastwood being victimized by a woman. Jessica Walter was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance. The film holds up well after 36 years.
“Race with the Devil” (1975)
Vacationing couples witness a satanic ritual then spend the rest of the film trying to elude capture while getting away in their motor home. Director Jack Starlet claims that he used real Satan worshipers as extras. Plenty of action scenes and a knockout ending make this movie fun. According to imbd.com a remake is being planned for next year.
“The Return Of The Living Dead” (1985)
A movie that combines comedy and zombies almost 20 years before “Shaun Of The Dead.” A nerve gas makes hungry corpses rise from the grave in search of victims with brains to eat. The film was written and directed by Dan O’Bannon who also wrote “Aliens.” This movie has a high gore content just like you would expect from any good zombie movie. Stay away from any of the sequels though, I think they are up to five now, and stick with the original.
All of these movies are rated R, so if you want something for young kids I would recommend any of the older Universal horror movies such as “The Wolfman,” “Dracula” or “Frankenstein.” Happy Halloween.
