My Scary Movie List

I enjoy a good scary movie as much as the next guy. With Halloween being just around the corner, I thought I'd write a blog post about some of my favorite scary movies.  

Poltergeist
I was young when this movie came out but old enough to be left alone at home for extended periods of time. I remember being afraid of being alone, so I'd turn on the TV to help keep me company. There's something about the sound of voices that makes you less lonely and scared. Well, without exception, when I was alone watching TV, the commercial for Poltergeist would come on. There's that little girl sitting in front of the snowy television and she turns around and says "They're here!" I would leap from the couch and change that channel faster than the speed of light. Of course, this was before remotes and we had an old cable box, which always went to a snowy channel between actual live channels, which would always freak me out worse. When I actually did see the movie, much later, there are a couple scenes which still freak me out. The chairs appearing on the table in one continuous shot. That's freaky. See it here.

The Shining
I would young when this came out too. I remember visiting my Grandparents in Arizona and they lived near a drive in theater. You could see the screens from their house. I distinctly remember seeing the part of the shining when those little twin girls were standing in the hallway and then the blood flood scene and it scared the crap out of me...and that was without sound, scary music, context, or dialogue. Just that scene with no sound was enough to scar me for life. I still, to this day, haven't seen the movie.

The Nightmare on Elm Street Franchise
I went to this some of these movies with my buddies in junior high and early highschool. The thought of a killer that could get you from your dreams is just a creepy thought. I actually even had an actual nightmare where one of my friends turned into Freddy Kreuger and tried to kill me. Scenes from this movie still haunt me today, particularly when I'm taking a bath. If you've seen it, you'll know why.

The Ring
I watched this with my sister-in-law. After watching the video, there was a DVD extra where you could watch the content of the infamous video tape. We watched it and as soon as it was over and the screen went snowy, the phone rang. My sister-in-law was afraid to answer it. If you've seen the movie, you'll know why. That freaked me out more than the actual movie.

The Exorcist
I've seen parts of this movie and that's enough for me. As a person who believes that satan exists and is evil, this couldn't be any creepier. Enough said.


The Sixth Sense
One of the few scary movies I've seen with my wife. She's not into the whole scary movie genre. It was a great movie and had some seriously scary moments. Also, a mind bender when you see it for the first time. It never occurred to me that he was already dead until it happened. My wife figured it out. She's smart like that.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Okay, so it's not really a horror movie, but it had some scary scenes. The whole Barry alien abduction scene was pretty scary...especially for a kid (which was what I was when I saw it for the first time). Good movie, though.

Something Wicked This Way Comes
This one has a special place in my heart because I actually auditioned for it when I was a child actor. My Mom found a casting call in the news paper for a Disney movie wanting a young blond boy who wore glasses and was around 10 years old. I fit the bill. I didn't get the part, obviously, but I did enjoy the movie. It's scary...especially for a Disney film in the 80's.

Se7en
This movie is seriously messed up. It's got some scary and suspenseful moments and the bad guy wins in the end. It'll blow your mind. Dark, twisted, and sadistic...but definitely scary.

American Werewolf in London
It's more of a comedy than a horror flick, but it does have it's moments and it's a cult film. What more could you ask for?

Pet Sematary
I saw this in high school. I never forget it or the first time I saw it. Watching the little boy say "I wanna play wif you!" after he was brought back from the dead is high raising stuff. That's where I first heard the name Gage. Years later, I named my son Gage. He's nothing near the killer that little boy was. He's a sweetheart.

Psycho
We all have to admit that the reason we are afraid to take showers is because of this movie. In fact, my wife always takes a peek at me in the shower when I'm washing my face and can't see or hear her. When I open my eyes and she's standing there, it still freaks me out. She's never holding a knife, but it still gets me....every time.

I have more, but my may leave the rest of my list until Monday for "My Scary Movie List, Part 2". Enjoy!