Curl up (in the fetal position) to these classic chillers
Nosferatu (1922) (Being released on Blu-ray on Nov. 12, DVD, Netflix streaming)
If one wants to see the origins of the horror film genre, go back and watch F.W. Murnau’s seminal vampire film. It is based on Bram Stoker’s novel “Dracula,” but the filmmakers never got permission to adapt the novel, so Stoker’s heirs sued. Thank goodness the film survived.
Frankenstein (1931) (Blu-ray, DVD)
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) (Blu-ray, DVD, Netflix streaming)
The classic Universal horror films that started in the early 1930’s are iconic and their influence is still felt today. The original “Frankenstein” is an early sound film and remains a little creaky, but it still remains incredibly entertaining and mesmerizing. The sequel is even better and one of the best film sequels of all time. Boris Karloff gives an empathic, haunting performance as the Monster. The film combines fright, humor, religious themes, and homosexual undertones. (The director, James Whale, was a homosexual.)
Psycho (1960) (Blu-ray, DVD)
Alfred Hitchcock invented the modern horror film and the slasher film with his shocking masterpiece. He had been making big budget, Technicolor action films and thrillers such as “North By Northwest” and “Vertigo” with major stars when he found the novel “Psycho” by Robert Bloch based on the real serial killer Ed Gein. Hitch used the crew from his television series to film “Psycho” in black and white in three weeks with lesser known actors. He fought the censors, did not allow audiences into the theater late, and in the process completely changed American cinema. Do not see Gus Van Sant’s shot-by-shot remake, which is on streaming Netflix, unless you have seen the original.
Rosemary’s Baby (1968) (Criterion Collection Blu-ray and DVD, Netflix streaming)
Roman Polanski very faithfully adapted Ira Levin’s novel about a normal American woman, Rosemary (Mia Farrow), who moves into an apartment in New York City with her husband (John Cassavetes) and becomes pregnant with Satan’s child. Ruth Gordon won Best Supporting Actress for playing their seemingly normal neighbor Mrs. Castevet. Polanski makes everyday life and motherhood terrifying.
Night of the Living Dead (1968) (DVD, do not watch a cheap, public domain copy)
Dawn of the Dead (1978/2004) (Blu-ray, DVD)
Before George A. Romero made his directorial debut “Night of the Living Dead,” zombies were associated with voodoo and ghouls. He invented the modern-day, flesh-eating, living dead zombie. Do not watch another episode of “The Walking Dead” until you have seen Romero’s landmark film. Its sequel, “Dawn of the Dead,” is set in a shopping mall and makes the shuffling undead corpses resemble mindless consumers. It is even better than “Night,” and the 2004 remake of “Dawn” is actually one of the better horror remakes of the past decade.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) (Blu-ray, DVD)
A masterpiece, the greatest horror film ever made, and one of the most important American films of the 1970’s. I will defend this movie until the day I die. The film barely has any blood or explicit violence on screen; the sequels, remakes, and countless rip-offs upped the gore and carnage but severely reduced the intensity and intelligence. Tobe Hooper directed this little film with a grainy, documentary aesthetic that makes the perverse horror believable and unnerving. The final scene is one of the best in film history, as is the final shot. Ed Gein influenced this film as well as “Psycho” and “The Silence of the Lambs.”
Carrie (1976) (Blu-ray, DVD, Netflix streaming)
Do not waste your time seeing the remake in theaters. Go back and watch Brian De Palma’s film version of Stephen King’s first novel. Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie both received Oscar nominations for their performances. Nobody looked at prom the same way again.
Halloween (1978) (New, restored 35th anniversary Blu-ray recently released, DVD, screening at Carmike 14 on Oct. 31)
John Carpenter made one of the most financially successful films of all time with his independent slasher film that spawned a host of other franchises such as “Friday the 13th” and “Nightmare on Elm Street.” The original 1978 film, which stars Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut, is easily the best film in all three of the series.
*The Shining (1980) (Blu-ray, DVD, screening at the Nickelodeon at 10 pm from Oct. 29 to 31)
*Stanley Kubrick very loosely adapted Stephen King’s novel about an alcoholic writer who moves his family into a hotel during the off season in winter and goes crazy. While King may not be satisfied with the film, most audiences have shrieked in approval for over thirty years. Jack Nicholson gives a wonderfully batty lead performance.
**The Evil Dead (1981) (Blu-ray, DVD, and Netflix until Nov. 1)
Evil Dead II (1987) (Blu-ray, DVD, Netflix streaming)*
A young Sam Raimi raised a couple of thousand dollars, grabbed a camera and a couple of his friends, including star Bruce Campbell, and went into the woods to make one of the most inventive and outrageous horror films in the history of the genre. Basically, five friends go on a trip to a cabin in the woods and inadvertently release evil spirits that make them become possessed. The only way to stop them is by “total bodily dismemberment.” The sequel is half horror, half comedy and showcases Raimi’s love of The Three Stooges and cartoons. There is a whole rainbow of blood and pus that gets sprayed and oozed in these films. It is lovely. The remake from earlier this year is pointless and dull.
Inside (2007) (Unrated DVD)
Probably the least seen film on this list, this French horror film is just insane. It was not released in theaters in the United States. The unrated DVD has to be seen because the R-rated version has about seven minutes of the film cut out. Yes, it is so violent that seven minutes had to be cut to get an R rating. A pregnant woman gets into a car accident at the very beginning of the film and her husband dies, but she and her baby survive. Cut to when she is about to have the baby any day and a psychotic woman breaks into her house and tries to steal the baby from her stomach. This film is audaciously, unbelievably violent and gory. If you like horror films and can take extreme violence, “Inside” is a must-see film.