Anthony Hopkins in "Silence of the Lambs"
courtesy of MGM Home Entertainment
“10 Scary Movies”

This is not a compilation of the ten scariest movies of all time but it is a grouping of ten movies that scared and scarred me. Each of these had a moment or moments that had me on the edge of my seat. So if you are looking for something scary to watch on Halloween here are some suggestions.

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS – Jodie Foster was letter perfect as Clarice, the intrepid FBI Agent. She was so adept in her acting skills that a southern twang crept into her voice when she was at her most afraid (her character had been raised in the South). And when she talked with monster mad Anthony Hopkins I just knew he was going to gnaw his way right out of his cage and eat her up.

JAWS – I don’t think I have been back in the ocean since I first saw this film and it was many years ago when I first heard that thump, thump, thump of music. You never saw anything explicit in the chewings by the giant shark but your imagination got it all there for you.

THE SHINING – Jack Nicholson played crazy better than anyone had in years. As he slowly went psycho on his family and the viewing audience the chill factor went up and my body temperature went down. This was a Stephen King translation at its best.

ROSEMARY’S BABY – Mia Farrow seemed so fragile and vulnerable in this film and everywhere she turned there was one more person against her. Not only did she try to save her baby, who turned out to be a little devil, she also tried to believe her husband hadn’t sold her out 

THE EXORCIST – Linda Blair sure convinced me she was possessed when she was spewing vomit and had her head turning full circles. Plus she was in that creepy room with that haunted looking priest. I remember I kept thinking to myself – why are you watching this? But I couldn’t turn my face away from the screen. I was fascinated and stayed to the very end. It was a brilliant movie with an extraordinary cast.

HELLRAISER – I don’t remember much about the plot but I do remember that guy with pins sticking out of his face. Just the look of him was enough to give me nightmares. Sometimes the look of a movie can make it a horror classic and this one had that look.

THE THING – The scariest one is the 1951 version but the 1982 version had its share of shocks. Both focused on an alien being that lands in the far north. Amid all the ice and cold the creature terrorizes a group of men. Maybe it was the frigid landscape or the isolation of where the men were but it kept me off balance and on alert for the next scary scene.

ALIEN – I spent the movie waiting for the “gotcha” moment and it came when John Hurt’s stomach burst open and the monster popped out. That image is seared into my brain and will be there till I die.

CARRIE – This one had a gotcha moment too and it is at the very end when Carrie’s hand shoots out of her grave to grab poor grieving Amy Irving. Up till that point I had just enjoyed the fear factors of her telekinetic powers. Then after she wipes out the school I had sort of relaxed so that “gotcha” moment really got me.

SEVEN – Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey were at the top of their game in this dark movie that delivered more shocks than you expected. I just remember thinking at the end – don’t open the box. But they did.

So pick up one or all of these thrillers and have a thrilling and chilling Halloween. They are not just scary movies but are well made ones as well. Happy Halloween!
 

 

 

 

 

©2008 Jackie K. Cooper

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