It’s always fun to break out the vintage stuff, especially during the spookiest season of the year. While the horror films of today have impressive acting and incredible special effects, there’s something to be said for the scary movies of the generation before us. They have a rich history full of terrifying lead characters, iconic music and scarring scenes that have been well-loved by viewers for years. There’s truly no better way to get into the Halloween spirit than to curl up on the couch and settle in for a good ol’ fright, so why not opt for a more seasoned film this year?
Gory Horror
There’s something about blood and guts in films that most of us just cannot look away from, and October is a time of year where that fact becomes a little more acceptable. This is how movies such as “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974) and “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984) gained traction, with killers wielding sharp, murderous weapons chasing around a group of people in an attempt to rip them to shreds.
Many older horror films share this trait of excessive amounts of gore, which can sound unappetizing and strange at first. However, horror movies of today don’t do it the same way. They focus on more complex plotlines and character emotions instead of the scary simplicity of a bunch of blood and guts. So, if gore sounds like fun to you, you have a wide variety of classic movies to choose from. From the aforementioned movies to “The Evil Dead” (1981), “Halloween” (1978) and “Friday the 13th” (1980), these awesome thrasher films will scare you right off of your sofa.
Thrills & Chills
Beyond the visual fright of gore, these movies go a little deeper with their fear factor. They scare you in a way that gets into your head, making you think hard and sit on the edge of your seat with suspense. This a genre that is more widely produced and accepted today, however, previous generations have some seriously good psychological thrillers to offer. They range from Alfred Hitchcock’s legendary film “Psycho” (1960) to the supernatural story of Cole Sear in “The Sixth Sense” (1999). Sensational movies like “Carrie” (1976) and even “Deliverance” (1972) also fall in this category. If you’re in the mood to be captivated by suspense and insane plot twists, these oldies but goodies are perfect for you this spooky season.
Extra-Terrestrial
The brilliant, visually stunning alien movies of today had to get their start somewhere, and that start began when the “Alien” series kicked off in 1979. Following the story of a crew on a ship in deep space, the first “Alien” film takes us through wild twists and turns as the characters are hunted and attacked by a mysterious life form that somehow made its way on board. Another notable extra-terrestrial movie is M. Night Shyamalan’s “Signs” (2002) that tells us about a family living on a farm who wakes up one day to find enormous, oddly-shaped crop circles in their fields. Movies about space creatures give us that kind of out-of-body fear, the type of scare we know probably won’t happen ever in real life but still chills us to our bones anyway. Along with these great films, check out “The Thing” (1982) and “Predator” (1987) to add some spacey spooks to your Halloween.
We hope you can still sleep soundly after seeing all these dynamic and creepy films. Happy watching, and Happy Valloween!
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