10 Days of Halloween

Something about Halloween just makes you want to be scared. It’s the one time of year when it feels truly fitting. And nowhere is that more easy to accomplish than with a horror movie. Whether it’s one about vampires, zombies, werewolves, ghosts, witches, or murderers, there is never a shortage of films to see.

Horror has been around since the start of film in the 1890’s, with many short movies by the director Georges Méliès focusing on the subject. Many of these are still just as frightening today as they must have been when they first came out. Some great examples are the vampire film Nosferatu, or Lon Chaney’s The Phantom of the Opera. Without the use of sound, these films had to probe into our minds in other ways, usually with the use of obscure camera angles, low lighting, and elaborate set designs.

Later on, with the invention of sound and more advanced technology, horror was able to open into different avenues, though it was still many of these same elements that scared audiences. Some great examples from the early sound era are Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein or Bela Lugosi’s Dracula. As the decades wore on, it was often one film that gave life to new genres, such as Alfred Hitchc*ck’s Psycho, which is known as the first slasher, or George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, which popularized the zombie movie.

And now, more than 100 years later, horror is still just as popular as ever, with many great films emerging around this time. And I’m here to help you choose which ones to watch this year. So turn up the volume, turn off the lights, and get in the mood for the most g(l)orious holiday with these ten movies!

Day 1: Shadow of the Vampire (2000)

We’ll start with an often overlooked vampire film from 2000, called Shadow of the Vampire. This movie relies on a very clever premise: What if Max Schreck, who played the title character in the 1922 classic Nosferatu, was actually a vampire? It’s not too hard to believe if you have seen the movie, or even just a picture of the character. From the description, then, it appears that the film is essentially a horror parody. Yet, surprisingly, Shadow of the Vampire is an excellent vampire movie in its own right.

F.W. Murneau is played by John Malkovich, who does his best at portraying the legendary director of the original Nosferatu. But the real star of this movie is Willem Dafoe, who plays Schreck. From the ghostly pale skin, to the pointy ears, to the eerily long fingernails, which often snake through the air in front of him as he walks; the recreation is so uncanny that it is terrifying. He looked and acted so similar to the character that you may not even notice when they substitute frames from the actual film into the mix.

Shadow of the Vampire is not only an entertaining homage to the early horror films, it is also a great movie about the process of filmmaking. To what lengths will a director go to get that perfect shot, or that precise performance? Well, according to this film, sometimes a little too far. But I’ve already said too much.

Day 2: The House of the Devil (2009)

It’s not hard to predict what’s going to happen in Ti West’s The House of the Devil. A college girl is short of cash to pay her rent, and so is desperate to earn money any way that she can. And that includes taking a job babysitting an old lady at a mysterious country house in the middle of nowhere. Something about that description just spells disaster.

The House of the Devil is one of those slow-burning thrillers, which plays with your mind in very subtle, yet effective ways. Closeups of everyday activities such as water pouring down a drain or a reflection from a window are for some reason unnerving. You never quite know when something is going to happen, yet you always feel on edge, expecting the worst.

Although premiering in 2009, The House of the Devil is set in the 1970’s. And it is not only the clothing or the hairstyles that match that time period, it is also the entire style of the film, from the aspect ratio, to the camera lens, to the background music. And just wait until you see what happens at the end.

Day 3:  Suspiria (1977)

And now let’s actually go back, to 1977, when Dario Argento created this horror masterpiece. Suspiria takes place at a German dance academy, where an American girl has gone to study ballet. It is clear at the start, though, that there is something seriously bad going on at this school.

Dazzling neon colors permeate nearly every set of Suspiria, from the dormitories, to the classrooms, to the many hallways of the dance academy. It is a striking effect, which is especially effective when coupled with the excessively noisy musical theme by the band Goblin. There is rarely a quiet moment to be had in this movie.

As can be seen above, it is also clear that this movie does not shy away from blood and gore. In many horror films, when the killer is about to strike, you see only a shadow or a closeup of a shocked face before fading out. But not here. Why look away when we can instead witness the entire bloody mess? Well, at least that’s Dario Argento’s opinion. Some people, especially those with a faint heart, may think otherwise.

Day 4: The Uninvited (1944)

It’s hard to choose from the many horror films of the first half of the 20th century, but The Uninvited is a great pick, since it is perhaps one of the first effectively scary movies about ghosts. The story concerns a brother and sister, who come across a grand empty house overlooking the ocean while on vacation in New England. Feeling a certain allure to the house, they decide to buy it immediately. But little do they know just why the house was abandoned in the first place.

By today’s standards, The Uninvited is relatively tame. There are no jump scares, sophisticated special effects, or gore. Instead, the film uses a distinctive style to bring across its tone, such as the soft sounds of piano music through empty hallways, the dark casting of shadows through open windows, or the hypnotic crashing of waves on a beach. Just by making a slight difference in camera angle or lighting, a film can suddenly become unsettling, and The Uninvited does this with perfection.

Perhaps another reason to watch The Uninvited is because both Martin Scorsese and Guillermo del Toro included it among their favorite horror films. And those are two people of whom I trust their judgment.

Day 5: The Devil’s Backbone (2001)

And speaking of Guillermo del Toro, his own film The Devil’s Backbone is also a must-see. A non-traditional ghost story, del Toro’s film takes place in a home for orphan boys in Spain during the time of the Spanish Civil War. The home is haunted, though, by an apparition of a young boy who may have died there.

What distinguishes The Devil’s Backbone is that it is not primarily meant to scare or frighten you, and is actually an inspired story about a tough time for Spain in the first half of the 20th century. For this reason, it bears much similarity to del Toro’s other film Pan’s Labyrinth which is also part-fantasy, part-historical (also worth a watch). But when you do see the ghost, pictured above, it does actually get quite spine-tingling. The eerie musical theme, impressive special effects, and pale white makeup of the boy combine to create a very spooky effect.

Many ghost movies have loose, nonsensical plots, which only exist in order to throw out jump scares or creep you out. The Devil’s Backbone, though, has much more depth than that. It is not only great horror, but a fantastic movie overall.

Day 6: Fright Night (1985)

An 80’s classic, Fright Night set the standard for campy fun horror. It tells the story of a high school kid who starts to suspect his new neighbor of being a vampire, and then tries to stop him, which does not make the creature particularly happy. To assist him, the kid recruits an actor who works on vampire movies, although that doesn’t necessarily mean that he knows how to do it in real life.

Although vampire movies have been ruined in recent years (I’m looking at you, Twilight), it is clear that they were once a great horror genre. Fright Night has everything you would want out of a vampire film: the mania, the blood, the destructiveness, and the humor. Though there are some grotesque scenes, there’s never really a moment when you want to look away, as everything is so over the top that you want to laugh instead of be grossed out. Plus, the film must have one of the longest kill-the-bad-guy scenes in history.

If looking for a more laid back, low key kind of a night, especially after seeing some of the other movies on this list, Fright Night is just what you need. It is truly a fun time.

Day 7: The Thing (1982)

And while we’re in the 80’s, lets go to one of my favorite science fiction horrors: John Carpenter’s The Thing. It is a classic story of a monster taking over a group in an isolated area. In this case, it is a group of researchers sheltered at a remote base in Antarctica. They come into contact with an alien that has the ability to take on the form of any living thing.

John Carpenter’s film definitely steps up the notch on the gross factor, as you may be able to tell from the picture above. It makes the original 1950’s version look like an episode of Sesame Street. Not only that, though, this film also touches on classic fears of paranoia, since nobody at the base knows who is still human, or who is just an alien dressed up like one. And when they do find out, it’s usually not pretty. There is also the fear of being trapped and helpless, since the researchers have no contact with the outside world, and are forced to deal with this mess on their own.

The Thing knows just how to shock and provoke its viewers, and will surprise you even if you suspect that something bad is coming. It is a wild, entertaining ride of a movie. Just remember to wear your seat belt.

Day 8: Session 9 (2001)

So let’s step away from monsters or creatures for a minute, and instead go to Session 9, which is more of a psychological horror than anything else. The story concerns an asbestos removal crew who are hired to work on an abandoned insane asylum. While there, though, strange things start to happen to each of them, as the old place starts to get in their head.

Session 9 is far from a traditional haunted house film, even though it may seem like one from the start. As the negative energy of the place, or perhaps just the stress of the job, gets through to each crew member, they are each affected in different, often obscure ways. One of them starts to obsess over a series of old tapes that he finds, which are old recordings of a doctor with his patients. Just listening to these conversations gave me more goosebumps than anything else, especially once they get to session 9, which is where the movie gets its name.

Just as the insane asylum gets through to each of the asbestos removal crew, Session 9 may get into your head as well, leaving an indelible impression. Rarely does a film get this scary without much happening at all. It sets a mood from the very beginning, and holds you in its grasp.

Day 9: 28 Days Later (2002)

28 Days Later is one of the more memorable entries in the now rather large array of zombie movies, mainly due to its unique visual style. The story, taking place in London, concerns a man that has just awaken from a coma, and soon discovers that every human being around him is gone, with the exception of the people that try to eat him. It is soon made pretty clear: something very bad has happened.

28 Days Later is a film of extremes. In this world, there is only one rule: survive. You can become a zombie from just being in contact with someone that is infected, rather than only being bitten as is the case in other zombie movies, and the transformation takes place in a matter of seconds. So, a quick reaction time is key. These are also some fast, marathon-running zombies, not the wimpy staggering kind.

The film is also very well directed by Danny Boyle, who is known for his visual flair. He frames the landscape of an abandoned London, making it beautiful and sad as you think of all the people that were lost. Don’t worry, though, there is also plenty of grotesque zombie action, which is about as far from beautiful as you can get.

Day 10: You’re Next (2011)

One of the more entertaining slasher films of recent years, You’re Next is probably the best way to close out your 10 days of Halloween. The story concerns a family that has recently reunited at a vacation house. All seems to be going well, when suddenly a group of people dressed in various animal masks come storming in, killing as they please. Let’s just say it does not end happy for everyone.

You’re Next doesn’t have much of a unique story, as it may sound like every other slasher film out there. But what it does differently is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Lots of slashers like to concern themselves with just grossing out or scaring its audience, but this one steps it up even further. There is still plenty of blood, but it flies with reckless abandon, and, along with its adrenaline-pumping soundtrack, keeps you far from bored. What probably distinguishes You’re Next the most is that the usual protagonist heroine is not a brainless, screaming idiot. Far from it, actually. She definitely knows how to take care of herself, and it doesn’t go over very well for the bad guys as a result.

This is a film to be enjoyed with a large group, as it definitely provokes both laughter and cheers, in addition to scares. If other more recent slasher movies would take a note, then maybe they would know how to have just as much fun. It is really a crazy good time.

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Well that just about concludes my list of 10 days of Halloween. As I mentioned earlier, horror is one of the most diverse genres of movies, ranging from monster movies to slashers to those that are more psychological in nature. As such, I tried to include one movie from nearly every subgenre.

So now I’d like to hear from you. What are some of your favorite horror films? Which movies would you consider to be the most entertaining, or the most frightening? Sound off in the comments below!

(top image source: Nosferatu – Film Arts Guild)