It is that time of year again, the immediate aftermath of Halloween when horror fans feel blue and sad. The fun of Halloween has passed for another year and the world is already turning all cute and Christmas-sy with elves and cuddly Santas everywhere. The solution – a marathon of horror movies to banish all the cuteness. So here we recap the best horror movies of all time to start your list of must-see films.
Psycho
Psycho is often said to be the film that created the horror genre. The film was released in 1960 and was produced by Alfred Hitchcock, written by Joseph Stefano and featured Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, John Gavin, Martin Balsam and Vera Miles. It was based on the novel of the same name released two years earlier and written by Robert Bloch. The main character, Norman Bates, and some of the scenes in the movie including the shower scene are instantly recognisable even to people who don’t watch horror films!
Like all good horror films, it spawns three sequels, a remake and even a TV series. This was followed by a TV prequel series so there’s plenty of Psycho to go around. It was also entered into the US National Film Registry in 1992 by the Library of Congress due to its ‘cultural, historical or aesthetic significance’. So even these guys love a good horror movie!
The Exorcist
The Exorcist was a 1973 horror film adapted from the William Peter Blatty book and features Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller and Max von Sydow. The film was based on the case of Roland Doe and looks at the demonic possession of a 12-year girl as well as her mother’s attempts to save her through exorcism, carried out by two priests.
While the film is definitely a classic horror, even the production seemed to be cursed, with the young son of one of the actors being killed during filming, hit by a motorbike. It is often listed as one of the ‘cursed’ films alongside other classics such as Poltergeist.
After watching the classic film, you can also try out the TV series, released in September that is loosely based on the book. Featuring Alfonso Herrera, Ben Daniels and Hannah Kasulka, the show is getting some good reviews so may be worth checking out between films.
Halloween
Halloween is always near the top of the list of the top horror movies of all time and was one of the first of the ‘slasher’ films that became a major sub-genre since its release. Directed by John Carpenter and released in 1978, it featured the film debut of Jamie Lee Curtis alongside Donald Pleasence. Set it the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois, the main character Michael Myers, murders his sister on Halloween and is imprisoned. Fifteen years later, he escapes and returns home to kill again – on Halloween once more.
If you want a real marathon, set yourself up with the original and then get through the seven sequels and the 2007 reboot of the original!
The Shining
If you love horror, then you will likely be a fan of Stephen King’s books and The Shining was the 1980 adaptation of the book of his of the same name. Famous for the role played by Jack Nicholson, the film takes place in the Overlook Hotel, 25 miles from anywhere, during a bad winter. Nicholson’s character is the winter caretaker and brings his son and wife with him. But things don’t go well and the classic scene where Nicholson breaks through a door shouting ‘Here’s Johnny!’ is one of the most recognisable of any horror film ever.
