# Movies that are best watched alone and in the dark **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 1, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-best-watched-alone-and-in-the-dark/210786 "2003-11-01T04:06:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-best-watched-alone-and-in-the-dark/210786/1 "2003-11-01T04:06:57Z")
Well, my newest family member was born today, Allyssa Kay, and I went to go see her. Gorgeous! (nothing to do with the thread, just bragging. 🙂 ) Well, after that, I met of couple of friends for a quick dinner and then popped over to the video store. Since it is Samhain, I thought a good, creepy flick might be in order. I chose _Willard_, since I had yet to see it. Not a real Halloween choice, but wierd and offputting enough for me to turn out all the lights and fire up the surround sound. I live alone, so that part was a nobrainer. About 20 minutes into it now, and it’s having the desired effect. Next time I’m in a creepy mood, what other movies, old or new, should I give the same treatment to? ;j ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-best-watched-alone-and-in-the-dark/210786/2 "2003-11-01T06:37:21Z")
The original or the newer one with Crispin Glover? Hi, **NCB**! The first **Halloween** , I think. And the original **Night of the Living Dead.** ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-best-watched-alone-and-in-the-dark/210786/3 "2003-11-01T11:31:04Z")
Depending on what your deeper fears are, either _Arachnophobia_ or _The Ring_ (either US or Japanese versions). ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-best-watched-alone-and-in-the-dark/210786/4 "2003-11-01T11:58:30Z")
I watched The Blair Witch Project during a minor hurricane. What few lights I had on in the house were flickering on and off. Mission accomplished. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-best-watched-alone-and-in-the-dark/210786/5 "2003-11-01T14:15:54Z")
Some good future rentals here. **Viva** , it was the Kwispin Gwuhvver version. That boy does dewanged werwy well. Weawy. ---
**Author:** ![Nanook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nanook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanook)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-best-watched-alone-and-in-the-dark/210786/6 "2003-11-01T15:44:54Z")
Dead of Winter with Mary Steenburgen and Roddy McDowell. You will be climbing the walls. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-best-watched-alone-and-in-the-dark/210786/7 "2003-11-01T16:07:07Z")
You have to REALLY suspend belief over the notion of a quasi-Catholic Templar-like league of protectors joining forces with radical fringe scientists holding watch over a giant tub O’ Satan-- but I’ve found **John Carpenter’s Prince Of Darkness** to be a true guilty pleasure – and overall underrated horror flick. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-best-watched-alone-and-in-the-dark/210786/8 "2003-11-01T16:30:15Z")
My choice for Halloween viewing was a fun little movie called [**The Eye**](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0325655/). Had a couple of good scares, but they mostly came quite early in the film. Still, you could do worse. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-best-watched-alone-and-in-the-dark/210786/9 "2003-11-01T17:37:31Z")
Alone? In the dark? I think I’ll avoid making the obvious joke, here. ---
**Author:** ![fizgig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f04885/32.png) [@fizgig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fizgig)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-best-watched-alone-and-in-the-dark/210786/10 "2003-11-01T17:40:33Z")
Shallow Grave The Shining The Ring [Off Topic]Ummm, was 28 Days Later really supposed to be “the scarriest movie of the year?” Maybe I just wasn’t into it… _shrug_[/OT] ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-best-watched-alone-and-in-the-dark/210786/11 "2003-11-01T21:05:07Z")
28 Days Later was advertised wrong. It’s more about people dealing with the tragedy than about zombies killing each other. ---
**Author:** ![joshmaker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@joshmaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joshmaker)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-best-watched-alone-and-in-the-dark/210786/12 "2003-11-01T22:02:27Z")
I never really appreciated David Lynch’s _Mulholland Drive_ until I watched it alone at night. Not a “horror” movie by any means, but does have a definite creepy dreamlike quality that watching it alone really brings out. There is just something about the logic of the film that makes it far more compelling very late at night. (I am sure you could apply this to any number of Lynch’s movies) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-best-watched-alone-and-in-the-dark/210786/13 "2003-11-01T22:05:16Z")
The only move to ever give me the willies was **The Exorcist**. About a year ago, I rented it and watched it alone in a dark house. Freaked. Me. Out. Happy ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-best-watched-alone-and-in-the-dark/210786/14 "2003-11-01T22:33:38Z")
When I want to be ooked out in the utter darkness, it’s _The Others_ or the original _The Haunting_ for me. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-best-watched-alone-and-in-the-dark/210786/15 "2003-11-02T00:04:19Z")
_Amityville Horror_ got me one night. My exgf and I had gotten into trying to summon demons, spirits, and whotnot, and we seemed to have had some odd experiences that may or not mean anything at all. I rented the movie on tape while she was out of town. Well, there’s a scene in AvH that mimics something that I thought I may have (or not) experienced. It involved a rocking chair, a window, and a certain sound. FREAKED. ME. OUT. Not the movie, just that one 2 minute scene. Years later, far removed from my odd past hobbies, I saw it again, and had no real problems. That scene was still a little off putting, tho. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-best-watched-alone-and-in-the-dark/210786/16 "2003-11-02T01:56:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Askia \* > I’ve found **John Carpenter’s Prince Of Darkness** to be a true guilty pleasure – and overall underrated horror flick Not bad, but I prefer _In the Mouth of Madness._ In the right mood, that’s a real mind-fuck. And **JThunder** may be able to resist making the obvious joke, but I can’t, so I’ll recommend _Jenna Loves Rocco._ 😛 ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-best-watched-alone-and-in-the-dark/210786/17 "2003-11-02T02:59:31Z")
It’s an older movie, but I saw _Angelheart_ and that freaked me out. Robert de Niro as Louis Safir? Mickey Rourke as a man haunted by his past? His realization at the end about what’s been happening to him was very chilling. Thinking about it still gives me the willies.