# Need a List of Must See Horrors for Halloween **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 22, 2007, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606 "2007-10-22T18:57:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/1 "2007-10-22T18:57:31Z")
Ok aside from Carpenters original Halloween, which horror films should I watch until Halloween? I need a top 15 to got through over teh next few days. Which films would you recomend? I will take the suggestions based on number of votes and ranks to determine my list. Please help. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/2 "2007-10-22T19:06:49Z")
The Thing (John Carpenter’s 1982 version) In the Mouth of Madness (Carpenter again) 28 Days Later Dawn of the Dead (the excellent 2004 version) Shaun of the Dead (British romantic comedy that happens to also be a zombie movie) Session 9 (super-creepy and atmospheric) Silent Hill (falls apart near the end, but nice and creepy up until then) The Vanishing (the original Dutch version; not a “horror” movie, but the end will haunt you long after you see it) Angel Heart (great noir film that turns out to be horror; makes a great double-feature with the decent Constantine) Slither (gory horror-comedy) Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness (classic horror-comedy double-feature with the great Bruce Campbell, but I’ve never been able to get through Evil Dead 1) The Machinist (again, not horror per se, but harrowing and nightmarish) ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/3 "2007-10-22T19:26:00Z")
My votes, in no particular order- [Rosemary’s Baby](http://imdb.com/title/tt0063522/) [Angel Heart](http://imdb.com/title/tt0092563/) [Salem’s Lot](http://imdb.com/title/tt0079844/) [the Reflecting Skin](http://imdb.com/title/tt0100469/) (not a horror movie per se, but weird & disturbing in a visceral, David Lynchian way.) [Nosferatu](http://imdb.com/title/tt0079641/) (the underappreciated '79 Werner Herzog version, not as groundbreaking as the silent original, but still creepy.) [Invasion of the Body Snatchers](http://imdb.com/title/tt0077745/trivia) ('78 version) [Odishon](http://imdb.com/title/tt0235198/) (a.k.a. “Audition”) [Das Vampyr](http://imdb.com/title/tt0023649/plotsummary) (You know that great SFX in ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ of the count’s shadow moving autonomously of the body? This is the film from which Coppola ripped off that idea.) [M](http://imdb.com/title/tt0022100/) (again, more of a thriller than actual “horror” film, but scary, scary, scary nonetheless.) [In the Mouth of Madness](http://imdb.com/title/tt0113409/). ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/4 "2007-10-22T19:26:38Z")
My favorites, in no order: Bram Stoker’s Dracula The Haunting (1963 version) The Innocents (1961 version) The Last Horror Movie The Descent The Shining (Kubrick version) The Howling An American Werewolf in London The Silence of the Lambs The Hills Have Eyes (Aja remake) Repulsion The Ring (I personally prefer the American remake over the original Japanese Ringu) Nosferatu (Werner Herzog version) The Wicker Man (for the love of all that is holy or unholy, watch the original not the remake) The Devil’s Backbone Tale of Two Sisters The Exorcist ---
**Author:** ![NailBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@NailBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NailBunny)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/5 "2007-10-22T19:28:29Z")
[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] The Thing (John Carpenter’s 1982 version) Dawn of the Dead (the excellent 2004 version) Session 9 (super-creepy and atmospheric) Slither (gory horror-comedy) Evil Dead 2 [/QUOTE] Seconding the above (the rest are all fine films as well, but I don’t know if I’d suggest them as “Halloween” movies, per se). I’d add: _Re-animator_ _Nightmare on Elm Street_ (the first one, of course) _Evil Dead_ (I’ve always found the first one very creepy) _The Exorcist_ _Idle Hands_ (fun gore, and it’s set during Halloween as well!) _The Changeling_ I know I’ll think of more in a bit… ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/6 "2007-10-22T19:39:56Z")
I’ll second the original _Wicker Man_ and add **Se7en, Eyes without a Face, Bride of Frankenstein** and just about anything from David Cronenberg. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/7 "2007-10-22T19:56:20Z")
Roman Polanski’s The Fearless Vampire Killers- the humor is very European and not everyones cup of tea, but the sets are to die for. Oh and Mario Bava’s Black Sunday. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/8 "2007-10-22T20:24:17Z")
My picks, in no particular order: Rosemary’s Baby Salem’s Lot Suspiria Night of the Demons Hellraiser Phantasm Pumpkinhead Re-animator Evil Dead Evil Dead II Army of Darkness Fright Night Creepshow The Exorcist A NIghtmare on Elm Street ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/9 "2007-10-22T20:39:42Z")
Thanks! Good lists so far… PS thanks SkipMagic for fixing the title typo! ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/10 "2007-10-22T22:01:03Z")
Seventies favorites… \ ***The Other** **Tourist Trap** **Who Slew Auntie Roo?** (more creepy than anything, with a terrific scenery chomping turn by Ms. Winters) **Burnt Offerings** **Black Christmas** (the original) **Magic** Werewolves… \ ***Dog Soldiers** **Wolfen** (not really scary, but entertainingly stylistic) From the Extremely Out There camp… \ ***The Entity** **A Bucket of Blood** (1959) **Puppet Master** **Homicidal** (1961 – Castle) More recent… **Shallow Ground** **Stay Alive** (somewhat of a take on the Elizabeth Bathory legend) **Dark Water** And I’ll also second the recommendations for **Phantasm** (my all-time most favorite horror movie) and **Spoorloos**. The latter, for anyone claustrophobic, has to be the most painful thing I’ve ever watched. It was yummy! [\*Denotes my Top Three.] ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/11 "2007-10-22T22:08:02Z")
[QUOTE=faithfool] And I’ll also second the recommendations for **Phantasm** (my all-time most favorite horror movie) and **Spoorloos**. The latter, for anyone claustrophobic, has to be the most painful thing I’ve ever watched. It was yummy! [/QUOTE] Just for the benefit of most people, _Spoorloos_ is the original Dutch title for _The Vanishing_, which is awesome (and awesomely terrifying). ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/12 "2007-10-22T22:27:51Z")
There’s a lot here that I’d second but I’ll just add unnamed (AFAIK) ones… THE MUMMY w/Boris Karloff THE WOLF MAN w/Lon Chaney Jr & Claude Rains HORROR OF DRACULA and CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN- both w/Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing BRIDES OF DRACULA w/Peter Cushing CARNIVAL OF SOULS- the b&W no-budget original! MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, PIT AND THE PENDULUM- Vincent Price THEATRE OF BLOOD- Vincent Price, Diana Riggs, Robert Morley DEAD-ALIVE- Peter Jackson’s ZomRomCom BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR THE DUNWICH HORROR w/Dean Stockwell, Sandra Dee, Ed Begley Sr, & Talia Coppola (Yo, Adrian!) THE RESURRECTED w/Chris Sarandon (H.P. Lovecraft’s “Case of Charles Dexter Ward”) ---
**Author:** ![NailBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@NailBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NailBunny)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/13 "2007-10-22T23:50:16Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] CARNIVAL OF SOULS- the b&W no-budget original! DEAD-ALIVE- Peter Jackson’s ZomRomCom [/QUOTE] Again, seconded! Also, along the same lines as _Carnival of Souls_, ie: creepy, lovely black & white, I’ve also always been fond of [Spider Baby](http://youtube.com/watch?v=6MXOSI44T_g). ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2007, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/14 "2007-10-22T23:55:39Z")
My favorite Halloween ghost story, bar none, is _The Changeling_. Good, old fashioned haunting. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2007, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/15 "2007-10-23T00:01:21Z")
[QUOTE=faithfool] Seventies favorites… \ ***The Other** **Tourist Trap** [/QUOTE] Goddamn, those two freaked me out as a kid (I was born in '70). I’ll second them. ---
**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:** [October 23, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/16 "2007-10-23T14:51:20Z")
No love for **The Texas Chainsaw Massacre**? The original is better, of course, but the remake is still a good choice; the difference is, do you want to be horrified and repulsed and say “oh Jesus” a lot (original) or do you want to jump a lot (remake)? Don’t bother with any of the sequels, though, they’re all pure crap. Seconds for **Audition** , **Dead Alive** , **Suspiria** , **The Descent** , **The Ring** , **The Exorcist** , **The Thing** , the new **Dawn of the Dead** , **Session 9** , and others too numerous to mention in this thread. If you’re wanting the ultimate in gore, if you think you can stomach it, seek ye the **August Underground** series. There are three: **August Underground** , **August Underground: Mordum** , and **August Underground: Penance**. Of the three, **Mordum** is probably the harshest; watching it is pretty much an endurance test. All three are “simulated snuff”, shot as though you’re watching the escapades of a serial killer and his buddies. The effects are very, very good. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2007, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/17 "2007-10-23T14:52:22Z")
I just saw Final Destination this weekend - now THAT was a cool movie. Gory, but cool. If you like gory cool stuff. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2007, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/18 "2007-10-23T15:01:49Z")
[QUOTE=Max Torque] No love for **The Texas Chainsaw Massacre**? The original is better, of course, but the remake is still a good choice; the difference is, do you want to be horrified and repulsed and say “oh Jesus” a lot (original) or do you want to jump a lot (remake)? Don’t bother with any of the sequels, though, they’re all pure crap. Seconds for **Audition** , **Dead Alive** , **Suspiria** , **The Descent** , **The Ring** , **The Exorcist** , **The Thing** , the new **Dawn of the Dead** , **Session 9** , and others too numerous to mention in this thread. If you’re wanting the ultimate in gore, if you think you can stomach it, seek ye the **August Underground** series. There are three: **August Underground** , **August Underground: Mordum** , and **August Underground: Penance**. Of the three, **Mordum** is probably the harshest; watching it is pretty much an endurance test. All three are “simulated snuff”, shot as though you’re watching the escapades of a serial killer and his buddies. The effects are very, very good. [/QUOTE] This reminds me- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre II- a Golan-Globus horror-comedy with Dennis Hopper as a Marshall avenging his nephew, the wheelchaired boy who got killed in the first. The Plate-head guy in the Family is Otis in Rob Zombie’s Firefly Clan films. I agree that III & IV are crap, but I love this one. Another Golan-Globus production- LifeForce, alien vampires arriving to Earth via Halley’s Comet. With a hot naked Mathilda May as the main vampire. For a realistic serial-killer film- Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2007, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/19 "2007-10-23T15:25:41Z")
[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] Just for the benefit of most people, _Spoorloos_ is the original Dutch title for _The Vanishing_, which is awesome (and awesomely terrifying). [/QUOTE] This film (the Dutch version, of course) stayed with me for a long time. You’ll never be able to look at a good upstanding family man without wondering what is really below the surface… Another vote for _Angel Heart_. I don’t know if it stands up to a second viewing, but the first one makes it worthwhile. Ditto for _Don’t Look Now_. From a list I read once of good horror films (sorry, didn’t write down who made the list): _Carnival of Souls_ (looks like a lot of votes for this) _Near Dark Step Father Black Christmas White of the Eye Company of Wolves Seance on a Wet Afternoon Peeping Tom_ ---
**Author:** ![Engineer\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@Engineer\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engineer_Dude)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2007, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606/20 "2007-10-23T17:32:03Z")
[Alien](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078748/) or [Aliens](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090605/) - both good. Aliens is more thrilling and faster paced, but Alien is the beginning of the story. [Child’s Play](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094862/) - “Hi, I’m Chucky - and I’m your friend till the end. Hidey-ho.” [Frankenstein](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021884/) - from 1931. Although it’s better to read the book, the movie is still a classic. [Jaws](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073195/) - “I think you’re going to just ignore this particular problem until it swims up and bites you in the ass.” [Night of the Living Dead](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/) - the 1968 version in black and white [Poltergeist](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084516/) - “They’re here.” [Psycho](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054215/) I’ll second _Hellraiser_ and _Phantasm_ as well. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-list-of-must-see-horrors-for-halloween/423606.md?page=2)