With Halloween coming up, what better way to get ready than by watching some great horror movies? Here are some choices that will have you shaking in your boots:
The Exorcist (1973)
Well known to Georgetown students because its famous scene was filmed on the steps next to the Car Barn, its story centers on a possessed girl and the attempts of the local clergy to exorcise her demons. Upon its release, many moviegoers fainted in their seats, and some theatres even provided “Exorcist barf bags.” Even so, it garnered ten Academy Award nominations and is the most critically acclaimed horror movie of all time.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Often cited as the best low-budget horror movie of all time, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is grainy, gritty and often frightening. It tells the story of five teenage friends driving through rural Texas and their encounter with a deranged, cannibalistic family intent on killing all of them. Its strongest suite is its disturbing, isolated atmosphere, and its meat hook scene is particularly noteworthy.
Halloween (1978)
For obvious reasons, Halloween is an appropriate movie to watch as we approach October 31. Starring a young Jamie Lee Curtis, it tells the story of Michael Myers, a masked psycho who escapes from a mental hospital after killing his sister on Halloween many years before. The movie ends without a proper conclusion, opening the door for its more bloated, ridiculous sequels, but it is acclaimed for its for its haunting, minimalist piano score.
28 Days Later (2002)
28 Days Later redefined the subgenre of the zombie flick by introducing something entirely new: fast zombies. By eschewing the lethargic zombies of traditional classics like Dawn of the Dead, the movie is surprisingly frightening. Filmed with the same kind graininess seen in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, it stars Cillian Murphy in a terrifying tale of a virus that turns all of England into a nation of the speedy undead. It is one of the best horror films of the past few decades.
