There has always been something about a scary story that has excited its audience, no matter the medium. No matter if its horror movies, ghost stories, or chilling novels by the likes of Stephen King or Dean Koontz, or the Grimm brothers for that matter, there is something about being scared that people really seem to enjoy a lot.
Of course when it comes to films, the genre is wide and diverse, with horrors ranging from the wacky and silly, to gory blood feasts, to psychological thrillers and so much more.
It is almost impossible to compare horror movies, especially those on different sides of the scary spectrum. A movie like Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds is so different to something like A Nightmare on Elm Street, except for the fact that they will both give you goosebumps. The five movies below though are a good broad selection of classic horror that everyone who loves the genre should see.
The first I have just mentioned, Psycho, perhaps the most eerie of all Alfred Hitchcock's masterpieces. Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates is absolutely brilliant, and to this day, this classic piece of cinema will scare almost everyone. It is nerve-wracking and the tension is unbearable throughout, and while it may not be as scandalous as it was in 1960, it remains one the iconic horror movies of all time. Who will ever forget that shower scene.
Thirteen years later in 1973, William Friedkin directed The Exorcist, and this is still a movie you had better not watch alone, and even then you may find yourself not being able to sleep afterward. Linda Blair stars as Regan, a girl who is possessed by a demon, while Ellen Burstyn is brilliant as her mother, as is Max Von Sydow as one of the priests who attempt to exorcise her. You will never forget this movie, or some of the music after you watch this.
While not the most traditional of all horror movies, there is no doubt that Steven Spielberg's Jaws scared more people out of swimming in the sea than anything before it. It also inspired hundreds of other movies with a similar story, of a real life creature demonizing ordinary people. Still to this day almost four decades later, humming a few bars of the theme at the beach will scare enough people to believe a shark is nearby.
When it comes to slasher horror movies, there are many to consider for the top spot, with Friday theThirteenth's Jason and Elm Street's Freddie Kruger close contenders. But it is Michael Myers in the 1978 original Halloween that tops the list. Perhaps it was Jamie Lee Curtis' scream, or Donald Pleasance's creepy psychiatrist, or the fact that it was directed by a true master of suspense, the one and only John Carpenter. Carpenter's The Thing and The Fog are two other great scary choices.
Poltergeist finishes the list. This 1982 movie starring Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams, and directed by Toby Hooper, was actually produced by Steven Spielberg too. According to the cast, Spielberg also cast and directed them and did the movie's storyboards, but because he was doing E. T. At the same time, could not be the actual director. This is arguably the best of all haunted house horror movies, and tells the story of a family who have to deal with their home being haunted.
Of course when it comes to films, the genre is wide and diverse, with horrors ranging from the wacky and silly, to gory blood feasts, to psychological thrillers and so much more.
It is almost impossible to compare horror movies, especially those on different sides of the scary spectrum. A movie like Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds is so different to something like A Nightmare on Elm Street, except for the fact that they will both give you goosebumps. The five movies below though are a good broad selection of classic horror that everyone who loves the genre should see.
The first I have just mentioned, Psycho, perhaps the most eerie of all Alfred Hitchcock's masterpieces. Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates is absolutely brilliant, and to this day, this classic piece of cinema will scare almost everyone. It is nerve-wracking and the tension is unbearable throughout, and while it may not be as scandalous as it was in 1960, it remains one the iconic horror movies of all time. Who will ever forget that shower scene.
Thirteen years later in 1973, William Friedkin directed The Exorcist, and this is still a movie you had better not watch alone, and even then you may find yourself not being able to sleep afterward. Linda Blair stars as Regan, a girl who is possessed by a demon, while Ellen Burstyn is brilliant as her mother, as is Max Von Sydow as one of the priests who attempt to exorcise her. You will never forget this movie, or some of the music after you watch this.
While not the most traditional of all horror movies, there is no doubt that Steven Spielberg's Jaws scared more people out of swimming in the sea than anything before it. It also inspired hundreds of other movies with a similar story, of a real life creature demonizing ordinary people. Still to this day almost four decades later, humming a few bars of the theme at the beach will scare enough people to believe a shark is nearby.
When it comes to slasher horror movies, there are many to consider for the top spot, with Friday theThirteenth's Jason and Elm Street's Freddie Kruger close contenders. But it is Michael Myers in the 1978 original Halloween that tops the list. Perhaps it was Jamie Lee Curtis' scream, or Donald Pleasance's creepy psychiatrist, or the fact that it was directed by a true master of suspense, the one and only John Carpenter. Carpenter's The Thing and The Fog are two other great scary choices.
Poltergeist finishes the list. This 1982 movie starring Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams, and directed by Toby Hooper, was actually produced by Steven Spielberg too. According to the cast, Spielberg also cast and directed them and did the movie's storyboards, but because he was doing E. T. At the same time, could not be the actual director. This is arguably the best of all haunted house horror movies, and tells the story of a family who have to deal with their home being haunted.
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Need to catch up on horror movies starring your favourite actors? Fright Flicks has a variety of free movies to choose from with new arrivals coming in daily. From zombie movies to thrillers, you will find films perfect for you.
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