Written by Joseph Carrick
Halloween is infamous for its creepy vibes and incredibly bad horror movies. This list of horror flicks will be looking at three of the best of these films (in order of release date). While some of these films might seem cliché, they initially stood out for that reason, only for their innovativeness to be redeveloped time and again by copycats and cash-grabbing sequels that no one asked for.
The Exorcist (1973) is terrifying not only due to what is seen on screen, but also from the implications it has on the real world. The story is loosely based on real events, and considering the ambiguity of what is real and what is not, the uncertainty of knowing if what the audience experiences is real, embellished or completely imaginary creates the situation where the possibility of genuine horror is more frightening than knowing it’s all 100% fake.
The Shining (1980) is one of director Stanley Kubrick’s most successful films. Based on the story written by Stephen King, the events taking place in what could be the perfect winter retreat changes the lives of the family vacationing there forever. This film introduced what psychological horror could do, and how storytelling could be just as suspenseful as the visual “blood and guts” of traditional Halloween horror stories.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) is a classic horror, mystery and slasher flick that follows a young teenage girl and the classic villain Freddy Krueger as he murders teens in their dreams. Everyone has to sleep, so perhaps the most haunting concept of this flick is the concept of not being able to escape or hide from one pursuer.
