A take on some Halloween favorites
Kolby Spomer
Staff Writer
The time of ghouls and ghosts are upon us. Everything is getting spooky, from memes to moms to pets to babies. It’s one of my personal favorite times of the year, and to help you get as into this month as I am, I’ve concocted a list of horror films that either rock your socks or scare them off.
The first movie I want to talk about is my favorite horror movie of all time, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. This movie, in my opinion, does creepy and uncomfortable better than any I have ever seen.
The Overlook Hotel has a deep and disturbing history, but that doesn’t stop Jack Nicholson’s character from moving his whole family there to be the caretaker for the hotel’s offseason. Be warned, however. This movie is a little bit of a slower film, and the scares are more akin to dread and anxiety than the jump scares of today.
The second film I want to highlight is one that came out this year. Hereditary, created by Ari Aster, is the tale of one family’s demise due to events unknown to them.
This film combines a terrifyingly real message and horrific imagery in a way I don’t know if I have ever seen before. The final thirty minutes of this film are absolutely insane and make the somewhat slow first act completely worth it.
Another classic horror story that is worth visiting this time of year and a huge influence on movies like Hereditary is the original Exorcist.
This movie still manages to freak me out after multiple viewings, as it utilizes a mix of creepy ancient world demonology and gross out scenes that hadn’t been on screens prior to this. Linda Blair turns in an unreal performance for a child actress as the girl being possessed by otherworldly entities.
My favorite horror movie of the past few years, The VVitch, is another film that would be well worth checking out. In this movie the horror of isolation and paranoia is explored as a family in 18th century New England tries to start their own farm after being kicked out of their village. Slowly, they are picked off one by one by something sinister, but they will not accept this to be the case until it is far too late.
Finally, the movie that you absolutely must watch this time of the year is John Carpenter’s Halloween. Do I really need to explain this one that much? This movie is the grandfather of both slasher films and low budget horror movies that studios like Blumhouse pump out every year. In this one, Laurie Strode is chased by knife wielding psycho killer Michael Myers on Halloween night. The character of Michael Myers is my favorite thing about this movie, as he is literally just a manifestation of evil. There is no reason as to why Michael does the things he does, he just does them because it is what evil does. This movie is admittedly a tad dated now, so if you’d rather see something more up to date, you can check out the sequel in theaters right now!
If you see any of these movies, be prepared for a scare. If you don’t see something you like, or you don’t like any of these, comment YOUR favorite horror movie online at our web page or on Facebook!
Feature photo by Mansoor Ahmad | MSU Reporter.