It's Not October, It's Halloween

In honor of the month formally known as October (now Halloween) I want to share a list and short review of some of my favorite horror films.

I was born and raised on horror so I feel my recommendations will be perfect for a few nights throughout the spookiest month of the year. This list is not in any order, it's just a compilation of some films that are near and dear to me.

John Carpenter's The Thing (1982)

A film notorious for its practical effects, pacing, and sublime suspense, The Thing delivers on all accounts. Kurt Russel stars as the head of a research team in the Antarctic when a strange alien creature begins to wreck absolute havoc on the crew. This film uses some of the grossest creature design (other than Leviathan) I have seen in any movie. It's terrifying. The Thing uses suspense in two absolutely iconic scenes that have been parodied over and over again, but that should not halt you from watching this masterpiece of American horror.

William Castle's House on Haunted Hill (1959)
 
William Castle was known for his B-movies that were turned out rather quickly. He used gimmicks in the majority of his films (both in the theater and in his movies). House on Haunted Hill holds a special place in my heart because of Vincent Price. He is just too damn good at being creepy. The film is about a group of people that have to stay the night in a haunted house, and if they are successful they get $10,000. The story is pretty silly, the acting is pretty stale (except for Price), and the effects make me laugh the whole time. Watch this one with a group of friends and have a blast.

Tony Randel's Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)

The first Hellraiser is a legitimately good horror film. The second one hones it in like absolute mad. I don't know why horror franchises do this, but I am so thankful they did it with Hellbound. The film follows Kristy, the protagonist from the first film (played by Ashley Laurence), as she is admitted to a psych ward following the death of her family via Pinhead and his Cenobites. Her occult-obsessed doctor raises her mother from the dead and is simultaneously turned into a Cenobite. If you like goofy doctor puns, blood, and one-of-a-kind kill sequences, you will love this movie.

Chuck Russell's A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

This film encompasses all of what makes Freddie Kruger the ultimate monster, while being surprisingly quotable for a horror movie. The woman that survives in the first film, Nancy (played by Heather Langenkamp), is now a psychiatrist doing dream therapy research. She befriends a group of mental patients that are afraid to have dreams because Freddie will kill them. Nancy teaches them how to control their dreams. The kids control their dreams in really bizarre ways and makes for a pretty hilarious final act.

George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968) 

This is the film that started the whole zombie thing. You may be sick of it now, but this film is absolutely legendary. It is centered around Ben (played by Duane Jones) and six other characters that are trapped in a farm house after a zombie outbreak occurs. They have to work together to stay alive as cabin fever takes hold over the terrified individuals. In my opinion, this film truly is great and important. It's something to admire for independent filmmakers. Watch this one by yourself, with friends, on the subway, wherever; just watch it.