Classic Horror Movies

Classic Horror Movies

1. The Omen (Rated R)
2. The Birds (Rated R)
3. Invasion of the Body Snatchers - 1978 (Rated R)
4. Invasion of the Body Snatchers - 1956 (Rated R)
5. Rosemary's Baby (Rated R)
   
6. Dracula (Rated R)
   
7. The Shining (Rated R)
   
8. Night of the Living Dead (Rated R)
   
9. Amityville Horror (Rated R)
   
10. Children of the Corn(Rated R)
    
    
11. Other Horror Movies

The Omen (1976)

You can’t go wrong with Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, and one of the spookiest looking kids in movie history.  This well-acted tale of a father’s realization that his child is actually the embodiment of the antichrist is both thrilling and frightening to watch.  It has some of the greatest deaths scenes ever filmed that will play over and over again in your head as you relive the horror.  Terrific cast, wonderful plot, spooky score, and crazed baboons!  What more could you ask for in a Halloween flick!?

The Birds (1963):

Nobody did it better than Hitchcock and this film is no exception.  For no reason whatsoever, a small northern California town suddenly finds itself under siege by millions of crazed killer birds.  As the people of the town try to protect themselves by boarding up their homes and hoping they all just fly away, they start to realize that they are no match for the small, feathery creatures.  Great performances by Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, and a very young Veronica Cartwright (Alien/X-Files) will make you look at the birds in your yard in new and suspicious ways.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978):

The last scene in this movie is enough to scare the living daylights out of just about anyone!  Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, and yes even Leonard Nimoy give some very spooky and unsettling performances in this classic sci-fi/horror flick.  Alien pods appear and start and taking over the bodies of everyone around, but no one knows who’s a human and who’s an alien because they all look the same!  While it’s certainly a bit on the campy side, it still holds up as one of the spookiest psychological thrillers of all time.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956):

This truly classic horror film is just as scary as the remake, but in a completely different way.  It follows more of the classic fifties style horror rules by implying rather than showing.  The plot follows a small-town doctor as he gradually realizes that many of the townsfolk are not who they claim to be.  No one can quite put their finger on it, but their friends and relatives are just not quite right.  This is your typical paranoid, cold war, McCarthyism style film of the time that sucks you into the story and makes you never wanting to sleep again!

Rosemary’s Baby (1968):

Roman Polanski, known for his use of imagery, symbolism, and color, directed this creepy tale of a young pregnant woman (Mia Farrow) who becomes more and more paranoid about the neighbors, her doctor, and even her own husband as her pregnancy develops.  Her friendly, yet overbearing neighbors (brilliantly played by Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer) become more and more involved in her affairs and Rosemary begins to feel that something evil is lurking.  This is a classic, psychological horror flick that plays on the everyday fears and worries of pregnant and non-pregnant women alike.

Dracula (1931):

This film set the standard for all vampire and Dracula movies that came after it.  Based on the Bram Stoker novel and adapted from the original stage play, this film started the love affair many of us have for all things vampire.  Bela Lugosi really put his heart and (undead) soul into his performance and it will forever remain one of the scariest films of that time.  While today’s audiences might expect more gore for their horror buck, it will still leave you looking for moving shadows during the night.

The Shining (1980):

If you’ve somehow managed to never see this classic horror film, then you must be living under a rock.  While it’s played over and over again on weekend movie channels, it’s one of those films that you just can’t help but watch every time you happen upon it.  With those spooky twin girls calling you to come play with them “forever, and ever, and ever,” to Jack Nicholson delivering that classic horror film line, “Here’s Johnny!” this is the ultimate in horror film frights.  Probably the best Stephen King book/movie adaptation, this film will never fail to give you the creeps as you follow Jack Torrance into insanity.

Night of the Living Dead (1968):

Probably the greatest zombie movie ever made, this classic George Romero film will never be matched.  Its combination of fright, simplicity, and social commentary are just things that can’t be taught in film school.  As random strangers hold up in an abandoned farmhouse trying to fight off brain-eating zombies, this film relies more on what you don’t see and what isn’t said rather than what is.  Certainly one of the most important films ever made, both for its brilliant use of black-and-white filming as well as its cleverly intertwined black and white civil issues of the day.

Amityville Horror (1979):

When your new home tells you to “get out” you should probably heed that advice!  This movie is very loosely based on a true murder story that takes place on Long Island and is one of those classic horror films that you just can’t resist.  A family moves into their first home and a variety of spooky things begin happening.  James Brolin turns in a solid performance as the father who gradually becomes possessed by the evil that lives inside the house.  This one will have you jumping and screaming at the television, “For God’s sake, get out!”

Children of the Corn (1984):

This has got to be one of the freakiest movies about murderous children in the mid-west ever made!  Just hearing the name Malachai will send chills up your spine for years to come.  Based on a Stephen King short story, a couple (Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton) find themselves trapped in a small Nebraska town as the children run amok killing all of the adults.  While it’s certainly not the best movie ever made, it will make you think twice before you go walking through the corn stalks of any small town farm and or naming any of your children Isaac!

Other Horror Movies from Amazon!