Five Classic Horror Movies that Still Can Capture the Imagination
When it comes to movies, few genres can hold a viewers attention or make them come back for more than a good old-fashioned horror flick. Horror movies have been around seemingly since the dawn of time. They scare the heck out of you, yet they leave you wanting more. What is it that makes a horror so great? Many feel it is not merely the gore or the actors that portray the part, rather the premise of what is actually happening on the screen that gets peoples blood curdling. There is a very large difference between a very gory film that may do nothing more than gross someone out, and the truly scary film that has its ample share of suspense and horror. Making just the right horror movie that will scare the pants off of the viewer is anything but easy, some have what it takes and some do not. It is of course the interpretation by the viewer on what really is scary and, what will leave them with a bad taste in their mouths.
There have been a slew of movies that could be considered as horror flicks, yet for some reason or another just did not make the grade when it came to the fear factor. These movies eventually end up on the B-movie rack in the local video store, or you find them dirt cheat while on sale at the Wal-mart. These movies clearly never captured the imagination of the viewer, and placed them in the role of the person being terrified in the movie itself. There is however a good number of horror flicks, that can easily make you wish you were with your mom in a cozy bed rather than sitting in the dark watching it. These movies must be respected for what they are, true horror movies.
When someone mentions the phrase horror flick, many times one of the first movies to garner attention in the crowd would have to be Halloween. This flick was considered by many to be a true groundbreaking horror. The sound track was very scary, and in a very subtle tone the entire movie had people wondering how, what, when, and why. The release of the original film, starring Jamie Lee Curtis, was right around Halloween. It chilled the masses to the point of true scary movie recognition. This is clearly a no miss movie in the horror genre, and one should make it a point to see it if they have not already.
The Exorcist is a cult phenomenon of epic proportions from the terrifying plot and screenplay all the way down to the gory and somewhat disturbing visual effects. The idea behind a young girl being possessed by an evil spirit to the point of physical, emotional, and mental altering capabilities is nothing short of horrifying to say the least. This film starring Lynda Blair became one of the best known and most talked about horror films of all time. This is definitely not a movie for the faint of heart and should definitely not be watched by children.
Another great horror film on the list of five great chillers would definitely have to be PSYCHO. This film starring Anthony Perkins, done in black and white, is the true essence of horror film. Set in a stage of a lonely and somewhat deranged man, running a hotel and taking orders from his dead mother, is anything but friendly. This film quickly captured the audience’s attention at the theaters upon its release, and has been a mainstay in the minds of all horror film lovers. There are but a few films to date that grabbed the audience the way this film did, and it continues to do so on a regular basis.
Following the trend of possession and evil spirits, another great American classic would have to be Rosemary’s Baby. This totally warped and horrifying film sets the stage for a young mother, waiting on her baby to be born, only to find out that the baby is the spawn of the devil himself. This film creeped people out on the initial viewing and is now a cult classic. This is another must not miss film.
Finally, what horror collection would be complete without a great Romero film? What could possibly be more disturbing than flesh eating zombies? Dawn Of The Dead creeps in at the final contestant on our list of memorable horror movies and for good reason. The notion that someone would be walking dead and willing to make a meal out of you, is nothing short of disturbing. This movie had people flocking to the theaters for months when it first aired, and has become a classic in its own right. This is a flick that one can be sure is in many peoples private video collection.
