Horrors of Halloween Countdown Vol. 1

By Ryan Pence

October 9, 2006 | With Halloween 17 school days away, I find it more than appropriate to celebrate this time of year with a look at what the macabre has to offer in the way of movies. Movies that are spine chilling, suspenseful, gory and scary -- and what better way to do it than to suggest a few that are sure to please the inner demon. So head to the video store and pick up a few of these movies, snuggle up with a loved one and grab the remote because here we go.

This week's picks are chucked full of murder, lots 'n' lots of blood and body counts so high even Hollywood has stopped counting. Slasher films have been a favorite for many horror film fans, so here are five classics that have made their mark and set the standard for the genre.

Nightmare on Elm Street. Writer/director Wes Craven made film history when releasing this horror flick about Freddy Kruger, a burn victim/psycho killer who invades and murders teenagers in their dreams. The concept is quite original and the execution superb. The movie also sports a young Johnny Depp.

Friday the 13th. When most people think of Friday the 13th, the images of a hockey-mask-wearing, knife-wielding Jason Voorhees probable come to mind. You may be surprised -- none of that will be seen in this movie. Though what you do get is a more reasonable story of Jason Voorhees' mother killing camp counselors before the reopening of the Crystal Lake Camp. She seems to have a vendetta against all camp counselors because 30 years before the start of the movie, Jason, her son, was drowning in Crystal Lake, and the camp counselors who were supposed to be on duty were making out instead.
Halloween. John Carpenter, a director who is one of the masters of the horror genre, directs Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut. The film is about Mike Myers, who at the age of 6 brutally murders his sister. For the next 20 years of his life he remains locked up in a mental institution till he escapes and returns to his hometown. Upon his return he proceeds to stalk three teenage girls by following them around town for two days. On the day of Halloween he begins to systematical slaughter them and their boyfriends one by one. This movie is truly brilliant and a definite cut above the average.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Bizarre is about the only things I can say about this slasher flick, which actually relies more on what you don't see than what you do. The story follows a brother and sister who travel out to the country with three other friends to investigate the cemetery where their grandparents are buried after word got to them that graves at that site had been exhumed. They end up at their grandparents' old house for the night because their van runs low on gas. One by one Leather Face massacres them. The tension is tight in this flick, the atmosphere and music fitting; some elements are even borrowed from Hitchcock's Psycho.
Child's Play. There has got to be something to be said about a possessed Good Guys doll killing people. Charles Lee Ray, a serial killer who dabbles in the art of voodoo, moments before dying transfers his soul to a child's doll. A street peddler then sells the doll to Karen Barclay, the mother of Andy, who receives the doll for his sixth birthday. Mayhem then ensues has the possessed doll, Chucky, seeks revenge on old accomplices. Then he finds his soul must be transferred to Andy, the first person who knew his secret, or stay a doll forever. This movie has some very impressive effects especially considering when it was made, and it is quite humorous in moments.

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