Do You Like To Be Scared? Here Are Eight Movies That Will Do It For You
The organ music fills the air, thunder breaks through the sky, and in the distance, a lone wolf howls.
The iron gate creaks open, and I enter the old mansion where I am led down the spiral staircase made of stone.
I jump as a skeleton pops up from his coffin, his laughs send chills up my spine. The words Tales From The Crypt appear, as green slime drips down the t.v. screen.
I admit it. I am a scary-movie lover.
But that doesn’t make me weird, I’ve always been weird.
And now my favorite time of year is approaching. The smell of burning leaves permeates the air, pumpkins have glowing smiles, and we bite into giant, crisp, taffy apples.
While anytime is a good time for a scary movie, this is especially true in October, where soon the streets will be filled with witches, monsters, and a few princesses here and there.
‘Tis the season to be frightened… Let the T.V. screens pull us into this twisted world of horror.
Besides Tales from the Crypt, what else colored my dreams?
Here are eight of the scariest movies I’ve watched.
1. The Conjuring
“There’s a lady in a dirty nightgown that I see in my dreams.
She’s standing in front of my mom’s bed.”
The game “hide and clap” will never be the same. Nor will opening the doors of a wardrobe.
2. The Exorcist
Priest: “Where is Regan?”
Demon: “In here. With us.”
If the idea of a 12-year-old possessed by a demon doesn’t scare you, I’m not sure what will. You won’t be eating pea soup after this movie, or anything for that matter.
Moral of the story: Don’t mess with ouija boards.
3. The Sixth Sense
“I’m ready to tell you my secret now,” says 9 year old Cole, tightly holding his blanket.
“Okay,” Dr. Malcolm responds.
“Come closer,” Cole whispers.
“I see dead people.”
4. The Ring (2002)
VHS is not dead. It is alive and well.
But after watching this tape, you might not be.
What is it about?
Sorry, this one has to be experienced without warning.
5. When A Stranger Calls (2006)
After the kids are asleep, she finally sits to rest. All is calm.
And then the phone rings.
“Have you checked the children?”
A babysitter’s worst nightmare. But it goes on. And as it does, you notice your heart beating a little faster.
And you wonder if it will ever be safe to leave the children with anyone.
6. The Others
Sometimes less is so much more.
A mother and her two children live in a big, dark, spooky house, waiting for their father who is in the war. They keep the windows covered because the kids have a rare disease that makes them sensitive to sunlight.
This film does a fantastic job creating an eerie atmosphere. It keeps you on edge while showing very little. No gore, no violence, no computer effects. Just amazing acting and storytelling.
7. IT (2017)
“We all float down here.”
You’ll think twice before staring down into a sewer grate.
I remember my heart started racing as little Georgie met the pasty face of Pennywise, in the 1990 mini series.
And this past weekend, my heart beat even faster as I sat in the second row, to take in all the horror again. There were times I forgot to eat my popcorn, I was so focused on the screen.
No, I was not disappointed by this remake. I couldn’t close my eyes because I was afraid I’d miss something. Some of the scenes are still reeling in my mind.
8. Arachnophobia
If you’re not afraid of spiders, don’t worry. You will be.
After watching this, I laid awake imagining these eight legged freaks were crawling into bed with me.
As I typed this blog, no joke, a spider crawled across the floor in front of me. They’re everywhere!
To think that spiders could be the stars of a movie is baffling. And yet, no one else would take that challenge. Except maybe the little ones in Charlotte’s Web. But that’s for babies.
I’ve got the Chills
Now that I’m an artist, I love being able to create my own scares.
So one day, my mom and I collaborated, and Chills was born.
A challenge for my mom, since she has not stayed up late to watch one scary movie with me.
“I can’t do it,” she told me. “Those images stay with me.”
This was one of my favorite projects, and her dark poetry that came as a result of my photos surprised me.
Each page is a different photo and different poem. Must be read in the dark. 👻
(Buy it here on Amazon. If you dare.)
But just to give you a little taste, I will show you the trailer-teaser I made.
Some might wonder why there are scary movies, but scientifically, they’ve discovered some people thrive on watching something that will make the hair on their arms stand at attention.
What about you?
What movie scared you as a child, or even now?
Did you grow up watching scary movies?
And if you’ve never seen them? Well, you’re probably not reading this anyway.
Tell me in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.
Writing is just one thing I do.
If I’m not behind my camera, I’m probably messing with charcoal or paint.
Join my email list to hear about my upcoming art shows and projects. You’ll also get to see my 1-minute time lapse of this charcoal drawing below, Followed.
Want to see more of my art? Check out my Website.
