Thursday, October 26, 2006

Fright Films

By Karen Raine

Is anyone out there for huddling or maybe...shivering in fear underneath the covers this weekend? If so, below is my personal all time favorite Top 10 list of fright films.

Darren McGavin in Night Stalker, being stalked by something

10. The Night Stalker: Alright, I'm cheating a little on this last one but I'm talking old television Night Stalker. I think this was my stepmother's favorite show. Picture this, you're in a rural town is a shackle board house that really does have those bare light bulbs hanging down from the ceiling like Blair had mentioned. It's night time and all you can hear is loud Night Stalker music playing from the T.V. You need to go to the bathroom but are too afraid to because behind the bathroom door might lurk … you guessed it… a Night Stalker.

9. Food of the Gods: This one is back in the day. We're talking retro drive in era. Anyhow, rats have been eating something to make them grow into giant rats and take over. I know, kind of cheesy, but it was scary to me when I was a kid.

8. An American Haunting: Recently released fictional story based on the true legend of the Bell Witch legend of Tennessee. Sissy Spacek performs like the star she is as Lucy Bell. Donald Sutherland plays patriarch John Bell who's sins get him excommunicated from the church and brings a curse upon his family. Shortly afterwards, angel faced daughter Betsy is tormented and physically abused by an unseen entity. The real legend has some of the Bell family moving to Mississippi to escape only to have the spirit follow them there. This is not the usual horror flick and it's gut wrenching effects stay with you long after the movie has ended.

7. Salem's Lot: Stephen King story of a writer who returns to his hometown to find out that it is filled with vampires. They're everywhere. Scariest when he is trying to drive the stake through the vampires heart and it rises to say… "You'll never kill me, I'm the evil that lives within you." Even scarier when I think about it because … I grew up in a place called Salem township you know… writer - writer….Salem's Lot - Salem Township… a little spooky.

6. Friday the 13th: The story of a young boy who drowns in a lake at camp while camp counselors are busy making out. He returns for his revenge. Seems like the scary thing to me was the wooded camp atmosphere and then Jason's mother looked real life *?$#! from Hell.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

5. The Exorcism of Emily Rose: The story of a seemingly normal young lady who becomes possessed, sort of Exorcist like and the trial that takes place after her death. There is a story behind this one of why it scared me. I was in the middle of writing a documentary about an Urban Legend in the town where I grew up. Doing eyewitness accounts and the like and getting a little freaked out already when my aunt called and asked if I'd seen The Exorcism of Emily Rose. I told her no. She said I should watch it. That very afternoon, as soon as I left the house, I stopped at a garage sale and there on a table lay that very movie. The girl having the garage sale was sort of freaked out about it too and said, "That is really weird." After watching the movie I understood why…. that is exactly the type of timing coincidences that occur in the movie.

4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: One back in the sticks crazed maniac leaves dead people sitting around the kitchen table like they are still living and cuts up travelers with his chainsaw, storing them in his freezer for possible use at a chili cook off. Now, how's that for Texas original? Really scary when driving a stretch from Dallas to Texarkana late at night.

3. The Blair Witch Project: This movie appears to be made by a group of amateur filmmakers doing a documentary of an urban legend. They get lost in a wooded location of the legend and fright night begins. What's scary is this…. The whole time I was watching it, I was like… that could be me. I mean really, how many of us have gone trailing off with a group at night to some God forsaken place in search of a good scare from a "murder" or "devil worshipers" house? Am I the only one who does that?

2. The Amityville Horror: The story of a house possessed by an evil spirit that in turn possesses people that live there. I read the book first and it was very frightening. The movie brought out things that I had missed in the book. Very worth watching.

The Exorcist

1. The Exorcist: Anybody who has seen this classic horror starring Linda Blair knows that there is no explanation needed. I have only seen this movie once and can still see the girl in the bed with her head turning around today. I never, ever, ever, ever want to see it again. Ever.

Happy Halloween weekend everyone.

This story was submitted by a member of the TexasGigs community.

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Comments

John Meyer Staff

I'm kind of partial to Motel Hell, with Rory Calhoun as Farmer Vincent:

"It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent's fritters."

On a less savory note, there's one of my all-time favorite, most-underrated gothic-style horror films: The Changeling (1980).

1 year, 11 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Alan Cohen Staff

There is only film that can truly claim to have put the fear of god in all that have done nothing more than just see its preview:

1 year, 11 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Todd Maternowski Staff

The two movies that scared me the most when I was a lad: "The Wiz", and the cartoon version of "Lord of the Rings". Pretty creepy stuff, those two.

But nothing scares me as much as The Exorcist, not even close. Altho, watching The Ring for the firs ttime, on VHS, late at night... there's a whole lot of stuff that goes on after the credits roll that'll, well...just make sure you're stocked up on Depends.

1 year, 11 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Chad Jones Staff

I'm scared of Kazaam.

1 year, 11 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Laura Evans Staff

One of my all time favorite movies is Shawn of the Dead which an awesome scary/gory/totally hilarious movie. Definitely check it out!

1 year, 11 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )