SMT Weekly Flick by Paul Krismanits
The Best Halloween Flicks
I have made no secret of my disdain for most slasher flicks, and as a result of my disposition toward them I can’t recommend Saw VI, the only real horror flick that will make any kind of box-office splash for this Halloween weekend. However, watching good scary movies on Halloween is a favorite pastime of mine, and so here are what I consider to be the top 5 best films to watch for good thrills and chills. Just remember that all of these are actually good movies, not just brain-dead fodder full of cheap scares and gore overload. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying those, but they just aren’t my cup of poison (cue the cheesy Halloween jokes!). So here we go…I’ll try not to scream.
Number 5: Night of the Hunter. Starring Robert Mitchum and Shelley Winters, Night of the Hunter is about a psychopath named Harry Powell who hears his prison cell-mate (a murderer) tell a story about stolen loot he left in the care of his own children. Since he was only in prison on a petty crime, Harry is let out, and he embarks on a journey to recover his cellmates treasure. His cover is as a traveling preacher, and he uses his disguise to psychologically torment those who know where his prize is. Filmed in 1955, Hunter still messes with the mind, and Harry’s tattoos are great for a scary addition to a costume.
Number 4: Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear. Fear stars Robert De Niro as a psychopathic stalker who torments the attorney (Nick Nolte) who defended him unsuccessfully. De Niro’s methods range from pure intimidation to stealthily seducing Nolte’s daughter. Their feud ends in one of the most memorably intense scenes in film history. De Niro’s performance is considered an iconic one in all of cinema, and with Scorsese directing there are few flaws. It may just keep future law students from becoming criminal defenders.
Number 3: Alien 3. Easily the most underrated of the Aliens films; it actually may be the best. Directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac), Alien 3 takes hero Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and places her on a prison planet where there are few weapons and many enclosed places. So when an Alien shows up unexpectedly they are trapped in with it, and Ripley ends up being faced with a decision of ultimate sacrifice in order to save all around her. With Fincher at the helm, this Alien is the most stylishly directed of them all, and the setting creates more tension than any of the others offer. No one could go wrong with Alien or its sequel Aliens, but if you want the best, number 3 does the trick. Just watch your head.
In the first runner-up position is The Frighteners. Directed by Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings), Frighteners stars Michael J. Fox (in his last starring role) as a con man who actually can see the dead. So when the grim reaper visits his small town he is forced into action as the only one who can chase it off before it takes out everyone. Frighteners not only has amazing special effects and presents many scary moments, it also has a thought-provoking plot and plenty of laughs as well. There are few scary movies ever made that are as complete as this one.
Finally, at the number one position is the frightening Frailty. A little-known film, Frailty is the first film directed by Bill Paxton (Big Love), and it is a terrifying debut. Starring Matthew Mcconaughey and Paxton, Frailty is the story of a family of one man and his two boys who believe they are called by God to destroy evil in the world. The evil exists in the form of demons, who look like regular people. As the father kidnaps these “demons” to destroy them, his kids are forced to face the reality that maybe their father has actually just gone crazy. One believes and the other doesn’t, and the doubting son must make the decision to choose his family, or to save those his father is hellbent on killing. Frailty ends with one of the most unexpected twist endings ever filmed, and it is one of the few movies that get better with repeated viewings.
There you are, the best movies to give yourselves a real, solid scare without otherwise wasting your time. Of course, these are all for adults, who aren’t the only ones watching movies this weekend. So for the kids, my wife recommended her favorites, which are definitely kid-friendly. She recommends Hocus Pocus, Ernest Scared Stupid, and Casper. I promise you can take her word for it (she doesn’t like the really scary ones either). Happy Holidays and be safe!
Honorable mentions: Halloween (the original), The Exorcist, Event Horizon, Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1993)
