THE SPOOPIEST FILMS YOU'LL EVER SEE (AKA MY TOP 10 HORROR FILMS)

It's October. The leaves are beginning to change, the temperature is getting ever so colder, and Halloween is right around the corner. And who doesn't love Halloween? You can dress up in a ridiculous costume, and it's the perfect excuse to get purposely scared!

A large number of us love being scared. Whether it be a haunted house, horror novel, or good-old horror films, there's just something so fun about being scared, especially (if you're like me), you're with friends.

So with that said, in celebration of the spookiest month, here are my ten personal favorite horror films.

Halloween (1978)

The film that helped birth a genre. One of the first slasher films, Halloween is a tense ride from start to finish. From the very beginning it's more than clear that Michael Meyers is disturbed, being committed for a murder he did in his youth. Years later, he manages to escape and proceeds to cause terror throughout his hometown. One by one victims fall prey to his acts, all while keeping an eye on Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis, in her film debut). A surprising lack of gore actually helps to increase the suspense and fear.

Scream (1996)

Another slasher film, but one that's actually a satire on horror films in general. Unlike most horror films, these characters are aware of them and their formulas, and frequently comment on them and use them to their advantage. But don't be mistaken, despite it being a satire, this is not a comedic film. It's just as dark and disturbing as the other films on this list, with Ghostface, the film's antagonist, being a menacing and terrifying force.

It Follows (2014)

Some horror films don't rely on jump scares to give the audience their thrills. Sometimes all you need is an underlying feeling of tension. This is what makes It Follows so successful. The main threat isn't someone who waits for the moment to attack, but rather a force that slowly stalks its victims, never charging at its prey. But the catch is that once you're inflicted with this curse, you cannot get rid of it unless you give it to someone else (by having sex), so you either give the curse to someone else, or suffer the consequences. Also, super huge bonus points for this films awesome soundtrack.

The Witch (2015)

What makes The Witch work is its commitment to its setting. Taking place in 17th century New England, the film is extremely accurate, going all the way to the dialogue, which is very era-specific. Strange occurrences plague our protagonist Thomasin and her family, with them beginning to suspect that she may be a witch. The catch is, you know she's not a witch, that's not the main horror; instead, the main horror is seeing her family slowly turn against her, as well as figuring out what actually is behind the horror.

Alien (1979)

"In space, no one can hear you scream." There are few statements more chilling than that. In essence, Alien is really little more than a haunted-house film. But, setting it in space makes changes it substantially, as the characters do not have the option of escape. The Alien is, in my eyes, the most terrifying creature created for film, and its viscous tormenting of the Nostromo crew is what makes this the scariest film I've seen.

Nosferatu (1922)

I'll be honest here, the first time I ever heard of Nosferatu was on that episode of Spongebob Squarepants. You know the one. But after watching it on its own, I really appreciated it for what it is. Yes, it's a silent film from the 20's, and no, it's not exactly scary nowadays, but it's still an important film for any horror film fan. This was one of the first notable horror films, and if you can look past what some may see as its "shortcomings", you'll for sure have an enjoyable time.

The Shining (1983)

Even if you've never seen the film, you know it's most famous line. "Heeeereee's Johnny!", said by Jack Nicholson is one of the most haunting moments in any film. Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name (though there are significant differences between the two), the story of supernatural forces slowly corrupting author Jack Torrence is one of the scariest in any medium. A tense & frightening ending ending caps off one of the most thrilling & suspenseful films out there.

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Yes, this is the 2004 version, not the 1978 one. Don't get me wrong, I definitely appreciate and enjoy the original version, but something about this update appeals to me more. Maybe it's because I find the newly agile zombies more terrifying than those in the original (ironically in contrast to what I said about It Follows). In all honesty, the 1978 film is probably objectively better than this one, but like I said, this is a list of my favorite films, so that's why this is here.

Carrie (1976)

High school on its own is almost like a horror movie, let alone going through high school and realizing you have supernatural powers. Carrie White has it hard enough, with a very overbearing mother (and that's understating things), a group of girls bullying her, and getting her first period. She discovers she has telekinetic abilities, and then life seems to begin to look up for her. But then it all goes burning down in flames (pun intended). This is one of the movies that still makes me cringe. Just make sure not to watch the 2013 remake, even though I love Chloe Grace Moretz.

The Conjuring (2013)

Sometimes the best thing to do is go back to basics. This is what makes The Conjuring work, it is an old-fashioned tale, though this isn't your average run-of-the-mill horror film. The story about a pair of paranormal investigators investigating strange occurrences at a Rhode Island home has become a modern-day horror classic, smartly using old-school scares to keep you on the edge of your seat.

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REVIEW - "LIGHTS OUT"

Warning: slight spoilers follow

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Horror is a very difficult genre to master. Besides comedy, it may be the hardest genre to be successful in. To genuinely scare your audience, and to have it feel natural and in service of the story, isn't easy. The last few years has been fairly interesting with regards to horror; along with the usual sub-par remakes and many films assuming gore = horror,  there have been some great horror films, like The Witch, It Follows, and The Conjuring, among others. Lights Out, from director David F. Sandberg and producer James Wan (The Conjuring, Insidious) is really none of these things. It's probably not going to be going to be remembered as a masterpiece in the horror genre, but it isn't a complete disaster of a film, either. It's a perfectly good horror film, one with many positive elements.

The film, based on a 2013 short film of the same name, centers around Rebecca (Teresa Palmer), a young woman who is estranged from her mother, Sophie (Maria Bello). You find out that Sophie has been previously diagnosed with depression, but that isn't what drove the women apart. Rather, it was something else, something more sinister. Sophie has an "imaginary friend" or sorts named Diana. But instead of it being merely being a product of Sophie's mental illness, it is in fact a malicious entity, one that can only function in darkness. Rebecca's half-brother Martin (Gabriel Bateman) begins encountering Diana, causing him trouble in school, leading Rebecca to re-enter her family's life. You soon discover that Rebecca has had encounters with Diana herself, and that she may in fact be responsible for the disappearance of Rebecca's father. (You see Martin's father, and Sophie's husband being killed by Diana, unnamed at this point, at the beginning of the film.)

The film is a little over an hour and twenty minutes, though it didn't felt like that at all when I watched it. The film just flew by, and the pacing was very good. The film didn't bother to drag on any one detail for too long, and the film just seemed to go from one plot point to the next, though in a way that felt very natural.

Gabriel Bateman, Teresa Palmer, and Alexander DiPersia in Lights Out

The cast in this film were all spot-on, with Bello effectively playing a woman who deeply cares for her family, but also knows she can't fully be there for them. She acts towards Diana as a close friend, though there is always a little bit of tension every time she brings her up. Palmer also shines as Rebecca, a girl who still loves her mother, but is too overwhelmed to be able to fully become close to her again. The relationship between the two is fantastic; the estrangement, but obvious love, between the two adds an extra layer of tension in a film already filled with it. Alexander DiPersia also does his best with the limited role he has, playing the role of an unconventionally supportive boyfriend.

As the main antagonist is something that is only powerful in darkness, the film uses a lot of minimalist horror, which I loved. I'm of the opinion that horror is at it's best when you can't see what the menace is, as that only adds to the tension. For much of the film you don't see Diana, as she is hanging in the dark. I'm not a big fan of the "jump scare-athon" that so many horror films have become, as the the impact of them is lessened the more they happen. The film does not completely avoid them, they are not the main focus of the horror. Rather, especially near the end, the film relies much more on an increasing sense of tension.

Maria Bello in Lights Out

The film does get pretty heavy-handed in its themes, especially towards the end of the film. This culminates in a ending that amounts to what was a very bad metaphor for depression. Many may not find this to be a problem, but many others will, and have, find it to be fairly tasteless, and as was said earlier, heavy-handed. Now, this doesn't detract from the film as a whole, as it's still a very enjoyable horror film, but it is a glaring sore spot.

All in all though, Lights Out is a very enjoyable horror film, and rarely more than that. It won't be remembered as one of the all-time greats, but it is a well-made film, and a surprisingly very good debut from Sandberg. Lights Out may not be a masterpiece, but with a debut as strong as this, one of his next films may very well be.