Scary Movie Halloween Series Part 1

30 Best Horror Films of All Time

(Films that inspire Terror)

LOS ANGELES, CA. October 8, 2011: With Halloween coming up we thought it would be fun to put together Couples’ Company’s list of the Top 30 Scariest Films of All Time.  And then we ran into a problem.  There really are three primary types of scary films: Terrifying (this article), Slasher/Violent and Thriller.  The slasher films are covered on their own list in part 3 of this 3 part series.  The mind-bending suspense thrillers or the 'intellectual horror films', part 2 of this series. The Terrifying are covered on this and 2 additional pages. These three, Terrifying, Slasher/Violent and Thriller round out the scary film rankings. All in all we've ranked over 80 scary movies, (there are a few ties) in this series.

TERRIFYING FILMS: These are the films that feed upon our worst fears as humans and often revolve around everyday events.  They’re usually more probable than slasher films; sometimes they’re even based upon true-life events. It’s on this list you’ll find classics by Edgar Allen Poe, Alfred Hitchcock, Mary Shelly, Robert Louis Stevenson, Oscar Wilde and Stephen King. These stories often have an element of religion to them, special powers or criminal behavior.  This is also where science fiction often shows up in horror.  

Some of the films you might expect on this list like Jaws and Silence of the Lambs are covered under our Top 30 Suspense Thrillers, which are films with a strong psychological component. Films like Final Destination, Nightmare on Elm Street and the SAW series fall under our Top 20 Slasher/Violent horror films. These tend to appeal more to a younger crowd, generally 18-30, whereas those below have a broader demographic appeal. Rather than integrate, we split this genre into three separate lists to allow for the broadest representation.

There is one thing guaranteed about each of these films.  They’ll all give you the heebe jeebies and they’re so good, most are part of our collective experience and referred to within our culture. So grab a bowl of popcorn, snuggle up on the couch with the one you love and prepare to be freaked out, scared and driven a little closer…just in case you needed an excuse to hold on tight.

This is the first of the three part Scary Movies for Halloween series.  See if your favorites made the list! Comments to this list follow #30 on Page 3. 

30 Most Terrifying Films of All Time

SLASHER (SAW, HALLOWEEN ETC...) FILMS ARE RANKED ON THEIR OWN LIST HERE

1) THE EXORCIST

R: 1973. Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow and Linda Blair. Director: William Friedkin. Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller. Awards (15) including: Academy Award® for Best Sound and Best Screenplay; Golden Globe® Best Director, Best Picture (Drama), Best Supporting Actress. Running Time: 122 min

DESCRIPTION: There have been several imitations but there is only one The Exorcist and it tops our list of the most terrifying films of all time.

Based upon the book and adapted for the screen by William Peter Blatty, The Exorcists combines suspense, faith, superstition and the super natural in a potent movie experience. You don’t have to be Catholic nor Christian to be totally wigged out by this film or lose your taste for split pea soup hereto hence. It’s a psychological and spiritual thriller about the possession of a young girl by the devil and what happens when evil takes over a soul. This film is a work of fiction. Another good film based upon a true life story of exorcism is The Exorcism of Emily Rose from 2005 starring Laura Linney and Tom Wilkinson. Ironically The Exorcist was released on December 26, 1973, the day after Christmas rather than during October. This is one hell (pun intended) of a fantastic and scary movie.

RENT or BUY The Exorcist Now: Immediate streaming or download

2a) THE INNOCENTS

NR: 1961. Starring: Deborah Kerr, Peter Wyngarde, Megs Jenkins. Director: Jack Clayton. Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller. Awards (4) including two BAFTA. Running time: 100 minutes.

BUY The Innocents Now: Available in DVD and Blu-Ray

2b) BURNT OFFERINGS

(Ballata Macabra)

PG: 1976. Starring: Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Bette Davis, Burgess Meredith. Director: Dan Curits. Genre: Horror, Mystery. Awards (6) including: The Golden Scroll for Best Horror Film, and the Medalla Sitges en Oro de Ley for Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress. Running Time: 116 min

DESCRIPTION: Base upon the novel by Robert Marasco, this is the film that beat out Carrie and The Omen for the Golden Scroll Best Horror Film 1977…talk about stiff competition! 

The story is about a house that kills with a twist.  The old house is a tad, well, old.  But each time it kills someone or causes someone to nearly kill another, it gets a spirit driven renovation and appears almost new again. Burnt Offerings will be especially unnerving for married couples. It is as much about a haunted house as it is about seeing a marriage deteriorate, and having no clue how to stop it. It's about obsession, haunting, and that feeling of helplessness that ensues when the one you love disappears before your eyes and you can do nothing to stop it. It starts slow, but stay with it. This is the ultimate haunted house where the house is one of the spooks!  Consider it the real estate version of the Stephen King favorite Christine.  After seeing it, you’ll never look at home improvement or summer houses the same way again.

BUY Burnt Offerings Now: Currently only Available in DVD or if you have a Netflix account, you can stream it.

3) THE OMEN

R: 1976. Starring: Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, Harvey Stephens. Director: Richard Donner. Genre: Horror, Mystery, Drama. Awards (3) including: Academy Award for Best Original Score. Running time: 111 min

DESCRIPTION: Like The Exorcist, The Omen draws its inspiration from the Catholic faith and uses a child as the conduit of evil.  The premise is loosely based upon selected passages in the Book of Revelation foretelling the rise of the anti-Christ prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ and it parallels the Nativity Story, inverted. It’s an interesting review of two completely different and diametrically opposed versions of Christianity: Catholicism and Dispensationalism, which are intertwined to create a storyline that is both terrifying and entertaining. Here’s a bit of trivia.  Harvey Stephens, the little boy who plays Damian Thorn is actual a natural blond.  His hair was dyed for this part.  Damian Omen II, the sequel is also quite good and takes the story into Damian’s teen years and assent to power.

RENT or BUY The Omen Now: Immediate streaming or download

4) DELIVERANCE

R: 1972. Starring: Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds and Ned Beatty. Director: John Boorman. Genre: Adventure, Drama, Thriller. Awards: Nominated for 3 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Film Editing and Best Director. Running Time: 110 min

DESCRIPTION: All you have to say is ‘dueling banjos’ and any man over the age of 20 will know exactly what you’re talking about: Deliverance. Technically, this is not a horror film, but try to tell that to any red blooded guy who loves to camp and hunt. 

When we asked men ‘which films scare you the most?’ Deliverance always came in at the top followed very closely by Fatal Attraction.  Deliverance feeds on mens' deepest fears and inspires pure terror within them.  This is probably one of the first films to deal with man-on-man rape outside of a prison. Another similar film, (if you’re feeling a bit passive-aggressive and want to give him nightmares) with a Lorena Bobbitt twist is Hard Candy from 2005 with Ellen Page (Inception, Juno).  Hard Candy won Best Film and Best Screenplay at the Catalonian International Film Festival. 

Neither Deliverance nor Hard Candy would be prudent choices if you’re looking for a little adrenaline inspired nookie later in the night. He probably won’t be interested after seeing them for at least 24-hours!

RENT or BUY Deliverance Now: Streaming and Immediate Download Available

5) ROSEMARY'S BABY

R: 1968. Starring: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon. Director: Roman Polanski. Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery. Awards (12) including: Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. Running Time: 136 min

DESCRIPTION: This film has a personal freak out for me and possibly for my pseudo-twins John Cusack and Mary Stuart Masterson.  You see all three of us were born on June 28, 1966, which is also the birth date of Rosemary’s baby. Lovely, yes? Fortunately the first time I saw this was in my 20s or I may have been scarred for life.

This is another religion inspired film in which Rosemary’s husband (Cassavetes), a struggling actor offers his wife’s womb to a Satanic cult which has her impregnated by Satan himself in a very erotic but disturbing rape scene ritual. In return, his career takes off and Rosemary (Farrow) begins to realize something is seriously wrong with her pregnancy.  Conspiracies abound and the tension mounts throughout this film; it will scare you and it is a film once seen, you will never forget.  A more recent film with a similar storyline though not nearly as good is The Seventh Sign with Demi Moore from 1988.

RENT or BUY Rosemary’s Baby Now: Streaming and Immediate Download Available

6) THE SHINING

R: 1980. Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelly Duval and Danny Lloyd. Director: Stanley Kubrick. Genre: Drama, Horror. Awards (1) Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films for Best Supporting Actor Scatman Crothers. Running time: 142 min

DESCRIPTION:  “Here’s Johnny!” Jack Nicholson puts a whole new twist on this former intro for Johnny Carson in this maniacal horror film based upon a book by Stephen King and brought to the screen by one of the stranger directors, Stanley Kubrick. Is it madness or a curse engendered in the edifice of a hotel? This film mixes psychic abilities, the past and future with fears known to every parent along with the horror of having your spouse go from normal to psycho in one month flat.

RENT or BUY The Shining Now: Available for Streaming or Immediate Download.

7) ALIEN

R: 1979. Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt. Director: Ridley Scott. Genre: Science Fiction, Horror. Awards (13) including: Academy Award for Best Visual Effects; Saturn Awards for Best Director, Best Science Fiction Film and Best Supporting Actress.. Running time: 117 min.

DESCRIPTION: Set in the future and in outer space this film includes some amazing (and gross) special effects and seriously tense moments.  The storyline is about a mining ship that responds to an SOS in outer space.  Upon landing on the planet from whence the signal originated, they realize they are not alone…and not in friendly territory.  This film spawned a sequel and firmly entrenched space within the possibilities of horror.

RENT or BUY Alien Now: Available for Streaming or Immediate Download.

8) PSYCHO

PG-13: 1960. Starring: Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles. Director: Alfred Hitchcock. Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller. Awards (4) including: Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress, Edgar Allen Poe Awards for Best Motion Picture. Nominated for 4 Academy Awards. Running Time: 109 min

DESCRIPTION: You can’t have a list about terror films without including the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Psycho is the best known about a mama's boy who kills. If you’re looking for a guaranteed thrill, Hitchcock delivers.  Some of his lessor known films include Murder! (1930); The 39 Steps (1935); Foreign Correspondent (1940) and this writer’s two favorites Topaz and Rebecca.

RENT or BUY Psycho Now: Available for Streaming or Immediate Download.

9) CARRIE

R: 1976. Starring: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving with John Travolta. Director: Brian de Palma. Genre: Drama, Horror. Awards (3) including: the National Society of Film Critics Award for Sissy Spacek as Best Actress. Running Time: 98 min

DESCRIPTION: This is the second feature film we see John Travolta in (the first was 1975’s The Devil’s Rain) and he plays a supporting role as a typical insensitive and narcissistic teen always looking to get laid.  Sissy Spacek is amazing in this film and Piper Laurie is completely creepy. Carrie weaves together religion with psychic abilities and teen angst surrounding popularity contests, overbearing mothers and Senior Prom.  It was an instant classic when it came out and continues to be a favorite with teens and adults alike.  Based upon the book of the same name by Stephen King. Another shocking thriller starring Sissy Spacek and Martin Sheen is her 1973 feature film debut Badlands about two teenage murders terrorizing the Midwestern United States.

RENT or BUY Carrie Now: Available for Streaming or Immediate Download.

10) POLTERGEIST

PG: 1982. Starring: JoBeth Williams, Heather O’Rourke, Craig T. Nelson. Director: Tobe Hooper. Genre: Horror, Drama. Awards (4) including: Saturn Award for Best Horror Film Running Time: 114 min

DESCRIPTION:  “They’re here…” Those words continue to chill and have entered the popular vernacular worldwide. I was living in Brazil when this came out and even with Portuguese subtitles, the the theater audience screamed throughout. That's a good film, one that plays well even when you have to read subtitles to understand it! Of course, being a native English speaker, I was a fraction of a second ahead of everyone.  But I digress...

This film was written by Stephen Spielberg and Michael Grais and gave a whole new meaning to snow and television sets.  The story combines religious overtones with paranormal activity and heightens the fear by using children as the primary conduits. Tragically the young star of this film Heather O’Rourke died at the age of 12 in 1988 but her words and her delivery will live on forever as part of pop culture.  Poltergeist is the ultimate ghost story!

RENT or BUY Poltergeist Now: Available for Streaming or Immediate Download.

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