Five scary films to kick off your Halloween evening

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by: bythesea
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Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2010 Time: 6:10 AM
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If you want to get your Halloween evening off to a suitably scary start without the need for fancy dress then it's a great idea to fire up your DVD or Bluray player and gather around the TV for a creepy film. With so many classic horror films to choose from, however, where should you start? Here are a few suggestions:

Dracula (1938)

This original horror classic featuring the iconic vampire Dracula is a great choice for kicking off your Halloween festivities. Based on Bram Stoker's famous novel of the same name, the film stars the great Béla Lugosi as the titular Count and stands up as well today as it did in the ‘30s. Modern copies of the film include an option to watch with a new musical score composed by Phillip Glass, which adds an extra haunting quality to proceedings.

Halloween (1978)

Maniac Michael Myers escapes a psychiatric hospital and returns to terrorise his home town in this ‘70s horror staple from John Carpenter. Not for the faint of heart, this slasher movie starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis influenced a huge number of later horror films and has spawned seven sequels and a modern remake. The original is still the best, though.

The Thing (1982)

Another John Carpenter classic, The Thing stars Kurt Russell as the pilot for a scientific research team stationed in the Antarctic. The group slowly discovers that a parasitic terror from another planet previously crash landed at a nearby base as it begins to infiltrate and imitate members of the team. Featuring horrific special effects and an explosive finale to rival many out and out action films, The Thing is a movie that will stay with you well after the credits roll.

Scream (1996)

Was Craven's Scream turns the classic slasher film template displayed so effectively by the likes of Halloween on its head by effortlessly combining genuine scares with satirical slants on conventional horror movie tropes, all the while ensuring that the viewer is in on the joke. The film follows a masked killer who stalks residents of a small Californian town, offering a surprising twist upon the guilty party's eventual unveiling. A witty ‘whodunnit' with plenty of scares along the way, Scream should be on any Halloween shortlist.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

This British horror film is another that takes a satirical sideswipe at scary film conventions, this time turning the viewer's attention to zombie movies. Simon Pegg plays Shaun, who is tasked with saving his friends and family during a seemingly fruitless struggle against a growing zombie plague. Riffing off zombie classics such a George A Romero's Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead and many more, Shaun of the Dead provides shocks and giggles in equal measure.

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Enjoy your Halloween scary films by dressing up in fancy dress