Our Favourite Halloween Movies

We asked for your help to determine the best scary movies to watch during the Halloween season. With your help, we've compiled our list of 5 essential scary movies. 

The Exorcist (1973)

Considered by many to be the scariest movie of all time, The Exorcist is the story of a teenage girl who becomes possessed by a mysterious entity.

By today's standard it might not seem as terrifying as it did in 1973, but according to Smithers resident Bruce Keen, many moviegoers vacated the theatre when it was originally released. I won't spoil it, but anyone who has watched The Exorcist knows the scene I'm talking about.

The Exorcist was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, bringing home two for Best Writing and Best Sound.

The Shining (1980)

I'm not saying it is better than the book, but many viewers seem to prefer Stanley Kubrick's version of this Stephen King novel. The Shining is the story of a caretaker and his family at an isolated hotel slowly going mad over the winter months.

You know who definitely likes the book more? Stephen King.

Florence Knott of Prince Rupert said they "Loved Jack Nicholson" in this movie, but that is one of  King's main complaints about the film adaptation. King felt that Nicholson's version of Jack Torrance was too unhinged from the start. 

The changes to King's novel didn't seem to upset audiences, but it upset King so much that he even financed a 1997 TV Miniseries that was faithful to the source material. 

Did you know there's a sequel to The Shining? Stephen King's follow-up novel, Doctor Sleep, was published in 2013. And the movie adaptation hits theaters on November 8, 2019.

IT (2017)

What is scarier than a clown? How about an inter-dimensional clown with a lazy eye named Pennywise? IT takes place in the summer of 1989 as a shape-shifting monster terrorizes the children of Derry, Maine.

IT relies on a young cast to carry the story, but I have to agree with Jodie Dudoward that they cast amazing actors. The movie was marketed as a straight up horror, but it combines fantasy and drama elements into the plot. This film has even been considered a coming of age story as the characters must face their greatest fears to defeat Pennywise.

I've heard people criticize IT for not being scary enough, but I strongly disagree with those people. Clowns are always scary.

IT: Chapter 2 was released in September 2019. There is also a TV Miniseries from 1990 staring Tim Curry as Pennywise. 

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Horror movies are known to give their viewers nightmares, but at least they're only that, nightmares. This isn't the case in this film, where a monstrous spirit seeks revenge by invading the dreams of teenagers whose parents were responsible for his untimely death.

Freddy Krueger has since become a horror icon, even being referenced in other movies such as Evil Dead 2, IT (2017), Scream, Ready Player One and The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror VI.

The 1984 film has inspired numerous sequels, spin-offs, and remakes, but none as iconic as the original.

Zombieland (2009)

Maybe it isn't that scary, but Zombieland is still fresh take on the horror genre. After a month of binge-watching horror movies, it can be nice to have a palate cleanser that still has some Halloween spirit.

Zombieland is an original take on the zombie apocalypse film. It's wickedly funny, but still features plenty of classic horror movie gore. The movie's run time of 88 minutes may seem short, but there's never a dull moment.

You'll end this film with more laughs than you do scares, but sometimes it's nice when a movie is just plain fun. I would rather have Woody Harrelson duel-wielding chainsaws than a cosmic clown most days of the week.

Thank you to everyone who entered our Hollywood Suite Halloween Promotion. Congratulation to our winner Ken Fickell of Terrace! 

Get the best movies of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s  uncut and commercial-free with the Hollywood Suite package. 

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