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What to watch when the lights go off
The best, the freakiest, the scariest movies from the past four decades
1970-1979
ERASERHEAD: 1977– David Lynch’s surreal masterpiece haunts viewers no matter how many times it’s watched. Not that it’s necessarily terrifying in the conventional meaning of the word, but it is without a doubt the most uncomfortable movie I’ve ever seen. It’s a dream world within a dream world within a nightmare. It must be seen at least once, if only to experience such a feeling you’ll likely never have again. Good luck renting it though; it’s nearly impossible to find unless you’re willing to shell out the cash to buy the DVD version, which is almost worth the money, but almost a waste at the same time due to how little you’ll want to watch it. Like acid, it’s a trip you’ll only want to take once every few years.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: The Omen (1976), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Alien (1979), The Amityville Horror (1979), The Hills Have Eyes (1977) and The Exorcist (1973)
1980-1989
THE SHINING: 1980– What happens when a family moves into an isolated hotel in the middle of winter? If you ignore your psychic son’s warnings, unspeakable tragedies will happen.
Obviously this one had to make the list. Who hasn’t had a nightmare of Jack Nicholson storming through their door and yelling classic late-night talk show catchphrases? With the backdrop of Timberline Lodge, and the recurring image of a creepy kid simply saying a nonsensical word, no movie can ever really compare in terms of the feeling of sheer dread that “The Shining” induces. The suspense is beautifully orchestrated through the entire movie, and few movies have ever been able to keep me on edge as well as “The Shining” does. It never lets up and never gives any real time to be at ease. It is the essential horror movie from this period.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: The Poltergeist (1980), Friday the 13th (1980), The Thing (1982), Nightmare On Elms Street (1984), The Fog (1980) and Near Dark (1988)
1990-1999
SEVEN: 1995– In a decade filled with sequels and a continuation of corny gore-based films, “Seven” is sort of pseudo-horror, in that there is no supernatural aspect, but the movie itself is very dark and melancholy in subject matter and atmosphere. The movie follows two detectives (superbly acted by Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt) tracking a murderer (Kevin Spacey) who kills based on the seven deadly sins. One of the more creative movies I’ve seen, the ending is gut-wrenching, and the soundtrack (keyed by an instrumental variation of Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer”) adds an aspect to the movie that can’t be overlooked. The down-trodden character Freeman plays is a perfect blend of expert and pessimist, and is a great complement to Pitt’s more ferocious detective. Spacey is brilliant as a calm, collected killer who seems to live in his own world.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Candyman (1990), Fallen (1998), Graveyard Shift (1990), Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Lord of Illusions (1995) and The Devil’s Advocate (1997)
2000-2009
SAW: 2004– Waking up in a strange room is always an unsettling experience. It’s usually not helped when you are joined by another stranger and a dead body. Or when you find out you’re part of a serial killer’s murderous game.
See the original, not the five gore-fests that followed it. The original “Saw” is everything that a horror movie should be. It had a B-movie feel and B-movie budget, but the quality is definitely A. The plot is well thought-out, and it seems to actually have a message about the nature of morality, rather than simply being gratuitous. The end twist of finding out where the Jigsaw killer is remains the best twist that I’ve ever seen in a movie, and the succinct way in which the storyline comes together so that Jigsaw’s plan is clear is just . . . brilliant.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: The Mothman Prophecies (2002), American Psycho (2000), 30 Days of Night (2007), The Descent (2005), Hostel (2005) and Frailty (2001).
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