"The Haunting" (1963)

Don't let the original G rating fool you-- The Haunting is a terrifying classic ghost story that is a classic among horror fans.  The film centers around a doctor who is hell-bent on proving that ghosts exist.  Using a stereotypical haunted house (named Hill House-- scary, eh?), he employs the help of various individuals who have had previous experiences with the supernatural.  One young woman, Nell, becomes particularly involved in the experiment and finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into the history of Hill House.

Seriously, spiral staircases are never NOT creepy....

While you can likely find the full-version of The Haunting online for free if you do a little digging, if you have Amazon Prime you can also watch it for free.  You can also purchase The Haunting from Amazon for a few bucks-- not a bad deal for such a great movie....

P.S. This film was adapted from the 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (a great book if you love ghost stories!).  Also, it was remade in 1999 starring Catherine Zeta-Jones.

P.S.S. Talk about famous fans-- director Martin Scorsese has named The Haunting as his favorite horror film of all time.

"Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" (1986)

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a cult classic that explores the depth of psychopathology.  Henry is a bonafide serial killer who, once released from prison, begins to show his new roommate/ex-prison partner Otis the ropes of serial killing.  They go on a crime spree together and Otis quickly loses his grip on any amount of morality he had left.  Meanwhile, Henry meets Otis's sister and begins to change... or does he?

While you can watch this film via Netflix instant, you should really go ahead and buy Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer for your own collection.  It is a thought-provoking, creepy movie that will make you think twice about going into a hotel with a strange man.

P.S. This movie was made with a measly budget of $110,000-- talk about super low-budget!

P.S.S. The character of Henry is actually based on the real-life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas.  He also befriended a man named Otis and became romantically involved with his sister in real life.

"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974)

....and no, ladies and gents, I'm not talking about the remake with Jessica Biel, or for that matter the one with Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey.  No, no, today we are looking at the orignal The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, directed by horror rock star Tobe Hooper.  A group of teenagers/dirty hippies are traveling in a van to see their grandfather's house in Texas.  Unfortunately for them, they are soon targeted and tracked down by an isolated, malicious family that has a taste for bloodshed, and human flesh.  Literally.  While each member of the clan is frightening in their own way, the one who takes the cake is Leatherface, a large, husky man who adorns himself in his victim's skin and a chainsaw.

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You can rent this gem from Netflix, or bite the bullet and purchase it from Amazon.  Don't forget to check out the following clip below:



P.S. Even though the film states that it was based on a true story, no hippies were actually harmed in the making of this film, or in real life.  Instead, the character of Leatherface is based off of serial killer Ed Gein, who made lamp shades and masks out of his victims' flesh.  He is also stated as the inspiration behind The Silence of Lambs antagonist Jamie Gunn, as well as Psycho's Norman Bates.

P.S.S. Gunnar Hansen, the actor who played Leatherface, was actually a computer operator before auditioning for the film.  He did a wee bit of theater and thought it would be fun to be in a movie, and so he auditioned for and won the role.  Apparently, he endured a lot during filming.  For instance, the budget was so low that his character only had one shirt.  He had to film for four weeks in the hot Texas weather.  By the end of shooting, apparently no one wanted to eat lunch with him because he smelled so bad.

"Carrie" (1976)

Whenever you hear the phrase, "Pull a Carrie," you can assume they are talking about one thing-- embarrassing a nerdy girl by the use of pig blood on prom night.  This is the exact premise of Brian De Palma's cult classic Carrie.  Based on the novel by Stephen King, the story revolves around a bullied, mousy girl named, appropriately, Carrie.  While two kind-hearted students try to repent for their evil ways by showing Carrie a good time at prom, other popular kids have something entirely different in mind.  When you combine relentless bullying, an overzealous religious parent, and a slew of telekinetic powers, well.... you'll just have to watch, won't you?

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You can watch Carrie instantly on Netflix, or you can buy the classic from Amazon.  Make sure to check out the clip below:



P.S. Even though this is a well-known piece of trivia, the pig's blood dropped on Carrie's head was actually karo syrup and red food coloring.  Yum!

P.S.S. Tons of actresses were considered for the title role before Sissy Spacek.  Melanie Griffith, Linda Blair, and Farrah Fawcett all auditioned for it.  Before Sissy Spacek's husband, who was the art director for the film, convinced director De Palma to see his wife's screen test, he was set on Amy Irving for the title role.  Later, she was bumped down to a smaller role and Carrie went to Spacek.

"Rosemary's Baby" (1968)

If you haven't heard of the film Rosemary's Baby, then I suggest you turn away from this post, because I will tell you exactly what the movie is about: Satan.  That's right, folks.  When a young, hip couple move into a shady apartment complex, they are thrilled to find out that they are pregnant.  However, as Rosemary's bump begins to grow, so do the strange occurrences around her-- people die, nightmares occur, and the neighbors are all too friendly.  Soon, Rosemary learns that a paternity test may be in order for her previous bundle of joy....

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You can rent Rosemary's Baby from Netflix or you can just buy it from Amazon.  Make sure to check out the following clip below, as well:



P.S. There were several rumors floating around that Anton LaVey, the Church of Satan founder, actually played Satan in one of the scenes.  However cool that would be, it was unfortunately false.  Boo.

P.S.S. Rosemary's Baby was director Roman Polanski's first American film, as well as his first non-original script.  Many people say this film stays true to the book more so than any other movie ever made-- this was likely due to the fact that Polanski didn't know he could stray from the book in the script.

"Spider Baby" (1968)

Today's Horror du Jour comes courtesy from Happy and Wrong, my other blog that features a Terror Tuesday section dedicated to horror flicks.  Check out Spider Baby, a classic film from the 1960's that has inspired many horror films to date.  The Merrye family suffers from a rare genetic disorder that causes them to reverse in terms of emotionality, making them into cannibalistic killers.

Please follow this and my other blog if you love all things girly-- and, uh, horror movies.  Thanks, y'all!

"The Hills Have Eyes" (1977)

From Scream to The Last House on the Left, Wes Craven is undoubtedly a horror film rockstar.  Seriously, he is a terrific director, and has he ever made a movie that wasn't even mildly entertaining?  Nah, I didn't think so, either.  The Hills Have Eyes is one of Craven's earlier films, and it centers on a family who, amidst a road trip, accidentally crash into a dessert.  While they think they are alone, they actually are being stalked by a family of deranged cannibals, and soon the chaos and violence begin.....

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Watch The Hills Have Eyes by renting it from Netflix, or buy it directly from Amazon.  Also, make sure to check out the trailer below:

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P.S. While most casting sessions look at an actor's, y'know, acting abilities, apparently one of the strongest reasons for hiring an actor was his or her ability to cry on cue.

P.S.S. Remember Dee Wallace, the actress in E.T. and The Howling?  She actually was in this movie, too-- can you say "scream queen"?

"Night of the Living Dead" (1968)

Words cannot describe the love I have for the original Night of the Living Dead (and I say "original" only because there was a truly unfortunate remake from the 90's... yuck!).  As George A. Romero's first film, and the granddaddy of all zombie-themed exploits, the story revolves around a group of survivors who huddle together in a deserted farmhouse to hide from, well, the living dead.  Apparently, while our generation focuses on zombies being the result of a nasty virus, they were originally caused by an out-of-control satellite orbiting the earth and bringing the dead back to life (anybody care to do a sociology project on that theme?).  Best of all, the hero in the movie was African-American, which had not been done before.

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You can watch Night of the Living Dead instantly on Netflix, or you can add this classic to your collection from Amazon.  Check out the following trailer, too, for a taste (no pun intended) of the film:



P.S. The filmmakers of Night of the Living Dead were deemed "Satanically-inspired" by certain religious groups.  I guess we know who got the last laugh....

P.S.S. Night of the Living Dead was one of the first films to actually feature a violent death on the big screen.  Additionally, it was one of the most successful independent films of all time!

"Phantasm" (1979)

Just when you thought that funeral homes couldn't get any creepier, Phantasm adds a whole new, bizarre level of horror.  This film is a classic among horror fans, and involves a young boy who stumbles upon a creepy dude with some extraordinary powers at a funeral.  Known only as Tall Man, he has a tendency to reanimate the dead into elf-like creatures for eternal slavery.  Oh yes-- he also has some cool toys, like balls (don't get any ideas, you dirty-minds out there) that can project spikes into a victim, living or dead....

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Phantasm is available for rent on Netflix. However, if you're like me, you can also buy it from Amazon for nearly nothin'.  In the meantime, enjoy this preview:



P.S. The original running time was 3 hours long-- yikes!  Needless to say, some smart guy estimated that 3 hours is about 1 1/2 hours too long for an average horror geek's attention span.  They cut it down substantially.

P.S.S. This is infamous for the Tall Man's favorite torture device, a silver sphere that protruded spikes.  They actually were thought up by director Don Coscarelli, who said that the idea came to him in a dream.  The craftsman in charge of making the spheres sadly passed away before the movie was released.

"Nosferatu" (1922)

Considered the first vampire movie of all time, Nosferatu is a classic for every horror fan.  It follows the same premise of Bram Stocker's popular novel Dracula, with one exception-- the filmmakers couldn't obtain the official rights and therefore they couldn't use ol' Bram's character names.  Instead of Count Dracula, the main ghoul is Count Orlok, a nasty vampire who has his un-beating heart set on the pure Ellen.  While the ending is quite different than the other, more classic version, it is still strikingly similar and even beautiful in its execution.  Nosferatu is definitely a silent film worth watching, people....

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Rent Nosferatu from Netflix or buy it straight from Amazon.  In the meantime, check out the following scene:



P.S. Did you know that the character of Nosferatu (a.k.a. the creepy dude in all his vampire glory) only appears in the film for a total of 9 minutes?

"The Amityville Horror" (1979)

If there is a movie out there that will disuade you from buying real estate, it is most definitely The Amityville Horror.  Forget that crappy 2005 remake with Ryan Reynolds-- the one from the 1970's is far superior (at least in terms of story-- the special effects, not so much).  Newlyweds George and Kathy decide to buy a dirt cheap house, despite knowing its sordid history:  An entire family was murdered years before in their sleep.  Moral of the story?  Don't be cheap when it comes to real estate!  It's all about location, baby, and on top the portal of Hell doesn't have good resale value.

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Rent The Amityville Horror from Netflix or purchase it straight from Amazon.  While you're in the mood, check out the following spooky scene from the flick:



P.S. This movie was based on the book by George Lutz, one of the newlyweds who arrived at the house in real life.  He was played in the movie by actor James Brolin and even became quite friendly with him.  Brolin, however, stated that he didn't believe their story about the whole gate-to-Hell-in-the-rec-room thing.

"The Last House on the Left" (1972)

Oh, Wes Craven-- the simple utterance of his name sends shivers down many horror fans' spines.  He's responsible for classics like A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, and, my personal favorite, The Last House on the Left.  The Last House on the Left was Craven's first venture into feature films, and its content is somewhat darker than his other flicks.  Two teenage girls meet up at their parents' summer homes and are soon stalked by a group of vicious criminals.  Besides robbing them, they take them into the woods and proceed to brutally rape, hunt them down, and murder them.  However, their car breaks down right in front one of the girl's summer house, and her Daddy Dearest, who happens to be a physician (translation: knows lots of ways to make you suffer), soon realizes who the supposed "guests" are.  Pretty soon, the line becomes blurred between who the victims and the killers are....

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Watch The Last House on the Left instantly on Netflix, or purchase it from Amazon directly.  While you're waiting, amuse yourself by watching the following trailer:



P.S. Due to the graphic nature of the rape scene (it truly is the most realistic and horrifying one I've ever seen), it has been banned many times in numerous countries.  The UK originally gave it an X rating until Craven had to drastically edit out the worse bits.

P.S.S. Director Wes Craven tends to name a lot of his villians some version of "Krug" (i.e. Freddy Krueger and the main bad dude in this flick).  This name belongs to his high school bully, who you bet is really, really regretting beating up on creative, talented, and rich kids....

"The Evil Dead" (1981)

The Evil Dead is one of those films that everyone knows about, regardless of whether or not they consider themselves to be a horror movie fan.  It singlehandedly launched two celebrities into fame-- star Bruce Campbell and director Sam Raimi-- with its campy, yet creepy, storyline.  When 5 teenagers go to a cabin in the woods, they discover an ancient book (the Necronomicon) and a corresponding tape recording of the text.  When they get nosy and play the tape, they release an ancient spirit that possesses 4 out of 5 of the teens.  Making them into zombies, there is only one kid that remains, and uses a chainsaw in a bizarre way to stop it....

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You can watch this gem on Netflix instantly, or you can man up and simply buy the film from Amazon.  Regardless, you won't be sorry.  Don't believe me?  Check out this cool trailer, then:



P.S. Bruce Campbell apparently really, really believed in this film.  He put up his parents' house as collateral for the film to be released.

P.S.S. Stephen King was one of the first people to watch the film.  He publicly expressed his liking of The Evil Dead, and soon it was bought by New Line Cinema.

"The Bad Seed" (1956)

Today's Horror du Jour comes courtesy of Happy and Wrong, my other blog.  It features Terror Tuesday, a section dedicated to horror movies, as well as general info about life.  The Bad Seed is one of my favorite movies of all time (it's actually #2, right after A Clockwork Orange, but who's keeping tabs?), as it is about whether or not an 8 year old girl is capable of murder.  Check it out if you love suspenseful thrillers with overdramatic (and awesome) acting and a killer story.... no pun intended.

Also, if you love fashion, saving money, and random things, then please follow Happy and Wrong.  Thanks, everybody!

"When a Stranger Calls" (1979)

In my humble opinion, no other horror movie has such a strong, frightening opening scene.  For this reason alone, When a Stranger Calls is an instant classic that all horror fanboys (and fangirls) should watch.  The first 20 minutes of this movie is notorious for making even the most die-hard horror nuts quiver, and spawed the whole "babysitter-stalked-by-killer" theme we still see in cinema today.  Carol Kane (yes, that squeaky lady from Taxi) plays teenager Jill Johnson, who is babysitting the children of an affluent couple.  While she attempts to do her homework and gossip on the landline, she starts getting calls from a creepy dude, asking her, "Have you checked on the children?"  After several minutes of this game, she soon learns that the call is coming from a second landline in the house-- yikes.  Needless to say, the children are brutally murdered and, seven years later, the killer returns to go after her own offspring.

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Rent When a Stranger Calls from Netflix, or bite the bullet and add it to your collection (grab it from Amazon for the best price).  For your viewing pleasure, check out the opening scene below:



P.S. This movie was actually shot originally as a short film entitled The Sitter.  However, director Fred Walton thought that he could make some big bucks after the success of Halloween, and so he stretched out the movie from 20 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.

P.S.S. This flick was later remade in 2006 under the same title.  Starring Camilla Belle, it is the exact premise (except with a cooler house and a lot less originality) as the original.

"My Bloody Valentine" (1981)

My Bloody Valentine is a movie that is more about blood and violence than roses and chocolate.  20 years before the film begins, a terrible mining accident took place on Valentine's Day.  The only survivor, a miner named Harry, kills the security guard who let the accident occur, and vows to kill anybody who ever throws a V-Day party again.  20 years later, a bunch of teens decide to throw a party anyway, and pretty soon Harry returns (or at least somebody posing as Harry), mining gear and all....

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Rent My Bloody Valentine from Netflix, or buy it from Amazon.  Not gonna lie, I totally have this film myself in my collection.  Check out the following trailer in the meantime:



P.S. Most of the film's mining scenes were shot in real coal mines-- 900 feet underground!  They had to use extra safety precautions to properly shoot these scenes.

P.S.S. During the filming of My Bloody Valentine, the director never told anybody who the killer actually was until the very end.  Talk about suspense!

"A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984)

A Nightmare on Elm Street isn't just one of Wes Craven's first horror movies, or Johnny Depp's introduction into cinema.  Instead, it is a pioneer in the genre known as "slasher films."  What makes this film so frightening is that, as opposed to other slashers of the day such as Halloween and Friday the 13th, is that it has a supernatural twist.  Years ago, Freddy Kreuger, a pedophile/child murderer, was burned alive by disgruntled parents who feared for their children's safety.  As the children become teenagers, Freddy, adorned in an ugly striped sweater and metal claws reminiscent of X-Men's Wolverine, haunts their dreams, killing them both while asleep and in real life.

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Rent A Nightmare on Elm Street on Netflix, or buy it on Amazon.  Regardless, if you consider yourself a horror fan, you must add this classic to your collection.  Check out the following trailer for a sneak preview:



P.S. Unlike other famous film killers, like Jason or Michael Meyers, Freddy Krueger is not simply a large, silent monster.  Instead, he is dark, demented, and somewhat funny.  Originally, Freddy was supposed to follow the others' examples, but actor Robert Englund successfully created a novel character.

P.S.S. Freddy Krueger was named after Wes Craven's schoolyard bully.  He apparently tormented him relentlessly during their shared paper routes.  Talk about poetic justice....

"Alien" (1979)

Today's horror movie will probably be familiar to nearly everyone reading this: Ridley Scott's Alien.  It is a surprisingly haunting sci-fy flick that features a young Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, a futuristic officer of a space craft.  When her ship gets strange signals from a planet, they find themselves face to face with a parasitic alien who has two sets of sharp teeth, an egglant-shaped head, and, oh yes, acid in the place of blood.  The creature begins picking off the crew one-by-one, leaving Ripley to try to save herself and the ship from the creepy alien.

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While it isn't available to watch instantly yet, you can still rent Alien from Netflix.  If you're like me, however, you may want to go ahead and buy this from Amazon... In the meantime, check out the infamous scene below:



P.S. In the original script, the character of Ripley was supposed to be male-- until Sigourney Weaver came along, that is....

P.S.S. The alien was designed by artist H.R. Giger, famous for his futuristic, gothic art.  Several sketches had to be discarded because of sexually explicit material....

"Hellraiser" (1987)

I won't lie, folks-- I am slightly partial to all the Pinhead movies, especially the original Hellraiser.  Perhaps it's because it is an original, semi-intelligent horror movie involving supernatural elements and S&M-obsessed demons; or, it could be that I met Doug Bradley (a.k.a. Pinhead himself) once and he was super nice and complimented me on my top.  Regardless of the reason, I think Hellraiser is a horror film that even non-scary movie fans should watch.  The premise is slightly confusing, so let me try to put it in layman's terms: a sociopathic man fiddles with a magical box, gets sucked into the inner realms of Hell, is tortured excessively, escapes, and now is on the run from Pinhead, the leader of these crazy demons (a.k.a. Cenobites).  However, since he is literally just a pile of bones and blood, he hides out in his brother's attic, where he has an affair with his sister-in-law, kills some neighbors, and ultimately has to face his captors.  Are you exhausted yet?  Yah?  Me too.

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Rent Hellraiser on Netflix, or do yourself a favor and buy it from Amazon.  Watch the following trailer if you don't believe me on how supremely awesome this film is:



P.S. This movie is actually based on a novella by Clive Barker called The Hellbound Heart.  Additionally, the working title of this movie was Sadomasochists From Beyond the Grave.  I'm thinking they made a good choice....

P.S.S. Pinhead wasn't the character's official name until the second movie-- originally, it was simply The First Cenobite, but fans dubbed the character fondly as "Pinhead."  The rest is history.

P.S.S.S. Guess who has a signed, framed picture in her room that reads, "Dear Katie, See you in Hell.  Love, Doug Bradley." Oh yah, that's right... it's this girl!

"Cannibal Holocaust" (1980)

Before there was The Blair Witch Project, Italian director Ruggero Deodato paved the way for all future "documentary tape found in the middle of nowhere" flicks with Cannibal Holocaust.  Horror fans across the globe know of this infamous film for several reasons: the one I just described, its notoriety among animal-rights' activists (more on that later), and mostly for its excessive amount of blood, gore, and blatant, violent sexuality.  When an anthropologist travels deep into the South American jungle to rescue a team of missing documentary filmmakers, he finds the tapes alright-- but he also finds evidence of savage, brutal behavior not from the jungle natives, but instead by the "civilized" westerners.  Cannibal Holocaust is one of those films that, if you love horror movies, you simply have to watch.  Sure, it might be old and outdated by today's standards, but how could you pass up a flick that was banned in over 50 countries, caused public and legal scandal (the director was arrested on obscenity and attempted murder charges-- wowsers!), and made grown men/actors cry?  You just can't....

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Rent Cannibal Holocaust from Netflix, or simply buy a DVD copy from Amazon.  This definitely isn't the most pleasant movie to watch, but it is a definite historical look not only on the past of horror films, but of filmmaking in general.  In the meantime, check out the trailer:



P.S. Director Ruggero Deodato had a hard time after making this film.  Italy thought that Cannibal Holocaust was a snuff film, and arrested him for attempted murder and obscenity.  He had to prove in court that all of the violence was staged in his film.  He later remarked that he regretted everything about the film.

P.S.S. This is rumored to be the most-banned movie in the world.  This is at least partially due to the fact that animals were, unfortunately, ruthlessly slaughtered on camera, including monkeys, turtles, and pigs. Apparently, the actors nearly had nervous break-downs after having to perform the scenes.  Needless to say, when you see the disclaimer, "No animals were harmed in the making of this film," odds are you have this movie to thank for that.