There aren’t too many people I know who adore cheesy (and spooky) horror movies as much as I do. The one person I can count on to give me THE BEST movie recommendations is Kelly Hager of KellyVision.
I’ve been watching scary movies since I was nine years old. As a result, I’m pretty hard to scare. Most of the movies that have been dubbed the “Scariest movie EVER!” leave me pretty cold. (Especially you, Paranormal Activity!) But even so, I watch them.
Originally, I was going to do a post of horror movie recommendations before I realized that probably everything I would recommend, horror movie fans have already seen. I mean, who loves horror movies and hasn’t seen Halloween or The Strangers? (Incidentally, The Strangers completely freaks me out. I think it’s because of the masks.)
Plus, it’s impossible to say for sure that a movie will scare someone. It’s pretty obvious why, when you think about it: we’re all afraid of different things. Personally, I’m scared of serial killers, clowns and religious horror movies. I don’t believe in demons or possessions, but I also won’t watch The Exorcist at night, and especially not by myself.
So why do I watch them when they usually don’t scare me? Part of it is because it’s a great way to see future stars. Almost every major actor or actress has appeared in a horror movie or two. The Nightmare on Elm Street franchise has Johnny Depp, Patricia Arquette and “Larry” Fishburne; Halloween has Jamie Lee Curtis and Paul Rudd; Friday the 13th has Kevin Bacon; Texas Chainsaw Massacre has Viggo Mortensen, Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey…even Leprechaun has Jennifer Aniston.
And part of it—probably most of it—is because it’s something I always used to do with my dad. He died when I was in high school, and we always watched scary movies together.
It’s probably better not to think about the fact that I honor his memory by watching dismemberings. (Sorry, Dad.)
But also, they’re just fun. It’s the same sort of principle as riding a roller coaster. It’s a way to be afraid without actually being in danger.
Finally—and because I said I would—here are some of my favorite scary movies. Since I love marathons, they’re grouped in threes.
The “Vacations Suck” marathon: Final Destination, Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, Friday the 13th remake
The Hitchcock marathon: The Birds, Psycho, Rear Window
The “Creepy Kids” marathon: Case 39 (better than you think), The Omen (original), The Exorcist
The “AFI” marathon: Jaws, The Exorcist, Alien
The Classics marathon: Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre (all originals)
Kelly Hager lives in Baltimore with her dog Sam and way more movies and books than one person should own. Whenever you see a trailer for a scary movie and think, “Who wants to see THAT?”, chances are, she does.
Thank you so much Kelly for your recommendations! Remember, don’t forget to link up your thrilling/chilling October posts here!
