Halloween treats

First, a little something to set the mood...



Now, the 10 best "horror" (as you'll see, I cheated-which is a horrible thing to do) movies I've ever seen:

(in no particular order)

Evil Dead. I know a lot of folks are fonder of the follow-up flicks, but I've always found this one to be finer. If only for the incredibly OTT acting.

Halloween.


"And kids, always remember: When in doubt, blame the druids. Good night, and god bless."

Shaun of the Dead. Brilliant daddy cool. Hot Fuzz has some good lines (the swan's escaped), but this is superior.

Rosemary's Baby. Hey, this movie broke up Frank Sinatra's marriage. How much more disturbing can you get?



Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978 version). I've seen the first three versions of this oft-refilmed tale, and they all have something going for them, even if it's only one or two sexy bodies (1993 version).

But Philip Kaufman's had the best script (by W.D. Richter), and was the only one to really mess with my head...


Young Frankenstein

Mel Brooks' comic mind at its best.

Jaws. This is one of those movies that any time it's on, I have to stop and watch. Even one or two of the worst sequels ever made couldn't tarnish it.

But have you ever wondered what it would look like as re-enacted by bunnies and trimmed to 30 seconds? Of course you have. Now, through the wonders of technology, you can know!

BTW, one day I hope to go scuba diving with the Jaws John Williams theme in my aqua-walkman...

Oh, and this movie did change Hollywood and not necessarily for the better. That's horrible, too.

Aliens. On the other hand, this is one of the best sequels ever made, actually better (IMO) than the one that preceded it. A great screenplay by James Cameron.

The Shining. Those horrible twins. Blood cascading out of an elevator. And

Psycho. If not for the fatal flaw of that deadly dull "This is why Norman did everything" scene at the end, this movie would be perfect. As it is, it's pretty good, with some great lines and a greater performance by Tony Perkins.

The sequels fall somewhere in-between Aliens and Jaws 3-D. If you can get past the fact that it never should have been made, Psycho II is perfectly enjoyable.



As director, Perkins made a good stab at it (ho ho, hee hee, ha ha) with III, but was tripped up by studio interference.

The less said about the made-for-cable IV, the better.