Scary Films

If you don't want to join the kids trick or treating this Halloween why don't you settle down, turn the lights off and scare yourself witless with some of the scariest films ever made. Here's Britain.tv's recommendation.

The Exorcist (1973) Dir. William Friedkin, Starring Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair.

Brief Plot: A 12 year old girl is possessed by the devil and her only hope is an exorcism. Billed as the scariest film ever made.

 

 

 

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974): Dir Tobe Hooper. Starring Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger

Brief Plot: A group of hippies travelling through 1970's Texas fall prey to a trio of murderous brothers and their cannibal grandparents.

 

 

Halloween (1978): Dir. John Carpenter. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasance

Brief Plot: A psychotic murderer institutionalised since childhood escapes on goes on a mindless rampage while his doctor chases him through the streets. He's particularly fond of chasing Jamie Lee Curtis. Who wouldn't?

 

 

Friday the 13 th (1980): Dir. Sean S Cunningham. Starring Ari Lehman, Kevin Bacon

Brief Plot: A young boy named Jason drowns in a lake. Eleven years later, counsellors at the camp are systematically slaughtered as Jason is back from his watery grave

 

 

The Shining (1980): Dir: Stanley Kubrick. Starring Jack Nicholson, Shelly Duvall, Scatman Crothers

Brief Plot: A writer takes a job of a caretaker of a hotel in the remote mountains, taking his family with him during the long isolated winter. During their stay, his son has gruesome hallucinations and the writer is haunted by the demons of the hotel. The situation takes a sinister turn for the worse.

The Evil Dead (1981): Dir: Sam Raimi. Starring Bruce Campbell

Brief Plot: Five friends go to a cabin in the woods for a holiday. They discover The Book of the Dead

Poltergeist (1982): Dir. Tobe Hooper/Steven Speilberg. Starring Jo Beth Williams, Craig T Nelson, Carol Anne Fielding

Brief Plot: A young family are visited by ghosts in their home. At first friendly, the ghosts then turn nasty and start to terrorise the family before they kidnap the youngest daughter

Nightmare on Elm Street (1984): Dir. Wes Craven. Starring Robert Englund, Johnny Depp

Brief Plot: In the dreams of his victims, a murderer stalks the children of the members of the lynch mob that killed him.

 

 

 

Candyman (1992): Dir. Bernard Rose. Starring Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd

Brief Plot : A student writing a thesis on horrific urban myths encounters the Candyman. The myth becomes real .

 

 

 

Blair Witch Project (1999): Dir. Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sanchez. Starring Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, Michael Williams.

Brief Plot: Three student film makers disappear in the woods near Burkittesville , Maryland . One year later, their footage was found.

 

The Ring (2002): Dir. Gore Virbinski. Starring Naomi Watts, Brian Cox

Brief Plot: A journalist investigates a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone in a week that's seen it.